estroyed by the people. Hemlock is such a rare and
precious commodity that few can afford it; the cross is a privilege so
costly that few care to pay the price.

The genius is a man who first states truths; and all truths are
unpleasant on their first presentation. That which is uncommon is
offensive. "Who ever heard anything like that before?" ask the literary
and philosophic hill tribes in fierce indignation. Says James Russell
Lowell, "I blab unpleasant truths, you see, that none may need to state
them after me."

Plato was a teacher by nature: this was his business, his pastime, and
the only thing in life that gave him joy. But he dropped back to the
good old ways of making truth esoteric as did the priests of Egypt,
instead of exoteric as did Socrates. He founded his college in the grove
of his old friend Academus, a mile out of Athens on the road to Eleusis.
In honor of Academus the school was called "The Academy." It was
secluded, safe, beautiful for situation. In time Plato bought a tract of
land adjoining that of Academus, and this was set apart as the permanent
school. All the teaching was done out of doors, master and pupils seated
on the marble benches, by the fountain-side, or strolling through the
grounds, rich with shrubs and flowers and enlivened by the song of
birds. The climate of Athens was about like that of Southern California,
where the sun shines three hundred days in the year.

Plato emphasized the value of the spoken word over the written, a thing
he could well afford to do, since he was a remarkably good writer. This
for the same reason that the only man who can afford to go ragged is the
man with a goodly bank-balance. The shibboleth of the modern schools of
oratory is, "We grow through expression." And Plato was the man who
first said it. Plato's teaching was all in the form of the "quiz,"
because he believed that truth was not a thing to be acquired from
another--it is self-discovery.

Indeed, we can imagine it was very delightful--this walking, strolling,
lying on the grass, or seated in semicircles, indulging in endless talk,
easy banter, with now and then a formal essay read to start the
vibrations.

Here it was that Aristotle came from his wild home in the mountains of
Macedonia, to remain for twenty years and to evolve into a rival of the
master.

We can well imagine how Aristotle, the mountain-climber and horseman, at
times grew heartily tired of the faultily faultless garden wi