large/7215/moralia1_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/morals1_13_plutarch_64kb_10
large/7215/moralia1_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/morals1_13_plutarch_64kb
English
7215
For they are not content with the affluence of riches and the accomplishments of the mind, that they are robust, have a complaisance of humor and strength of brain for company, that they are privadoes to princes and governors of cities, unless they have dogs of great sagacity and swiftness, horses of a generous strain, nay, unless their quails and cocks are better than other men's. FOR THEY ARE NOT CONTENT WITH THE AFFLUENCE OF RICHES AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MIND THAT THEY ARE ROBUST HAVE A COMPLAISANCE OF HUMOUR AND STRENGTH OF BRAIN FOR COMPANY THAT THEY ARE BRAVADOES TO PRINCES AND GOVERNORS OF CITIES UNLESS THEY HAVE DOGS OF GREAT SAGACITY AND SWIFTNESS HORSES OF A GENEROUS STRAIN NAY UNLESS THEIR QUAILS AND COCKS ARE BETTER THAN OTHER MEN'S
spel this querulous humor, which makes thee fondly ap- plaud other people's conditions and depreciate thy own. 12. This likewise greatly obstructs the tranquillity of the mind, that our desires are immoderate and not suited to our abilities of attainment, which, like sails beyond the pro- portion of the vessel, help only to overset it ; so that, being- blown up with extravagant expectations, if ill success frus- trates our attempts, we presently curse our stars and accuse Fortune, when we ought rather to lay the blame upon our enterprising folly. For we do not reckon him unfortunate Λνΐιο will shoot with a ploughshare, and let slip an ox at a hare. Nor is he born under an unlucky influence who cannot catch a buck with a sling or drag-net ; for it Avas the weakness and perverseness of his mind which inflamed him on to impossible things. The partial love of himself is cliiefly in fault, which infuseth a vicious inclination to arro- gate, and an insatiable ambition to attempt every thing. VOLUME ONE BY PLUTARCH TRANSLATED BY SEVERAL HANDS CORRECTED AND REVISED BY WILLIAM W GOODWIN SECTION THIRTEEN OF THE TRANQUILLITY OF MIND PART TWO THIS LIKEWISE GREATLY OBSTRUCTS THE TRANQUILLITY OF THE MIND THAT OUR DESIRES ARE IMMODERATE AND NOT SUITED TO OUR ABILITIES OF ATTAINMENT WHICH LIKE SAILS BEYOND THE PROPORTION OF THE VESSEL HELP ONLY TO OVERSET IT SO THAT BEING BLOWN UP WITH EXTRAVAGANT EXPECTATIONS IF ILL SUCCESS FRUSTRATES OUR ATTEMPTS WE PRESENTLY CURSE OUR STARS AND ACCUSE FORTUNE WHEN WE OUGHT RATHER TO LAY THE BLAME UPON OUR ENTERPRISING FOLLY FOR WE DO NOT RECKON HIM UNFORTUNATE WHO WILL SHOOT WITH A PLOUGHSHARE AND LET SLIP AN OX AT A HARE NOR IS HE BORN UNDER AN UNLUCKY INFLUENCE WHO CANNOT CATCH A BUCK WITH A SLING OR A DRAGNET FOR IT WAS THE WEAKNESS AND PERVERSENESS OF HIS MIND WHICH INFLAMED HIM ON TO IMPOSSIBLE THINGS THE PARTIAL LOVE OF HIMSELF IS CHIEFLY FAULT WHICH INFUSETH A VICIOUS INCLINATION TO ARROGATE AND AN INSATIABLE AMBITION TO ATTEMPT EVERYTHING
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