when they happily fucceed (a)? I do not at all wonder, that all manner of evils attend us from our very childhood. We grow up, under the involuntary curfes of our parents. Let the gods at length hear our difinterested prayer (b): how long must we importune them for something extraordinary, for our support? How long fhall we fill all the fields around our great cities with tillage? How long must a whole province mow for us? How long shall a fleet of fhips, from more than one sea, be fcarce fufficient to fupply the table of one man? The ox is fatisfied with the pasture of a few acres: one foreft fufficeth for the maintenance of many elephants: but men must be pamper'd with the produce both of fea and land.-Hath nature then given us fuch an infatiable paunch, with fo fmall a body, that we should furpass the greedinefs of the largest and most voracious animals? No: for how little falls to the share of nature! and indeed the requires but little. It is not the hunger of the belly, that puts us to this expence, but ambition, pride and luxury. These belly-mongers, therefore, as Salluft fays (c), let us rank among the number of beasts not of men; and fome of them not even among animals; but among the dead. That man only lives who is employ'd in fome ufeful exercife: fuch as conceal themselves in indolence, make a grave of their home: you may very juftly fix an inscription in marble over their doors; (bic fitus eft—) for they have foreftalled their own death. ΑΝΝΟΤΑΤΙΟΝ S, &c. • This Epiftle and the two following Muretus fuppofes not to be entire, but only mere fragments of Epiftles. Lipfius on the contrary thinks them entire, and looks upon them as certain thoughts or reveries of Seneca, which he was pleased to publish under the title of Epiftles. And, furely, as far as they go, they are equal to the reft. (a) Pauci dignofcere poffunt Vera bona, atque illis multum diversa, remotâ Erroris nebulâ. Quid enim ratione timemus Aut cupimus? Quid tam dextro pede concipis, ut te Evertêre domos totas optantibus ipfis Dii faciles.-Juv. x. 3. (f. operantibus.) Look And what fays St. Peter in this refpect? Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, you in due time, cafting your care upon him, for he careth for you. i. Pet. v. 6. See Matth. vi. 25. Sam. iv. 10. that he may exalt alfo Pf. v. 22. (d) See Ep. 55. EPISTLE LXI, LET On Old Age and Death. us no longer indulge the will. I follow this maxim, Lucilius, that, now being old, I may not seem to hanker after those things which pleased me when I was a boy (a). Night and day this is my task, at least 4 this way. this is my intention; to reform every evil And this I do, that one day may be as a whole life; not that I indeed take it for my last; but look upon it, as what poffibly may prove fo. In fuch a difpofition of mind, I now write this epistle to you, as if death was to call upon me before I had finished it. Be it fo; I am ready to attend him; and therefore truly enjoy life; because it is of little concern to me, how far death is off. Before old age, my study and care was to live well; and now in old age, it is to die well; but to die well, is to die willingly. Endeavour, Lucilius, to bring yourself to such a pass, as to do and faffer nothing unwillingly: what must be, must be: neceffity is applicable to one that maketh refiftance, not to the willing: there is no neceffity, where the will submits: he that willingly receives a command, takes off the feverest part of fervitude, viz. the doing that which he would not: it is not obedience to a command, that makes a man miserable, but repugnancy. Therefore let us fo compose the mind, that whatever exigence happens, we may meet it willingly; and efpecially let us think on our latter end without regret or forrow (b). We must provide for death fooner than life: life is fufficiently provided for; but we are still greedy of further means: fomething seems still to be wanting, and will ever seem so: it is not in the power of days or years to fatisfy us with life (c); this depends upon the difpofition of the mind. I have lived, dearest Lucilius, enough, and to my fatisfaction: and now, fatiated, as it were, with life, I expect, and with calm resignation, wait for death. (a) So St. Paul; When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things. Cor. 13, 11. (b) O that they were wife, that they understood this, that they would confider their latter-end !-Deut. xxxii. 29. (c) Sed omnia perfructus vitai præmia, marces: Sed quia femper aves quod abeft, præfentia temnis : Lucr. iii. 970. But But yet, because you ftill defir'd to meet The abfent, and contemn'd the prefent fweet, Death feems unwelcome, and thy race half run; The courfe of life feems ended when begun: And unexpected hafty death deftroys, Before the greedy mind is full of joys. Creech. Inde fit ut raro, qui fe vixiffe beatum Dicat, et exacto contentus tempore vitæ Cedat, uti conviva fatur, reperire queamus. Hor. Sat. I. 1. 117. From hence how few, like fated guests, depart From life's full banquet with a chearful heart? Francis. Who adds by way of Note, "Perhaps our poet had in view an expreffion of Ariftotle, we should go out of life, as we ought to rise from a banquet, neither thirsty nor full of wine." See Ep. 30. N. h. i.) EPIST LE LXII. On Bufinefs and Study. THEY talk at random, Lucilius, who fay, that a multiplicily of affairs prevents their application to the liberal arts: they only pretend to business, or encrease it voluntarily, by continually making business for themselves. But I am happily discharged, my Lucilius; I am quite at leifure; and be where I will, I am my own mafter: for I give not myself up to common affairs, but attend them occafionally: I hunt not after excuses for lofing my time: and wherever my fituation is, there I continually exercise my meditations, and reflect upon fomewhat that may prove falutary to the mind. When I join my friends, I am not the more abfent from myself: nor do I tarry long with those, whom I chance to meet at any time, or whom duty obliges me to attend. I am with all good men: these I make my companions in whatever place, or in whatever age they live. I always carry Demetrius, best of men, along with me; and leaving those that are array'd in purple, I converse with him half-naked, as he is, and admire him. Why fhould I not? I faw that he wanted nothing. Any Any one may defpife all things; but no one can have all things. The shortest way to riches then, is to defpife them (a). But our Demetrius lives fo, not as if he despised all things, but as if (being a King or mafter of them) he grudged not others the use of them. I AM forry to hear, that your friend Flaccus is dead; but would not have you afflict yourself, Lucilius, beyond measure: I dare not require of you not to grieve at all; tho' I think it would be better: but who is master of such firmness of mind, except the man, who is greatly fuperior to the power of fortune? And even fuch a one cannot but be pinched by fuch an accident, but then it will be no more than a pinch. Fears are very excufable, if they run not down immoderately, and we endeavour ourselves to fupprefs them: our eyes ought not to be dry on the death of a dear friend; neither should they stream; 'tis decent to weep, but useless to bewail. You may perhaps think this a hard injunction; but remember, that the prince of the Greek poets, allows, as it were, but one day for a flow of grief (a), and fays that even Niobe bethought herself of food (b). But from whence come lamentations and immoderate wailings! why, by tears we endeavour to express our lofs; but, we perfevere in grief only |