The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-30
the Rev. mr.. King on Socrates.

The Rev. mr.. King on Socrates.
The Rev THos STAR KING, of Boston, on Toes
day night delivered the seventh Of course Of lee
lures ae the Brooklyn Institute. Tho subject So
looted was Socrates, the Atbenian philosopher
In his commencement, the reverend gentleman said
that there was one name only more familiar to hui
nan lips, than that of Socrates, Who teacher Of
pure morals, the dearest pagan light Of ACCIDENT
times. He was born 464 years before Christ, of pa
rents In poor worldly circumstances His father,
S0cratsDes, was . sculptor, and it was when Peri
cles fashionipg the state to his will by his eo
quence, and Att ems was fast becoming a sort Of
play ground for Apollo, when Socrates was apron
iced . sculptor Nothing is heard of him until hs
was thirty i've years Of age, when he threw do IN
his tools and determined to be philosopher, TO
chisel tho minds Of men instead Of inanimste mar
bls He msrvsled that mono Of the great thinkers
Of that time took up what concerned the good Of
mankind, and he determined to impress upon his
countrymen tho truth of tho proverb, "know thy
self" He therefore, resolved to abandon the low
for the higher art of sculpture. He never wrote
book, but adopted the method of to aching by con-
VIBRATIONS in public places As no was not phio-
sopher by ms. hod he was not in Ape arAuce. In
outward looks BIO vas an embodied joke; his head
Vas in shape like . pumpkin his eyes we're large
and looked both ways, of which no felt proud his
His neck Was short and thick, and in oorpulenee,
he would at the present day be taken Is pattern
alderman. In spirit he was Brahmin, and In looks
Satan He bought one pair Of good shoes in his
streets barefoot 10 spite OF his osrpuenoe however,
be vss perfect athlete When about forty years
Of sge he drafted for the army, and ordered to
serve campaign in Tnrace; add while tho off ,ers
protected themselves with cloaks of fur, he went
about without superabundant clothing, and walked
hsrefoOted upon the Toe and once he surprised
them al BY standing notionless in the open air
for twenty four hours, without experiencing any
subsequent evil consequences When he left tho
sculpture shop be was confident that II was .
holy call that bade him 60 f0rth and teach
mankind in the way of truth. II was au inward
monitor, somewhat Of the nature Of the spirit
ual rsppinss of tho present day. which impsled
him to sdops that course, and he was sometimes in
consequences, given to prophecy. Az logician he
was terfbie-hold ng up the thought to view, and
exsniniDs II o. an .nslyst would crystal. ne
into the Athcnisn streets ~ an inquirer, and not
teacher, pretending to know DSthins, and wishing
to learn every thing; yet most persons he came in
bard nut to crack he combated atheism success
fully, and when he found voluptusry he would sit
down and propoupd questions, and convince him
even against his will that the course he pursued
not the proper one To the rion he would say, that
twas better TO be good than 70 have all the wealth
Of Cr9sus; and to the ralers 40 would say, that It
wss better to govern wisely ana justly than to aim
to beeone great by an opposite course. He oon-
sdered Athens ~ his parish, and knew every one IN
II, aud wss equally as we'll known 10 all When,
upon an occasion, Euokidemes boasted that he
would yet govern Athens BY his smooth voice and
fuepcy OF speech, Socrates probod him as to his
knowledge Of commerce., Of law, and Of religion,
and finding him deficient in every requisite TO be-
come . ruler OF the State, said ne reminded him OF
tho man who wished to practise me define; he had
never studied, knew nothing whatever about IL; bat
by practising upon one and then upon smother, he
would, In c6nrse of time, become \ physician He
would introduce bis plessantres into every theme,
and make bimsslf agreeable and entertaining, nst-
withstsnding his forbidding personal appearance.
At one time he would be preeent at q supper party,
and endtavor by his reasoning TO convince those
present that eatirg was not desirable nm opera
ton ~ might Do imagined; its indulgence was
necessary only 10 the sustenAnse Of life. and gor-
mApdiairg should be svoi led Temperance 10 eat
Ing. we'll ss in othcr things he kened TO so lnd
ossk, waterproof all round; out thss thu life Of an
epicure like q bsrre full of shot holes, letting
even thing ont and mskiog IL ouly necessary TO all
mp again On another occasion he might be seen
9th a priest. questioning him on holy subj sc.s
and comb sting aud overcoming his Arguments The
spesher here led Socrates in an i'm agiusry travel
about New York, and made some pleasing obssrva-
tiops ~ to the reeult of such visit Continuing
upon ths subject, the lecturer said that Sowate,
vas also seen 10 the greatest advantage With the
Grscssn eophste, who were the Ioarned men of that
day, and he delighted 10 prop,und,og question aud
everthrowipg their arguments The philosopher
said OF himself. that he was gadfy. but TO tbose
scphiste he always proved a vampire, and smoked
tAlrl n Atw No n,rc