the golden sayings-第6章

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how　different　the　artists　and　their　workmanship！　What　human

artist's　work；　for　example；　has　in　it　the　faculties　that　are

displayed　in　fashioning　it？　Is　it　aught　but　marble；　bronze；　gold；

or　ivory？　Nay；　when　the　Athena　of　Phidias　has　put　forth　her　hand

and　received　therein　a　Victory；　in　that　attitude　she　stands　for

evermore。　But　God's　works　move　and　breathe；　they　use　and　judge

the　things　of　sense。　The　workmanship　of　such　an　Artist；　wilt　thou

dishonor　Him？　Ay；　when　he　not　only　fashioned　thee；　but　placed

thee；　like　a　ward；　in　the　care　and　guardianship　of　thyself　alone；

wilt　thou　not　only　forget　this；　but　also　do　dishonour　to　what　is

committed　to　thy　care！　If　God　had　entrusted　thee　with　an　orphan；

wouldst　thou　have　thus　neglected　him？　He　hath　delivered　thee　to

thine　own　care；　saying；　I　had　none　more　faithful　than　myself：

keep　this　man　for　me　such　as　Nature　hath　made　himmodest；

faithful；　high…minded；　a　stranger　to　fear；　to　passion；　to

perturbation。　。　。　。



Such　will　I　show　myself　to　you　all。〃What；　exempt　from

sickness　also：　from　age；　from　death？〃Nay；　but　accepting

sickness；　accepting　death　as　becomes　a　God！





LXII





No　labour；　according　to　Diogenes；　is　good　but　that　which

aims　at　producing　courage　and　strength　of　soul　rather　than　of

body。





LXIII





A　guide；　on　finding　a　man　who　has　lost　his　way；　brings　him

back　to　the　right　pathhe　does　not　mock　and　jeer　at　him　and

then　take　himself　off。　You　also　must　show　the　unlearned　man　the

truth；　and　you　will　see　that　he　will　follow。　But　so　long　as　you

do　not　show　it　him；　you　should　not　mock；　but　rather　feel　your　own

incapacity。





LXIV







It　was　the　first　and　most　striking　characteristic　of

Socrates　never　to　become　heated　in　discourse；　never　to　utter　an

injurious　or　insulting　wordon　the　contrary；　he　persistently

bore　insult　from　others　and　thus　put　an　end　to　the　fray。　If　you

care　to　know　the　extent　of　his　power　in　this　direction；　read

Xenophon's　Banquet；　and　you　will　see　how　many　quarrels　he　put　an

end　to。　This　is　why　the　Poets　are　right　in　so　highly　commending

this　faculty：



Quickly　and　wisely　withal　even　bitter　feuds　would　he　settle。



Nevertheless　the　practice　is　not　very　safe　at　present；

especially　in　Rome。　One　who　adopts　it；　I　need　not　say；　ought　not

to　carry　it　out　in　an　obscure　corner；　but　boldly　accost；　if

occasion　serve；　some　personage　of　rank　or　wealth。



〃Can　you　tell　me；　sir；　to　whose　care　you　entrust　your

horses？〃



〃I　can。〃



〃Is　it　to　the　first　corner；　who　knows　nothing　about　them？〃



〃Certainly　not。〃



〃Well；　what　of　the　man　who　takes　care　of　your　gold；　your

silver　or　your　raiment？〃



〃He　must　be　experienced　also。〃



〃And　your　bodyhave　you　ever　considered　about　entrusting

it　to　any　one's　care？〃



〃Of　course　I　have。〃



〃And　no　doubt　to　a　person　of　experience　as　a　trainer；　a

physician？〃



〃Surely。〃



〃And　these　things　the　best　you　possess；　or　have　you　anything

more　precious？〃



〃What　can　you　mean？〃



〃I　mean　that　which　employs　these；　which　weights　all　things；

which　takes　counsel　and　resolve。〃



〃Oh；　you　mean　the　soul。〃



〃You　take　me　rightly；　I　do　mean　the　soul。　By　Heaven；　I　hold

that　far　more　precious　than　all　else　I　possess。　Can　you　show　me

then　what　care　you　bestow　on　a　soul？　For　it　can　scarcely　be

thought　that　a　man　of　your　wisdom　and　consideration　in　the　city

would　suffer　your　most　precious　possession　to　go　to　ruin　through

carelessness　and　neglect。〃



〃Certainly　not。〃



〃Well；　do　you　take　care　of　it　yourself？　Did　any　one　teach

you　the　right　method；　or　did　you　discover　it　yourself？〃



Now　here　comes　in　the　danger：　first；　that　the　great　man　may

answer；　〃Why；　what　is　that　to　you；　my　good　fellow？　are　you　my

master？〃　And　then；　if　you　persist　in　troubling　him；　may　raise　his

hand　to　strike　you。　It　is　a　practice　of　which　I　was　myself　a　warm

admirer　until　such　experiences　as　these　befell　me。





