Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

BOOK VII. XH. 26-33the whole ? That is, as to thereason body ; for as to theyou are not inferior to the gods, nor less thanthey for the greatness of the reason ; is not determinedby length nor by height, but by the decisionsof its will.Will you not, therefore, set what is for you thegood" in that wherein you are equal to the gods Wretched man ?that I am ;such a father and sucha mother as I have!" Well, was itpermitted youto step forward and make selection, saying, "Letsuch-and-such man have intercourse with such-andsuchwoman at this hour, that Imay be born ** ? Itwas not permitted you; but your parents had toexist then first, you had to be born as you wereborn. Of what kind of parents ? Of such as theywere. What then? Since they are such, is noremedy given you ? Again, supposing that you wereignorant of the purpose for which you possess thefaculty of vision, you would be unfortunate andwretched ifyou closed your eyes when men broughtsome colour before them ; but in that you havegreatness of mind and nobility for use for everyoneof the things may happen to you, and know it not, areyou not yet more unfortunate and wretched ?Thingsproportionate to the faculty which you possess arebrought before you, but you turn that faculty awayat the very moment when you ought to keepit wideopen and discerning. Do you not rather renderthanks to the gods that they have allowed yoube tosuperior to all the things that they did not putunder your control, and have rendered you accountableonly for what is under your control ? As forparents, the gods have released you from accountabilityas for ; brothers, they have released you ;VOL. I.H97