Plotinus. upon hearing those of Ammonius, he confessed that this health; for he never made use of preservatives or baths, Plotinus. was the man he wanted. He studied for 11 years un- and did not even eat the flesh of tame animals. He ate der that excellent master, and then went to hear the but little, and abstained very often from bread; which, Persian and Indian philosophers: for in 243, when the joined to his intense meditation, kept him very much emperor Gordianus intended to wage war against the from sleeping. In short, he thought the body altogether Persians, he followed the Roman army, but probably below his notice; and had so little respect for it, that repented of it; for it was with difficulty he could save he considered it as a prison, from which it would be his life by flight, after the emperor had been slain. He his supreme happiness to be freed. When Amelius, after was then 39; and the year following he went to Rome, his death, inquired about the state of his soul of the and read philosophical lectures in that city; but avoid- oracle of Apollo, he was told, "that it was gone to the ed following the example of Erennius and Origen, his assembly of the blessed, where charity, joy, and a love of fellow-pupils, who, 'having promised with him not to the union with God prevail :" and the reason given for reveal some hidden and excellent doctrines they had received from Ammonius, had nevertheless forfeited their peaceable, gracious, and vigilant ; that he had perpetuit, as related by Porphyry, is, "that Plotinus had been. word. Plotinus continued ten years in Rome, without ally elevated his spotless soul to God; that he had loved writing any thing; but, in his 50th year Porphyry be- God with his whole heart; that he had disengaged himcame his scholar; who, being of an exquisitely fine ge- self to the utmost of his abilities, from this wretched nius, was not satisfied with superficial answers, but re- life; that, elevating himself with all the powers of his quired to have all difficulties thoroughly explained; and soul, and by the several gradations taught by Plato, totherefore Plotinus, to treat things with greater accura- wards that Supreme Being which fills the universe, he cy, was obliged to write more books. He had before had been enlightened by him; had enjoyed the vision of written 21 books, and during the six years of Pophy- him without the help or interposition of ideas; bad, in ry's stay with him he wrote 24, and 9 after Porphyry's short, been often united to him." This is the account leaving Rome, in all 54. The Romans had a high ve- of Porphyry, who tells us also, that he himself had once neration for him; and he passed for a man of such judge- been favoured with the vision. To this account, howment and virtue, that many persons of both sexes, when ever, we need scarcely add, that little credit is due : it they found themselves dying, intrusted him as a kind agrees pretty much with modern enthusiasm and the reof guardian angel, with the care of their estates and veries of Behmenists. Plotinus had also his familiar children. He was the arbiter of numberless law-suits; spirit, as well as Socrates; but, according to Porphyry, and constantly behaved with such humanity and recti- it was not one of those called demons, but of the order tude of mind, that he did not create himself one enemy of those who are called gods; so that he was under the during the 26 years he resided in Rome. He, however, protection of a genius superior to that of other men. did not meet with the same justice from all of his own The superiority of his genius puffed him up not a little : profession; for Olympias a pbilosopher of Alexandria, for when Amelius desired him to share in the sacrifices, being envious of his glory, used his utmost endeavours, which he used to offer up on solemn festivals, "It is though in vain, to ruin him. The emperor Gallienus, their business (replied Plotinus) to come to me, not and the empress Salonina, had a very high regard for mine to go to them :" "which lofty answer (says Porhim; and, had it not been for the opposition of some phyry) no one could guess the reason of, or dared to jealous courtiers, they would have had the city of Camask." pania rebuilt, and given to him with the territory belonging to it, to establish a colony of philosophers, and to have it governed by the ideal laws of Plato's commonwealth. He laboured under various disorders during the last year of his life, which obliged him to leave Rome, when he was carried to Campania to the heirs of one of his friends, who furnished him with every thing necessary; and he died there in the year 270, at the age of 66, and in the noblest manner that an heathen philosopher could do, these being his words as he breathed his last: "I am labouring with all my might to return the divine part of me to the Divine Whole which fills the universe." We have already remarked that the ideas of Plotinus were singular and extraordinary; and we shall now show that they were so. He was ashamed of being lodged in a body, for which reason he did not care to tell the place of his birth or family. The contempt he had for all earthly things, was the reason why he would not permit his picture to be drawn: and when his disciple Amelius was urgent with