Accordingly, where he has skill, there he has
confidence. Bring any single person who knows nothing of music, and the
musician does not care for him. But in the matter where a man knows
nothing and has not been practised, there he is anxious. What matter is
this? He knows not what a crowd is or what the praise of a crowd is.
However, he has learned to strike the lowest chord and the highest; but
what the praise of the many is, and what power it has in life, he
neither knows nor has he thought about it. Hence he must of necessity
tremble and grow pale. Is any man then afraid about things which are not
evils? No. Is he afraid about things which are evils, but still so far
within his power that they may not happen? Certainly he is not. If then
the things which are independent of the will are neither good nor bad,
and all things which do depend on the will are within our power, and no
man can either take them from us or give them to us, if we do not
choose, where is room left for anxiety? But we are anxious about our
poor body, our little property, about the will of Caesar; but not anxious
about things internal. Are we anxious about not forming a false opinion?
No, for this is in my power. About not exerting our movements contrary
to nature? No, not even about this.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93