If, fays he, what a man poffeffeth feems not amply fufficient, was he master of the world, he would be wretched: or perhaps it may feem better expreffed in this manner, (for we are to regard the fentiment, rather than the expreffion) Mifer eft qui fe non beatiffimum judicat licet imperet mundo; He who does not think himself happy, is miferable, though he command the world. And that you may know this to be the common voice of nature, you will find in the comic poet; Non eft beatus, effe qui fe non putat (0). He is not blefs'd, who thinks himself not bless'd. It matters not what condition you are in, if you think it a bad one. What if that villainoutly rich man; or, that lord of many, but flave to more, call themselves happy, will this their declaration make them fo? No: it avails not what a man says of himself, but what he thinks: nor what he thinks to-day, but continually. Nor need you be concerned that any one hath amaffed great wealth, which he is unworthy of: for no one but the wife man is capable of felf-complacency and a fool will be difgufted at his own condition, be it what it will. (a) For the contrary] So in Cicero, explaining the tenets of the Stoics. The word ineftimable, which is generally used for fomething fo great, as to be invaluable, fignifies a thing of no value, and not worthy of any esteem. (b) Phidias] The celebrated ftatuary of Athens: he flourished, A. M. 3511. Or, fuppofe, any other flatuary. (c) So in the Epigram-Marce, ut ameris ama. And Theocritus. Στέργετε τις φιλέοντας, ἵν' αν φιλέητε, φιλῆσθε. Quifquis amatur amet, ut et ipfe ubi amarit, ametur. Love thofe who love you; if you fain would prove The kind and mutual tenderness of love. (d) Attalus] A Stoic philofopher, in the time of Tiberius. See Epift. 108. (e) Epicurus Jays, these creatures, (brutes,) upbraid the remorfeleffness of humanity,-in not being capable of gratuitous love, nor knowing how to be a friend without profit. Well therefore might the comedian be admired, who faid, For reward only man loves man. Epicurus thinks that after this manner children are beloved of their parents, and parents of their children. But if the benefit of Speech was allowed to brutes, and if borfes, cors, dogs and birds, were brought upon the ftage, the fong would be changed; and it would be faid, that neither the cow loved the calf for gain, nor the mare her foal, nor fowls their chicken, but that they were avere beloved gratis, and by the impulse of nature, &c. Plutarch. de amore in Liberos.-Vid. Lipf. Manuduct. 1. 3. Diss. 16. So Horace, Sat. I. 1. 81. (f) Temporary] (g) Danger and death】 At fi aliquis cafus lecto te affixit, habes qui Or other chance, confine me to my bed, My wealth will purchafe fome good-natur'd friend My cordials to prepare, my couch attend; And give me to my children and my wife. φίλοι, 6. - Francis. And greater love hath no man than this, to lay down his life for his friend. John 15. 13. See Epift. So Cicero (II. De Nat. Deor.) Amicitiam fi ad fructum noftrum referremus, non erit ifta amicitia; fed mercatura quædam utilitatum fuarum. (i) A nice diftinction] Muretus obferves that to want, diodai, egere, here fignifies, fo to want a thing, as to be anxious after, and not able to bear the lofs of it: and that idiñodas, indigere, to ftand in need of, means, to want a thing that is abfolutely useful and neceffary, and which a man knows how to make a right ufe of. Cicero has treated on this queftien in his first book of Tufculan Questions: but Plutarch with more perfpicuity hath ridiculed it, in his treatife, Of Common Notions against the Stoics. . (4) The Stoics fuppofed that Jupiter, or Nature, and the first principle of all things, was fire; that part of it, being of a groffer confiftence, was turned into animal life: and the ftill groffer part was made water, and of water earth: but that at a certain time all things fhall again be reduced into their first principle, fire. And this they called upwois, or the conflagration of the world. Vid. Lipf. Physiol. 1. 2. Diff. 22. Chryfippus fays, that Jupiter is like to man, as is alfo the world and Providence to the foul. When therefore the conflagration fhall be; Jupiter, who alone of all the gods is incorruptible, will retire into Providence, and they being together, will both perpetually remain in one substance of the æther. Plutarch. Ib. () To cultivate friendship Epicurus publickly profeffed, that all friendships were founded on a view. to pleasure or intereft; and this they carried fo far, as to maintain, that fathers had no other love for their children than what fprung from the profit or pleasure they enjoyed, or expected to enjoy from them. But the Stoics thought much better; that not only parental love was a natural affection, but that man is formed by nature for fociety; and that they have an instinctive love and relationship for each other; and confequently that the friendships of all wife and good men are pure and disinterested, without the leaft view to any recompence whatever. See the above quotation from Plutarch. (m) Stilpo] See this ftory related differently in Laertius' Life of Zeno, who was the difciple of Stilpo, p. 177. (") This ftoical doctrine is what Horace ridicules, Ep. 1. 1. 