because fome things are more eafily expelled totally from the inclination, than kept in due measure. But fince I have begun to tell you with how much more earnestnefs I applied myself to philofophy, when a young man, than now when I am old, I shall not be ashamed to confess to you, what affection for Pythagoras Sotion (b) inspired me with. He taught me, why Pythagoras abstained from animal food (1), and why after him Sextius: their reafons were different, but, of both, very great. Sextius thought, that there was food enough for man in the world without fhedding blood; and that the taking pleasure in butchering helpless animals, only inspired men with cruelty: he added hereunto, that luxury was not to be encouraged; and fuppofed that variety of meats, and particularly fuch as are foreign to our conftitutions, are by no means a preservative of health, but the contrary. Whereas Pythagoras held that there was a sort of relationship among all animals, and a certain intercourse, whereby they paffed out of one form into another. No foul either of man or beast (if you believe him) perisheth; nor indeed ceafeth any longer than while it is tranfmigrating into another body. And that after many revolutions and changes from one fort of body to another, it returns again to man. In the mean while this opinion had no fmall effect, in making men dread wickedness, and especially parricide: fince it is poffible they might unknowingly light upon the foul of a parent, and with knife and teeth violate the body wherein was lodged fome kindred Spirit. When Sotion had explained to me these things, and confirmed them by his arguments; Do you not think, faid he, that fouls are diftributed from one body to another; and that it is only this tranfmigration which we call death? Do you not believe that in thofe animals, wild or tame, or that dwell in the great deep, the fouls, that were once in man, ftill furvive ? Do you not believe, that nothing in this world perifeth, but only changeth its place and form? and that not only the celestial bodies make their feveral circuits, but that animals, and their fouls likewife, have their revolutions? Many great men have believed these things. Sufpend therefore for a while your judgment; and weigh every thing diligently. If these things be true, to abstain from fledding of blood is innocence; if falfe, frugality. And as fome check to cruelty, I only ask you to abstain from what is the food of lions and vultures.-Prevailed upon by these inftructions, I began to abstain from eating flesh, and at the year's end, such abftinence became not only cafy to me, but pleasant (k): 1 fancied my fpirit more alert and free than it was before; nor to this day can I pretend either to affirm or deny it. But you will afk, perhaps, how I came to difcontinue this way of life? My youth fell out in the reign of Tiberius Cæfar, at what time the facreds of fome foreign nations were banished Rome (1); and among other superstitions, this was alledged as one, the abstaining from the flesh of certain animals (m). At request therefore of my father, who was no great admirer of philosophy (n), but hated reproach, I returned to the eating flesh as ufual: nor had he much difficulty in perfuading me to eat better fuppers. And as Attalus was wont to recommend a hard bed, which funk not with the weight of the body, fuch I ufe to this day; in which, when I rife you cannot fee the leaft impreffion. how rea These things I have related to you, Lucilius, to fhew you, dily and earnestly youth attend to the knowledge and practice of what is good; if there is any one to instruct them, any one to push them on: but on the one hand, there is generally a great defect or fault in the instructor, who teaches them rather how to difpute, than how to live (0) and, on the other, in the scholars, who bring with them to their mafter the defign of having their tongue or wit polished, and not the mind. From whence, what before was philofophy, is now become philology. Now, it is of great moment to examine what end we purfue, or with what defign we engage in any business. He that fets He that fets up for a Grammarian, and examines Virgil, does not read that excellent hemiftich, -fugit irreparabile tempus. G. iii. 284. Time flies irrevocable, M m 2 with 260 сар The best way is to endure what we cannot prevent, or amend; and without murmuring hold communion with God; by whofe providence all things are directed. He is but a bad foldier who follows his tain grumbling and fighing. Wherefore let us receive his commands with earneftness and alacrity; nor think of deserting our course in this beautiful round of things, the work of God; though whatever we suffer be interwoven in it. And thus let us addrefs the Almighty, who guides and directs this vaft machine; as our Cleanthes teacheth us in those elegant verses, which, after the manner of the most eloquent Cicero, I have endeavoured