What is that which as to this material (our life) can be done or said in the way most conformable to reason. For whatever this may be, DOGMAit is in thy power to do it or to say it, and do not make excuses that thou art hindered.

Thou wilt not cease to lament till thy mind is in such a condition that, what luxury is to those who enjoy pleasure, such shall be to thee, in the matter which is subjected and presented to thee, the doing of the things which are conformable to man's constitution; for a man ought to consider as an enjoyment everything which it is in his power to do according to his own TERMnature.

And it is in his power everywhere. Now, it is not given to a cylinder to move everywhere by its own motion, nor yet to water nor to fire, nor to anything else which is governed by nature or an irrational soul, for the things which check them and stand in the way are many. But TERMintelligence and TERMreason DOGMAare able to go through everything that opposes them, and in such manner as they are formed by nature and as they choose.

Place before thy eyes this facility with which the reason will be carried through all things, as fire upwards, as a stone downwards, as a cylinder down an inclined surface, and seek for nothing further. For all other obstacles either affect the body only which is a dead thing; or, except through TERMopinion and the yielding of the reason itself, they do not crush nor do any TERMharm of any kind; for if they did, he who felt it would immediately become bad.

Now, in the case of all things which have a certain constitution, whatever harm may happen to any of them, that which is so affected becomes consequently worse; but in the like case, a man becomes both better, if one may say so, and more worthy of praise by making a right use of these accidents. DOGMAAnd finally remember that nothing harms him who is really a citizen, which does not harm the state; nor yet does anything harm the state, which does not harm law (order); DOGMAand of these things which are called misfortunes not one harms law. What then does not harm law does not harm either state or citizen.

What, upon this material, can be done or said in the soundest way? Whatever it may be, DOGMAit is open to you to do it or to say it — and do not plead that you are hindered.

You will not stop groaning until you feel that doing, upon the material laid before you and falling to you, what befits the constitution of a human being is to you what luxury is to those who live for pleasure; for one must reckon it an enjoyment, everything one is free to do according to one's own TERMnature.

And everywhere one is free to. To a cylinder it is not given to move everywhere by its own motion, nor to water, nor to fire, nor to anything else governed by nature or an irrational soul — for the things that fence them in and stand in the way are many. But TERMintellect and TERMreason DOGMAcan travel through everything that resists, as they are framed by nature to do and as they will.

Set this ease before your eyes, by which reason will be carried through all things as fire upward, a stone downward, a cylinder down a slope — and seek nothing further. For the remaining hindrances either belong to the poor body, which is a corpse, or else, TERMapart from opinion and reason's own yielding, they neither crush nor do any TERMharm whatever; for if they did, the one who suffered them would immediately become bad.

For in all other constructions, whatever harm befalls any of them, the thing so affected becomes worse for it; but here, if one may say so, a man actually becomes better and more praiseworthy by using rightly what falls to him. And in short, remember: DOGMAnothing harms the citizen by nature that does not harm the city, and nothing harms the city that does not harm the law; DOGMAand of these so-called misfortunes not one harms the law. What, then, does not harm the law harms neither city nor citizen.