Letter 76

You have been threatening me with your enmity, if I do not keep you informed about all my daily actions. But see, now, upon what frank terms you and I live: for I shall confide even the following fact to your ears.  I have been hearing the lectures of a philosopher; four days have already passed since I have been attending his school and listening to the harangue, which begins at two o'clock. "A fine time of life for that!" you say.  Yes, fine indeed! Now what is more foolish than refusing to learn, simply because one has not been learning for a long time?  "What do you mean?  Must I follow the fashion set by the fops and youngsters?" But I am pretty well off if this is the only thing that discredits my declining years.  Men of all ages are admitted to this class-room. You retort:  "Do we grow old merely in order to tag after the youngsters?" But if I, an old man, go to the theatre, and am carried to <Ep2-147> the races, and allow no duel in the arena to be fought to a finish without my presence, shall I blush to attend a philosopher's lecture? You should keep learning as long as you are ignorant, - even to the end of your life, if there is anything in the proverb.  And the proverb suits the present case as well as any: "As long as you live, keep learning how to live." For all that, there is also something which I can teach in that school.  You ask, do you, what I can teach?  That even an old man should keep learning. But I am ashamed of mankind, as often as I enter the lecture-hall. On my way to the house of Metronax I am compelled to go, as you know, right past the Neapolitan Theatre.  The building is jammed; men are deciding, with tremendous zeal, who is entitled to be called a good flute-player; even the Greek piper and the herald draw their crowds.  But in the other place, where the question discussed is:  "What is a good man?" and the lesson which we learn is "How to be a good man," very few are in attendance, and the majority think that even these few are engaged in no good business; they have the name of being empty- headed idler.  I hope I may be blessed with that kind of mockery; for one should listen in an unruffled spirit to the railings of the ignorant; when one is marching toward the goal of honour, one should scorn scorn itself. Proceed, then, Lucilius, and hasten, lest you yourself be compelled to learn in your old age, as is the case with me.  Nay, you must hasten all the more, because for a long time you have not approached the subject, which is one that you can scarcely learn thoroughly when you are old." How much progress shall I make?" you ask. Just as much as you try <Ep2-149> to make.  Why do you wait?  Wisdom comes haphazard to no man. Money will come of its own accord; titles will be given to you; influence and authority will perhaps be thrust upon you; but virtue will not fall upon you by chance. Either is knowledge thereof to be won by light effort or small toil; but toiling is worth while when one is about to win all goods at a single stroke. For there is but a single good, - namely, that which is honourable ; in all those other things of which the general opinion approves, you will find no truth or certainty.  Why it is, however, that there is but one good, namely, that which is honourable, I shall now tell you, inasmuch as you judge that in my earlier letter I did not carry the discussion far enough, and think that this theory was commended to you rather than proved.  I shall also compress the remarks of other authors into narrow compass. Everything is estimated by the standard of its own good.  The vine is valued for its productiveness and the flavour of its wine, the stag for his speed.  We ask, with regard to beasts of burden, how sturdy of back they are; for their only use is to bear burdens.  If a dog is to find the trail of a wild beast, keenness of scent is of first importance; if to catch his quarry, swiftness of foot; if to attack and harry it, courage, In which thing that quality should be best for which the thing is brought into being and by which it is judged. And what quality is best in man?  It is reason; by virtue of reason he surpasses the animals, and is surpassed only by the gods.  Perfect reason is therefore the good peculiar to man; all other qualities he shares in some degree with animals and plants.  Man is strong; so is the lion.  Man is comely; so is the peacock. Man is <Ep2-151> swift; so is the horse.  