# Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 23

Cleveland, Ohio: Western Reserve University, pages 58–59
XXIII. Socrates (Diogenes) and the King.
Forsoth proverbialy thei seyn that Socrates eschewid the tumult and the multitude of worldly people and a fieldly lif coveited, chase hym to the woode and to a place of sikernes to dwelle in half a Tonne; of whiche the bottum he sette agenst the wynde and the shadewe, and that was open gladly agenst the Sonne. Whom the kynges hunters, whan they had founden scornede hym sleyng his life, bigan to turne awey the myrry beames of the sonne. To whom he with a glad chiere [saide]: 'That ye may nat yeve me presume nat to take awey.' To that thei wrathed and hym to delaie that hym nedid wolden have compelled and out of the wey han led, lest that the eyen of men passyng by and of their lord so vile a persone shuld have offended. That nat the threatis or manaces of worthy men [saide]: 'Avoide and go, lest of thy long studie and busynes any evil vnto the happene, forwhi our kyng with his seruaunt and meyne is to passe this wey.' Thei forsoth in hym berkyng and threateyng the philosopher biholdyng saide: 'Yowre lord is nat my lord but my seruaunt.' That heryng and with a newly chiere hym biholdyng, sum decre thei purposiden of lasse Reproef and threate til thei herden the sentence of the kyng thei decreeden. Forsoth while thei thus decreeden the kyng cam with his meyne, and what was the cause of (f. 134) the strif askyng, what deedis wern don or saide, the kynges seruauntis rehercyng he knewe it. The kyng therfor willyng to knowe what of tho foule thynges to hym reherced wern aught feyned, to the philosopher than he went and inquiryng what the philosopher saide of hym. So as bifore vnto his meyne, so hym assured to be seruaunt of his seruauntis. The sentence of whiche wordis the kyng benyngly and with a dili- gent trust asked hym to tel and shewe. To whom the philosopher bihielde the face and chiere of his dignite lightly saide: 'Suche wil is seruaunt vnto me and to me servith and I nat to hym. And thow in the contrarie art subiect vnto wil and to hym thow servist, and ​nat he to the. Therfore thow art seruaunt of hym whiche servith me.' Than the kynge fixed a litel his sight in to the erth and saide: 'Fader, ne shamest thow nat nor gastest of my power?' To whom the philosopher in the straytnes tooke his seete and saide: 'Knowe thow hym to the to grete abusioun to have lordship of mortal thynges and the matier of thynges bryngyng the to opteyne whiche nat with thi vertu or strength, nor stilliche thow doest it of eveene consent, but of glorious covetise as the chiernes of the thyng is thow hast don to be lawded and praised whiche that is exiled and voide of al the weight. So considre thow thi glorie that is past and thi power as may be now as nought nor to be drad; but neither of thynges to come, of whos hap or comyng is doutable and vncerteyn. Thus it owith of this present lif forwhi it is but litil and momentaneous and whiche in the twynklyng of an eye is brought to nought.' He perceivyng the wordis of the philosopher, the kyng saide to his meyne: 'Forsoth he is the seruaunt of god! See yee that yee do hym noon hurt nor non vnhonest thing."
* ↑ No. XXVIII in the original, I, 40, l. 8.
* ↑ The corresponding Latin for this sentence is (I, 40, l. 14) Quod non valentes minati sunt ei dicentes: Vade ne quid mali ex protenrvitatis studio tibi contingat, quia rex noster et dominus cum familiaribus suis at primitibus est hac parte transiturus.
* ↑ Lat. Illos autem in se latrantes philosophus intuens.
* ↑ The words of this sentence are quite distinct; in the Ms., but the meaning is obscure. The Latin (I, 40, l, 18) runs, {{latin|Quod audientes et novercali vultu eum respicientes quidam eum detruncare proposuerunt, minus vero improbi donec sententiam regis audirent, parcere ei decreverunt.
* ↑ In this sentence again we have a specimen of the crudest translation of the Latin, in which the literal meanings of the words are occasionally set down without any apparent connection with what precedes or follows, Dum vero in hunc modum decertarent, rex adveniens et quae causa litigii foret perquirens, quae gesta fuerant vel dicta famulis referentibus cognovit.
* ↑ Lat. (I, 41, l. 2) Ut patet in verbis tuis, nihil meae potentiam gloriae vereris.
* ↑ Lat. in angustam suae mentis sedem receptus.
* ↑ Lat. (I, 41, l. 3) Scis ipse nimium tibi ambitionem return mortalium dominatam fuisse et materiam gerendis rebus te optavisse, quo ne virtus tua ut ipse fateris consenesceret tacita; sed ob cupidinem gloriae sicut rei sinceritas est fecisti adipiscendae. quae gloria quam sit exilis et totus vacua ponderis, sic considera. Tuae praeteritae gloriae patentia utpote, et cet.
* ↑ The English omits the final clause of the rather long sentence of the original, ob hoc ergo in nulla parte sui est formidanda, 'for this reason therefore it is in no respect to be dreaded for its own sake.'
* ↑ In the Latin version this tale is followed by a discussion of the end of life (De vitae termino) between the master and his disciple. And a small part of the connecting dialogue is not given in the English translation; but in the English version what is reproduced has been transferred from its original place (between XXVIII and XXIX) and inserted after, No. XXIV corresponding, not to XXIX of the Latin, which would be the natural order, but to No. XXVI.