in a fiege. And what is the reward of patience at fuch a time; but the not falling into the hands, and fubmitting to the difcretion of the conqueror? But how much greater the reward that this promiseth, even perpetual liberty; a liberty out of the reach of men or gods to destroy! (c) Hunger hath been driven to fuch extremes, that whole armies have wanted neceffaries, and been forced to eat the roots of herbs (d), and fuch offals as are not fit to be named (e). And for what did they suffer all this? for a kingdom (f), and, what is ftill more surprising, for a kingdom not their own. And will any one scruple to endure poverty, that he may free his mind from all hurtful paffions, and be king of bimfelf? There is no neceffity therefore for being rich, before you enter upon this ftudy. You may apply yourself to it without a viaticum, and attain it, without provifion, or fupplies. But fo it is, Lucilius, when you shall have got every thing else, you will then look after philofophy. You fuppofe this the last neceffary of life, or, if I may call it so, an additional accomplishment. But I beg of you, whatever you are in poffeffion of, to ftudy philofophy: for how do you know but that you have too much of worldly goods already? Or, if you have nothing, make the attainment of this your first study. But neceffaries will be wanting. What neceffaries? All that nature afks is very little; and a wife man will accommodate himself to nature. If he is driven to the laft extremity, he knows his time here is but Short (g). And if he has ftill enough to keep body and foul together, he is thankful for it, and makes the most of what he has got: not being follicitous or anxious after any thing more than mere neceffaries, food and rayment. He fits himself down contentedly, and laughs at the hurry and fatigues of the rich; and the many vexations and perplexities of those who are striving to be fo; faying, Why are ye fo long about it? why do ye plague yourselves with the expectation of intereft-money; or of Some great return in trade; or the death of an old mifer; when ye may foon be rich in a more compendious way? Wisdom fupplies the place of wealth; and where she kath made riches feem fuperfluous she hath given 4 them. them. But this argument belongs not properly to you, Lucilius, who may be ranked among the rich; change but the times (h), and you have a great deal too much. But in every age there is enough to fupply nature. And here I might have ended this Epistle, had I not used you to a bad cuftom. As no one can falute or addrefs the Parthian kings without a prefent; fo there is no taking leave of you gratis. Well then, I will still borrow from Epicurus,---Multis paraffe divitias, non finis miferiarum fuit, fed mutatio;---The acquiring much wealth hath proved to many, not an end, but only a change, of their miferies. The fault however lies not in the things acquired, but in the mind itfelf. That which made poverty grievous, makes alfo riches irkfome. As it matters not, whether you place a fick man, on a wooden, or a golden couch; fince he still carries his disease along with him; fo whether a difcompofed mind be placed in wealth or poverty, it is the fame thing. The diftemper will still attend it. ANNOTATIONS, (a) Lipfius gives thefe words to Hortentius rather than to Cicero. (b) The rich only are in danger. So Petronius; Cum cecinêre tubæ, jugulo ftat divite ferrum. &c. (c) Or, the being fubject to no fear either of man or God. This may be looked upon as a Stoical rant; but St. Peter fays, Who is be that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good ?1. Pet. 3. 13.-See alfo Ep. 38. (N. x.) (d) See Sen. de ira. c. 20. Sidon. Apoll. viii. 7. No. P. 437. (e) Dictu fædam]-ad infames jam jamque coegerat efcas. ib. (The Apostle argues in like manner. Every one that friveth for the mastery is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 1 Cor. 9. 25. Pro toto hoc argumento, pulchrè Manilius, Quæremus lucrum navi, mortemque fequemur Ad prædas. Pudeat tanto bona velle caduca. Quid cœlo dabimus! quantum eft quo veneat omne? Impendendus homo eft, Deus effe ut poffit in ipfo. (g) Exiliet e vita] This, I think, is the fecond paffage which required to be foftened, in order to avoid a certain doctrine of the Stoics, which could not but be shocking to a Christian reader; and which Seneca himself feems not to approve of, in what follows;-Si verò exiguum fuerit, et anguftum, quo vita produci poffit, id boni confulet. See Ep. 12. 14. 24. 65. (N. i.) Befides, the turn here given, and which the words will bear in some measure, is confonant to that most comfortable doctrine of the Apostle; Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory. 11 Cor. 4. 17. (b) Saculum muta, nimis habes Vulg.-Sæculum muta-Lipf. Op/op. i. e. If we look back to the times of the Fabricii, and the Curii, before luxury grew into fashion, you have already too much. EPISTLE XVIII. On the Behaviour of a Philofopher at certain Seafons. On Poverty; and immoderate Anger. DECEMBER is a month, in which the city seems in full employ. Public feafting and luxury are allowed, and every place refounds with the noife of preparation: as if there was no difference between the feast called Saturnalia (a), and the common working days; so that he was not wide of the mark, who was pleafed to fay, that December now lafted all the year!