come skilled in numbers, by considering one thing, itself by itself. But always to reckon up all numbers, when compared with each other, I think is [1]a greater work.[1] And for the sake of this, the deity having formed, as we have said, the Moon, increasing and decreasing, has put together months into the year, [2]and caused us to compare every number with number, with a prosperous fortune.[2] Hence, there are [3]fruits for us, and the earth has become pregnant,[3] so that there is food for all animals; while winds and showers take place, neither out of season nor measure. But if any thing occurs contrary to this on the side of evil, it is meet to accuse not the divine, but human, nature, as unjustly distributing its own life. Now to us, while we were investigating the laws, it appeared, that the other things, which are nearly the best for man, are easy for us to know; and that every one would be competent to understand what was said, and to do it, if he knew what is that, which is likely to be a benefit, and what is not. But it has appeared, and now appears still, that all the other pursuits are not very difficult; but in what manner it is meet for men to become good, is very difficult. And, again, to acquire all the rest of good things, as the saying is,[4] it is both possible and not difficult; but with respect to substance, how much is requisite and not requisite, and with respect to the body, how much is requisite and not requisite, and with respect to the soul, that it ought to be good, every one agrees with every one. But in what manner it ought to be good, every one (when asked)[5] answers, by being[6] just, and temperate, and brave,
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 So Ficinus translates μείζονος, which is at present without regimen. Winckelmann suggests μείζονος πόνου— I should prefer δοκῶ νοῦ μείζονος εἶναι, ἔνεκα—
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Such is Taylor's translation of the version of Ficinus, "conferri docuit—" which Ast too seems disposed to adopt. But how the Greek words ἥρξατο συνορᾶν, "he began to look together," can have that meaning, I cannot understand. Did the author write ἥρξατό τις συνείρειν, i.e. "a person began to combine—"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 This mention of fruits before the pregnancy of the earth seems a rather strange ὔστερον πρότερον.
- ↑ To what saying the author here alluded, I confess myself unable to explain. I would therefore read ἂ λέγομεν— "of which we have spoken," for the best MS. Z. offers ὂ λέγομεν—
- ↑ Ficinus alone has, what is required by the sense, "interrogatus—"
- ↑ Such I presume is the meaning of ὄτι— δικαίαν— But I can scarcely make out the syntax, unless we read διὰ τὸ εἷναι in lieu of ὄτι μὲν αὗ— where αὗ is perfectly unintelligible; while for ὄτι δὲ σοφὴν, the balance of the sentence requires τὸ δὲ αὗ σοφὴν, to answer τὸ δὲ— ἀγαθὴν—
