Yet, as saith Aristotle, it was well done of him to prefer a good beast before such a man. For, the truth is, a dog or ass is of more value than a timorous and cowardly man that wallows in wealth and luxury. Again, Thetis seems to do indecently, when she exhorts her son to follow his pleasures and minds him of companying with women. But even here, on the other side, the continency of Achilles is worthy to be considered; who, though he dearly loved Briseis—newly returned to him too,—yet, when he knew his life to be near its end, does not hasten to the fruition of pleasures, nor, when he mourns for his friend Patroclus, does he (as most men are wont) shut himself up from all business and neglect his duty, but only bars himself from recreations for his sorrow’s sake, while yet he gives himself up to action and military employments. And Archilochus is not praiseworthy either, who, in the midst of his mourning for his sister’s husband drowned in the sea, contrives to dispel his grief by drinking and merriment. And yet he gives this plausible reason to justify that practice of his, To drink and dance, rather than mourn, I choose; Nor wrong I him, whom mourning can’t reduce. For, if he judged himself to do nothing amiss when he followed sports and banquets, sure, we shall not do worse, if in whatever circumstances we follow the study of philosophy, or manage public affairs, or go to the market or to the Academy, or follow our husbandry. Wherefore those corrections also are not to be rejected which Cleanthes and Antisthenes have made use of. For Antisthenes, seeing the Athenians all in a tumult in the theatre, and justly, upon the pronunciation of this verse,— Except what men think base, there’s nothing ill,[81] presently subjoined this corrective, What’s base is base,—believe men what they will. And Cleanthes, hearing this passage concerning wealth: Great is th’ advantage that great wealth attends, For oft with it we purchase health and friends;[82] presently altered it thus: Great disadvantage oft attends on wealth; We purchase whores with’t and destroy our health. And Zeno corrected that of Sophocles, The man that in a tyrant’s palace dwells His liberty for’s entertainment sells, after this manner: No: if he came in free, he cannot lose His liberty, though in a tyrant’s house; meaning by a free man one that is undaunted and magnanimous, and one of a spirit too great to stoop beneath itself. And why may not we also, by some such acclamations as those, call off young men to the better side, by using some things spoken by poets after the same manner? For example, it is said, ’Tis all that in this life one can require, To hit the mark he aims at in desire. To which we may reply thus: ’Tis false; except one level his desire At what’s expedient, and no more require.