sciple of Parmenides, having attempted to kill
the tyrant Demylus, and failing in his design, maintained the doctrine
of Parmenides, like pure and fine gold tried in the fire, that there is
nothing which a magnanimous man ought to dread but dishonor, and that
there are none but children and women, or effeminate and women-hearted
men, who fear pain. For, having with his own teeth bitten off his
tongue, he spit it in the tyrant's face.

But out of the school of Epicurus, and from among those who follow his
doctrine, I will not ask what tyrant-killer has proceeded, nor yet what
man valiant and victorious in feats of arms, what lawgiver, what prince,
what counsellor, or what governor of the people; neither will I demand,
who of them has been tormented or has died for supporting right and
justice. But which of all these sages has for the benefit and service of
his country undertaken so much as one voyage at sea, gone of an embassy,
or expended a sum of money? What record is there extant of one civil
action in matter of government, performed by any of you? And yet,
because Metrodorus went down one day from the city as far as the haven
of Piraeus, taking a journey of forty stadia to assist Mithres a Syrian,
one of the king of Persia's court who had been arrested and taken
prisoner, he writ of it to every one and in all his letters, Epicurus
also highly magnifying and extolling this wonderful voyage. What value
then, think you, would they have put upon it, if they had done such an
act as Aristotle did, who procured the restoration and rebuilding of
Stagira, the town of his nativity, after it had been destroyed by King
Philip? Or as Theophrastus, who twice delivered his city, when possessed
and held by tyrants? Would not the river Nile sooner have given over to
bear the paper-reed, than they have been weary of writing their brave
exploits?

And it is not the greatest dishonor, that, of so many sects of
philosophers as have existed, they alone should enjoy the benefits that
are in cities, without having ever contributed to them anything of
their own; but far more serious is it that, while there are not even any
tragical or comical poets who do not always endeavor to do or say some
good thing or other in defence of the laws and policy these men, if
peradventure they write, write of policy, that we may not concern
ourselves in the government of the commonweal,--of rhetoric, that we may
not perform an act of eloquence,--and of roya