the golden sayings-第3章

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I　left！〃　he　cried。　〃That；〃　I　said；　〃you　will　not　do；　but　the

moment　the　scent　of　Rome　is　in　your　nostrils；　you　will　forget　it

all；　and　if　you　can　but　gain　admission　to　Court；　you　will　be　glad

enough　to　elbow　your　way　in；　and　thank　God　for　it。〃　〃Epictetus；〃

he　replied；　〃if　ever　you　find　me　setting　as　much　as　one　foot

within　the　Court；　think　what　you　will　of　me。〃



Well；　as　it　was；　what　did　he　do？　Ere　ever　he　entered　the

city；　he　was　met　by　a　despatch　from　the　Emperor。　He　took　it；　and

forgot　the　whole　of　his　resolutions。　From　that　moment；　he　has

been　piling　one　thing　upon　another。　I　should　like　to　be　beside

him　to　remind　him　of　what　he　said　when　passing　this　way；　and　to

add；　How　much　better　a　prophet　I　am　than　you！



What　then？　do　I　say　man　is　not　made　for　an　active　life？　Far

from　it！　。　。　。　But　there　is　a　great　difference　between　other

men's　occupations　and　ours。　。　。　。　A　glance　at　theirs　will　make　it

clear　to　you。　All　day　long　they　do　nothing　but　calculate；

contrive；　consult　how　to　wring　their　profit　out　of　food…stuffs；

farm…plots　and　the　like。　。　。　。　Whereas；　I　entreat　you　to　learn

what　the　administration　of　the　World　is；　and　what　place　a　Being

endowed　with　reason　holds　therein：　to　consider　what　you　are

yourself；　and　wherein　your　Good　and　Evil　consists。





XXV







A　man　asked　me　to　write　to　Rome　on　his　behalf　who；　as　most

people　thought；　had　met　with　misfortune；　for　having　been　before

wealthy　and　distinguished；　he　had　afterwards　lost　all　and　was

living　here。　So　I　wrote　about　him　in　a　humble　style。　He　however

on　reading　the　letter　returned　it　to　me；　with　the　words：　〃I　asked

for　your　help；　not　for　your　pity。　No　evil　has　happened　unto　me。〃





XXVI







True　instruction　is　this：　to　learn　to　wish　that　each　thing

should　come　to　pass　as　it　does。　And　how　does　it　come　to　pass？　As

the　Disposer　has　disposed　it。　Now　He　has　disposed　that　there

should　be　summer　and　winter；　and　plenty　and　dearth；　and　vice　and

virtue；　and　all　such　opposites；　for　the　harmony　of　the　whole。





XXVII







Have　this　thought　ever　present　with　thee；　when　thou　losest

any　outward　thing；　what　thou　gainest　in　its　stead；　and　if　this　be

the　more　precious；　say　not；　I　have　suffered　loss。





XXVIII







Concerning　the　Gods；　there　are　who　deny　the　very　existence

of　the　Godhead；　others　say　that　it　exists；　but　neither　bestirs

nor　concerns　itself　norhas　forethought　for　anything。　A　third

party　attribute　to　it　existence　and　forethought；　but　only　for

great　and　heavenly　matters；　not　for　anything　that　is　on　earth。　A

fourth　party　admit　things　on　earth　as　well　as　in　heaven；　but　only

in　general；　and　not　with　respect　to　each　individual。　A　fifth；　of

whom　were　Ulysses　and　Socrates　are　those　that　cry：



I　move　not　without　Thy　knowledge！





XXIX







Considering　all　these　things；　the　good　and　true　man　submits

his　judgement　to　Him　that　administers　the　Universe；　even　as　good

citizens　to　the　law　of　the　State。　And　he　that　is　being　instructed

should　come　thus　minded：How　may　I　in　all　things　follow　the

Gods；　and；　How　may　I　rest　satisfied　with　the　Divine

Administration；　and；　How　may　I　become　free？　For　he　is　free　for

whom　all　things　come　to　pass　according　to　his　will；　and　whom　none

can　hinder。　What　then；　is　freedom　madness？　God　forbid。　For

madness　and　freedom　exist　not　together。



〃But　I　wish　all　that　I　desire　to　come　to　pass　and　in　the

manner　that　I　desire。〃



You　are　mad；　you　are　beside　yourself。　Know　you　not　that

Freedom　is　a　glorious　thing　and　of　great　worth？　But　that　what　I

desired　at　random　I　should　wish　at　random　to　come　to　pass；　so　far

from　being　noble；　may　well　be　exceeding　base。





XXX







You　must　know　that　it　is　no　easy　thing　for　a　principle　to

become　a　man's　own；　unless　each　day　he　maintain　it　and　hear　it

maintained；　as　well　as　work　it　out　in　life。





XXXI







You　must　know　that　it　is　no　easy　thing　for　a　principle　to

