MEMOIR OF ARISTOTLE. 
53 
weak or wicked judges, was not delivered in Court. 
Perceiving that his fate was inevitable, the phi- 
losopher stole privately away from the city, thus 
escaping the idle mockery of a trial ; and being un- 
willing, as he expresses it, that the Athenians should 
have a second opportunity of committing a capital 
crime against philosophy — alluding to the death of 
Socrates, who had fallen a victim to the intolerant 
superstition of his age. 
On leaving Athens, Aristotle directed his steps 
to Chalcis in Euboea, and in this retreat he spent 
the remainder of his days. Here he was waited up- 
on by the whole company of his disciples and fol- 
lowers, who besought him to make choice of a suc- 
cessor, to whom they might look up as the director 
and finisher of their studies. The pre-eminent me- 
rits of Theophrastus and Eudemus, the latter from 
Rhodes and the former of Lesbos, were universally 
acknowledged ; and in deciding their claims, the 
prudent sage, to avoid giving ott'ence, had recourse 
to a gentle artifice. Having requested a draught of 
Rhodian wine, he admitted it was strong and plea- 
sant ; but when lie had tasted the Lesbian, he pro- 
nounced it the sweeter of the two — thus leaving his 
auditors to infer, in the true style of eastern parable, 
on whom his choice had fallen. Theophrastus was 
not only remarkable for genius and erudition: he ex- 
celled as an orator, as the veiy name imports which 
is expressive of his divine eloquence. His writings 
were numerous, and Diogenes has preserved the 
