does he know what is good; and as he has learned the signs of the
viscera, has he also learned the signs of good and evil? For if he
knows the signs of these, he knows the signs both of the beautiful and
of the ugly, and of the just and of the unjust. Do you tell me, man,
what is the thing which is signified for me: is it life or death,
poverty or wealth? But whether these things are for my interest or
whether they are not, I do not intend to ask you. Why don't you give
your opinion on matters of grammar, and why do you give it here
about things on which we are all in error and disputing with one
another? The woman, therefore, who intended to send by a vessel a
month's provisions to Gratilla in her banishment, made a good answer
to him who said that Domitian would seize what she sent. "I would
rather," she replied, "that Domitian should seize all than that I
should not send it."
What then leads us to frequent use of divination? Cowardice, the
dread of what will happen. This is the reason why we flatter the
diviners. "Pray, master, shall I succeed to the property of my
father?" "Let us see: let us sacrifice on the occasion." "Yes, master,
as fortune chooses." When he has said, "You shall succeed to the
inheritance," we thank him as if we received the inheritance from him.
The consequence is that they play upon us.
What then should we do? We ought to come without desire or aversion,
as the wayfarer asks of the man whom he meets which of two roads leads
(to his journey's end), without any desire for that which leads to the
right rather than to the left, for he has no wish to go by any road
except the road which leads (to his end). In the same way ought we
to come to God also as a guide; as we use our eyes, not asking them to
show us rather such things as we wish, but receiving the appearances
of things such as the eyes present them to us. But now we trembling
take the augur by the hand, and, while we invoke God, we entreat the
augur, and say, "Master have mercy on me; suffer me to come safe out
of this difficulty." Wretch would you have, then, anything other
than what is best? Is there then anything better than what pleases
God? Why do you, so far as in your power, corrupt your judge and
lead astray your adviser?

CHAPTER 8

What is the nature of the good

God is beneficial. But the Good also is beneficial. It is consistent
then that where the nature of God is, there also the nature of the
good should be. What then is the nature of God? Flesh? Certainly
not. An estate in land? By no means. Fame? No. Is it intelligence,
knowledge, right reason? Yes. Herein then simply seek the nature of
the good; for I suppose that you do not seek it in a plant. No. Do you
seek it in an irrational animal? No. If then you seek it in a rational
animal, why do you still seek it anywhere except in the superiority of
rational over irrational animals? Now plants have not even the power
of using appearances, and for this reason you do not apply the term