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

BOOK II. vn. 6-12these things are expedient or inexpedient, am I goingto ask of you ? Why don't you speak on pointsof grammar ? * Well then., on this matter, in whichwe mortals are all astray and in conflict with oneanother,, you do speak ? Wherefore, that was anadmirable answer which the woman gave who wishedto send a boatload of supplies to Gratilla after shef(had been exiled. To a man who said, Domitianwill confiscateCithem," she replies, I should ratherhave him confiscate them than myselffail to sendthem."What, then, induces us to employ divination soconstantly ? Cowardice, fear of the consequences.i:This is why we flatter the diviners, saying:Master,shall I inherit my father's "property ? feLet us see ;eelet us offer a sacrifice about that matter." Yes,master, as fortune wills." Then if the diviner says," You will inherit the property," we thank him asthough we had received the inheritance from him.That is why they in their turn go on making mockof us. Well, what then? We ought to go to themwithout either desire or aversion, just as the wayfarerasks the man who meets him which of two roadsleads to his destination, without any desire to havethe right-hand road lead there any more than theleft-hand road ;for he does not care to travel oneparticular road of the two, but merely the one thatleads to his destination. So also we ought to go toGod as a guide, making use of Him as we make useof our eyes;we do not call upon them to show ussuch-and-such things by preference, but we acceptthe impressions of precisely such things as theyreveal to us. But as it is, we tremble before thebird-augur, lay hold upon him, and appealing to him257