16 MAR 1953 READER'S SURNAME (in block capitals) GROLLIOS NO. OF SEAT 0.9 to go off. This is what generally happens to those who live in a tenement not their own. And yet though fuch a weak and putrid body be our portion, we nevertheless lay fchemes for eternity; and as far as human life can poffibly be extended, fo far do we ftretch our hopes; never satisfied with riches or power. But what can be more ridiculous? What more shameful? Nothing contenteth us, who' muft die foon, nay, who die every day; for we daily draw near our end; and every hour drives us to the precipice from whence we fhall furely fall. Obferve then in what a ftate of blindness our minds are involved! That which I faid muft come, is now come, and great part of it already gone: for the time we have lived, is there, where it was before we lived (g). We greatly err in fearing our last day; fince each of the foregoing contributes as much unto death, as this. It is not this last step that hath tired us when we drop; it only makes us know and confess that we are tired. The last day reacheth death, the former advanced towards it. Death cuts us not off at once, but only crops us continually (b). A great foul therefore, confcious of a better flate in reverfion, and a more exalted condition, endeavours indeed, in the station wherein it is placed, to demean itself industriously and honeftly; but it looks upon none of those things that furround it, as its own property; but as things lent us for a while, and useth them accordingly, as a stranger, and one that is hastening to another abode (i). Now when we fee a man acting with fuch conftancy and integrity, it cannot but prefent us with the distinguishing marks of an uncommon understanding; fomething, I fay, above the common ftandard of human nature; efpecially, if as I before obferved, this greatnefs is attended with the manifeftation of truth. Truth ever keeps the fame fteady courfe. Things falfe and counterfeit last not, being ever fubject to change. Thus fome men are at one time Vatinius', at another time Cato's; one while they think Curius not fevere; nor Fabricius poor enough: they will fcarcely allow Tubero to be frugal, and fufliciently content with his little: and at another time they challenge Licinius in wealth, Apicius in luxury, and Mecanas in the most elegant delights.. Nothing any For there is little or no difference, Lucilius, between not wanting a thing, and having it. The effect is the fame in both; you will no longer be in pain. Not that I command you to deny Nature any thing she properly asks. She is ftubborn, and not cafily to be overcome. She demands her own. But I would have you know, that what exceeds the call of nature is precarious, and unneceffary. I am hungry; and must therefore eat; but whether it be the common fort of bread, or made of the finest wheat-flour, is of no concern to Nature; he does not defire otherwife to pleafe the belly, than by filling it. I am thirsty, and whether I drink of the next pool (c), or of such water as is mixed with fnow, in order to give it a coolness not its own, it is the fame to nature. She defires nothing more than to quench her thirst; it matters not whether it be out of a cup made of gold, or of cryftal, or of the Chalcedonian pebble, or a plain earthen mug (d), or from the hollow of the hand. Fix thine eye upon the end or design of all things, and you will disdain fuperfluities. Hunger calls upon me; I therefore reach out my hand to the next thing I meet with that is eatable. Hunger will make me relish it, be it what it will; an hungry stomach disdains not any thing. If you afk now what it is that hath fo delighted me; it is this, which I think an excellent sentence, fapiens, divitiarum naturalium eft quæfitor acerrimus, the wife man is a most diligent fearcher after natural riches. But this, you fay, is fetting before me an empty platter. What can this mean? I was preparing my bags, and confidering in what sea I fhould first make my trading voyage, what public bufinefs I should take in hand, or what wares I fould fend for. This is deceiving me; to teach me Do you then think the man to be poor, when you promifed me riches. poor, who wants nothing? But this, you fay, he owes to himself, and` the benefit of his patience, not to Fortune. Well; and do you therefore think him not rich, becaufe his riches, fuch as they are, can never forfake him? Tell me, which you had rather have? much, or a fufficient competency? He that hath much defireth more; which is an argument that he hath not enough: he that thinks he hath enough, hath attained what the rich man never can, the end of his wishes (*). Or Or do you think them no riches, for which a man is in no danger of being profcribed? or because they are not enough to tempt a bad fon or wife to prepare poifon for their father or husband? because they are fafe in time of war, or in peace at their own difpofal? Becaufe it is neither dangerous to enjoy them, nor does it require much labour to dispose of them? Or do you think a man hath but little, who hath just enough to keep him from being cold, or hungry, or thirsty? Jupiter himself