if you were a wise man, and you take your seat and judge how I have
explained some word, and how I have babbled whatever came into my
head. You come full of envy, and humbled, because you bring nothing
from home; and you sit during, the discussion thinking of nothing else
than how your father is disposed toward you and your brother. "What
are they saying about me there? now they think that I am improving,
and are saying, 'He will return with all knowledge.' I wish I could
learn everything before I return: but much labour is necessary, and no
one sends me anything, and the baths at Nicopolis are dirty;
everything is bad at home, and bad here."
Then they say, "No one gains any profit from the school." Why, who
comes to the school, who comes for the purpose of being improved?
who comes to present his opinions to he purified? who comes to learn
what he is in want of? Why do you wonder then if you carry back from
the school the very things which you bring into it? For you come not
to lay aside or to correct them or to receive other principles in
place of them. By no means, nor anything like it. You rather look to
this, whether you possess already that for which you come. You wish to
prattle about theorems? What then? Do you not become greater triflers?
Do not your little theorems give you some opportunity of display?
You solve sophistical syllogisms. Do you not examine the assumptions
of the syllogism named "The Liar"? Do you not examine hypothetical
syllogisms? Why, then, are you still vexed if you receive the things
for which you come to the school? "Yes; but if my child die or my
brother, or if I must die or be racked, what good will these things do
me?" Well, did you come for this? for this do you sit by my side?
did you ever for this light your lamp or keep awake? or, when you went
out to the walking-place, did you ever propose any appearance that had
been presented to you instead of a syllogism, and did you and your
friends discuss it together? Where and when? Then you say, "Theorems
are useless." To whom? To such as make a bad use of them. For
eyesalves are not useless to those who use them as they ought and when
they ought. Fomentations are not useless. Dumb-bells are not
useless; but they are useless to some, useful to others. If you ask me
now if syllogisms are useful, I will tell you that they are useful,
and if you choose, I will prove it. "How then will they in any way
be useful to me?" Man, did you ask if they are useful to you, or did
you ask generally? Let him who is suffering from dysentery ask me if
vinegar is useful: I will say that it is useful. "Will it then be
useful to me?" I will say, "No." Seek first for the discharge to be
stopped and the ulcers to be closed. And do you, O men, first cure the
ulcers and stop the discharge; be tranquil in your mind, bring it free
from distraction into the school, and you will know what power
reason has.

CHAPTER 22

On friendship

What a man applies himself to earnestly, that he naturally loves. Do