become　a　man's　own；　unless　each　day　he　maintain　it　and　hear　it

maintained；　as　well　as　work　it　out　in　life。





XXXII











What　then　is　the　chastisement　of　those　who　accept　it　not？　To

be　as　they　are。　Is　any　discontented　with　being　alone？　let　him　be

in　solitude。　Is　any　discontented　with　his　parents？　let　him　be　a

bad　son；　and　lament。　Is　any　discontented　with　his　children？　let

him　be　a　bad　father。〃Throw　him　into　prision！〃What　prision？

Where　he　is　already：　for　he　is　there　against　his　will；　and

wherever　a　man　is　against　his　will；　that　to　him　is　a　prision。

Thus　Socrates　was　not　in　prision；　since　he　was　there　with　his　own

consent。





XXXIII







Knowest　thou　what　a　speck　thou　art　in　comparison　with　the

Universe？…That　is；　with　respect　to　the　body；　since　with　respect

to　Reason；　thou　art　not　inferior　to　the　Gods；　nor　less　than　they。

For　the　greatness　of　Reason　is　not　measured　by　length　or　height；

but　by　the　resolves　of　the　mind。　Place　then　thy　happiness　in　that

wherein　thou　art　equal　to　the　Gods。





XXXIV







Asked　how　a　man　might　eat　acceptably　to　the　Gods；　Epictetus

replied：If　when　he　eats；　he　can　be　just；　cheerful；　equable；

temperate；　and　orderly；　can　he　not　thus　eat　acceptably　to　the

Gods？　But　when　you　call　for　warm　water；　and　your　slave　does　not

answer；　or　when　he　answers　brings　it　lukewarm；　or　is　not　even

found　to　be　in　the　house　at　all；　then　not　to　be　vexed　nor　burst

with　anger；　is　not　that　acceptable　to　the　Gods？



〃But　how　can　one　endure　such　people？〃



Slave；　will　you　not　endure　your　own　brother；　that　has　God　to

his　forefather；　even　as　a　son　sprung　from　the　same　stock；　and　of

the　same　high　descent　as　yourself？　And　if　you　are　stationed　in　a

high　position；　are　you　therefor　forthwith　set　up　for　a　tyrant？

Remember　who　you　are；　and　whom　you　rule；　that　they　are　by　nature

your　kinsmen；　your　brothers；　the　offspring　of　God。



〃But　I　paid　a　price　for　them；　not　they　for　me。〃



Do　you　see　whither　you　are　lookingdown　to　the　earth；　to

the　pit；　to　those　despicable　laws　of　the　dead？　But　to　the　laws　of

the　Gods　you　do　not　look。





XXXV





When　we　are　invited　to　a　banquet；　we　take　what　is　set　before

us；　and　were　one　to　call　upon　his　host　to　set　fish　upon　the　table

or　sweet　things；　he　would　be　deemed　absurd。　Yet　in　a　word；　we　ask

the　Gods　for　what　they　do　not　give；　and　that；　although　they　have

given　us　so　many　things！





XXXVI







Asked　how　a　man　might　convince　himself　that　every　single　act

of　his　was　under　the　eye　of　God；　Epictetus　answered：



〃Do　you　not　hold　that　things　on　earth　and　things　in　heaven

are　continuous　and　in　unison　with　each　other？〃



〃I　do；〃　was　the　reply。



〃Else　how　should　the　trees　so　regularly；　as　though　by　God's

command；　at　His　bidding　flower；　at　His　bidding　send　forth　shoots；

bear　fruit　and　ripen　it；　at　His　bidding　let　it　fall　and　shed

their　leaves；　and　folded　up　upon　themselves　lie　in　quietness　and

rest？　How　else；　as　the　Moon　waxes　and　wanes；　as　the　Sun

approaches　and　recedes；　can　it　be　that　such　vicissitude　and

alternation　is　seen　in　earthly　things？



〃If　then　all　things　that　grow；　nay；　our　own　bodies；　are　thus

bound　up　with　the　whole；　is　not　this　still　truer　of　our　souls？

And　if　our　souls　are　bound　up　and　in　contact　with　God；　as　being

very　parts　and　fragments　plucked　from　Himself；　shall　He　not　feel

every　movement　of　theirs　as　though　it　were　His　own；　and　belonging

to　His　own　nature？〃





XXXVII







〃But；〃　you　say；　〃I　cannot　comprehend　all　this　at　once。〃



〃Why；　who　told　you　that　your　powers　were　equal　to　God's？〃



Yet　God　hath　placed　by　the　side　of　each　a　man's　own　Guardian

Spirit；　who　is　charged　to　watch　over　hima　Guardian　who　sleeps

not　nor　is　deceived。　For　to　what　better　or　more　watchful　Guardian

could　He　have　committed　wach　of　us？　So　when　you　have　shut　the

doors　and　made　a　darkness　within；　remember　never　to　say　that　you

are　alone；　for　you　are　not　alone；　but　God　is　wi