What, a Man? Must it not be the Excellency belonging to a Man? If then you would appear beautiful, young Man, strive for human Excellency.
What is that?
Consider, when you praise, without partial Affection, whom you praise: Is it the Honest, or the Dishonest?
The Honest.
The Sober, or the Dissolute?
The Sober.
The Temperate, or the Intemperate?
The Temperate.
Then, if you make yourself such a Character, you know that you will make yourself beautiful: but, while you neglect these Things, though you use every Contrivance to appear beautiful, you must necessarily be deformed.
§. 2. I know not how to say any thing further to you: for if I speak what I think, you will be vexed, and perhaps go away, and return no more. And, if I do not speak, consider how I shall act: if you come to me to be improved, and I do not improve you; and you come to me as to a Philosopher, and I do not speak like a Philosopher.[1] Besides: how could it be consistent with my Duty towards yourself, to overlook, and leave you uncorrected? If hereafter you should come to have Sense, you will accuse me, with Reason: "What did Epictetus observe in me, that, when he saw me come to him, in such a shameful Condition, he overlooked it, and never said so much as a Word of it? Did he so absolutely despair of me? Was not I young? Was not I able to
hear
- ↑ Epictetus had been before considering the Propriety of his own Character as a Philosopher: but, according to Mr. Upton's very probable Conjecture, the Translation must be—would it not be cruel, &c.
