Роздуми
Book 1
Hisconstantdevotiontotheempire’sneeds.Hisstewardshipofthetreasury.Hiswillingnesstotakeresponsibility—andblame—forboth.
Hisattitudetothegods:nosuperstitiousness.Andhisattitudetomen:nodemagoguery,nocurryingfavor,nopandering.Alwayssober,alwayssteady,andnevervulgarorapreytofads.
Thewayhehandledthematerialcomfortsthatfortunehadsuppliedhiminsuchabundance—withoutarroganceandwithoutapology.Iftheywerethere,hetookadvantageofthem.Ifnot,hedidn’tmissthem.
Nooneevercalledhimglib,orshameless,orpedantic.Theysawhimforwhathewas:amantestedbylife,accomplished,unswayedbyflattery,qualifiedtogovernbothhimselfandthem.
Hisrespectforpeoplewhopracticedphilosophy—atleast,thosewhoweresincereaboutit.Butwithoutdenigratingtheothers—orlisteningtothem.
Hisabilitytofeelateasewithpeople—andputthemattheirease,withoutbeingpushy.
Hiswillingnesstotakeadequatecareofhimself.Notahypochondriacorobsessedwithhisappearance,butnotignoringthingseither.Withtheresultthathehardlyeverneededmedicalattention,ordrugsoranysortofsalveorointment.
This,inparticular:hiswillingnesstoyieldthefloortoexperts—inoratory,law,psychology,whatever—andtosupportthemenergetically,sothateachofthemcouldfulfillhispotential.
