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15
It is a privilege of the mighty to surround themselves with the champions of intellect;these extricate them from every fear of ignorance, these worry out for them the moot points of every difficulty.This is a rare greatness to make use of the wise, and far exceeds the barbarous taste of Tigranes, who had a fancy for captive monarchs as his servants.It is a novel kind of supremacy, the best that life can offer, to have as servants by skill those who by nature are our masters.This is a great thing to know, little to live: no real life without knowledge.There is remarkable cleverness in studying without study, in getting much by means of many, and through them all to become wise.Afterwards you speak in the council chamber on behalf of many, and as many sages speak through your mouth as were consulted beforehand:you thus obtain the fame of an oracle by others'toil.Such ministering spirits distil the best books and serve up the quintessence of wisdom.But he that cannot have sages in service should have them for his friends.