flave. In the fall of Varus (k), how many born of the most splendid parentage, and not unjustly expecting, for their exploits in war, a senatorial degree (1), hath fortune caft down? She hath made of one a fhepherd, of another a cottager. And can you now defpife the man, whofe fortune is fuch, into which, while you defpife it, 'you may chance to fall? I will not enter into fo largea field of discourse, as to dispute on the ufe of servants, whom we are apt to treat with contumely, pride and cruelty: but this is the fum of what I would prefcribe; live fo with an inferior, as you would have a fuperior live with you (m). As often as you think on the power you have over a servant, reflect on the power your master has over you. But you say you have no mafter : be it fo; the world goes well at present (n); it may not do fo always; you may, one day, be a fervant yourself. Do you know at what time Hecuba became a flave? as alfo Cræfus; and the mother of Darius(0); and Plato, and Diogenes (p)? Live therefore courteously with your fervant; vouchfafe him conference; admit him to counfel, and even to your table. I know the whole band of fops will cry out upon me, alledging, that nothing can be more mean, nothing more scandalous : and yet I have caught fome of thefe kiffing the hand of another's fervant. See you not by what means our ancestors withdrew all manner of envy from mafters, and contumely from fervants? They called a master, pater familias, the father of a family; and fervants, Familiares, (as the word is ftill used in our Mimes) their familiars (q). They inftituted certain feftivals, when the fervants not only fat at table with their mafters, but were allowed to bear honourable rule in the Houfe, and enact laws; in short they looked upon a family as a little commonwealth. What then, fhall I admit all fervants to my table? Yes, as well as all your children: you are mistaken if you think I would reject even those of the meaner fort; fuppofe, the groom, or the cowkeeper; I esteem them not according to their vocation, but their manners the manners are a man's own; his vocation, fuch as it is, is the gift of Fortune; let fome fit down with you, because they are worthy, and others that they may become fo; what remains in them of low and fervile conversation, may be thrown off by converfing with their betters. There is no reafon, my Lucilius, that you should feek a friend only in the Forum, or at Court; if you fearch diligently, you may poffibly find a truer friend at home: good materials are often loft for want of a workman; for once make the experiment: as he is a fool, who, when buying a horse, inspects or examines nothing more than the bridle and faddle, he is as great à fool who efteems a man from his drefs, or his condition in life, which is alfo a fort of drefs. Is he a flave? His mind may yet be free: is he a flave? Why fhould this prejudice you against him? Shew me the man who is not a flave (r). One is a flave to luft; another to covetousness; another to ambition; and all to fear. I can fhew you a man of confular dignity, a flave to an old woman; a very rich man a flave to his handmaid; and many a young nobleman, who are the very bond-flaves of players. No flavery is more infamous than that which is voluntary: there is no reason, therefore, that fome over-nice perfons should deter you from shewing yourself affable and good-humour'd to your fervants; instead of carrying yourself proudly as their fuperior: let them rather honour you than fear you (s). Some one now will fay that I am inviting every flave to affume the cap (of Liberty), and degrading every master from his proper station, because I have faid, rather let them refpect, than fear you, what, fays he, must they only reverence him, as his clients, and fuch as attend his leveè? He that will fay this, forgets, that what fatisfies God, may well fatisfy a master: God is reverenced and loved: love cannot accord with fear. I think therefore you act justly in not requiring your fervants to fear you; and in chaftizing them with words only; it is for brutes to be corrected by the fcourge; not every thing that offends, hurts us: daintinefs compells us to outrage; fo that the least thing that thwarts our inclination can put us in a paffion; we take upon us to act like Kings (t); who not confidering their own ftrength, and the weakness of others, are caufelefsly enraged as if they reVOL. I. ceived Y an injury; when the greatness of their state hath rendered them quite fecure against any fuch danger: this they know, but by an unjust complaint, they pretend to have received an injury, in order to commit one themselves. I am unwilling to detain you any longer; for I think you have no need of exhortation. Good morals, among other advantages, have this quality; they enjoy felf-complacency, and are always fteady; but a wicked disposition is ever light and changeable; no matter whether the change be for the better, a change is enough. (a) Eradition, with the Stoicks is the fame as wisdom. Vid. Lipf. Manud. II. diff. 1. (b) Like him in the old comedy. (Ariftoph. Ran. 737) (c) From Cato.-But furely they must be either very bad servants, or bad mafters.-See this proverbial sentence, and other paffages of this epiftle fully treated of in Macrob. Saturn I. c. 11. It is notorious, that the Lacedæmonians not only, in their general conduct treated their flaves with great harshnefs and infolence, but even maffacred them, on several occafions, in cold blood, and without provocation; left from growing too numerous or powerful, they might endanger the State. But as M. de Montefquieu very properly obferves, their danger was owing to this inhuman treatment; whereas among the Athenians, who treated their flaves with great gentleness, there is no inftance of their proving troublesome or dangerous to the public. Leland Vol. II. p. 45, 1. 