登陆注册
5380800000011

第11章

'How many are they, think you, who would think themselves raised to heaven if the smallest part of the remnants of your good fortune fell to them? This very place, which you call a place of exile, is home to those who live herein.Thus there is nothing wretched unless you think it to be so: and in like manner he who bears all with a calm mind finds his lot wholly blessed.Who is so happy but would wish to change his estate, if he yields to impatience of his lot? With how much bitterness is the sweetness of man's life mingled! For even though its enjoyment seem pleasant, yet it may not be surely kept from departing when it will.It is plain then how wretched is the happiness of mortal life which neither endures for ever with men of calm mind, nor ever wholly delights the care-ridden.

Wherefore, then, O mortal men, seek ye that happiness without, which lies within yourselves? Ye are confounded by error and ignorance.I will shew you as shortly as I may, the pole on which turns the highest happiness.

Is there aught that you value more highly than your own self? You will answer that there is nothing.If then you are master of yourself, you will be in possession of that which you will never wish to lose, and which Fortune will never be able to take from you.Yet consider this further, that you may Page 38be assured that happiness cannot be fixed in matters of chance: if happiness is the highest good of a man who lives his life by reason, and if that which can by any means be snatched away, is not the highest good (since that which is best cannot be snatched away), it is plain that Fortune by its own uncertainty can never come near to reaching happiness.Further, the man who is borne along by a happiness which may stumble, either knows that it may change, or knows it not: if he knows it not, what happiness can there be in the blindness of ignorance ? If he knows it, he must needs live in fear of losing that which he cannot doubt that he may lose; wherefore an ever-present fear allows not such an one to be happy.Or at any rate, if he lose it without unhappiness, does he not think it worthless? For that, whose loss can be calmly borne, is indeed a small good.You, I know well, are firmly persuaded that men's understandings can never die; this truth is planted deep in you by many proofs: since then it is plain that the happiness of fortune is bounded by the death of the body, you cannot doubt that, if death can carry away happiness, the whole race of mortals is sinking into wretchedness to be found upon the border of death.But we know that many have sought the enjoyment of happiness not only by death, but even by sorrow and sufferings: how then can the presence of this life make us happy, when its end cannot make us unhappy? Page 39'He that would build on a lasting resting-place; who would be firm to resist the blasts of the storming wind; who seeks, too, safety where he may contemn the surge and threatening of the sea; must leave the lofty mountain's top, and leave the thirsting sands.The hill is swept by all the might of the headstrong gale: the sands dissolve, and will not bear the load upon them.Let him fly the danger in a lot which is pleasant rest unto the eye: let him be mindful to set his house surely upon the lowly rock.Then let the wind bellow, confounding wreckage in the sea, and thou wilt still be founded upon unmoving peace, wilt be blessed in the strength of thy defence: thy life will be spent in calmness, and thou mayest mock the raging passions of the air.

'But now,' she continued,' the first remedies of reasoning are reaching you more deeply, and I think I should now use those that are somewhat stronger.If the gifts of Fortune fade not nor pass quickly away, even so, what is there in them which could ever be truly yours, or which would not lose its value when examined or thought upon?

'Are riches valuable for their own nature, or on account of your and other men's natures? Which is the more valuable, the gold itself or the power of the stored up-money? Surely wealth shines more brightly when spent than when put away in masses.Avarice ever brings hatred, while generous spending brings honour.Page 40But that cannot remain with one person which is handed over to another:

therefore money becomes valuable to its possessor when, by being scattered, it is transferred to others, and ceases to be possessed.And if all that is heaped together among mankind comes to one man, it makes the others all poor.A voice indeed fills equally the ears of all that hear: but your riches cannot pass to others without being lessened: and when they pass, they make poor those whom they leave.How strait then and poor are those riches, which most men may not have, and which can only come to one by making others poor!

'Think again of precious stones: does their gleam attract your eyes? But any excellence they have is their own brilliance, and belongs not to men: wherefore I am amazed that men so strongly admire them.What manner of thing can that be which has no mind to influence, which has no structure of parts, and yet can justly seem to a living, reasoning mind to be beautiful? Though they be works of their creator, and by their own beauty and adornment have a certain low beauty, yet are they in rank lower than your own excellence, and have in no wise deserved your admiration.

'Does the beauty of landscape delight you? '

'Surely, for it is a beautiful part of a beautiful creation:

and in like manner we rejoice at times in the appearance of a calm sea, and we admire the sky, the stars, the sun, and the moon.Page 41'Does any one of these,' said she,' concern you? Dare you boast yourself of the splendid beauty of any one of such things? Are you yourself adorned by the flowers of spring? Is it your richness that swells the fruits of autumn? Why are you carried away by empty rejoicing.Why do you embrace as your own the good things which are outside yourself?

