A man stood philosophically on the prow of his ship, deeply inhaling
the fresh sea air, feeling the warmth of the bright sunshine on his
face, and ignoring or perhaps not hearing the burst of the whip as
it lacerated the backs of the struggling slaves in the galley. But
in the midst of enjoying his view, he felt a particle of dust fly
into his eye. By blinking and rubbing it a little, he removed the
speck, but his eye was reddened.
"Well," he said stoically, "life has many pains and hardships and we
must bear them as best we can." Then relaxing upon a couch and
ordering two slaves to dab his brow with a moistened cloth, he
called upon his friends to sympathize with his suffering, whereupon
he found some satisfaction in complaining of his hurt.