its having befallen us unexpectedly,
that makes it seem the greater. There are two ways then of discerning the
truth, not only of things that seem evil, but of those that have the
appearance of good. For we either inquire into the nature of the thing, of
what description, and magnitude, and importance it is,--as sometimes with
regard to poverty, the burden of which we may lighten when by our
disputations we show how few things nature requires, and of what a
trifling kind they are,--or, without any subtle arguing, we refer them to
examples, as here we instance a Socrates, there a Diogenes, and then again
that line in Caecilius,

Wisdom is oft conceal'd in mean attire.

For as poverty is of equal weight with all, what reason can be given, why
what was borne by Fabricius should be spoken of by any one else as
unsupportable when it falls upon themselves? Of a piece with this is that
other way of comforting, which consists in pointing out that nothing has
happened but what is common to human nature; for this argument doth not
only inform us what human nature is, but implies that all things are
tolerable which others have borne and are bearing.

XXIV. Is poverty the subject? they tell you of many who have submitted to
it with patience. Is it the contempt of honours? they acquaint you with
some who never enjoyed any, and were the happier for it; and of those who
have preferred a private retired life to public employment, mentioning
their names with respect; they tell you of the verse(89) of that most
powerful king, who praises an old man, and pronounces him happy, because
he was unknown to fame, and seemed likely to arrive at the hour of death
in obscurity and without notice. Thus too they have examples for those who
are deprived of their children; they who are under any great grief are
comforted by instances of like affliction; and thus the endurance of every
misfortune is rendered more easy by the fact of others having undergone
the same, and the fate of others causes what has happened to appear less
important than it has been previously thought, and reflection thus
discovers to us how much opinion had imposed on us. And this is what that
Telamon declares, "I, when my son was born," etc.; and thus Theseus, "I on
my future misery did dwell;" and Anaxagoras, "I knew my son was mortal."
All these men, by frequently reflecting on human affairs, had discovered
that they were by no means to be estimated by the opinion of