EPISTLE XXI. The Honour of Philofophy. Do you think, Lucilius, that the contents of your last are of any great importance? Indeed you give yourself much unneceffary trouble. You know not what you would have: you rather approve of virtue, than follow it. You fee wherein true felicity is placed, yet have not the courage to make any advance thereto. Give me leave then to fhew you what prevents it, because you feem but little to confider it yourself. You have a great opinion of those things you are fuppofed to leave; and when the fecurity you would wish to enjoy is fet before you, the fplendor of the life you must retire from, dazzles and retains you, under an apprehenfion of falling into a fordid and obfcure condition. You are mistaken, Lucilius; the way propofed, and which you ought to purfue, is rather an ascent. As is the difference between fplendor and light, when this has a certain origin in itfelf, but that fhines with borrow'd rays; the fame is there between this, your fort of, life and the philofopher's the life you lead, because it fhines but by reflection, is foon eclipfed, when any thing intervenes; whereas the life propofed is ever bright in its own luftre: your philofophical studies will render you famous and noble: I will give you an instance of it from Epicurus. When he was writing to Idomeneus (a), and endeavouring to recall him from a fpecious way of life, to more solid and lasting glory, at a time when he was the minifter of royal power (b), and tranfacting the affairs of state; if, says Epicurus, glory is your purfuit; know, that my Epifiles will make you more famous than all those things you adore, or for which you are adored. Did he speak falfely herein? falfely herein? Who would have known `Idomeneus, had not Epicurus registered and engraved him in his Epiftles ? All those potentates and princes from whom Idomeneus held his titles, are buried in oblivion. Cicero's Epiftles ftill preferve the name of Atticus or otherwise Agrippa's being his fon-in-law, Tiberius his granddaughter's husband, and Drufus Cæfar his great-grandfon, would have been of little advantage to him. He had been loft among fo great The vast deluge of time names, had not Cicero fet him in view (c). will flow in upon us; and though some great geniuses may raise their heads above it, and for a while exert themselves against oblivion; yet muft they one day fall like those who have gone before them. What Epicurus promised his friend, I in some measure promise you, Lucilius; I flatter myself, that I shall have some favour with posterity; and can at least preserve for a time fuch names as I think proper to take with me. Our Virgil promised immortal honour to two perfons, and ftill makes good his promise; Fortunati ambo, fi quid mea carmina poffunt. Dum domus Æneæ capitoli immobile faxum Accolet, imperiumque pater Romanus habebit (d). Whomfoever fortune hath exalted, and all fuch as are the limbs, as it were, and partakers of another's greatnefs, flourish for a while, are greatly careffed, and have a full levèe, while they continue in office; but no fooner are they gone, than every remembrance of them is loft Whereas the work of learning and ingenuity is ever encreasing, nor are the poffeffors of them honoured only in themselves, but whatever has any connection with them. That I may not make mention of Idomeneus gratis, he shall pay for himfelf. It was to him that Epicurus wrote that noble fentence, in which he exhorts him to make Pythocles rich in no doubtful or common way: If, fays he, you would make Pythocles rich, you must not add to his wealth, but fubtract from his defires (e). A fentence too clear in itself to need explanation, and too eloquent to be heighten'd: but this I muft advise you, not to think this fpoken, with relation only to riches; for apply it to what you pleafe, it is ftill of the fame force. If you would make Pythocles more honourable, you must not add to his titles, but fubtract from his defires. If you would have Pythocles to enjoy perpetual delight, you must not add to his pleafures, but fubtract from his defires. If you would make Polythocles the happy old man, and fill up the measure of life; it is not to be done, by adding more years, but by retrenching his defires. Nor is there any reason to think, thefe are merely the words of Epicurus, for they are the voice of Nature. And what is ufually done in the fenate, we must do the fame in philofophy: when any one hath delivered his opinion, and in some measure it demands affent, I immediately defire a divifion, and I follow him (f). I the more willingly relate these fayings of Epicurus, that I may prove to those who have recourfe to him under false hopes to find some cloak for their vices; that go where they will, they must still lead a good and fober life. When you visit his gardens and read this infcription; Stranger, you may live well here: here pleafure is the fummum bonum; the master of this houfe is ready to entertain you: he is humane and hofpitable: he will give you a cake to eat, and water to drink; and in the end he will fay to you, have you not been well entertained? Know, that these gardens provoke not hunger, but affuage it. Nor do they enflame the thirft by the very draught, as fome liquors do, but quench it, by a natural and eafy