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Cicero, the Roman orator, who said, "Man was destined to a better occupation than that of pursuing and cutting the throats of dumb creatures;" Cyrus the Great, of Persia, who was brought up on bread and water, and who, with his vegetarian army, conquered the then known world; the immortal law-giver of Sparta, Lycurgus, whose people and army were among the most brave, heroic, athletic and enduring known to history; the army of ancient Rome in its palmiest days; the Polish soldiers of the army of Napoleon, who were especially noted for their wonderful endurance, and who lived on oatmeal bread and potatoes; Claudius Galen, second century, the celebrated physician, who lived one hundred and forty years, and practiced always the most rigid temperance and abstemiousness; Socrates; the philosopher Epicurus; Zeno, the stoic philosopher ; Diogenes, the cynic, who declared, "We might as well eat the flesh of men as the flesh of other animals;" Troctus, Empedocles, Quintus, Sextus, Appolonius; Porphyry of Tyre, third century, who wrote a book on abstinence from animal food, and maintained the following propositions—1, "That a conquest over the appetites and passions will contribute greatly to preserve health and to remove distemper," 2, "That a simple vegetable diet is a mighty help toward obtaining this conquest over ourselves;" Ovid, who represents Pythagoras as saying:
"Take not away the life you cannot give;
For all things have an equal right to live.
Kill noxious creatures, where 'tis sin to save;
This only just prerogative we have:
But nourish life with vegetable food,
And shun the sacreligious taste of blood;"
Lord Bacon; Peter Gassendi, famous French philosopher; Voltaire; Rousseau; Prof. Hitchcock, the eminent geologist of Amherst College; Dr. Thomas Dick, author of the "Philosophy of Religion;" Prof. Bush; Thomas Shillitoe, a distinguished Quaker; many of the "Shakers;"-
