Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 1.djvu/92

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS to tho usual view of them, such things are a subject of honor; while, from the practise of them, an idea of power is also formed. And again, whatever distinction I gain at home by my exhibitions of choruses, or in any other way, it is naturally envied by my fellow citizens, but for foreigners this too has an appearance of power. And this is no useless folly, when a man benefits at his own costs, not himself only, but his country also.

Nor is it unfair fur one who prides himself on his own prosperity, to refuse to be on an equality with the mass; since in the same way he who is unfortunate shares his calamities with no one else. But as we are not courted when in adversity, by the same rule let a man also submit to be slighted by the prosperous; or let him treat the unfortunate as on an equal footing [when he is in prosperity], and so claim the like treatment in return [when he is himself in adversity]. I know, however, that men in such circumstances, and all who ever surpassed others in splendor of any kind, though disliked in their own lifetime, most of ail in their dealings with their equals, and then with the rest of the world also, have yet left to some of those who came after them a desire to claim connection with them, even where there were no grounds for it; and a subject for glorying to the country they belonged to, not as for aliens, or offenders, but as for countrymen, who had achieved glorious things. And in my case, who aim at such things, 42