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The good fortunes and misfortunes of life have a certain middle lot. For they are set before men like certain instruments. And the best of men fashion virtue through each of the things mentioned. For it is possible to find those who pride themselves in wealth, and those who live with poverty, taking care of virtue, and praising the benefactor in health, and persevering in sickness, and slaves made glorious by moderation and justice; and again, others, who in poverty embrace vice, not only being clothes-stealers, but also daring to despoil the dead and plunder temples, and those who make wealth an instrument of injustice, and in health use it for arrogance and conceit, but in sickness belch forth blasphemous words. From these things it is easy to learn that, depending on the use of those who pursue them, wealth and poverty, and slavery and mastery, and things similar to these, are now praiseworthy, now blameworthy. Just as we now call iron a co-worker for the life of men, through the plow, and the hoe, and the mattock, cultivating the earth, and through the sickle clearing the plants, and through the adze and saw providing for the construction of houses and various implements; but now some name it treacherous, seeing the sword, and the slaughters that have been committed by it. But the sword is not the cause of the slaughters, but the one who used the sword badly; neither are wealth and poverty, and the other good fortune and misfortune of life, worthy of accusation, but those who have used each of these things contrary to the laws. For if each of these things happened to be wicked by nature, it would not have become an agent of good for some. Yet we find many who have achieved virtue through these things. Therefore, neither is that which becomes an instrument of good evil, nor, on the other hand, is that which becomes a tool for another towards wickedness good. It holds, therefore, a middle rank, just as medicines do. For both opium and hemlock, if judged best by physicians, become antidotes; but if taken against the rule of the art, they are poisonous and deadly. And there are times when bread and wine bring on disease to those who use them; for immoderation begets injury. Thus, indeed, some who wisely direct good fortune and misfortune fashion them into saving medicines; but others, foolishly and without understanding, receive through them occasions for destruction. These things, therefore, and whatever is similar to them—fruitfulness of the earth, and barrenness, fair voyage and shipwreck—depend on divine providence. Therefore, it is necessary for all to be content with the things that come from it, and not to be overly curious about the causes; for the reason of the divine rudders is unattainable; 83.488 but to take care of the things in our power, and to cast off vice completely, and to bring in virtue, and to be made radiant by its parts; and just as women who love adornment make their body splendid with the art of cosmetics, so to beautify the bloom of the soul with the flowers of moderation, and justice, and courage, and wisdom. For the possession of these things is in our power. It is of the utmost foolishness to seek the possession of things not in our power, and these subject to swift changes, but to despise things under our authority, which are glorious, and have endurance, and are lasting, as if they were cheap and worthy of no account. If we should know this division of human affairs, we shall be content with the movements of the divine rudders, and we shall not doubt concerning the Providence that governs all things. For we see the seasons of the year changing according to order, and all things growing in due season, and each thing coming to be in its proper time. For it is not according to the most licentious myths of Manes, that the rulers of matter, desiring the daughter of light, and pursuing her, sweat and supply the rain; but the Creator of all things nods, and the clouds are gathered together. And the divine Scripture clearly teaches this. "For bringing up, he says, clouds from the ends of the

