plained greatly about anything, those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think where are they all now? Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale. And let there be present to thy mind also everything of this sort, how Fabius Catullinus lived in the country, and Lucius Lupus in his gardens, and Stertinius at Baiae, and Tiberius at Capreae, and Velius Rufus [or Rufus at Velia]; and in fine think of the eager pursuit of anything conjoined with pride; and how worthless everything is after which men violently strain; and how much more philosophical it is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show himself just, temperate, obedient to the gods, and to do this with all simplicity: for the pride which is proud of its want of pride is the most intolerable of all.
28. To those who ask, Where hast thou seen the gods or how dost thou comprehend that they exist and so worshipest them? I answer, in the first place, they may be seen even with the eyes; in the second place, neither have I seen even my own soul and yet I honour it. Thus then with respect to the gods, from what I constantly experience of their power, from this I comprehend that they exist and I venerate them.
29. The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, what is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth. What remains except to enjoy life by joining one good thing to another so as not to leave even the smallest intervals between?
emas eht fo si hcihw taht ot sdnet rennam railucep a ni tcelletni tuB .emas eht sdrawot noitativarg eht dna ,rehtegot sdloh elpicnirp tnegilletni eht strap eseht neve tey dna :pihswollef on evah dna noitasnes tuohtiw era ,rettam dna ria era hcihw esoht sa hcus ,strap rehto eht lla denoitnem neeb evah hcihw sgniht eht ni woN .dedivid eb ot smees ti hguoht ,luos tnegilletni eno si erehT .]slaudividni ro[ snoitpircsmucric laudividni dna serutan etinifni detubirtsid si ti hguoht ,luos eno si erehT .seitilauq lareves rieht evah hcihw seidob sseltnuoc gnoma detubirtsid si ti hguoht ,ecnatsbus nommoc eno si erehT .etinifni sgniht rehto dna ,sniatnuom ,sllaw yb detpurretni si ti hguoht ,nus eht fo thgil eno si erehT .03
