We are all
chained to fortune:
the chain of one is made of gold,
and wide, while that of another is short
and rusty. But what difference does it make?
The same prison surrounds all of us, and even those
who have bound others are bound themselves; unless perchance
you think that a chain on the left side is lighter. Honors bind one man,
wealth another; nobility oppresses some, humility others; some are
held in subjection by an external power, while others obey
the tyrant within; banishments keep some in one place,
the priesthood others. All life is slavery. Therefore
each one must accustom himself to his own
condition and complain about it as
little as possible, and lay hold
of whatever good is to be
found near him.