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Page 43
14. Most of the things which the multitude admire are referred to
objects of the most general kind, those which are held together by
cohesion or natural organization, such as stones, wood, fig-trees,
vines, olives. But those which are admired by men, who are a little more
reasonable, are referred to the things which are held together by a
living principle, as flocks, herds. Those which are admired by men who
are still more instructed are the things which are held together by a
rational soul, not however a universal soul, but rational so far as it
is a soul skilled in some art, or expert in some other way, or simply
rational so far as it possesses a number of slaves. But he who values a
rational soul, a soul universal and fitted for political life, regards
nothing else except this; and above all things he keeps his soul in a
condition and in an activity conformable to reason and social life, and
he co-operates to this end with those who are of the same kind as
himself.
15. Some things are hurrying into existence, and others are hurrying out
of it; and of that which is coming into existence part is already
extinguished. Motions and changes are continually renewing the world,
just as the uninterrupted course of time is always renewing the infinite
duration of ages. In this flowing stream then, on which there is no
abiding, what is there of the things which hurry by on which a man would
set a high price? It would be just as if a man should fall in love with
one of the sparrows which fly by, but it has already passed out of
sight. Something of this kind is the very life of every man, like the
exhalation of the blood and the respiration of the air. For such as it
is to have once drawn in the air and to have given it back, which we do
every moment, just the same is it with the whole respiratory power,
which thou didst receive at thy birth yesterday and the day before, to
give it back to the element from which thou didst first draw it.
16. Neither is transpiration, as in plants, a thing to be valued, nor
respiration, as in domesticated animals and wild beasts, nor the
receiving of impressions by the appearances of things, nor being moved
by desires as puppets by strings, nor assembling in herds, nor being
nourished by food; for this is just like the act of separating and
parting with the useless part of our food. What then is worth being
valued? To be received with clapping of hands? No. Neither must we value
the clapping of tongues; for the praise which comes from the many is a
clapping of tongues. Suppose then that thou hast given up this worthless
thing called fame, what remains that is worth valuing? This, in my
opinion: to move thyself and to restrain thyself in conformity to thy
proper constitution, to which end both all employments and arts lead.
For every art aims at this, that the thing which has been made should be
adapted to the work for which it has been made; and both the
vine-planter who looks after the vine, and the horse-breaker, and he who
trains the dog, seek this end. But the education and the teaching of
youth aim at something. In this then is the value of the education and
the teaching. And if this is well, thou wilt not seek anything else.
Wilt thou not cease to value many other things too? Then thou wilt be
neither free, nor sufficient for thy own happiness, nor without passion.
For of necessity thou must be envious, jealous, and suspicious of those
who can take away those things, and plot against those who have that
which is valued by thee. Of necessity a man must be altogether in a
state of perturbation who wants any of these things; and besides, he
must often find fault with the gods. But to reverence and honor thy own
mind will make thee content with thyself, and in harmony with society,
and in agreement with the gods, that is, praising all that they give and
have ordered.
17. Above, below, all around are the movements of the elements. But the
motion of virtue is in none of these: it is something more divine, and
advancing by a way hardly observed, it goes happily on its road.
18. How strangely men act! They will not praise those who are living at
the same time and living with themselves; but to be themselves praised
by posterity, by those whom they have never seen nor ever will see, this
they set much value on. But this is very much the same as if thou
shouldst be grieved because those who have lived before thee did not
praise thee.
19. If a thing is difficult to be accomplished by thyself, do not think
that it is impossible for man: but if anything is possible for man and
conformable to his nature, think that this can be attained by thyself
too.
20. In the gymnastic exercises suppose that a man has torn thee with his
nails, and by dashing against thy head has inflicted a wound. Well, we
neither show any signs of vexation, nor are we offended, nor do we
suspect him afterwards as a treacherous fellow; and yet we are on our
guard against him, not however as an enemy, nor yet with suspicion, but
we quietly get out of his way. Something like this let thy behavior be
in all the other parts of life; let us overlook many things in those who
are like antagonists in the gymnasium. For it is in our power, as I
said, to get out of the way, and to have no suspicion nor hatred.
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