Размышления

           "It’slikethis,gentlemenofthejury:Thespotwhereapersondecidestostationhimself,orwhereverhiscommandingofficerstationshim—well,Ithinkthat’swhereheoughttotakehisstandandfacetheenemy,andnotworryaboutbeingkilled,oraboutanythingbutdoinghisduty."

           46."But,mygoodfriend,considerthepossibilitythatnobilityandvirtuearenotsynonymouswiththelossorpreservationofone’slife.Isitnotpossiblethatarealmanshouldforgetaboutlivingacertainnumberofyears,andshouldnotclingtolife,butleaveituptothegods,accepting,aswomensay,that‘noonecanescapehisfate,’andturnhisattentiontohowhecanbestlivethelifebeforehim?"

           47.Towatchthecoursesofthestarsasifyourevolvedwiththem.Tokeepconstantlyinmindhowtheelementsalterintooneanother.Thoughtslikethiswashoffthemudoflifebelow.

           48.[Platohasitright.]Ifyouwanttotalkaboutpeople,youneedtolookdownontheearthfromabove.Herds,armies,farms;weddings,divorces,births,deaths;noisycourtrooms,desertplaces;alltheforeignpeoples;holidays,daysofmourning,marketdays...allmixedtogether,aharmonyofopposites.

           49.Lookatthepast—empiresucceedingempire—andfromthat,extrapolatethefuture:thesamething.Noescapefromtherhythmofevents.

           Whichiswhyobservinglifeforfortyyearsisasgoodasathousand.Wouldyoureallyseeanythingnew?

           50."...