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THREE:In the face of such facts, to say, as Mr. Froude does, that Epicureanism was ��the creed of the men of science�� in the time of Julius Caesar111��an assertion directly contradicted by Lange112��is perhaps only of a piece with Mr. Froude��s usual inaccuracy when writing about ancient history; but such declarations as that of Mr. Frederic Pollock, that the Epicurean system56 ��was a genuine attempt at a scientific explanation of the world; and was in its day the solitary protest against the contempt of physics which prevailed in the other post-Aristotelian schools;��113 of Prof. Trezza, that the Epicurean school ��summed up in itself the most scientific elements of Greek antiquity;��114 of Dr. Woltjer, that ��with respect to the laws and principles of science, the Epicureans came nearest of all the ancients to the science of our own time;��115 and finally, of M. Ernest Renan, that Epicureanism was ��the great scientific school of antiquity,��116 are absolutely amazing. The eminent French critic just quoted has elsewhere observed, with perfect justice, that the scientific spirit is the negation of the supernatural; and perhaps he argues that the negation of the supernatural must, reciprocally, be the scientific spirit. But this is only true when such a negation is arrived at inductively, after a disinterested survey of the facts. Epicurus started with the denial of supernatural interference as a practical postulate, and then hunted about for whatever explanations of natural phenomena would suit his foregone conclusion. Moreover, an enquirer really animated by the scientific spirit studies the facts for their own sake; he studies them as they actually are, not resting content with alternative explanations; and he studies them to the fullest extent of which his powers are capable. Epicurus, on the contrary, declares that physics would not be worth attending to if the mind could be set free from religious terrors in any other manner;117 he will not let himself be tied down to any one theory if there are others equally inconsistent with divine agency to be had;118 and when his demands in this respect are satisfied, that is, when the appearances vulgarly ascribed to supernatural causation have been provided with natural causes, he leaves off.We are told that when his end began to approach, the dying philosopher was pressed to choose a successor in the headship of the School. The manner in which he did this is289 characteristic of his singular gentleness and unwillingness to give offence. It was understood that the choice must lie between his two most distinguished pupils, Theophrastus of Lesbos, and Eud��mus of Rhodes. Aristotle asked for specimens of the wine grown in those islands. He first essayed the Rhodian vintage, and praised it highly, but remarked after tasting the other, ��The Lesbian is sweeter,�� thus revealing his preference for Theophrastus, who accordingly reigned over the Lyceum in his stead.179