Cato the philosopher, one of Rome’s greatest men, being in prison and
in poverty, rallied against his fate, and was sorely grieved and said:
why have you taken so much away from me? Then he answered himself in
the place of fate and said: my son, how finely have I not brought you
up and educated you. I have given you all you have asked me. I have
given you the lordship of Rome. I have made you master of many
delights, of great palaces, of much gold, fine horses and beautiful
accoutrements. O my son, why do you complain? Is it because I leave
you?
And Cato answered: yes, I grieve for this. And fate replied: my son,
you are a wise man. Do you not remember that I have other little sons,
whom I must take care of? Do you want me to abandon them? That would
not be right. Ah! what a host of children I have to support! My son, I
cannot stay longer with you. Do not complain, for I have taken away
from you nothing, since what you have lost was not yours. For what can
be lost is not one’s own. And what is not personal to you is not yours.