Saint Polycarpe suffered
martyrdom at over one hundred, and Simon Cleophas was Bishop of
Jerusalem at one hundred and twenty.
Brahmin priests of India are known to attain incredible age, and
one of the secrets of the adepts of the Buddhist faith is
doubtless the knowledge of the best means of attaining very old
age. Unless cut off by violence or accident the priests
invariably become venerable patriarchs.
Influence of Mental Culture.--Men of thought have at all times
been distinguished for their age. Among the venerable sages are
Appolonius of Tyana, a follower of Pythagoras, who lived to over
one hundred; Xenophilus, also a Pythagorean, was one hundred and
six; Demonax, a Stoic, lived past one hundred; Isocrates was
ninety-eight, and Solon, Sophocles, Pindar, Anacreon, and
Xenophon were octogenarians.
In more modern times we find men of science and literature who
have attained advanced age. Kant, Buffon, Goethe, Fontenelle, and
Newton were all over eighty. Michael Angelo and Titian lived to
eighty-nine and ninety-nine respectively. Harvey, the discoverer
of the circulation; Hans Sloane, the celebrated president of the
Royal Society in London; Plater, the Swiss physician; Duverney,
the anatomist, as well as his confrere, Tenon, lived to be
octogenarians.
Pages:
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703