time confifts of parts, and circles circumfcribed within circles of different dimenfions; fome one of which takes in and compaffeth the reft: and this is what includes the life of man: another comprifeth the years of youth, and another those of childhood. There is alfo a complete year, which contains in itself all thofe times, that by multiplication, form the course of life a month is confined in ftill narrower bounds; and a day consists of yet a fmaller compafs: and this hath alfo a beginning and ending, a circuit from east to west. Heraclitus therefore, (who from the obfcurity of his ftyle got the nickname of Scotinus, (Darkling) faith, "Unus dies omni par eft," One day is par to another. This fome interpret, as if he had said, They are equal with regard to hours; which is certainly true; for if a day confifts of twenty-four hours, every day is equal; for what is loft in the day is made up in the night. Others interpret it, that one day is equal to any other, by way of refemblance; as the longest space of time exhibits no more than what you have seen in one day, viz. light and darkness, frequently repeated in the alternate changes of the heavens; and is no otherwife different than in not being always of an equal length. Every day therefore is to be fo ordered and regulated, as if it closed the rear, fet bounds to, and completed life (c). Pacuvius, (d) the debauchée, who had lived fo long in Syria, that he made it, as it were, his own; when, with wine and coftly dainties, he banquetted as at a funeral, would order himself to be laid out with the usual folemnities, and carried upon a bier from fupper; while amidst the applause of his boon companions, this was fung to mufic; Bibix, Bibix, He bath lived, he hath lived indeed. This was his practice almost every night. Now, what he did wantonly, and from a bad turn of mind; let us do, from at good one: and as we go to fleep, let us, in a pleasant and chearful temper, fay, Vixi, et quem curfum dederat fortuna peregi. If God is pleased to add to our days the morrow; let us accept it with thanksgiving. He is a moft happy man, and truly enjoys himself, who expects the morrow, without the leaft anxiety; whoever hath said over night, I have lived, rifes the next morn to gain. But But it is time to conclude this Epistle. "What then, you will fay, will it come without the ufual prefent, fome peculiar fentiment?"--Never fear, it shall bring fomething; yes, and fomething of confequence. For what can be more excellent than the words I here fubjoin? It is wretched to live in neceffity, but there is no necefity for living fo (e).-Let us thank God that no one is long detained in wretchedness: neceffity is really to be overcome. But thefe, you will fay, are the words of Epicurus; why do you continually refer me to others? Give me fomething of your own.-What is true, Lucilius, is my own. And I fhall go on, in quoting Epicurus and others; that they, who enlift themselves in any fect, and regard not what is faid, but by whom it is faid, may know, that, when any thing is faid, perfectly good, all the world have a right to it. (a) With his face to the door] This alludes to the antient custom of their laying out the dead body, (Пfodes, conlocatio), which was always near the threshold at the entrance of the door. Hom. Il. ~ .212, on the death of Patroclus. Ος μοι ἐνι κλιστιῃ δεδαϊγμένος εξέϊ χαλκῳ Κειται, ανά πρόθυρον τετραμμένος Pale lies my friend, with wounds disfigur'd o'er, So Virgil (11. 30.)—Recipit que ad limina greffum Corpus ubi exanimi pofitum Pallantis Acetes Then to the gates Æneas pafs'd, and wept, Where old Acætes Pallas' body kept.-Lauderdale, And they took particular care, in placing the body, to turn the feet and face towards the gate; which cuftom Perfius has elegantly defcribed (Sat. iii. v. 103.) -tandemque beatulus alto Compofitus leao, craffifque lutatus amomis. In portam rigidos calces extendit Our dear departed brother lies in flate, His heels ftretch'd out and pointing to the gate.--Dryden. The reafon of this pofition (fays Bp. Kennet) was to fhew all perfons whether any violence had been the caufe of the perfon's death. Vid. Lipf. Ele&. 1. c. 6. (b) Another day? why not another year, with Cato in Cicero; Nemo eft tam fenex, qui fe annum non putat poffe vivere ? No one is fo old who does not think he can live another year.— Lipf. (c) Every day] This precept from Horace, Omnem crede diem tibi diluxiffe fupremum. fuperveniat quæ non fperabitur hora. VOL. I. Believe that ev'ry morning ray Francis. Mufonius, Mufonius,non eft præfentem diem bene tranfigere, nifi qui proponit velut ultimam illam tranfigere. No one can be faid to pass his day well, avho did not propofe to pass it as his laft. (d) Pacuvius] Qui voluptatibus dediti, quafi in diem vivunt vivendi caufas quotidie finiunt. Plin. Ep. The fons of fenfuality who have no views beyond the prefent bour, terminate with each day the rubole purport of their lives. Melmoth. Those who are entirely devoted to pleasure, live as if their lives were to end with the day, and every day convinced the world they deferve to die.. Orrery. (e) Nullum malum eft in neceffitate vivere, fed in neceffitate vivere neceffita nulla eft, &c. However these words might become a Roman or Epicurean, they could not but be shocking to a Christian reader, if translated in the fenfe Seneca intended: I have therefore given them another turn, and adapted them, as well as I could, to more found doctrine. Besides, if every morrow, as Seneca herefaith, is to be looked upon as gain, and to be received with thanksgiving; how ungrateful, how wicked muft we be, to abridge ourselves voluntarily of that favour, when we know not what the morrow may bring. forth by the providence of God, for our relief, (multis viis, faith Seneca; true, if he had faid) by patience, industry and prayer. EPISTLE XIII. On Magnanimity in Diftrefs. Certain Remedies against Fear. I KNOW, Lucilius, your magnanimity: for even before you was in- ftructed in the found precepts of philosophy, in order to furmount all difficulties; you