• According to my first defign, I had infcribed this Epiftle to my late friend Dr. Rawlinson: the propriety of it, I believe, would not be doubted by thofe who knew him. (a) of being taken notice of] Confpici. In Scripture language, pès rò deaduras Tois andfwtors, To be feen of men. Matth. xxiii. v.-Horace ridicules fome of his time, who in like manner affected to be thought poets. (b) Muretus obferves, that not only wisdom, but oftentimes ambition affects a fordid garb; nor are any men more follicitous for fame and glory, than they who purfue it under a pretence of flying from it. So when Diogenes, the cynic, told Plato, "that he defpifed and trampled upon his pride," "True, faid Plato, you do fo; but with more pride.”—And Ariftotle imputes the fordid and negligent drefs of the Lacedæmonians to pride and arrogance. (c) Our outward appearance] Though the Apostle fays our converfation is in heaven, Phil. iii. 20, yet he condefcends to be made all things to all men, that, at least, he might save some. 1 Cor. ix. 18, 22. (d) But a better] I fhould be forry, if any of my brethren, who may chance to read this Epistle, did not effectually feel this, and other excellent precepts exhibited herein. (e) According to Nature] See Epift. 41. De vit, beat. c. 3. (f) Erafmus juftly thinks this applicable to the beaftly crew of monks and friers, and all fuch as affec fingularity and unneceffary wretchednefs in drefs and diet. And the ingenious Francis Ofborne reckons this among the causes of the defection from the church of Rome. "The feeking to maintain a greater "fhew of piety, than was fuitable to human frailty and the comforts of life." The frier's habit being no less nafty than unfeemly, and therefore fhunned by nicer judgments, and thofe of parts, not fo capable of temptation from any thing, as pleasure and profit. Or if fuch aufterity was called for, in relation to external zeal, (the parade of all religions, and fit to be muftered up often in the eyes of the people) yet the generality might have been left to more decent accoutrements, by which they had become fociable unto others, and not loathfome to themselves. (g) Hecaton, the Stoic philofopher, a difciple of Panctius. He lived at Rhodes. (b) And his guard] This fort of military guard Manilius fuppofed born under the influence of the conftellation Andromeda. Vinctorum Dominus, fociufque in parte catena, Oft faves the guiltless from the threaten'd pain. See Ep. 70 and 78. EPISTLE I AM very fenfible, Lucilius, that I am not only improved (4), but, as it were, transformed (b); and yet I pretend not to say, or expect, that there is nothing, in the common courfe of life, that requires further improvement. There are many things that ftill call for reformation: fome affections to be checked and lowered, others to be encouraged and raised. And indeed I think this is a fign of the mind's being improved, when it can fee those faults, of which it was ignorant before. In fome maladies, a fenfifibility of pain gives hopes of recovery. I was therefore defirous to acquaint you with my fudden change; as I then began to have more confidence of our friendship; that true friendship, which neither hope, nor fear, nor any interested view can difunite; that, which men carry to the laft, and for which they would not fcruple to die. I could name feveral, who wanted not a friend (c), but friendship. Now this cannot happen, where minds are poffeffed with an uniformity of will, to act honourably. And why can it not? Because they know that all things, and more especially adversity, are to be held in common. You cannot imagine what new improvements I collect every day. "Inform me, you fay, of the means, which you have experimentally found of fo great efficacy." It is my defire fo to do: I will tranfmit every thing to you; and am glad to learn, in order to inftruct (d). Nor indeed would any thing give me pleasure, however excellent and falutary it might be, was I to keep the knowledge of it to myfelf. Was wisdom offered me under fuch reftriction, as to be obliged to conceal it, I would reject it. No enjoyment whatever can be agreeable without participation. I will therefore fend you the books themselves; and that you may not wafte much time, in fearching after the ufeful and profitable, as it lies fcattered in everal places, I will fet fome mark, (in the margin, or otherwife) whereby you may immediately recur to thofe paffages, which I both approve and admire. Yet Yet after all (e), converfation and familiarity will have better effect than any thing written, or a formal fpeech. You must come hither, and be prefent with us; first, because men give greater credit to their eyes, than to their ears; and secondly, the way by precept is long and tedious; whereas that of example is fhort and powerful. Cleanthes had never resembled Zeno, if he had been fatisfied only with his lectures. He was intimate with him, privy to all his fecrets, and diligently obferved, whether he lived up to his own rule. Plato and Aristotle (ƒ), and the whole tribe of philofophers of various fects (g), learned more from the morals of Socrates, than from his preachments. It was not the school of Epicurus, but familiarity that made Metrodorus (b), Hermachus, and Polyænus, fo eminent in the world. Nor do I invite you hither, merely for your good, but my own; as in conference each may affift the other in many points. In the mean while, as, according to custom, I owe you every day fomething by way of a fmall prefent, I will inform you, wherein Hecaton to-day gave me great pleafure: "Do you afk, fays he, what improvement I have made of late?Amicum effe mihi cæpi; I have learned to be a friend to myfelf. Great improvement this indeed! Such a one can never be faid to be alone: for know, that he, who is a friend to himself, is a friend to all mankind, ANNOTATION S, &c. (a) There is an excellent commentary on this subject in Plutarch, entitled, How a man may know the improvement he makes in virtue. (b) Transformed] Tran figurari, which relates entirely to the mind, or inner man. So the ApostleCircumcifion availeth nothing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature. Gal. 6. xv. If a man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are paffed away, behold, all things are become new. 11 Cor. 5. 