Discourses - Book IV   

them and the occupation, what tyrant is then formidable to him or what
guards or what swords?
Then through madness is it possible for a man to be so disposed
toward these things, and the Galilaens through habit, and is it
possible that no man can learn from reason and from demonstration that
God has made all the things in the universe and the universe itself
completely free from hindrance and perfect, and the parts of it for
the use of the whole? All other animals indeed are incapable of
comprehending the administration of it; but the rational animal,
man, has faculties for the consideration of all these and for
understanding that it is a part, and what kind of a part it is, and
that it is right for the parts to be subordinate to the whole. And
besides this being naturally noble, magnanimous and free, man sees
that of the things which surround him some are free from hindrance and
in his power, and the other things are subject to hindrance and in the
power of others; that the things which are free from hindrance are
in the power of the will; and those which are subject to hinderance
are the things which are not in the power of the will. And, for this
reason, if he thinks that his good and his interest be in these things
only which are free from hindrance and in his own power, he will be
free, prosperous, happy, free from harm, magnanimous pious, thankful
to God for all things; in no matter finding fault with any of the
things which have not been put in his power, nor blaming any of
them. But if he thinks that his good and his interest are in externals
and in things which are not in the power of his will, he must of
necessity be hindered, be impeded, be a slave to those who have the
power over things which he admires and fears; and he must of necessity
be impious because he thinks that he is harmed by God, and he must
be unjust because he always claims more than belongs to him; and he
must of necessity be abject and mean.
What hinders a man, who has clearly separated these things, from
living with a light heart and bearing easily the reins, quietly
expecting everything which can happen, and enduring that which has
already happened? "Would you have me to bear poverty?" Come and you
will know what poverty is when it has found one who can act well the
part of a poor man. "Would you have me to possess power?" Let me
have power, and also the trouble of it. "Well, banishment?" Wherever I
shall go, there it will be well with me; for here also where I am,
it was not because of the place that it was well with me, but
because of my opinions which I shall carry off with me: for neither
can any man deprive me of them; but my opinions alone are mine and
they cannot he taken from me, and I am satisfied while I have them,
wherever I may be and whatever I am doing. "But now it is time to
die." Why do you say "to die"? Make no tragedy show of the thing,
but speak of it as it is: it is now time for the matter to be resolved
into the things out of which it was composed. And what is the
formidable thing here? what is going to perish of the things which are
in the universe? what new thing or wondrous is going to happen? Is
it for this reason that a tyrant is formidable? Is it for this
reason that the guards appear to have swords which are large and