Miscellanies in Prose and Verse

the injury is done, it is not necessary that he should receive it; for many things may happen which may remove the injury. Thus, chance may throw down an outstretched hand, and cause a dart when hurled to deviate in its course. Thus, some particular thing may repel injuries of whatever kind they may be, and may intercept them in the midst, so that they may be done, and yet not be received.

Besides, justice can suffer nothing unjust, because contraries do not coalesce; but it is impossible for an injury to be done, without being done unjustly. An injury, therefore, cannot be done to a wise man. Nor is it wonderful that no one can do an injury to him; for neither can any one profit him, nor is any thing wanting to the wise man, which he can receive in the place of a gift. For he who gives, ought to have before he gives; but he has nothing with which, when transferred to himself, the wise man will be delighted. No one, therefore, can either injure or profit the wise man; just as divine natures neither desire to be assisted, nor can be injured; and the wise man is allied to, and similar to divinity. Hence the wise man, ardently tending to divine natures, which are sublime, secure, benignant, and which possess an invariable sameness of subsistence, born for the public good, and salutary both to himself