Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

BOOK I. xxix. 6-15" I will throw you into prison/' Isay,,lcHe isthreatening* my whole paltry body"; and if hethreatens me with exile, Igive the same answer.Does he_, then, threaten you not at all ? If I feelthat all this isnothing to nie, not at all ;but ifI am afraid of any of these threats, it is me hethreatens. Who is there left, then, for me to fear?The man who is master of what?The things thatare under my control? But there is no such man.The man who is master of the things that are notunder my control ? And what do I care for them ?Do you philosophers, then, teach us to despiseour kings? Far from it. Who among us teachesyou to dispute their claim to the things over whichthey have authority ? Take my paltry body, takemy property, take my reputation, take those whoare about me. If Ipersuade any to lay claim tothese things, let some man truly accuse me. " Yes,bub I wish to control your judgements also." Andwho has given you this authority? How can youhave the power to overcome another's judgement?"By bringing fear to bear upon him," he" says, Ishall overcome him." You fail to realize that thejudgement overcame itself, it was not overcome bysomething else and; nothing else can overcomemoral purpose, but it overcomes itself. For thisreason too the law of God is most good and mostjust: "Let the better always prevail over theccworse." Ten are better than one," you say. Forwhat? For putting in chains, for killing, fordragging away where they will, for taking away aman's property. Ten overcome one, therefore, inthe point in which they are better. In what, then,are they worse? If the one has correct judge-189