ble, I think, to make fenfe of.-Erafmus, Æquè viget, dum ut videras, dum viveret. Sentit enim nobis virere quiquid delectat. At delectat etiam memoria rerum bonarum.- -Tout ce qui te plaifoit, eft encore en la meme vigeur, qu' il eftoit quand tu le voyois verdir. Vet. Gall.

(f) Muret. obferves that this precept is taken from that when Zeno enquired of the oracle what were the means of living moft worthily and happily, he received for answer, ei ovyxpw7ilovTO TOÏS vexpos. By converfing with the dead. Whereupon he spent the rest of his life in study, and reading

antient authors.

(g) Zeno was ninety-eight years old, when, coming from the public fchools, he ftruck his foot against a stone, and tripping, fell upon the ground with one hand; whereupon he repeated thefe words of Euripides, ipnouar ti p dus; I am coming, why in fuch hafte to call me? and went home. and destroyed himself.-May we not fay, notwithstanding the great encomiums bestowed upon him, that he was in his dotage? See Ep. 107. and the Index.

(b) Laudari et afpici credit.Pincian. geftit.-Lipfius and Gruter. quærit. Gronovius. approves of credit, which he thus explains: He acts as they do, who are animated by the presence of those whom they revere, and study to please. He thinks himself upon a stage, where the eyes of every one are upon him. So Cæfar, (de Gall. 1. 3.) reliquum erat certamen pofitum in virtute, qua noftri milites facile fuperfunt, atque eo magis, quod in confpectu Cæfaris, atque omnis exercitus res gerebatur.The rest of the engagement was carried on with great valour, in which our troops have eafily the pre-eminence, and the more fo, as the affair was tranfacted in the fight of Cæfar and the whole Curt. 1. 9. Ubicumque pugnabo, in theatro terrarum orbis effe me credam. I will behave myfelf as upon the theatre of the world.

army.

(i) Perpeficium fenem; the fame word is ufed in Ep. 53.

(4) And fome months. For fo long lafted the Peloponesian war.

(1) So in Tertullian's Apology. Lego partem fententiæ Atticæ in Socratem corruptorem adolefcentium pronuntiatam. Sen. de Tranquill. c. 15. Cum pueris ludere Seneca non crubefcebat. Vid. Sidon. 1. 3. Er. 3.

(m) Noviflimus bi] So Lucan. 9. 595.

Ulmus hautor aquæ, cùm tandem fonte reporto

Indiga conater latices potare juventus,

St., dum lixa bibat.

Sparing of fleep fili for the rest he wakes,

And at the fountain, laft, his thirst he flakes:
Whene er by chance jome living spring is found,
He ftands, and jees the cooling draught go round.
Stays 'till the laft and meanest drudge is past,

And 'till his flaves have drunk, dijdains to taste. Rowe.
"Where fhall we find the man that bears affliction,
Great and majestic in his griefs like Cato?

Heav'ns! with what ftrength, what fleadinefs of mind,
He triumphs in the midst of all his fufferings!

How does he rife aga nft a load of woes,

And thank the Gods that throw the weight upon him!

Coarfe are his meals, the fortune of the chace;

Amidst the running ftream he flakes his thirst,
Toils all the day, and at th' approach of night
On the first friendly bank he throws him down,
Kk 2

Or

Certain Precepts, with regard to Happiness and Security, in the Conduct

of Life.

GIVE me leave, Lucilius, to point out a few things which, if duly obferved, will render your life more fecure, and I am fure you will give the fame attention, at least to thefe precepts, as if I had directed you what to do, in order to preserve your health in the bad air about Ardea.

Confider what thofe things are, which generally incite and provoke men to ruin one another; and you will find them to be, Hope, Envy, Hatred, Fear, Contempt. Of all these contempt is so much the lightest, that many have skulked beneath it by way of safeguard (a); for whom a man contemneth, he may kick at perhaps, but paffeth him by. No man hurts a contemptible perfon frowardly, or purposely. In a battle, the man that is proftrate is paffed over; he only is attacked who stands his ground.

You will fruftrate the hope of the wicked, if you have nothing to provoke their greedy and lawless appetite; if you have nothing, I fay, that is very remarkable: for whatever is extraordinary, however little known, is mostly coveted.

And

.

And thus may you prevent envy; if you live without pomp and parade; if you talk not of your wealth and endowments, but can enjoy them with felf-complacency.

You will prevent hatred, by giving no offence, by provoking no one defignedly, or wantonly, and living peaceably with all men, as common fense shall direct you. Many have been in great danger from hatred ; though fome have experienced it without a profest enemy.

Not to be feared, a moderate fortune and mildness of temper will prove the fureft means: when men fhall know you to be one, when they may in fome measure offend with impunity, being cafily pacified, and most affuredly reconciled. But to be feared, is as dangerous and troublesome at home as abroad; whether it be by fervants or children. There is no one but who hath fufficient power, if they please, to hurt you. Add therefore, that he who is feared, hath reason also to fear. No one who is dreaded can affure himself of security.

