4 Plutarch’s Lives
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nd subtle logic of discrimination to detect and establish thedistinctions between them. As to Cato’s extraction, it is confessed by all to have beenillustrious, as will be said hereafter, nor was Phocion’s, I feelassured, obscure or ignoble. For had he been the son of aturner, as Idomeneus reports, it had certainly not been forgottento his disparagement by Glaucippus, the son of Hyperides, whenheaping up a thousand spiteful things to say against him. Nor,indeed, had it been possible for him, in such circumstances, tonave had such a liberal breeding and education in his youth, as.to be first Plato’s and afterwards Xenocrates’s scholar in theAcademy, and to have devoted himself from the first to the pur-suit of the noblest studies and practices. His countenance wasso composed that scarcely was he ever seen by any Athenianeither laughing or in tears. He was rarely known, so Duris hasrecorded, to appear in the public baths, or was observed withhis hand exposed outside his cloak, when he wore one. Abroad,and in the camp, he was so hardy in going always thin clad andbarefoot, except in a time of excessive and intolerable cold, that.the soldiers used to say in merriment, that it was like to be ahard winter when Phocion wore his coat. Although he was most gentle and humane in his disposition,his aspect was stern and forbidding, so that he was seldomaccosted alone by any who were not intimate with him. WhenChares once made some remark on his frowning looks, and theAthenians laughed at the jest, “ My sullenness,” said Phocion, “never yet made any of you sad, but these men’s jollities havegiven you sorrow enough.” In like manner Phocion’s language,also, was full of instruction, abounding in happy maxims andwise thoughts, but admitted no embellishment to its austere andcommanding brevity. Zeno said a philosopher should neverspeak till his words had been steeped in meaning; and such, itmay be said, were Phocion’s, crowding the greatest amount ofsignificance into the smallest allowance of space. And to this,probably, Polyeuctus, the Sphettian, referred, when he said thatDemosthenes was, indeed, the best orator of his time, but Phocionthe most powerful speaker. His oratory, like small coin ofgreat value, was to be estimated, not by its bulk, but its intrinsicworth. He was once observed, it is said, when the theatre wasfilling with the audience, to walk musing alone behind the scenes,which one of his friends taking notice of said, “ Phocion, youseem to be thoughtful.” “ Yes,” replied he, “ Tam consideringhow I may shorten what I am going to say to the Athenians. %
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