Therefore, O ye
ſons of Men, why do yee ſeek for True
Happineſs Without, which is plac'd Within
Your ſelves?You are confounded with Ignorance,
and Wrong Opinions.I ſhall in
a few words ſhew thee what is the Soveraign,
and onely True Happineſs. Is there any
thing more Dear, and Pretious to Thee,
than Thy Selfe? Nothing, thou wilt ſay.
Therefore if thou canſt have the full Dominion
of Thy Selfe, thou ſhalt Poſſeſs that
which thou wouldeſt never part with, and
which Fortune ſhall never be able to take
from thee.And that thou mayſt clearly
perceive that True Happineſs conſiſts not
in thoſe things that are in the Power of Fortune,
conſider this Argument: If Bliſs, or
True Happineſs be the Soveraign Good of
Intellectual Nature, neither is that Soveraign
Good which can by any means be taken
from us ; becauſe that Excells it, which
we cannot be deprived of : 'tis manifeſt
that the Inſtability of Fortune can never
bring us into the waies of True Happineſs.
Moreover he that is puft up with this unconſtant
Felicity either knowes, or doth not
know, how Changeable it is. If he knowes
it not, what Happineſs can there be in Ignorance,
the Blindneſs of the Soule? If he
knowes it, he muſt needs be in Fear of loſing,
what he doubts not but may eaſily be loſt.
Wherefore the Dread he is in continually
ſuffers him not to be Happy. Or elſe he
cares not if it be loſt:Thus alſo it appears
to be a matter of ſmall moment, whoſe loſs
can be ſo eaſily born.