Laftly, as to contempt, he hath the management of it in his own power, who hath brought it upon himself; who is despised because he regarded it not, rather than because he deserved it. To prevent the inconvenience whereof, let a man study the liberal fciences, and procure friendship with those who have an intereft with men in power: to whom it will be proper to make application; though not fo to involve and engage yourself, as to make the remedy worse than the disease. Yet nothing will be of more service herein, than not to be over-busy and talkative, converfing chiefly with yourself.

There is a certain pleasure in talking, which steals upon a man, and flatters him; and often, like a cup too much, or love, is apt to disclose the fecrets of the heart. There is scarce any one but will tell again, what he hath heard, though but feldom the whole of what he heard. And who relates the matter, will likewife declare his author. All men have fome one or other, whom they think they can truft with what they themselves have been entrusted, Hence pretending to fet a watch

upon

upon their lips, and to be contented with the attention of one only, they make the people privy to all they know (b); fo that what before was a fecret, is made a common report.

The best means however of security is to do no ill. Paffionate men lead a confused and troublesome fort of life. They neceffarily fear a return of what mifchief they do, and are at no time free therefrom. They tremble as foon as they have done it, and are ever after in fufpenfe (c). Confcience will not fuffer them to reft; and often fets them upon an enquiry into themfelves (d). He is punished who only expects punishment; and he who hath deserved punishment, expects it. An evil confcience may fometimes think itself fafe, but never fecure (e). For a criminal, though not immediately apprehended, muft think himfelf liable thereto. Even his dreams difturb him: and when he hears the crime mentioned accidentally, his own guilt ftares him in the face: he never fuppofes it fufficiently obliterated, or closely enough concealed from the world. Let the guilty then efcape as they will for the prefent, they can put no confidence therein.

(a) As Brutus (in Livy) Neque in animo fuo quidquam regi timendum, neque in fortuna concupifcendum relinquere ftatuit, contemptuque tutus effe, ubi in jure parum præfidii effet. was determined to leave nothing upon his mind that could affect the flate, or was fubject to the caprice of fortune, choofing to be fafe, from contempt, where there was no dependence upon legal right

(b) Or, being contented to tell his ftory but to one perfon, he will make the people that one. Or, Ut garrulilatem fuani cuftodiat, et contentus fit unius auribus, populum faciet. He will suppose the people can help their prattling, and be contented with telling their story, each to one perfon. I know not what elfe to make of this paffage, for I think Pincian's reading fcarce admiffible; poculum, inftead of populum, i. e. A man will prattle to one or more according to what he has drunk.

(c) The wicked are like the troubled fea, when it cannot reft, whoje waters caft up mire and dirt. There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked. Pl. 57. 20.-The Heathens were fenfible of thefe horrors of conícience as well as Christians. Dii dexque! quam malè eft extra legem viventibus! quod femel meruerunt, femper expectant. Petron. in Claud. Ruffin. ii. Good God! how miferable it is to live uninfluenced by law! The punishment which they have deferved they always dread. Quid demens manifefta negas? en pectus inuftæ Deformant macula vitiifque inolevit imago

Nec fefe commiffa tegunt. Claud. ii. 504.

Wouldst thou deny what is fo manifeft?

Thy guilty ftains are openly impreft,

And every fecret vice Jands full confeft. Melampus, p. 197.

EPISTLE

I

Whether Good be a Body *.

HAVE been more tardy, I confefs, than ufual, Lucilius, in not anfwering your Epiftle; not because I was too bufily employed: I fcorn fuch an excufe, for I have leifure enough; as every one may have if they please. A man is not always engaged in bufinefs; but fome create it to themfelves: nay, and place great part of their happinefs therein. Why then, you will fay, did I not answer your request fooner (a)? Why to tell you the truth, it has fome connexion with my prefent purpofe; as you know I am determined to comprize the whole of moral philofophy, and to explain every queftion relating thereto. (b) Therefore I was fome time in doubt, whether I should put you off for the prefent, 'till this fubject would have its proper place, or in the mean time give you fomething extraordinary for your fatisfaction. But it feemed more kind and humane not to detain one longer, who came fo far. Therefore I have felected the following from the feries of thofe queftions, which depend upon one another, and will fend you fome other, of my own accord, to prevent your request. Do you afk what these questions are? Why, truly, fuch as there is more ple fure and curiofity in knowing, than profit, as in this before us-Whether Good be a body.

Now I affirm it to be a body; because it acts. Good acts upon the mind or foul; and in fome measure forms and governs it, which are the properties of body. Even the good of the body, is a body, and therefore so ́is that of the foul: for this likewife is a body. The good of man must neceffarily be a body, forafinuch as man is bodily, or h. th a body. I am greatly mistaken, if thofe things which nourish the body, and either preferve or reftore health, are not alfo bodies, and therefore every good that is his, is body. I cannot think that you will

doubt,