The Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 01Lucian, of Samosata
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The Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 01
Lucian, of Samosata
Lucian, of Samosata -- Translations into English
Does he not then abundantly deserve his fate? What conceivable defence
is open to him, after his public defamation of all that is noblest? On
the public which listened to him, too, the spectacle of his condign
punishment will have a healthy effect; we shall see no more ridicule of
Philosophy. Tame submission to insult would naturally enough be taken,
not for moderation, but for insensibility and want of spirit. Who could
be expected to put up with his last performance? He brought us to
market like a gang of slaves, and handed us over to the auctioneer.
Some, I believe, fetched high prices; but others went for four or five
pounds, and as for me—confound his impudence, threepence! And fine fun
the audience had out of it! We did well to be angry; we have come from
Hades; and we ask you to give us satisfaction for this abominable
outrage.
_Resurgents_. Hear, hear! well spoken, Diogenes; well and loyally.
_Philos_. Silence in court! Time the defence. Parrhesiades, it is now
your turn; they are timing you; so proceed.
_Par_. Philosophy, Diogenes has been far indeed from exhausting his
material; the greater part of it, and the more strongly expressed, he
has passed by, for reasons best known to himself. I refer to statements
of mine which I am as far from denying that I made as from having
provided myself with any elaborate defence of them. Any of these that
have been omitted by him, and not previously emphasized by myself, I
propose now to quote; this will be the best way to show you who were
the persons that I sold by auction and inveighed against as pretenders
and impostors; please to concentrate your vigilance on the truth or
falsehood of my descriptions. If what I say is injurious or severe,
your censure will be more fairly directed at the perpetrators than at
the discoverer of such iniquities. I had no sooner realized the odious
practices which his profession imposes on an advocate—the deceit,
falsehood, bluster, clamour, pushing, and all the long hateful list,
than I fled as a matter of course from these, betook myself to your
dear service, Philosophy, and pleased myself with the thought of a
remainder of life spent far from the tossing waves in a calm haven
beneath your shadow.
At my first peep into your realm, how could I but admire yourself and
all these your disciples? there they were, legislating for the perfect
life, holding out hands of help to those that would reach it,
commending all that was fairest and best; fairest and best—but a man
must keep straight on for it and never slip, must set his eyes
unwaveringly on the laws that you have laid down, must tune and test
his life thereby; and that, Zeus be my witness, there are few enough in
these days of ours to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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