Ch. 7
Of fearlessness.
What makes a tyrant formidable? His guards,
say you, and their swords; they who protect
his bedchamber, and they who keep out intruders.
Why, then, if you bring a child to him amidst these
guards, is it not afraid? Is it because the child does
not know what they mean? Suppose, then, that any
one knows what is meant by guards, and that they are
armed with swords; and for that very reason comes
in the tyrant's way, being desirous, on account of some
misfortune, to die, and seeking to die easily by the
hand of another. Does such a man fear the guards?
No; for he desires the very thing that renders them
formidable. Well, then; if any one, being without an
absolute desire to live or die, but indifferent to it,
comes in the way of a tyrant, what prevents his approaching him without fear? Nothing. If, then, another should think concerning his estate, or wife, or
children, as this man thinks concerning his body;
and, in short, from some madness or folly should be
of such a disposition as not to care whether he has
them or not; but just as children, playing with shells,
are busied with the play, but not with the shells, so he
should pay no regard to these affairs, except to carry
on the play with them, what tyrant, what guards, or
swords are any longer formidable to such a man?
And is it possible that any one should be thus disposed towards these things from madness, and the
Galileans from mere habit; yet that no one should
be able to learn, from reason and demonstration, that
God -made all things in the world, and made the whole
world itself unrestrained and perfect, and all its parts
for the use of the whole? All other creatures are indeed excluded from a power of comprehending the
administration of the world; but a reasonable being
has abilities for the consideration of all these things,
- both that itself is a part, and what part; and that it
is fit the parts should submit to the whole. Besides,
being by nature constituted noble, magnanimous, and
free, it sees that of the things which relate to it some
are unrestrained and in its own power, some restrained
and in the power of others, - the unrestrained, such
as depend on will; the restrained, such as do not
depend on it. And for this reason, if it esteems its
good and its interest to consist in things unrestrained
and in its own power, it will be free, prosperous,
happy, safe, magnanimous, pious, thankful to God for
everything, never finding fault with anything, never
censuring anything that is brought about by him. But
if it esteems its good and its interest to consist in externals, and things uncontrollable by will, it must necessarily be restrained, be hindered, be enslaved to
those who have the power over those things which it
admires and fears; it must necessarily be impious, as
supposing itself injured by God, and unjust, as claiming more than its share; it must necessarily, too, be
abject and base.
Why may not he, who discerns these things, live
with an easy and light heart, quietly awaiting whatever may happen, and bearing contentedly what has
happened? Shall it be poverty? Bring it; and you
shall see what poverty is when it is met well. Would
you have power? Bring toils too along with it.
Banishment? Wherever I go, it will be well with me
there; for it was well with me here, - not on account
of the place, but of the principles which I shall carry
away with me; for no one can deprive me of these;
on the contrary, they alone are my property, and
cannot be taken away; and their possession suffices
me wherever I am, or whatever I do.
" But it is now time to die." What is that you call
dying? Do not talk of the thing in a tragic strain;
but state the thing as it is, that it is time for your
material part to revert whence it came. And where
is the terror of this? What part of the world is going
to be lost? What is going to happen that is new
or prodigious? Is it for this that a tyrant is formidable? Is it on this account that the swords of his
guards seem so large and sharp? Try these things
upon others. For my part I have examined the
whole. No one has authority over me. God has
made me free; I know his commands; after this no
one can enslave me. I have a proper vindicator of
my freedom; proper judges. Are you the master of
my body? But what is that to me? Of my little
estate? But what is that to me? Of banishment
and chains? Why, all these again, and my whole
body, I give up to you; make a trial of your power
whenever you please, and you will find how far it
extends.
Whom, then, can I any longer fear,- those who
guard the chamber? Lest they should do what,-
shut me out? If they find me desirous to come in,
let them. "Why do you come to the door, then?"
Because it is fitting for me that, while the play lasts,
I should play too. " How then are you incapable of
being shut out?" Because, if I am not admitted,
I would not wish to go in; but would much rather
that things should be as they are, for I esteem what
God wills to be better than what I will. To him
I yield myself, as a servant and a follower. My pursuits, my desires, my very will, must coincide with
his, Being shut out does not affect me; but those
who push to get in. Why, then, do not I push too?
