Ch. 14
Concerning Naso.
When a certain Roman came to him with his
son, and had heard one lesson, "This,"
said Epictetus, "is the method of teaching;" and
ceased. When the other desired him to go on, he
answered, Every art seems tedious, when it is delivered to a person ignorant and unskilful in it. The
things performed by the common arts quickly manifest the use for which they were made; and most
of them have something attractive and agreeable.
Thus the trade of a shoemaker, as one seeks to learn
it, is an unpleasant thing; but the shoe is useful, and
not unpleasing to the eye. The trade of a smith is
extremely unattractive to an ignorant observer; but
the work shows the usefulness of the art. You will
see this much more strongly in music; for if you
stand by while a person is learning, it will appear to
you of all sciences the most unpleasant; but the
effects are agreeable and delightful, even to those who
do not understand it.
So here we take it to be the work of one who
studies philosophy, to bring his will into harmony with
events; so that none of the things which happen may
happen against our inclination, nor those which do
not happen be desired by us. Hence they who have
settled this point have it in their power never to be
disappointed in what they seek, nor to incur what
they shun; but to lead their own lives without sorrow,
fear, or perturbation, and in society to preserve all
the natural or acquired relations of son, father,
brother, citizen, husband, wife, neighbor, fellow-traveller, ruler, or subject. Something like this is what
we take to be the work of a philosopher. It remains
to inquire, how it is to be effected. Now ,e see that
a carpenter becomes a carpenter by learning certain
things; and a pilot, by learning certain. things, becomes a pilot. Probably, then, it is not sufficient, in
the present case, merely to be willing to be wise and
good; but it is moreover necessary that certain things
should be learned. What these things are, is the question. The philosophers say that we are first to learn
that there is a God, and that his providence directs
the whole; and that it is not merely impossible to
conceal from him our actions, but even our thoughts
and emotions. We are next to learn what the gods
are; for such as they are found to be, such must he
seek to be to the utmost of his power, who would
please and obey them. If the Deity is faithful, he
too must be faithful; if free, beneficent, and noble, he
must be free, beneficent, and noble likewise, in all his
words and actions behaving as an imitator of God.
"Whence, then, are we to begin?"
If you will give me leave, I will tell you. It is necessary, in the first place, that you should understand
words.
"So then! I do not understand them now?"
No. You do not.
"How is it, then, that I use them?"
Just as the illiterate use the words of the learned,
and as brutes use the phenomena of nature. For use
is one thing, and understanding another. But if you
think you understand them, bring whatever words
you please, and let us see whether we understand
them or not.
"Well; but it is a grievous thing for a man to be
confuted who has grown old, and has perhaps served
through his three campaigns to a senatorship."
I know it very well. For you now come to me, as
if you wanted nothing. And how can it enter into
your imagination that there should be anything in
which you are deficient? You are rich; and perhaps
have a wife and children, and a great number of domestics. Caesar takes notice of you; you have many
friends at Rome; you render to all their dues; you
know how to requite a favor, and revenge an injury. In what are you deficient? Suppose, then, I
should prove to you that you are deficient in what
is most necessary and important to happiness; and
that hitherto you have taken care of everything,
rather than your duty; and to complete all, that
you understand not what God or man, or good or
evil, means? That you are ignorant of all the rest,
perhaps, you may bear to be told; but if I prove to
you that you are ignorant even of yourself, how will
you bear with me, and how will you have patience to
stay and be convinced? Not at all. You will immediately be offended, and go away. And yet what injury have I done you; unless a looking-glass injures
a person not handsome, when it shows him to himself such as he is; or unless a physician can be
thought to affront his patient, when he says to him:
"Do you think, sir, that you are not ill? You have
a fever. Eat no meat to-day, and drink water "? Nobody cries out here, "What an intolerable affront! "
But if you say to any one: You exhibit feverishness
in your desires, and low habits in what you shun;
your aims are contradictory, your pursuits not conformable to nature, your opinions rash and mistaken,
he presently goes away, and complains that he is
affronted.
This is the position we assume. As, in a crowded
fair, the horses and cattle are brought to be sold, and
most men come either to buy or sell; but there are a
few who come only to look at the fair, and inquire
how it is carried on, and why in that manner, and
who appointed it, and for what purpose, -thus, in
this fair [of the world] some, like cattle, trouble
themselves about nothing but fodder. To all of you
who busy yourselves about possessions and farms and
domestics and public posts, these things are nothing
else but mere fodder. But there are some few men
among the crowd who are fond of looking on, and
considering: "What then, after all, is the world?
Who governs it? Has it no governor? How is it
possible, when neither a city nor a house can remain,
ever so short a time, without some one to govern and
take care of it, that this vast and beautiful system
should be administered in a fortuitous and disorderly
manner? Is there then a governor? Of what sort is
he, and how does he govern? And what are we who
are under him, and for what designed? Have we
some connection and relation to him, or none? " In
this manner are the few affected, and apply themselves only to view the fair, and then depart. Well;
and they are laughed at by the multitude? Why, so
are the lookers-on, by the buyers and sellers; and if
the cattle had any apprehension, they too would
laugh at such as admired anything but fodder.