50. A cucumber is bitter.—Throw it away.—There are briars in the road.—Turn aside from them.—This is enough. Do not add， And why were such things made in the world？ For thou wilt be ridiculed by a man who is acquainted with nature， as thou wouldst be ridiculed by a carpenter and shoemaker if thou didst find fault because thou seest in their workshop shavings and cuttings from the things which they make. And yet they have places into which they can throw these shavings and cuttings， and the universal nature has no external space； but the wondrous part of her art is that though she has circumscribed herself， everything within her which appears to decay and to grow old and to be useless she changes into herself， and again makes other new things from these very same， so that she requires neither substance from without nor wants a place into which she may cast that which decays. She is content then with her own space， and her own matter， and her own art.
51. Neither in thy actions be sluggish， nor in thy conversation without method， nor wandering in thy thoughts， nor let there be in thy soul inward contention nor external effusion， nor in life be so busy as to have no leisure.
Suppose that men kill thee， cut thee in pieces， curse thee. What then can these things do to prevent thy mind from remaining pure， wise， sober， just？ For instance， if a man should stand by a limpid pure spring， and curse it， the spring never ceases sending up potable water； and if he should cast clay into it or filth， it will speedily disperse them and wash them out， and will not be at all polluted. How then shalt thou possess a perpetual fountain [and not a mere well]？ By forming thyself hourly to freedom conjoined with contentment， simplicity and modesty.