106. Ad fummum fapiens uno minor eft Jove, dives, In fhort this Stoic, this wife man, is all That free and beautecus, good, and great, we call. A Ring A king of kings, inferior to none But to the Ruler of the fkies alone; As ftrong in health too;-could be but take off The painful grievance of a curfed cough. (0) Non eft beatus, &c. But it is equally true from what foilows in Seneca, that Non eft ftatim beatus, effe qui fe putat. He is not always happy, who thinks himself fo. Vid. Lipf. Manuduct. L. 2. Diff. 32. EPISTLE X. On Solitude and Prayer. * (a) BE affured, Lucilius, that I have not alter'd my opinion. Shun, I say, the rabble: fhun a few; nay, every one: I know not whom to recommend to you as a proper converfant; and upon this I form my judgment; I dare trust you with yourself (b). Crates (as they fay) a follower of that Stilpo, (c) whom I mentioned in my former epiftle, when he faw a young man walking in private by himself, asked him, "what he was doing there alone? I am converfing with myself, fays he: to whom Crates replied, take care, young man, I beseech you, and diligently confider with yourself, whether you are not converfing with a bad man. We are apt to fet a watch upon the melancholy in diftrefs; left they fhould make a bad ufe of folitude: and, indeed, no imprudent perfon fhould be left alone; for then it is, that his thoughts are ever bufy: he lays schemes to endanger himself or others; and plans his wicked purposes; then it is, he utters what the mind before concealed, either through fear or fhame; he emboldens his courage; he enflames the luftful paffions; and, in his wrath, meditates revenge. In a word, the only advantage, that folitude pretends to, in trufting no one, and not fearing to be betrayed, is loft upon a fool; he betrays himself. Know Know then, Lucilius, what I hope of you; rather what I am confident of, (for hope belongs to an uncertain good) I cannot, I fay, find any one, with whom I had rather you should converfe, than with yourself. I well remember, what noble words, and full of energy, you once poured forth with great fpirit; when I immediately congratulated myself and faid, furely fuch excellent things come not from the lips only; they must be founded on fincerity, and a good heart: this young man is not one of the vulgar; be re◄ gards falvation: fo fpeak; fo live. Be careful ever to maintain this greatnefs of foul: and though you have reason to thank the gods for the fuccefs of your former vows, ceafe not to pray; and afk particularly for wisdom, (e) a found mind, and health of body. Why should you not often pray for thefe bleffings? Fear not to importune a gracious God, (f) when you afk not for any foreign good, or what belongs to another perfon. But, according to custom, I shall fubjoin to this epiftle a small prefent ; it is from Athenodorus; and I think it a juft and excellent observation: Tum fcito effe te omnibus cupiditatibus folutum, cûm eo perveneris, ut nihil deum rogas, nifi quod rogare poffis palam. Know, fays he, that you have discharged every irregular paffion, when you are arrived to fuch goodnefs, as to afk of God nothing, but what you care not if all the world should bear. But, alas! how great is the folly and hypocrify of the prefent age! men are continually whispering and muttering to God fome villainous. prayer (g); was any one to liften, they are immediately filent; and thus what they are unwilling men fhould hear; they prefume to offer God. Confider then, whether you may not take this maxim for a wholefome rule of life: fo live among men, as if the eye of God was upon you; and fo address yourself to God, as if men heard your prayer. up to ANNOTATIONS, &c. (a) It has been faid of Socrates, that he was half a Chriftian; I think this epiftle of Seneca will 'carry him fomewhat farther. (b) Antiftthenes being asked what benefit he had reaped from philofophy, made anfwer-rò duraodai izvτy opiλew. To be able to converse with himfe'f. (c) The follower] Stilponis auditor--but not of the fame fect or party: his proper master was Diogenes the Cynic. Indeed the lectures of Stilpo were fo fweet and eloquent, that he drew to them many of the ftudious and learned at Megara, and particularly this Crates, and Zeno himself. VOL. I. F (d) He (d) He regards falvation] Ad falutem fpectat. Gall. Il regarde un falut. But if Salvation seems too ftrong a word to come from the mouth of an heathen, though there is no neceffity for taking it in the Christian sense, it may be rendered, he has regard to his own good and welfare. (e) For wisdom] So Juvenal x. 356. Orandum eft, ut mens fit fana, in corpore fano. Pray ave for bealth of body, and of mind. The prayer of Solomon is fo pertinent to this place, that I could not omit it, though fo well known to every one.—— "Give me, O Lord God, an understanding heart, to judge thy people, that I may difcern between good and bad.-Give me wisdom and kuowledge." And God faid to Solomon," Becafe this was in thine heart, and thou haft not asked riches, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet haft afked long life for thyself, but haft alked wisdom and knowlekge:-Lo! wisdom and knowledge are granted thee, and I will give thee both riches and honour, fuch as none of the kings have had before; neither shall any after thee have the like."i Kings, ii. 9. 2 Chron. i. 10. To which let me add from St. James, i. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him afk of God that giveth all men liberally, and upbraideth nat, and it shall be given him: but let him ofk in faith, nothing wavering. (f) To importune God] See Luke 18, 1. where is fet forth the parable of the importunate widow.To the end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Pray without ceafing. 1 Theff. 5, 17. (g) Some villainous prayer] I wonder (lays Plutarch) that, Hercules, or fome other god, has not long Since plucked up and carried away the tripod, whereen is offered fuch bafe and villainous questions to Apollo: Some applying themselves to him as a mere paltry aftrologer, to try his skill, and impose upon him by subtle queftions: others afking him about treasures buried under ground, others about marrying a fortune: fo that Pythagoras will here be convinced of his mistake when he affirmed that, the time when men are most honeft, is, when they present themselves before the gods: for thofe filthy paffions, which they dare not discover bes fore a grave mortal man, they fcruple not to utter to Apollo. De defect, orat. This is finely touched upon by Horace, Ep. 1. 16, 57. Vir bonus omne forum quem fpe&tat, et omne tribunal Oh, give me to deceive, and, with a veil, Of darkness and of night, my crimes conceal. Francis. Haud cuivis promptum eft, murmurque humilefque fufurros, Tollere de templis et aperto vivere voto : Mens bona, fama, fides, hæc clarè, et ut audiat hofpes: Illa fibi introrfum, et fub lingua immurmurat1 O fi Ebullit patrui præclarum funus ! Pupillumque utinam, quem proximus hæres Impello, expungam! Thus |