Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON FIRMNESS, xvi. 4-xvii. 3nething is said in the presence of only one person1 we laugh ; if several are present, we become• igriant, and we do not allow others the liberty of-} ing the very things that we are in the habit of'-aying about ourselves. Jests, if restrained, amuseus ; if unrestrained, they make us angry.Chrysippus says that a certain man grew indignantbecause some one had called him ' ' a sea-wether . ' '" Wesaw Fidus Comehus, the son-in-law of Ovidius Naso,shed tears in the senate, when Corbulo called him aplucked ostrich. In the face of other charges, damagingto his character and standing, the composure of hiscountenance was unruffled, but at one thus absurdout burst his tears ! Such is the weakness of themind when reason flees. Why are we offended if anyone imitates our talk or walk, or mimics some defectof body or speech ? Just as if these would becomemore notorious by another's imitating them than byour doing them ! Some dislike to hear old agespoken of and grey hairs and other things whichmen pray to come to. The curse of poverty gallssome, but a man makes it a reproach to himself ifhe tries to hide it. And so sneerers and those whopoint their wit with insult are robbed of an excuseif you anticipate it with a move on your part. Noone becomes a laughing-stock who laughs at himself.'It is common knowledge that Vatinius, a man bornto be a butt for ridicule and hate, was a graceful andwitty jester. Jle uttered many a jest at the expenseof his own feet and his scarred jowls.'' So he escapedthe wit of his enemies—they outnumbered his afflictions—and,above all, Cicero's. If the man who,through constant abuse, had forgotten how to blush,was able, by reason of his brazen face, to do this, whyVOL. I H 97