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no means fimilar; for in the one, I can take the gold without the viper; but in the other, I cannot make gain, without committing facrilege: this gain is not added to, but mixed and blended with, the guilt,

Again, if, in order to purchase a thing we fall into many evils, that thing cannot be good; but in the pursuit of riches we fall into many evils, therefore riches are not good. But this propofition it is faid, hath a twofold meaning; the one is, that in pursuit of riches we run into many evils; but fo we do even in the purfuit of virtue; as fome in making a voyage, in order to get knowledge, have fuffered shipwreck or been taken prifoners. Another meaning is, that thing whereby we fall into mischief cannot be good But it will not follow from this propofition, that in pursuit of riches and pleasures we must neceffarily fall into mischief; or, that, if by riches we fall into evils, therefore riches are not only not good but bad; whereas ye only say they are not good. Moreover it is faid, ye cannot but grant that riches have fome ufe; ye reckon them among the advantages of life (u), but by the fame way of reasoning, they will not be even an advantage, fince many inconveniencies flow from them. To this again fome make anfwer, ye are mistaken if ye impute any inconveniencies to riches; they hurt no one. Every one is hurt or prejudiced, either by their own folly or the wickedness of others; just as a fword kills no one of itfelf, but is the inftrument in the hand of him that killeth. Riches therefore of themselves do not hurt a man, though they may prove the cause of his being hurt.

Pofidonius, I think, argues better, who faith that, Riches are the cause of evil, not because they do any thing of themselves, but because they invite others thereto (x). For the efficient caufe, which must neceffarily and immediately do hurt, is one thing, and the precedent cause another: Now riches have in them the precedent caufe: they puff up the mind, they contract envy, and so far alienate the mind, that the fame of being rich, however it may hurt, delights us. But good things ought to be free from all manner of blame: they are pure; they corrupt not the mind, nor disturb it: they raise indeed and dilate it, but without puffing it up. Things that are good, create confidence, but riches boldnefs;

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nefs; the former cause a greatness of soul, but riches infolence. Now infolence is nothing else but the falfe appearance of fuch greatness.

From hence then you will fay, it is plain that riches are not only not good, but evil. They would indeed be evil, if of themselves they were hurtful; if, as I faid, they had in them the efficient caufe; but they have the precedent caufe, and fuch indeed as not only incites, but forcibly attracts the minds of men; forafmuch as they make a certain shew of goodness very probable and credible to many. And even Virtue hath a precedent caufe that induceth envy; for many are envied on account of wisdom, and many on account of juftice; but then it hath not this caufe in itself, nor the likelihood of it; for, on the contrary, it is more likely that the form, which Virtue fets before the minds of men, fhould incite love and admiration.

Pofidonius faith, the question ought to be thus stated: Such things as give neither magnanimity, nor confidence, nor fecurity to the mind, are not good; but riches, health and the like, have not this effect, therefore they are not good. And this argument he further amplifieth in this manner: fuch things as give not magnanimity, nor confidence nor fecurity to the mind, but on the contrary create infolence, haughtiness, and haughtiness, and arrogance, are evil: but by cafual things we are drawn into thefe vices, therefore cafual things are not good. For the fame reason it is faid, that fuch things are not even convenient. But the condition of things convenient and of things good, is not the fame. A thing is convenient that hath more profit than difadvantage; but good ought to be entirely fo, and pure in all respects. For that is not good which profits, but which only profits. Wherefore what is convenient may belong to brute animals, to imperfect men, and to fools. And therefore annoyance may be mixed therewith; but it is called convenient, being estimated by its greater part; whereas good belongeth to the wife man alone, and ought to be inviolate.

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Be of good courage, Lucilius, I fhall ftart but one difficulty more, though I must own it is an Herculean one, not very eafy to be deter

mined. Good cometh not of evil; but from many poverties (or the poverty of many) are riches derived; therefore riches are not good. The Stoics acknowledge not the question as thus ftated; the Peripatetics both form it in this manner, and likewife folve it. But Pofidonius faith, that this sophism, which runs through all the schools of the logicians, is thus refuted by Antipater. Poverty is faid to be fuch, not from pofition (y), but from fubtraction, or, as the antients express it, by deprivation: the Greeks fay, Kard orpo; it is called fuch, not from what it bath, but from what it hath not. As from many vacuums nothing can be filled; many things, not many wants, make riches. For poverty is generally misunderstood. That is not poverty which possesseth a few things, but that which poffeffeth not many. I could express what I mean was there any Latin word to answer the Greek rupia (≈); by which Antipater affigneth poverty. But for my own part, I cannot fee that poverty is any thing else but the poffeffion of little. However no more at prefent; we shall conclude this matter when we have full leifure to confider what is effential to riches, and what to poverty; when we shall alfo confider whether it be not better to alleviate poverty, and take fuperciliousness from riches, than to dispute about words, as if we were fixed in our judgment concerning things.

Let us fuppofe ourselves called to a public affembly; a law is propounded for abolishing riches. Now shall we either perfuade or difsuade, from the foregoing questions? Shall we by these puzzling deductions cause the Roman people again to wish for and admire poverty, the fource and foundation of their empire? to dread the confequences of their immense wealth? and to reflect upon their having gained it all from conquered nations? That from hence, ambition, bribery, and tumults have crept into the most holy and temperate of all cities? that they make too fplendid and luxurious a fhew of the fpoils of nations? that it is more easy for all nations to retake that from one people, which one people at different times have took from them? It is better to perfuade them of these things, and teach them to conquer their affections, rather than pretend to exterminate them entirely by dint of argument. If it be in our power let us fpeak more boldly; if not, at least more freely and openly.

