The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03

| man could have suffered ridicule at his hand,
without some feeling OF resentment. No doub'
he was detested by all the billiards and hypo.
| critics In his calling. They hated him because
he was a Syrian. a foreign upstart, and the,
hated him the more because not one of then
| could cope with him in wit. or vie with him In
style. Their enmity would naturally make
| him willing to abandon rhetoric as q vocation
when a convenient opportunity occurred. HI
was not qualified TO become a philosopher
much less a scientist. So he became a satirist
Of those who devoted their lives to the seriou.
study OF history. science or philosophy. II
IL a matter OF surmise but not Of proof tina,
henceforth his headquarters were a,
| Athens until he sailed to take up his govern.
ment appointment in Egypt. where he died.
II.
In the chapter which bears the caption OF
CHARACTERISTICS" Col. Hime does not at
tempt TO offer an adequate appreciation OF
Lucian's character. That such an appreciation
Is possible is denied. The %satirist's character.
being essentially Oriental. defes analysis be-
yond a certain point. As Goethe has pointed out.
however, there is nothing in which people more
completely betray their character than in what
they find to laugh at. Some idea of Lucian's
character may be gained from the incidents
that amused him. Come and see the new
arrivals. he makes Antisthenes say TO his COM
panions in the Shades; 1t will be pleasant to see
some of them weeping. and TO hear others en-
treating TO be let 60" Presently. Diogenes.
speaking OF certain other ghosts. says. their
grooming afforded me no common pleasure"
Il shall laugh when I recognize the naked
pyipcoa n N hoard M HINT [" savs rharnp
without purple. or diadem. or golden couch
4 was exceedingly delighted" says Menippus.
when I saw the ghosts Of men who had
possessed wealth. and birth, and power.
naked and bowed DOWN in the Shades,
recalling as In a dream their former
happiness" He adds: The excellent dog
enes dwells In the Shades near Sardanapalus.
and Midas and others who lived in the lap Of
luxury; and often. when he hears then b5wa.is
ing their former fortunes. he rolls On mis- back
with delight and sings in 80 strident and harsh
a voice as to dro ~n their lamentations" u
could not contain my laughter" says the same
parsonage, when l saw Philip, King OF Mac
edon, In the Shades, eking out an existence by
mending old shoes" In Lucian's own time
Peregrinus. the Cynic. resolved to prove the
sincerity OF his belief by burning himself TO
utdt1 VI phUllt uuIlHk u Wy IlIlC khiurS. buol
before leapIng into the flames, he delivered a
short address. hoping, possibly, that the crowd
would compel him TO forego his mad design. A
few OF them did call out: live For the sake Of
the Greeks" but the majority shouted: Keep
your promise" On this. the old man grew
pale, trembled and was silent" Col. Hime
submits that, II ever there was a piteous sight,
this was one; yet. in describing the incident
t.---A - 49, IL.
said: You can easily understand how much |
was diverted by it,"
Luclan's heartlessness naturally exercised
an evil influence on his works. and there are to
he found in them numerous instances Of bad
taste from which a little generosity and kindly
feeling might have saved him. Our author can
find some excuse for a voluminous writer who
describes Neptune as using his trident, like a
pot stick. to stir up the sea: or who says Of a
multitude OF the dead, Some were old and
Wondering; Others, fresh and compact, espec-
cially the Egyptians. owing TO the durability OF
the pickle" Our author finds IL more difficult
to suggest an excuse for Lucian when he tells us
that Peregrinus, on coming forward TO leap into
the fire, stood before the multitude dressed In
a very dirty shirt" There are other instances
Of bad taste for which no apology can be de-
| Vlseu. \ Writer OF tne SpCOnO century, A. ID,
could not be reasonably expected to share in
the transports Of a poet Of the Renaissance
about Helen Of Troy. Yet Lucian might have
extended to her some small measure Of the
pity shown by Homer. 1t will be remem.
bered that the aged Priam was melted by her
grief. and moved by her strange loveliness.
Her beauty and her sorrows. however. had no
softening influence for the Syrian ~satirist. Il
saw Helen in the flesh" says the talking Cock TO
his master. Micyllus.t the cobbler; and her skin
was 80 white and her neck was so long that any
body could guess her father was a swan. As to
her age. she must have been as old as her moth
er-in-law. Hecuba. There isno wit or.humor here
because Helen Of Troy was no At figure for the
finger Of scorn or ridicule to point at. "Ha,
fool. dost thou weep?- is the mode in which
Lucian permits Diogenes to address Alexander
the Great In the Shades. Col. Hime presents
another extract from the Dialogues OF the
Dead" "Menippus: Are there not some per
sons shouting on EARTH Mercury. Yes, and in
a number Of different places. Acrowd on their
way to an Assembly are shouting for joy at
the death Of Lampichus. King OF the Geloans,
The women have laid violent hands on his wife,
and the boys are stonins his young children,
Others in Sicyon are applaudinR the funeral
grafton OF Diophantus. the rhetorician,
over this Crato here; and the mother OF
Damascus. the wrestler. with a number Of
women. is just BEGINNING TO chant his dirRe.
No one seems TO care for you. M~enippus,
your body is lyinR in peace. Msnippus: Wait
a bit. and you will hear the dogs bowling round
Il. and the crows Tapping their winRs when
they rome 10 bury It," Men making merry
over the death OF a fellow man. women har.
ryina a woman. boys stoninR helpless chill
dren: dogs tearina a corpse while the crows
impatiently wait their turn; these things our
author finds revolving. but Lucian did not
find them so.
It is further pointed out that Lucian. through
out his works. pursues with rancor the phil
osopher Socrates. livinR, dying and dead
We know from Plsto's Apology that. wher
Socrates was condemned 10 death. he ex.
claimed to his judges: The hour Of departure
has arrived. and We go our ways-I to die. and
you 10 live. Which Is better. God only knows.
He returned to his prison. and. when the at.
tendant presented the cup Of hemlock TO him
he took IL. As Plato tells us. in the easiest and
sentlest manner. without the least fear OF
change Of color or features. Hitherto" con.
tinues the narrator. most Of US had been able
Ia control our sorrow: but now. when we saw
him drnkins. and saw. too. that hs had nn.