37. Does Panthea or Fergamus now sit by the tomb of Verus?B Does

Chaurias or Diotimus sit by the tomb of Hadrianus? That would be ridiculous. Well, suppose they did sit there, would the dead be conscious of it? and if the dead were conscious, would they be pleased? and if they were pleased, would that make them immortal? Was it not in the order of destiny that these persons too should first become old women and old men and then die? What then would those do after these were dead? All this is foul smell and blood in a bag.

[A] The text is corrupt at the beginning of the paragraph, but the meaning will appear if the second [Greek: logikôn] is changed into [Greek: holôn] though this change alone will not establish the grammatical completeness of the text.

[B] "Verus" is a conjecture of Saumaise, and perhaps the true reading.

38. If thou canst see sharp, look and judge wisely, + says the philosopher.

39. In the constitution of the rational animal I see no virtue which is opposed to justice; but I see a virtue which is opposed to love of pleasure, and that is temperance.

40. If thou takest away thy opinion about that which appears to give thee pain, thou thyself standest in perfect security.—Who is this self?—The reason.—But I am not reason.—Be it so. Let then the reason itself not trouble itself. But if any other part of thee suffers, let it have its own opinion about itself (vii. 16).