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8. Or is, perhaps, the deliverance from our difficulties to be
found in this, that, since we have said that every one places his idea
of a blessed life in that which has most pleased him, as pleasure
pleased Epicurus, and goodness Zeno, and something else pleased
other people, we say that to live blessedly is nothing else but to live
according to one's own pleasure: so that it is not false that all will
to live blessedly, because all will that which pleases each? For if
this, too, had been proclaimed to the people in the theatre, all
would have found it in their own wills. But when Cicero, too, had
propounded this in opposition to himself, he so refuted it as to make
them blush who thought so. For he says: "But, behold! people who
are not indeed philosophers, but who yet are prompt to dispute, say
that all are blessed, whoever live as they will;" which is what we
mean by, as pleases each. But by and by he has subjoined: "But
this is indeed false. For to will what is not fitting, is itself most
miserable; neither is it so miserable not to obtain what one wills, as
to will to obtain what one ought not." Most excellently and
altogether most truly does he speak. For who can be so blind in his
mind, so alienated from all light of decency, and wrapped up in the
darkness of indecency, as to call him blessed, because he lives as he
will, who lives wickedly and disgracefully; and with no one
restraining him, no one punishing, and no one daring even to blame
him, nay more, too, with most people praising him, since, as divine
Scripture says, "The wicked is praised in his heart's desire: and
he who works iniquity is blessed," gratifies all his most criminal and
flagitious desires; when, doubtless, although even so he would be
wretched, yet he would be less wretched, if he could have had nothing
of those things which he had wrongly willed? For every one is made
wretched by a wicked will also, even though it stop short with will but
more wretched by the power by which the longing of a wicked will is
fulfilled. And, therefore, since it is true that all men will to be
blessed, and that they seek for this one thing with the most ardent
love, and on account of this seek everything which they do seek; nor
can any one love that of which he does not know at all what or of what
sort it is, nor can be ignorant what that is which he knows that he
wills; it follows that all know a blessed life. But all that are
blessed have what they will, although not all who have what they will
are forewith blessed. But they are forewith wretched, who either have
not what they will, or have that which they do not rightly will.
Therefore he only is a blessed man, who both has all things which he
wills, and wills nothing ill.
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