the golden sayings-第4节

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conceived　such　inclinations　as　Nature　would　have　him？　In　truth　we

thank　the　Gods　for　that　wherein　we　place　our　happiness。





XLIII





A　man　was　talking　to　me　to…day　about　the　priesthood　of

Augustus。　I　said　to　him；　〃Let　the　thing　go；　my　good　Sir；　you　will

spend　a　good　deal　to　no　purpose。〃



〃Well；　but　my　name　will　be　inserted　in　all　documents　and

contracts。〃



〃Will　you　be　standing　there　to　tell　those　that　read　them；

That　is　my　name　written　there？　And　even　if　you　could　now　be　there

in　every　case；　what　will　you　do　when　you　are　dead？〃



〃At　all　events　my　name　will　remain。〃



〃Inscribe　it　on　a　stone　and　it　will　remain　just　as　well。　And

think；　beyond　Nicopolis　what　memory　of　you　will　there　be？〃



〃But　I　shall　have　a　golden　wreath　to　wear。〃



〃If　you　must　have　a　wreath；　get　a　wreath　of　roses　and　put　it

on；　you　will　look　more　elegant！〃





XLIV





Above　all；　remember　that　the　door　stands　open。　Be　not　more

fearful　than　children；　but　as　they；　when　they　weary　of　the　game；

cry；　〃I　will　play　no　more；〃　even　so；　when　thou　art　in　the　like

case；　cry；　〃I　will　play　no　more〃　and　depart。　But　if　thou　stayest；

make　no　lamentation。





XLV





Is　there　smoke　in　the　room？　If　it　be　slight；　I　remain；　if

grievous；　I　quit　it。　For　you　must　remember　this　and　hold　it　fast；

that　the　door　stands　open。



〃You　shall　not　dwell　at　Nicopolis！〃



Well　and　good。



〃Nor　at　Athens。〃



Then　I　will　not　dwell　at　Athens　either。



〃Nor　at　Rome。〃



Nor　at　Rome　either。



〃You　shall　dwell　in　Gyara！〃



Well：　but　to　dwell　in　Gyara　seems　to　me　like　a　grievous

smoke；　I　depart　to　a　place　where　none　can　forbid　me　to　dwell：

that　habitation　is　open　unto　all！　As　for　the　last　garment　of　all；

that　is　the　poor　body；　beyond　that；　none　can　do　aught　unto　me。

This　why　Demetrius　said　to　Nero：　〃You　threaten　me　with　death；　it

is　Nature　who　threatens　you！〃





XLVI







The　beginning　of　philosophy　is　to　know　the　condition　of

one's　own　mind。　If　a　man　recognises　that　this　is　in　a　weakly

state；　he　will　not　then　want　to　apply　it　to　questions　of　the

greatest　moment。　As　it　is；　men　who　are　not　fit　to　swallow　even　a

morsel；　buy　whole　treatises　and　try　to　devour　them。　Accordingly

they　either　vomit　them　up　again；　or　suffer　from　indigestion；

whence　come　gripings；　fluxions；　and　fevers。　Whereas　they　should

have　stopped　to　consider　their　capacity。





XLVII





In　theory　it　is　easy　to　convince　an　ignorant　person：　in

actual　life；　men　not　only　object　to　offer　themselves　to　be

convinced；　but　hate　the　man　who　has　convinced　them。　Whereas

Socrates　used　to　say　that　we　should　never　lead　a　life　not

subjected　to　examination。





XLVIII





This　is　the　reason　why　Socrates；　when　reminded　that　he

should　prepare　for　his　trial；　answered：　〃Thinkest　thou　not　that　I

have　been　preparing　for　it　all　my　life？〃



〃In　what　way？〃



〃I　have　maintained　that　which　in　me　lay/〃



〃How　so？〃



〃I　have　never；　secretly　or　openly；　done　a　wrong　unto　any。〃





XLIX





In　what　character　dost　thou　now　come　forward？



As　a　witness　summoned　by　God。　〃Come　thou；〃　saith　God；　〃and

testify　for　me；　for　thou　art　worthy　of　being　brought　forward　as　a

witness　by　Me。　Is　aught　that　is　outside　thy　will　either　good　or

bad？　Do　I　hurt　any　man？　Have　I　placed　the　good　of　each　in　the

power　of　any　other　than　himself？　What　witness　dost　thou　bear　to

God？〃



〃I　am　in　evil　state；　Master；　I　am　undone！　None　careth　for

me；　none　giveth　me　aught：　all　men　blame；　all　speak　evil　of　me。〃



Is　this　the　witness　thou　wilt　bear；　and　do　dishonour　to　the

calling　wherewith　He　hath　called　thee；　because　He　hath　done　thee

so　great　honour；　and　deemed　thee　worthy　of　being　summoned　to　bear

witness　in　so　great　a　cause？





L





Wouldst　thou　have　men　speak　good　of　thee？　speak　good　of

them。　And　when　thou　hast　learned　to　speak　good　of　them；　try　to　do

good　unto　them；　and　thus　thou　wilt　reap　in　return　their　speaking

good　of　thee。





LI





When　thou　goest　in　to　any　of　the　great；　remember　that

Another　from　above　sees　what　is　passing；　and　that　thou　shouldst

please　Him　rather　than　man。　He　therefore　asks　thee：



〃In　the　Schools；　what　didst　thou　call　exile；　imprisionment；

bonds；　death　and　shame？〃



〃I　called　them　things　indifferent。〃



〃What　then　dost　thou　call　them　now？　Are　they　at　all

changed？〃



〃No。〃



〃Is　it　then　thou　that　art　changed？〃



