The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-02-11
SOCRATES, Il. &. 47O.
4 Pen Picture of the Great Phi
losoFher by Alphon>e de
L.amartinr.

ALL the world recognizes the name OF
Socrates as anonymous with wisdom; Few
are acquainted with hts doctrines. and
nothing IS known q his lie beyond his
conversations ana the manner Of hs Death.
He was neither a prophet nor a rrvea!er.
nor the founder - a religion or sect. lie
speaks not - men IN the name % Tie -
prc:ue Deity. he imposes on JH-rl no par
:icIlsT faith. La envelopes himself IN 20
I mysteries. be IrpnCurnrs 10 ora.-.s. ne 2 r
} forms 10 miracles. lie - a man. a.I pay
| takes IF humanity. even IN It. wsIkl-=="a
and doubts. But b lived wei. he spoke
wei, ami he died wsN-tha- S 20 say. lie
| performed III" part in al. Is humanity and
! al IS greatness. which Providence i'm
! poses on every mortal. II thinking justly.
| leading an homes lie and diving with hope.
| Such was Socrates. the p-re-t Incarnation
J u good sense and practical philosophy
which Greece. The land 70. lis BIRTH. ms
. exhibited 70 antiquity.
We snail say but H..ia - rs ISa. r0r ne
with him WAS reflection w sga. pin
-8l.y c1nHne ourselves 20 an a.rsu-, =
LIS mos N.ustr!cus act-Eis death. Socrates
&as a native q Athens. when was then
ia itself Tho metropolis O.: human i.teli!-
Eence. lie was TIE son q a poor sculptor.
Nature. IN forming HIN. hai denied
/ ne physical E-tces usual bestowed upon
! these fayori'"s -: Providence. wh. exhibit
] AGA N..'s- -'''e.saFT aa+ H.#.+ -rra N. .-.-
I beauty and virtue which shine forth from
! the >oul through to- mantle - -l- -,t=.-
lie was 10" and clumsy 81. figure. h!s Shout
irrS high ana broad. Hike .i.-a ~ . work
man employed 81 carrying ..tvv blocks p
! marble. BIS neck thick AMI sEu~r. his head
round and hlt. lis mouth psrtiaiiv uu-
closed with an habl'al. smile. his lips
! coarse and sensual. bis nose ui--huutu All
/ turned ~ like thai: O; SEl-uus. his eyes ssr-
castle his forehead rough. projecting and
badly del.rea:sI. The entire asp-n.. a.
though supreIely intelligent in general ex-
! preston. announced the CaruaI instincts
and gross sppe-i.es o: "a labor,ng man
rather Than the divine aspirations 81 q
thinking philosopher. From this -.gt!L.r.
gT"c".-ss form was 10 b. extracted. hg
| strokes Of the chisel. The pgrrz: moral
beauty. the most inn1;erIl image OF viz
tue which had .yer charmed 10, sight -
ancient Greece. tie said continually. when
, looking On the sHapc,"Ss masses %: stone.
rougI-hewu By th- hand 4 Ms cath.~.
Sine beauty springs from thence. i vii
make r euaaate from myself"
Socrates adopted the business Of hHs
father and earned his livelihood in tie
workshop. But while the sire yemaiue. a
simple artisan, the son became rapidly an
artist.
There was exhibited" SAYS Xonophc~.
his pupil and historian. "a group ~ rhe
three GraCes yelled, So happily cxc-u,~ Hy
the younger Socrates that Il stood with
Out injurious comparison clos 10 the mos.
divine statues Of Phll.as" The h.hsri4n-
placed this group In the ~!aT'igo ~ thu
Pantheon. IN itself a masterpiece OF arch
:tarrure which ,,n-,lurd u.rIiry ~. -
Ierpleres.
Bat Socrates asr'red 'nward,y 20 sculP-
tIre souls and not stones. 80 H en-
I,1yei every moment he could aIs-ra..
from his domestic avora'!0.s iu the in
s.r.r-fou ana correction ~ b;a faTny-..f.-
z.r. - cy.,r .I,ss on l-4.aT n.f
lfs ,-ss- s..-r,- .-,,r,-.. ,. -. D.. -
20 ,r. rer.-sfrf.. - Ills rl--...rf ard
would ,. f.~ who'll. F-vs tn dream, al
s,racria.. lis head blI.c. su lis hands. or
/ holding rrl,eupa.c a! converse with the
frs. Stranger VINO demanded from him -
sons ia wisdom. Perpetual c3uverse
was in fact. tho !"aIirg institution Of
Athens. II supplied th" place uf what the
periodical prasS las b"-om. with rs since
the discovery of printing -"+ with this dis
t]iur'-au. t.a' che press -f-Eh~ separately
- single readers. AID allows neither L.I-
,JE-a ru- re.'-.
Tins Il Was that Socrates. though ALWAYS
speaking. and uu every subject. wrote
nothing. lis lessons w.T. Ill dialogues with
las listeners. ami after lis death. T'Gtu
and N-uryFon, lis disciples. Transcribed
from memory. and under this constrained
form, the doctrines which they had heard
and noted during the life OF their master.
Socrates understood and demonstrates
b. hi7 example, that 20 serve men was the
nm -ooIa %. serving the gods. aud that
! 'na defense and government Of his country
~. lGrgsre .H1frt-ian~ uu every member ue
q fro Reuuh,!c. HI. conscience. his prin-
rioal sense. because Fl was tho sense Il
7t.-- MS 50 lust. powerful ami infallfble.
IN. T. aru.arr5 - HIM 4 phvsiaai voice
sreatfrv within his bosom. and vL'r. De-
a. r-,.s. I.,f.g a..s-ugtsi his oracle and
,e,f-s This voice Of conscience
81 him TO ra-orln a hero during tho vrrs
~ which his country was engaged. and
a,.,rglrs,v he became or..
IN. 81 ori-a ~ S,r.a.as was NOT Mil
h-. ,.g.irs Tra Ugs al.,-o! co..
~, no established rods %: III.
- r,.r,r- ., raas; under = RELIGIOUS
-. urf.n. s-,.-g ,sar,sfva.
t'e.eNt - 70, r., p.-,s,f. y,
) s.-.ts,T ..., -, f4r-sr,s tt.