past eighty, and few of the followers of his system
of medicine, which stood for thirteen centuries, surpassed him in point
of age.

Among the Romans, Orbilis, Corvinus, Fabius, and Cato, the enemy of the
physicians, approximated the century mark.

A valuable collection relative to the duration of life in the time of
the Emperor Vespasian has been preserved for us by Pliny from the
records of a census, a perfectly reliable and creditable source. In 76
A. D. there were living in that part of Italy which lies between the
Apennines and the Po 124 persons who had attained the age of one
hundred and upward. There were 54 of one hundred; 57 of one hundred and
ten; 2 of one hundred and twenty-five; 4 of one hundred and thirty; 4
of from one hundred and thirty-five to one hundred and thirty-seven,
and 3 of one hundred and forty. In Placentia there was a man of one
hundred and thirty and at Faventia a woman of one hundred and
thirty-two. According to Hufeland, the bills of mortality of Ulpian
agree in the most striking manner with those of our great modern cities.

Among hermits and ecclesiastics, as would be the natural inference from
their regular lives, many instances of longevity are recorded. John was
supposed to be ninety-three; Paul the hermit was one hundred and
thirteen; Saint Anthony lived to one hundred and five; James the hermit
to one hundred and four; Saint Epithanius lived to one hundred and
fifteen; Simeon Stylites to one hundred and twelve; Saint Mungo was
accredited with one hundred and eighty-five years (Spottiswood), and
Saint David attained one hundred and forty-six. Saint Polycarpe
suffered martyrdom at over one hundred, and Simon Cleophas was Bishop
of Jerusalem at one hundred and twenty.

Brahmin priests of India are known to attain incredible age, and one of
the secrets of the adepts of the Buddhist faith is doubtless the
knowledge of the best means of attaining very old age. Unless cut off
by violence or accident the priests invariably become venerable
patriarchs.

Influence of Mental Culture.--Men of thought have at all times been
distinguished for their age. Among the venerable sages are Appolonius
of Tyana, a follower of Pythagoras, who lived to over one hundred;
Xenophilus, also a Pythagorean, was one hundred and six; Demonax, a
Stoic, lived past one hundred; Isocrates was ninety-eight, and Solon,
Sophocles, Pindar, Anacreon, and Xenophon were octogenarians.

In more modern times we find men