to tranflate, in the Latin language: if they please well; if not, let it fuffice for me to have followed the great Cicero. Duc me, parens, celfique dominator poli, you, Quocunque placuit: nulla parendi mora eft. Father of heav'n, and ruler of the skies! And follow thee, with many a figh and groan. That prefeth lightly on the just and good.. Thus let us live; thus let us pray, that death may ever find us willing and alert to go. This is true magnanimity, which refigns itself to God. On the contrary, he is of a low and degenerate mind, who is reluctant, who is fo vain, as to find fault with the difpenfations of Providence; and prefumes rather to cenfure and amend the Gods, than himself. ANNO ANNOTATIONS, • See Bolingbroke on Exile, ad fin -Melmoth's Cato, p. 263. &c. , (a) The Stoics did not allow any one qualified to be a friend but their wife man: the reft were only companions, united for advantage fake: ficut et terram ferimus ob fructus, as we fow land for the fake of the crop. See Epp. ix. lxxxi. Il. Our Epicurus, becaufe Lucilius was an Epicurean. (6) Iter metiaris] Pincian, emetiaris, al. idem mentiaris, al. id eft, mentiaris: that is, you must lie; in what? in calling upon death, yet not defiring his prefence.-The word, mentiri, here puts me in mind of Sir Henry Wotton's definition of an ambaffador: He is one who is fent ad mentiendum foris, to lie abroad. (c) This is according to the Ptolemaic fyftem, but we, who more justly follow the Copernican, know it to be in appearance only. (d) This is a capital dogma of the Stoics, fequi naturam, i. e. Deum; to follow Nature; that is, God. Ep. 4, &c. Lipf. Manud. iii. 19. (e) Et quæcunque fiunt debuiffe fieri putet.] Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. xviii. 25. (f) These verses are from the Greek in the Enchiordion of Epictetus. Lipfius therefore rejects the fourth of the Latin as fpurious, or taken from fome other place. Αγκ δέ μιά Ζευ, και σύ γ' ἡ πεπρωμένη, Όποι ποθ' ὑμῖν εἴ τι διατεταγμένος Ως ἕψομαί γ' κοινος, ἂν δὲ μὴ θέλω, Κακὸς γενόμενος ἰδὲν ἧττον ἕψομαι. See Ep. 96, (N. a.) EPISTLE CVIII. The right Ufe of reading or hearing the Philofophers*. WHAT you enquire after, Lucilius, is one of those things which it is requifite to know, merely for knowledge-fake and fince it is fo requifite, and you feem fo earnestly to infift upon it, nor will wait a little while, 'till I have finished thofe books which will contain the whole of moral philofophy regularly digefted, I will oblige you; but give me leave first to premise a few things, in order to inform you, after what manner the commendable thirst of learning, with which you feem thus thus tranfported, may be fo ordered, as not to hinder you refpective progress. once. in your All sciences are not to be received at random, nor rufhed upon at From particulars we must learn the whole. Every one must fuit their burthen to their strength †: nor must we involve ourselves in more business than we know how to go through with. You must not drink of this ftream as much as you please, but as much as you can hold. Yet never fear; you fhall hold as much as you can defire. The more the mind receives, the more it expands itself. This is what our mafter Attalus taught us, when we befieged, as it were, his school, coming first, and going away the laft: nay, teafing and provoking him to fome difpute, as we walked along, when he was not prepared for us, but met us accidentally. Both he that teacheth, faith he, and he that learneth fould have the fame point in view, ut ille prodeffe velit, hic proficere: they must both intend profit; the one by giving good inftruction, the other by receiving it. He that attends the fchools of philofophers fhould daily carry away with him fome improvement. He should return home more wife, or better difpofed to wisdom. And fo indeed will he return; for fuch is the power of philofophy, that the not only improves the ftudent, but the converfant. He that walketh in the fun will be tanned, though he did not walk there for that purpofe. A man who hath fet fome time in a perfumer's shop, will carry away with him the fcent of the place; fo they who attend philofophers, muft certainly reap fome benefit, let them be as negligent as they please: but obferve, I say negligent, not What then? have we not known fome who for many years repugnant. attended on philofophy, without being in the leaft tinged therewith? Certainly; and even such as seemed fo very conftant and industrious, that we might call them not the difciples, but the inmates, of philofophy. But the misfortune is, fome come only to bear, not to learn, as they attend the theatre for pleafure's fake; to delight the ear with fome fpeech, or a sweet tone of voice, or a diverting ftory, exhibited in comedy. Such you will find great part of an audience, who make the philofophical schools but a place of idle refort: they come not thither in |
