Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

8oSTOICISM.The seeming affectation of their dress and demeanourgave offence, and the sight of the philosophicstaff and mantle, the close-croppedhair and studiouslook often was a signal for much ignorant banter ofthe crowd, somewhat as in Christian lands there havebeen times and places when the friar's cowl ortonsure has provoked coarse sarcasm or an outburst,even, of unreasoning hate.Yet there was some excuse perhaps for such unfavourablejudgments in the fact that gross deceiversoften donned the cloak of the philosopher, and dealtin sanctimonious phrases, while they dragged theirhigh profession through the mjre of sensuality andlicence. For hypocrisyis of all times ;and everylofty creed, in itsheyday of popularity and sunshine,will have its dark shadows and its unclean growth ofthings that cannot bear the light.No wonder ifmany an honest formula gave out a suspicious ring toundiscerning ears, and sounded painfully like Pharisaicboasting, when notorious scandals of the kind lingeredin the public memory, and became stock examplesfor the satirists' pages. No wonder if thecareless livers, whose worldliness was visibly reproachedby all austerities of practice, exaggeratedthe occasional abuses ;as grave delinquencies amongmonastic orders furnished an excuse for generaloutcries of intolerance. They mocked loudly at thewould-be sages who talked so grandly of the contemptfor riches and for glory, and of treating the greatones of the earth as equals, while yet they wanted afee for every lesson, and were ready to do homage to