'But to return to the aims of men: their minds seem to seek to regain the highest good, and their memories seem to dull their powers.It is as though a drunken man were seeking his home, but could not remember the way thither.Can those people be altogether wrong whose aim it is to lack nothing? No, there is nothing which can make happiness so perfect as an abundant possession of good things, needing naught that belongs to others, but in all ways sufficing for itself.Surely those others too are not mistaken who think that what is best is also most worthy of reverence and respect.It cannot be any cheap or base thing, to attain which almost all men aim and strive.And is power not to be accounted a good thing? Surely it is: can that be a weak thing or forceless, which is allowed in all cases to excel? Is renown of no value ? We cannot surrender this; that whatever is most excellent, has also great renown.It is hardly worth saying that happiness has no torturing cares or gloom, and is not subject to grief and trouble; for even in small things, the aim is to find that which it is a delight to have and to enjoy.These, then, are the desires of men: they long for riches, places of honour, kingdoms, glory, and pleasure;and they long for them because they think that thereby they will find satisfaction, veneration, power, renown, and happiness.It is the good then which men seek by their different desires; Page 61and it is easy to shew how great a force nature has put therein, since in spite of such varying and discordant opinions, they are all agreed in the goal they seek, that of the highest good.
'I would to pliant strings set forth a song of how almighty Nature turns her guiding reins, telling with what laws her providence keeps safe this boundless universe, binding and tying each and all with cords that never shall be loosed.The lions of Carthage, though they bear the gorgeous bonds and trappings of captivity, and eat the food that is given them by hand, and though they fear their harsh master with his lash they know so well; yet if once blood has touched their bristling jaws, their old, their latent wills return; with deep roaring they remember their old selves; they loose their bands and free their necks, and their tamer is the first torn by their cruel teeth, and his blood is poured out by their rage and wrath.
'If the bird who sings so lustily upon the high tree-top, be caught and caged, men may minister to him with dainty care, may give him cups of liquid honey and feed him with all gentleness on plenteous food; yet if he fly to the roof of his cage and see the shady trees he loves, he spurns with his foot the food they have put before him; the woods are all his sorrow calls for, for the woods he sings with his sweet tones.
'The bough which has been downward thrust by force of strength to bend its top to Page 62earth, so soon as the pressing hand is gone, looks up again straight to the sky above.
'Phoebus sinks into the western waves, but by his unknown track he turns his car once more to his rising in the east.
'All things must find their own peculiar course again, and each rejoices in his own return.Not one can keep the order handed down to it, unless in some way it unites its rising to its end, and so makes firm, immutable, its own encircling course.
'And you too, creatures of the earth, do dream of your first state, though with a dim idea.With whatsoever thinking it may be, you look to that goal of happiness, though never so obscure your thoughts:
thither, to true happiness, your natural course does guide you, and from the same your various errors lead you.For I would have you consider whether men can reach the end they have resolved upon, namely happiness, by these ways by which they think to attain thereto.If money and places of honour and such-like do bring anything of that sort to a man who seems to lack no good thing, then let us acknowledge with them that men do become happy by the possession of these things.But if they cannot perform their promises, and there is still lack of further good things, surely it is plain that a false appearance of happiness is there discovered.You, therefore, who had lately abundant riches, shall first answer me.With all that great wealth, was your mind never Page 63perturbed by torturing care arising from some sense of injustice? '
'Yes,' I said; ' I cannot remember that my mind was ever free from some such care.'
Was it not because something was lacking, which you missed, or because something was present to you which you did not like to have?
'
'Yes,' I answered.
'You desired, then, the presence of the one, and the absence of the other? '
'I acknowledge it.'
'Then,' said she,' such a man lacks what he desires.'
'He does.'
'But while a man lacks anything, can he possibly satisfy himself? '
'No,' said I.
'Then, while you were bountifully supplied with wealth, you felt that you did not satisfy yourself? '
'I did indeed.'
'Then,' said she,' wealth cannot prevent a man from lacking or make him satisfied.And this is what it apparently professed to do.
And this point too I feel is most important: money has in itself, by its own nature, nothing which can prevent its being carried off from those, who possess it, against their will.'
'It has not,' I said.
'No, you cannot deny that any stronger man may any day snatch it from them.For how come about the quarrels of the law-courts ? Is it not because people try to regain money that Page 64has been by force or by fraud taken from them? ' ' Yes,' I answered.
'Then,' said she,' a man will need to seek from the outside help to guard his own money.'
'That cannot be denied,' I said.
'And a man will not need that unless he possesses money which he can lose.'
'Undoubtedly he will not.'
'Then the argument turns round the other way,' she said.'