hath not more. It is never little, which is enough. Alexander of Macedon, after he had conquered Darius and the Indians, was ftill poor. He was ftill feeking fomewhat more, which he might call his own: he fearcheth out unknown feas: he fends a fresh fleet into the occan: and, if I may fay it, he breaks through the barriers of the known world. What Nature is fatisfied with, fatis fieth not man. There are those who ftill defire fomething, when they have got every thing. So great is the blindness of our minds; and fo forgetful is every one of their beginning, when they see themselves advanced; that he, who was but now master of a little nook in Greece, and that controvertible, is foon after grieved, that, being checked in his career by the far diftant end of the world, he must now return through that world he has made his own. Money never made any one rich. On the contrary, it only makes the poffeffor more covetous and needy. Do you afk the caufe of this? The more a man hath, the more he thinks it poffible to have. Upon the whole, fet before me one of those whofe name may be joined with that of Craffus, or Licinus (e); and let him fet down his revenues, and take into the account not only what he hath, but what he hopes to have. Yet even fuch a one, if you will believe me, is poor; or, if you will believe yourself, he may be fo. Whereas the man who hath fo compofed and formed himself to that which Nature alone requires of him, is not only out of the reach, or fenfe of poverty, but alfo exempt from the dread of it. But that you may know how difficult a thing it is for a man to ftraiten himfelf within the measure of Nature, even he, whom we fuppofed to live according to Nature, and whom you. 334 you call poor, hath ftill fomething that is fuperfluous. But riches attract and blind the common people; when they fee large fums of money expended in any houfe; or the houfe adorned with gold; or if the family be comely in body, and fplendid in apparel; the happinefs of fuch a family exifts in oftentation and outward fhew; but the man whom we have withdrawn, both from the eye of the people, and the reach of fortune, i happy within himfelf. For as to thofe, whom poverty hath feized up, under the falle name of riches, they have hath us. ague riches, as we are faid to have an ague, when the ought therefore to fay, an ague hath hold of such a one, in like manner we should fay, riches hath hold of him. very As we There is nothing therefore I would fooner remind you of than this, which but few or none fufficiently obferve: that you measure all things by pure natural defires, which are easily fatisfied, or with little. Only be careful to keep your desires clear from vice. You enquire perhaps, what fort of table I would keep, what plate, and how many spruce fervants in livery I would have attend dinner? Know then, that Nature requireth nothing more than meat and drink; Nam tibi cùm fauces urit fitis, aurea quæris An ortelan, or turbot ?. Hunger is not ambitious. gardeth much by what means. Such torments belong to wretched luxury which though glutted, is continually seeking to get an appetite; not to fill the belly, but to stuff it: and how to recover the thirst that hath been quenched by the first draught. Horace therefore hath elegantly denied that it at all concerns the thirsty, in what glafs, or with what delicate hand they are ferved with water. It is well content when fatisfied; nor re For if you think it of any any confequence, how frizzled and curled the page is (f), and how clear the glass, you are not dry. Among other favours, this particular one is beftowed on us by Nature, that she hath removed all difdain from neceffity. Superfluities alone require choice. Such a thing does not become me, this is not elegant, and that offends the eyes. The will of the Creator of the world, who hath prescribed to us the rules of life, is, that we ftudy to preserve ourselves, and not to be over-nice and delicate. All things that tend to our health and preservation are ready and at hand. cacies are not provided but with care and trouble. Let us then make ufe of, and thankfully enjoy, this eftimable bounty of Nature; and think, that in nothing she hath more obliged us, than, in that whatever is neceffarily wanted, or defired, it is accepted without disdain. Deli (a) In commune] It was proverbial among the Greeks, when any one found a thing, for another who was prefent, to fay norròs Epuns, communis Mercurius: forafmuuh as Mercury was fuppofed to prefide over the highway or common road, and the thing fo found was called "Eppatov, Mercurial, -as we fay, halves. (b) Catonianum illud] Lipfius and Pincian read it, Hecatonianum; as frequent mention is made by Seneca of Hecaton, the philofopher. (c) So Propertius, Ipfa petita lacu nunc mihi dulcis aqua et. (d) Tiburtinus calix. Content, thou beft of friends! for thou 'Midft all our ills a bleffing ftill in store, The humble tenant of a rural feat. In vain we wealth and treafure heap; He 'midit his thoufand kingdoms till is poor, That for another crown does weep: 'Tis only he is rich who wishes for no more. Dryd. Mifc. ii, p. 83. |