I do not say that man is surpassed in all these qualities.  I am not seeking to find that which is greatest in him, but that which is peculiarly his own.  Man has body; so also have trees.  Man has the power to act and to move at will; so have beasts and worms.  Man has a voice; but how much louder is the voice of the dog, how much shriller that of the eagle, how much deeper that of the bull, how much sweeter and more melodious that of the nightingale! What then is peculiar to man?  Reason. When this is right and has reached perfection, man's felicity is complete. Hence, if everything is praiseworthy and has arrived at the end intended by its nature, when it has brought its peculiar good to perfection, and if man's peculiar good is reason; then, if a man has brought his reason to perfection, he is praiseworthy and has readied the end suited to his nature.  This perfect reason is called virtue, and is likewise that which is honourable. Hence that in man is alone a good which alone belongs to man.  For we are not now seeking to discover what is a good, but what good is man's.  And if there is no other attribute which belongs peculiarly to man except reason, then reason will be his one peculiar good, but a good that is worth all the rest put together. If any man is bad, he will, I suppose, be regarded with disapproval; if good, I suppose he will be regarded with approval.  Therefore, that attribute of man whereby he is approved or disapproved is his chief and only good.  You do not doubt whether this is a good; you merely doubt whether it is the sole good.  If a man possess all other things, such as health, riches, pedigree, a crowded reception-hall, but is confessedly bad, you <Ep2-153> EPISTLE LXXVI, will disapprove of him.  Likewise, if a man possess none of the things which I have mentioned, and lacks money, or an escort of clients, or rank and a line of grandfathers and great- grandfathers, but is confessedly good, you will approve of him.  Hence, this is man's one peculiar good, and the possessor of it is to be praised even if be lacks other things; but he who does not possess it, though he possess everything else in abundance is condemned and rejected.  The same thing holds good regarding men as regarding things.  A ship is said to be good not when it is decorated with costly colours, nor when its prow is covered with silver or gold or its figure-bead embossed in ivory, nor when it is laden with the imperial revenues or with the wealth of kings, but when it is steady and staunch and taut, with seams that keep out the water, stout enough to endure the buffeting of the waves' obedient to its helm, swift and caring naugbt for the winds. You will speak of a sword as good, not when its sword- belt is of gold, or its scabbard studded with gems, but when its edge is fine for cutting and its point will pierce any armour.  Take the carpenter's rule: we do not ask how beautiful it is, but how straight it is. Each thing is praised in regard to that attribute which is taken as its standard, in regard to that which is its peculiar quality. Therefore in the case of man also, it is not pertinent to the question to know how many acres he ploughs, how much money be has out at interest, how many callers attend his receptions, how costly is the couch on which he lies, how transparent are the cups from which he drinks, but how good he is.  He is good, however, if his reason is well-ordered and right and adapted to that which his nature has <Ep2-155> willed.  It is this that is called virtue; this is what we mean by "honourable"; it is man's unique good.  For since reason alone brings man to perfection, reason alone, when perfected, makes man happy. This, moreover, is man's only good, the only means by which he is made happy.  We do indeed say that those things also are goods which are furthered and brought together by virtue, - that is, all the works of virtue; but virtue itself is for this reason the only good, because there is no good without virtue.  If every good is in the soul, then whatever strengthens, uplifts, and enlarges the soul, is a good; virtue, however, does make the soul stronger, loftier, and larger.  For all other things, which arouse our desires, depress the soul and weaken it, and when we think that they are uplifting the soul, they are merely puffing it up and cheating it with much emptiness.  