hey,--a God
who was good and powerful and just, who governed the world he had
created, and who rewarded the virtuous and punished the wicked.

[Illustration: Socrates.]

Socrates believed that everybody should be as good and gentle as
possible, and freely forgive all injuries. This belief was very
different from that of all ancient nations, who, on the contrary,
thought that they should try to avenge every insult, and return evil for
evil.

The philosopher Socrates not only taught this gentleness, but practiced
it carefully at home and abroad. He had plenty of opportunity to make
use of it; for he had such a cross wife, that her name, Xan-thip'pe, is
still used to describe a scolding and bad-tempered woman.

Whenever Xanthippe was angry, she used to scold poor Socrates roundly.
He always listened without flying into a passion, or even answering her;
and when her temper was too unbearable, he quietly left the house, and
went about his business elsewhere.

This gentleness and meekness only angered Xanthippe the more; and one
day, when he was escaping as usual, she caught up a jug full of water
and poured it over his head.

Socrates good-naturedly shook off the water, smiled, and merely remarked
to his companions, "After the thunder comes the rain."

LXIII. SOCRATES' FAVORITE PUPIL.

As you have already heard, Socrates was a teacher. He did not, however,
have a school like yours, with desks, and books, and maps, and
blackboards. His pupils gathered about him at his workshop, or in the
cool porticoes, or under the trees in the garden of the Academy.

Then, while hammering his stone, or while slowly pacing up and down, the
philosopher talked to his scholars so gently and wisely, that even the
richest and noblest youths of Athens were proud to call him their
teacher. He also visited the house of the noted Aspasia, and was a
friend of Pericles, Phidias, and Anaxagoras, besides being the teacher
of three very celebrated men,--Pla'to, Xen'o-phon, and Al-ci-bi'a-des.

[Illustration: Alcibiades dared the Driver to come on.]

Plato and Xenophon, even in their youth, were noted for their coolness
and right-mindedness; but Alcibiades, a general favorite, was very
different from them both. He was an orphan, and the ward of Pericles.
His father had left him a large fortune; and, as Alcibiades was
handsome, intelligent, and very high-spirited, he was made much of and
greatly spoiled.

Even as a little child he was