him upon this head, "Is it not enough (said he) to drag after us, whithersoever we go, that image in which nature has shut us up? Do you think that we should likewise transmit to future ages an image of that image, as a sight worthy of their attention ?" From the same principle, he refused to attend to his Porphyry put the 54 books of Plotinus in order, and divided them into six enneases. The greater part of them turn on the most high-flown ideas in metaphysics; and this philosopher seems, in certain points, not to differ much from Spinoza. He wrote two books to prove, that "all being is one and the same;" which is the very doctrine of Spinoza. He inquires, in another book, "Whether there are many souls, or only one?" His manner of composing partook of the singularity of his nature: he never read over his compositions after he had written them; he wrote a bad hand, and was not exact in his orthography: he stood in need, therefore, of a faithful friend to revise and correct his writings; and he chose Porphyry for this purpose before Amelius, who had, however, been his disciple 24 years, and was very much esteemed by him. Some have accused Plotinus of plagiarism, with regard to Numenius; a slander which Amelius refuted. Longinus was once much prejudiced against our great philosopher, and wrote against his Treatise of Ideas, and against Porphyry's answer in defence of that treatise. He afterwards conceived a high esteem for him; sought industriously for all his books; and, in order to have them very correct, desired Porphyry to lend him his copy; but at the same time wrote to him in the following manner: "I always observed to you, when we were to402 gether, PLOTUS, or DARTER, a genus of birds belonging to the order anseres. See ORNITHOLOGY Index. PLOUGH, in Agriculture, a machine for turning up the soil by the action of cattle, contrived to save the time, labour, and expence, which, without this instrument, must have been employed in digging the ground, and fitting it for receiving all sorts of seed. See AGRI CULTURE, Plotinus gether, when we were at a distance from one another, The bishop of Laon (Clermont) informed of his talents, Pioche. as well as when you lived at Tyre, that I did not com- conferred upon him the direction of the college of his Pluche. prehend many of the subjects treated of by Plotinus; episcopal city. By his industry and superior knowledge, but that I was extremely fond of his manner of writing, a proper order and subordination soon took place in it; the variety of his knowledge, and the order and dispo- but some peculiar opinions respecting the affairs of the sition of his questions, which are altogether philosophi- time disturbed his tranquillity, and obliged him to quit cal." "This single passage (says Bayle) shows the his office. The intendant of Rouen, at the request of exalted genius, the exquisite discernment, and judicious the celebrated Rollin, entrusted him with the education penetration of Longinus. It cannot be denied, that of his son. Abbé Pluche having filled that place with most subjects which this philosopher examines are in- success and great honour to himself, left Rouen and comprehensible; nevertheless, we discover in his works went to Paris, where, by the patronage of some literary a very elevated, fruitful, and capacious genius, and a friends and his own excellent writings, he acquired a close way of reasoning. Had Longinus been an injudi- very distinguished reputation for learning. He publishcious critic, had he not possessed an exalted and beauti- ed, 1. Le Spectacle de la Nature (Nature Displayed), in ful genius, he would not have been so sensible of Ploti- 9 vols in 12mo. This work, which is equally instrucnus's obscurity for no persons complain less of the ob- tive and entertaining, is written with perspicuity and scurity of a book, than those whose thoughts are con- elegance; but the form of dialogue which is adopted fused and understanding is shallow." Marsilius Ficinus, has rendered it rather prolix. The speakers, who are at the request of Cosmo de Medicis, made a Latin ver- the Prior, the Count, and Countess, are not distinguishsion of the works of Plotinus, with a summary and ana- ed by any striking feature; but they have all the comlysis of each book; which was printed at Basil, first by mon character, which is tolerably pleasing, not exceptitself, in 1559, and afterwards with the Greek in 1580, ing even that of the little chevalier de Breuil, who is, folio. His life was written by Porphyry, the most il- however, a mere scholar. This is the opinion which lustrious of his disciples. Abbé Desfontaines has formed of this work. Though the author has given the conversations a pretty ingenious turn, and even some vivacity, yet now and then they assume the tone of the college. 2. Histoire du Giel, or History of the Heavens, in 2 vols in 12mo. In this performance we find two parts almost independent of one another. The first contains some learned inquiries into the origin of the poetic heavens. It is nearly a complete mythology, founded upon ideas which are new and ingenious. The second is the history of the opinions given by philosophers respecting the formation of the world. The author shows the inutility, the inconsistency, and uncertainty, of the most esteemed systems; and concludes with pointing out the excellence and sublime simplicity of the Mosaic account. Besides a noble and well-turned expression, we find in it an erudition which does not fatigue the mind. As to the foundation" of the system explained in the first part, though it appears extremely plausible, we will not take upon us to say how far it is true: Voltaire called it Fable du Ciel, or a Fable of the Heavens. 