Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 7

Ne gratis Idomeneus in epistulam meam venerit) ipse eam de suo redimet. Ad hunc Epicurus illam nobilem sententiam scripsit, qua hortatur, ut Pythoclea locupletem non publica nec ancipiti via faciat. Si vis, inquit, Pythoclea divitem facere, non pecuniae adiciendum, sed cupiditati detrahendum est.

Il ne faut pas qu’Idoménée soit gratuitement arrivé sous ma plume ; il payera le port de ma lettre. C’est à lui qu’Épicure adresse cette remarquable pensée, pour le dissuader d’enrichir Pythoclès par la voie ordinaire, toujours douteuse : « Si tu veux enrichir Pythoclès, n’ajoute point à son avoir, retranche à ses désirs.

In order that Idomeneus may not be introduced free of charge into my letter, he shall make up the indebtedness from his own account. It was to him that Epicurus addressed the well-known saying urging him to make Pythocles rich, but not rich in the vulgar and equivocal way. “If you wish,” said he, “to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his store of money, but subtract from his desires.”