EPISTLE XXV. On Contentment: and Solitude. Concerning the two friends mentioned in your last, we must proceed a different way. The vices of one (the elder) are to be corrected, of the other to be quite broken off. I fhall be very free with the former; for I cannot be supposed to love the man whom I should be afraid to offend in this refpect. And what? you will fay, do you intend to keep a pupil of 40 years old under guardianship? Confider his age; it is now become hardy and intractable; tender minds only, are to be worked upon to any purpose (a). I know not what good I fhall do; but I had rather fail in fuccefs than in my duty. Nor muft we defpair of the poffibility of healing those who have been ill a long time, provided we can keep them from intemperance, and they will submit to do, and fuffer many things against their wills. Nor indeed can I promise much concerning the younger, but that he still blushes, as ashamed of doing wrong (b). This bafhfulness is by all means to be kept up: for as long as this remains, there will be room to hope for amendment. With the veteran we must go more cautiously to work, left he fall into a defperate way: nor can there be a better time for taking him in hand, than in fome interval, when he feems inclined to a good difpofition. Such an interval indeed hath impofed upon fome; but it cannot deceive me: I expect that thofe vices, which have flept for a while, but are not dead, hould break forth again, with more malignity. However I fhall bestow a few days on this affair, and try whether any thing can be done or not. In the mean time, do you, Lucilius, continue to act strenuously as ufual; and contract your budget. Scarce any of thofe things we happily enjoy are neceffary (c). Let us return to the law of Nature. We 4 fhall shall be rich enough. All that we fancy we want is gratuitous, or of little confequence. Nature afks for bread and water (d): no one is fo poor, but he can answer this demand; and whoever confines his defires to these, may contend with Jove himself in happiness (e), as faith Epicurus. From whom, as ufual, I fhall conclude with an excellent fentence;-Sic fac omnia tanquam fpectat aliquis; Do every thing, as before a witness (f). Without doubt it is of great advantage to have a constant guardian over you, whom you reverence, and think concerned in all your designs. Yet it is more magnificent so to live, of yourself, as under the infpection, and in the prefence of fome good man; and with this I should be fatisfied that whatever you do, you do it, as before a witness; forafmuch as folitude is apt to prompt all manner of evil. When you have made fo great progress as to reverence yourself, you may dismiss your but 'till then, look upon yourself as under the infpection of fome one in authority: suppose a Cato, or Scipio, or Lælius, or any other, in whose presence the most abandoned would fcruple to commit a crime; or rather confer this honour upon yourself (g). tutor; When you have done this, and you begin to think worthily of yourfelf, I will recommend to you the advice of Epicurus; Tunc præcipuè in te ipfe fecede, cùm effe cogeris in turba; Then especially retire, as it were, into yourself, when you are obliged to be in much company. It behoves you to be unlike the many. But should it not be fafe for you thus to retire; examine all around; there is no one with whom a man had not better converse than with himself. Then efpecially (fays Epicurus) retire into yourself, when you are obliged to be in a mixed company; that is, if you are a good man; of a calm, and fober difpofition; otherwise it would be better to go into company; where you would fcarce find a more dangerous man to be with, than with yourself. ANNO While yet foft-mouth'd he breeds him to the course.-Creech. And Plato fays, young men, unpiros eïvai, are to be moulded like wax. (b) See Ep. 11. (N. a.) (c) "Nothing is more certain than this truth; that all our wants beyond those which a moderate Income will fupply are merely imaginary; and that his happiness is greater, and better affured who brings his mind up to a temper of not feeling them, than his who feels them, and has wherewithal to fupply them." Bolingbroke, Lett. 191. (d) Panem et aquam] Lucan. IV. 377. (e) Ep. 110. Difcite quam parvo liceat producere vitam Et quantum natura petat— Satis eft, populis fluviufque cerefque, Behold how little thrifty nature craves, And what a cheap relief the lives of thousands faves. The field and river can supply mankind.