In any event, fate has the last word. As the proverb puts it:
In weapon-bristling battle or at home,
In flaming fire, wild cave, or monstrous sea,
Among thanatophidian fangs elate,
The to-be is, is not the not-to-be.
Now you are healthy and enjoy peace of mind. This is the supreme possession. As the saying goes:
The lord of seven continents
Beset by crawling greed,
Is but a beggar; he who lives
Content, is rich indeed.
Besides, on this earth
No treasure equals charity;
Content is perfect wealth;
No gem compares with character;
No wish fulfilled, with health.
Nor must you think: 'How can I survive, having lost my possessions?' For money passes away, man's character abides. There is a proverb to fit the case:
The noble man, indeed, may fall
To earth—like an elastic ball;
The coward who drops is down to stay,
Is flattened like a ball of clay.
But why bore you? Here is the nub of duty. Certain men are born to enjoy the pleasures that money brings, certain others are born money's guardians. There is a verse about it:
Your wealth will flee
If fate decree,
