the golden sayings-第1章

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The　Golden　Sayings　of　Epictetus






I







Are　these　the　only　works　of　Providence　within　us？　What　words

suffice　to　praise　or　set　them　forth？　Had　we　but　understanding；

should　we　ever　cease　hymning　and　blessing　the　Divine　Power；　both

openly　and　in　secret；　and　telling　of　His　gracious　gifts？　Whether

digging　or　ploughing　or　eating；　should　we　not　sing　the　hymn　to

God：



Great　is　God；　for　that　He　hath　given　us　such　instruments　to　till



the　ground　withal：

Great　is　God；　for　that　He　hath　given　us　hands　and　the　power　of

swallowing　and　digesting；　of　unconsciously　growing　and

breathing　while　we　sleep！



Thus　should　we　ever　have　sung；　yea　and　this；　the　grandest　and

divinest　hymn　of　all：



Great　is　God；　for　that　He　hath　given　us　a　mind　to　apprehend　these

things；　and　duly　to　use　them！





What　then！　seeing　that　most　of　you　are　blinded；　should　there

not　be　some　one　to　fill　this　place；　and　sing　the　hymn　to　God　on

behalf　of　all　men？　What　else　can　I　that　am　old　and　lame　do　but

sing　to　God？　Were　I　a　nightingale；　I　should　do　after　the　manner

of　a　nightingale。　Were　I　a　swan；　I　should　do　after　the　manner　of

a　swan。　But　now；　since　I　am　a　reasonable　being；　I　must　sing　to

God：　that　is　my　work：　I　do　it；　nor　will　I　desert　this　my　post；　as

long　as　it　is　granted　me　to　hold　it；　and　upon　you　too　I　call　to

join　in　this　self…same　hymn。



II







How　then　do　men　act？　As　though　one　returning　to　his　country

who　had　sojourned　for　the　night　in　a　fair　inn；　should　be　so

captivated　thereby　as　to　take　up　his　abode　there。



〃Friend；　thou　hast　forgotten　thine　intention！　This　was　not

thy　destination；　but　only　lay　on　the　way　thither。〃



〃Nay；　but　it　is　a　proper　place。〃



〃And　how　many　more　of　the　sort　there　may　be；　only　to　pass

through　upon　thy　way！　Thy　purpose　was　to　return　to　thy　country；

to　relieve　thy　kinsmen's　fears　for　thee；　thyself　to　discharge　the

duties　of　a　citizen；　to　marry　a　wife；　to　beget　offspring；　and　to

fill　the　appointed　round　of　office。　Thou　didst　not　come　to　choose

out　what　places　are　most　pleasant；　but　rather　to　return　to　that

wherein　thou　wast　born　and　where　wert　appointed　to　ba　a　citizen。〃





III







Try　to　enjoy　the　great　festival　of　life　with　other　men。





IV







But　I　have　one　whom　I　must　please；　to　whom　I　must　be

subject；　whom　I　must　obey：　God；　and　those　who　come　next　to　Him。

He　hath　entrusted　me　with　myself：　He　hath　made　my　will　subject　to

myself　alone　and　given　me　rules　for　the　right　use　thereof。





V







Rufus　used　to　say；　If　you　have　leisure　to　praise　me；　what　I

say　is　naught。　In　truth　he　spoke　in　such　wise；　that　each　of　us

who　sat　there；　though　that　some　one　had　accused　him　to　Rufus：　so

surely　did　he　lay　his　finger　on　the　very　deeds　we　did：　so　surely

display　the　faults　of　each　before　his　very　eyes。





VI







But　what　saith　God？　〃Had　it　been　possible；　Epictetus；　I

would　have　made　both　that　body　of　thine　and　thy　possessions　free

and　unimpeded；　but　as　it　is；　be　not　deceived：　it　is　not　thine

own；　it　is　but　finely　tempered　clay。　Since　then　this　I　could　not

do；　I　have　given　thee　a　portion　of　Myself；　in　the　power　of

desiring　and　declining　and　of　pursuing　and　avoiding；　and　is　a

word　the　power　of　dealing　with　the　things　of　sense。　And　if　thou

neglect　not　this；　but　place　all　that　thou　hast　therein；　thou

shalt　never　be　let　or　hindered；　thou　shalt　never　lament；　thou

shalt　not　blame　or　flatter　any。　What　then？　Seemth　this　to　thee　a

little　thing？〃God　forbid！〃Be　content　then　therewith！〃



And　so　I　pray　the　Gods。





VII







What　saith　Antisthenes？　Hast　thou　never　heard？



It　is　a　kingly　thing；　O　Cyrus；　to　do　well　and　to　be　evil

spoken　of。





VIII







〃Aye；　but　to　debase　myself　thus　were　unworthy　of　me。〃



〃That；〃　said　Epictetus；　〃is　for　you　to　consider；　not　for　me。

You　know　yourself　what　you　are　worth　in　your　own　eyes；　and　at

what　price　you　will　sell　yourself。　For　men　sell　themselves　at

