the golden sayings-第4部分

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〃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　made　to　a　man　who　asked

him　for　letters　of　recommendation。〃That　you　are　a　man；　he　will

know　when　he　sees　you；whether　a　good　or　bad　one；　he　will　know

if　he　has　any　skill　in　discerning　the　good　or　bad。　But　if　he　has

none；　he　will　never　know；　though　I　write　him　a　thousand　times。〃

It　is　as　though　a　piece　of　silver　money　desired　to　be　recommended

to　some　one　to　be　tested。　If　the　man　be　a　good　judge　of　silver；

he　will　know：　the　coin　will　tell　its　own　tale。





LVIII







Even　as　the　traveller　asks　his　way　of　him　that　he　meets；

inclined　in　no　wise　to　bear　to　the　right　rather　than　to　the　left

（for　he　desires　only　the　way　leading　whither　he　would　go）；　so

should　we　come　unto　God　as　to　a　guide；　even　as　we　use　our　eyes

without　admonishing　them　to　show　us　some　things　rather　than

others；　but　content　to　receive　the　images　of　such　things　as　they

present　to　us。　But　as　it　is　we　stand　anxiously　watching　the

victim；　and　with　the　voice　of　supplication　call　upon　the　augur：

〃Master；　have　mercy　on　me：　vouchsafe　unto　me　a　way　of　escape！〃

Slave；　would　you　then　have　aught　else　then　what　is　best？　is　there

anything　better　than　what　is　God's　good　pleasure？　Why；　as　far　as

in　you　lies；　would　you　corrupt　your　Judge；　and　lead　your

Counsellor　astray？





LIX







God　is　beneficent。　But　the　Good　also　is　beneficent。　It

should　seem　then　that　where　the　real　nature　of　God　is；　there　too

is　to　be　found　the　real　nature　of　the　Good。　What　then　is　the　real

nature　of　God？Intelligence；　Knowledge；　Right　Reason。　Here　then

without　more　ado　seek　the　real　nature　of　the　Good。　For　surely

thou　dost　not　seek　it　in　a　plant　or　in　an　animal　that　reasoneth

not。





LX







Seek　then　the　real　nature　of　the　Good　in　that　without　whose

presence　thou　wilt　not　admit　the　Good　to　exist　in　aught　else。

What　then？　Are　not　these　other　things　also　works　of　God？They

are；　but　not　preferred　to　honour；　nor　are　they　portions　of　God。

But　thou　art　a　thing　preferred　to　honour：　thou　art　thyself　a

fragment　torn　from　God：thou　hast　a　portion　of　Him　within

thyself。　How　is　it　then　that　thou　dost　not　know　thy　high　descent

dost　not　know　whence　thou　comest？　When　thou　eatest；　wilt　thou

not　remember　who　thou　art　that　eatest　and　whom　thou　feedest？　In

intercourse；　in　exercise；　in　discussion　knowest　thou　not　that　it

is　a　God　whom　thou　feedest；　a　God　whom　thou　exercisest；　a　God

whom　thou　bearest　about　with　thee；　O　miserable！　and　thou

perceivest　it　not。　Thinkest　thou　that　I　speak　of　a　God　of　silver

or　gold；　that　is　without　thee？　Nay；　thou　bearest　Him　within　thee！

all　unconcious　of　polluting　Him　with　thoughts　impure　and　unclean

deeds。　Were　an　image　of　God　present；　thou　wouldest　not　dare　to

act　as　thou　dost；　yet；　when　God　Himself　is　present　within　thee；

beholding　and　hearing　all；　thou　dost　not　blush　to　think　such

thoughts　and　do　such　deeds；　O　thou　that　art　insensible　of　thine

own　nature　and　liest　under　the　wrath　of　God！





LXI





Why　then　are　we　afraid　when　we　send　a　young　man　from　the

Schools　into　active　life；　lest　he　should　indulge　his　appetites

intemperately；　lest　he　should　debase　himself　by　ragged　clothing；

or　be　puffed　up　by　fine　raiment？　Knows　he　not　the　God　within　him；

knows　he　not　with　whom　he　is　starting　on　his　way？　Have　we

patience　to　hear　him　say　to　us；　Would　I　had　thee　with　me！Hast

thou　not　God　where　thou　art；　and　having　Him　dost　thou　still　seek

for　any　other！　Would　He　tell　thee　aught　else　than　these　things？

Why；　wert　thou　a　statue　of　Phidias；　an　Athena　or　a　Zeus；　thou

wouldst　bethink　thee　both　of　thyself　and　thine　artificer；　and

hadst　thou　any　sense；　thou　wouldst　strive　to　do　no　dishonour　to

thyself　or　him　that　fashioned　thee；　nor　appear　to　beholders　in

unbefitting　guise。　But　now；　because　God　is　thy　Maker；　is　that　why

thou　carest　not　of　what　sort　thou　shalt　show　thyself　to　be？　Yet

how　different　the　artists　and　their　workmanship！　What　human

artist's　work；　for　example；　has　in　it　the