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βίου εὐκλη ρίαι τε καὶ δυσκληρίαι, μέσον τινὰ ἔχουσι κλῆρον. Οἷον γάρ τινα ὄργανα πρόκειται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄριστοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἀρετὴν δι' ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων κατασκευάζουσιν. Ἔστι γὰρ εὑρεῖν, καὶ πλούτῳ κομῶντας, καὶ πενίᾳ συζῶντας, ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελουμένους, καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀνυμνοῦντας, καὶ ἐν νόσῳ καρτεροῦντας, καὶ δούλους σωφροσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ λαμπρυνομένους· καὶ αὖ πάλιν ἄλλους, τοὺς μὲν ἐν πενίᾳ τὴν κακίαν ἀσπα ζομένους, καὶ οὐ μόνον λωποδυτοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ νεκροσυλίαν καὶ ἱεροσυλίαν τολμῶντας, τοὺς δὲ τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποφαίνοντας ὄργανον ἀδικίας, καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ μὲν ὑπεροψίᾳ κεχρημένους καὶ τύφῳ, ἐν δὲ νόσοις βλασφήμους ἐρυγγάνοντας λόγους. ∆ι' ὧν καταμα θεῖν εὐπετὲς, ὡς τῶν μετιόντων τῇ χρήσει, πλοῦτος καὶ πενία, καὶ δουλεία καὶ δεσποτεία, καὶ τὰ τού τοις προσόμοια, νῦν μὲν ἐπαινετὰ, νῦν δὲ ψεκτά. Ὥσπερ δὲ καὶ τὸν σίδηρον νῦν μὲν συνεργὸν ἀποκα λοῦμεν τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωῆς, διὰ μὲν ἀρότρου, καὶ σκαπάνης, καὶ δικέλλης, γεωργοῦντα τὴν γῆν, διὰ δὲ δρεπάνου καθαίροντα τὰ φυτὰ, διὰ σκεπάρνου καὶ πρίονος καὶ οἰκιῶν καὶ σκευῶν διαφόρων κατα σκευὰς παρέχοντα· νῦν δέ τινες ἐπίβουλον ὀνομά ζουσι, τὸ ξίφος ὁρῶντες, καὶ τὰς διὰ τούτου γεγενη μένας σφαγάς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ξίφος αἴτιον τῶν σφα γῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ κακῶς τῷ ξίφει χρησάμενος· οὔτε ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ ἡ πενία, καὶ ἡ ἄλλη τοῦ βίου εὐποτμία τε καὶ δυσποτμία, κατηγορίας ἄξιαι, ἀλλ' οἱ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἑκάστῳ τούτων χρησάμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ τούτων ἕκαστον φύσει πονηρὸν ἐτύγχανεν, οὐκ ἂν ἀγαθῶν τισιν ἐγένετο πρόξενον. Εὑρίσκομεν δὲ ὅμως πολλοὺς διὰ τούτων κατωρθωκότας τὴν ἀρετήν. Οὔτε οὖν κακὸν τὸ ἀγαθοῦ γιγνόμενον ὄργανον, οὔτ' αὖ πάλιν ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐργαλεῖον ἑτέρῳ πρὸς πονηρίαν γιγνόμενον. Τὴν μέσην τοίνυν ἔχει τάξιν, καθάπερ τὰ φάρμακα. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὄπιον, καὶ τὸ κώνειον, εἰ ἄριστα κριθείη παρὰ τῶν ἰατρῶν, ἀλεξιφάρμακα γίγνεται· εἰ δὲ παρὰ τὸν τῆς τέχνης ληφθῇ λόγον, δηλητήρια καὶ ὀλέθρια. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε ἄρτος καὶ οἶνος νόσον τοῖς χρωμένοις ἐπάγουσι· λώβην γὰρ ἡ ἀμετρία γεννᾷ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὴν εὐπραξίαν, καὶ τὴν δυσπρα γίαν, οἱ μὲν σοφῶς κυβερνῶντες σωτήρια κατα σκευάζουσι φάρμακα· οἱ δὲ ἀφρόνως καὶ ἀσυνέτως, ἀφορμὰς ὀλέθρου διὰ τούτων εἰσδέχονται. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις προσόμοια, εὐκαρπία γῆς, καὶ ἀκαρπία, εὔπλοιά τε καὶ ναυαγία, τῆς θείας προνοίας ἐξήρτηται. ∆ιὸ δὴ στέργειν ἅπαντας χρὴ τὰ παρ' αὐτῆς γιγνόμενα, καὶ μὴ πολυπραγμονεῖν τὰς αἰτίας· ἀνέφικτος γὰρ τῶν θείων πηδαλίων ὁ λόγος· 83.488 ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δὲ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, καὶ τὴν μὲν κακίαν πάμπαν ἀποσκευάζεσθαι, εἰσοικίζεσθαι δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τοῖς ταύτης μορίοις φαιδρύνεσθαι· καὶ καθάπερ αἱ φιλόκοσμοι γυναῖκες κομμωτικῇ τέχνῃ τὸ σῶμα λαμπρύνουσιν, οὕτω τῆς ψυχῆς καλλωπίζειν τὴν ὥραν τοῖς τῆς σωφροσύνης, καὶ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἀνδρείας, καὶ φρονήσεως ἄνθεσιν. Ἐφ' ἡμῖν γὰρ τούτων ἡ κτῆσις. Ἀβελτηρίας δὲ ἐσχάτης, τῶν μὲν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τὴν κτῆσιν ἐπιζητεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα μετα βολαῖς ὀξυῤῥόποις ὑποκειμένην, τῶν δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν ἡμε τέραν ἐξουσίαν τελούντων, εὐκλεῶν τε ὄντων, καὶ τὸ διαρκὲς ἐχόντων, καὶ μόνιμον, ὡς εὐώνων τινῶν, καὶ οὐδενὸς λόγου ἀξίων καταφρονεῖν. Εἰ ταύτην τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων γνοίημεν τὴν διαίρεσιν, στέρξομεν τὰ τῶν θείων οἰάκων κινήματα, καὶ περὶ τῆς τὰ πάντα κυβερνώσης Προνοίας οὐκ ἐνδοιάσομεν. Ὁρῶμεν γὰρ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ἐναλλαττομένας τοῦ ἔτους τὰς ὥρας, εἰς καιρὸν δὲ πάντα φυόμενα, καὶ κατὰ καιρὸν γιγνόμενον ἕκαστον. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς Μάνεντος ἀσελγεστάτους μύθους, οἱ τῆς ὕλης ἄρχοντες, τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἱμειρόμενοι θυγατρὸς, καὶ ταύτην κατα διώκοντες, ἱδροῦσι, καὶ τὸν ὑετὸν χορηγοῦσιν· ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆ημιουργὸς νεύει, καὶ τὰ νέφη συν ίσταται. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς ἡ θεία διδάσκει Γραφή. "Ἀνάγων γὰρ, φησὶ, νεφέλας ἐξ ἐσχάτων τῆς