伊壁鸠鲁的道德论

the Pharifees among the J^ws) have been extravagant in tbe-Drfcription of their Wife' Man i the Qualifications tfiey have beftow'd upon him, have even drain'd their Imiginations •, the State they place him in, was the Work of thek Pride and VanityVand his Attributesare fi> manyWitnefles of their Folly. j This Man^ who had his Exiftehce only in ■ their Brains, is prefumptuous enough todi- ' fpute ExceHency, even With the Deity it . felf. He would perfwade People, that in the vileft Slavery, He is the Only Man that bears the Scepter, that ti^e alone rules the Commonwealth ^ that He is the Only Orator. Poet, Good Citi2ea,and true Friend j He dares to maintain, that uotwithftanding all the Deformities of Body, He's the onlf beautiful Perfon ; that in the greateft diftrefs. He's the only Rich Man •, and tho' extraded from the Dreggs of the People, He's the only Noble born. He knew all that the reft of Mankind wa* ignorant of ^ was incapable of Lyi^ig, fixtin his Opinion, out of the infult of th^ Paflions, and without the leaft dread of Torments ^ in Ihort, always of an even Temper, and ever in&llible. Neverthelefs, as thefe Philofophers reflcftcd, that the natural Difpofition of Man, caus'd in him fuch Motions, that if very violent and ftrong, were ftil'd Paflions,hard to overcome ^ and that thefe Sallies, pror ceeding from Temper and Conftitution, were infeparablc from Life ; they bethought thcmfelves,by certain fallacious Reafonipgs, B 3 to Ite E p I c u R u s'i Maralsy