Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/338

316 bodies of the captive women taken in war, but also punished all such as offered them violence and injury: and contrariwise, came it by ill luck and unhappy fortune, that another Alexander, the son of King Priamus, slept and lay with his friend's wife, when he lodged and entertained him in his house, and not only so, but carried her away with him, and by that occasion brought all manner of calamity upon two main parts of the continent, to wit, Europe and Asia, and filled them both with those miseries that follow wars?

If we grant that all these occurrents came by fortune, what should let us, but we might as well say that cats, goats and apes be likewise by fortune given to be always lickerous, lecherous, shrewd and saucy. But in case it be true (as true it is) that the world hath in it temperance, justice and fortitude; what reason is there to say that there is no prudence and wisdom therein? Now if it be yielded that the world is not void of prudence, how can it be maintained that there should not be in it sage counsel? For temperance (as some say) is a kind of prudence; and most certain it is that justice should be assisted by prudence; or to say more truly, ought to have it present with her continually. Certes, sage counsel and wisdom in the good use of pleasures and delights, whereby we continue honest, we ordinarily do call continence and temperance; the same in dangers and travails, we term tolerance, patience and fortitude; in contracts and management of state affairs we give the name of loyalty, equity and justice; whereby it cometh to pass, that if we will attribute the effects of counsel and wisdom unto fortune, we must likewise ascribe unto her the works of justice and temperance. And so (believe me) to rob and steal, to cut purses, and to keep whores, must proceed from fortune; which if it be so, let us abandon all discourse of our reason, and betake ourselves wholly to fortune to be driven and carried to and fro at her pleasure like to the dust, chaff or sweepings of the floor, by the puffs of some great wind. Take away sage and discreet counsel; farewell then all consultation as touching affairs, away with deliberation, consideration and inquisition into that which is behoveful and expedient: for surely then Sophocles talked idly, and knew not what he spake in saying thus:

And in another place, where dividing the affairs of man, he saith in this wise: