the golden sayings-第8章

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why　disguise　the　matter？　one　that　from　a　man　would　fan　become　a

God；　one　that　while　still　imprisioned　in　this　dead　body　makes

fellowship　with　God　his　aim。　Show　me　him！Ah；　you　cannot！　Then

why　mock　yourselves　and　delude　others？　why　stalk　about　tricked

out　in　other　men's　attrire；　thieves　and　robbers　that　you　are　of

names　and　things　to　which　you　can　show　no　title！





LXXIX





If　you　have　assumed　a　character　beyond　your　strength；　you

have　both　played　a　poor　figure　in　that；　and　neglected　one　that　is

within　your　powers。





LXXX





Fellow；　you　have　come　to　blows　at　home　with　a　slave：　you

have　turned　the　household　upside　down；　and　thrown　the

neighbourhood　into　confusion；　and　do　you　come　to　me　then　with

airs　of　assumed　modestydo　you　sit　down　like　a　sage　and

criticise　my　explanantion　of　the　readings；　and　whatever　idle

babble　you　say　has　come　into　my　head？　Have　you　come　full　of　envy；

and　dejected　because　nothing　is　sent　you　from　home；　and　while　the

discussion　is　going　on；　do　you　sit　brooding　on　nothing　but　how

your　father　or　your　brother　are　disposed　towards　you：〃What　are

they　saying　about　me　there？　at　this　moment　they　imagine　I　am

making　progress　and　saying；　He　will　return　perfectly　omniscient！

I　wish　I　could　become　omniscient　before　I　return；　but　that　would

be　very　troublesome。　No　one　sends　me　anythingthe　baths　at

Nicopolis　are　dirty；　things　are　wretched　at　home　and　wretched

here。〃　And　then　they　say；　〃Nobody　is　any　the　better　for　the

School。〃Who　comes　to　the　School　with　a　sincere　wish　to　learn：

to　submit　his　principles　to　correction　and　himself　to　treatment？

Who；　to　gain　a　sense　of　his　wants？　Why　then　be　surprised　if　you

carry　home　from　the　School　exactly　what　you　bring　into　it？





LXXXI





〃Epictetus；　I　have　often　come　desiring　to　hear　you　speak；

and　you　have　never　given　me　any　answer；　now　if　possible；　I

entreat　you；　say　something　to　me。〃



〃Is　there；　do　you　think；〃　replied　Epictetus；　〃an　art　of

speaking　as　of　other　things；　if　it　is　to　be　done　skilfully　and

with　profit　to　the　hearer？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　are　all　profited　by　what　they　hear；　or　only　some　among

