Page:Discourses of Epictetus volume 1 Oldfather 1925.djvu/463

BOOK II. XXIII. 41-44

form of these principles, some persons are captivated by all these things and stay where they are; one is captivated by style, another by syllogisms, another by arguments with equivocal premisses, another by some other "inn" of that sort, and staying there they moulder away as though they were among the Sirens.

Man, your purpose was to make yourself competent to use conformably with nature the external impressions that came to you, in desire not to fail in what you would attain, and in avoidance not to fall into what you would avoid, never suffering misfortune, never ill fortune, free, unhindered, unconstrained, conforming to the governance of Zeus, obeying this, well satisfied with this, blaming no one, charging no one, able to say with your whole heart the verses, beginning:

"Lead thou me on, O Zeus, and Destiny."^[1]

And then, although you have this purpose, because some petty trick of style, or certain principles, catch your fancy, are you going to stay just where you are and choose to dwell there, forgetful of the things at home and saying "This is fine"? Well, who says that it is not fine? But only like a passageway, like an "inn." For what is to prevent

1. In Encheiridion 53 the other three verses are quoted:
   "To that goal long ago to me assigned.
   I'll follow and not falter; if my will
   Prove weak and craven, still I'll follow on."
   They are derived from a poem of Cleanthes (Von Arnim, Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta, I. frag. 527). For a somewhat indifferent translation of them into Latin, see Seneca, Epist., 107. 11, who adds as a fifth verse in the pointed style characteristic of him: Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt. "The willing are led by fate, the reluctant dragged." It is not impossible that the sentiment here expressed may be one of the remote and probably unconscious inspirations of Cardinal Newman's celebrated hymn,
   "Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
   Lead Thou me on!"
   For his mind being haunted by "some texts of this kind," i.e., that "God meets those who go in His way," etc., see Ward's Life of John Henry Cardinal Newman, I. 55.

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