-I should have been glad, Lucilius, if you had been here, that I might have conferred with you, and heard and heard your opinion, concerning what is to be done; whether we must go on in our ufual way; or, left we fhould feem too far to diffent from the humour of the times, we should likewife unrobe, and give a loose to joy, banquetting and wine. For what was not ufual but on fome uproar and disturbance, or when any calamity befel the city (b), we now change our drefs for the fake of pleasure and feafting. If I am not mistaken in you, were you appointed arbiter in this affair, you would not have us act altogether like the rabble, nor altogether unlike them: unless perhaps the mind, on these feftival days, is to be reftrained, in order to exhibit a single example of abstinence, while every one else is indulging himself in the most luxurious pleasures. He gives a fure token of his steadiness, who is not to be drawn into foftnefs and luxury at fuch a time; and fo much ftronger stronger is he, if he keeps himself fober and thirfty, when all the people are drunk and overcharged. But the more moderate way is, not to be particular at this time, fo as to be taken notice of; nor yet to give into all their measures; but to do what others do, though not in the fame manner. A man may celebrate a feftival without luxury and excefs of riot. But I have an inclination to try the firmnefs of your mind; by giving you fuch precepts as have been given, and followed too, by great men. Set apart certain days, in which taking up with the incancft and vilest diet, and the most coarfe and rough cloathing, you may fay to yourfelf; And is this all that I was afraid of? While in fecurity, let the mind prepare itself against difficulties; and amidst the favours of fortune, be ftrengthened against any injurious treatment. The foldier, in the time of peace, exercifes himself; throws up trenches, and, in fruitlefs labour, takes a great deal of pains, to inure himself against the time, when it become neccffary. Whom you would not have tremble in the time of action, you must harden before the time comes. In like manner fome have continually fo inured themfelves to poverty, as almost to proceed to want; that they may never be furprized with what they have may learned to bear. Think not that I am inviting you to a mean repaft (c), or the hovel of a poor man (d), or whatever elfe it is, whereby luxury fometimes relieves itself, and fmooths over the irkfomenefs of riches by way of change: no; I defire that your bed may be really hard; your clothes rough, your bread ftale, and of the vileft fort: endure this three or four days, or fometimes longer, that it may not be whim only by way of variety, but a fair tryal (e); and then, believe me, Lucilius, you will exult in being fatisfied with what cofts a trifie: and you will learn, that you are under no fuch great obligation to fortune, for a maintenance; for let her be as fpiteful as the pleafes, fhe cannot but fupply you with fuch things as are abfolutely neceffary. Tet Yet after all, there is no reafon to think you have done a great thing: it is no more than what many thousand flaves, and poor wretches do daily. All that you can boaft of is, that you do it voluntarily. And then it will be as eafy for you to endure it always (f) as fometimes to undergo the trial. Let us be exercifed, as it were, at the poft; left fortune should come upon us unprepared. Let poverty be familiar to us. We fhall more fecurely enjoy wealth, if we know that it is not grievous to be poor. That great master of pleasure, Epicurus, obferved certain days, wherein he very fparingly satisfied hunger, to prove whether there was any thing that did not contribute to the enjoyment of full and confummate pleasure: or if any thing was wanting thereto, what it was; and whether it deferved all that care and pains, that are generally bestowed in the acquiring it. This is what he fays of himself in the Epiftle he wrote to Polyanus, when Charinus was governor of Athens. And he even glories in it; that he could dine at lefs expence than three farthings (g); when Metrodorus, who had not made fo great a proficiency in philofophy, would spend the whole. Do you think that he found only fatiety in his meal? yes, and pleasure too; a pleasure not light and tranfitory, and to be at times repeated, but ftable and certain. Not that mere water is so pleasant a thing, or a coarse cake, or a piece of barley bread; but the chief pleasure confists in being able to extract even fatisfaction from these, and to arrive at fuch a pass, as to bid defiance to the inclemency of fortune. What if the allowance of a common prifon is better; and even the executioner fupplies the criminals under fentence of death with a larger portion: how great muft that mind be, to submit to that condition voluntarily, that is decreed for those who are reduced to the laft extremity! This is to raife, as it were, a counterbattery to Fortune. Begin therefore, Lucilius, to practise these things; apart fome particular days to quit, as it were, the world; and make the lowest condition familiar to you: accept the fellowship of poverty. fet Aude hofpes contemnere opes, et te quoque dignum Not that I would debar you from the poffeffion of riches, but would have you fo poflefs them, as not to be afraid of lofing them. Which intrepid |