3. De Linguarum artificio; a work which he translated with this title, La Mecanique des Langues, in 12mo. In this treatise he proposes a short and easy method of learning languages, which is by the use of translations instead of themes or exercises; his reflections on that subject are judicious and well expressed. 4. Harmony of the Psalms and the Gospel, or a Translation of the Psalms and Hymns of the Church, with Notes relative to the Vulgate, the Septuagint, and Hebrew Text, printed at Paris in 1764, in 12mo. In 1749, Abbé Pluche retired to Varenne St Maure, where he gave himself up entirely to devotion and study. Having become so deaf that he could not hear without the help of a trumpet, the capital afforded him little entertainment. It was in this retreat that he died of an apoplexy on the 20th of November 1761, at the age of 73 years. He possessed those qualities which form the scholar, the honest man, and the Christian: temperate in his meals, true to his word, an affectionate parent, a sensible friend, and a humane philosopher; he gave les sons of virtue in his life as well as his writings. His submission to all the dogmas of religion was very great. PLOUGHMAN, the person who guides the plough PLOUGHING, in Agriculture, the turning up the PLOWDEN, EDMUND, serjeant at law, descended PLUCHE, ANTONY, a celebrated French writer, was born at Rheims in 1688, and having distinguished himself by his engaging manners and proficiency in the belles lettres, was appointed professor of humanity in the university of that city. Two years after he obtained the chair of rhetoric, and was admitted into holy orders. Some PLUKENET, LEONARD, a physician who flourish ed in the reign of King Charles II. was one of the most excellent and laborious botanists of that or any other age. He was author of the Phytographia Plukenetiana, the Almagesticum Britannicum, and other works of the like kind, on which he spent the greatest part of his life and fortune. His Phytography is mentioned with the highest encomiums in the Philosophical Transactions for February 1696-7. His Opera Botanica, with cuts, were printed at London, in 6 vols folio, in 1720. PLUM-TREE. See PRUNUS, BOTANY Index. PLUMAGE, the feathers which serve birds for a covering. See ORNITHOLOGY, PLUMB-LINE, among artificers, denotes a perpendicular to the horizon; so called, as being commonly erected by means of a plummet. PLUMBAGO, LEAD-WORT; a genus of plants belonging to the pentandria class. See BOTANY Index. PLUMBAGO, or Black-LEAD. See GRAPHITE, MINERALOGY Index. PLUMBERY, the art of casting and working lead, and using it in building. As this metal melts soon and with little heat, it is easy to cast it into figures of any kind, by running it into moulds of brass, clay, plaster, &c. But the chief article in plumbery is sheets and pipes of lead; and as these make the basis of the plumber's work, we shall here give the process of making them. In casting sheet-lead, a table or mould is made use of, which consists of large pieces of wood well jointed, and bound with bars of iron at the ends; on the sides of which runs a frame consisting of a ledge or border of wood, three inches thick and four inches high from the mould, called the sharps: The ordinary width of the mould, within these sharps, is from four to five feet; and its length is 16, 17, or 18 feet. This should be something longer than the sheets are intended to be, in order that the end where the metal runs off from the mould may be cut off, because it is commonly thin or uneven, or ragged at the end. It must stand very even or level in breadth, and something falling from the end in which the metal is poured in, viz. about an inch or an inch and a half in the length of 16 or 17 feet or more, according to the thickness of the sheets wanted; for the thinner the sheet, the more declivity the mould should have. At the upper end of the mould stands the pan, which is a concave triangular prism, composed of two planks nailed together at right angles, and two triangular pieces fitted in between them at the ends. The length of this pan is the whole breadth of the 5 mould in which the sheets are cast; it stands with its Plumbery. bottom, which is a sharp edge, on a form at the end of the mould, leaning with one side against it; and on the opposite side is a handle to lift it up by, to pour out the melted lead; and on that side of the pan next the mould are two iron hooks to take hold of the mould, and prevent the pan from slipping while the melted lead is pouring out of it into the mould. This pan is lined on the inside with moistened sand, to prevent it from being fired by the hot metal. The mould is also spread over, about two inches thick, with sand sifted and moistened, which is rendered perfectly level by moving over it a piece of wood called a strike, and smoothing it over with a