gesture, fell from the discourse in which he was, and began to
speak of modesty and temperance, with the gravity of whose dis∣course,
Polemo being reduced to repentance, first took his Gar∣land
off from his head, and flung it on the ground; soon after he
withdrew his arme within his Cloake; Next hee laid
aside the cheerfulnesse of that look which he had formerly,
when he affected feasting; lastly, he wholly devested himselfe of
Luxury, and being thus cured by the wholsom Medicine of one
discourse, he, from an infamous Prodigall became a most excel∣lent
Philosopher, being from that time forward so addicted to
study, that he surpass'd all the rest, and succeeded Xenocrates in the
government of the School, which he began in the first year of the
116. Olympiad.
After he began to study Philosophy, he had such a constant be∣haviour,
that he retain'd alwaies the same Countenance, and
kept the same tone in all his speech, whereby Crantor was taken
with him. A mad dog having bit him by the Knee, he alone of
all the Company seem'd to be unconcern'd in it, and a tumult
happening thereupon in the City, he asked without any distur∣bance,
what was the matter? In the Theatres also, he was nothing
moved. When Nicostratus the Poet, sirnamed Clytemnestra, recited
somthing to him and Crates, Crates was much taken therwith,
but hee made no more show then as if he had heard nothing, and
was altogether such as Melanthius the Painter in his Books of
Picture••hath describ'd him, for hesaith in his actions was express∣ed
a stubbornnesse and hardnesse.
Polemo used to say, we ought to exercise our selves in things,
not in Dialectick Disciplines, lest, satisfying our selves with
the tast and meditation of the superficiall parts of Science, we
become admired for subtlety in discourse, but contradict our
selves in the practise of our life.
He was facete and ingenious, shunning that which Aristopha∣nes
imputes to Euripides, sowernesse and harshnesse. He taught,
not sitting, but, walking. The Athenians much honour'd him for
his great Integrity, hee tooke great delight in Solitude, whence
for the most part he dwelt in a Garden, about which his Disci∣ples
built themselves little lodges, near to his School. He was a
studious imitatour of Xe••ocrates (who, Aristippus saith, much
loved him) alwaies remembring his innocence, severity and gra∣vity,
to which, like a Dorick measure, he conformed his owne
steps.
Antigonus Carystius saith, that from the thirtieth year of his age
to his death he drunk nothing but water.
He held that the World is God.
He much affected Sophocles, chiefly in those places where (to use
the phrase of the Comick Poet) a Molossian dog seemeth to have writ∣ten
together with him. And whereas Phrynicus saith, he was