There was a king who oppressed his subjects. An informer came to him, and said, “A certain old man has in private called thee a tyrant, a disturber, and bloodthirsty.” The king, enraged, said, “Even now I put him to death.” While the king made preparations for the execution, a youth ran to the old man, and said, “The king is ill-disposed to thee; hasten to assuage his wrath.” The sage performed his ablutions, took his shroud, and went to the king. The tyrant, seeing him, clapped his hands together, and with eye hungry for revenge, cried, “I hear thou hast given loose to thy speech; thou hast called me revengeful, an oppressive demon.” The sage replied, “I have said worse of thee than what thou repeatest. Old and young are in peril from thy action; town and village are injured by thy ministry. Apply thy understanding, and see if it be true; if it be not, slay me on a gibbet. I am holding a mirror before thee; when it shows thy blemishes truly, it is a folly to break the mirror. Break thyself!”
The king saw the rectitude of the sage, and his own crookedness. He said, “Remove his burial spices, and his shroud; bring to him sweet perfumes, and the robe of honor.” He became a just prince, cherishing his subjects. Bring forward thy rough truth; truth from thee is victory; it shall shine as a pearl.
The System
By Jeremiah
(Hebrew prophet, B.C. 630)
For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine; yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Grafters in Athens
(From “The Frogs”)
By Aristophanes