BATOLIMOS [PTOLEMY], THE PHILOSOPHER.

Batolimos was a distinguished geometrician and astrono­mer, who composed many scientific works. One of these is the book called among the Yonânians Maghâston, meaning ‘Great,’ but in Arabic it bears the name of Majasti. The place of his birth and education was Eskandariah, in Egypt, and he carried on his astronomical observations during the reign of the King Azariânôs; the opinion, however, of some that he also enjoyed royal dignity is erroneous. He was a man of middle stature and fair complexion. On his face he had a red mole. His moustache was thick, and he had prominent teeth. His utterance was beautiful, and his conversation pleasing; but he was prone to violent anger. He walked slowly, ate sparingly, fasted much, but loved perfumes and beautiful garments. He died at the age of seventy years.

The following are some of his maxims: ‘Whoever revives science dies not.—A wise and excellent man, whose own relatives are not able to appreciate his worth, is a stranger among them.—Wisdom is a tree growing from the heart, and producing fruits from the mouth.—Who desires to live long must be ready to bear troubles patiently.—Who is not warned by the misfortunes of others is warning others by his own.—In the same manner as a person in a state of disease can relish neither food nor drink, so also he who is entirely absorbed in the affairs of this world is inaccessible to spiritual advice.—Good works in this world are a capital bearing interest in the next.—A kingdom is injured by six things: (1) By want of patience in calamities; (2) by the absence of rain; (3) by the emptiness of the treasury; (4) by the king’s assiduity in carousing and associating with intriguing women; (5) by ill-humour and excess in punish­ing; (6) By immoderate expenses and by enemies.—Who­ever has any sense knows that the shadow of a cloud, the love of the mob, the society of hypocrites, and the establish­ment of tyrannical laws have no permanency.—A wise man does not associate with royal personages, but if he does, he must disguise his advice in parables in such a manner as not to incur their displeasure, when he wishes to reprove them.’