them？　So　that　it　seems　there　is　an　art　of　hearing　as　well　as　of

speaking。　。　。　。　To　make　a　statue　needs　skill：　to　view　a　statue

aright　needs　skill　also。〃



〃Admitted。〃



〃And　I　think　all　will　allow　that　one　who　proposes　to　hear

philosophers　speak　needs　a　considerable　training　in　hearing。　Is

that　not　so？　The　tell　me　on　what　subject　your　are　able　to　hear

me。〃



〃Why；　on　good　and　evil。〃



〃The　good　and　evil　of　what？　a　horse；　an　ox？〃



〃No；　of　a　man。〃



〃Do　we　know　then　what　Man　is？　what　his　nature　is？　what　is　th

idea　we　have　of　him？　And　are　our　ears　practised　in　any　degree　on

the　subject？　Nay；　do　you　understand　what　Nature　is？　can　you

follow　me　in　any　degree　when　I　say　that　I　shall　have　to　use

demonstration？　Do　you　understand　what　Demonstration　is？　what　True

or　False　is？　。　。　。must　I　drive　you　to　Philosophy？　。　。　。Show　me

what　good　I　am　to　do　by　discoursing　with　you。　Rouse　my　desire　to

do　so。　The　sight　of　a　pasture　it　loves　stirs　in　a　sheep　the

desire　to　feed：　show　it　a　stone　or　a　bit　of　bread　and　it　remains

unmoved。　Thus　we　also　have　certain　natural　desires；　aye；　and　one

that　moves　us　to　speak　when　we　find　a　listener　that　is　worth　his

salt：　one　that　hhimself　stirs　the　spirit。　But　if　he　sits　by　like

a　stone　or　a　tuft　of　grass；　how　can　he　rouse　a　man's　desire？〃



〃Then　you　will　say　nothing　to　me？〃



〃I　can　only　tell　you　this：　that　one　who　knows　not　who　he　is

and　to　what　end　he　was　born；　what　kind　of　world　this　is　and　with

whom　he　is　associated　therein；　one　who　cannot　distinguish　Good

and　Evil；　Beauty　and　Foulness；　。　。　。　Truth　and　Falsehood；　will

never　follow　Reason　in　shaping　his　desires　and　impulses　and

repulsions；　nor　yet　in　assent；　denial；　or　suspension　of

judgement；　but　will　in　one　word　go　about　deaf　and　blind；　thinking

himself　to　be　somewhat；　when　he　is　in　truth　of　no　account。　Is

there　anything　new　in　　all　this？　Is　not　this　ignorance　the　cause

of　all　the　mistakes　and　mischances　of　men　since　the　human　race

began？　。　。　。〃



〃This　is　all　I　have　to　say　to　you；　and　even　this　against　the

grain。　Why？　Because　you　have　not　stirred　my　spirit。　For　what　can

I　see　in　you　to　stir　me；　as　a　spirited　horse　will　stir　a　judge　of

horses？　Your　body？　That　you　maltreat。　Your　dress？　That　is

luxurious。　You　behavior；　your　look？Nothing　whatever。　When　you

want　to　hear　a　philosopher；　do　not　say；　　You　say　nothing　to　me'；

only　show　yourself　worthy　or　fit　to　hear；　and　then　you　will　see

how　you　will　move　the　speaker。〃





LXXXII







And　now；　when　you　see　brothers　apparently　good　friends　and

living　in　accord；　do　not　immediately　pronounce　anything　upon

their　friendship；　though　they　should　affirm　it　with　an　oath；

though　they　should　declare；　〃For　us　to　live　apart　in　a　thing

impossible！〃　For　the　heart　of　a　bad　man　is　faithless；

unprincipled；　inconstant：　now　overpowered　by　one　impression；　now

by　another。　Ask　not　the　usual　questions；　Were　they　born　of　the

same　parents；　reared　together；　and　under　the　same　tutor；　but　ask

this　only；　in　what　they　place　their　real　interestwhether　in

outward　things　or　in　the　Will。　If　in　outward　things；　call　them

not　friends；　any　more　than　faithful；　constant；　brave　or　free：

call　them　not　even　human　beings；　if　you　have　any　sense。　。　。　。　But

should　you　hear　that　these　men　hold　the　Good　to　lie　only　in　the

Will；　only　in　rightly　dealing　with　the　things　of　sense；　take　no

more　trouble　to　inquire　whether　they　are　father　and　son　or

brothers；　or　comrades　of　long　standing；　but；　sure　of　this　one

thing；　pronounce　as　boldly　that　they　are　friends　as　that　they　are

faithful　and　just：　for　where　else　can　Friendship　be　found　than

where　Modesty　is；　where　there　is　an　interchange　of　things　fair

and　honest；　and　of　such　only？





LXXXIII







No　man　can　rob　us　of　our　Willno　man　can　lord　it　over　that！





LXXXIV







When　disease　and　death　overtake　me；　I　would　fain　be　found

engaged　in　the　task　of　liberating　mine　oew　Will　from　the　assaults

of　passion；　from　hindrance；　from　resentment；　from　slavery。



Thus　would　I　fain　to　be　found　employed；　so　that　I　may　say　to

God；　〃Have　I　in　aught　transgressed　Thy　commands？　Have　I　in　aught

perverted　the　faculties；　the　senses；　the　natural　principles　that

Thou　didst　give　me？　Have　I　ever　blamed　Thee　or　found　fault　with

Thine　administration？　When　it　was　Thy　good　pleasure；　I　fell　sick

and　so　did　other　men：　by　my　will　consented。　Because　it　was　Thy

pleasure；　I　became　poor：　but　my　heart　rejoiced。　No　power　in　the

State　was　mine；　because　Thou　wouldst　not：　such　power　I　never

desired！　Hast　Thou　ever　seen　me　of　more　doleful　countenance　on

that　account？　Have　I　not　ever　drawn　nigh　unto　Thee　with　cheerful

look；　waiting　upon　Thy　commands；　attentive　to　Thy　signals？　Wilt

Thou　that　I　now　depart　from　the　great　Assembly　of　men？　I　go：　I

give　Thee　all　thanks；　that　Thou　hast　deemed　me　worthy　to　take

part　with　Thee　in　this　Assembly：　to　behold　Thy　works；　to

comprehend　this　Thine　administration。〃



Such　I　would　were　the　subject　of　my　thoughts；　my　pen；　my

study；　when　death　overtakes　me。





LXXXV







Seemeth　it　nothing　to　you；　never　to　accuse；　never　to　blame

either　God　or　Man？　to　wear　ever　the　same　countenance　in　going

forth　as　in　coming　in？　This　was　the　secret　of　Socrates：　yet　he

never　said　that　he　knew　or　taught　anything。　。　。　。　Who　amongst　you

makes　this　his　aim？　Were　it　indeed　so；　you　would　gladly　endure

sickness；　hunger；　aye；　death　itself。





LXXXVI







How　are　we　constituted　by　Nature？　To　be　free；　to　be　noble；

to　be　modest　（for　what　other　living　thing　is　capable　of　blushing；

or　of　feeling　the　impression　of　shame？）　and　to　subordinate

pleasure　to　the　ends　for　which　Nature　designed　us；　as　a　handmaid

and　a　minister；　in　order　to　call　forth　our　activity；　in　order　to

keep　us　constant　to　the　path　prescrib