17. (c) A friend i. e. A common friend. See Epift. iii. (d) I am glad to learn, in order to inftrua] Cato ap. Cic. de Fin. 3.-Impellimur natura ut prodeffe velimus, imprimifque docendo rationibufque prudentiæ tradendis. Itaque non facile eft invenire, qui quod sciat ipse, non tradat alteri. A natural impulse directs every man to do good to as many as he can, and fpecially by infructing and forming them to the purposes of awisdom. And indeed it is not eaf, to find a man who not communicative to another of the knowledge he poffeffes himself. We therefore have a propensity to teach as well as to learn. (e) Yet after all] Plus tamen tibi viva vox-proderit. -Præterea multo magis, ut vulgo dicitur, viva vox afficit. Plin. Ep. iii. 1. 2. ̈ Befides, according to the proverb, what the ear hears ftands in no need to be gueffed at. you read in itself more affecting, yet certainly the pronunciation, the countenance, the dress, orator, imprint his lessons more deeply upon the mind. And Suppose what the gesture, of an (ƒ) Aristotle] Lipfius obferves here that there must be fome mistake, or that Seneca wrote too haftily; for so far was Ariftotle from converfing with Socrates, that he never faw him as Socrates died in the first year of the 95th Olympiad, or according to Diodorus in the 97th; and Ariftotle was born in the first year of the 99th, according to Laertius, Dionyfius, A. Gellius, Eufebius, and others. And confequently Ammonius is likewife mistaken; when in his life of Ariftotle he talks of his living three years with Socrates. (g) of various fects] Hæc autem, ut ex Appennino, fluminum, fic ex communi fapientiam jugo funt doctrinarum facta divortia.-Cic. de Orat. 1. 3. 19. From this common fource of philofophy (the Difcourfes of Socrates) as rivers from the Appenines, learning began to run in different channels; &c. You know, fays Ariftides to Socrates, that I never learned any thing from you profefledly; yet great benefit did I reap from you while in the fame houfe; ftill greater, if at any time in the fame room; and much more when my eyes were fixed upon you, as you was speaking; but most of all, when I was fitting by you, and hung as it were upon your garment. Plato in Theagn. (b) Metrodorus] There were two of this name, difciples of Eicurus: the one Metrodorus, of Stratonica; who left Epicurus, and followed Carneades: the other, the Athenian, who ftill kept with Socrates, and in many treatifes propagated his doctrine; who is the perfon here spoken of. Hermachus) The fon of Agemarchus, of Mitylene, who fucceeded Epicurus in his fchool. Polyanus) The fon of Athenedorus of Lampfaca. He was the difciple of Epicurus, but died before him. (i) I have learned] Cæpi. This word not in the MS. nor the laft fentence, Qui fibi amicus eft.So in the old French, which renders the place thus: fchaches que chacun peut avoir un tel amy. Know that it is in the power of any one to have such a friend. But it is a floical maxim, That he who loves himfelf, i. e. who ftudies wifdom and goodness, will also love others. Nec fibi, fed toti genitum fe, credere mundo, Not born as for himself, but all the world. On public Shows, particularly the Gladiators (a)—and Converfe with the World. Do y 3 return return the fame moral man I went out. What I fettled before, is difcomposed; or something that I rejected returns. It is with us, who are just recovered from fome inveterate diforder, as with thofe who, by long indifpofition, are fo weakened, that the being brought into the air, gives them a disagreeable fenfation. Intercourfe with the world (6) is prejudicial: fome one or other, either by example or difcourfe, will paint vice in fuch agreeable colours, as to taint the mind infenfibly; fo that the more company we keep, the greater is our danger. But nothing is more hurtful to a good difpofition than to while the time away at fome public fhew: for then vice fteals upon us more eafily under the mafque of pleasure. Would you think it? I really return from fuch entertainments, more covetous, more ambitious, more diffolute, nay, even more cruel and inhuman, from having converfed with men. By chance, I fell in with a public fhow at mid-day; expecting fome fport, buffoonery, or other relaxation, when the eyes of the fpectators had been fatiated with the fight of human gore. Nothing lefs: all the bloody deeds of the morning were mere mercy: for now, all trifling apart, they commit downright murder: the combatants have nothing to fhield the body: they are exposed to every stroke of their antagonist; and every stroke is a wound: and this fome prefer to their fighting in pairs, matched, and well accoutred or of fuch as were men of great art and experience in the profeffion: and why should they not? There is no helmet or shield to repel the blow: no defence, no art: for thefe are but fo many balks and delays of death. In the morning men are expofed to lions and bears: at noon to the fpectators themselves. Menflayers are ordered out against one another; and the conqueror is detained for another flaughter. Death alone puts an end to this bufinefs; while fire and fword are employed as inftruments. And all this is carried on after the ordinary flaughter of the day is over. But fome one hath committed a theft: what then? He deferves to be hanged: another flew a man; it is but just he should be flain himself. And what hast thou deferved, O wretch, who canft take delight in these horrid folemnities (c) ? Kill, burn, fcourge," is all the cry. Why is he fo afraid of the fword's point? Why is he fo timorous to kill? Why does he not die more manfully ?" They are urged on with ftripes, if they refufe to encounter; and are obliged to give and take wounds with a forward and open breaft. Is the appointed |