ANNOTATIONS, &c. (a) Et alia quæ objecit fuis quifque temporibus.] So Hefiod, the most antient author of that fiction, relating to the four ages of the world, complains of his being born in the iron age, the worst of the four. Μηκέτ' ἔπει τ' ἀφελλον ἐγὼ πεμπζοισι μετείναι Ανδράσιν, ἀλλ ̓ ἢ πρέπε θανών, ἢ έπειτα γενέθαι, Nuv yap dù géros isi adaptor Hef. s. 172. Of public vice now reigns fuch ample flore, Would I had ne'er been born, or born before! This furely is the iron age. (b) This feaft, or facrifice, was made to her whom the Romans called Bona Dea, the good Goddess, the Greeks Gynacea; and it being celebrated only by women, Clodius, being a handsome young man, took on him the disguise of a singing girl, in order to carry on an intrigue with Pompeia Cafar's wife; but being difcovered, he was brought to trial, when Cæfar himself appeared, and to the furprize of every one declared, he had nothing to charge him with. Why then, faid the accufers, have you divorced your wife? Becaufe, fays he, it is enough for Cafar's wife to be fufpected. So Clodius got clear of the judgment, most of the judges giving their opinion in a confufed manner, upon several caufes at the fame time, that they might not be in danger from the people in condemning him; (for in oppofition to the nobility they all took his part) nor in disgrace with the nobility by acquitting him." So far Plutarch in his Life of Cafar. And Cicero in his Epiftle to Atticus, (1. 1. Ep. 15.) concerning this affair, fays, "Our illuftrious Areopagites called out that they would not affemble, unless a guard was appointed them. This matter was debated, and only one member was found who did not defire the guard. The affair was then carried before the Senate, where it was granted in a most formal, honourable manner : the judges were commended, the providing a guard was committed to the magiftrates, nor was there a man found who imagined that Clodius would stand his trial. Twenty-one of the judges were determined against him, though they were threatened with the greatest dangers. But thirtyone of them obeyed the calls of hunger rather than of honour." (c) So Juvenal speaking of this very affair, s. 6. 336. ubi velari pictura jubetur Quæcunque alterius fexus imitata figuram eft. And ev'n male pictures modeftly are veil'd. The learned are agreed that (d) At what time the more celebrated courte fans dance naked. the vulgar notion of Flera the ftrumpet, is purely a fiction of Lactantius; from whom it was taken. Flora appears to have been a Sabire goddess, and the Ludi Florales to have been inftituted A. U. C. 613. The main part of the ceremony was managed by a company of lewd ftrumpets, who ran up and down naked. However the wifeft and gravest Romans were not for difcontinuing this cuftom, though the most indecent imaginable. For Cato when he was prefent at thefe games, and faw the people ashamed to let the maids ftrip while he was there, immediately went out of the theatre, to let the ceremony have its courfe. Liv. xxv. Kennet. (e) i. e. Stoicism. The Stoics maintained that virtue and vice were to be followed or cfchewed, merely upon their own account; whereas the Epicureans had refpect to reward and punishment. VOL. II. D d (f) Epicurus (f) Epicurus adds, Tv ainiar i nad' éautuv xanor, n. T.λ. Injustice is not an evil in itself, but in the fear and fufpicion of being difcovered. On the contrary the Stoics (Cic. de Fin. 1. 3.) minimè vero probatur huic difciplinæ (Stoica) aut amicitiam aut juftitiam, ob utilitates adfcifci aut probari, jus autem, quod ita dici appellarique poffit, id effe natura, alienumque a fapiente, non modo injuriam cuiquam facere verùm etiam nocere. There abfolutely could be no fuch things as juftice or friendship, unless they were cultivated for themfelves. As to what is termed right, the Stoics hold it to be Nature itself; and that it is inconfiftent with the character of a wife man to do an injury, nay, the least prejudice to any person. All Happiness from within; in this tranfitory State of Things. NEVER think a man happy, Lucilius, whofe happiness is in suspenfe. He depends on frailty, who rejoiceth in an adventitious good. Such joy will pafs away as lightly as it came: but the joy that ariseth from within, is faithful, is firm; it continually grows ftronger, and holds out to the laft *. Other things which the vulgar admire are only good for a time. What then is there no pleasure or profit in them? who denies it (a)? but it must be when they depend upon us, and not we upon them. All things within the power of fortune may thus be made fruitful and pleasant to us; if he that poffeffeth them is mafter alfo of himself; and fubjects not himself to his poffeffions. For they are mistaken, my Lucilius, who think that what fortune can give us is either good or bad. She gives us indeed the material part of good and evil; and to her we owe the beginning of those incidents, which in the iffue may prove either happy or unhappy for us. But the mind is ftronger than any fortune; it conducteth its own affairs, right or wrong; and is itself the cause of its own happiness or mifery. A bad mind turns every thing to bad; even such things as have the appearance of good: but the man of an upright and pure mind corrects the depravity of fortune; and foftens, by the art of patience, every hard and disagreeable condition. The fame likewise receives profperity with gratitude and moderation; and adverfity with conftancy and courage. Who although he is prudent, although he is fo judicious in his tranfactions, as never to engage in any enterprize 3 beyond beyond his ftrength; yet never can attain that entire good, which is placed beyond the threats of fortune, unless he is fixed, and steady against all uncertainties. Whether, Lucilius, you will be pleafed to obferve other men, (for in fuch a cafe we are apt to judge more freely) or to confider yourself, without prejudice or partiality; you will perceive, and confefs, that none of these things, which are esteemed fo precious