SENECA - College of Stoic Philosophers

EPISTLE LXXXI.
upon everything; for the fool whom I just mentioned,
no matter how good his intentions may
be, either pays less than he owes, or pays
it at the
wrong time or the wrong place. That for which he
should make return he wastes and loses. There is a
marvellously accurate phraseology applied to certain
subjects/ a long - established terminology which
indicates certain acts by means of symbols that are
most efficient and that serve to outline men's duties.
We are, as you know, wont to speak thus " A. has
:
made a return for the favour bestowed by B."
Making a return means handing over of your own
accord that which you owe. We do not say, " He
has paid back the favour" ;
for
"pay back" is used
of a man upon whom a demand for payment is
made, of those who pay against their will, of those
who pay under any circumstances whatsoever, and
of those who pay through a third We
party.
do not " say,
He has ( restored ' the benefit," or
(
settled ' it ;
we have never been satisfied with a
word which applies properly to a debt of money.
Making a return means offering something to
him from whom you have received something.
The phrase implies a voluntary return ;
he who
has made such a return has served the writ upon
himself.
The wise man will inquire in his own mind into
all the circumstances how much he has : received,
from whom, when, where, how. And so we b declare
that none but the wise man knows how to make
return for a favour ; moreover, none but the wise
man knows how to confer a benefit, that man, I
mean, who enjoys the giving more than the recipient
enjoys the receiving. Now some person will reckon
this remark as one of the generally surprising state-
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