the Greeks and Perfians dread his power, and the nations that were free under Darius fubmit to his yoke; yet he ftill pufheth on, and would fain extend his conqueft beyond the rifing or fetting fun; he cannot bear to be confined by the pillars of Bacchus (in the eaft), or of Hercules (in the weft). He endeavours to force Nature herfelf; he hath no mind to march; yet will not ftay in any place; as reflefs as an heavy weight, which thrown down an hill, will not reft 'till it comes to the bottom. So neither did reafon or virtue inftigate Cneius Pompey to wage either foreign or domestic wars; but mad with the love of false greatness at one time, he marched his army into Spain, and against Sertorius; at another time he took upon him to humble the pirates, and fcour the feas: such were his pretexts to keep up an army, and maintain his power. What drew him into Africa, what into the North, what against Mithridates, and into Armenia, and every corner of Afia? What, but an infatiable thirst of greatnefs, when no one but himfelf thought he could be greater? And what provoked Caius Cæfar to ruin himself and the commonwealth? Glory, ambition, and an unmeafurable defire of pre-eminence. He could not endure to have one mafter; though the Republic was contentedly subject to the dominion of two (Confuls.) Or, think you, that it was a virtuous principle, that pushed on Caius Marius, who was once Conful (for he was once duly elected, the other fix times he gained his point by bribes or force of arms †) to undergo fo many perils, when he flaughtered the Cimbrians and Germans; and pursued Jugurtha through the deferts of Africa? No; Marius led an army; but ambition led Marius. Thefe men when they fhook all things, were themfelves miferably fhaken; like whirlwinds that invelope the things they feize upon, but are themfelves toffed about, and rush with the greater force, being under no command. And therefore when thefe heroes have cruelly injured many, they themselves feel the pernicious violence wherewith they VOL. II. Y they inflicted others. There is no reason you should think any one happy in the unhappiness of his fellow-creatures. All these examples, which we daily fee, and hear of, are to be kept in memory; and our hearts, full of evil furmifes, are to be cleanfed. Virtue must difengage us from our prefent employ, and take its due place in the mind, in order to extirpate all pleasing lyes against the truth; to separate us from the common people, (to whom we give too much credit) and to confirm us in fincere and juft opinions. For this is wisdom; to return to Nature, and to be restored to the happy state from whence public errors had drove us. It is a great step toward health and foundness, to have forfaken the counsellors of folly, and to have fled from the common people, who are daily corrupting one another. That you may know this to be true, behold how differently men live in public and in private: yet it is not folitude that teacheth fimplicity and innocence; nor does a country-life of itself make us more frugal and temperate; but it is the having no witness or spectator which makes many vices, that have no other aim but to be seen and admired, fubfide of themselves. Who would be cloathed in purple was there no one to gaze upon him? who in private would have dainties ferved up to him in a golden dish? who, when lying under the shade of a green tree in fome rural spot, would display the pomp of luxury? No man is very spruce and sumptuous when by himself, or even in the prefence of two or three fervants or familiars, but according to the number and quality of his vifitants, makes he a shew of his costly vanities. So that the chief instigation to all those things we are fo foolishly mad after, is, the teftimony of such as know and admire us take away the witness, and you will abolish those fond defires. Ambition, luxury and pride, require a public ftage: you will certainly cure them, if you will but conceal them. And therefore, if we refide in a noify populous city, it would be requifite to have always a monitor at our elbow; who, in opposition to flatterers, and fuch as commend a large eftate, fhould rather praise the man who is contented with a little, and who meafures his