Discourses - Book I   

death. If I have not one, what do you wish me to do? I cannot escape
from death. Shall I not escape from the fear of death, but shall I die
lamenting and trembling? For the origin of perturbation is this, to
wish for something, and that this should not happen. Therefore if I am
able to change externals according to my wish, I change them; but if I
cannot, I am ready to tear out the eyes of him who hinders me. For the
nature of man is not to endure to be deprived of the good, and not
to endure the falling into the evil. Then, at last, when I am
neither able to change circumstances nor to tear out the eyes of him
who hinders me, I sit down and groan, and abuse whom I can, Zeus and
the rest of the gods. For if they do not care for me, what are they to
me? "Yes, but you will be an impious man." In what respect then will
it be worse for me than it is now? To sum up, remember this that
unless piety and your interest be in the same thing, piety cannot be
maintained in any man. Do not these things seem necessary?
Let the followers of Pyrrho and the Academics come and make their
objections. For I, as to my part, have no leisure for these
disputes, nor am I able to undertake the defense of common consent. If
I had a suit even about a bit of land, I would call in another to
defend my interests. With what evidence then am I satisfied? With that
which belongs to the matter in hand. How indeed perception is
effected, whether through the whole body or any part, perhaps I cannot
explain: for both opinions perplex me. But that you and I are not
the same, I know with perfect certainty. "How do you know it?" When
I intend to swallow anything, I never carry it to your b month, but to
my own. When I intend to take bread, I never lay hold of a broom,
but I always go to the bread as to a mark. And you yourselves who take
away the evidence of the senses, do you act otherwise? Who among
you, when he intended to enter a bath, ever went into a mill?
What then? Ought we not with all our power to hold to this also, the
maintaining of general opinion, and fortifying ourselves against the
arguments which are directed against it? Who denies that we ought to
do this? Well, he should do it who is able, who has leisure for it;
but as to him who trembles and is perturbed and is inwardly broken
in heart, he must employ his time better on something else.

CHAPTER 28

That we ought not to he angry with men; and what are the small and
the great things among men

What is the cause of assenting to anything? The fact that it appears
to be true. It is not possible then to assent to that which appears
not to be true. Why? Because this is the nature of the
understanding, to incline to the true, to be dissatisfied with the
false, and in matters uncertain to withhold assent. What is the
proof of this? "Imagine, if you can, that it is now night." It is
not possible. "Take away your persuasion that it is day." It is not
possible. "Persuade yourself or take away your persuasion that the
stars are even in number." It is impossible. When, then, any man