Fortune will never make yours what Nature has made to belong to other things.

同类推荐
  • 手臂录

    手臂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland

    A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德经论兵要义述

    道德经论兵要义述

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 荆楚岁时记

    荆楚岁时记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Freelands

    The Freelands

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 带着dota系统被坑的那些年

    带着dota系统被坑的那些年

    这是一个回“家”的故事,这是一个坑爹的故事。
  • 我的极品老婆

    我的极品老婆

    一个小小的快递员,身负巨债,却在这个纸醉金迷的都市里坚持着自己内心最初的那份执着和底线。他抛的开物质的欲望,却斩不断感情的千丝万缕。最终在红颜的情愫中苦苦挣扎……
  • 将军在上:世子爷,狠会宠!

    将军在上:世子爷,狠会宠!

    展颜一个伯府嫡出的小姐的私生女,被利用,被陷害,容颜被毁,双腿被废。上天怜惜重活一世,要报仇雪恨,替阿娘,替外祖母,替自己,和所有的亲人........让他们痛快的死都是他们的幸运。
  • 穿越之情系千年(已完结)

    穿越之情系千年(已完结)

    情系千年共三部第一部:《莺歌绝舞》初恋的美丽,芷婷和李威彼此相爱,而她,宁愿付出自己的性命也不肯嫁给他;为帮表姐徐柔婧复仇,她不惜使用卑鄙的手段(已完结)。第二部:《瑞雪飞舞》莫度,一个高傲、风流的左贤王,他不惜放弃王位,只为追逐自己的最爱;而他,伟大的大央国皇帝李刻,为了得到她,寻访天下名医,只为唤醒她。她要用自己的方式来守卫爱情,最后却累累伤痕,在遥远的古代留下凄美的童话。她冷傲地把王位、权力和荣华踩在自己的脚下,站在两军交战的城楼,寂寥地歌舞,只为在陌生的古代寻找梦一样美丽的真爱。第三部:《相约千年》伤痛的爱,坎坷的人生。醒来后,她与最讨厌的人订婚,却成为父亲事业中利用的工具……生命的尽头,是如烟花般灿烂,还是在寂静中消逝……推宣新作《鸳梦系列:幽幽萱香》!《鸳梦系列:蝶纷飞》!
  • 人民共和国党报论坛2008年卷

    人民共和国党报论坛2008年卷

    编者在“人民共和国党报论坛”第五届(2008)年会收到的大量文稿中,经作者同意在部分新闻学期刊2008年发表的有关文稿中,共选取111篇稿件,辑成《人民共和国党报论坛2008年卷》以飨读者,并恳请各方指正。
  • 奇来后书

    奇来后书

    杨牧从八十年代中期开始,十年之内持续地书写三本以少年时光为叙事反思之聚焦的《奇来前书》,在某种意义上也代表了那一远阶段的结束。之后,杨牧自觉地开始了一件新的写作,前后易六寒暑才完成,即《奇来后书》。《奇来后书》在时序上衔接《奇来前书》之结构,同样隐含文学自传的况味,却是从杨牧十八岁之后写起,告别青少年岁月、故乡花莲的山林与海洋,以成年后的学院时光为追探主题──东海、爱荷华、柏克莱、华盛顿、东华等大学……置身多样的人情和知识环境之间,感受学术、伦理,与宗教等及身的信仰和怀疑。笔法翻复、文类跨界之际,依然紧扣“诗”主题,对诗的执著始终不变,于风雨声势中追求爱与美之恒久。
  • 孤女悍妃

    孤女悍妃

    这一世她是父母双亡的国公府三房孤女,不想勾心斗角,只愿在深宅大院中,护住幼弟平安一生。没曾想,初见,再见,两次差点因他丧命,后来却心甘情愿为他放血续命,为他奔袭千里、为他战场搏杀……
  • 锦衣杀明

    锦衣杀明

    锦衣卫是干什么吃的?是杀人用的!杀什么人?阻碍大明朝发展的人!尸位素餐,贪官污吏,杀!结党营私,热衷内斗,杀!假传圣旨,陷害忠良,杀!自私自利,拒不缴税,杀!假仁假义,空谈误国,杀!投机倒把,里通外国,杀!藐视大明,虽远必诛,杀!
  • 不婚终结号:霸爱小甜妻

    不婚终结号:霸爱小甜妻

    他是莫氏集团继承人,奉行不婚只爱潇洒一生。她是人见人爱、撒谎不眨眼的谎话精。当她误闯了男厕,遇上了他。他不想结婚,她更不想结婚。他遇上了怎样的奇葩?当不婚主义者,化身结婚狂,她和她的小伙伴都惊呆了……
  • Sketches of Young Gentlemen

    Sketches of Young Gentlemen

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。