Sunday

November 4

A PERSON was talking with me to-day about the priesthood of Augustus. I say to him, Let the thing alone, friend: you will be at great expense for nothing. "But my name," says he, "will be written in the annals." Will you stand by, then, and tell those who read them, "I am the person whose name is written there?" But, if you could tell everyone so now, what will you do when you are dead? — "My name will remain." — Write it upon a stone and it will remain just as well. But, pray, what remembrance will there be of you out of Nicopolis? — "But I shall wear a crown of gold." — If your heart is quite set upon a crown, take and put on one of roses, for it will make the prettier appearance.

EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §19. ¶5.

No comments:

Post a Comment