, and know
oneself, and shun every kind of excess. Now, without a knowledge of
natural philosophy, no man can see what great power these rules have; and
it is as great as can be: and also this is the only knowledge which can
teach a man how greatly nature assists in the cultivation of justice, in
the maintenance of friendship and the rest of the affections. Nor can
piety towards the Gods, nor the gratitude which is due to them, be
properly understood and appreciated without a correct understanding of the
laws of nature.

But I feel now that I have advanced further than I had intended, or than
the subject before me required. But the admirable arrangement of the Stoic
doctrine, and the incredible beauty of the system, drew me on. And, in the
name of the immortal gods! can you forbear to admire it? For what is there
in all nature--though nothing is better or more accurately adapted to its
ends than that--or what can be found in any work made by the hand, so well
arranged, and united, and put together? What is there which is posterior,
which does not agree with what has preceded it? What is there which
follows, and does not correspond to what has gone before? What is there
which is not connected with something else in such a manner, that if you
only move one letter the whole will fall to pieces? Nor, indeed, is there
anything which can be moved.

But what a grand and magnificent and consistent character is that of the
wise man which is drawn by them! For he, after reason has taught him that
that which is honourable is alone good, must inevitably be always happy,
and must have a genuine right to those names which are often ridiculed by
the ignorant. For he will be more properly called king than Tarquin, who
was able to govern neither himself nor his family; he will deserve to be
called the master of the people more than Sylla, who was only the master
of three pestiferous vices, luxury, avarice, and cruelty; he will be
called rich more properly than Crassus, who would never have desired to
cross the Euphrates without any legitimate cause for war, if he had not
been in want of something. Everything will be properly said to belong to
that man, who alone knows how to make use of everything. He will also
rightly be called beautiful, for the features of the mind are more
beautiful than those of the body: he will deservedly be called the only
free man, who is neither subject to the domination of any one, nor
subservient to his own