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and　independence；　which；　requiring　no　superfluity　at　home；　distracts
not　the　mind　from　the　common　good。　God　alone　is　entirely　exempt　from
all　want：　of　human　virtues；　that　which　needs　least　is　the　most
absolute　and　most　divine。　For　as　a　body　bred　to　a　good　habit
requires　nothing　exquisite　either　in　clothes　or　food；　so　a　sound　man
and　a　sound　household　keep　themselves　up　with　a　small　matter。　Riches
ought　to　be　proportioned　to　the　use　we　have　of　them；　for　he　that
scrapes　together　a　great　deal；　making　use　of　but　little；　is　not
independent；　for　if　he　wants　them　not；　it　is　folly　in　him　to　make
provision　for　things　which　he　does　not　desire；　or　if　he　does　desire
them；　and　restrains　his　enjoyment　out　of　sordidness；　he　is
miserable。　I　would　fain　know　of　Cato　himself；　if　we　seek　riches　that
we　may　enjoy　them；　why　is　he　proud　of　having　a　great　deal；　and　being
contented　with　little？　But　if　it　be　noble；　as　it　is；　to　feed　on　coarse
bread；　and　drink　the　same　wine　with　our　hinds；　and　not　to　covet
purple；　and　plastered　houses；　neither　Aristides；　nor　Epaminondas；
nor　Manius　Curius；　nor　Caius　Fabricius　wanted　necessaries；　who　took　no
pains　to　get　those　things　whose　use　they　approved　not。　For　it　was
not　worth　the　while　of　a　man　who　esteemed　turnips　a　most　delicate
food；　and　who　boiled　them　himself；　whilst　his　wife　made　bread；　to　brag
so　often　of　a　halfpenny；　and　write　a　book　to　show　how　a　man　may
soonest　grow　rich；　the　very　good　of　being　contented　with　little　is
because　it　cuts　off　at　once　the　desire　and　the　anxiety　for
superfluities。　Hence　Aristides；　it　is　told；　said；　on　the　trial　of
Callias；　that　it　was　for　them　to　blush　at　poverty　who　were　poor
against　their　wills；　they　who　like　him　were　willingly　so　might　glory
in　it。　For　it　is　ridiculous　to　think　Aristides's　neediness　imputable
to　his　sloth；　who　might　fairly　enough　by　the　spoil　of　one　barbarian；
or　seizing　one　tent；　have　become　wealthy。　But　enough　of　this。
　　Cato's　expeditions　added　no　great　matter　to　the　Roman　empire；
which　already　was　so　great；　as　that　in　a　manner　it　could　receive　no
addition；　but　those　of　Aristides　are　the　noblest；　most　splendid；　and
distinguished　actions　the　Grecians　ever　did；　the　battles　at
Marathon；　Salamis；　and　Plataea。　Nor　indeed　is　Antiochus；　nor　the
destruction　of　the　walls　of　the　Spanish　towns；　to　be　compared　with
Xerxes；　and　the　destruction　by　sea　and　land　of　so　many　myriads　of
enemies；　in　all　of　which　noble　exploits　Aristides　yielded　to　none；
though　he　left　the　glory　and　the　laurels；　like　the　wealth　and　money；
to　those　who　needed　and　thirsted　more　greedily　after　them：　because
he　was　superior　to　those　also。　I　do　not　blame　Cato　for　perpetually
boasting　and　preferring　himself　before　all　others；　though　in　one　of
his　orations　he　says　that　it　is　equally　absurd　to　praise　and　dispraise
one's　self：　yet　he　who　does　not　so　much　as　desire　others'　praises；
seems　to　me　more　perfectly　virtuous；　than　he　who　is　always　extolling
himself。　A　mind　free　from　ambition　is　a　main　help　to　political
gentleness；　ambition；　on　the　contrary；　is　hard…hearted；　and　the
greatest　fomenter　of　envy；　from　which　Aristides　was　wholly　exempt；
Cato　very　subject　to　it。　Aristides　assisted　Themistocles　in　matters　of
highest　importance；　and；　as　his　subordinate　officer；　in　a　manner
raised　Athens：　Cato；　by　opposing　Scipio；　almost　broke　and　defeated　his
expedition　against　the　Carthaginians；　in　which　he　overthrew
Hannibal；　who　till　then　was　even　invincible；　and；　at　last；　by
continually　raising　suspicions　and　calumnies　against　him；　he　chased
him　from　the　city；　and　inflicted　a　disgraceful　sentence　on　his　brother
for　robbing　the　state。
　　Finally；　that　temperance　which　Cato　always　highly　cried　up；
Aristides　preserved　truly　pure　and　untainted。　But　Cato's　marriage；
unbecoming　his　dignity　and　age；　is　a　considerable　disparagement；　in
this　respect；　to　his　character。　For　it　was　not　decent　for　him　at
that　age　to　bring　home　to　his　son　and　his　wife　a　young　woman；　the
daughter　of　a　common　paid　clerk　in　the　public　service：　but　whether
it　were　for　his　own　gratification　or　out　of　anger　at　his　son；　both　the
fact　and　the　pretence　were　unworthy。　For　the　reason　he　pretended　to
his　son　was　false：　for　if　he　desired　to　get　more　as　worthy　children；
he　ought　to　have　married　a　well…born　wife；　not　to　have　contented
himself；　so　long　as　it　was　unnoticed；　with　a　woman　to　whom　he　was
not　married；　and；　when　it　was　discovered；　he　ought　not　to　have
chosen　such　a　father…in…law　as　was　easiest　to　be　got；　instead　of　one
whose　affinity　might　be　honourable　to　him。




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