who live with thee; for instance, the activity of one, and the modesty of
another, and the liberality of a third, and some other good quality of a
fourth. For nothing delights so much as the examples of the virtues, when
they are exhibited in the morals of those who live with us and present
themselves in abundance, as far as is possible. Wherefore we must keep
them before us.

49. Thou art not dissatisfied, I suppose, because thou weighest only so
many litrae and not three hundred. Be not dissatisfied then that thou
must live only so many years and not more; for as thou art satisfied with
the amount of substance which has been assigned to thee, so be content
with the time.

50. Let us try to persuade them [men]. But act even against their will,
when the principles of justice lead that way. If however any man by using
force stands in thy way, betake thyself to contentment and tranquillity,
and at the same time employ the hindrance towards the exercise of some
other virtue; and remember that thy attempt was with a reservation
[conditionally], that thou didst not desire to do impossibilities. What
then didst thou desire?--Some such effort as this.--But thou attainest
thy object, if the things to which thou wast moved are [not]
accomplished.

51. He who loves fame considers another man's activity to be his own
good; and he who loves pleasure, his own sensations; but he who has
understanding considers his own acts to be his own good.

52. It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be
disturbed in our soul; for things themselves have no natural power to
form our judgments.