rom him against his will. As for how we are to prove that
the wise man possesses all things, we shall see afterwards; for the
present we are both agreed to regard this as true; we must gather
together something to answer the question before us, which is, how any
means remain of acting generously towards one who already possesses all
things? All things that a son has belong to his father, yet who does not
know that in spite of this a son can make presents to his father? All
things belong to the gods; yet we make presents and bestow alms even
upon the gods. What I have is not necessarily not mine because it
belongs to you; for the same thing may belong both to me and to you.

"He to whom courtezans belong," argues our adversary, "must be
a procurer: now courtezans are included in all things, therefore
courtezans belong to the wise man. But he to whom courtezans belong is
a procurer; therefore the wise man is a procurer." Yes! by the same
reasoning, our opponents would forbid him to buy anything, arguing, "No
man buys his own property. Now all things are the property of the wise
man; therefore the wise man buys nothing." By the same reasoning they
object to his borrowing, because no one pays interest for the use of
his own money. They raise endless quibbles, although they perfectly well
understand what we say.

V. For, when I say that the wise man possesses everything, I mean that
he does so without thereby impairing each man's individual rights in
his own property, in the same way as in a country ruled by a good king,
everything belongs to the king, by the right of his authority, and to
the people by their several rights of ownership. This I shall prove
in its proper place; in the mean time it is a sufficient answer to the
question to declare that I am able to give to the wise man that which is
in one way mine, and in another way his. Nor is it strange that I should
be able to give anything to one who possesses everything. Suppose I have
hired a house from you: some part of that house is mine, some is yours;
the house itself is yours, the use of your house belongs to me. Crops
may ripen upon your land, but you cannot touch them against the will of
your tenant; and if corn be dear, or at famine price, you will

"In vain another's mighty store behold,"

grown upon your land, lying upon your land, and to be deposited in
your own barns. Though you be the landlord, you must not enter my hired
house, nor may you take away