Nor our criticism of these schoolmen. It is so hopeless for us now to try to feel what the sensitive ears of the old Greeks must have felt, we are so ignorant of the rhythmical melodies of the language which they spoke, and whose resources they studied with so fond a love, that periods which roused them to enthusiasm fall flat and cold on our unsympathetic nerves. is this all, our sensibilities for grace and beauty have certainly not kept pace with our scientific progress. Our deepest thinkers are often quite indifferent to the elegance of literary form. They may see to it that the words shall faithfully reflect the thoughts, but beyond that they often neglect entirely the niceties of style, and would almost despise themselves for caring much about the harmonies of balanced cadence, or the subtleties of characteristic phrase. And so we listen with a natural impatience when we hear of the laboured efforts of these rhetoricians to gain an entire mastery over the beauties of their language, or to make perfection of the outward form their end and aim. Yet after all they were musicians, playing on an instrument of many strings; and if through them they stirred the fancy and touched the hearts of a thousand hearers, we bave no right to underrate their skill, because some of the strings are tuneless in our ears, or our ignorant hands have never learnt to use them deftly. much a higher celebrated But is it true, that at the University there Was there was much teaching of a higher order, thrown into teaching of the shade, perhaps, by the popular graces of these order? literary artists, but still ready, if required, for any deep and earnest thinkers? One potent influence of this kind there was elsewhere already, soon to be better represented also in the schools of Athens, for without doubt the Neoplatonic system was not wanting in vigour or intensity of thought. But we cannot take this as the type of what was then in vogue, as the professorial teaching of philosophy. Rather for that purpose we may take Themistius, The versed in all the Aristotelian lore, and famous at this Themistius, though time as Public Lecturer in the New Rome, the seat professedly a philof Empire. A volume of his popular works survives osopher, to show us what was the spirit of his teaching. He is very careful, more than once, to hold himself distinct from all the Sophists of the day. To make the contrast more explicit, he describes them as Plato did his rivals of old time, following closely in his master's steps, and using the same definitions for the heads of his own lecture. Thanks to his own ample means, he need not teach in any mercenary spirit, or vex his pupils for their tutor's dues, or, like his rivals, puff and advertise his literary wares; but thanks still more to the genial spirit of philosophy, he was raised above suspicion of betraying the interests of truth, is as Sophists. As moral preachers, he and the Sophists were easily surpassed by the Christian doctors. and making the worse appear the better cause. The Sophists might dwell contentedly in their unrealities of dreamland, but eternal verities alone engaged the attention of his class. If so, however, it must be admitted that only the privileged few might enter into the inner circle of such mysteries. In the discourses which are left, he has borrowed all the rhetorician's tools, and used them seemingly without misgiving. Homeric illustrations cropping up in subjects most incongruous to their use, frigid conceits of stalest imagery, wordy developments of thought already worn threadbare, this is what Themistius thought enough to attract an ignorant public to the fruits of liberal culture. He takes credit to himself for forming the character of those who listen, and helping them forward on the road to virtue; and indeed his lectures read often like dull sermons, though delivered from the Professor's Chair. But as preachers of righteousness the schoolmen were easily surpassed by the great doctors of the church, who like themselves had mastered all the rules of rhetoric, and used them in a nobler cause. Some there were, indeed, who tried to breathe new life into the dry bones of heathen ethics, whose mystic enthusiasm and devotional warmth were quite unknown to earlier ages; but they could not vie with the fire of intense conviction, This may partly account for the numbers and reputa tion of the schools. the vigour of invective, the weight of personal character with which their rivals denounced the vices of the age, or enlarged upon the mysteries of faith. In another chapter we may enter more into details upon the struggle between the old and new religions, in so far as it affects the subject now before us; it dwindling remains only here to note its influence on the outer fortunes of the schools, in their fading prestige and dwindling numbers. We may fail, indeed, to recognise the change, so long as we are only dealing with the greatest names among the schoolmen. We see that they still take a high rank in their cities, have honours and riches showered upon them, receive distinctions from their Sovereigns, and even military decorations, as Proæresius was made the colonel of a regiment, and had a statue raised to him at Rome, with the inscription on it, the Queen of Cities to Eunapius the King of Eloquence.' They are indispensable on state occasions, as the official orators of every important cause. Provincial Governors send them pupils as a mark of their esteem, and go in state to their inaugural addresses. Sometimes also they honour them by letting their own children join the Libanius, class, forgetting however to send the customary fees, or even any present of fruit, or wine, or game. 6 But the rank and file are not so lucky, and before long they keenly feel the suspense and discouragement Proær. iii. 134. Liban. ii. 79. of a decaying trade. We have, indeed, a humorous definition of the Sophist, given us by one of their own number, in which stress is laid on their big houses, multitudes of pupils, rounded paunch, and insinuating ways. But the reverse of the picture is presented, though still in jesting vein, by the same writer, when he maintains that the Sophist's trade is but a form of slavery, in gilded chains at best. He has to flatter the friends and parents of his pupils, and say that they are prodigies of talent, though they may be hopeless blockheads; he must pay court to the innkeepers and tradesmen, and the masters of the lodging-houses, that they may not give him a bad name, or prejudice the freshmen against his trainingcollege for young sophists (σοφιστῶν ἐργαστήριον); he must make interest with the Aldermen, lest in a fit of spleen or of caprice they may deprive him of his Chair; he must not even forget to have a ready word and liberal fee for the porters at the great men's houses. When the day comes for any of his studied lectures, to which the general public is invited, the veriest dolt, the most irreverent witling, soldier or pugilist or what-not, may spoil his happiness by checking the natural movement of applause. The writer however does not always speak so lightly. One of his speeches contains a strong appeal in behalf of the poorer members of his own profession, in which he |