All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant/Book 4/Chapter 4

by Epictetus

Layout 1

CHAPTER IV.

Concerning Those who earnestly desire a Life of Repose.

§. 1.Remember, that it is not only the Desire of Riches and Power, that renders us mean, and subject to others, but even of Quiet, and Leisure, and Learning, and Travelling. For, in general, valuing any external Thing whatever, subjects us to another. Where is the Difference then, whether you desire to be a Senator, or not to be a Senator? Where is the Difference whether you desire Power, or to be out of Power? Where is the Difference, whether you say, "I am in a wretched Way, I have nothing to do; but am tied down to Books, as inactive as if I were dead;"——or, "I am in a wretched Way, I have no Leisure to read?" For as Levees and Power are among Things external, and independent on Choice, so likewise is a Book. For what purpose would you read? Tell me. For if you rest merely in being amused, and learning something, you are insignificant and miserable. But if you refer it to what you ought, what is that but a prosperous Life? And if Reading doth not procure you a prosperous Life, of what Use is it? "But it doth procure a prosperous Life (say you); and therefore I am uneasy at being deprived of it."——And what sort of Prosperity is that, which every thing, I do not say Cæsar, or the Friend of Cæsar, but a Crow, a Piper, a Fever, ten thousand other Things, can hinder? But nothing is so essential to Prosperity, as the being perpetual, and unhindered. I am now called to do something. I now go therefore, and will be attentive to the Bounds and Measures, which ought to be observed; that I may act modestly, steadily, and without Desire or Aversion with regard to Externals^[1]. In the next place, I am attentive to other Men; what they say, and how they are moved: and that, not from Ill-nature, nor that I may have an Opportunity for Censure or Ridicule: but I turn to myself, [and ask,] "Am I also guilty of the same Faults; and how then shall I leave them off?"^[2] Once I too was faulty; but, God be thanked, not now. Well: when you have done thus, and been employed in this manner, have not you done as good a Work, as if you had read a thousand Lines, or written as many? For are you uneasy at not reading while you are eating, or bathing, or exercising? Are not you satisfied with performing these Actions conformably to what you have read? Why then do you not think uniformly about every thing? When you approach Cæsar, or any other Person, if you preserve yourself unpassionate, unalarmed, sedate; if you are rather an Observer of what is done, than [yourself] observed; if you do not envy those who are preferred to you; if the Materials of Action do not strike you; what do you want? Books? How, or to what End? For is not this a kind of Preparation for Living, but Living itself, made up of Things different? Just as if a Champion, when he enters the Lists, should fall a crying, because he is not exercising without. It was for this, that you used to be exercised. For this, were the Poisers, the Dust^[3], the young Fellows, your Antagonists, And do you now seek for these, when it is the time for Business? This is just as if, in the Topic of Assent, when we are presented with Appearances, of which some are evidently true, others not, instead of distinguishing them, we should want to read Dissertations on Evidence.

2. What then is the Cause of this? That we have neither read nor written, in order to treat the Appearances that occur to us, conformably to Nature, in our Behaviour. But we stop at learning what is said, and being able to explain it to others; at solving Syllogisms, and ranging hypothetical Arguments. Hence, where the Study is, there too is the Hindrance. Do you desire absolutely what is out of your Power? Be restrained then, be hindered, be disappointed. But if we read Dissertations about the exertion of the Efforts, not merely to see what is said about the Efforts, but to exert them well: on Desire and Aversion, that we may not be disappointed of our Desires, nor incur our Aversions: on the Duties of Life, that, mindful of our Relations, we may do nothing irrationally, nor contrary to them: we should not be provoked at being hindered in our Reading; but should be contented with the Performance of Actions able to us, and should not compute as we have hitherto been accustomed to compute. "To-day I have read so many Lines; I have written so many;" but, "To-day I have used my Efforts as the Philosophers direct. I have restrained my Desires absolutely; I have applied my Aversion only to Things dependent on Choice. I have not been terrified by such a one, nor put out of Countenance by such another. I have exercised my Patience, my Abstinence, my Beneficence." And thus we should thank God for what we ought to thank him. But now we resemble the Vulgar in another way also, and do not know it. One is afraid, that he shall not be in Power; you^[4], that you shall. By no means be afraid of it, Man; but as you laugh at him, laugh at yourself. For there is no Difference, whether you thirst, like one in a Fever, or dread Water, like him who is bit by a mad Dog. Else, how can you say, like Socrates, "If it so pleases God, so let it be?" Do you think that Socrates, if he had fixed his Desires on the Leisure of the Lycèum, or the Academy, or the Conversation of the Youth there, Day after Day, would have made so many Campaigns as he did so readily? Would not he have lamented and groaned; "How wretched am I! now must I be miserable here, when I might be sunning myself in the Lycèum?" Was that your Business in Life then, to sun yourself? Was it not to be prosperous? To be unrestrained? Unhindered? And how could he have been Socrates, if he had lamented thus? How could he, after that, have written Pæans in a Prison?

