Ch. 3
What things we should exchange for other things.
KEEP this thought in readiness, when you lose any thing
external, what you acquire in place of it; and if it be
worth more, never say, I have had a loss; neither681 if you
have got a horse in place of an ass, or an ox in place of a
sheep, nor a good action in place of a bit of money, nor in
place of idle talk such tranquillity as befits a man, nor in
place of lewd talk if you have acquired modesty. If you
remember this, you will always maintain your character
such as it ought to be. But if you do not, consider that
the times of opportunity are perishing, and that whatever
pains you take about yourself, you are going to waste
them all and overturn them. And it needs only a few
things for the loss and overturning of all, namely a small
deviation from reason. For the steerer of a ship to upset it,
he has no need of the same means as he has need of for
saving it: but if he turns it a little to the wind, it is
lost; and if he does not do this purposely, but has been
neglecting his duty a little, the ship is lost. Something
of the kind happens in this case also: if you only fall
a nodding a little, all that you have up to this time
collected is gone. Attend therefore to the appearances of
things, and watch over them; for that which you have to
preserve is no small matter, but it is modesty and fidelity
and constancy, freedom from the affects, a state of mind
undisturbed, freedom from fear, tranquillity, in a word
liberty. For what will you sell these things? See what
is the value of the things which you will obtain in exchange for these.But shall I not obtain any such thing
for it?See, and if you do in return get that, see what
you receive in place of it.682 I possess decency, he possesses
a tribuneship: he possesses a praetorship, I possess
modesty. But I do not make acclamations where it is
not becoming: I will not stand up where I ought not;683
[p. 325]
for I am free, and a friend of God, and so I obey him
willingly. But I must not claim (seek) any thing else,
neither body nor possession, nor magistracy, nor good report, nor in fact any thing. For he (God) does not allow
me to claim (seek) them: for if he had chosen, he would
have made them good for me; but he has not done so, and
for this reason I cannot transgress his commands.684 Preserve
that which is your own good in every thing; and as to every
other thing, as it is permitted, and so far as to behave consistently with reason in respect to them, content with this
only. If you do not, you will be unfortunate, you will
fail in all things, you will be hindered, you will be impeded. These are the laws which have been sent from
thence (from God); these are the orders. Of these laws
a man ought to be an expositor, to these he ought to
submit, not to those of Masurius and Cassius.685
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