passions. He will fairly be called invincible, on
whose mind, even though his body be bound with chains, no fetters can ever
be imposed. Nor will he wait till the last period of his life, so as to
have it decided whether he has been happy or not, after he has come to the
last day of life and closed his eyes in death, in the spirit of the
warning which one of the wise men gave to Croesus, without showing much
wisdom in so doing. For if he had ever been happy, then he would have
borne his happy life with him, even as far as the funeral pile built for
him by Cyrus.

But if it be true that no one except a good man is happy, and that all
good men are happy, then what deserves to be cultivated more than
philosophy, or what is more divine than virtue?

Fourth Book Of The Treatise On The Chief Good And Evil.

I. And when he had made an end of saying these things, I replied, Truly, O
Cato, you have displayed a wonderful memory in explaining to us such a
number of things, and in laying such obscure things so clearly before us.
So that we must either give up having any meaning or wish contrary to what
you have said, or else we must take time to deliberate: for it is not easy
to learn thoroughly the principles of a school which has not only had its
foundation laid, but which has even been built up with such diligence,
although perhaps with some errors as to its truth, (which, however, I will
not as yet dare to affirm,) but at all events with such care and accuracy.
Then, said he, is that what you say, when I have seen you, in obedience to
this new law, reply to the prosecutor on the same day on which he has
brought forward his charge, and sum up for three hours; and then do you
think that I am going to allow an adjournment in this cause? which,
however, will not be conducted by you better than those which are at times
entrusted to you. Wherefore, I desire that you will now apply yourself to
this one, especially as it has been handled by others, and also by
yourself several times; so that you cannot be at a loss for arguments or
language.

I replied, I do not, in truth, venture to argue inconsiderately against
the Stoics, not because I agree with them in any great degree, but I am
hindered by shame; because they say so much that I hardly understand. I
confess, said he, that some of our arguments are obscure; not that we make
them so on purpose, but because there is some obscurity in the subjects
themselves. Why, then, sa