wealth by the good ufes he makes of it: against thofe, who extol favour and power, let him recommend retirement, when devoted to the ftudy of literature; and a mind withdrawn from external things, to reflect upon its own real and proper good. Let him fhew how thefe great men, who in vulgar eflimation are accounted happy, tremble and are aftonished at their envied height; and have a very different opinion of themfelves, from what others entertain of them: that what feems a lofty feat to others, feems to them but a steep and broken rock: therefore are they fpiritlefs, and fhudder with fear when they look down from this dangerous precipice of greatnefs: they fufpect a thousand accidents to which their flippery fituation is fubject: then they dread what they fo greatly courted and the profperity which hath made them troublefome and injurious to others, lays an heavier burthen upon themfelves: then they extol a calm retirement, and the sweet liberty of being their own mafters: fplendour grows diftafteful to them, and they gladly feek a discharge from their high offices: then at length you fhall fee them play the philofophers through fear, and take good counfel from their wretched fituation: for thefe two things feem inconfiftent with each other, a good fortune, and a found mind: as we are generally more wife in adverfity; but profperity is apt to blind the judgment, and warp us in our duty. *Muretus in his preamble to this Epistle obferves that as Arifto maintained the decretal or dogmatical philofophy; Seneca defends the exhortatory or preceptive: but particularly, that from a diligent perufal of this Epiftle may be learned what is the true meaning of that obfcure fentence in the first book of Tully's Offices, Omnis de officio duplex eft, quæftio; every question relating to duty is twofold, i. e. either particular or general: which none of the expofitors or commentators feem to have hit upon before. (a) This is fomewhat like what St. James faith; If a brother or fifter be naked, and deftitute of daily food; and one of you fay unto him, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not thofe things which are needful for the body, what doth it profit? ii. 5. 6. † See Epp. 24. 30. 78. (b) The Stoics fuppofed all men to be mad except their wife man, though they drank not ellebore nor applied themfelves to a physician. Of which fort of madnefs Horace fpeaketh, when he faith, Infanire putas folennia me; neque rides; Nec medici credis, nec curatoris egere. Ep. i. 1. 101. You You count me mad ir faftion, you forbear To laugh, nor think I want a doctor's care, Or guardian from the Prætor.-Creech. See the fourth Paradox of Tully, (omnes ftultos infanire, that every fool is a madman) which is fuppofed to be addreffed to Clodias, who had driven Tully into exile. (c) Non eft quod plenis ac tumentibus imperes] Suetonius (in Tiberio;) contentis ac tumentibus oculis profequi. To fix or ftrain the eyes, fays Lipfius, as in love or devotion.. (d) Lactant. 1. 6. c. 23. Servando igitur ab utroque fides alteri eft, imò exemplo continentiæ docenda uxor, ut fe caftè gerat, iniquum eft enim ut ipfe exigas quod præftare ipfe non poffis. Fidelity therefore in the married flate is refpectively required from both parties: without which the rational and moral human fpecies could be retained with no rules of order, becoming their nature; no decency; but a variable, unfettled, roving appetite, would foon gain the tranfcendency over reafon, and introduce univerfal confufion. Marriage was therefore rendered holy and honourable by a particular fanétion of the all-wife, omnipotent Creator. Marriage, thou cafieft, fafeft, happiest fate! Let debauchees and drunkards thee prophane : (What follows I cannot recollect, nor whofe lines they are.) (e) By not obferving these two precepts of Cato, I believe many have been impofed upon under the fpecious pretence of buying bargains. Our English proverbs are-Good cheap is dear. A good bargain is a pickpurfe. The French fay, Bon marchè tire s' argent hors de bourfe. As I faw an old gentlewoman buy a parcel of balets which she would not tafte, and even abominated; because they were offered at a penny cheaper than the ufual price. (f) This precept Clemens of