THE RESULTS OF PROSPERITY. Amicit. 15. Non enim solum ipsa fortuna cæca est, sed eos etiam plerumque efficit cæcos, quos complexa est. Itaque efferuntur illi fere fastidio, et contumaciâ: neque quidquam insipiente fortunato intolerabilius fieri potest. Atque hoc quidem videre licet, eos, qui antea commodis fuerunt moribus, imperio, potestate, prosperis rebus immutari, spernique ab iis veteres amicitias, indulgere novis. For not only is Fortune herself blind, but she generally causes those men to be blind whose interests she more particularly supports. Therefore they are often haughty and arrogant; nor is there anything more intolerable than a prosperous fool. And hence we often see that men, who were at one time affable and agreeable, are completely changed by prosperity, despising their old friends, and clinging to new. To LOVE AS IF ONE DAY WE WERE TO HATE. Amicit. 16. Negabat ullam vocem inimiciorem amicitiæ potuisse reperiri, quam ejus, qui dixisset, ita amare oportere, ut si aliquando esset osurus. He used to maintain that there was no maxim more at variance with friendship than that of the man who said, "that we ought always to indulge in love as if we might one day hate." A SURE FRIEND. Ennius recte: Amicus certus in re incertâ cernitur. Ennius has well remarked, "that a real friend is known when our affairs are in a doubtful state." TO HATE OPENLY. Amicit. 18. Aperte enim vel odisse, magis ingenui est, quam fronte occultare sententiam. Open and avowed hatred far more becomes a man of straightforward character than concealing our sentiments with a smooth brow. REMINDING KINDNESSES. Amicit. 20. Odiosum sane genus hominum, officia exprobrantium : quæ meminisse debet is, in quem collata sunt, non commemorare, qui contulit. That is a detestable race of men who are always raking up kindnesses conferred; he, who has received them, ought to have them on his memory, and not the man who has conferred them. EXCELLENCE RARE. Amicit. 21. Rarum genus (et quidem omnia præclara rara) nec quidquam difficilius, quam reperire, quod sit omni ex parte in suo genere perfectum. A kind of men, few and far between, (all good things are rare;) for there is nothing more difficult to find than perfection. A SECOND SELF. Amicit. 21. Quod nisi idem in amicitiam transferatur, verus amicus numquam reperietur; est enim is quidem tamquam alter idem. Unless this idea be adopted in friendship, a true friend will never be found; for he is like a second self. A THING DONE. Amicit. 22. Præposteris enim utimur consiliis, et acta agimus, quod vetamur veteri proverbio. For this is a preposterous idea, and we do over that which has been done, which we are prohibited to do by the ancient proverb. SOCIETY NECESSARY. Si quis in cœlum ascendisset, naturamque mundi, et pulchritudinem siderum perspexisset, insuavem illam admirationem ei fore; quæ jucundissima fuisset, si aliquem, cui narraret, habuisset. If a man could mount to heaven, and survey the mighty universe with all the planetary orbs, his admiration of their beauties would be much diminished, unless he had some one to share in his pleasure. ENEMIES BETTER THAN FRIENDS. Amicit. 24. Melius de quibusdam acerbos inimicos mereri, quam eos amicos, qui dulces videantur: illos verum sæpe dicere, hos numquam. Bitter and unrelenting enemies often deserve better of us than those friends whom we are inclined to regard as pleasant companions; the former often tell us the truth, the latter never. HYPOCRISY. Amicit. 26. Virtute enim ipsâ non tam multi præditi esse, quam videri volunt. The truth is that few are endowed with virtue in comparison with the number of those who wish us to believe that they possess it. AVARICE. Nunquam mehercule ego neque pecunias istorum, neque tecta magnifica, neque opes, neque imperia neque eas, quibus maxime adstricti sunt, voluptates in bonis rebus aut expetendis esse duxi: quippe cum viderem, rebus his circumfluentibus ea tamen desiderare maxime, quibus abundarent; neque enim expletur umquam, nec satiatur cupiditatis sitis: neque solum, ea qui habent, libidine augendi cruciantur sed etiam amittendi metu. I have never, by Hercules, considered heaps of money, magnificent palaces, influence in the state, military commands, nor any of those pleasures of which men are particularly fond, as things either good in themselves or to be desired; inasmuch as I saw that those who abounded in them still desired them the most. The thirst of desire is never filled nor fully satisfied; those who possess