ifyourhousesmokestoomuchforyou，saidtheStoics，walkforthbyallmeans。Butwalkforthwithout，repining，withoutmurmuringorcomplaining。Walkforthcalm，contented，rejoicing，returningthankstotheGods，who，fromtheirinfinitebounty，haveopenedthesafeandquietharbourofdeath，atalltimesreadytoreceiveusfromthestormyoceanofhumanlife；whohavepreparedthissacred，thisinviolable，thisgreatasylum，alwaysopen，alwaysaccessible；altogetherbeyondthereachofhumanrageandinjustice；andlargeenoughtocontainbothallthosewhowish，andallthosewhodonotwishtoretiretoit:anasylumwhichtakesawayfromeverymaneverypretenceofcomplaining，orevenoffancyingthattherecanbeanyevilinhumanlife，exceptsuchashemaysufferfromhisownfollyandweakness。
TheStoics，inthefewfragmentsoftheirphilosophywhichhavecomedowntous，sometimestalkofleavinglifewithagaiety，andevenwithalevity，which，werewetoconsiderthosepassagesbythemselves，mightinduceustobelievethattheyimaginedwecouldwithproprietyleaveitwheneverwehadamind，wantonlyandcapriciously，upontheslightestdisgustoruneasiness。’Whenyousupwithsuchaperson，’saysEpictetus，’youcomplainofthelongstorieswhichhetellsyouabouthisMysianwars。“Nowmyfriend，sayshe，havingtoldyouhowItookpossessionofaneminenceatsuchaplace，IwilltellyouhowI
wasbesiegedinsuchanotherplace。“Butifyouhaveamindnottobetroubledwithhislongstories，donotacceptofhissupper。Ifyouacceptofhissupper，youhavenottheleastpretencetocomplainofhislongstories。Itisthesamecasewithwhatyoucalltheevilsofhumanlife。Nevercomplainofthatofwhichitisatalltimesinyourpowertoridyourself。’
Notwithstandingthisgaietyandevenlevityofexpression，however，thealternativeofleavinglife，orofremaininginit，was，accordingtotheStoics，amatterofthemostseriousandimportantdeliberation。Weoughtnevertoleaveittillweweredistinctlycalledupontodosobythatsuperintendingpowerwhichhadoriginallyplacedusinit。Butweweretoconsiderourselvesascalledupontodoso，notmerelyattheappointedandunavoidabletermofhumanlife。WhenevertheprovidenceofthatsuperintendingPowerhadrenderedourconditioninlifeuponthewholetheproperobjectratherofrejectionthanofchoice；
thegreatrulewhichhehadgivenusforthedirectionofourconduct，thenrequiredustoleaveit。WemightthenbesaidtoheartheawfulandbenevolentvoiceofthatdivineBeingdistinctlycallinguponustodoso。