making a proper use of the occasion.

When you are going to any of those who are in great power, place before
yourself that you will not find the man at home, that you will be
excluded, that the door will not be opened to you, that the man will not
care about you. And if with all this it is your duty to visit him, bear
what happens, and never say to yourself that it was not worth the
trouble. For this is silly, and marks the character of a man who is
offended by externals.

In company take care not to speak much and excessively about your own
acts or dangers; for as it is pleasant to you to make mention of your
own dangers, it is not so pleasant to others to hear what has happened
to you. Take care also not to provoke laughter; for this is a slippery
way towards vulgar habits, and is also adapted to diminish the respect
of your neighbors. It is a dangerous habit also to approach obscene
talk. When then, anything of this kind happens, if there is a good
opportunity, rebuke the man who has proceeded to this talk; but if there
is not an opportunity, by your silence at least, and blushing and
expression of dissatisfaction by your countenance, show plainly that you
are displeased at such talk.

XXXIV.

If you have received the impression ([Greek: phantasion]) of any
pleasure, guard yourself against being carried away by it; but let the
thing wait for you, and allow yourself a certain delay on your own part.
Then think of both times, of the time when you will enjoy the pleasure,
and of the time after the enjoyment of the pleasure, when you will
repent and will reproach yourself. And set against these things how you
will rejoice, if you have abstained from the pleasure, and how you will
commend yourself. But if it seem to you seasonable to undertake (do) the
thing, take care that the charm of it, and the pleasure, and the
attraction of it shall not conquer you; but set on the other side the
consideration, how much better it is to be conscious that you have
gained this victory.

XXXV.

When you have decided that a thing ought to be done, and are doing it,
never avoid being seen doing it, though the many shall form an
unfavorable opinion about it. For if it is not right to do it, avoid
doing the thing; but if it is right, why are you afraid of those who
shall find fault wrongly?

XXXVI.

As the proposition, it is either day, or it is night, is of great
importance for the disjunctive argument, but for the conjunctive,