Augustus. I say to him: "Man, let the thing alone: you will spend much
for no purpose." But he replies, "Those who draw up agreements will
write any name." Do you then stand by those who read them, and say
to such persons, "It is I whose name is written there;" And if you can
now be present on all such occasions, what will you do when you are
dead? "My name will remain." Write it on a stone, and it will
remain. But come, what remembrance of you will there be beyond
Nicopolis? "But I shall wear a crown of gold." If you desire a crown
at all, take a crown of roses and put it on, for it will be more
elegant in appearance.

CHAPTER 20

About reason, how it contemplates itself

Every art and faculty contemplates certain things especially. When
then it is itself of the same kind with the objects which it
contemplates, it must of necessity contemplate itself also: but when
it is of an unlike kind, it cannot contemplate itself. For instance,
the shoemaker's art is employed on skins, but itself is entirely
distinct from the material of skins: for this reason it does not
contemplate itself. Again, the grammarian's art is employed about
articulate speech; is then the art also articulate speech? By no
means. For this reason it is not able to contemplate itself. Now
reason, for what purpose has it been given by nature? For the right
use of appearances. What is it then itself? A system of certain
appearances. So by its nature it has the faculty of contemplating
itself so. Again, sound sense, for the contemplation of what things
does it belong to us? Good and evil, and things which are neither.
What is it then itself? Good. And want of sense, what is it? Evil.
Do you see then that good sense necessarily contemplates both itself
and the opposite? For this reason it is the chief and the first work
of a philosopher to examine appearances, and to distinguish them,
and to admit none without examination. You see even in the matter of
coin, in which our interest appears to be somewhat concerned, how we
have invented an art, and how many means the assayer uses to try the
value of coin, the sight, the touch, the smell, and lastly the
hearing. He throws the coin down, and observes the sound, and he is
not content with its sounding once, but through his great attention he
becomes a musician. In like manner, where we think that to be mistaken
and not to be mistaken make a great difference, there we apply great
attention to discovering the things which can deceive. But in the
matter of our miserable ruling faculty, yawning and sleeping, we
carelessly admit every appearance, for the harm is not noticed.
When then you would know how careless you are with respect to good
and evil, and how active with respect to things which are indifferent,
observe how you feel with respect to being deprived of the sight of
eyes, and how with respect of being deceived, and you will discover
you are far from feeling as you ought to in relation to good and evil.
"But this is a matter which requires much preparation, and much