Therefore, that alone is good which will make the soul better.  All the actions of life, taken as a whole, are controlled by the consideration of what is honourable or base; it is with reference to these two things that our reason is governed in doing or not doing a particular thing. I shall explain what I mean:  A good man will do what he thinks it will be honourable for him to do, even if it involves toil; he will do it even if it involves harm to him; he will do it even if it involves peril; again, he will not do that which will be base, even if it brings him money, or pleasure, or power.  Nothing will deter him from that which is honourable, and nothing will tempt him into baseness.  Therefore, if he is determined invariably to follow that which is honourable, invariably to avoid baseness, and in every act of his life to have regard for these two things, deeming nothing <Ep2-157> else good except that which is honourable, and nothing else bad except that which is base; if virtue alone is unperverted in him and by itself keeps its even course, then virtue is that man's only good, and nothing can thenceforth happen to it which may make it anything else than good. It has escaped all risk of change; folly may creep upwards towards wisdom, but wisdom never slips back into folly. You may perhaps remember my saying that the things which have been generally desired and feared have been trampled down by many a man in moments of sudden passion.  There have been found men who would place their hands in the flames, men whose smiles could not be stopped by the torturer, men who would shed not a tear at the funeral of their children, men who would meet death unflinchingly. It is love, for example, anger, lust, which have challenged dangers. If a momentary stubbornness can accomplish all this when roused by some goad that pricks the spirit, how much more can be accomplished by virtue, which does not act impulsively or suddenly, but uniformly and with a strength that is lasting!  It follows that the things which are often scorned by the men who are moved with a sudden passion, and are always scorned by the wise, are neither goods nor evils.  Virtue itself is therefore the only good; she marches proudly between the two extremes of fortune, with great scorn for both. If, however, you accept the view that there is anything good besides that which is honourable, all the virtues will suffer.  For it will never be possible for any virtue to be won and held, if there is anything outside itself which virtue must take into consideration. If there is any such thing, then it is at <Ep2-159> variance with reason, from which the virtues spring, and with truth also, which cannot exist without reason.  Any opinion, however, which is at variance with truth, is wrong.  A good man, you will admit, must have the highest sense of duty toward the gods.  Hence he will endure with an unruffled spirit whatever happens to him; for he will know that it has happened as a result of the divine law, by which the whole creation moves. This being so, there will be for him one good, and only one, namely, that which is honourable; for one of its dictates is that we shall obey the gods and not blaze forth in anger at sudden misfortunes or deplore our lot, but rather patiently accept fate and obey its commands.  If anything except the honourable is good, we shall be hounded by greed for life, and by greed for the things which provide life with its furnishings, - an intolerable state, subject to no limits, unstable.  The only good, therefore, is that which is honourable, that which is subject to bounds.  I have declared that man's life would be more blest than that of the gods, if those things which the gods do not enjoy are goods, - such as money and offices of dignity. There is this further consideration: if only it is true that our souls, when released from the body, still abide, a happier condition is in store for them than is theirs while they dwell in the body.  And yet, if those things are goods which we make use of for our bodies' sake, our souls will be worse off when set free; and that is contrary to our belief, to say that the soul is happier when it is cabined and confined than when it is free and has betaken itself to the universe.  I also said that if those things which dumb animals possess equally with man are goods, then dumb animals also will <Ep2-161> lead a happy life; which is of course impossible.  