Page:All the works of Epictetus - which are now extant; consisting of his Discourses, preserved by Arrian, in four books, the Enchiridion, and fragments (IA allworksofepicte00epic).pdf/463

Rh ought to be conversant: and you have been conversant with them. What other Matter then do you wait for, to throw upon that the Delay of reforming yourself? You are no longer a Boy; but a grown Man. If therefore you will be negligent and slothful, and always add Procrastination to Procrastination, Purpose to Purpose, and fix Day after Day, in which you will attend to yourself; you will insensibly continue without Proficiency, and, living and dying, persevere in being one of the Vulgar. This instant then think yourself worthy of living as a Man grown up, and a Proficient. Let whatever appears to be the best, be to you an inviolable Law. And if any Instance of Pain, or Pleasure, or Glory, or Disgrace be set before you, remember, that now is the Combat, now the Olympiad comes on, nor can it be put off; and that, by once being worsted, and giving way, Proficiency is lost, or [by the contrary] preserved. Thus Socrates became perfect, improving himself by every thing; attending to nothing but Reason. And though you are not yet a Socrates, you ought however to live as one desirous of becoming a Socrates.

first and most necessary Topic in Philosophy is, that of the Use of [practical] Theorems; as that, We ought not to lie: the second is, that of Demonstrations; as, Whence it is, that we ought not to lie: the third, that which gives Strength and Articulation to the other two; as, Whence this is a Demonstration. For what is Demonstration? What Rh