[14]
You would think it made no difference whether you were
standing in the forum with this man, or with a barbarian from Aethiopia; there he was, in that
sense, without flavour, a mute, slow, uncivilized piece of goods. You would be apt to suppose
him a Cappadocian just escaped out of a lot of slaves for sale. Then, again, how lustful was
he at home,—how impure, how intemperate. He was not like a front-door, open for the
reception of legitimate pleasures, but when he began to devote himself to literature, and,
beastly rather a postern for all sorts of secret gratification. And glutton that he was, to
learn philosophy with the Greeks, then he became an Epicurean, not because he was really much
devoted to that sect such as it is, but because he was caught by that one expression about
pleasure. And he has masters, none of those foolish fellows who go on for whole days
discussing duty and virtue,—who exhort men to labour, to industry, to encounter
dangers for the sake of their country, but men who argue that no hour ought to be unoccupied
by pleasure; that in every part of the body there ought always to be some joy and delight to
be perceived.
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