The historic gallery of portraits and paintings: and biographical review : containing a brief account of the lives of the moost celebrated men, in every age and country : and graphic imitations of the fines specimens of the arts, ancient and modern : with remarks, critical and explanatory (Band 6) (London: Vernor, Hood, and Sharpe, 1810)

ARISTIPPUS.

Aristippus was born at Cyrene, in Africa. He was
a disciple of Socrates, but differed much from the doc-
trine of that illustrious master. The one acknowledged
no happiness but in virtue, the other found no enjoyment
but in voluptuousness. A lively wit, smart repartees,
and the talent of concealing his principles under decent
forms, gained him proselytesand admirers, and procured
for him a subsistence more pleasing than honourable. A
noble character and real merit gain the esteem of minds
that possess the least degree of courage. Aristippus
heard of the captivity of Socrates with sentiments
of grief; but as he was then at Egura, and felt that
he could not deliver this great man from the rage
of tyrants, he wished to avoid the melancholy but
august spectacle of his last moments. He only sought
for what was agreeable in friendship, and avoided the
vexations and affections of it. His friends might de-
pend upon him in prosperity, but could not expect to
find in him a comforter in misfortune; he had quarrelled
with Eschines, who was also a disciple of Socrates, and
who had behaved ill to Aristippus. He felt that an inti-
macy with him was necessary to his happiness, and made
the first advances to regain his affection. His abode at
Syracuse did more injury to his reputation than his taste
for pleasure. He in vain attempted to justify his con-
duct towards Dionysius, by pretending that the tone of
censure and reprimand succeeds badly with princes;