various　prices。　This　was　why；　when　Florus　was　deliberating

whether　he　should　appear　at　Nero's　shows；　taking　part　in　the

performance　himself；　Agrippinus　replied；　'But　why　do　not　you

appear？'　he　answered；　'Because　I　do　not　even　consider　the

question。'　For　the　man　who　has　once　stooped　to　consider　such

questions；　and　to　reckon　up　the　value　of　external　things；　is　not

far　from　forgetting　what　manner　of　man　he　is。　Why；　what　is　it

that　you　ask　me？　Is　death　preferable；　or　life？　I　reply；　Life。

Pain　or　pleasure？　I　reply；　Pleasure。〃



〃Well；　but　if　I　do　not　act；　I　shall　lose　my　head。〃



〃Then　go　and　act！　But　for　my　part　I　will　not　act。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Because　you　think　yourself　but　one　among　the　many　threads

which　make　up　the　texture　of　the　doublet。　You　should　aim　at　being

like　men　in　generaljust　as　your　thread　has　no　ambition　either

to　be　anything　distinguished　compared　with　the　other　threads。　But

I　desire　to　be　the　purplethat　small　and　shining　part　which

makes　the　rest　seem　fair　and　beautiful。　Why　then　do　you　bid　me

become　even　as　the　multitude？　Then　were　I　no　longer　the　purple。〃



IX







If　a　man　could　be　throughly　penetrated；　as　he　ought；　with

this　thought；　that　we　are　all　in　an　especial　manner　sprung　from

God；　and　that　God　is　the　Father　of　men　as　well　as　of　Gods；　full

surely　he　would　never　conceive　aught　ignoble　or　base　of　himself。

Whereas　if　Caesar　were　to　adopt　you；　your　haughty　looks　would　be

intolerable；　will　you　not　be　elated　at　knowing　that　you　are　the

son　of　God？　Now　however　it　is　not　so　with　us：　but　seeing　that　in

our　birth　these　two　things　are　commingledthe　body　which　we

share　with　the　animals；　and　the　Reason　and　Thought　which　we　share

with　the　Gods；　many　decline　towards　this　unhappy　kinship　with　the

dead；　few　rise　to　the　blessed　kinship　with　the　Divine。　Since　then

every　one　must　deal　with　each　thing　according　to　the　view　which

he　forms　about　it；　those　few　who　hold　that　they　are　born　for

fidelity；　modesty；　and　unerring　sureness　in　dealing　with　the

things　of　sense；　never　conceive　aught　base　or　ignoble　of

themselves：　but　the　multitude　the　contrary。　Why；　what　am　I？A

wretched　human　creature；　with　this　miserable　flesh　of　mine。

Miserable　indeed！　but　you　have　something　better　than　that　paltry

flesh　of　yours。　Why　then　cling　to　the　one；　and　neglect　the　other？





X







Thou　art　but　a　poor　soul　laden　with　a　lifeless　body。





XI







The　other　day　I　had　an　iron　lamp　placed　beside　my　household

gods。　I　heard　a　noise　at　the　door　and　on　hastening　down　found　my

lamp　carried　off。　I　reflected　that　the　culprit　was　in　no　very

strange　case。　〃Tomorrow；　my　friend；〃　I　said；　〃you　will　find　an

earthenware　lamp；　for　a　man　can　only　lose　what　he　has。〃





XII







The　reason　why　I　lost　my　lamp　was　that　the　thief　was

superior　to　me　in　vigilance。　He　paid　however　this　price　for　the

lamp；　that　in　exchange　for　it　he　consented　to　become　a　thief：　in

exchange　for　it；　to　become　faithless。





XIII





But　God　hath　introduced　Man　to　be　a　spectator　of　Himself　and

of　His　works；　and　not　a　spectator　only；　but　also　an　interpreter

of　them。　Wherefore　it　is　a　shame　for　man　to　begin　and　to　leave

off　where　the　brutes　do。　Rather　he　should　begin　there；　and　leave

off　where　Nature　leaves　off　in　us：　and　that　is　at　contemplation；

and　understanding；　and　a　manner　of　life　that　is　in　harmony　with

herself。



See　then　that　ye　die　not　without　being　spectators　of　these

things。





XIV







You　journey　to　Olympia　to　see　the　work　of　Phidias；　and　each

of　you　holds　it　a　misfortune　not　to　have　beheld　these　things

before　you　die。　Whereas　when　there　is　no　need　even　to　take　a

journey；　but　you　are　on　the　spot；　with　the　works　before　you；　have

you　no　care　to　contemplate　and　study　these？



Will　you　not　then　perceive　either　who　you　are　or　unto　what

end　you　were　born：　or　for　what　purpose　the　power　of　contemplation

has　been　bestowed