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

ON PROVIDENCE, v. 4-7ground, or lurking in an eating-house, or wasting histime in sonae gathering. The same is true in thisgreat commonwealth of the world. Good menlabour, spend, and are spent, and withal willingly.Fortune does not drag them—they follow her, andmatch her pace. If they had knowm how, theywould have outstripped her. Here is anotherspirited utterance which, I remember, I heard thatmost valiant man, Demetrius, make :" Immortalgods," he said, " I have this one complaint to makeagainst you, that you did not earlier make knownvour will to me ; for I should have reached the soonerthat condition in which, after being summoned, Inow am. Do you wish to take my children ?—it wasfor you that I fathered them. Do you wish to takesome member of my body ?—take it ; no greatthing am I offering you ; very soon I shall leave thewhole. Do you wish to take my life ?—why not ? Ishall make no protest against your taking back whatonce you gave. With my free consent you shall havewhatever you may ask of me. What, then, is mytrouble ? I should have preferred to offer than torelinquish. What was the need to take by force ?You might have had it as a gift. Yet even nowyou will not take it by force, because nothing can bewTenched away from a man unless he withholds it."I am under no compulsion, I suffer nothing againstmy will, and Iam not God's slave but liis follower,and the more so, indeed, because I know thateverything proceeds according to law that is fixedand enacted for all time. Fate guides us, and itwas settled at the first hour of birth what lengthof time remains for each. Cause is linked withcause, and all pubUc and private issues are directed37