was born of free parents, but because he was himself free,
because he had cast off all the handles of slavery, and it was not
possible for any man to approach him, nor had any man the means of
laying hold of him to enslave him. He had everything easily loosed,
everything only hanging to him. If you laid hold of his property, he
would have rather let it go and be yours, than he would have followed
you for it; if you had laid hold of his leg, he would have let go his
leg; if of all his body, all his poor body; his intimates, friends,
country, just the same. For he knew from whence he had them, and from
whom, and on what conditions. His true parents indeed, the gods, and his
real country he would never have deserted, nor would he have yielded to
any man in obedience to them and to their orders, nor would any man have
died for his country more readily. For he was not used to inquire when
he should be considered to have done anything on behalf of the whole of
things (the universe, or all the world), but he remembered that
everything which is done comes from thence and is done on behalf of that
country and is commanded by him who administers it. Therefore see what
Diogenes himself says and writes: "For this reason," he says, "Diogenes,
it is in your power to speak both with the King of the Persians and with
Archidamus the King of the Lacedaemonians, as you please." Was it
because he was born of free parents? I suppose all the Athenians and all
the Lacedaemonians, because they were born of slaves, could not talk
with them (these kings) as they wished, but feared and paid court to
them. Why then does he say that it is in his power? Because I do not
consider the poor body to be my own, because I want nothing, because law
is everything to me, and nothing else is. These were the things which
permitted him to be free.

Think of these things, these opinions, these words; look to these
examples, if you would be free, if you desire the thing according to its
worth. And what is the wonder if you buy so great a thing at the price
of things so many and so great? For the sake of this which is called
liberty, some hang themselves, others throw themselves down precipices,
and sometimes even whole cities have perished; and will you not for the
sake of the true and unassailable and secure liberty give back to God
when he demands them the things which he has given? Will you not, as
Plato says, study not to die only, but also to endure torture,