the Symposium of Xenophon, and you will see how many quarrels he put
an end to. Hence with good reason in the poets also this power is most
highly praised,

Quickly with the skill he settles great disputes.

Well then; the matter is not now very safe, and particularly at
Rome; for he who attempts to do it, must not do it in a corner, you
may be sure, but must go to a man of consular rank, if it so happen,
or to a rich man, and ask him, "Can you tell me, Sir, to whose care
you have entrusted your horses?" "I can tell you." Here you
entrusted them to a person indifferently and to one who has no
experience of horses? "By no means." Well then; can you tell me to
whom you entrust your gold or silver things or your vestments? "I
don't entrust even these to anyone indifferently." Well; your own
body, have you already considered about entrusting the care of it to
any person? "Certainly." To a man of experience, I suppose, and one
acquainted with the aliptic, or with the healing art? "Without a
doubt." Are these the best things that you have, or do you also
possess something else which is better than all these? "What kind of
thing do you mean?" That I mean which makes use of these things, and
tests each of these things and deliberates. "Is it the soul that you
mean?" You think right, for it is the soul that I mean. "In truth I do
think the soul is a much better thing than all the others which I
possess." Can you then show us in what way you have taken care of
the soul? for it is not likely that you, who are so wise a man and
have a reputation in the city, inconsiderately and carelessly allow
the most valuable thing that you possess to be neglected and to
perish? "Certainly not." But have you taken care of the soul yourself;
and have you learned from another to do this, or have you discovered
the means yourself? Here comes the danger that in the first place he
may say, "What is this to you, my good man, who are you?" Next, if you
persist in troubling him, there is a danger that he may raise his
hands and give you blows. I was once myself also an admirer of this
mode of instruction until I fell into these dangers.

CHAPTER 13

On anxiety

When I see a man anxious, I say, "What does this man want? If he did
not want something which is not in his power, how could he be
anxious?" For this reason a lute player when he is singing by
himself has no anxiety, but when he enters the theatre, he is
anxious even if he has a good voice and plays well on the lute; for he
not only wishes to sing well, but also to obtain applause: but this is
not in his power. Accordingly, where he has skill, there he has
confidence. Bring any single person who knows nothing of music, and
the musician does not care for him. But in the matter where a man
knows nothing and has not been practiced, there he is anxious. What