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(a) A paradox, what is strange but true. Cleanthes, wapa♪oža pèv è maparoga. I have for amufement, fays Cicero (Pref. Parad.) digefted into common places thofe topics, which the Stoics, even in their literary retirement, and in their schools, find difficult to prove. Such topics they themselves term paradoxes, on account of their fingularity and difagreement with the general fenfe of mankind. Lipf.

Manud. iii. 2.

(b) Cafonius Maximus, a particular and faithful friend, for which he fuffered, as mentioned by Tacitus, (Annal. 15) and Martial, (1. 7. 43) from whom likewife we learn that he was of confular dignity.

Ib. Ep. 44.

Maximus ille tuus, Ovidi, Cafonius hic eft

Cujus adhuc vultum vivida cera tenet.
Hunc Nero damnavit, fed tu damnare Neronem
Aufus es, et profugi, non tua, fata sequi.
Aquora per Scyllæ magnus comes exsulis isti
Qui modo nolueras confulis ire comes.
Si victura meis mandantur nomina chartis
Et fas eft cineri me fupereffe meo;
Audiet hæc præfens venturaque turba, fuiffe
Illi te, Senecæ quod fuit ille tuo.
Facundi Senecæ potens amicus,

Caro proximus, aut prior Sereno,
Hic eft maximus ille quem frequenti

Felix litera pagina falutat, &c.

(c) Non magis hora paratum fuit] Muretus knew not what to make of this expreffion, and as he found it in one of his books, fine magis hira, he conjectures, fine magiro, without a cook, ufing the Greek word μayer, for a cook, because Greek cooks were then as fashionable among the Remans, as French cooks among the English.

(d) Plin. xv. 21. Ficus panis fimul et obfonii vicem ficcatæ implent; utpote cum Cato cibaria ruris operariis jufta ceu lege farciens, minui jubeat per fici maturitatem. Cato de re ruft. c. 56. Familia cibaria, ubi vineam fodere cæperint, panis pondo v. ufque adeò dum ficus effe cæperint. Deinceps ad pondo iv. redito. Cato fhortened the allowance of bread in his family' one fifth as foon as figs were in feafon.

(e) It was cuftomary to make a prefent of, and to eat figs on New Year's Day, by way of good luck the enfuing year.

VOL. II.

Quid vult palma fibi rugofaque carica, dixi,

Et data fubniveo condita mella cado?

Omen, ait, caufa eft ut res fapor ille fequatur

Et peragat cæptum dulcis ut annus iter. Ov. Faft. 1.

What mean thefe dates and wrinkled figs, I said,

And, in white veffels, honey newly made?
That with like relish things, faid he, may go,
And the whole year with equal sweetness flow.
N

(f) Mule

(f) Mulæ vivere fe ambulando teftantur; i. e. vix vivæ, fcarce alive, as lean men are faid to be, malè vivi, and vix vivere. So Lucretius.

Vivere non quit præ macie.

And Ovid - Macie quæ malè viva sua eft.

So contrary to thofe mules mentioned afterwards fleek and fat and of one colour.

* i. e. have not obtained credit with me, fo as to fix my resolution.

() Magnus Calendarii liber.] Martial.

Superba denfis arca palleat nummis

Centum explicentur paginæ kalendarum.

(b) Hippoperis] which Horace calls Manticam. S. 1. 6. 106.

(i) Troffulis]

(k) Ep. 123.

cedat.

Nunc mihi curto ire licet mulo.

Mantica cui lumbos onere ulceret, atque eques armos.

---- Now on my bob-tail mule I ride ;

And with my budget prefs each galled fide.
See Ep. 76.

Omnes jam fic peregrinantur ut illos præcurrat equitatus, agmen curforum ante

(1) To fuch extremities had fome young gentlemen reduced themselves by their extravagance, as to let themselves out for a gladiator, or a huntsman.

(m) Afturcomibus] Martial xiv. 199.

Hic brevis ad numerum rapidos qui colligit ungues

Venit ab auriferis gentibus aftur equus.

This nag, which keeps due time in every pace,

From Spain's rich climate boafts his ambling race.

(2) Ex Cleopatra mollibus] Livy, 1. 33. Profequentibus mollibus viris, qui joci caufa convivio interfuerant.

(0) Not that Antonius Natalis, who in the Pifonian confpiracy (Tac. Annal. 15) accufed Seneca himself, for he fays fome time ago, (nuper,) perhaps it was his father. L.

(p) Cui contingit habere non quælibet, hunc non quemlibet dixeris] al. cui contigit habere rem non quamlibet, i. e. rem minime vulgarem, яçãyμa TI TÜV TUX OUT, hunc non quemlibet dixeris, i. e. fcito ipfum minime vulgarem effe. Muret. Cui contingit habere non quælibet, hunc---Which the old tranflation renders, Thou canst not say that a man is all, who hath not the fortune to have all.

(9) Ep. 31. (N. e.)

(r) If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments and do them, I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. Levit. 26. 3, 12. If thou wert pure and upright, furely God would make the habitation of thy righteousness profperous. Job, 8.6. The Lord feeth not as man feeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 1 Sam. 16. 7.

1 Chron. 28. 9. God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity. Habb. 1. 13. Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they shall fee God. Matth. 5. 8.---See Ep. 41. (N. b. c.)

() Sacrilegia minuta puniuntur, magna in triumphis ferantur] ut alibi, parvos fures in compedibus, magnos in purpura fpectari.

For little villains muft fubmit to fate,

That great ones may enjoy the world in ftate. Garth.

(t) Ye shall know them by their fruit: do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit: a good tree cannat bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matth. 7. 16. 18. A good

man

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