§. 3. In short then, remember this, that whatever external to your own Choice you esteem, you destroy that Choice. And not only Power is external to it, but the being out of Power too: not only Business, but Leisure too.——"Then, must I live in this Tumult now?"——What do you call a Tumult?——"A Multitude of People."——And where is the Hardship? Suppose it is the Olympic Games. Think it a public Assembly. There too some bawl out one Thing, some do another; some push the rest. The Baths are crowded. Yet who of us is not pleased with these Assemblies, and doth not grieve to leave them? Do not be hard to please, and squeamish at what happens. "Vinegar is disagreeable, [says one]; for it is sour. Honey is disagreeable, says a second; for it disorders my Constitution. I do not like Vegetables, says a third. Thus too [say others] I do not like Retirement; it is a Desart: I do not like a Crowd; it is a Tumult."——Why, if Things are so disposed, that you are to live alone, or with few, call this Condition a Repose; and make use of it as you ought. Talk with yourself: exercise the Appearances presented to your Mind: work up your Preconceptions to Accuracy. But if you light on a Crowd, call it one of the public Games, a grand Assembly, a Festival. Endeavour to share in the Festival with the rest of the World. For what Sight is more pleasant to a lover of Mankind, than a great Number of Men? We see Companies of Oxen, or Horses, with Pleasure. We are highly delighted to see a great many Ships. Who is sorry to see a great many Men?——"But they stun me with their Noise."——Then your Hearing is hindered; and what is that to you? Is your Faculty of making a right Use of the Appearances of Things hindered too? Or who can restrain you from using your Desire and Aversion, your Powers of Pursuit and Avoidance, conformable to Nature? What Tumult is sufficient for this? Do but remember the general Rules. What is mine? What not min ? What is allotted me? What is the Will of God, that I should do now? What is not his Will? A little while ago it was His Will, that you should be at leisure, should talk with yourself, write about these Things, read, hear, prepare yourself. You have had sufficient Time for this. At present He says to you, "Come now to the Combat. Show us what you have learned; how you have wrestled." How long would you exercise by yourself? It is now the Time to show, whether you are of the Number of those Champions who merit Victory, or of those who go about the World, conquered in all the Games round. Why then are you out of Humour? There is no Combat without a Tumult. There must be many preparatory Exercises, many Acclamations, many Masters, many Spectators.——"But I would live in quiet."——Why then, lament and groan, as you deserve. For what greater Punishment is there to the Uninstructed, and Disobedient to the Orders of God, than to grieve, to mourn, to envy; in short, to be disappointed, and unhappy? Are not you willing to deliver yourself from all this?——And how shall I deliver myself?——Have not you heard, that you must absolutely with-hold Desire, and apply Aversion to such Things only, as are dependent on Choice? That you must give up all, Body, Possessions, Fame, Books, Tumults, Power, Exemption from Power? For to which soever your Propension is, you are a Slave; you are under Subjection; you are made liable to Restraint, to Compulsion; you are altogether the Property of others. But have that of Cleanthes always ready,

Conduct me, Jove; and Thou, O Destiny.