One must endure all things in defence of that which is honourable; but this would not be necessary if there existed any other good besides that which is honourable. Although this question was discussed by me pretty extensively in a previous letter, I have discussed it summarily and briefly run through the argument.  But an opinion of this kind will never seem true to you unless you exalt your mind and ask yourself whether, at the call of duty, you would be willing to die for your country , and buy the safety of all your fellow- citizens at the price of your own; whether you would offer your neck not only with patience, but also with gladness. If you would do this, there is no other good in your eyes.  For you are giving up everything in order to acquire this good.  Consider how great is the power of that which is honourable: you will die for your country, even at a moment's notice, when you know that you ought to do so.  Sometimes, as a result of noble conduct, one wins great joy even in a very short and fleeting space of time; and though none of the fruits of a deed that has been done will accrue to the doer after he is dead and removed from the sphere of human affairs, yet the mere contemplation of a deed that is to be done is a delight, and the brave and upright man, picturing to himself the guerdons of his death, -guerdons such as the freedom of his country and the deliverance of all those for whom he is paying out his life, - partakes of the greatest pleasure and enjoys the fruit of his own peril. But that man also who is deprived of this joy, the joy which is afforded by the contemplation <Ep2-163> of some last noble effort, will leap to his death without a moment's hesitation, content to act rightly and dutifully.  Moreover, you may confront him with many discouragements; you may say:  "Your deed will speedily be forgotten," or "Your fellow- citizens will offer you scant thanks." He will answer:  "All these matters lie outside my task. My thoughts are on the deed itself.  I know that this is honourable. Therefore, whithersoever I am led and summoned by honour, I will go." This, therefore, is the only good, and not only is every soul that has reached perfection aware of it, but also every soul that is by nature noble and of right instincts; all other goods are trivial and mutable.  For this reason we are harrassed if we possess them.  Even though, by the kindness of Fortune, they have been heaped together, they weigh heavily upon their owners, always pressing them down and sometimes crushing them.  None of those whom you behold clad in purple is happy, any more than one of these actors a upon whom the play bestows a sceptre and a cloak while on the stage; they strut their hour before a crowded house, with swelling port and buskined foot; but when once they make their exit the foot-gear is removed and they return to their proper stature.  None of those who have been raised to a loftier height by riches and honours is really great.  Why then does he seem great to you?  It is because you are measuring the pedestal along with the man.  A dwarf is not tall, though he stand upon a mountain-top; a colossal statue will still be tall, though you place it in a well. This is the error under which we labour; this is the reason why we are imposed upon: we value no man at what he is, but add to the man himself the trappings in <Ep2-165> which be is clothed.  But when you wish to inquire into a man's true worth, and to know what manner of man he is, look at him when be is naked; make him lay aside his inherited estate, his titles, and the other deceptions of fortune; let him even strip off his body.  Consider his soul, its quality and its stature, and thus learn whether its greatness is borrowed, or its own.  If a man can behold with unflinching eyes the flash of a sword, if he knows that it makes no difference to him whether his soul takes flight through his mouth or through a wound in his throat, you may call him happy; you may also call him happy if, when he is threatened with bodily torture, whether it be the result of accident or of the might of the stronger, he can without concern hear talk of chains, or of exile, or of all the idle fears that stir men's minds, and can say: O maiden, no new sudden form of toil Springs up before my eyes; within my soul I have forestalled and surveyed everything. To-day it is you who threaten me with these terrors; but I have always threatened myself with them, and have prepared myself as a man to meet man's destiny." If an evil has been pondered beforehand, the blow is gentle when it comes.  