subsequently, still this alone
deserves to be sought for on account of its intrinsic power and worth; but
of those things which are the principal natural goods there is not one
which is to be sought for its own sake.

But as those things which I have called duties proceed from the first
principles of nature, they must necessarily be referred to them; so that
it may be fairly said that all duties are referred to this end, of
arriving at the principles of nature; not, however, that this is the
highest of all goods, because there is no such thing as honourable action
in the first attractions of nature; for that is what follows, and arises
subsequently, as I have said before. But still it is according to nature,
and encourages us to desire itself much more than all those things which
have been previously mentioned. But, first of all, we must remove a
mistake, that no one may think that it follows that there are two supreme
goods. For as, if it were the purpose of any one to direct an arrow or a
spear straight at any object, just as we have said that there is an
especial point to be aimed at in goods,--the archer ought to do all in his
power to aim straight at the target, and the other man ought also to do
his endeavour to hit the mark, and gain the end which he has proposed to
himself: let this then which we call the chief good in life be, as it
were, his mark; and his endeavour to hit it must be furthered by careful
selection, not by mere desire.

VII. But as all duties proceed from the first principles of nature, it
follows inevitably that wisdom itself must proceed from the same source.
But as it often happens, that he who has been recommended to any one
considers him to whom he has been recommended of more importance than him
who recommended him; so it is not at all strange that in the first
instance we are recommended to wisdom by the principles of nature, but
that subsequently wisdom herself becomes dearer to us than the starting
place from which we arrive at it. And as limbs have been given to us in
such a way that it is plain they have been given for some purpose of life;
so that appetite of the mind which in Greek is called {~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON WITH DASIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH VARIA~}, appears to
have been given to us, not for any particular kind of life, but rather for
some especial manner of living: and so too is system and perfect method.
For as