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

INTRODUCTIONfreely the disrespectful remarks of others about him.He is severe in the condemnation of the unrepentantsinner, but charitable towards the naive wrongdoer,going so far, in fact, in this direction as toadvocate principles which would lead to the abolitionof all capital punishment. 1 He is much more anangel of mercy than a messenger of vengeance. 2And this aspect of his character comes out mostclearly perhaps in his attitude towards children, forwith them a man can be more nearly himself thanwith his sophisticated associates. No ancient authorspeaks as frequently of them, or as sympathetically.They are one of his favourite parables, 3 and thoughhe is well aware that a child is only an incompleteman, he likes their straightforwardness in play,he claps his hands to them and returns their" Merry Saturnalia !" greeting, yearns to get downon hands and knees and talk talk with them.babyThere is, of course, a sense in which Pascal'sstricture of Stoic pride applies to Epictetus, forthe Stoic virtues were somewhat self-consciouslyerected upon the basis of self-respect and selfreliance;but a more humble and charitable Stoicit would have been impossible to find, and whatpride there is belongs to the system and not tothe man. 4 Towards God he isalways devout,1 I. 18, especially sections 5 ft2 See Colardeau, p. 209 ff., and Zeller, p. 780 f.3 Of. Rentier's interesting study.4 IPascaVs judgment (to say nothing of the grotesquemisconceptions of J. B. Rousseau) was undoubtedly influencedby his preoccupation with the JthicJieiridion, which,as necessarily in such a compendium of doctrine, is moreStoic than Epiotetean, and suppresses many of the moreamiable traits of personality. The actual man of thexix