To the fool, however, and to him who trusts in fortune, each event as it arrives "comes in a new and sudden form," and a large part of evil, to the inexperienced, consists in its novelty.  This is proved by the fact that men endure with greater courage, when they have once become accustomed to them, the things which they had at first regarded as hardships.  Hence, the wise man accustoms himself to coming trouble, lightening by long reflection the evils which <Ep2-167>

[1] Inimicitias mihi denuntias si quicquam ex iis quae cotidie facio ignoraveris. Vide quam simpliciter tecum vivam: hoc quoque tibi committam. Philosophum audio et quidem quintum iam diem habeo ex quo in scholam eo et ab octava disputantem audio. 'Bona' inquis 'aetate.' Quidni bona? quid autem stultius est quam quia diu non didiceris non discere? [2] 'Quid ergo? idem faciam quod trossuli et iuvenes?' Bene mecum agitur si hoc unum senectutem meam dedecet: omnis aetatis homines haec schola admittit. 'In hoc senescamus, ut iuvenes sequamur?' In theatrum senex ibo et in circum deferar et nullum par sine me depugnabit: ad philosophum ire erubescam? [3] Tamdiu discendum est quamdiu nescias; si proverbio credimus, quamdiu vivas. Nec ulli hoc rei magis convenit quam huic: tamdiu discendum est quemadmodum vivas quamdiu vivas. Ego tamen illic aliquid et doceo. Quaeris quid doceam? etiam seni esse discendum. [4] Pudet autem me generis humani quotiens scholam intravi. Praeter ipsum theatrum Neapolitanorum, ut scis, transeundum est Metronactis petenti domum. Illud quidem fartum est, et ingenti studio quis sit pythaules bonus iudicatur; habet tubicen quoque Graecus et praeco concursum: at in illo loco in quo vir bonus quaeritur, in quo vir bonus discitur, paucissimi sedent, et hi plerisque videntur nihil boni negotii habere quod agant; inepti et inertes vocantur. Mihi contingat iste derisus: aequo animo audienda sunt inperitorum convicia et ad honesta vadenti contemnendus est ipse contemptus. [5] Perge, Lucili, et propera, ne tibi accidat quod mihi, ut senex discas; immo ideo magis propera quoniam id nunc adgressus es quod perdiscere vix senex possis. 'Quantum' inquis 'proficiam?' Quantum temptaveris. [6] Quid expectas? nulli sapere casu obtigit. Pecunia veniet ultro, honor offeretur, gratia ac dignitas fortasse ingerentur tibi: virtus in te non incidet. Ne levi quidem opera aut parvo labore cognoscitur; sed est tanti laborare omnia bona semel occupaturo. Unum est enim bonum quod honestum: in illis nihil invenies veri, nihil certi, quaecumque famae placent. [7] Quare autem unum sit bonum quod honestum dicam, quoniam parum me exsecutum priore epistula iudicas magisque hanc rem tibi laudatam quam probatam putas, et in artum quae dicta sunt contraham. [8] Omnia suo bono constant. Vitem fertilitas commendat et sapor vini, velocitas cervum; quam fortia dorso iumenta sint quaeris, quorum hic unus est usus, sarcinam ferre; in cane sagacitas prima est, si investigare debet feras, cursus, si consequi, audacia, si mordere et invadere: id in quoque optimum esse debet cui nascitur, quo censetur. [9] In homine quid est optimum? ratio: hac antecedit animalia, deos sequitur. Ratio ergo perfecta proprium bonum est, cetera illi cum animalibus satisque communia sunt. Valet: et leones. Formonsus est: et pavones. Velox est: et equi. Non dico, in his omnibus vincitur; non quaero quid in se maximum habeat, sed quid suum. Corpus habet: et arbores. Habet impetum ac motum voluntarium: et bestiae et vermes. Habet vocem: sed quanto clariorem canes, acutiorem aquilae, graviorem tauri, dulciorem mobilioremque luscinii? [10] Quid est in homine proprium? ratio: haec recta et consummata felicitatem hominis implevit. Ergo si omnis res, cum bonum suum perfecit, laudabilis est et ad finem naturae suae pervenit, homini autem suum bonum ratio est, si hanc perfecit laudabilis est et finem naturae suae tetigit. Haec ratio perfecta virtus vocatur eademque honestum est. [11] Id itaque unum bonum est in homine quod unum hominis est; nunc enim non quaerimus quid sit bonum, sed quid sit hominis bonum. Si nullum aliud est hominis quam ratio, haec erit unum eius bonum, sed pensandum cum omnibus. Si sit aliquis