Discourses - Book III   

no principle, since while he himself is entangled in some vice he will
reprove others. For see how the matter stands: to these kings and
tyrants their guards and arms give the power of reproving some
persons, and of being able even to punish those who do wrong though
they are themselves bad; but to a Cynic instead of arms and guards
it is conscience which gives this power. When he knows that be has
watched and labored for mankind, and has slept pure, and sleep has
left him still purer, and that he thought whatever he has thought as a
friend of the gods, as a minister, as a participator of the power of
Zeus, and that on all occasions he is ready to say

Lead me, O Zeus, and thou O Destiny;

and also, "If so it pleases the gods, so let it be"; why should he not
have confidence to speak freely to his own brothers, to his
children, in a word to his kinsmen? For this reason he is neither
overcurious nor a busybody when he is in this state of mind: for he is
not a meddler with the affairs of others when he is superintending
human affairs, but he is looking after his own affairs. If that is not
so, you may also say that the general is a busybody, when he
inspects his soldiers, and examines them, and watches them, and
punishes the disorderly. But if, while you have a cake under your arm,
you rebuke others, I will say to you: "Will you not rather go away
into a corner and eat that which you have stolen"; what have you to do
with the affairs of others? For who are you? are you the bull of the
herd, or the queen of the bees? Show me the tokens of your
supremacy, such as they have from nature. But if you are a drone
claiming the sovereignty over the bees, do you not suppose that your
fellow citizens will put you down as the bees do the drones?
The Cynic also ought to have such power of endurance as to seem
insensible to the common sort and a stone: no man reviles him, no
man strikes him, no man insults him, but he gives his body that any
man who chooses may do with it what he likes. For he bears in mind
that the inferior must be overpowered by the superior in that in which
it is inferior; and the body is inferior to the many, the weaker to
the stronger. He never then descends into such a contest in which he
can be overpowered; but he immediately withdraws from things which
belong to others, he claims not the things which are servile. where
there is will and the use of appearances, there you will see how
many eyes he has so that you may say, "Argus was blind compared with
him." Is his assent ever hasty, his movement rash, does his desire
ever fall in its object, does that which he would avoid befall him, is
his purpose unaccomplished, does he ever find fault, is he ever
humiliated, is he ever envious? To these he directs all his
attention and energy; but as to everything else he snores supine.
All is peace; there is no robber who takes away his will, no tyrant.
But what say you as to his body? I say there is. And as to
magistracies and honours? What does he care for them? When then any
person would frighten him through them, he says to him, "Begone,
look for children: masks are formidable to them; but I know that