such things are tormented not only with the wish to increase them, but also with the fear of losing them. THE MIND. Paradox. i. 1. Omnia mea mecum porto. My all I carry with me. GUILTY CONSCIENCE. Paradox. ii. 1. Mors terribilis est iis, quorum cum vitâ omnia extinguuntur; non iis, quorum laus emori non potest: exsilium autem illis, quibus quasi circumscriptus est habitandi locus; non iis, qui omnem orbem terrarum, unam urbem esse ducunt. Te miseriæ, te ærumnæ premunt, qui te beatum, qui florentem putas; tuæ libidines te torquent: tu dies, noctesque cruciaris ; cui nec sat est, quod est, et idipsum, ne non sit diuturnum, times: te conscientiæ stimulant maleficiorum tuorum: te metus exanimant judiciorum, atque legum : quocumque adspexisti, ut furiæ, sic tuæ tibi occurrunt injuriæ, quæ te respirare non sinunt. Death is terrible to those with whose life all things are extinguished, not to those whose fame cannot die; but banishment is terrible to those who possess, as it were, a confined and circumscribed abode; not to those who consider the whole habitable globe as one city. Miseries and calamities press upon thee who thinkest thyself rich and increased with goods. Thy lusts torture thee; thou art tormented night and day; who never considerest enough what thou hast, and even fearest, lest it should not continue with thee. The consciousness of thy evil deeds goad thee to madness; the fear of justice and of the laws rack thy mind; wherever thou turnest thy eyes, thy unjust deeds, like furies, meet thee, and do not suffer thee to breathe. THE UPRIGHT. Quis igitur vivit, ut vult, nisi qui recta sequitur, qui gaudet officio, cui vivendi via considerata, atque provisa est? qui legibus quidem non propter metum paret, sed eas sequitur, atque colit, quia id salutare maxime esse judicat: qui nihil dicit, nihil facit, nihil cogitat denique, nisi libenter, ac libere: cujus omnia consilia, resque omnes, quas gerit, ab ipso proficiscuntur, eodemque feruntur: nec est ulla res, quæ plus apud eum polleat, quam ipsius voluntas, atque judicium: cui quidem etiam (quæ vim habere maximam dicitur) Fortuna ipsa cedit: sicut sapiens poëta dixit: suis ea cuique fingitur moribus. Who therefore lives as he wishes, but the man who leads an upright life, who rejoices in the performance of his duty, who has considered well and thoughtfully the path of life he ought to pursue? who does not submit to the laws from fear, but pays C respect and obedience to them because he considers that this is the most proper course; who says, does, and thinks nothing, in short, but of his own will, and freely; all whose plans and all whose acts are derived from and return to himself; nor is there anything which has more authority with him than his own wishes and judgment. Even fortune herself gives way to him which is said to have the greatest power: as the wise poet has said “ A man's fortune has its form given to it by his habits." FRUGALITY. Paradox. vi. 3. O dii immortales! non intelligunt homines, quam magnum vectigal sit parsimonia. Ye immortal gods! men know not how great a revenue parsimony is. VIRTUE NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM US. Paradox. vi. 3. Etenim si isti callidi rerum æstimatores, prata, et areas quasdam magno æstimant, quod ei generi possessionum minime quasi noceri potest: quanti est æstimanda virtus, quæ nec eripi, nec surripi potest unquam: neque naufragio, neque incendio amittitur: nec tempestatum, nec temporum permutatione mutatur? quâ præditi qui sunt, soli sunt divites. For, if those cunning valuers of things prize highly meadows and certain pieces of ground, because such kind of possessions can be but little injured, at what a rate ought virtue to be esteemed, which can neither be taken away, nor stolen; nor can we lose it by shipwreck, nor fire; nor is it to be changed by the power of tempests, nor by time! Those who possess it are alone rich. STATESMEN. Sic habeto, omnibus qui patriam conservârint, adjuverint, auxerint, certum esse in cœlo ac definitum locum, ubi beati ævo sempiterno fruantur. Nihil est enim illi principi Deo, qui omnem hunc mundum regit, quod quidem in terris fiat, acceptius, quam concilia, cœtusque hominum, jure sociati, quæ civitates appellantur; harum rectores et conservatores hinc profecti, huc revertuntur. Be persuaded that there is a certain separate place in heaven for those who have preserved, helped, and ameliorated their country, where they may enjoy happiness to all eternity. For there is |
