下载辰思小说免费APP
WhereforeIamrightinbiddingeveryonenexttotheGods，whoareourmasters，andthosewhoinorderfollowthem[i。e。，thedemons]，tohonourhisownsoul，whicheveryoneseemstohonour，butnoonehonoursasheought；forhonourisadivinegood，andnoevilthingishonourable；andhewhothinksthathecanhonourthesoulbywordorgift，oranysortofcompliance，withoutmakingherinanywaybetter，seemstohonourher，buthonourshernotatall。Forexample，everyman，fromhisveryboyhood，fanciesthatheisabletoknoweverything，andthinksthathehonourshissoulbypraisingher，andheisveryreadytoletherdowhatevershemaylike。ButImeantosaythatinactingthusheinjureshissoul，andisfarfromhonouringher；whereas，inouropinion，heoughttohonourherassecondonlytotheGods。Again，whenamanthinksthatothersaretobeblamed，andnothimself，fortheerrorswhichhehascommittedfromtimetotime，andthemanyandgreatevilswhichbefellhiminconsequence，andisalwaysfancyinghimselftobeexemptandinnocent，heisundertheideathatheishonouringhissoul；whereastheveryreverseisthefact，forheisreallyinjuringher。Andwhen，disregardingthewordandapprovalofthelegislator，heindulgesinpleasure，thenagainheisfarfromhonouringher；heonlydishonoursher，andfillsherfullofevilandremorse；orwhenhedoesnotenduretotheendthelaboursandfearsandsorrowsandpainswhichthelegislatorapproves，butgiveswaybeforethem，then，byyielding，hedoesnothonourthesoul，butbyallsuchconducthemakeshertobedishonourable；norwhenhethinksthatlifeatanypriceisagood，doeshehonourher，butyetoncemorehedishonoursher；forthesoulhavinganotionthattheworldbelowisallevil，heyieldstoher，anddoesnotresistandteachorconvinceherthat，foraughtsheknows，theworldoftheGodsbelow，insteadofbeingevil，maybethegreatestofallgoods。Again，whenanyoneprefersbeautytovirtue，whatisthisbuttherealandutterdishonourofthesoul？Forsuchapreferenceimpliesthatthebodyismorehonourablethanthesoul；andthisisfalse，forthereisnothingofearthlybirthwhichismorehonourablethantheheavenly，andhewhothinksotherwiseofthesoulhasnoideahowgreatlyheundervaluesthiswonderfulpossession；nor，again，whenapersoniswilling，ornotunwilling，toacquiredishonestgains，doeshethenhonourhissoulwithgifts-farotherwise；hesellshergloryandhonourforasmallpieceofgold；
butallthegoldwhichisunderorupontheearthisnotenoughtogiveinexchangeforvirtue。Inaword，Imaysaythathewhodoesnotestimatethebaseandevil，thegoodandnoble，accordingtothestandardofthelegislator，andabstainineverypossiblewayfromtheoneandpractisetheothertotheutmostofhispower，doesnotknowthatinalltheserespectsheismostfoullyanddisgracefullyabusinghissoul，whichisthedivinestpartofman；fornoone，asImaysay，everconsidersthatwhichisdeclaredtobethegreatestpenaltyofevil-doing——namely，togrowintothelikenessofbadmen，andgrowinglikethemtoflyfromtheconversationofthegood，andbecutofffromthem，andcleavetoandfollowafterthecompanyofthebad。Andhewhoisjoinedtothemmustdoandsufferwhatsuchmenbynaturedoandsaytooneanother-asufferingwhichisnotjusticebutretribution；forjusticeandthejustarenoble，whereasretributionisthesufferingwhichwaitsuponinjustice；andwhetheramanescapeorendurethis，heismiserable-intheformercase，becauseheisnotcured；whileinthelatter，heperishesinorderthattherestofmankindmaybesaved。
Speakinggenerally，ourgloryistofollowthebetterandimprovetheinferior，whichissusceptibleofimprovement，asfarasthisispossible。Andofallhumanpossessions，thesoulisbynaturemostinclinedtoavoidtheevil，andtrackoutandfindthechiefgood；
whichwhenamanhasfound，heshouldtakeuphisabodewithitduringtheremainderofhislife。Whereforethesoulalsoissecond[ornexttoGod]inhonour；andthird，aseveryonewillperceive，comesthehonourofthebodyinnaturalorder。Havingdeterminedthis，wehavenexttoconsiderthatthereisanaturalhonourofthebody，andthatofhonourssomearetrueandsomearecounterfeit。Todecidewhicharewhichisthebusinessofthelegislator；andhe，I
suspect，wouldintimatethattheyareasfollows：-Honourisnottobegiventothefairbody，ortothestrongortheswiftorthetall，ortothehealthybody(althoughmanymaythinkotherwise)，anymorethantotheiropposites；butthemeanstatesofallthesehabitsarebyfarthesafestandmostmoderate；fortheoneextrememakesthesoulbraggartandinsolent，andtheother，illiberalandbase；andmoney，andproperty，anddistinctionallgotothesametune。Theexcessofanyofthesethingsisapttobeasourceofhatredsanddivisionsamongstatesandindividuals；andthedefectofthemiscommonlyacauseofslavery。And，therefore，Iwouldnothaveanyonefondofheapinguprichesforthesakeofhischildren，inorderthathemayleavethemasrichaspossible。Forthepossessionofgreatwealthisofnouse，eithertothemortothestate。Theconditionofyouthwhichisfreefromflattery，andatthesametimenotinneedofthenecessariesoflife，isthebestandmostharmoniousofall，beinginaccordandagreementwithournature，andmakinglifetobemostentirelyfreefromsorrow。Letparents，then，bequeathtotheirchildrennotaheapofriches，butthespir
