limbs, gradually encircle our living bodies, and burst our heart,
yet if our heart be filled with a good conscience, it will rejoice
in the fire which will make its good faith shine before the world.

XXII. Now let that question also which has been already stated be
again brought forward; Why is it that we should wish to be grateful
when we are dying, that we should carefully weigh the various
services rendered us by different individuals, and carefully review
our whole life, that we may not seem to have forgotten any
kindness? Nothing then remains for us to hope for; yet when on the
very threshold, we wish to depart from human life as full of
gratitude as possible. There is in truth an immense reward for this
thing merely in doing it, and what is honourable has great power to
attract men's minds, which are overwhelmed by its beauty and
carried off their balance, enchanted by its brilliancy and
splendour. "Yet," argues our adversary, "from it many advantages
take their rise, and good men obtain a safer life and love, and the
good opinion of the better class, while their days are spent in
greater security when accompanied by innocence and gratitude."

Indeed, nature would have been most unjust had she rendered this
great blessing miserable, uncertain, and fruitless. But consider
this point, whether you would make your way to that virtue, to
which it is generally safe and easy to attain, even though the path
lay over rocks and precipices, and were beset with fierce beasts
and venomous serpents. A virtue is none the less to be desired for
its own sake, because it has some adventitious profit connected
with it: indeed, in most cases the noblest virtues are accompanied
by many extraneous advantages, but it is the virtues that lead the
way, and these merely follow in their train.