was pleased to exert yourself strenuously against the power of fortune; and much more, when you had grappled with her, and experienced : your ftrength which indeed cannot be well known, 'till the difficulties. that furround us on every fide make a closer attack. Then it is, that a foul, truly noble and unconquerable, gives proof of its abilities: this is the only teft: the wrestler cannot enter the lifts with true courage, who has not:: been feasoned, as it were, with bruifes. He, that hath often seen his own blood unterrified,-who has had his teeth beaten out with the fift,-who hath been tripped up, and preffed with the whole weight of his antagonist, and hath still kept up his courage;-who, as often as he hath been thrown, hath rofe more fierce and ftubborn; he it is, that, at any time, engages, full of hope. Therefore to carry on the metaphor, I must observe, that Fortune hath often thrown, and fallen upon you; but you fcorned to yield; you you fill started up, and more refolutely ftood your ground: for valour, when provoked, grows the ftronger. Yet, if you are pleafed to accept of my advice, I will point out fome proper aid for your better defence. There are more things, my Lucilius, that frighten, than which prefs hard upon us and we are often more diftrelled from opinion, than in reality. I am not speaking to you in the language of Stoicifm, but in an humbler ftrain. For we indeed think all thofe afflictions, that are apt to extort fighs and groans, light and defpicable. Laying afide these big words, (but, O ye Gods, how true!) I only require this of you, that you would not anticipate mifery; fince the evils, you dread as coming upon you, may perhaps never reach you, at least they are not yet come. Thus fome things torture us more than they ought; fome, before they ought; and fome which ought never to torture us at all. We heighten our pain, either by presupposing a cause, or anticipation. This however we fhall defer at prefent, as it is a controverted point (a): what I think to be light, you will contend to be very grievous: I have feen fome laugh under the fcourge, while others have cried at a box o' the ear. But we shall presently fee, whether those you think fo insupportable are of any weight in themfelves, or formidable only through our weaknefs. Grant me only this, that, when you are furrounded by those who would perfuade you, that you are miferable, you would reflect not upon what you hear, but what you think, and feel yourfelf; and consulting with your patience, as you certainly know yourself beft, afk yourself the following questions: "Whence is it that these my friends "fo bewail my condition? Why do they keep at fuch a diftance; fearing "contagion, as if calamity was catching? Is there any thing really bad " in the case? or, is it only what has got a bad name?" Examine further, whether you are tortured, or grieve caufeleffly, making that an evil, which is not fo? But you will fay, "How fhall I know, whether my afflictions "are real or not?" Obferve then what I fay upon this point. We are afflicted with fuch evils, as are prefent or future, or both. Concerning prefent evils, it is eafy to form a judgment; if the body be still free, in found health, and in no pain from external injury; fay with yourfelf, "I am well to-day, be the morrow as it will."-But you are afraid of fome future evil.Confider well, whether the grounds upon which your fear of fome evil to come is founded, are warrantable. We generally labour under G 2 under unjust suspicions, and are often deceived by report: which may well be supposed to affect individuals, when it has been known to put an end to a battle. 'Tis certain, Lucilius, we lie open to impreffion, without duly, weighing the things that ftrike us with fudden fear (b); we will not give ourselves time to examine them; we tremble; and then turn our backs, like thofe foldiers, whom the duft raised by a flock of fheep have drove from the camp; or, whom fome falfe ftory, without knowledge of the author, hath terrified and put to flight. Things, falfe and vain, I know not how, are apt to disturb us more than fuch as are true; for these have their certain measure; whereas the former are the effects of blind conjec-ture, and the fancies of a coward mind. No fort of fear therefore is fo. pernicious, and remedilefs, as that we call panic: other fears are irrational,. but this quite fenfelefs. Let us therefore diligently examine into this affair.. It is probable fuch an evil may happen.-It will take up fome time there-fore before it is true, if ever. How many things happen unexpectedly!. and how many have been expected that have not happened? But suppose fuch a thing should certainly happen; what avails it to anticipate forrow? it will be time enough to grieve when it comes: in the mean while, promise yourself better things: at leaft, there will be fo much time gained: and many things may intervene; whereby the impending evil, however near it is supposed, may reft where it is, or vanish, or fall upon another. perfon. Fire hath given time for flight of those within: fome, falling from high, have been gently laid upon the ground without hurt: fometimes the fword, when at the very throat, hath been withheld: and the con-demned criminal hath outlived the appointed executioner (c). - Bad. fortune hath alfo its inconftancy: perhaps it may happen, perhaps not; while it does not happen, think for the beft. It is not uncommon for the mind, even when there is no apparent fign of diftrefs, to afflict itfelf with: vain imaginations; to make the worst interpretation of fome doubtful. word; or, looking upon a person to be more offended than he is, to con-fider, not how great his anger, but what may be the confequences of it.. How vain is life, or what end can there be of mifery, if fear is thus to have its full scope! Here then let prudence ftep in to your affiftance; here let ftrength of mind throw off all fear, however manifeft the cause at least let one foible repel another: temper fear with hope (d): nothing that we fear. |