malus, puto inprobabitur; si bonus, puto probabitur. Id ergo in homine primum solumque est quo et probatur et inprobatur. [12] Non dubitas an hoc sit bonum; dubitas an solum bonum sit. Si quis omnia alia habeat, valetudinem, divitias, imagines multas, frequens atrium, sed malus ex confesso sit, inprobabis illum; item si quis nihil quidem eorum quae rettuli habeat, deficiatur pecunia, clientium turba, nobilitate et avorum proavorumque serie, sed ex confesso bonus sit, probabis illum. Ergo hoc unum est bonum hominis, quod qui habet, etiam si aliis destituitur, laudandus est, quod qui non habet in omnium aliorum copia damnatur ac reicitur. [13] Quae condicio rerum, eadem hominum est: navis bona dicitur non quae pretiosis coloribus picta est nec cui argenteum aut aureum rostrum est nec cuius tutela ebore caelata est nec quae fiscis atque opibus regiis pressa est, sed stabilis et firma et iuncturis aquam excludentibus spissa, ad ferendum incursum maris solida, gubernaculo parens, velox et non sentiens ventum; [14] gladium bonum dices non cui auratus est balteus nec cuius vagina gemmis distinguitur, sed cui et ad secandum subtilis acies est et mucro munimentum omne rupturus; regula non quam formosa, sed quam recta sit quaeritur: eo quidque laudatur cui comparatur, quod illi proprium est. [15] Ergo in homine quoque nihil ad rem pertinet quantum aret, quantum feneret, a quam multis salutetur, quam pretioso incumbat lecto, quam perlucido poculo bibat, sed quam bonus sit. Bonus autem est si ratio eius explicita et recta est et ad naturae suae voluntatem accommodata. [16] Haec vocatur virtus, hoc est honestum et unicum hominis bonum. Nam cum sola ratio perficiat hominem, sola ratio perfecte beatum facit; hoc autem unum bonum est quo uno beatus efficitur. Dicimus et illa bona esse quae a virtute profecta contractaque sunt, id est opera eius omnia; sed ideo unum ipsa bonum est quia nullum sine illa est. [17] Si omne in animo bonum est, quidquid illum confirmat, extollit, amplificat, bonum est; validiorem autem animum et excelsiorem et ampliorem facit virtus. Nam cetera quae cupiditates nostras inritant deprimunt quoque animum et labefaciunt et cum videntur attollere inflant ac multa vanitate deludunt. Ergo id unum bonum est quo melior animus efficitur. [18] Omnes actiones totius vitae honesti ac turpis respectu temperantur; ad haec faciendi et non faciendi ratio derigitur. Quid sit hoc dicam: vir bonus quod honeste se facturum putaverit faciet etiam [sine pecunia] si laboriosum erit, faciet etiam si damnosum erit, faciet etiam si periculosum erit; rursus quod turpe erit non faciet, etiam si pecuniam adferet, etiam si voluptatem, etiam si potentiam; ab honesto nulla re deterrebitur, ad turpia nulla invitabitur. [19] Ergo si honestum utique secuturus est, turpe utique vitaturus, et in omni actu vitae spectaturus haec duo, <nec aliud bonum quam honestum> nec aliud malum quam turpe, si una indepravata virtus est et sola permanet tenoris sui, unum est bonum virtus, cui iam accidere ne sit bonum non potest. Mutationis periculum effugit: stultitia ad sapientiam erepit, sapientia in stultitiam non revolvitur. [20] Dixi, si forte meministi, et concupita vulgo et formidata inconsulto impetu plerosque calcasse: inventus est qui divitias proiceret, inventus est qui flammis manum inponeret, cuius risum non interrumperet tortor, qui in funere liberorum lacrimam non mitteret, qui morti non trepidus occurreret; amor enim, ira, cupiditas pericula depoposcerunt. Quod potest brevis obstinatio animi, aliquo stimulo excitata, quanto magis virtus, quae non ex impetu nec subito sed aequaliter valet, cui perpetuum robur est? [21] Sequitur ut quae ab inconsultis saepe contemnuntur, a sapientibus semper, ea nec bona sint nec mala. Unum ergo bonum ipsa virtus est, quae inter hanc fortunam et illam superba incedit cum magno utriusque contemptu. [22] Si hanc opinionem receperis, aliquid bonum esse praeter honestum, nulla non virtus laborabit; nulla enim obtineri poterit si quicquam extra se respexerit. Quod si est, rationi repugnat, ex qua virtutes sunt, et veritati, quae sine ratione non est; quaecumque autem opinio veritati repugnat falsa est. [23] Virum bonum concedas necesse est summae pietatis erga deos esse. Itaque quidquid illi accidit aequo animo sustinebit; sciet enim id accidisse lege divina qua universa procedunt. Quod si est, unum illi bonum erit quod honestum; in