No sooner is one raised than another comes smash- ing down, so that the
righteous
thunderbolts used to chastise the guilty and unlawful are never in short supply.
Bruno-Cause-Principle-and-Unity
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Youwillseethat,inthis,oursupperdoesnotdifferfromany other that may be dished out.
As with that other, as you are savouring your meal, you might scald your mouth with a bite that is too hot, so you have to either spew it back out or bandy it about your palate with tears and cry- ing until you can give it that cursed shove in order to speed it down your gorge, or you jar some tooth, or you bite into your tongue at the same time as your bread, or else there is a piece of grit that breaks up and sticks between your teeth, forcing you to spit out the whole mouthful.
Perhaps some hair or whisker off the cook glues to your palate and makes you nearly vomit, or else a fishbone lodges in your gullet and makes you wheeze, or another small bone lodged sideways in your throat threatens to suffocate you.
To our and to everybody's displeasure, analogous and equivalent things have been found at our supper.
All that is due to the sin of the first man, Adam.
Because of our ancestor, perverse human nature is condemned to find disgust joined to delight.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Spoken with sanctity and piety. But what is your answer to those who call you a raging cynic?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iwillconcedethepointreadily,atleastinpart.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But you know that it is less dishonourable for a man to undergo abuses than to inflict them?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yet it is enough that my actions are labelled vengeance, and the others' abuse.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Even the gods are liable to receive insults, suffer censure, and bear reproach; but to insult, censure and reproach are the business of people who are low, mean, cowardly and worthless.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . True. That is why we do not injure, but rather rebutt the injuries that are cast, not so much at us but at condemned philosophy, pro- ceeding in such a way that other insults are not added to those already received.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Soyouwanttoactthebitingdog,sothatnoonedaresmolest you?
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Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Exactly,becauseIdesirepeace,andunpleasantnessdipleases me.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yes,buttheydeemthatyouproceedwithtoomuchseverity.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . That is to prevent them from coming back, and to daunt others from coming to dispute with me or someone else, and treating our demonstrations with such expedients.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . The offence was private, the retaliation public.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . None the less just for that. Many errors are committed in private, which are then justly chastised in public.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Butthatwayyouendupruiningyourreputation,andmak- ing yourself more blameworthy than those others, because the world will declare you impatient, fantastic, daft and bizarre.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . It does not matter, as long as they stop harassing me from now on, and if I shake the club of the cynic at them, that is so they will let me go about my business in peace. It is clear they do not want to do me kindnesses, but they should not exercise their coarseness on me.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But do you think it is fitting for a philosopher to set about avenging himself?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . If those who harassed me were a Xanthippes, I would be a Socrates.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Don'tyouknowthatpatienceandlong-sufferingdoesevery- one good, and that through them we become like heroes and celebrated gods, who, according to some, defer their vengeance, and according to others, neither take revenge nor give way to anger?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . YouarewrongtothinkIcaredtohaverevenge.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Whatthen?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iwasconcernedwithcorrecting-anactivitythatalsomakes
us similar to gods. You know that Jove ordered poor Vulcan to work even on holidays, so that his cursed anvil goes on receiving the fierce blows of the hammer eternally.
No sooner is one raised than another comes smash- ing down, so that the righteous thunderbolts used to chastise the guilty and unlawful are never in short supply.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . There is a difference between you and Jove's blacksmith, husband of the goddess of Cyprus.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . It is enough, in any case, that I am perhaps not unlike the gods in patience and long-suffering. And those qualities were put to the test in this affair, in that I never gave full rein to my scorn and never spurred on my anger.
