CONDUCT Is it not the duty of every man to consider that temperance is the foundation of every virtue, and to establish the observance of it in his mind before all things? For who, without it, can either learn anything good, or sufficiently practice it? Who, that is a slave to pleasure, is not in an ill condition both as to his body and his mind? It appears to me that a freeman ought to pray that he may never meet a slave of such a character, and that he who is a slave to pleasure should pray to the gods that he may find well disposed masters; for by such means only can a man of that sort be saved. * * You, Antipho, seem to think that happiness consists in luxury and extravagance; but I think to want as little as possible is to make the nearest approach to the gods; that the Divine nature is perfection, and that to be nearest to the Divine nature is to be nearest to perfection. FROM BOOK 2. The following paragraph is from an address by Virtue, represented as a female figure, to Hercules: I will not deceive you * * with promises of pleasure, but will set before you things as they really are, and as the gods have appointed them; for of what is valuable and excellent, the gods grant nothing to mankind without labor and . care; and if you wish the gods, therefore, to be propitious to you, you must worship the gods; if you seek to be beloved by your friends, you must serve your friends; if you desire to be honored by any city, you must benefit that city; if you long to be admired by all Greece for your merit, you must endeavor to be of advantage to all Greece; if you are anxious that the earth should yield you abundance of fruit, you must cultivate the earth; or if you wish to be vigorous in body, you must accustom your body to obey your mind, and exercise it with toil and exertion. * * FROM BOOK 3. The best men, and those most beloved of the gods, he [Socrates] observed, were those who in agriculture performed their agricultural duties well, those who, in medicine, performed their medical duties well, and those who, in political offices, performed their public duties well: but he who did nothing well, he said, was neither useful for any purpose nor acceptable to the gods. FROM BOOK 4. He showed that men of the best natural endowments, possessed of the greatest strength of mind, and most energetic in executing what they undertake, become, if well disciplined and instructed in what they ought to do, most estimable characters, and most beneficent to society, (as they then performed most numerous and important services,) but that if uninstructed, and left in ignorance, they proved utterly worthless and mischievous; for that, not knowing what line of conduct they ought to pursue, they often entered upon evil courses, and being haughty and impetuous, were difficult to be restrained or turned from their purpose, and thus occasioned very many and great evils. Socrates was never in haste that his followers should become skilled in speaking, in action, or in invention, but, previous to such accomplishments, he thought it proper that a love of self-control should be instilled into them; for he considered that those who had acquired those qualifications were, if devoid of self-control, only better fitted to commit injustice and to do mischief. He that orders and holds together the whole universe in which are all things beautiful and good, and who preserves it always unimpaired, undisordered, and undecaying, obeying his will swifter than thought and without irregularity, is himself manifest only in the performance of his mighty works, but is invisible to us while he regulates them. * * I consider that those live best who study best to become as good as possible; and that those live with most pleasure who feel the most assurance that they are daily growing better and better. * * * * It is indeed acknowledged that no man of all that are remembered, ever endured death with greater glory [than Socrates]; for he was obliged to live thirty days after his sentence, and during that time he was seen by all his friends living in no other way than at any preceding period; let it be observed throughout all the former part of his life he had been admired beyond all men for the cheerfulness and tranquility with which he lived. * * * Of those who knew what sort of a man Socrates was, such as were lovers of virtue continue to regret him above all men, even to the present day, as having contributed in the highest degree to their advancement in goodness. To me, such as I have described him, so pious that he did nothing without the sanction of the gods; so just, that he wronged no man even in the most trifling affair, but was of service in the most important matters to those who enjoyed his society; so temperate that he never preferred pleasure to virtue; so wise that he never erred in distinguishing better from worse, needing no counsel from others, but being sufficient in himself to discriminate between them; so able to explain and settle such questions by argument; and so capable of discerning the character of others, of confuting those who were in error, and of exhorting them to virtue and honor, he seemed to be such as the best and happiest of men would be. But if any one disapproves of my opinion, let him compare the conduct of others with that of Socrates, and determine aocordingly.. Forest Dale, Utah. MY THREE INVISIBLE COMPANIONS. BY PRESIDENT W. A. HYDE, OF THE POCATELLO STAKE OF ZION. THE TEMPTER. O thou incarnate, invisible one, ordained of Hell, and permitted of Heaven,-unloved yet inseparable soul-companion, single or innumerable, yet one and the same in essence and object,-I would speak with thee. Thee I know, yet know not; feel,-yet feel not; hear,-yet hear not, but thou must know and feel and hear: now I marshal my soul that I may accuse thee, thou minister and plenipotentiary of evil! Thy mission is destruction, and the end of thy counselings is death. Thou settest thy snare for the child, and the little one shall not escape thee. Scarce had I laid aside the swaddling clothes of the prattler, and donned the vestments of reason, ere thou didst stand by the way to lead me. Thou didst put forth the hand of gentleness and thy words were sweet as honey; yet in thy heart was no pity, and hate welled up in thy bowels as a spring of bitterness. Thou didst set my hands to do evil, and I understood thee not. Thou didst put me to play with flowers, the thorns whereof pricked me, but thy face was covered and thy smile I did not see. O thou arch magician, by what master tricks of necromancy hast thou shared my way through these long years unrebuked. Thou didst come dancing to me in my youth, suiting thy airy lightness to my playful soul, and bravely with wide-open eyes I followed thee, I knew not whither. At thy sportive nod, I cast aside my shield of prudence, and thou didst hurl thy javelin to my center. I cried aloud in my hurt, but the darkness enveloped thee, and I heard thee not till the wound was healed, when thou didst come with modesty and gently did begin again to woo me. O that I might see thee, to know thee; come from the shadow of thy hiding place, that I may hate thee. Who has given thee the key of my heart?-therein are my treasures; and of my mind, for therein are my powers; yet thou plannest while I sleep, the battle of the morrow. The weak places of the citadel, thou hast discovered, and my soul shall be delivered up to thee; thou lookest upon my clean hands and laughest in glee, for these shall be soiled in the battle. Thou wast never a child nor youth, only as similitude has made thee such; ancient and modern arts thou dost possess, and thy cunning has been wrought out through many generations. Upon thy tongue is childish thought for childish mind, and thou reasonest keenly with the philosopher. At the noon of time thou didst stand before a God, and thy words were the wisdom of evil; and now in my manhood, when many wounds have made me fear, and many snares have taught me caution, thou comest ever in new guise. When I Thou liest in ambush, thou arguest, thou disclaimest, thou arrayest my mind against itself, and in my confusion thou takest me. Thou art never ashamed and dost never tire. Resisted, thou dost flee, to return again when I weary of watching. Ten thousand plans dost thou conceive, and thy plots are numberless. gird myself with righteousness thou art near me, and thine eye piercest mine armor. When I pray, thou addest thine unction; when I would give, thou biddest my heart rejoice at my charity; thou revealest to my left hand what my right hand doeth, and giveth me pride in mine uprightness. Where shall I escape thee when thou makest evil of my good? Only in the bondage of evil have I freedom from thee, for then dost thou stand apart and joy at my overthrow. I would that resistance might thwart and defeat thee entirely. Would that mine ears could be locked to thy whisperings: 0 my soul, listen not to this dealer in lies. Yet thou art not wholly victorious, for my soul abhorreth thee; and thou art not wholly devoid of good, for thou hast taught |