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Excerpt from Of Erasmus: Translated Into English by Nicolas Wall; Literally Reprinted From the Scarce Edition of 1564, Edited and Illustrated With Notes and Parallel Passages
Was it good nature in the Greeks that made them so pa tient under the coarse reproofs Of Diogenes? If so, one cannot help wondering that, while they were so tolerant of him, they put Socrates to death, who was in all things so much wiser and better. Was it not that Diogenes was a crafty man, who was shrewd enough to see that it does not do to prove one's superiority too strongly? So, like our mediaval j esters, he mingled a little wit with a good deal Of folly. He was fully aware of the great truth lately uttered by a bucolic friend here TO git on i' th' world, a man wants to appear like a fool, we'out bein' one. Men's des p'rately afread ov a clever fella' - they doant feel safe we 'im. Nice, soft-lookin' chaps alus git on best. SO Dio genes made himself purposely dirty and contemptible. His coarse bu¿'oonery was the traditional tub thrown to the whale (by-the-by, do they really throw tubs to whales?) to amuse it while the harpoon which was to pierce through its blubber was being prepared. And the Greek public, SO fond of seeing and hearing new things, was amused ac cordingly, - and pierced in due course; and very barbed some Of the harpoons were. Socrates scorned to stoop to this, and consequently had to pay the price usually paid by those whose virtue is a reproach to their neighbours.
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