National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-14
NEW QUALIFICATIONS.

on account or tho hdelity with winch the
translator adhered to the original text and
the simplicity and rgor of the rendering Of
tho great philosopher Who tho translator
was Ia OF known, and now the present pub
location is put forth under the same anony-
nous circumstances. This work includes
translations from the best of Plato's writings,
Tho protagoras" and "The Republic" aud
these dialogues arc brought together be-
cause they embody one of tho most
vivid pictures which have come down 10 us
of the age in which these men lived and
taught. No work of fiction could better
sketch the daily intellectual life in Athens.
The great sage tells how he is awakened by
an eager student Of philosophy with the an
nom cmaut that Protagoras, tho sophist, has
arrived; OF tAc journey to the house where
he was stopping; of the other Athemono
whom he met there admiringly surrounding
tho distinguished guest. These personages
are faithfully pictured, and the house is also
sketched with u master hand. During the
dialogue each speaker preserves his identity,
and has his own peculiar modes of expression.
The discussion between Protagoras, the
teacher and Socrates brings out tho dis
tinctive characteristics of each with clear
ness and vigor that illustrates well the differ
ences between the elder rhetorician and the
younger positivist, tho excellencies aud de
fects Of each being made apparent in his own
words.
The following quotations will show that
Socrates's description Of the Athenan poll
ticians would do very we'll for some Of tho
would-be statesmen of tho present day:
That the Athenians are shrewd men is well
known to me, as IL is ull the other Greeks. Now,
notice that whenever we come together in the
assembly, ana Gcton Is to be taken by the state
about matters which relate to building, the build
ers are summoned to give their advice III regard
to buildings, and in case of ship-buildiug, then
the shipwrights are summoned, and SO on of all
learned. And ifany other man whom the people
do not regard as a skilled workman undertakes
to give his advice, then. be he never SO well fa-
vored and rich and high born, they accept II none
the more for that, but laugh him to scorn and boot
ut him until he who is trying to speak is actually
or Is arrested by the city guard and turned out by
order OF tue pfytnueS. This then, Is the action
tney IaSe IN r S 70 nTIs when they think may
anything touching the management Of the state,
then, indeed, may any man arise aud give his
advice, carpenter as well as blacksmith, cobbler
and shipmaster, rich ana poor well born and of
low degree. And when these undertake to give
advice no one casts in their teeth, in tho former
instance, that they have never learned the art
had any teacher in it; from which 1t is evident
that the Athenians donot believe 1t eau be taught
The following is Socratess account of the
conversation between himself and his young
friend Hippocrates, as they walked toward
the house where Protagoras was visiting:
How is this? DO you know TO what danger you
are about TO expose your soul? surely II you
were obliged 70 intrIst your body to some ones
worse, you would carefully consider whether or
no 1t ought to be intrusled 10 him, aud you would
tives, and ponder the question many days. But
as to that which you set SO much more store by
pends your Whole fate for Veal or for woeNin re-
gard to this, i say, neither father nor brother
nor any OF your friends have, you consulted
stranger who has only Just made his appearance.
YG9 heard Of MS arrival as you say only list
about him and whether you ought 10 IL.
trust yourself to him or not. here you
are at earliest dawn all ready to spend your own
money and that of your friends rs well, for all
the world as If you had made up your mind be-
forehand that 1t is necessary at any cost to put
own confession, you neither know nor have ever
talked with. You call him sophist, but what
kind Of q thing s9phIst may be you evidently
| you are about to conflde yourself"
When he had heard me out he said:
so II seems, Socrates, according to what you
"Apd is not sophist, Hippocrates, a kind of
merchant Tc or peldler who deals a In the supplies
\ lie seems TO me, at least"
Aud what does the soul live upon, Socrates o.
land see to 1t, my friend, that the sophist, in
praising what he has or sale, does not cheat US
| like those who deal In food for the body-the
| m erchant and the peddler."
MURAH. A Novel. BY Rosa VERTNER JEFFREY,
| author of WOODBURY." &C., &c. Philadelphia:
| J. b. Lippincott & Co. Washington: w. ii.
Morrison. Price, Sl.2o.
In this book tho authoress has sustained
her well-earned reputation as an excellent
writer of fiction, and has produced a story
which is extremely attractive and which will
be read with interest. The two principal
characters are especially we'll drawn, and in
deed the same may be said of nearly all tho
personages introduced, though in some in
stances the vicious propensities are probably
exaggerated. Many Of the incidents are of
thrilling interest," and chain the attention of
the reader so that it is almost impossible to
lay down the book after having once com
menced it.
| LITERARY NOTES.
| In last weeks issue of the Current. James B.
| Cable, in his Southern Shouettes" gives a
weird and fascinating picture of the Bayou Teche
county; Lucy Ii. Hooper, in her Celebrated PERSON.
| ages of France" presents n pen portrait of n.
Grevy; lgnatius Donnelly, author of atlantis"
and "Ragnarok," begins q number Of papers upon
| "Heredity" the first being entitled Faces" An
| drew Shumau chief editor Of tho Chicago EUenilig
journal. presents humorous picture of railway
| travel in paper called "a Stertorous Entertain
| ment;' Gen. Alvin z. Hovey, of Indiana. ex-min.
lister TO Peru, adds another of his peruvian
| Pictures" a spirited description Of the national
| Peruvian dance, Ia Zamacuecai !. Il. La Noble
gives fresh picture Of the life and character OF
Bryan Waller Proctor BARRY CornwalD; Dr. De
| Grlez Won Ronse, in his papers upon the great
German sculptor, Johannes Schilling; the "Peeps
from Engisl Easements series is continued by
Frlnl |. JeIv!s, who gives a quaint description OF
| the "Rnggrs, Waits, and Mummers' OF the provin.
cial En-. is towns; while "Men aud Women of the
Future are discussed IN the papers upon
Dickens the Teacher"
The Sanitarian for January-the first number Of
twelfth volume and year-appears as monthly,
instead of weekly, enlarged to ninety pages
The leading articles Of this number are "Whai
shall be done with the Sewage T by A. N. Bell,
A. NJ. NJ. d. Canning Houses and their Rola-
tions to the Public Health" by W. Stump For,
wood NJ. d. Typhoid Fever in America-its
Nature, Causes, aud Prevention" by X. J. Farqu'
haTson, A. NJ, NJ. d. secretary Of Iowa state board
of health. "Museum Of Hygiene" by Medical D-
rector j. NJ. Browne, U. S, N. "Schooi Hygiene"
by Charles 4. Lundy. A. NJ, NJ. d. Physical
Training" by Prof ]. Madison Watson. "some
Causes of Infant Mortality" by T. 7. CORDIALLY, A.
NJ, NJ, D., and 1.-The Disposal OF House Refuse" by
]. =. Spencer, G. Il. Beside these leading papers
| ,i,, INy