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First dialogue
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . To be castigator - of the multitude, especially - is not the job of just anyone.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Add to that: especially when he has nothing to do with the multitude.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . They say that you must not be an agitator in a country not your own.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And I say two things: first, one should not kill a foreign physician because he tries to administer cures not administered by the natives; second, I say that the true philosopher's country is all the world.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But if they consider you neither philosopher nor physician nor countryman?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thatdoesnotmakemeanythelessso.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Whowillvouchyouthat?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thegodswhohaveputmehere,Iwhofindmyselfhere,and
those who have eyes to see me here.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Your witnesses are very few and little-known.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . The true physicians are indeed few and little-known, while
all these people are truly ill. And I repeat that they have no right to inflict or to allow others to inflict such treatment on those who offer honest merchandise, foreigners or not.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Few are acquainted with this merchandise.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Pearlsarenolesspreciousforthatreason,nordowe,there- fore, dedicate less effort rallying to their defence, to save and vindicate them with all our might from the trampling of swine. May the gods favour me, Armesso, since I have never carried out acts of vengeance out of sordid self- love or low self-interest, but out of devotion for the offended majesty of my belove`d mother, philosophy. False friends and false children (for there is no worthless pedant, do-nothing phrasemaker, stupid faun or ignorant hack who does not aspire to be numbered among her family by showing up loaded with books, growing out his beard, or getting up prosopopoeical by other means) have wasted her so away that, among the common people, philosopher rhymes with impostor, quack, swindler, good-for-nothing, charlatan and howling pedant, good only as home entertainment or country scarecrow.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Indeed, philosophers as a race are rated by most men as more despicable than house chaplains sprung up from the dregs of human- ity, who, however, disgrace the priesthood far less than the philosophers, chosen from among every sort of beast, have shamed philosophy.
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Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So let us praise the ancient race. Philosophers then had so much value that from their ranks were recruited lawmakers, counsellors and kings. And the counsellors and kings were such that from those func- tions they were elevated to the priesthood. In our age, most of the priests are such that they themselves are discredited, and do discredit to the divine laws; nearly all the philosophers we see are worth so little that they are dis- paraged along with their science. What is worse, a multitude of scoundrels, like a mass of nettles, have grown used to smothering with poisonous mirages what little truth and virtue get revealed to the few.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iknownophilosopherwhogetssoarousedinfavourofdis- credited philosophy, nor do I perceive any, Elitropio, as impassioned by his science as Teofilo. What would happen if all other philosophers had the same character, I mean if they had so little patience?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Those others have not made so many discoveries, nor do they have as much to preserve or defend. They can easily devalue philoso- phy that is worthless, or what is nearly worthless, or that which they do not know; but one who has found truth, which is a hidden treasure, is inspired by the beauty of that divine face and grows jealous to defend her against plunder, negligence and contamination. Just so, a miser may conceive a passion for gold, diamonds and carbuncles, or a man for the beauty of a foul woman.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But let us get back to our subject and arrive at the quia [why]. They say of you, Teofilo, that in your supper you criticize and insult a whole city, an entire province, a complete kingdom.
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Spoken with sanctity and piety. But what is your answer to those who call you a raging cynic?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iwillconcedethepointreadily,atleastinpart.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But you know that it is less dishonourable for a man to undergo abuses than to inflict them?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yet it is enough that my actions are labelled vengeance, and the others' abuse.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Even the gods are liable to receive insults, suffer censure, and bear reproach; but to insult, censure and reproach are the business of people who are low, mean, cowardly and worthless.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . True. That is why we do not injure, but rather rebutt the injuries that are cast, not so much at us but at condemned philosophy, pro- ceeding in such a way that other insults are not added to those already received.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Soyouwanttoactthebitingdog,sothatnoonedaresmolest you?
? ?
Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Exactly,becauseIdesirepeace,andunpleasantnessdipleases me.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yes,buttheydeemthatyouproceedwithtoomuchseverity.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . That is to prevent them from coming back, and to daunt others from coming to dispute with me or someone else, and treating our demonstrations with such expedients.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . The offence was private, the retaliation public.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . None the less just for that. Many errors are committed in private, which are then justly chastised in public.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Butthatwayyouendupruiningyourreputation,andmak- ing yourself more blameworthy than those others, because the world will declare you impatient, fantastic, daft and bizarre.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . It does not matter, as long as they stop harassing me from now on, and if I shake the club of the cynic at them, that is so they will let me go about my business in peace. It is clear they do not want to do me kindnesses, but they should not exercise their coarseness on me.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But do you think it is fitting for a philosopher to set about avenging himself?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . If those who harassed me were a Xanthippes, I would be a Socrates.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Don'tyouknowthatpatienceandlong-sufferingdoesevery- one good, and that through them we become like heroes and celebrated gods, who, according to some, defer their vengeance, and according to others, neither take revenge nor give way to anger?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . YouarewrongtothinkIcaredtohaverevenge.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Whatthen?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iwasconcernedwithcorrecting-anactivitythatalsomakes
us similar to gods. You know that Jove ordered poor Vulcan to work even on holidays, so that his cursed anvil goes on receiving the fierce blows of the hammer eternally.
