All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant/Book 3/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI.
Miscellaneous.
§. 1.When he was asked, How[1] it came to pass, that, though the Art of Reasoning is more studied now, yet the Improvements were greater, formerly? In what Instance, answered he, is it more studied now; and in what were the Improvements greater, then? For in what is studied, at present, in that will be found likewise the Improvements, at present. The present Study is the Solution of Syllogisms; and in this, Improvements are made. But formerly, the Study was to preserve the governing Faculty conformable to Nature; and Improvement was made in that. Therefore do not confound Things; nor when you study one, expect Improvement in another; but see whether any of us, who applies himself to think and act conformably to Nature, ever fails of Improvement. Depend upon it, you will not find one.
§. 2. A good Man is invincible; for he doth not contend, where he is not superior. If you would have his Land, take it: takes his Servants; take his public Post; take his Body. But you will never frustrate his Desire, nor make him incur his Aversion. He engages in no Combat, but what concerns the Objects of his own Choice. How can he fail then to be invincible?
§. 3. Being asked, what common Sense was? he answered; As that may be called a common Ear, which distinguishes only Sounds; but that, which distinguishes Notes, an artificial one: so there are some Things, which Men, not totally perverted, discern by their common natural Powers; and such a Disposition is called common Sense.
§. 4. It is not easy to gain the Attention of effeminate young Men; for you cannot take Custard by a Hook: but the Ingenuous, even if you discourage them, are the more eager for Learning. Hence Rufus, for the most part, did discourage them; and made use of that, as a Criterion of the Ingenuous and Disingenuous. For he used to say, As a Stone, even if you throw it up, will, by its own Propensity, be carried downward; so an ingenuous Mind, the more it is forced from its natural Bent, the more strongly will it incline towards it.
Footnotes
edit- ↑ By changing των into πως, and, as Mr. Upton proposes, ποτερον into προτερον, the whole difficulty of this corrupted passage is removed.