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EPISTLE LXXVIII.

On Sickness, Pain, and Death.

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IT is the more disagreeable to me, Lucilius, to hear, that you are frequently troubled with colds, and flight fevers, fuch as generally attend defluxions of fo long continuance, as to become conftitutional; because I have been subject to them myself, and have fuffer'd not a little by neglecting them at the first attack. The strength of youth indeed could fupport fuch violence, and stubbornly bear up against these infirmities; but at length the burden was too great for me, and I fell into a fevere disorder of this kind. I was quite emaciated (a), and began to think that life was not worth preferving: but the old age a most indulgent father check'd the daring thought: for I confider'd not so much how refolutely I could die myfelf; but that the lofs of me would neceffarily afflict my father. I was therefore determined to struggle for life. For even this is fometimes a manly design (b). What at that time particularly comforted me, I will tell you, having first premised, that the things which gave me repofe of mind, had the real effect of medicine. Juft and pleafant confolations are at times the best of remedies; as whatever raiseth the fpirits is of great fervice to the body.

Know then, I found health in ftudy. I am indebted to philofophy for the recovery of my strength. my ftrength. I am indebted to her for nothing less than my life. My friends indeed contributed fomewhat thereto; having fupported and comforted me, with their good counfel, watchings, and difcourfes. Nothing, my Lucilius, beft of men, fo revives, and helps a man in fickness, as the affectionate tenders of a friend: nothing fo much alleviates, and fteals away the expectation and fear of death. So long as thefe fhould live, I did not think I could die: I thought, I fay, I fhould ftill live, if not in their company yet in their VOL. II.

memory;

memory; and that I was not pouring out my fpirit, but delivering it up to them. From hence I took upon me the refolution of doing what I could for myfelf, and of enduring patiently all manner of pain.. Otherwife, it would have been very miferable, to have no inclination to die, and yet, make no endeavours to live. Apply therefore the remedies prescribed. As to the reft, your physician will direct you how far you are to walk, and what other exercise to take; he will order you likewife not to indulge that liftlefinefs which an ill state of health is apt to bring upon us; to read aloud; and by exercise ftrengthen the breath, that labours in its paffage from the lungs, fo choak'd up as not to have free play; he will fometimes recommend failing to ftir the bowels, and procure an appetite; he will inftruct you in what food is moft proper, and when to refresh yourself with a glafs of wine, or when to abftain from it, for fear it fhould provoke and heighten your cough.

But fuch is my prescription, that it will not only ferve for this disease, but the whole life. Contemn Death. Nothing is distasteful, when we have got over the fear of death. There are three things, which in every disease are grievous. The fear of death, the pain of the body, and the intermiffion of pleasures. Of death, we have faid enough already, I fhall only add, that this fear proceeds not from the disease, but from nature itself. A disease hath often prevented death, and the very thoughts of dying have contributed to health. You will die, not because you are fick, but because you live. Be you ever fo well recovered, death ftill expects you. You have not escaped death but only fuch a fit of fickness. But to return to what is properly disagreeable and irkfome in this refpect.

A difeafe is generally attended with great pains, yet fome intervals make even these tolerable. And the more intense the pain is the fooner it comes to an end. No one can fuffer any torture long. Kind nature hath been so indulgent to us, as to make our pains either tolerable or fhort. The most severe are felt in thofe parts of the body that are lefs muscular, The nerves, the joynts,, and the fineft membranes rage

most

most furiously, when they have contracted a vitious humour. But then these parts are foon benumb'd, and in the agony lofe the fenfe of it; either because the animal fpirits, being hinder'd from their natural course, and flowing irregularly, lofe the power with which they before strengthen'd and animated the body; or because the corrupted humour, having met with a stoppage, deprives the aggrieved part of fenfibility. So, the gout in the hand or foot, and every pain of the vertebræ, or nerves, finds intermiffion, when the part they before racked, is deaden'd. The pricking and shooting of the first attack is generally most painful; the violence goes off in time, and ends in stupefaction. The pain of the teeth, eyes and ears is most acute upon this account, nor lefs certainly the pain of the head: but the more violent this is, the fooner it turns into infenfibility or a delirium. This then is our great comfort, when afflicted with any fore disease, that, if we feel it too much, we shall foon feel it no more. But what greatly adds to the torment of the ignorant, is, that, when the body is afflicted, they have no recourse to the fatisfaction of a found mind: the body groffeth their whole care: therefore a great and prudent man divests himself, as it were, of the body, and converfeth much with that divine part of him, the foul; taking no more thought of that frail, and ever-querulous part of him, the body, than is merely neceffary.