LXV







When　a　youth　was　giving　himself　airs　in　the　Theatre　and

saying；　〃I　am　wise；　for　I　have　conversed　with　many　wise　men；〃

Epictetus　replied；　〃I　too　have　conversed　with　many　rich　men；　yet

I　am　not　rich！〃





LXVI





We　see　that　a　carpenter　becomes　a　carpenter　by　learning

certain　things：　that　a　pilot；　by　learning　certain　things；　becomes

a　pilot。　Possibly　also　in　the　present　case　the　mere　desire　to　be

wise　and　good　is　not　enough。　It　is　necessary　to　learn　certain

things。　This　is　then　the　object　of　our　search。　The　Philosophers

would　have　us　first　learn　that　there　is　a　God；　and　that　His

Providence　directs　the　Universe；　further；　that　to　hide　from　Him

not　only　one's　acts　but　even　one's　thoughts　and　intentions　is

impossible；　secondly；　what　the　nature　of　God　is。　Whatever　that

nature　is　discovered　to　be；　the　man　who　would　please　and　obey　Him

must　strive　with　all　his　might　to　be　made　like　unto　him。　If　the

Divine　is　faithful；　he　also　must　be　faithful；　if　free；　he　also

must　be　free；　if　beneficent；　he　also　must　be　beneficent；　if

magnanimous；　he　also　must　be　magnanimous。　Thus　as　an　imitator　of

God　must　he　follow　Him　in　every　deed　and　word。





LXVII





If　I　show　you；　that　you　lack　just　what　is　most　important　and

necessary　to　happiness；　that　hitherto　your　attention　has　been

bestowed　on　everything　rather　than　that　which　claims　it　most；

and；　to　crown　all；　that　you　know　neither　what　God　nor　Man　is　

neither　what　Good　or　Evil　is：　why；　that　you　are　ignorant　of

everything　else；　perhaps　you　may　bear　to　be　told；　but　to　hear

that　you　know　nothing　of　yourself；　how　could　you　submit　to　that？

How　could　you　stand　your　ground　and　suffer　that　to　be　proved？

Clearly　not　at　all。　You　instantly　turn　away　in　wrath。　Yet　what

harm　have　I　done　to　you？　Unless　indeed　the　mirror　harms　the

ill…favoured　man　by　showing　him　to　himself　just　as　he　is；　unless　the

physician　can　be　thought　to　insult　his　patient；　when　he　tells

him：〃Friend；　do　you　suppose　there　is　nothing　wrong　with　you？

why；　you　have　a　fever。　Eat　nothing　to…day；　and　drink　only　water。〃

Yet　no　one　says；　〃What　an　insufferable　insult！〃　Whereas　if　you

say　to　a　man；　〃Your　desires　are　inflamed；　your　instincts　of

rejection　are　weak　and　low；　your　aims　are　inconsistent；　your

impulses　are　not　in　harmony　with　Nature；　your　opinions　are　rash

and　false；〃　he　forthwith　goes　away　and　complains　that　you　have

insulted　him。



LXVIII





Our　way　of　life　resembles　a　fair。　The　flocks　and　herds　are

passing　along　to　be　sold；　and　the　greater　part　of　the　crowd　to

buy　and　sell。　But　there　are　some　few　who　come　only　to　look　at　the

fair；　to　inquire　how　and　why　it　is　being　held；　upon　what

authority　and　with　what　object。　So　too；　in　this　great　Fair　of

life；　some；　like　the　cattle；　trouble　themselves　about　nothing　but

the　fodder。　Know　all　of　you；　who　are　busied　about　land；　slaves

and　public　posts；　that　these　are　nothing　but　fodder！　Some　few

there　are　attending　the　Fair；　who　love　to　contemplate　what　the

world　is；　what　He　that　administers　it。　Can　there　be　no

Administrator？　is　it　possible；　that　while　neither　city　nor

household　could　endure　even　a　moment　without　one　to　administer

and　see　to　its　welfare；　this　Fabric；　so　fair；　so　vast；　should　be

administered　in　order　so　harmonious；　without　a　purpose　and　by

blind　chance？　There　is　therefore　an　Administrator。　What　is　His

nature　and　how　does　He　administer？　And　who　are　we　that　are　His

children　and　what　work　were　we　born　to　perform？　Have　we　any　close

connection　or　relation　with　Him　or　not？



Such　are　the　impressions　of　the　few　of　whom　I　speak。　And

further；　they　apply　themselves　solely　to　considering　and

examining　the　great　assembly　before　they　depart。　Well；　they　are

derided　by　the　multitude。　So　are　the　lookers…on　by　the　traders：

aye；　and　if　the　beasts　had　any　sense；　they　would　deride　those　who

thought　much　of　anything　but　fodder！





LXIX





I　think　I　know　now　what　I　never　knew　beforethe　meaning　of

the　common　saying；　A　foo