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(1) As I think it is fomewhere faid by Cafar, Fight on, my brave fellow-foldiers, you will either conquer or fup with Jupiter.

(m) Ne Python quidem vulnerabilis----al. invulnerabilis ---ne pilo quidem vel ne publis---Erafm. ne Pythio (i. e. Apollina) Suret. But I am more apt to think, with Pincian, that the whole sentence is not genuine. Or, if I may not be allowed the sense given it in the tranflation, I should fooner prefer Erafmus' pilo, (i. e. he was invulnerable to the pyke or spear) than either Python or Pythio.

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you.

IT feems you are inquifitive, Lucilius, to know how I spend my time, even my whole time; and are pleased to entertain fo good an opinion of me as to think, that I defire not to conceal any part of it from Indeed we ought so to live, as in the fight of man; and fo to employ our thoughts, as if the inmost receffes of our hearts were open to fome inspector. They certainly are fo: for what avails it to keep any thing fecret from man; when we can hide nothing from God! He is intimate to our fouls (a); and interpofeth himself in our common thoughts; fo indeed as never abfolutely to leave us. I will oblige you therefore in your request, and will tranfmit to you in writing how I pafs my time, and after what method I generally act. I will, forthwith, make some obfervations on myself; and what is truly ufeful and of confequence, review the day past.

Nothing contributes more to the making men worse, as to their morals, than their not regarding their paft conduct. We think indeed upon what we are about to do; though this but feldom; and what we have done, is entirely forgotten. Good counfel however for the future depends, in a great measure, upon the experience of what is past. This, my Lucilius, hath been a complete day with me (6): not a person hath broke in upon a moment of it. The whole was divided between my

couch

couch and reading-desk: very little allowed for exercife of the body: I am oblig'd to old age for this; it puts me to very little trouble in this respect; when I ftir, I am foon tired. But this is the common end of exercise, even to the strongest, Would you know, who are my companions (c) herein? One is enough for me, Eurinus, an amiable boy not unknown to you.

But I must change him.

But I must change him. He grows too robuft

for me. He says indeed, that we are both at the fame crifis of age, forafmuch as we are fhedding our teeth; but the young rogue runs too fast for me; I can scarce overtake him; and in a few days I fhall not be able; fo much he gains upon me by daily exercife. In a very short time there is a great distance between two that are travelling different ways. As he is going up, I am going down: and you know how much swifter the one travels than the other. Did I fay, I was going down? I was miftaken; for my age is fuch I am not going, but falling down. But would you know how ended this day's contention between us? why, as feldom it does between two racers, neither of us beat (d).

But would

From this, rather a fatigue, than exercife, I go into the cold bath; I do not mean such as is extremely cold: for I (who took fo much delight in bathing and swimming that even on the Kalends of January, I would leap into the coldeft pond; and as I was wont to begin the new year (e) with reading, writing, or dictating fomething, as a foretoken of fuccefs; fo began I to bath, by plunging into fpring water) first moved my tent to the river Tyber (ƒ), and afterwards had recourfe to the bathing tub: which, as I am yet pretty ftrong, and would have all things done as fhould be, the fun alone fufficiently warmeth for me. I spend not however much time in bathing; and after that, I eat a piece of dry bread, or biscuit, and dine without a table; nor have I any occafion to wash my hands after dinner. I fleep a little while: you know my cuftom: my fleep was always very fhort; I reft, as it were a while (g); and think it enough not to be broad awake. Sometimes indeed I know that I have flept; but fometimes I only think fo. Lo! the noise of the Circus is continually buzzing in my ears, and fometimes ftrikes them with a fudden and univerfal fhout: however it does not chafe away my thoughts: nor even interrupt them. I bear the clamour most patiently: and the many voices, that are joined together in one con

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fufed found, are no more to me than the rolling of a wave, or the ruftling of wind through a wood; and the like infignificant noises.-And what of all this? why, I will tell you now, what I was meditating upon. For I am still reflecting upon the fame to-day as yesterday: what those wife men could mean, who in fome ferious matter, used the most trifling and perplexing arguments: which however true were to be sufpected of a falfity.

Zeno, (b) for instance, that most extraordinary man and the founder of the bravest and most religious fect, propofed to deter man from drunkennefs. And you fhall hear in what manner he proves that a good man will never be drunk.

No one trufts a fecret to a drunken man:

But a good man is trufted with fecrets.

Therefore, A good man will not be drunk. (Ebrius.)

But obferve now how you may play upon him with the alike-form'd fyllogifm: for one of many will ferve our prefent purpose:

No one commits a fecret to one that is afleep,
Secrets are committed to good men:

Therefore, A good man will not fleep.

