And with her there walk as her most intimate friends, bold
cunning, and rashness, and flattery, and trick, and deceit,
and false speaking, and false opinion, and impiety, and
injustice, and intemperance, in the middle of which she
advances like the leader of the company, and marshalling her
band, speaks thus to her mind, "My good friend, the treasuries
of all human blessings and stores of happiness are in my
power (for as for divine blessings they are all in heaven), and
besides them you will find nothing.


 



 "If you will dwell with me I will open to you all these
treasures, and will bestow on you for ever the most
unsparing use and enjoyment of them. And I desire to inform you
beforehand of the multitude of good things which I have
stored up there, that if you are so inclined you may of your
own accord live happily, and that if you refuse you may not
decline them out of ignorance. "There is in my power perfect relaxation, and exemption
from all fear, and tranquillity, and a complete absence of all
care and labour, and an abundant variety of colours, and most
melodious intonations of the voice, and all kinds of costly
viands and drinks, and plentiful varieties of the sweetest
scents, and continual loves, and sports such as require no
teacher, and connections which will never be inquired into,
and speeches which will have no shade of reproof in them, and
actions free from all necessity of being accounted for, and a
life free from anxiety, and soft sleep, and abundance without
any feeling of satiety. If therefore you are inclined to take up
your abode with me, I will give you what is suitable for you of
all the things which I have prepared, considering carefully by
eating or drinking what you may be most thoroughly cheered,
or by what sights addressed to your eyes, or by what sounds
visiting your ears, or by the smell of what fragrant odours you
may be most delighted.


"And nothing which you can desire shall be wanting to you;
for you shall find what is produced anew more abundant than
what is expended and consumed;