Of course they don't
mind it.--I remember another passage I think says something to
the same purpose--one in Epictetus himself," continued Malcolm,
drawing the little book from his pocket and turning over the leaves,
while Lenorme sat waiting, wondering, and careful not to interrupt
him.
He turned to the forty-second chapter, and began to read from the
Greek.
"I've forgotten all the Greek I ever had," said Lenorme.
Then Malcolm turned to the opposite page and began to read the
Latin.
"Tut! tut!" said Lenorme, "I can't follow your Scotch pronunciation."
"That's a pity," said Malcolm: "it's the right way."
"I don't doubt it. You Scotch are always in the right! But just
read it off in English--will you?"
Thus adjured, Malcolm read slowly and with choice of word and phrase
"'And if any one shall say unto thee, that thou knowest nothing,
notwithstanding thou must not be vexed: then know thou that thou
hast begun thy work.'--That is," explained Malcolm, "when you
keep silence about principles in the presence of those that are
incapable of understanding them.--'For the sheep also do not
manifest to the shepherds how much they have eaten, by producing
fodder; but, inwardly digesting their food, they produce outwardly
wool and milk. And thou therefore set not forth principles before
the unthinking, but the actions that result from the digestion of
them.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166