Because I know that there is no really good thing distributed to those who get in. But when I hear any
one congratulated on the favor of Caesar, I ask what
he has got. "A province." Has he the needed wisdom also? "A public office." Has he with it the
knowledge how to use it? If not, why should I
push my way in?
Some one scatters nuts and figs. Children scramble and quarrel for them; but not men, for they
think them trifles. But if any one should scatter
shells, not even children would scramble for these.
Provinces are being distributed; let children look to
it. Money; let children look to it. Military command, a consulship; let children scramble for them.
Let these be shut out, be beaten, kiss the hands of
the giver or of his slaves. But to me they are mere
figs and nuts. " What then is to be done? " If you
miss them, while he is throwing them, do not trouble
yourself about it; but if a fig should fall into your lap,
take it, and eat it; for one may pay so much regard
even to a fig. But if I am to stoop and throw down
one [rival], or be thrown down by another, and flatter
those who succeed, a fig is not worth this, nor is any
other of those things which are not really good, and
which the philosophers have persuaded me not to
esteem as good.
Show me the swords of the guards. "See how
large and how sharp they are." What, then, can
these great and sharp swords do? "They kill."
And what can a fever do? "Nothing else." And a
[falling] tile? "Nothing else." Do you then wish
me to be bewildered by all these things, and to worship them, and to go about as a slave to them all?
Heaven forbid ! But having once learned that everything that is born must likewise die (that the world
may not be at a stand, nor the course of it hindered),
I no longer see any difference, whether this be effected
by a fever, or a tile, or a soldier; but if any comparison is to be made, I know that the soldier will effect
it with less pain and more speedily. Since then I
neither fear any of those things which he can inflict
upon me, nor covet anything which he can bestow,
why do I stand any longer in awe of a tyrant? Why
am I amazed at him? Why do I fear his guards?
Why do I rejoice, if he speaks kindly to me, and
receives me graciously; and why boast to others of
my reception? For is he Socrates or Diogenes, that
his praise should show what I am? Or have I set
my heart on imitating his manners? But to keep up
the play I go to him and serve him, so long as he
commands nothing unreasonable or improper. But
if he should say to me, "Go to Salamis, and bring
Leon,"77 I bid him seek another, for I play no longer.
"Lead him away." I follow as a part of the play.
"But your head will be taken off." And will his
own remain on forever; or yours, who obey him?
" But you will be thrown out unburied." If I am
identical with my corpse, I shall be thrown out; but
if I am something else than the corpse, speak more
handsomely, as the thing is, and do not think to
frighten me. These things are frightful to children
and fools. But if any one who has once entered into
the school of a philosopher knows not what he himself is, then he deserves to be frightened, and to flatter the last object of flattery; if he has not yet learnt
that he is neither flesh, nor bones, nor nerves, but is
that which makes use of these, and regulates and
comprehends the phenomena of existence.
"Well; but these reasonings make men despise
the laws." And what reasonings, then, render those
who use them more obedient to the laws? But the
law of fools is no law. And yet, see how these reasonings render us properly disposed, even towards such
persons, since they teach us not to assert against them
any claim wherein they can surpass us. They teach -
us to give up body, to give up estate, children, parents, brothers, to yield everything, to let go everything, excepting only principles; which even Zeus
has excepted and decreed to be every one's own
property. What unreasonableness, what breach of
the laws, is there in this? Where you are superior
and stronger, there I give way to you. Where, on
the contrary, I am superior, do you submit to me;
for this has been my study, and not yours. Your
study has been to walk upon a mosaic floor, to be
attended by your servants and clients, to wear fine
clothes, to have a great number of hunters, fiddlers,
and players. Do I lay any claim to these? On the
other hand, have you made a study of principles, or
even of your own reason? Do you know of what
parts it consists; how they are combined and
joined, and with what powers? Why, then, do you
take it amiss, if another, who has studied them, has
the advantage of you in these things? "But they
are of all things the greatest." Well; and who restrains you from being conversant with them, and
attending to them ever so carefully? Or who is
better provided with books, with leisure, with assistants? Only turn your thoughts now and then to
these matters; bestow but a little time upon your
own ruling faculty. Consider what is the power you
have, and whence it came, that uses all other things,
that examines them all, that chooses, that rejects.
*But while you employ yourself merely about externals, you will possess those indeed beyond all rivals;
but all else will be, just as you elect to have it, sordid
and neglected.
