htness out of everything that is
thrown into it.

32. Let it not be in any man's power to say truly of thee that thou are
not simple or that thou art not good; but let him be a liar whoever
shall think anything of this kind about thee; and this is altogether in
thy power. For who is he that shall hinder thee from being good and
simple? Do thou only determine to live no longer unless thou shalt be
such. For neither does reason allow [thee to live], if thou art not
such.[C]

[A] Nothing is known of Satyron or Satyrion; nor, I believe, of
Eutyches or Hymen. Euphrates is honorably mentioned by
Epictetus (iii. 15, 8; iv. 8, 17). Pliny (Epp. i. 10) speaks
very highly of him. He obtained the permission of the Emperor
Hadrian to drink poison, because he was old and in bad health
(Dion Cassius, 69, c. 8).

[B] Crito is the friend of Socrates; and he was, it appears,
also a friend of Xenophon. When the emperor says "seen"
([Greek: idon]), he does not mean with the eyes.

[C] Compare Epictetus, i. 29, 28.

33. What is that which as to this material [our life] can be done or
said in the way most conformable to reason? For whatever this may be, it
is in thy power to do it or to say it, and do not make excuses that thou
art hindered. Thou wilt not cease to lament till thy mind is in such a
condition that what luxury is to those who enjoy pleasure, such shall be
to thee, in the matter which is subjected and presented to thee, the
doing of the things which are conformable to man's constitution; for a
man ought to consider as an enjoyment everything which it is in his
power to do according to his own nature. And it is in his power
everywhere. Now, it is not given to a cylinder to move everywhere by its
own motion, nor yet to water nor to fire, nor to anything else which is
governed by nature or an irrational soul, for the things which check
them and stand in the way are many. But intelligence and reason are able
to go through everything that opposes them, and in such manner as they
are formed by nature and as they choose. Place before thy eyes this
facility with which the reason will be carried through all things, as
fire upwards, as a stone downwards, as a cylinder down an inclined
surface, and seek for nothing further. For all other obstacles either
affect the body only, which is a dead thing; or, except through opinion
and the yielding of the reason itself, they do not crush nor do any ha