smoothing plane, which is a plate of polished brass about one-fourth of an inch thick and nine inches square, turned up on all the four edges, and with a handle fitted on to the upper or concave side. The sand being thus smoothed, it is fit for casting sheets of lead: but if they would cast a cistern, they measure out the bigness of the four sides; and having taken the dimensions of the front or fore-part, make mouldings by pressing long slips of wood, which contain the same mouldings, into the level sand; and form the figures of birds, beasts, &c. by pressing in the same manner leader figures upon it, and then taking them off, and at the same time smoothing the surface where any of the sand is raised up by making these impressions upon it. The rest of the operation is the same in casting either cisterns or plain sheets of lead. But before we proceed to mention the manner in which that is performed, it will be necessary to give a more particular description of the strike. The strike, then, is a piece of board about five inches broad, and something longer than the breadth of the mould on the inside; and at each end is cut a notch about two inches deep, so that when it is used it rides upon the sharps with those notches. Before they` begin to cast, the strike is made ready by tacking on two pieces of an old hat on the notches, or by slipping a case of leather over each end, in order to raise the un der side about one-eighth of an inch or something more above the sand, according as they would have the sheet to be in thickness; then they tallow the under edge of the strike, and lay it across the mould. The lead being melted, it is put into the pan with ladles, in which, when there is a sufficient quantity for the present purpose, the scum of the metal is swept off with a piece of board to the edge of the pan, letting it settle on the sand, which is by this means prevented from falling into the mould at the pouring out of the metal. When the lead is cool enough, which must be regulated according to the thickness of the sheets wanted, and is known by its beginning to stand with a shell or wall on the sand round the pan, two men take the pan, by the handle, or else one of them lifts it by the bar and chain fixed to a beam in the ceiling, and pour it into the mould, while another man stands ready with the strike, and as soon as they have done pouring in the metal, puts on the mould, sweeps the lead forward, and draws the overplus into a trough prepared to receive it. The sheets being thus cast, nothing remains but to roll them up or cut them into any measure wanted: but if it be a cistern, it is bent into four sides, so that the two ends' may join the back, where they are soldered together; after which the bottom is soldered up. The method of casting pipes without soldering.-To: makes Plumier. Plumbery make these pipes they have a kind of little mill, with arms or levers to turn it withal. The moulds are of brass, and consist of two pieces, which open and shut by means of hooks and hinges, their inward caliber or diameter being according to the size of the pipe, usually two feet and a half. In the middle is placed a core or round piece of brass or iron, somewhat longer than the mould, and of the thickness of the inward diameter of the pipe. This core is passed through two copper rundles, one at each end of the mould, which they serve to close; and to these is joined a little copper tube about two inches long, and of the thickness the leaden pipe is intended to be of. By means of these tubes, the core is retained in the middle of the cavity of the mould. The core being in the mould, with the rundles at its two ends, and the lead melted in the furnace, they take it up in a ladle, and pour it into the mould by a little aperture at one end, made in the form of a funnel. When the mould is full, they pass a hook into the end of the core, and, turning the mill, draw it out; and then opening the mould, take out the pipe. If they desire to have the pipe lengthened, they put one end of it in the lower end of the mould, and pass the end of the core into it; then shut the mould again, and apply its rundle and tube as before, the pipe just cast serving for a rundle, &c. at the other end. Things being thus replaced, they pour in fresh metal, and repeat the operation till they have got a pipe of the length required. For making pipes of sheet-lead, the plumbers have wooden cylinders, of the length and thickness required; and on these they form their pipes by wrapping the sheet around them, and soldering up the edges all along them. The lead which lines the Chinese tea-boxes is reduced to a thinness which we are informed European plumbers cannot imitate. The following account of the process by which the plates are formed was communicated to a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine by an intelligent officer of an East Indiamen. The caster sits by a pot containing the melted metal; and has two large stones, the under one fixed, the upper moveable, directly before him. He raises the upper stone by pressing his foot upon the side of it, and with an iron ladle pours in the opening a proper quantity of the fluid metal. He then immediately lets fall the upper stone, and by that means forms the lead into a thin