Alexandria interprets two ways; either, because life is fhort, and therefore ought not to be spent in vain or idle amufements; or, that we ought to be careful in our daily expences, left we should live fo long as to want neceffaries. See Ep. i. (N. a.) Take Time while Time is, for Time will away. Scotch Proverb. (g) 'Tis true, as Seneca fays, fuch fentences as thefe want no advocate: yet, as the different ufage and application of them may be acceptable to fome fort of readers, I fhall further obferve, that this is the firft of the three fentences which Plato faith were fixed upon the doors of the Delphic Oracle, as feeming worthy to have come from God. Among the proverbial fentences is this verse : Τὸ γνῶθι σαυτὸν πανταχε ἐστι χρήσιμον. Nomnus Marcellus quotes a fatire by Varro under this title; Dvä‡i σeautóv―Famâ celebrata per orbem Littera, cognofci quæ fibi quemque jubet. Juvenal faith it came down from heaven,―e cœlo defcendit. But Ovid gives it to Pythagoras; Socrates the Platonic, to Apollo. Diogenes gives it to Thales; Antifthenes to Phenomöe the Sybil ; but that Chilo made ufe of it. Thales being asked, 7i kot: Suononov; what is a difficult thing? · anfwered, to know one's felf. Ti sünonov; what an easy thing? anλ ÚTUTIDED, to give advice to another. Cicero, (Tufc. Qu. 1. 26.) Nimirum hanc habet vim præceptum Apollonis, quo monet, ut fe quifque nofcat, &c. This, doubtless, is the meaning of the precept of Apollo, which advises every one to know himself. I do not apprehend his intention to have been, that we should inform ourselves of our ftature and make; nor do I addrefs myself to your body; when therefore be faith know yourfelf, he faith this, inform yourself of the nature of your foul, for the body is but a kind of vessel or receptacle of the foul. Whatever your foul doth, is your own act. To know the foul then, unless it had been divine, would not have been a precept of that excellent wifdem, as to be attributed to a God. And elsewhere, we must not think this precept given only to lessen our pride, but also to make us understand our own good. Tecum habita, et nôris quàm fit tibi carta fupellex. Perf. iv. 57. Survey thy foul, not what thou deft appear, But what thou art, and find the beggar there. Dryden. Teipfum concute.. -Hor. S. 1. 3. 35. Examine then thyself with strictest care. Macrobius tells us of one, who confulting the oracle, asked, by what means he might attain happiness? it was answered, Know thyself. But this anfwer was fuppofed to have been given to Crafus. Somhthing like it is that of Antiphanes. Εἰ θετὸς ἦ, βέλτιστε, θνητὰ τὰ φρύνει. As thou art mortal, think of mortal things. Some give it to Homer as the grand fource of all wisdom and learning. From Hector's declining to fight with Ajax, knowing him to be a better man, Αιαντος δ' έλεεινε μάχην τελεμωνιάδας. Ajax he fhuns thro' all the dire debate, And fears that arm, whofe force he felt fo late. Pope. This admirable fentence however is bantered by the comic poet Menander; Τό, γνῶθι σαυτόν, χρησιμώτερον γὰρ ἦν Τὸ γνῶθι τις αλλος. Talk not of that fam'd fentence, Know thyfelf, 'Twere better far a man fhould know the world. () Magni eft animi injurias oblivifci. Cic. (de Orat.) It fhews greatness of mind to forget an injury. Delle ingiurie il remedio a lui fcordarfi. Ital. Semper et infirmi eft animi exiguique voluptas (i) Fortes enim non modo fortuna adjuvat, ut eft in veteri proverbio, fed multo magis ratio. Cic. (Tufc. Q. ii.) It is not Fortune alone that affifts and advanceth the brave, but Reason; which, by certain precepts, as it were, confirms even courage itself. Audentes fortefque Deus juvat. Ovid. Audaces adjuvat ipfa Venus. Id. A faint heart never won fair lady. Prov. Or as the French fay, Le coüard n'aura belle amie. ̓Αλλ' δι μὲν ἀθυμέντες ἀνδρεςἐπότε τροπᾶιον ἐστήσαντο. Timidi nunquam ftatuêre tropaa. No trophies ever grac'd a coward's name. Πρὸς σοφίαν μὲν ἔχειν τολμάν μάλα σύμφορον ἐστὶ, Unless to wisdom fortitude is join'd, Loffes enfue, and fortune proves unkind. (k) So Gronovius, that it may feem an Hemiftic. al. piger fibiipfe obftat. Idle folks have the most labour. Prov. Idleness is the key of beggary. Idlenefs turns the edge of wit. Edle folks want no excufe. Defuetudo |