Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/349

 ARISTOTLE. 313 ARISTOTLE, the chief of the Peripatetic philofophers,Fabnc.Bibi. born at Stagyra, a finall city in Macedon, in the 99th Olym- Gr. Llb -'' piad, about 384 years before Chrift, was the fon of Nicho- Cl machus, phyfician to Amyntas, the grandfather of Alexan- der the Great. He loll his parents in his infancy ; and Proxenes, a friend of his father's, who had the care of his education, taking but little notice of him, he quitted his fludies, and gave himfelf up to the follies of youth. After he had fpent moft of his patrimony, he entered into the army; but not fucceeding in this profefBon, he went to Delphi, to confult the oracle what courfe of life he (hould follow; when he was advifed to go to Athens, and ftudy philofophy. He accordingly went thither when about eigh- teen, and ftudied under Plato till he was thirty-feven. By this time he had fpent his whole fortune ; and we are told that he got his living by felling powders, and fome receipts in pharmacy [A], He followed his ftudies with moft extra- ordinary diligence, fo that he foon furpafled all in Plato's fchool. He eat little, and flept lefs ; and that he might not over fieep himfelf, Diogenes Laertius tells us, that he layinvit.Arift. alwjys with one hand out of the bed, having a ball of brafs in it, which, by its falling into a bafon of the fame metal, awaked him. We are told, that Arirtotle had feveral con- ferences with a learned Jew at Athens, that by this means he inltrucled himfelf in the fciences and religion of the o /Egyptians, and thereby laved himfelf the trouble of travel- ling into Egypt [B]. When he had ftuJied about fifteen years under Plato, he began to form different tenets from thofe of his mailer, who became highly piqued at his behu- A] Francis Patricias is of opinion fo learned a Jew, could he have believed that Ariltotle was a hearer of Plato till what he fays of the origin of the Jews ? the age of forty ; and that he praclLfed would lie have faid, that they were de- pharmacy and phyfic all that time, in fcended from the Calami, a people of order to get a livelihood. He adds, that India; and that they took upon them formerly phyficijns were alfo ap .the- the name of Jevs in Syri.i, from a caries; and that we have three rtafons province they were poilefled of, named to make us believe that Ariltotle was a Juda>a? which is what Ariltotle pre- phyfician, viz. he was of a race of phy- tends in the pafTage or Cle.ircbuf, quoted ficians ; he compofcd a book on health by Jofephiu. Is it to he im-:ined his and difeafes ; and he trained Alexander |ew would have left him in fo childi/h to the ftudy of phyfic, int" which that an error? and might we not have ex- monarch gained a great in fight, as well peeked to find irore traces of Judxa, 5n theory aj pr.iclice. Patricii DifculV. and the Jewifti n.uion, in the writings feripaut. torn. i. p. 3. of Ariflotle, after fo many difco erics as [B j If it is true, fays Mr. Bayle, that the Jew is faid to have made to him ? /.riftotle had fo many conferences with viour.