irregular plate, which is afterwards cut into a proper shape. The surfaces of the stones, where they touch each other, are exactly ground together. PLUMBUM, LEAD. See LEAD, CHEMISTRY In dex. PLUMBUM Corneum, or muriate of lead, a combination of lead with muriatic acid. See LEAD, CHEMISTRY Index. PLUME, or PLUMULA, in Botany, the bud or germ. See GEMMA. PLUMIER, CHARLES, a learned Minim, born at Marseilles, and one of the most able botanists of the 17th century. He was instructed by the famous Maignan, who taught him mathematics, turnery, the art of making spectacles, burning-glasses, microscopes, and other works. He at length went to Rome to perfect himself in his studies, and there applied himself entirely to botany under a skilful Italian. At his return to Provence, he settled in the convent at Bornes, a mari- Plumie time place near Hieres, where he had the conveniency of making discoveries in the fields with respect to simPlurality ples. He was some time after sent by the French king to America, to bring from thence such plants as might be of service in medicine. He made three different voyages to the Antilles, and visited the island of St Domingo. The king honoured him with a pension; and he at last settled at Paris. However, at the desire of M. Fagon, he prepared to go a fourth time to America, to examine the tree which produces the Jesuits bark; but died at the port of Santa Maria, near Cadiz, in 1706. He wrote several excellent works; the principal of which are, 1. A volume of the Plants in the American Islands. 2. A Treatise on the American Fern. 3. The Art of Turnery; a curious work embellished with plates. PLUMMET, PLUMB-Rule, or Plumb-line, an instrument used by carpenters, masons, &c. in order to judge whether walls, &c. be upright planes, horizontal, or the like. It is thus called from a piece of lead, fastened to the end of a cord, which usually constitutes this instrument. Sometimes the string descends along a wooden ruler, &c. raised perpendicularly on another; in which case it becomes a level. PLUMMING, among miners, is the method of using a mine dial, in order to know the exact place of the work where to sink down an air-shaft, or to bring an adit to the work, or to know which way the load inclines when any flexure happens in it. It is performed in this manner: A skilful person with an assistant, and with pen, ink, and paper, and a long line, and a mine-dial, after his guess of the place above ground, descends into the adit or work, and there fastens one end of the line to some fixed thing in it; then the incited needle is let to rest, and the exact point where it rests is marked with a pen: he then goes on farther in, the line still fastened, and at the next flexure of the adit he makes a mark on the line by a knot or otherwise and then letting down the dial again, he there likewise notes down that point at which the needle stands in this second position. In this manner he proceeds, from turning to turning, marking down the points, and marking the line, till he comes to the intended place this done, he ascends and begins to work on the surface of the earth what he did in the adit, bringing the first knot in the line to such a place where the mark of the place of the needle will again answer its pointing, and continues this till he come to the desired place above ground, which is certain to be perpendicular over the part of the mine into which the air-shaft is to be sunk. PLUMOSE, something formed in the manner of a feather, with a stem and fibres issuing from it on each side; such are the antennæ of certain moths, butterflies, &c. PLURAL, in Grammar, an epithet applied to that number of nouns and verbs which is used when we speak of more than one thing. See GRAmmar. PLURALITY, a discrete quality, consisting of two or a greater number of the same kind: thus we say, a plurality of gods, &c. See the article ASTRONOMY, N° 157. for the arguments both for and against a plurality of worlds. PLURALITY The smallness of some benefices first gave rise to pluralities; for an ecclesiastic, unable to subsist on a single one, was allowed to hold two; and at length the number increased without bounds. A remedy was attempted for this abuse at the council of Lateran under Alexander III. and Innocent III. in the year 1215, when the holding more than one benefice was forbid by a canon under the penalty of deprivation; but the same canon granting the pope a power to dispense with it in favour of persons of distinguished merit, the prohibition became almost useless. They were also restrained by statute 21 Hen. VIII. cap. 13. which enacts, that if any person having one benefice with cure of souls, of the yearly value of 81. or above (in the king's books), accept any other with cure of souls, the first shall be adjudged in law to be void, &c. though the same statute provides for dispensation in certain cases. In England, in order to procure a dispensation, the presentce must obtain of the bishop, in whose diocese the livings are, two certificates of the values in the king's books, and the reputed values and distance; one for the archbishop, and the other for the lord-chancellor. And if the livings lie in two dioceses, then two certificates of the same kind are to be obtained from each bishop. He must also