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

ON ANGER, III. XXXI. 3-xxxin. 1pleasure in having something left to hope for. Haveyou outstripped all others ? Rejoice that you are firstin the regard of your friend. Are there many who outstripyou ? Consider how many more you are aheadof than behind. Do you ask me what is your greatestfault ? Your book-keeping is WTong ; what you havepaid out you rate high ; what you have received, low.Different considerations should in different casesrestrain us. From some let fear stay our anger, fromothers respect, from others pride. A fine thing weshall have done, no doubt, if we send a wTetched slaveto prison ! Why are we in such a hurry to flog him atonce, to break his legs forthwith ? Such power, thoughdeferred, \W11 not perish. Wait for the time whenthe order will be our own ; at the moment weshall speak under the dictation of anger ; when thathas passed, then we shall be able to see at whatvalue we should appraise the damage. For it is inthis that we are most liable to be wrong. We resortto the sword and to capital punishment, and an actthat deserves the censure of a very light floggingwe punish by chains, the prison, and starvation." In what way," you ask, " do you bid us discoverhow paltry, how pitiful, how childish are all thosethings by which we think we are injured " ? I,assuredly, could suggest nothing better than that youacquire a truly great .spirit, and that you realize howsordid and worthless are all these things for the sakeof which we wTangle, rush to and fro, and pant ; thesedo not deserve a thought from the man who has anyhigh and noble purposeMost of the outcry is about money. It is this whichwearies the coiurts, pits father against son, brewspoisons, and gives swords ahke to the legions and to333