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THE SECOND BOOKE 337
that meane to give their fathers the worthiest and most
hondurable sepulchre, harboring their fathers bodies
and reliques in themselves, and in their marrow; in
some sort reviving and regenerating them by the transmutation
made in their quicke flesh by digestion and
nourishment. It is easie to be considered what abomination
and cruelty it had beene, in men accustomed
and trained in this inhumane superstition, to cast the
carcases of their parents into the corruption of the
earth, as food for beasts and wormes. Lyeurguswisely
considereth in theft, the vivacitic, diligence, courage,
and nimblenesse that is required in surprising or taking
any thing from ones neighbour, and the commoditie
which thereby redoundeth to the common-wealth, that
every man heedeth more curiously the keeping of that
which is his owne, and judged that by this twofold
institution to assaile and to defend, much good was
drawne for military discipline (which was the principal!
Science and chiefe vertue, wherein he would enable
that nation) of greater respect and more consideration
than was the disorder and injustice of prevailing and
taking other mens goods. Diony&ius, the tyrant,
offered Plato a robe made after the Persian fashion,
long, damask, and perfumed : but he refused the same,
saying, 'That being borne a man, he would not
willingly put on a womans garment/ But Aristippus
tooke it, with this answer, ' That no garment could
corrupt a chaste mind.' His friends reproved his
demissenesse in being so little offended, that Dionysius
had spitten in his face. ' Tut (said he) fishers suffer
themselves to be washed over head and eares to get
a gudgion.' Diogenes washing of coleworts for his
dinner, seeing him passe by, said unto him, ' If thou
couldest live with coleworts, thou wouldest not court
and fawne upon a tyrant;' to whom Aristippus replied,
' If thou couldest live among men, thou wouldest not
wash coleworts.' See here how reason yeeldeth apparance
to divers effects. It is a pitcher with two eares,
which a man may take hold on, either by the right
or left hand.'
II. Z