〃No。〃



〃Say　then；　what　are　things　indifferent？〃



〃Things　that　are　not　in　our　power。〃



〃Say　then；　what　follows？〃



〃That　things　which　are　not　in　our　power　are　nothing　to　me。〃



〃Say　also　what　things　you　hold　to　be　good。〃



〃A　will　such　as　it　ought　to　be；　and　a　right　use　of　the

things　of　sense。〃



〃And　what　is　the　end？〃



〃To　follow　Thee！〃





LII





〃That　Socrates　should　ever　have　been　so　treated　by　the

Athenians！〃



Slave！　why　say　〃Socrates〃？　Speak　of　the　thing　as　it　is：　That

ever　then　the　poor　body　of　Socrates　should　have　been　dragged　away

and　haled　by　main　force　to　prision！　That　ever　hemlock　should　have

been　given　to　the　body　of　Socrates；　that　that　should　have

breathed　its　life　away！　Do　you　marvel　at　this？　Do　you　hold　this

unjust？　Is　it　for　this　that　you　accuse　God？　Had　Socrates　no

compensation　for　this？　Where　then　for　him　was　the　ideal　Good？

Whom　shall　we　hearken　to；　you　or　him？　And　what　says　he？



〃Anytus　and　Melitus　may　put　me　to　death：　to　injure　me　is

beyond　their　power。〃



And　again：



〃If　such　be　the　will　of　God；　so　let　it　be。〃





LIII







Nay；　young　man；　for　heaven's　sake；　but　once　thou　hast　heard

these　words；　go　home　and　say　to　thyself：〃It　is　not　Epictetus

that　has　told　me　these　things：　how　indeed　should　he？　No；　it　is

some　gracious　God　through　him。　Else　it　would　never　have　entered

his　head　to　tell　me　themhe　that　is　not　used　to　speak　to　any

one　thus。　Well；　then；　let　us　not　lie　under　the　wrath　of　God；　but

be　obedient　unto　Him。〃…Nay；　indeed；　but　if　a　raven　by　its

croaking　bears　thee　any　sign；　it　is　not　the　raven　but　God　that

sends　the　sign　through　the　raven；　and　if　He　signifies　anything　to

thee　through　human　voice；　will　He　not　cause　the　man　to　say　these

words　to　thee；　that　thou　mayest　know　the　power　of　the　Divine

how　He　sends　a　sign　to　some　in　one　way　and　to　others　in　another；

and　on　the　greatest　and　highest　matters　of　all　signifies　His　will

through　the　noblest　messenger？



What　else　does　the　poet　mean：





I　spake　unto　him　erst　Myself；　and　sent



Hermes　the　shining　One；　to　check　and　warn　him；



The　husband　not　to　slay；　nor　woo　the　wife！





LIV







In　the　same　way　my　friend　Heraclitus；　who　had　a　trifling

suit　about　a　petty　farm　at　Rhodes；　first　showed　the　judges　that

his　cause　was　just；　and　then　at　the　finish　cried；　〃I　will　not

entreat　you：　nor　do　I　care　what　sentence　you　pass。　It　is　you　who

are　on　your　trial；　not　I！〃And　so　he　ended　the　case。





LV





As　for　us；　we　behave　like　a　herd　of　deer。　When　they　flee

from　the　huntsman's　feathers　in　affright；　which　way　do　they

turn？　What　haven　of　safety　do　they　make　for？　Why；　they　rush　upon

the　nets！　And　thus　they　perish　by　confounding　what　they　should

fear　with　that　wherein　no　danger　lies。　。　。　。　Not　death　or　pain　is

to　be　feared；　but　the　fear　of　death　or　pain。　Well　said　the　poet

therefore：



Death　has　no　terror；　only　a　Death　of　shame！





LVI





How　is　it　then　that　certain　external　things　are　said　to　be

natural；　and　other　contrary　to　Nature？



Why；　just　as　it　might　be　said　if　we　stood　alone　and　apart

from　others。　A　foot；　for　instance；　I　will　allow　it　is　natural

should　be　clean。　But　if　you　take　it　as　a　foot；　and　as　a　thing

which　does　not　stand　by　itself；　it　will　beseem　it　（if　need　be）　to

walk　in　the　mud；　to　tread　on　thorns；　and　sometimes　even　to　be　cut

off；　for　the　benefit　of　the　whole　body；　else　it　is　no　longer　a

foot。　In　some　such　way　we　should　conceive　of　ourselves　also。　What

art　thou？A　man。Looked　at　as　standing　by　thyself　and

separate；　it　is　natural　for　thee　in　health　and　wealth　long　to

live。　But　looked　at　as　a　Man；　and　only　as　a　part　of　a　Whole；　it

is　for　that　Whole's　sake　that　thou　shouldest　at　one　time　fall

sick；　at　another　brave　the　perils　of　the　sea；　again；　know　the

meaning　of　want　and　perhaps　die　an　early　death。　Why　then　repine？

Knowest　thou　not　that　as　the　foot　is　no　more　a　foot　if　detached

from　the　body；　so　thou　in　like　case　art　no　longer　a　Man？　For　what

is　a　Man？　A　part　of　a　City：first　of　the　City　of　Gods　and　Men；

next；　of　that　which　ranks　nearest　it；　a　minature　of　the　universal

City。　。　。　。　In　such　a　body；　in　such　a　world　enveloping　us；　among

lives　like　these；　such　things　must　happen　to　one　or　another。　Thy

part；　then；　being　here；　is　to　speak　of　these　things　as　is　meet；

and　to　order　them　as　befits　the　matter。





LVII







That　was　a　good　reply　which　Diogenes　m