Part 1 (2/2)

But what saith G.o.d?--”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 in 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?”--G.o.d forbid!--”Be content then therewith!”

And so I pray the G.o.ds.

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 general--just as your thread has no ambition either to be anything distinguished compared with the other threads. But I desire to be the purple--that small and s.h.i.+ning part which makes the rest seem fair and beautiful. Why then do you bid me become even as the mult.i.tude? 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 G.o.d, and that G.o.d is the Father of men as well as of G.o.ds, full surely he would never conceive aught ign.o.ble 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 G.o.d? Now however it is not so with us: but seeing that in our birth these two things are commingled--the body which we share with the animals, and the Reason and Thought which we share with the G.o.ds, many decline towards this unhappy kins.h.i.+p with the dead, few rise to the blessed kins.h.i.+p 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 ign.o.ble of themselves: but the mult.i.tude 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

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