-Rowe. Επεὶ τὶ δὲν τροπῖσι, πλὴν δυοῖν μόνον, Δήμητρος ἀκτῆς πώματος θ' ύδρηχον. Εurip. Nature demands for mortals but two things, Bread-corn from Ceres, and fweet water-Springs. Habeamus aquam, habeamus polentum; Jovi ipfi de felicitate controverfiam (f) However this injunction from Epicurus may be interpreted; as if there was no villainy, which a man may not commit, if he can but perfuade himself, that he fhall not be detected or punished by men," the gods being out of the cafe: (fee Leland, Vol. II. p. 94.) Seneca, I think, intends no more, than that a fenfe of fhame, as well as fear of punishment, is a fufficient restraint, on an ingenuous mind, capable of distinguishing between good and evil, from acting contrary to moral duty, See Ep. 11. (N. f.) Above all things, (fays Pythagoras) reverence yourself. "The first and leading difpofition to engage us on the fide of virtue was, in this fage's opinion, to preferve above all things a constant reverence of our own mind; and to dread nothing fo much as to offend against its native dignity." Fitzoborn's Lett. 19. VOL. I. EPISTLE EPISTLE XXVI. On a good old Age. Meditation on Death. I HAVE heretofore told you, Lucilius, that I was within fight of old age. I now fear I have paffed it by, and left it behind me: fome other word better agrees with my years, at least the state of my body; for indeed old age is properly a name belonging to one weary of life, rather than to one broken down with years as I am. You may reckon me, me, if you please, decrepit, and in the last stage. But I congratulate myself with you, that, whatever my body may feel, my mind or understanding is not fenfible of any decay or injury from time (a). Vices only are grown old, and whatever is inftrumental thereto : the foul ftill flourisheth, and rejoiceth that fhe hath fo little to do with the body: having partly difrobed herself, fhe glories in it, and makes me even doubt concerning old age. She calls this the flower of age; let us believe her, and let her enjoy her proper good. It is a pleasure to me to confider, and examine, what I owe of this tranquillity, this correctness of morals, to wisdom, and what to old age: and diligently to enquire, what it is I cannot do, and what I would not do; and if what I cannot, be alfo what I would not; I have reason to rejoice in my inability. For, what caufe is there of complaint, what great inconvenience, if what must one day end, be now upon the decay? Perhaps you will fay, it is the greatest inconvenience imaginable, to be infirm, to languish, or, to fpeak properly, to be melted down: for, we are not forcibly laid low on a fudden; we gradually wafte away; every day purloins fomething from our ftrength: and what exit can be happier, than to be diffolved, as it were, by a gentle decay of nature? Not that there is any thing very grievous in a ftroke, or fudden departure out of life; but because it is eafy, and natural thus to steal away by degrees (b). For 66 For my own part, as if I was now about to make the experiment, and the day approached, that must pass sentence on the foregoing years, I thus obferve and commune with myself. "All that I have faid or "done hitherto is nothing: vain and deceitful are the affurances of the mind, all involved in chicane and flattery: what advance I made in wisdom, death alone can fhew: I therefore calmly compofe myself against that day, when all fhifts and fubtleties laid afide, I muft pronounce truly concerning myself; whether I fpeak and think, what "is truly great and noble: whether the big and contemptuous words "thrown out against fortune were mere diffimulation and artifice, to engage applaufe. Regard not the opinion of men (c); 'tis at best “doubtful, and generally partial: regard not particular ftudies; our "bufinefs relates to the whole of life; death will pronounce sentence "on the man: yes, I fay, difputations and learned conferences, and "collections from the fayings of wife men, and eloquence of fpeech, "all thefe fhew not the true fortitude of mind: the most bafe and cowardly may yet be bold in speech. How you have acted in general, "Seneca, will then you come to die. I accept the terms. "I am not afraid of judgment." Thus I commune with myself; yet fuppofe me speaking likewife to you, Lucilius. You indeed are younger: but it matters not; years are not reckoned: it is uncertain when or where death expects you; and therefore expect him every where. 66 appear when my I was about to conclude, and indeed folding my paper; but the whole ceremony must be obferved; and this Epiftle have its paffport. I need not tell you from whence the loan; you know whofe chest I generally make free with. I hope in a little time to pay you out of own stock; in the mean while Epicurus shall stand my friend: Meditare utrum commodius fit, vel mortem tranfire ad nos vel nos ad eam; Confider whether it be better, that Death fhould come to us, or we go to him. The fenfe is plain. It is an excellent thing to know what Death is, and how to die: you perhaps may think it unneceffary, to learn that, which can but once be of any ufe: now this is the very reason, why we ought to study it: we must always be learning that, which we never can be affured we rightly know. Think upon Death. He that commands this, bids you think upon liberty. He that hath learned to |