BOOK IX
power. If they have no power, why pray to them[1]? But if they have power, why not rather pray that they should give thee freedom from fear of any of these things and from lust for any of these things and from grief at any of these things [rather] than that they should grant this or refuse that. For obviously if they can assist men at all, they can assist them in this. But perhaps thou wilt say: The Gods have put this in my power. Then is it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than to concern thyself with what is not in thy power like a slave and an abject? And who told thee that the Gods do not co-operate with us[2] even in the things that are in our power? Begin at any rate with prayers for such things and thou wilt see. One prays: How may I lie with that woman![3] Thou: How may I not lust to lie with her! Another: How may I be quit of that man! Thou: How may I not wish to be quit of him! Another: How may I not lose my little child! Thou: How may I not dread to lose him.[4] In a word, give thy prayers this turn, and see what comes of it.
41. Listen to Epicurus[5] where he says: In my illness my talk was not of any bodily feelings, nor did I chatter about such things to those who came to see me, but I went on with my cardinal disquisitions on natural philosophy, dwelling especially on this point, hom the mind, having perforce its share in such affections of the flesh, yet remains unperturbed, safeguarding its own proper good. Nor did I—he goes on—let the physicians ride the high horse as if they were doing
- ↑ vi. 44.
- ↑ ix. 27. St. Paul, Rom. viii. 26: τὸ πνεῦμα συναντιλαμβάνεται. Gataker very aptly quotes Augustine, de Grat. Christi i. 15: Cur petitur quod ad nostram pertinet potestatem, si Deus non adjuvat voluntatem?
- ↑ Sen. Ep. 10 ad fin.; Shak. Lucr. 50.
- ↑ Capit. xxi. § 3.
- ↑ See Diog. Laert. Epicur. § 10.
