Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-01-31
0bc DaiIp i)irsiniau.
socrates In the midst Of the Athenian
Crowd.

Crowd.
All other teachers, both before and after
ward "ether took money for their lessons, or
at least gave them apart from the multitude in
a private house TO special pupils with admis-
SION or reflections at the their own pleasure"
The Acadcmus grove of Plato, the Garden Of
Epicurus, the Porch or Cloister of Zeno. the
Lyceum or Sanctuary, with the Peripatetic
shades of Aristotle, all Indicate the prevailing
practice. The philosophy of Socrates alone
was in every sense the philosophy of the mar
ket place. Very rarely he might be found
under the shade of the palm tree or the cav
erned rocks of the illissus, enjoying the grassy
slope of its banks, and the little pools of water
that collect in tho corners Of its torrent bed;
and the white and purple flowers of its agnus-
castus shrubs. But, ordinarily, whether in the
city or in tho dusty road between the Long
Was,or in the busy mart of Pir@us, his place
was among men, and with mon, in every voca-
ton of life, living not for himself,but for them,
rejecting all pay, contented in poverty
Whatever could be added To the siugularity
Of this spectacle, was added by the singulari-
ty of his outward appearance. What that ap-
pcarance was has been already indicated. A.
mid the gay life. the beautiful forms, the bril-.
liant coors of an Athenan multitude and an a.
thcnian street, the rcpulsivo features. tho un-
thrcadbare attire Of the philosopher, must
have excited every sentiment of astonishmont
and rdicue which strong contrast can pro-
ducc, And if to this we add the occasional
trance, the eye fixed on vacancy, the total alb
srdction from outward thngs-or again, the
momcntary outbursls Of violent temper-or.
lastly, (what we are told at times actually
took pIace,) the sudden interruptions of his
wife Nantppe 10 carry off her eccentric hus-
band TO his iorsaken home, we shall not won
der at the universal celebrity which he acquir-
ed even irrespcelvely of his great powers or
OF his peculiar objects. Every one knows the
attention which unusual doton, or even an
unusual dress, secures for teacher SO soon
as he has once secured hearing. A Quaker
at court, or Later-day prophet, speaking in
the language Of Mr.. Carlyle, has, other things
considered better chance of being listened to
than man in ordinary costume and of ordi-
nary address. And such, in an eminent de-
gree was Socrates II was (so his disciples
described III as if one Of the marble satyrs,
which sat in grotesquo attitudes, with pipe or
flute in the sculptors shops at Athens, had left
his seat OF stone, and walked into the palm
tree avenue ofthe gymnastic colonade. Grad
aally the crowd gathered around him At first
he spoke Of the tanners and the smiths, and
INC ufoNcfs, VINO were plying their trades a
bout him; and they shouted with laughter as
he spoke forth his homely jokes. But soon
the magic charm of his voice made itself felt.
The peculiar sweetness Of his tone had an eff
feet which even the thunder Of Pericles failed
to produce. The laughter ceased; the crowd
thlckened; the gay youth, whom nothing else
could tame, stood translixed and awe struck in
his presence; there solemn thrill in his
words, such as his hearers could compare to
nothing but the mysterious sensation produced
by the clash Of drum and cymbal in the wor-
ship ofrhc great mother ofthe gods the head
swan; the heart leaped at the sound; tears
rushed from the eyes; and they felt that un-
less they tore themselves away from that fas-
ciuated circle, they should sit down at his feet
and grow old in listening to the marvellous
music this second Marsyas.
But the excitement occasioned by his APP
pearance was increased ten fold by the purpose
which he had set before him, when to use the
expressive comparison of his pupils he cast
way his rough satyr's skin, and disclosed the
divine image which that rude exterior had
covered The object to which he thus devo-
ted himself was to convince men of all class
es, but especially the most distinguished, that
they had the conceit of knowledge wilhoutthe
reality. Quarterly Reoiea0.