THE CONSOLATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
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t is the condition of the life of men, that they then onlyare before all other creatures, when they themselves knowwhat they are, and whence they are: and they are worsethan cattle, when they will not know what they are, orwhence they are. It is the nature of cattle that they knownot what they are ; but it is a fault in men, that they knownot what they are. It is therefore very plain to thee, thatye are in error, when ye think that any one can be madehonorable by external riches. If any one is made honora-ble with any riches, and endowed with any valuable posses-sions, does not the honor then belong to that which makeshim honorable ? That is to be praised somewhat more rightly.That which is adorned with anything else, is not thereforefairer, though the ornaments be fair, with which it isadorned. If it before was vile, it is not on that accountfairer. Elnow thou, assuredly, that no good hurts him whopossesses it. Thou knowest that I lie not to thee, and alsoknowest that riches often hurt those who possess them, inmany things: and in this chiefly, that men become so liftedtip on account of riches, that frequently the worst man of all,and the most unworthy of all, thinks that he is deserving ofall the wealth which is in this world, if he knew how hemight arrive at it. He who has great riches, dreads manyan enemy. If he had no possessions, he would not need todread any. If thou wert travelling, and hadst much goldabout thee, and thou then shouldest meet with a gang ofthieves, then wouldest not thou be anxious for thy life? Ifthou hadst nothing of this kind, then thou wouldest not needto dread anjrthing, but mightest go singing the old adagewhich men formerly sung, that the naked traveller fears noth-ing. When thou then wert safe, and the thieves were de- 3
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