show the archbishop his presentation to the second living; and bring with him two testimonials from the neighbouring clergy concerning his behaviour and conversation, one for the archbishop and the other for the lord-chancellor; and he must also show the archbishop his letters of orders, and a certificate of his having taken the degree of master of arts at the least, in one of the universities of this realm, under the hand of the register. And if he be not doctor or bachelor of divinity, nor doctor nor bachelor of law, he is to procure a qualification of a chaplain, which is to be duly registered in the faculty office, in order to be tendered to the archbishop, according to the statute. And if he hath taken any of the aforesaid degrees, which the statute allows as qualifications, he is to procure a certificate thereof as already mentioned, and to show the same to the archbishop; after which his dispensation is made out at the faculty office, where he gives security according to the direction of the canon. He must then repair to the lord-chancellor for confirmation under the broad seal; and he must apply to the bishop of the diocese where the living lies for his admission and institution. By the several stamp acts, for every skin, or paper, or parchment, &c. on which any dispensation to hold two ecclesiastical dignities or benefices, or a dignity and a benefice, shall be engrossed or written, there shall be paid a treble 40s. stamp duty. We have also a regulation in regard to pluralities; but it is often dispensed with: for, by the faculty of dispensation, a pluralist is required, in that benefice from which he shall happen to be most absent, to preach 13 sermons every year, and to exercise hospitality for two months yearly. In Germany the pope grants dispensation for possessing a plurality of benefices, on pretence that the ecclesiastical princes there need large revenues to bear up against the Protestant princes. Plus D PLUS, in Algebra, a character marked thus +, used for the sign of addition. See ALgebra. PLUSH, in commerce, &c. a kind of stuff, having Plutarch. a sort of velvet knap or shag on one side, composed re-. gularly of a woof of a single woollen thread and a double warp; the one wool, of two threads twisted; the other goats or camels hair; though there are some plushes entirely of worsted, and others composed wholly of hair. PLUTARCH, a great philosopher and historian of antiquity, who lived from the reign of Claudius to that of Hadrian, was born at Charonea, a small city of Bœotia in Greece. Plutarch's family was ancient in Cheronea: his grandfather Lamprias was eminent for his learning and a philosopher; and is often mentioned by Plutarch in his writings, as is also his father. Plutarch was initiated early in study, to which he was naturally inclined; and was placed under the care of Ammonius, an Egyptian, who, having taught philosophy with great reputation at Alexandria, from thence travelled into Greece, and settled at Athens. Under this master he made great advances in knowledge; and like a thorough philosopher, more apt to regard things than words, he pursued this knowledge, to the neglect of languages. The Roman language at that time was not only the language of Rome, but of Greece also: and much more used there than the French is now in England. Yet he was so far from regarding it then, that, as we learn from himself, he became not conversant in it till the declension of his life: and though he is supposed to have resided in Rome near 40 years at different times, yet he never seems to have acquired a competent skill in it. But this was not the worst: he did not cultivate his mother-tongue with any great exactness; and hence that harshness, inequality, and obscurity in his style, which has so frequently and so justly been complained of. After he was principled and grounded by Ammonius, having an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he resolved to travel. Egypt was at that time, as formerly it had been, famous for learning; and probably the mysteriousness of their doctrine might tempt him, as it had tempted Pythagoras and others, to go and converse with the priesthood of that country. This appears to have been particularly his business, by his treatise Of Isis and Osiris in which he shows himself versed in the ancient theology and philosophy of the wise men. From Egypt he returned into Greece; and visiting in his way all the academies and schools of the philosophers, gathered from them many of these observations with which he has abundantly enriched posterity. He does not seem to have been attached to any particular sect, but culled from each of them whatever he thought excellent and worthy to be regarded. He could not bear the paradoxes of the Stoics, but yet was more averse from the impiety of the Epicureans: in many things he followed Aristotle; but his favourites were Socrates and Plato, whose memory he revered so highly, that he annually celebrated their birth-days with much solemnity. Besides this, he applied himself with extreme diligence to collect not only all books that were excellent in their kind, but also all the sayings and observations of wise men which he had heard in conversation or had received from others by tradition; and likewise to con sult |