hoc enim positum <est> et parere diis nec excandescere ad subita nec deplorare sortem suam, sed patienter excipere fatum et facere imperata. [24] Si ullum aliud est bonum quam honestum, sequetur nos aviditas vitae, aviditas rerum vitam instruentium, quod est intolerabile, infinitum, vagum. Solum ergo bonum est honestum, cui modus est. [25] Diximus futuram hominum feliciorem vitam quam deorum, si ea bona sunt quorum nullus diis usus est, tamquam pecunia, honores. Adice nunc quod, si modo solutae corporibus animae manent, felicior illis status restat quam est dum versantur in corpore. Atqui si ista bona sunt quibus per corpora utimur, emissis erit peius, quod contra fidem est, feliciores esse liberis et in universum datis clusas et obsessas. [26] Illud quoque dixeram, si bona sunt ea quae tam homini contingunt quam mutis animalibus, et muta animalia beatam vitam actura; quod fieri nullo modo potest. Omnia pro honesto patienda sunt; quod non erat faciendum si esset ullum aliud bonum quam honestum. Haec quamvis latius exsecutus essem priore epistula, constrinxi et breviter percucurri. [27] Numquam autem vera tibi opinio talis videbitur, nisi animum adleves et te ipse interroges, si res exegerit ut pro patria moriaris et salutem omnium civium tua redimas, an porrecturus sis cervicem non tantum patienter sed etiam libenter. Si hoc facturus es, nullum aliud bonum est; omnia enim relinquis ut hoc habeas. Vide quanta vis honesti sit: pro re publica morieris, etiam si statim facturus hoc eris cum scieris tibi esse faciendum. [28] Interdum ex re pulcherrima magnum gaudium etiam exiguo tempore ac brevi capitur, et quamvis fructus operis peracti nullus ad defunctum exemptumque rebus humanis pertineat, ipsa tamen contemplatio futuri operis iuvat, et vir fortis ac iustus, cum mortis suae pretia ante se posuit, libertatem patriae, salutem omnium pro quibus dependit animam, in summa voluptate est et periculo suo fruitur. [29] Sed ille quoque cui etiam hoc gaudium eripitur quod tractatio operis maximi et ultimi praestat, nihil cunctatus desiliet in mortem, facere recte pieque contentus. Oppone etiamnunc illi multa quae dehortentur, dic, 'factum tuum matura sequetur oblivio et parum grata existimatio civium'. Respondebit tibi, 'ista omnia extra opus meum sunt, ego ipsum contemplor; hoc esse honestum scio; itaque quocumque ducit ac vocat venio'. [30] Hoc ergo unum bonum est, quod non tantum perfectus animus sed generosus quoque et indolis bonae sentit: cetera levia sunt, mutabilia. Itaque sollicite possidentur; etiam si favente fortuna in unum congesta sunt, dominis suis incubant gravia et illos semper premunt, aliquando et inludunt. [31] Nemo ex istis quos purpuratos vides felix est, non magis quam ex illis quibus sceptrum et chlamydem in scaena fabulae adsignant: cum praesente populo lati incesserunt et coturnati, simul exierunt, excalceantur et ad staturam suam redeunt. Nemo istorum quos divitiae honoresque in altiore fastigio ponunt magnus est. Quare ergo magnus videtur? cum basi illum sua metiris. Non est magnus pumilio licet in monte constiterit; colossus magnitudinem suam servabit etiam si steterit in puteo. [32] Hoc laboramus errore, sic nobis inponitur, quod neminem aestimamus eo quod est, sed adicimus illi et ea quibus adornatus est. Atqui cum voles veram hominis aestimationem inire et scire qualis sit, nudum inspice; ponat patrimonium, ponat honores et alia fortunae mendacia, corpus ipsum exuat: animum intuere, qualis quantusque sit, alieno an suo magnus. [33] Si rectis oculis gladios micantes videt et si scit sua nihil interesse utrum anima per os an per iugulum exeat, beatum voca; si cum illi denuntiata sunt corporis tormenta et quae casu veniunt et quae potentioris iniuria, si vincula et exilia et vanas humanarum formidines mentium securus audit et dicit: Tu hodie ista denuntias: ego semper denuntiavi mihi et hominem paravi ad humana.' [34] Praecogitati mali mollis ictus venit. At stultis et fortunae credentibus omnis videtur nova rerum et inopinata facies; magna autem pars est apud inperitos mali novitas. Hoc ut scias, ea quae putaverant aspera fortius, cum adsuevere, patiuntur. [35] Ideo sapiens adsuescit futuris malis, et quae alii diu patiendo levia faciunt hic levia facit diu cogitando. Audimus aliquando voces inperitorum dicentium 'sciebam hoc mihi restare': sapiens scit sibi omnia restare; quidquid factum est, dicit 'sciebam'. Vale.