and desirable, are truly useful; unless you will arm yourself against the levity of chance, and the uncertainty of things depending thereon; unless you frequently, and without murmuring and repining at any lofs, can fay, Diis aliter visum est,— I might think perhaps I deferved better fortune, but) the Gods thought otherwife (b). Or to give you a verse of a more strong and just expreffion; fay this, when any thing happens contrary to expectation, Dii melius (c). The Gods know better, (what is good for us than we do ourselves). A mind thus compofed no accident can injure; and thus will a mind be composed, if a man reflects upon the variety of contingencies in human affairs, before he is made fenfible of them; if he enjoys his children, his wife, his eftate, as if he was not always to enjoy them; and if he could not be made more wretched upon this account, was he obliged to part from them. That mind alone is wretched, which is ever anxious concerning what may happen; which is miserable before real mifery reacheth it, and in continual dread left those things which it now delights in should not continue to the end of life: for fuch a one can never be at reft; and, in expectation of fome future evil, will lofe the enjoyment of the prefent good. There is but little difference between grieving for a thing loft, and the fear of lofing any thing. Not that I hereby, Lucilius, recommend negligence or careleffnefs: no; do your endeavour to avoid fuch things as are to be dreaded; do all that can be done by prudence and forecast (d); confider well what may hurt you: nothing can be more ferviceable to this purpose than a reasonable confidence, and a mind refolutely steeled with patience. The man is fecure against the power of fortune, who is determined to be fubmiffive. Tranquillity excludes all manner of Dd 2 tumult. tumult. Befides, nothing can be more miserable, nothing more ridiculous, than to be always in fear: what madness is it for a man to anticipate his misfortunes! Laftly, to include in a few words my fentiments on this fubject, and to defcribe these over-bufy-bodies, and felf-tormentors, let me obferve, they are as impatient and intemperate, when what they expected comes upon them, as they were before. He certainly grieves more than is neceffary, who grieves before it is neceffary: for, by the fame infirmity, that he does not expect forrow, he knows not how to consider it rightly; and by the fame unreasonableness, he not only fancies that his felicity will be lafting, but that whatever good hath befallen him, it must neceffarily encreafe: and forgetful of the grand machine (f), whereby all things are toffed and fcattered about, he promiseth to himself alone stability in cafual things. Metrodorus therefore feems to speak excellently well in that Epiftle where he comforts his fifter upon the death of her fon, a child of a charming difpofition, faying, Mortale eft omne mortalium bonum (g), Mortal is every good of mortal men. He is fpeaking of thofe goods which men fo greatly affect and readily purfue: for the true good never dies: it is fure, and everlasting, wisdom and virtue (b). This is the only good to mortals; but fo unreasonable are they, fo forgetful of what they are;; and whither they are going;. nay, whither every day pufheth them on; that they wonder and are amazed at lofing any thing, though it is certain they must one day lose. all. Whatever it is that you call yourfelf mafter of, you may have it indeed, but it is not thine. Nothing can be firm to an infirm creature;. nothing eternal and unperishable to frail mortals on this fide the grave. It is as neceffary that all worldly goods fhould perifh, as at any time be loft. And this, if rightly understood, would prove a comfortable inducement to us to part, with a steady mind, from what we knew we muft neceffarily lofe. may What remedy then shall we find out against thefe loffes? Why, this; that we still keep in memory the things that are loft, and fuffer not the fruits we received from them to perish with them. To have, be taken from us; but to have had, never. He is very ungrateful, who when he hath loft any thing, fuppofeth that he owes no thanks for the enjoyment of it. Chance may rob us of a thing, yet leave us the benefit of it; unless we lose this too by an unreasonable defire and longing after it. Say moreover to thyfelf; there are none of all these things that feem fo terrible, but what are conquerable. There are many who have overcome each particular, as, Mucius, fire; Regulus, torture; Socrates, poyfon; Cato, death, by his own fword. Let us alfo endeavour at fome glorious victory. Again,-thofe things which under a fpecious fhew of happiness allure the vulgar, have been often, and by many defpifed. Fabricius (i), when general in chief, defpifed riches; and, when cenfor, condemned them. Tubero (k) adjudged poverty worthy of himself and the capitcl; when, at a folemn feaft, ufing earthen veffels, he fhewed that men ought to be contented with these things wherewith the Gods themfelves difdained not to be ferved. Sextius the elder, a man every way qualified for a ftatefman, when offered the fenatorial robe by Julius Cæfar, would not accept it, for he well knew that what was given him, might be taken from him. Let us likewife affume this noble spirit, and prove as exemplary to others, as thefe have been to us. Why do we draw back? Why do we defpair? What has been may be. Let us only make pure the mind, and follow nature; (m) for whoever fwerves from following her, muft fear, must desire, and be a flave to cafualties. We may return to the right way, we may recover ourselves, if we pleafe. Let us then endeavour it, that we may patiently bear whatever may affli&t the body, and fay to Fortune, Cum viro tibi negotium eft, quære quem vircas; you have now got a man to deal with; look out elsewhere for one whom you may conquer (n). By thefe and the like fpeeches, is affuaged the virulence of that ulcer, which I heartily with eafed, and if not cured, made fupporta ble, |