will not take it off."Then I will take off your Head."If that will do you any good, take it off.
§. 9. It was asked, How shall each of us perceive what belongs to his Character? Whence, replied Epictetus, does a Bull, when the Lion approaches, perceive his own Qualifications[1], and expose himself alone for the whole Herd? It is evident, that with the Qualifications, occurs, at the same time, the Consciousness of being indued with them. And in the same manner, whoever of Us hath such Qualifications, will not be ignorant of them. But neither is a Bull, nor a gallant-spirited Man, formed all at once. We are to exercise and qualify ourselves, and not to run rashly upon what doth not concern us.
§. 10. Only consider at what Price you sell your own Will and Choice, Man[2]: If for nothing else, that you may not sell it for a Trifle. Greatness indeed, and Excellence, perhaps belong to others, to such as Socrates.
Why then, as we are born with a like Nature, do not all, or the greater Number become such as he?
Why, are all Horses swift? Are all Dogs sagacious? What then, because Nature hath not befriended me, Shall I neglect all Care of myself? Heaven forbid! Epictetus is inferior to Socrates[3]; but if superior to this is enough for me.
I shall
- ↑ This Term was used, among the Stoics, to express the natural or acquired Powers necessary to the Performance of any Action.
- ↑ See Introduction, §. 9.
- ↑ This is a difficult Place. The Text, as it stands now, is Επικτητος κρεισσων Σωκρατου ουκ εςιν. ει δε μη, ου χειρων· τουτο μοι ικανον εςιν. Which must be translated, Epictetus is not superior to Socrates: But if not, he is not inferior; and this is enough for me. By a Change in the Pointing, it might perhaps be translated, but if he is not inferior, this is enough for me. And some-
times
