Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 3.djvu/78

 46 STATESMEN AND SAGES tunics. These children had a great affection for Diogenes, and took particular care to recommend him to their parents. ' When Diogenes was in slavery, some of his friends used their interest to pro- cure him his liberty. " Fools ! " said he, " you are jesting. Do you not know that the lion is not the slave of them who feed him ? They who feed him are his slaves." Diogenes one day heard a herald publish that Dioxippus had conquered men at the Olympic games. " Say slaves and wretches," said he to them. " It is I who have conquered men." When it was said to him, " You are old, you must take your ease," he said, " What ? must I slacken my pace at the end of my course ? Would it not be fitter that I should redouble my efforts ? " When walking in the streets, he observed a man let fall some bread which he was ashamed to lift. In order to show him that a man ought never to blush when he is desirous to save anything, Diogenes collected the fragments of a broken bottle and carried them through the town. " I am like good musicians," said he, "who leave the true sound that others may catch it." To one who came to him to be his disciple, he gave a gammon of bacon to carry and desired him to follow him. Ashamed to carry it through the streets, the man threw it down and made off. Diogenes meeting him a few days after, said to him, " What ? has a gammon of bacon broken our friendship ? " After reflecting on his life, Diogenes smiling said : " That all the impreca- tions generally uttered in tragedies had fallen upon him ; that he had neither house, nor city, nor country ; and that, in a state of indigence he lived from day to day ; but that to fortune he opposed firmness ; to custom, nature ; and reason to the disorders of the soul." Diogenes was greatly beloved and highly esteemed by the Athenians. They publicly scourged one who had broken his tub, and gave the philosopher another. He was one day asked where he chose to be buried after his death ? He replied : " In an open field." " How !" said one," "are you not afraid of becom- ing food for birds of prey and wild beasts?" "Then I must have my stick beside me," said Diogenes, "to drive them away when they come." "But," resumed the other, "you will be devoid of all sensation." " If that be the case," replied he, "it is no matter whether they eat me or not, seeing I shall not be sensible to it." Some say that having arrived at the age of ninety, he ate a neat's-foot raw, which caused indigestion to such a degree that he burst. It is said by others that feeling himself burdened with age, he retained his breath, and was thus the cause of his own death. His friends coming next day, found him muffled up in his cloak. Upon first discovering him they doubted whether he were not asleep (which with him, was very unusual) ; they were soon convinced that he was dead. There was a great dispute among them about who should bury him ; but when on the eve of breaking out into open violence, the magistrates and old men of Corinth opportunely arrived to appease the disturbance.