No sooner is one raised than another comes smash- ing down, so that the righteous thunderbolts used to chastise the guilty and unlawful are never in short supply.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . There is a difference between you and Jove's blacksmith, husband of the goddess of Cyprus.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . It is enough, in any case, that I am perhaps not unlike the gods in patience and long-suffering. And those qualities were put to the test in this affair, in that I never gave full rein to my scorn and never spurred on my anger.
? ?
First dialogue
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . To be castigator - of the multitude, especially - is not the job of just anyone.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Add to that: especially when he has nothing to do with the multitude.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . They say that you must not be an agitator in a country not your own.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And I say two things: first, one should not kill a foreign physician because he tries to administer cures not administered by the natives; second, I say that the true philosopher's country is all the world.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But if they consider you neither philosopher nor physician nor countryman?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thatdoesnotmakemeanythelessso.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Whowillvouchyouthat?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thegodswhohaveputmehere,Iwhofindmyselfhere,and
those who have eyes to see me here.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Your witnesses are very few and little-known.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . The true physicians are indeed few and little-known, while
all these people are truly ill. And I repeat that they have no right to inflict or to allow others to inflict such treatment on those who offer honest merchandise, foreigners or not.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Few are acquainted with this merchandise.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Pearlsarenolesspreciousforthatreason,nordowe,there- fore, dedicate less effort rallying to their defence, to save and vindicate them with all our might from the trampling of swine. May the gods favour me, Armesso, since I have never carried out acts of vengeance out of sordid self- love or low self-interest, but out of devotion for the offended majesty of my belove`d mother, philosophy. False friends and false children (for there is no worthless pedant, do-nothing phrasemaker, stupid faun or ignorant hack who does not aspire to be numbered among her family by showing up loaded with books, growing out his beard, or getting up prosopopoeical by other means) have wasted her so away that, among the common people, philosopher rhymes with impostor, quack, swindler, good-for-nothing, charlatan and howling pedant, good only as home entertainment or country scarecrow.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Indeed, philosophers as a race are rated by most men as more despicable than house chaplains sprung up from the dregs of human- ity, who, however, disgrace the priesthood far less than the philosophers, chosen from among every sort of beast, have shamed philosophy.
? ?
Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So let us praise the ancient race. Philosophers then had so much value that from their ranks were recruited lawmakers, counsellors and kings. And the counsellors and kings were such that from those func- tions they were elevated to the priesthood. In our age, most of the priests are such that they themselves are discredited, and do discredit to the divine laws; nearly all the philosophers we see are worth so little that they are dis- paraged along with their science. What is worse, a multitude of scoundrels, like a mass of nettles, have grown used to smothering with poisonous mirages what little truth and virtue get revealed to the few.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Iknownophilosopherwhogetssoarousedinfavourofdis- credited philosophy, nor do I perceive any, Elitropio, as impassioned by his science as Teofilo. What would happen if all other philosophers had the same character, I mean if they had so little patience?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Those others have not made so many discoveries, nor do they have as much to preserve or defend. They can easily devalue philoso- phy that is worthless, or what is nearly worthless, or that which they do not know; but one who has found truth, which is a hidden treasure, is inspired by the beauty of that divine face and grows jealous to defend her against plunder, negligence and contamination. Just so, a miser may conceive a passion for gold, diamonds and carbuncles, or a man for the beauty of a foul woman.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . But let us get back to our subject and arrive at the quia [why]. They say of you, Teofilo, that in your supper you criticize and insult a whole city, an entire province, a complete kingdom.
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