4. There is a pertinent reflection in Lord Orvery's obfervations (on Plin. Ep. 1. 3. 14.) "What can be bafer, what more inhuman, than to opprefs fervants and flaves, miferable by their fituation, and only to be made lefs fo, by that proper indulgence, which is due to the meanest of our "fellow-creatures, and which will always be allowed them by those, who spring from the feeds of "virtue, and who fcorn to wear honours, they have not deserved? When we behold a barbarous "mafter and an ill-natured Lord, it is no unjust presumption, notwithstanding his load of titles, "to conclude, that by fome accident or another he certainly sprouts from the refufe of the people, "and the dregs of mankind. (e) These dextrous carvers were called Chironomontes, Juv. V. 121. Et Chironomonta volanti Cultello, donec peragat dictata magiftri. Meanwhile thy indignation yet to raise, The carver, dancing round each dish, furveys With flying knife; and as his art directs, With proper gesture, every fowl diffects. Bowles. Sen. de beat. Vit. c. 17. Carpi, Carptores; Petron. Scindendi opfonii Magiftri.-Vid. Sidon. Apoll. 1. 4. Ep. 7. Ib. 2. 12. Quantâ arte fcindantur aves in frufta non enormia, (ƒ) Such a one was Calliodorus, to whom Martial, Feftivè credis te, Calliodore, jocari, Et folum multo permaduiffe fale; At fi ego non bellè, fed verò, dixero, quiddam, You think it fmart, my friend, to cut your jets, You'd find no Houfe to be invited to. M. (g) Califtus was the freed-man of Claudius, yet this is faid not of Claudius, but of fome former mafter. Infra domino quam multa] Sc. by the favour of Claudius. al leg. domini; i. e. of his mafter's; viz. Claudius. (b) As Apuleius fays jocofely of himfelf, Tunc præco diruptis faucibus et rancâ voce faucius, in meas fortunas ridiculos conftruebat jocos; The cryer then ftrained bis jaws, and tore his throat, till he was quite boarfe, in fetting me off with his ridiculous jefts. (i) Apologavit.] A word in use among the vulgar, but from a Greek original. Azonéyer. Our to apologize, from the fame. (4) Variana clade. So, Lipfius. Al. Marianâ clade. But I think the former preferable; as it happened in the time of Auguftus, and the effects were ftill visible. Quinctilius Varus, with three legions, was overthrown, and flain, by Arminius. (4) Having ferved three years, as a military Tribune, according to the inftitution of Auguftus. Vid. Lipf. Milit. II. c. 20. (m) Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, even fo do unto them; for, this is the law and the prophets. Matth. 7, 12. Mafters give unto your fervants, that which is equal and juft; knowing that ye also have a master in Heaven. Col. 4. 1. (2) Bona ætas.] Or, you are young, as, mula ætas, fignifies old age. (2) Hecuba, the wife of Priam, the last King of Troy. Crafus, the last King of Lydia taken prifoner by Cyrus. The mother of Darius, taken prifoner by Alexander. () Plato, having given fome offence to Dionyfius in Sicily, he ordered him to be fold; and accordingly he was carried to Egina, and there fold for twenty pounds, to Anniceris, the Cyrenaic; who very readily gave him his liberty, and restored him to his friends at Athens. When Diogenes was to be fold for a flave, he cry'd, Who will buy a master? And to him that bought him, you must difpofe yourself to obey me, (said he) as great men do their phyficians. (9) Familiares. See Ep. 77. Sidon. Apol. 1. 4. Ep. 8. () Hor. Sat. I. 4. 25.-Quemvis media erue turba Aut ab avaritiae, aut miferâ ambitione laborat Take me a man, at venture from the croud, And he's ambitius covetous, or proud; One burns to madness for a wedded dame.-Francis. Whosoever committeth fin is the fervant of fin. 1 John. 8. 92. Know ye not that to whom ye fold yourselves fervants to obey, his fervants ye are to whom ye obey. Y 2 Rom. 6. 16. (s) Thers (s) There is no fear in love, but perfect love cafleth out fear, because fear hath torment: be that feareth is not made perfe& in love. 1. John, 4. 18. (1) Sen. (de ira. 1. ii. c. 31.) Regis quifque intra fe habet animam, ut licentiam fibi dari in alterum velit, in fe nolit.---We have too many inftances of this tyranny even in our own history; fuch were Rich. II. Edw. IV. Henry VIII, upon particular occafions. EPISTLE XLVIII, On focial Virtue, and the Trifling of Sophistry. THE Epiftle which you favoured me with, Lucilius, on your journey, almost as long as the journey itself, I fhall anfwer at another opportunity. I must retire awhile, and confider what counsel it will be proper to give you: for as you, when you applied to me, took time to confider of it; have I not a right to claim the fame indulgence; when the queftion is of such a nature (a), as to require more time to folve, than to propose it; especially as one thing may be expedient for ther for me? I am fpeaking again as an Epicurean (b): for indeed what is expedient for me, is also expedient for you; or I am not your friend, if what concerns you, is not of like concern to me. you, and ano Friendship makes a mutual interchange of things neceffary, be it either in profperity or adverfity: true friends have all things in common (c): nor can any one live happily who lives to himself alone, and confiders nothing further than his own advantage: you must live for others if you would live honourably for yourself. This focial virtue is to be diligently and religiously obferved, which blends us all one with another, and points out one common right to mankind; but has most efficacy in cultivating the interior fociety of friendship: for he will certainly have all things in common with a friend, who knows that he hath many things in common with man, as his fellow-creature. Therefore, Lucilius, best of men, I had rather thefe fubtle difputants would direct 4 me, |