the golden sayings-第8节

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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　prescribed　by　Nature。





LXXXVII







The　husbandman　deals　with　land；　physicians　and　trainers　with

the　body；　the　wise　man　with　his　own　Mind。





LXXXVIII







Which　of　us　does　not　admire　what　Lycurgus　the　Spartan　did？　A

young　citizen　had　put　out　his　eye；　and　been　handed　over　to　him　by

the　people　to　be　punished　at　his　own　discretion。　Lycurgus

abstained　from　all　vengeance；　but　on　the　contrary　instructed　and

made　a　good　man　of　him。　Producing　him　in　public　in　the　theatre；

he　said　to　the　astonished　Spartans：〃I　received　this　young　man

at　your　hands　full　of　violence　and　wanton　insolence；　I　restore

him　to　you　in　his　right　mind　and　fit　to　serve　his　country。〃





LXXXIX





A　money…changer　may　not　reject　Caesar's　coin；　nor　may　the

seller　of　herbs；　but　must　when　once　the　coin　is　shown；　deliver

what　is　sold　for　it；　whether　he　will　or　no。　So　is　it　also　with

the　Soul。　Once　the　Good　appears；　it　attracts　towards　itself；　evil

repels。　But　a　clear　and　certain　impression　of　the　Good　the　Soul

will　never　reject；　any　more　than　men　do　Caesar's　coin。　On　this

hangs　every　impulse　alike　of　Man　and　God。





XC





Asked　what　Common　Sense　was；　Epictetus　replied：



As　that　may　be　called　a　Common　Ear　which　distinguishes　only

sounds；　while　that　which　distinguishes　musical　notes　is　not

common　but　produced　by　training；　so　there　are　certain　things

which　men　not　entirely　perverted　see　by　the　natural　principles

common　to　all。　Such　a　constitution　of　the　Mind　is　called　Common

Sense。





XCI





Canst　thou　judge　men？　。　。　。　then　make　us　imitators　of

thyself；　as　Socrates　did。　Do　this；　do　not　do　that；　else　will　I

cast　thee　into　prision；　this　is　not　governing　men　like　reasonable

creatures。　Say　rather；　As　God　hath　ordained；　so　do；　else　thou

wilt　suffer　chastisement　and　loss。　Askest　thou　what　loss？　None

other　than　this：　To　have　left　undone　what　thou　shouldst　have

done：　to　have　lost　the　faithfulness；　the　reverence；　the　modesty

that　is　in　thee！　Greater　loss　than　this　seek　not　to　find！





XCII





〃His　son　is　dead。〃



What　has　happened？



〃His　son　is　dead。〃



Nothing　more？



〃Nothing。〃



〃His　ship　is　lost。〃



〃He　has　been　haled　to　prision。〃



What　has　happened？



〃He　has　been　haled　to　prision。〃





But　that　any　of　these　things　are　misfortunes　to　him；　is　an

addition　which　every　one　makes　of　his　own。　But　（you　say）　God　is

unjust　is　this。Why？　For　having　given　thee　endurance　and

greatness　of　soul？　For　having　made　such　things　to　be　no　evils？

For　placing　happiness　within　thy　reach；　even　when　enduring　them？

For　open　unto　thee　a　door；　when　things　make　not　for　thy　good？

Depart；　my　friend　and　find　fault　no　more！



XCIII







You　are　sailing　to　Rome　（you　tell　me）　to　obtain　the　post　of

Governor　of　Cnossus。　You　are　not　content　to　stay　at　home　with

the　honours　you　had　before；　you　want　something　on　a　larger　scale；

and　more　conspicuous。　But　when　did　you　ever　undertake　a　voyage

for　the　purpose　of　reviewing　your　own　principles　and　getting　rid

of　any　of　them　that　proved　unsound？　Whom　did　you　ever　visit　for

that　object？　What　time　did　you　ever　set　yourself　for　that？　What

age？　Run　over　the　times　of　your　lifeby　yourself；　if　you　are

ashamed　before　me。　Did　you　examine　your　principles　when　a　boy？

Did　you　not　do　everything　just　as　you　do　now？　Or　when　you　were　a

stripling；　attending　the　school　of　oratory　and　practising　the　art

yourself；　what　did　you　ever　imagine　you　lacked？　And　when　you　were

a　young　man；　entered　upon　public　life；　and　were　pleading　causes

and　making　a　name；　who　any　longer　seemed　equal　to　you？　And　at

what　moment　would　you　have　endured　another　examining　your

principles　and　proving　that　they　were　unsound？　What　then　am　I　to

say　to　you？　〃Help　me　in　this　matter！〃　you　cry。　Ah；　for　that　I

have　no　rule！　And　neither　did　you；　if　that　was　your　object；　come

