Chapter XLII.

But we are called to account as harm-doers on another61    [Elucidation IX. See Kaye, p. 361.] ground, and are accused of being useless in the affairs of life. How in all the world can that be the case with people who are living among you, eating the same food, wearing the same attire, having the same habits, under the same necessities of existence? We are not Indian Brahmins or Gymnosophists, who dwell in woods and exile themselves from ordinary human life. We do not forget the debt of gratitude we owe to God, our Lord and Creator; we reject no creature of His hands, though certainly we exercise restraint upon ourselves, lest of any gift of His we make an immoderate or sinful use. So we sojourn with you in the world, abjuring neither forum, nor shambles, nor bath, nor booth, nor workshop, nor inn, nor weekly market, nor any other places of commerce. We sail with you, and fight with you,62    [The occupation of a soldier was regarded as lawful therefore. But see, afterwards, the De Corona cap. xi.] and till the ground with you; and in like manner we unite with you in your traffickings—even in the various arts we make public property of our works for your benefit. How it is we seem useless in your ordinary business, living with you and by you as we do, I am not able to understand. But if I do not frequent your religious ceremonies, I am still on the sacred day a man. I do not at the Saturnalia bathe myself at dawn, that I may not lose both day and night; yet I bathe at a decent and healthful hour, which preserves me both in heat and blood. I can be rigid and pallid like you after ablution when I am dead. I do not recline in public at the feast of Bacchus, after the manner of the beast-fighters at their final banquet.  Yet of your resources I partake, wherever I may chance to eat. I do not buy a crown for my head. What matters it to you how I use them, if nevertheless the flowers are purchased? I think it more agreeable to have them free and loose, waving all about. Even if they are woven into a crown, we smell the crown with our nostrils: let those look to it who scent the perfume with their hair. We do not go to your spectacles; yet the articles that are sold there, if I need them, I will obtain more readily at their proper places. We certainly buy no frankincense. If the Arabias complain of this, let the Sabæans be well assured that their more precious and costly merchandise is expended as largely in the burying of Christians63    [An interesting fact as to the burial-rites of Early Christians. As to incense, see cap. xxx. supra. p. 42.] as in the fumigating of the gods. At any rate, you say, the temple revenues are every day falling off:64    An index of the growth of Christianity. how few now throw in a contribution! In truth, we are not able to give alms both to your human and your heavenly mendicants; nor do we think that we are required to give any but to those who ask for it. Let Jupiter then hold out his hand and get, for our compassion spends more in the streets than yours does in the temples. But your other taxes will acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Christians; for in the faithfulness which keeps us from fraud upon a brother, we make conscience of paying all their dues: so that, by ascertaining how much is lost by fraud and falsehood in the census declarations—the calculation may easily be made—it would be seen that the ground of complaint in one department of revenue is compensated by the advantage which others derive.

CAPUT XLII.

0490B 42. Sed alio quoque injuriarum titulo postulamur, et infructuosi in negotiis dicimur. Quo pacto homines vobiscum degentes , ejusdem victus, habitus, instructus, ejusdem ad vitam necessitatis? Neque enim Brachmanae aut Indorum 0491A gymnosophistae sumus, sylvicolae et exules vitae. Meminimus gratiam nos debere Deo Domino Creatori; nullum fructum operum ejus repudiamus; plane temperamus, ne ultra modum aut perperam utamur. Itaque non sine foro, non sine macello, non sine balneis, tabernis, officinis, stabulis, nundinis vestris, caeterisque commerciis cohabitamus in hoc saeculo. Navigamus et nos vobiscum et militamus, et rusticamur, et mercamur, proinde miscemus artes, operas nostras publicamus usui vestro. Quomodo infructuosi videamur negotiis vestris, 0492A cum quibus et de quibus vivimus, non scio. Sed si caeremonias tuas non frequento, attamen et illa die homo sum. Non lavo sub noctem Saturnalibus, ne et noctem et diem perdam; attamen lavo et debita hora et salubri, quae mihi et calorem et sanguinem servet; rigere et pallere post lavacrum mortuus possum. Non in publico Liberalibus discumbo, quod bestiariis supremam coenantibus mos est; attamen ubi ubi de copiis tuis coeno. Non emo capiti coronam . Quid tua interest, emptis nihilominus floribus quomodo utar? 0493A puto gratius (esse) liberis et solutis et undique vagis; sed etsi in coronam coactis, nos coronam naribus novimus, viderint qui per capillum odorantur. Spectaculis non convenimus; quae tamen apud illos coetus venditantur si desideravero, libentius de suis locis sumam. Thura plane non emimus; si Arabiae queruntur , scient Sabaei pluris et carioris suas merces christianis sepeliendis profligari , quam diis fumigandis. Certe, inquitis, templorum vectigalia quotidie decoquunt, 0494A stipes quotusquisque jam jactat . Non (enim) sufficimus et hominibus et diis vestris mendicantibus opem ferre, nec putamus aliis quam petentibus impertiendum. Denique porrigat manum Jupiter et accipiat , cum interim plus nostra misericordia insumit vicatim, quam vestra religio templatim. Sed caetera vectigalia gratias Christianis agent ex fide dependentibus debitum, qua alieno fraudando abstinemus, ut, si ineatur quantum publico pereat fraude et mendacio vestrarum professionum, 0495A facile ratio haberi possit, unius speciei querela compensata pro commodo caeterarum rationum.