Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-22
as,isesllaneous 8eaains
BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY
Examples of Human Virtue That Ha,

BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY
Examples of Human Virtue That Have
Made the World Better.
[Under this heading from time to
time will be published g. series of au-
thenticated extracts dealing with his
torical examples of the good and bad
in human nature, mostly good; but all
furnishing an admirable chart of con-
duct to be emulated or avoided:
i PATIENCE.
Sentiments.
The evils by which life Is embitter-
ed may be reduced to these four: l.
Natural evils, or those to which we
are by nature subject as men and as
perishable animals. The greatest of
| these are the death of those whom we
love, and ourselves. 2. Those from
which we might be expected by
virtuous and prudent conduct, but
which are the inseparable conse-
quences Of imprudence or vice, which
we shall call punishment; as infamy
proceeding from fraud. poverty from
prodigality, debility and disease from
intemperance. 8. Those by which
the fortitude Of the good is exercis-
ed, such as the prosecutions raised
against them by the wicked. To
these may be added, 4. The opposi-
ton against which we must perpetu-
ally struggle, arising from the diversi-
ty of sentiments, manners and char
acters, Of the persons among whom
we live.
Under all these evils, patience Is
not only necessary, but useful; 1t is
necessary because the laws Of nature
have made 1t a duty, and to murmur
against natural events is to affront
Providence; it is useful because it
renders our sufferings lighter, short
er, and less dangerous.
1t is fancy, not the reason Of things,
that makes life so uneasy to US. 1t
is not the place nor the condition,
but the mind alone, that can make
anybody happy or miserable.
He that values himself upon con-
science, not opinion, never needs re-
proaches. When I am evil spoken
of, 1 take 1t thus: If have not de-
served 1t, I am never the worse; If
have, I will mind. ...
Men will have the same veneration,
for a person that suffers adversely
without detection, as for demolished
temples, the very ruins whereof are
reverenced and adored
Examples.
OF all the philosophers which the
sect Of the -Stoics ever produced,
Epictetus is by far the most re-
nowned. He is supposed to have
been a native Of Hierapolis in Phrygia,
was for some time a slave, and be-
longed to Epaphroditus, one Of Nero's
life guard. He reduced all his phi
losophy to two points, viz: ITO suffer
evils with patience, and enjoy pleas
ures with moderation" which he ex-
pressed in these two celebrated words,
Bear and Forbear. OF the former he
gave a memorable example. AS his
master was one day squeezing his
leg in order to torment him, Epictet-
us said to him very calmly, "You will
break my Leg" which happened ac-
cordingly; did I not tell you," said
he smiling, that you would break
-. CoTe xyii C,,i1 n,
s9s.
One Of the most distinguished quail
tiles Of Socrates was a tranquility of
soul that no accident, no loss, no in
jury, no ill-treatment, could ever al
ter. Some have believed that he was
by nature hasty and passionate, and
that the moderation to which he had
attained, was the effect Of his re-
flections and endeavors to subdue and
correct himself; which would still
add to his merit.
Seneca tells us that he had de-
sired his friends to apprize him when
ever they saw him ready to fall into
a passion, and had given them that
privilege over him which he took him
self with them. Indeed, the best time
to call in aid against rage and anger
that have so violent and sudden a
power over us, is when we are yet
ourselves and in cold blood. At the
first signal, the least animadversion,
he either softened his tone or was
silent. Finding himself in great emo
tion aaginst a slave, Il would beat
you If were not angry" says he.
Having received box on the ear, he
contented himself by only saying
with a smile, 1T is misfortune not
to know when to put on a hemlet."
Socrates, meeting a gentleman OF
rank in the street, saluted him, but
the gentleman took no notice of it.
passed, told the philosc pher that they
were so eXasperated at the mans in
civility that they had a good mind to
resent it. But he very calmly made
answer, IF you meet any person on
the road in a worse habit Of body
than yourself, would you think that
you had any reason to be enraged at
him on that account? If not, pray
then, what greater reason can you
have for being incensed at man of
worse habit of mind than any of
yourselves?" But without going out
of his house, he found enough to ex-
ercise his patience in all its extent.
Xantippe, his wife, put it to severest
test by her captious, passionate and
violent disposition. Never was a wo-
man of so furious and fantastical a
spirit and so bad a temper. There
was no kind of abuse or injurious
treatment which he had not expert
enced from her. She was once so
transported with rage against him
that she tore off his cloak in the
open street. Whereupon his friends
told him that such treatment was
insufferable, and that he ought tol
give her a severe drubbing for it.