KNOW THYSELF.
1. If a man have any advantage over others, or thinks himself to have
it when he hath it not, it cannot but be that if he is an untaught man
he shall be puffed up by it. Thus the tyrant says, _I am he that is
master of all_. And what can you give me? Can you set my pursuit free of
all hindrance? How is it in you to do that? For have you the gift of
never falling into what you shun? or never missing the mark of your
desire? And whence have you it? Come, now, in a ship do you trust to
yourself or to the captain? or in a chariot, to any one else than the
driver?[1] And how will you do with regard to other acts? Even thus.
Where, then, is your power? _All men minister to me._ And do I not
minister to my plate, and I wash it and wipe it, and drive in a peg for
my oil-flask? What then, are these things greater than I? Nay, but they
supply certain of my needs, and for this reason I take care of them.
Yea, and do I not minister to my ass? Do I not wash his feet and groom
him? Know you not that every man ministers to himself? And he ministers
to you also, even as he doth to the ass. For who treats you as a man?
Show me one that doth. Who wisheth to be like unto you? who becomes your
imitator, as men did of Socrates? _But I can cut off thy head._ You say
well. I had forgotten that I must pay regard to you as to a fever or the
cholera; and set up an altar to you, as there is in Rome an altar to
Fever.
2. What is it, then, whereby the multitude is troubled and terrified?
The tyrant and his guards? Never--God forbid it! It is not possible that
that which is by nature free should be troubled by any other thing, or
hindered, save by itself. But it is troubled by opinions of things. For
when the tyrant saith to any one, _I will bind thy leg_, then he who
setteth store by his leg saith, _Nay, have pity!_ but he that setteth
store by his own Will, _If it seem more profitable to you, then bind
it_.
----"Dost thou not regard me?"
I do not regard you. I will show you that I am master. How can you be
that? Me hath God set free; or think you that He would let His own Son
be enslaved? You are lord of my dead body--take that.
----"So when thou comest near to me, thou wilt not do me service?"
Nay, but I will do it to myself; and if you will have me say that I do
it to you also, I tell you that I do it as to my kitchen pot.
3. This is no selfishness; for every living creature is so made that it
doth all things for its own sake. For the sun doth all things for his
own sake, and so, moreover, even Zeus himself. But when He will be
Raingiver and Fruitgiver and Father of Gods and men, thou seest that He
may not do these works and have these titles, but He be serviceable to
the common good. And, on the whole, He hath so formed the nature of the
reasoning creature that he may never win aught of his own good without
he furnish something of service to the common good. Thus it is not to
the excluding of the common good that a man do all things for himself.
For is it to be expected that a man shall stand aloof from himself and
his own interest? And where then would be that same and single principle
which we observe in all things, their affection to themselves?
4. So, then, when we act on strange and foolish opinions of things
beyond the Will, as though they were good or evil, it is altogether
impossible but we shall do service to tyrants. And would it were to the
tyrants alone, and not to their lackeys also!
5. But what hinders the man that hath distinguished these things to live
easily and docile, looking calmly on all that is to be, and bearing
calmly all that is past? Will you have me bear poverty? Come, and see
what poverty is when it strikes one that knoweth how to play the part
well. Will you have me rule? Give me power, then, and the pains of it.
Banishment? Whithersoever I go, it shall be well with me for in this
place it was well with me, not because of the place, but because of the
opinions which I shall carry away with me. For these no man can deprive
me of. Yea, these only are mine own, whereof I cannot be deprived, and
they suffice for me as long as I have them, wherever I be, or whatever I
do.
6. ----"But now is the time come to die."
What say you? to die? Nay, make no tragedy of the business, but tell it
as it is. Now is it time for my substance to be resolved again into the
things wherefrom it came together. And what is dreadful in this? What of
the things in the universe is about to perish? What new, or what
unaccountable thing is about to come to pass? Is it for these things
that a tyrant is feared? through these that the guards seem to bear
swords so large and sharp? Tell that to others; but by me all these
things have been examined; no man hath power on me. I have been set free
by God, I know His commandments, henceforth no man can lead me captive.
I have a liberator[2] such as I need, and judges such as I need. Are you
not the master of my body? What is that to me? Of my property? What is
that to me? Of exile or captivity? Again, I say, from all these things,
and the poor body itself, I will depart when you will. Try your power,
and you shall know how far it reaches.
7. But the tyrant will bind--what? The leg. He will take away--what? The
head. What, then, can he not bind and not take away? The Will. And hence
that precept of the ancients--KNOW THYSELF.
8. Whom, then, can I still fear? The lackeys of the bed-chamber? For
what that they can do? Shut me out? Let them shut me out, if they find
me wishing to go in.
----"Why, then, didst thou go to the doors?"
Because I hold it proper to join the play while the play lasts.
----"How, then, shalt thou not be shut out?"
Because if I am not received, I do not wish to enter; but always that
which happens is what I wish. For I hold what God wills above what I
will. I cleave to Him as His servant and follower; my impulses are one
with His, my pursuit is one with His; in a word, my will is one with
His. There is no shutting out for me--nay, but for those who would force
their way in. And wherefore do I not force my way? Because I know that
no good thing is dealt out within to those that enter. But when I hear
some one congratulated on being honored by Cæsar, I say, What hath
fortune brought him? A government? Has it also, then, brought him such
an opinion as he ought to have? A magistracy? Hath he also gained the
power to be a good magistrate? Why will I still push myself forward? A
man scatters figs and almonds abroad; children seize them, and fight
among themselves; but not so men, for they hold it too trifling a
matter. And if a man should scatter about oyster-shells, not even the
children would seize them. Offices of government are dealt out--children
will look for them; money is given--children will look for it; military
commands, consulships--let children scramble for them. Let them be shut
out and smitten, let them kiss the hands of the giver, of his slaves--it
is figs and almonds to me. What then? If thou miss them when he is
flinging them about, let it not vex thee. If a fig fall into thy bosom,
take and eat it, for so far even a fig is to be valued. But if I must
stoop down for it, and throw down another man, or another throw me down,
and I flatter those who enter in, then neither is a fig worth so much,
nor is any other of the things that are not good, even those which the
philosophers have persuaded me not to think good.