reason. There is a difference, too, betwixt ingenious and dull men; the
ingenious, like the Corinthian brass, which is long before it receives
rust, are longer before they fall into these perturbations, and are
recovered sooner: the case is different with the dull. Nor does the mind
of an ingenious man fall into every kind of perturbation, for it never
yields to any that are brutish and savage: and some of their perturbations
have at first even the appearance of humanity, as mercy, grief, and fear.
But the sicknesses and diseases of the mind are thought to be harder to
eradicate, than those leading vices which are in opposition to virtues:
for vices may be removed, though the diseases of the mind should continue,
which diseases are not cured with that expedition with which vices are
removed. I have now acquainted you with the arguments which the Stoics put
forth with such exactness: which they call logic, from their close
arguing; and since my discourse has got clear of these rocks, I will
proceed with the remainder of it, provided I have been sufficiently clear
in what I have already said, considering the obscurity of the subject I
have treated.

_A._ Clear enough; but should there be occasion for a more exact inquiry,
I shall take another opportunity of asking you: I expect you now to hoist
your sails as you just now called them, and proceed on your course.

XV. _M._ Since I have spoken before of virtue in other places, and shall
often have occasion to speak again (for a great many questions that relate
to life and manners arise from the spring of virtue); and since, as I say,
virtue consists in a settled and uniform affection of mind, making those
persons praiseworthy who are possessed of her; she herself also,
independent of anything else, without regard to any advantage, must be
praiseworthy; for from her proceed good inclinations, opinions, actions,
and the whole of right reason; though virtue may be defined in few words
to be right reason itself. The opposite to this is viciousness (for so I
choose to translate what the Greeks call {~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}, rather than by
perverseness; for perverseness is the name of a particular vice; but
viciousness includes all), from whence arise those perturbations, which,
as I just now said, are turbid and violent motions of the mind, repugnant
to reas