to　me　as　a　philosopher；　but　as　you　might　have　gone　to　a　herb…seller

or　a　cobbler。〃What　do　philosophers　have　rules　for；

then？〃Why；　that　whatever　may　betide；　our　ruling　faculty　may　be

as　Nature　would　have　it；　and　so　remain。　Think　you　this　a　small

matter？　Not　so！　but　the　greatest　thing　there　is。　Well；　does　it

need　but　a　short　time？　Can　it　be　grasped　by　a　passer…by？grasp

it；　if　you　can！



Then　you　will　say；　〃Yes；　I　met　Epictetus！〃



Aye；　just　as　you　might　a　statue　or　a　monument。　You　saw　me！

and　that　is　all。　But　a　man　who　meets　a　man　is　one　who　learns　the

other's　mind；　and　lets　him　see　is　in　turn。　Learn　my　mindshow　me

yours；　and　then　go　and　say　that　you　met　me。　Let　us　try　each

other；　if　I　have　any　wrong　principle；　rid　me　of　it；　if　you　have；

out　with　it。　That　is　what　meeting　a　philosopher　means。　Not　so；

you　think；　this　is　only　a　flying　visit；　while　we　are　hiring　the

ship；　we　can　see　Epictetus　too！　Let　us　see　what　he　has　to　say。

Then　on　leaving　you　cry；　〃Out　on　Epictetus　for　a　worthless

fellow；　provincial　and　barbarous　of　speech！〃　What　else　indeed　did

you　come　to　judge　of？





XCIV







Whether　you　will　or　no；　you　are　poorer　than　I！



〃What　then　do　I　lack？〃



What　you　have　not：　Constancy　of　mind；　such　as　Nature　would

have　it　be：　Tranquillity。　Patron　or　no　patron；　what　care　I？　but

you　do　care。　I　am　richer　than　you：　I　am　not　racked　with　anxiety

as　to　what　Caesar　may　think　of　me；　I　flatter　none　on　that

account。　This　is　what　I　have；　instead　of　vessels　of　gold　and

silver！　your　vessels　may　be　of　gold；　but　your　reason；　your

principles；　your　accepted　views；　your　inclinations；　your　desires

are　of　earthenware。





XCV







To　you；　all　you　have　seems　small：　to　me；　all　I　have　seems

great。　Your　desire　is　insatiable；　mine　is　satisfied。　See　children

thrusting　their　hands　into　a　narrow…necked　jar；　and　striving　to

pull　out　the　nuts　and　figs　it　contains：　if　they　fill　the　hand；

they　cannot　pull　it　out　again；　and　then　they　fall　to　tears。

〃Let　go　a　few　of　them；　and　then　you　can　draw　out　the　rest！〃

You；　too；　let　your　desire　go！　covet　not　many　things；　and　you　will

obtain。





XCVI





Pittacus　wronged　by　one　whom　he　had　it　in　his　power　to

punish；　let　him　go　free；　saying；　Forgiveness　is　better　than

revenge。　The　one　shows　native　gentleness；　the　other　savagery。





XCVII







〃My　brother　ought　not　to　have　treated　me　thus。〃



True：　but　he　must　see　to　that。　However　he　may　treat　me；　I

must　deal　rightly　by　him。　This　is　what　lies　with　me；　what　none

can　hinder。





XCVIII







Nevertheless　a　man　should　also　be　prepared　to　be　sufficient

unto　himselfto　dwell　with　himself　alone；　even　as　God　dwells

with　Himself　alone；　shares　His　repose　with　none；　and　considers

the　nature　of　His　own　administration；　intent　upon　such　thoughts

as　are　meet　unto　Himself。　So　should　we　also　be　able　to　converse

with　ourselves；　to　need　none　else　beside；　to　sigh　for　no

distraction；　to　bend　our　thoughts　upon　the　Divine　Administration；

and　how　we　stand　related　to　all　else；　to　observe　how　human

accidents　touched　us　of　old；　and　how　they　touch　us　now；　what

things　they　are　that　still　have　power　to　hurt　us；　and　how　they

may　be　cured　or　removed；　to　perfect　what　needs　perfecting　as

Reason　would　direct。





XCIX







If　a　man　has　frequent　intercourse　with　others；　either　in　the

way　of　conversation；　entertainment；　or　simple　familiarity；　he

must　either　become　like　them；　or　change　them　to　his　own　fashion。

A　live　coal　placed　next　a　dead　one　will　either　kindle　that　or　be

quenched　by　it。　Such　being　the　risk；　it　is　well　to　be　cautious　in

admitting　intimacies　of　this　sort；　remembering　that　one　cannot

rub　shoulders　with　a　soot…stained　man　without　sharing　the　soot

oneself。　What　will　you　do；　supposing　the　talk　turns　on

gladiators；　or　horses；　or　prize…fighters；　or　（what　is　worse）　on

persons；　condemning　this　and　that；　approving　the　other？　Or

suppose　a　man　sneers　and　jee