*120* Quem ad modum igitur, si quando ea, quae videtur[377] utilitas, honestati repugnat, diiudicanda res sit, satis est supra disputatum. Sin autem speciem utilitatis etiam voluptas habere dicetur, nulla potest esse ei cum honestate coniunctio. Nam, ut tribuamus aliquid voluptati, condimenti fortasse non nihil, utilitatis certe nihil habebit. *121* Habes a patre munus, Marce fili, mea quidem sententia magnum, sed perinde erit, ut acceperis. Quamquam hi tibi tres libri inter Cratippi commentarios tamquam hospites erunt recipiendi; sed, ut, si ipse venissem Athenas (quod quidem esset factum, nisi me e medio cursu clara voce patria revocasset), aliquando me quoque audires, sic, quoniam his voluminibus ad te profecta vox est mea, tribues iis[378] temporis quantum poteris, poteris autem, quantum voles. Cum vero intellexero te hoc scientiae genere gaudere, tum et praesens tecum propediem, ut spero, et, dum aberis, absens loquar. Vale igitur, mi Cicero, tibique persuade esse te quidem mihi carissimum, sed multo fore cariorem, si talibus monitis[379] praeceptisque laetabere. [372] _viris_ c p, Edd.; _veris_ A B H b. [373] _sicuti_ L c, Edd.; _sicut id_ A B H a b. [374] _dolore. Et_ Müller, Heine; _dolore: ut_ MSS., Bt.; _dolore. Ut_ Ed. [375] _expetantur_ A, Edd.; _expectantur_ B a; _exspectantur_ c. [376] Omitted by Muretus; bracketed by Heine, Ed., et al. [377] _videtur_ c, Edd.; _videretur_ B H a b; _viderentur_ A. [378] _iis_ Edd.; _his_ A B H a b; _hijs_ c. [379] _monitis_ Lambinus, Edd.; _monumentis_ A B H a b; _monimentis_ c. #Apparent Expediency _vs._ Temperance.# *116* XXXIII. We have still left our fourth division, comprising propriety, moderation, temperance, self-restraint, self-control. Can anything be expedient, then, which is contrary to such a chorus of virtues? And yet the Cyrenaics, adherents of the school of Aristippus, and the philosophers who bear the name of Anniceris find all good to consist in pleasure and consider virtue praiseworthy only because it is productive of pleasure. Now that these schools are out of date, Epicurus has come into vogue--an advocate and supporter of practically the same doctrine. Against such a philosophy we must fight it out "with horse and foot," as the saying is, if our purpose is to defend and maintain our standard of moral rectitude. #The fallacy of Epicureanism.#