remedy. In this fort of pleafure I am grown old. But obferve, that I am speaking to you of such defires, as are not to be foothed by mere words, but fuch as require fomething, easily attainable, for their fatisfaction. For with regard to the extraordinary, which may be deferred, corrected, or fuppreffed; I must remind you of this one thing; that fuch pleasure is not natural, is not neceffary. If you bestow any thing upon it, it is merely voluntary (g). The belly bath no ears (b), either to receive precepts, or admit excufe: it makes its demands indeed, and often calls upon us; and yet is no troublesome creditor, as he is difmiffed contentedly with a little; if you only give what you owe him, not all that is in your power to give. ANNO ANNOTATIONS &c. (a) That Epicurus Aattered Idomeneus is objected to him by Laertius, in his Life of Epicurus. And Athenæus c. vii. obferves that the good man (Epicurus) flattered both Idomeneus and Metrodorus, This gaspès evener, for belly-timber. (b) To Lyfimachus, or fome other of Alexander's fucceffors. (c) "Neither his fon Agrippa, nor grandfon Tiberius, nor great grandfon Drufus, would have been of any fervice to him, if Cicero's name by drawing Atticus' along with it, had not given him an immortality.-Dr. Middleton's Life of Cicero. (d) In that beautiful Episode, of Nifus and Euryalus; 1. ix. v. 445. O happy friends! for if my verfe can give Immortal life, your fame fhall ever live: Fix'd as the capitol's foundation lies; And Spread, where-e'er the Roman Eagle flies.-Dryden. (e) The words of Epicurus (Stob. Serm. 17.) are, E. Gaλe wλssidy tiva toiñsal, peñ Xpukatar #posides, Tus di ETIDMs aplipe. So Plato (Stob. Serm. x.) to one who was ever hankering after wealth, faid, Thou wretch, if thou wouldst be happy, endeavour not to encrease thy ftore, but to diminish thy defires. And Socrates, to one, that asked him, how a man might become rich, anfwered, By being contented to be poor. Pythocles was an handfome young man, whom, though but of 18 years of age, Epicurus was pleafed to extol for his extraordinary genius, above all the learned of Greece, for which extravagant adulation he is blamed both by Laertius and Plutarch.-Lipf. Partim (f) Sen. de vit. beat. c. 3. Briffon. de Form. c. 2. Kennett's Rom. Antiquities, p. 103. (g) Epicurus dividebat cupiditatum genera, non nimis fortaffe fubtiliter, utiliter tamen. effe naturales et neceffarias; partim naturales et non neceffarias; partim neutrum.-Naturales, fatiari pænè nihilo; nec fecundum genus difficile ad potiendum; tertias, planè inanes et ejiciendas funditus putavit. Cic. Tufc. v.— -Nemefius (de Anima c. xviii.) in like manner divides pleasures into three kinds; Natural and necessary, for the fupport of life; as food and rayment: Natural, but not abfolutely neceffary; as marriage, and a communion of the fexes; neither necessary nor natural; as drunkenness, petulance, luxury. (b) "Discourse to, or call upon, hungry perfons, they will not mind you, or leave their meat to attend, or, as Erafmus, ubi de paftu agitur, non attenduntur honeftæ rationes. ( yap eder tsiv avreste 70s Hunger cannot bear contradiction.) Nothing makes the vulgar more untractable, fierce and feditious, than fearcity and hunger.-Nefcit plebes jejuna timere.-There is fome reafon the belly fhould have no ears, because words will not fill it." Ray. Prov. p. 100. EPISTLE XXII. On Retirement; for the Study of Philofophy. YOU are now fenfible, Lucilius, that you must difengage yourself from those specious and vain avocations, that take you from: your ftudies: and you defire to know by what means you can effect this. There are fome things which cannot be communicated but by a perfonal conference. The phyfician cannot prescribe a proper diet, or a proper time for bathing, by letters only: He must know the conftitution of his patient, and feel his pulfe. According to the old proverb, Gladiatorem in arenâ capere confilium (a), The gladiator confults his advantage when actually engaged. The eye or countenance of his antagonist, his manner of parrying, and the attitude of his body, direct his obfervation. What is ufual or ought to be done in certain cafes, may be prescribed, and ordered in writing: fuch counfel is given to perfons abfent, and to pofterity: but at what time a thing is to be done, and in what manner, no one can teach at a diftance: circumftances must be well weighed; nor is the being present alone fufficient, a man must be prudent, and watchful to obferve the fleeting opportunity: diligently, I fay, obferve this; and lay hold on it, as foon as it is perceived; and with your whole ftrength and mind extricate yourself from your prefent employ: I will give you my opinion in plain terms: You must either quit your manner of life, or it is not worth while to live: but this I alfo think, that the gentleft methods to extricate yourfelf must first be ufed; endeavour to loofen your bonds, before you proceed to violence: not but that it may be thought more brave to fall at once than to live in continual fufpenfe (b). But what I now particularly require is, that at length you entangle yourself no further, but reft fatisfied with fuch bufinefs, as you have involved yourfelf in, or which, as you would rather have it thought, hath fallen upon you. You |