Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/271

Rh There was upon a time a citizen of Athens who feasted the ambassadors of the king of Persia, and for that he perceived that these great lords would take delight in the company of learned men and philosophers, upon a brave mind that he carried, invited they were all and met there together: now when all the rest began to discourse in general, and every man seemed to put in some vie for himself, and to hold and maintain one theme or other, Zeno, who sat among them, was only silent and spake not a word; whereupon the said ambassadors and strangers of Persia began to be merry with him and to drink unto him round, saying in the end: And what shall we report of you. Sir Zeno, unto the king our master? Marry (quoth he), no more but this, that there is an ancient man at Athens who can sit at the board and say nothing. Thus you see that silence argueth deep and profound wisdom; it impHeth sobriety, and is a mystical secret and divine virtue; whereas drunkenness is talkative, full of words, void of sense and reason; and indeed thereupon multiplieth so many words, and is ever jangling. And in truth the philosophers themselves when they define drunkenness say: That it is a kind of raving and speaking idly at the table upon drinking too much wine; whereby it is evident that they do not simply condemn drinking, so that a man keep himself within the bounds of modesty and silence; but it is excessive and foolish talk, that of drinking wine maketh drunkenness. Thus the drunkard raveth and talketh idly when he is cup-shotten at the board; but the prattler and man of many words doth it always and in every place, in the market and common hall, at the theatre, in the public galleries and walking-places, by day and by night. If he be a physician and visit his patient, sertes he is more grievous, and doth more hurt in his cure than the malady itself; if he be a passenger with others in a ship, all the company had rather be sea-sick than hear him prate; if he set to praise thee, thou wert better to be dispraised by another; and in a word, a man shall have more pleasure and delight to converse and commune with lewd persons so they be discreet in their speech, than with others that be busy talkers, though otherwise they be good honest men. True it is indeed that old Nestor, in a tragedy of Sophocles, speaking unto Ajax (who overshot himself in some hot and hasty words), for to appease and pacify him, saith thus after a mild and gracious manner:

but surely we are not so well affected unto a vain-prating fellow;