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

BOOK I. i.19-27stretch out your neck as did a certain Lateranus 1 atRome,, when Nero ordered him to be beheaded?For he stretched out his neck and received theblow, but., as it was a feeble one, he shrank backfor an instant, and then stretched out his neckagain. Yes,, and before that, when Epaphroditus,a freedman of Nero,, approached a certain man andasked about the ground of his offence,, he" answered,If I wish anything, I will speak to your"What master/' 2aid,, then, must we have ready at hand insuch circumstances?" Why, what else than theknowledge of what is mine, and what is not mine,,and what ispermitted me, and what is not permittedme ? I must die : must I, then, die groaningtoo ? I must be fettered : and wailing too ? I mustgo into exile does : anyone, then, keep me fromgoing with a smile and cheerful and serene? "Tellyour secrets." I say not a word; for this is undermy control, "But I will fetter you." What is thatyou say, man ? fetter me ? My leg you will fetter,but my moral purpose not even Zeus himself haspower to overcome.ff 1 will throw you into prison."My paltry body, rather! "I will behead you."Well, when did I ever tellyou that mine was theonly neck that could not be severed? These arethe lessons that philosophers ought to these rehearse,they ought to write down daily, in these theyought to exercise themselves.Thrasea used to say: "I would rather be killedto-day than banished to-morrow." What, then, didRufus say to him "? If you choose death as theheavier of two misfortunes, what folly of choice !But if as the lighter, who has given you the choice ?Are you not willing to practise contentment withwhat has been given you? "