Is it Your Will, that I should go to Rome? Conduct me to Rome. To Gyaros?——To Gyaros. To Athens?——To Athens. To Prison?——To Prison. If you once say, "When is one to go to Athens?" you are undone. This Desire, if it be unaccomplished, must necessarily render you disappointed; and, if fulfilled, vain on what ought to elate you: on the contrary, if you are hindered, wretched, by incurring what you do not like. Therefore give up all these Things.——"Athens is a fine Place."——But it is a much finer Thing to be happy, impassive, tranquil, not to have what concerns you dependent on others.——"Rome is full of Tumults and Visits."——But Prosperity is worth all Difficulties. If then it be a proper Time for these, why do not you withdraw your Aversion from them? (What Necessity is there for you to be made to carry your Burden, by being cudgelled like an Ass?) Otherwise consider, that you must always be a Slave to him, who hath the Power to procure your Discharge, to every one who hath the Power of hindering you; and must worship him, like your evil Genius.

§. 4. The only way to real Prosperity (let this Rule be at hand Morning, Noon, and Night,) is, a Resignation of Things independent on Choice; to esteem nothing as a Property; to deliver up all Things to our tutelar Genius, and to Fortune; to make those the Governors of them, whom Jupiter hath made so; to be ourselves devoted to that only, which is our Property; to that which is incapable of Restraint; and whatever we read, or write, or hear, to refer all to this.

§. 5. Therefore I cannot call any one industrious, if I hear only that he reads, or writes; nor even if he adds the whole Night to the Day, do I call him so, unless I know to what he refers it. For not even you would call Him industrious, who sits up for the Sake of a Girl; nor therefore in the other Case do I. But, if he doth it for Fame, I call him ambitious; if for Money, avaritious; if from the Desire of Learning, bookish; but not industrious. But, if he refers his Labour to his ruling Faculty, in order to treat and regulate it conformably to Nature, then only I call him industrious. For never either praise or blame any Person, on account of outward Actions that are common to all; but on the account of Principles. These are the peculiar Property of each Individual, and the Things which make Actions good or bad.

§. 6. Mindful of this, be pleased with the present, and contented with whatever it is the Season for. If you perceive any of those Things, which you have learned and studied, occurring to you in Action, rejoice in them. If you have laid aside Ill-nature and Reviling; if you have lessened your Harshness, indecent Language, Inconsiderateness, Effeminacy; if you are not moved by the same Things as formerly; if not in the same manner as formerly; you may keep a perpetual Festival: To-day, because you have behaved well in one Affair: To-morrow, because in another. How much better a Reason for Sacrifice is this, than obtaining a Consulship, or a Government? These Things you have from yourself, and from the Gods. Remember this, Who it is that gave them, and to whom, and for what Purpose. Habituated once to these Reasonings, can you still think there is any Difference, in what Place you are to please God? Are not the Gods every-where at the same Distance? Do not they every-where equally see what is doing?

Footnotes

1. The Readers, perhaps, may grow tired, with being so often told, what they will find it very difficult to believe, That, because Externals are not in our own Power, they are nothing to us. But, in Excuse for this frequent Repetition, it must be considered, that the Stoics had reduced themselves to a Necessity of dwelling on this Consequence, extravagant as it is, by rejecting stronger Aids. One cannot indeed avoid highly admiring the very Few, who attempted to amend and exalt themselves, on this Foundation. No one, perhaps, ever carried the Attempt so far in Practice; and no one ever spoke so well in support of the Argument, as Epictetus. Yet, notwithstanding his great Abilities, and the Force of his Example, one finds him strongly complaining of the want of Success: and one sees from this Circumstance, as well as from many others in the Stoic Writings, 'That Virtue cannot be maintained in the World, without the Hope of a future Reward.
2. Τοτε, perhaps should be ποτε; and is so translated.
3. The Olympic Champions used to rub themselves with Dust and Sand: which, as they were anointed, was necessary to give them the better Hold on each other. See Mr. Upton's Note on L. III. c. 15. p. 419. l. 10.
4. The Translation follows the Conjecture of Wolfius.