Pofidonius endeavours, as well as he can, to defend our Zeno herein: but, in my opinion, he makes but a poor defence of it. For, he fays, that a man may be called a drunken man two ways; the one, when he is overcharg'd with wine, and not mafter of himfelf; the other, when he is fubject to this vice, and only now and then gets drunk. Zeno here means the latter, one that is fubject to be drunk, not one that actually is fo; and fuch a one, he says, no one will trust with a fecret left he fhould blab in his cups. But this is falfe. For the former fyllogyfin abfolutely includes the man that is drunk, not one that may be so: as there is a great difference between (Ebrium and Ebriofum), one that is drunk, and a drunkard. For it may be that he who is now drunk, was never fo before: and he that is a drunkard may often be sober; therefore by the word, Ebrius, I must understand what is generally meant by the fame, one that is drunk; efpecially as the word is used, by a man of learning, and profefs'd diligence in weighing well his expreffions. Add likewife, that Zeno, if he understands him, hath left

room

room for a fallacy, by ufing an ambiguous word, which by no means becomes a man, who is in fearch of truth.

Be this as it will; he could not but know that the major (first) propofition is falfe, no one trufts a fecret to a drunken man. For confider how many foldiers, who are none of the fobereft people, are trufted with fecrets by their general, the tribune or centurion. Tullius Cimber was trufted with the fecret of a confpiracy against the life of Cæfar (I mean Caius Cæfar, who having overcome Pompey seised upon the government) as well as Caius Caffius. Caffius had, all his life, drank nothing but water: Tullius Cimber was fcarce ever fober, and a prattler. He used often to jest upon himself, faying, How can I carry any one, who cannot carry my wine? Let any one now name thofe, whom he thinks worthy to be trusted with a fecret, but not with wine. I will give you one example, that recurs to me, before I forget it. For life is best instructed by fome famous example; nor need we always have recourse to antiquity. Lucius Pif (i), The warden of the city, after he was once drunk, fpent the greater part of the night in banqueting and riot: and then would he fleep 'till noon the next day, which was generally his morning. Yet was he very diligent in the administration of his office, wherein depended the fecurity and welfare of the city: even the godlike Auguftus entrusted him with fecret orders, when he gave him the government of Thrace, which he had fubdued. And Tiberius, when he was going into Campania, and leaving Rome, in fufpicion and disgust, yet, I fuppofe, because drunkenness had no worse an effect upon Pifo, made Coffus (k) governor of the city in his abfence. Now Coffus was a grave and moderate man, but would fometimes but would fometimes get fo very drunk as to be carried out of the fenate, (when he was come thither from fome banquet) overwhelm'd with so found a fleep, that it was impoffible to wake him: yet to this man did Tiberius, with his own hand, write many things, with which he was afraid to truft his own minifters: and never did a secret, either of a public or private nature, drop from Coffus.

Let us hear no more then those frequent declamations,—the mind has no command of itself, when fetter'd with drunkenness.--As barrels are burst

with new wine, and the lees are thrown to the top by fermentation; s when wine boils within a man, and ftupefies the brain, whatever fecret is hid in the heart, it is thrown up and made public.--I own this may fometime happen, yet it also happens, that we fcruple not to confult even in ferious and neceffary matters with thofe, who are given to wine. This is falfe therefore what is here set forth as an indisputable maxim, that a fecret is never entrusted to a man who is fubject to drunkenness. How much better is it openly and plainly to accufe, and fhew forth the vice and folly of it; which even a decent man would avoid, and much more one that is wife and perfect: who is fatisfied with quenching his thirst; and who, at a time of mirth, though it be carried to a great height upon fome extraordinary occafion, ftill refrains from drunkenness.

We shall difpute hereafter, whether the mind of a wife man may be disturb'd by too large a dose, and whether he will act as drunken men generally do. In the mean while, if you would prove that a good man ought never to be drunk, what need is there of having recourse to fyllogifm? Rather fhew, how ridiculous and vile a thing it is, for a man to pour down more than he can hold, and not to know the strength of his constitution.--How many things drunken men are apt to do, which when fober they would be ashamed of.--And that drunkenness is nothing else but a voluntary madnefs.--And, fuppose this evil habit to grow upon a man (7), can you doubt of its being fomewhat more than madness, even rage and fury? The fit is not lefs though it be shorter.--Declare how Alexander, King of Macedon, flew at a banquet Clytus, his dearest and most faithful friend; but being made confcious of the fact, when fober, he defired to die, and indeed he deferv'd no better (m).

It takes away moFor many, it is to

Drunkenness heightens and displays every vice. defty, the ufual reftraint upon every bad intention. be feared, abftain from vice, more through the dread of fhame, than their own good will. When the ftrength of wine hath overpower'd the mind, whatever evil lay conceal'd therein, is apt to emerge. For

drunkennnefs

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