AND
Lucian of Samosata claims that a man who wanted to obtain the wisdom of Epictetus, trying to save himself the trouble of reading his books, bought his lamp for three thousand coins, convinced that it would be enough to let himself be illuminated by its light to be imbued with his wisdom.
II
On one occasion, Petrarch found a manuscript by Cicero that was thought to be lost and, full of joy, wrote him a letter of thanks, even though the Latin politician and philosopher had been dead for 1,300 years.
III
Machiavelli, exiled in San Casciano, would return home at dusk and, on the threshold of his study, would take off his work clothes: "To dress myself in royal and courtly robes, and thus decently attired, I enter the ancient courts of the men of old, where I am lovingly received and nourished by being born. I am not ashamed to speak with them and to ask them about the motives of their actions, and they, with all humanity, answer me."
IV
Once, Edward Shils dreamed he was walking through the corridors of an old German castle. In a corner, by a narrow window, he noticed a man sitting at a desk, writing. He recognized him. It was Max Weber. Shils tiptoed over and stopped behind him, hesitating, unsure whether to speak. A few moments passed. Then Weber looked up, fixed his gaze on Shils, and said, "I approve of what you are doing." Shils felt he had been called to continue Weber's sacred mission: the search for truth.
V
There is a medieval miniature by Matthew Paris that perplexed Derrida when he discovered it. It shows Socrates writing and Plato, behind him, whispering what he should write, while with a raised finger he emphasizes that he is meticulously supervising everything.
VI
Machiavelli also had a literary dream. Shortly before his death on June 21, 1527, he revealed to his close friends that he had dreamt a great number of poorly dressed men, looking as though they had suffered greatly, were making their way to heaven. He also saw another group, noble in appearance and with polite manners, solemnly making their way to hell, debating important political issues among themselves. There he recognized Plato, Plutarch, and Tacitus, and did not hesitate to join them. His friends understood that he was appropriating another dream: the dream that Cicero had Scipio dream, while also keeping in mind the famous dream of Er, which concludes the Republic from Plato.
VII
Mr. Mifflin is the protagonist of the Haunted bookstoreFrom Christopher Morley. One day a young man remarks to him how lucky he is to work in such a peaceful and welcoming place as a secondhand bookstore. "Not at all," replies Mr. Mifflin. "Living in a bookstore is like living in an explosives warehouse. The shelves are filled with the most furious fuel in the world: men's brains."
VIII
The French writer Armand Gatti traveled to Beijing with a group of European intellectuals in the late 1960s. They were received ceremoniously by the Great Helmsman, Mao Zedong, who authorized them to ask him questions. Gatti inquired about the future. Mao reached into his pocket, pulled out a notebook, found a blank sheet of paper, tore it out, and handed it to him. For months, Gatti kept that blank sheet of paper tucked between the pages of a book. One day his children took the book off the shelf, found the sheet, and filled it with indecipherable scribbles.
IX
In Past and thoughtsHerzen writes about On freedom by John Stuart Mill, published in 1859: "A month ago Mill published a strange book in defense of the freedom of thought, speech, and person, and I say strange because it may seem odd that in the country where two hundred years ago Milton wrote on the same subject, the need to raise one's voice has arisen about freedomBut people like Mill don't write for mere pleasure; his whole book is imbued with a profound sadness, not a nostalgic sadness, but one filled with courage and reproach. Mill had to speak out because evil had grown stronger. Milton defended freedom of speech against the attacks of power, against violence, and the most energetic and noble part of society stood by him. Stuart Mill's enemy is different: he doesn't fight against an enlightened government, but against the murderous force of indifference, petty intolerance, and mediocrity. A little later, Herzen utters this lament: "Observe: The soul is shrinking."
