crimes, you must admit. Why do men steal? why break burglariously into
houses? why hale men and women captive and make slaves of them? Is it
not from want? Nay, there are monarchs who at one fell swoop destroy
whole houses, make wholesale massacre, and oftentimes reduce entire
states to slavery, and all for the sake of wealth. These I must needs
pity for the cruel malady which plagues them. Their condition, to my
mind, resembles that poor creature's who, in spite of all he has[58]
and all he eats, can never stay the wolf that gnaws his vitals.

[55] Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. ii. 21; Hor. "Epist." i. 2. 26, "semper avarus
eget."

[56] Is Antisthenes thinking of Callias and Hermogenes? (presuming
these are sons of Hipponicus and brothers). Cf. "Mem." II. x. 3.

[57] Or, "'Tis want that does it." See "Pol. Ath." i. 5; "Rev," i. 1.

[58] Reading {ekhon}, or if {pinon}, transl. "who eats and drinks, but
never sates himself."

But as to me, my riches are so plentiful I cannot lay my hands on them
myself;[59] yet for all that I have enough to eat till my hunger is
stayed, to drink till my thirst is sated;[60] to clothe myself withal;
and out of doors not Callias there, with all his riches, is more safe
than I from shivering; and when I find myself indoors, what warmer
shirting[61] do I need than my bare walls? what ampler greatcoat than
the tiles above my head? these seem to suit me well enough; and as to
bedclothes, I am not so ill supplied but it is a business to arouse me
in the morning.