Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 3.djvu/93

 ARISTOTLE 57 without this we could neither have time to pursue speculation, nor opportunity to practise the virtues. Thus, for example, one could not please his friends ; and to do good to those whom we love is always one of the highest enjoyments of life. " Happiness depends therefore," he said, " on three things : the goods of mind, as wisdom and prudence ; the goods of the body, as beauty, health, strength ; and the goods of fortune, as riches and nobility." Virtue he maintained, is not suffi- cient to render men happy ; the goods of the body and of fortune are absolutely necessary ; and a wise man would be unhappy were he to want riches or if his share of them were insufficient. He affirmed, on the other hand : "Vice is sufficient to render men unhappy. Though in the greatest affluence and enjoying every other advantage, it is impos- sible for a man ever to be happy while the slave of vice. The wise man is not wholly exempted from the ills of life, but his share of them is small." " The virtues and vices," he said, " are not incompatible, for the same man, though in- temperate, may be just and prudent." He mentions three kinds of friendship ; one of relationship, another of incli- nation, and a third of hospitality. Elegant literature, he thinks, contributes greatly to produce a love of virtue ; and the cultivation of letters he affirms to be the greatest consolation of age. Like Plato, he admitted the existence of a Supreme Being, to whom he attributed providence. In his politics, he maintains that the monarchical form of government is the most perfect, because in other forms there are more rulers than one. An army under the conduct of one able commander, succeeds better than one conducted by several leaders ; and while deputies, or chief men, are employed in assembling and deliberating, a monarch has already finished an expedition and executed his designs. The rulers of a republic do not care though they should ruin the state, provided they enrich themselves. Jealousies are engendered, divisions arise, and the republic is in danger of being finally destroyed and overthrown. In a mon- archy, on the other hand, the interests of the prince are those of the state ; and the state of course must flourish. Aristotle was one day asked, "What does a man gain by telling a lie?" 'Not to be believed," said he, "even when he tells the truth." Having been blamed for giving alms to a bad man, he said : " It is not be- cause he is bad, but because he is a man, that I have compassion for him." To his friends and scholars he used to say, that knowledge is to the soul " what light is to the eyes ; and that mellowness of the fruit makes up for the bit- terness of the root. When irritated against the Athenians, he reproached them with neglecting their laws, and using their corn ; though possessed of the former, as well as the latter. He was one day asked, "What it is that is soonest effaced?" "Gratitude," replied he. " What is hope?" " A waking man's dream." Diogenes presented Aristotle with a fig. Aristotle very well knew that were