But it is very grievous, you fay, to remit our wonted pleasures, to abstain from food, and to fuffer hunger and thirst. I grant, at firft fuch abftinence is irkfome; but the hankering after them grows weaker by degrees: nor do the things themselves retain the fame incitement and provocation. Hence the ftomach grows morofe and fqueamish, and a loathing comes on even of what we moft greedily coveted. Defires themselves often die away, and we cannot think it hard to be denied that which we no longer covet. Add to this, that there is no pain, but what finds for e intermiffion, or certainly a remiffion. Add likewife, that a difeafe may fometimes be prevented, or at least checked by timely medicine: for there is no difcafe but what hath its fymptoms, particularly fuch as we have been fubject to before. In fhort, any disease may be render'd tolerable, by defpifing the laft extremity

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mity that it threatens. Make not therefore thine afflictions more grievous than they are by impatience and heavy complaints: the pain is light, when not aggravated by fancy and opinion. If you can be perfuaded to comfort yourself with faying, It is nothing, or in effect very little, let us bear it patiently; it will be foon at an end; or this very thought will make it eafy and tolerable.

All things depend upon opinion: not only ambition, but even luxury and avarice, refer to it. Pain alfo is proportioned to opinion. Every one is as wretched as he thinks himself to be (b). The complaints of former grievances, especially, I think, are to be forgotten, nor any fuch acclamations to be heard, as, no one was ever worse: what afflictions, what tortures have I endured! no one could think that I should ever recover: how affectionately did my friends weep for me! when the phyficians gave me over! men upon the rack were never tortur'd more. Though all this may be true; it is now past and gone. What avails it to reflect upon the pains we have fuffer'd, and to make ourselves miferable, because we were once fo? Befides there is no one, but who makes fome additions to his misfortunes, and often gives himself the lye. Not but that there is a certain pleasure in recounting past sufferings; and it is natural to rejoice in an escape.

There are two things therefore to be particularly renounced, the fear of what may happen, and the recollection of an evil paft. an evil paft. The one is no concern to me now, nor need I anticipate the other. A man under prefent difficulties may comfort, himself with faying,

Forfan et hæc olim meminiffe juvabit. Virg. i. 207. An hour will come, with pleasure to relate

Your forrows paft-

But let him strive against them with all his might: he will certainly be overcome if he gives way; but if he bears up with patience and refolution against pain, he will overcome it: but the manner of most men, is, to draw upon themfelves that deftruction, which refiftance might have prevented. That which preffeth hard upon you, and is very urgent, if you begin to withdraw yourself, will certainly purfue

you,

you, and fall the heavier; if on the contrary, you ftand your ground, and seem refolv'd upon oppofition, you will drive it from you. How many strokes do the boxers receive on the face and over the whole body! yet a thirst of glory makes them regardless of pain, and patiently bear it; not only because they fight, but that they may fight on. Torture to them is exercise. We likewife may overcome every thing, if we would confider, that the reward propofed to us is not a fimple coronet, a palm, or the trumpet commanding filence at the proclamation of our honour; but virtue, ftrength of mind, and everlafting peace, if in any conflict we have fubdued fortune.

But I feel, you fay, great pain. And how fhould you do otherwife than feel it, if you bear it like a weak woman? As an enemy is more pernicious to thofe that fly; fo every fortuitous evil preffeth hardest upon the submissive coward. But indeed it is very grievous; what then? does bravery confift in the sufferance of light things? which had you rather undergo a flow chronic disease, or a fudden, violent, but fhort, fit? the former can never be fo long, but it will have fome intermiffions, and permit fome refreshment; at least it gives time, and must one day come to a crifis, and go off. And a short and violent fickness, will foon, either carry you off, or itfelf. And where is the difference, whether that, or you, fhall be no more? in either cafe, there is an end of pain.

It may likewise be of fervice to divert the mind with other thoughts, and not so much as to dream of pain. Reflect upon fuch actions, as were founded upon the principles of honour and virtue: look upon yourself in the best light you can; call to memory fuch feats as you most admired in other men; and take the braveft of thofe, whom you know to have overcome pain, for example. There have been found those who could amuse themselves with reading, while their swellings were lanced and fearified: others perfifting in a contemptuous fimile, while their executioners, the more enraged upon this account, have tried upon them the feverest tortures, that cruelty could invent. And fhall not reafon overcome that pain, which laughter can get the better

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