Oriental wit and wisdom, or, the "Laughable stories" / collected by Mar Gregory John Bar-Hebraeus ; translated from the Syriac by E. A. Wallis Budge.

Bar Hebraeus

Date:: 1899

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Oriental wit and wisdom, or, the "Laughable stories" / collected by Mar Gregory John Bar-Hebraeus ; translated from the Syriac by E. A. Wallis Budge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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root of a tree, and he said to him, “If thou wert a “servant of the king thou wouldst have no need to eat “such food as this/' And Socrates replied, saying, “If “thou also didst eat such food as this thou wouldst “have no need to serve the king.” XXXIIL It is said that when Alexander [the Great] had been poisoned and was nigh unto death, he wrote to his mother and said unto her, “When thou hast read “this letter make ready much meat and make a feast “for [thy] people, but do not allow to eat those who “have not lost some relative by death.” Now he did this so that when she considered and saw that no man had escaped this calamity she might be consoled and not be sad^ XXXIV. To another philosopher it was said, “How “is it that thou dost condescend to learn from every “man?” He replied, “Because I know that learning is a “profitable thing come it from whatsoever source it may.” XXXV. Another philosopher whilst teaching his dis¬ ciple said to him, “Dost thou understand?” and he re¬ plied, “Yes.” The philosopher then said, “Thou liest, “for the mark of intelligence is the joy which shew- “eth itself in the disciples face, and not his answer “‘Yes’.” XXXVI. It was said to Diogenes, “Dost thou possess “anywhere a house wherein to rest?” And he replied, “Wheresoever I rest there is my house.” XXXVII. Alius quidam in foro Venerem palam exer- cebat: qui interrogatus, “Nonne tui pudet? Quid facis?” ^ See my Life a7td Exploits of Alexander the Greats pp. 339, 373, 427 and 430. ^ Compare Historia Compendiosa Dyiiastiaj'um, ed. Pococke, Arabic text, p. 96; and Contexiio Gemma7mm, ed. Pococke, p. 287.