Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A92911
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Twenty and two epistles of Lucius Annæus Seneca, the philosopher translated out of the originall, into English verse.; Epistulae morales ad Lucillium. English. 1654
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Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing S2530; ESTC R42606
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41,401
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89
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brought As an example or a guardian For as I say 't is needfull t' have a man After whose manners we our own may square Without a rule faults uncorrected are EPIST. XII WHer ' ere I goe signes of my age appeare I com into my countrey house and there Complaine of the expence which the decayes Are like to put me to my Bayliefe says The fault is not in him he to uphold The thing does what he can but th' house is old This house I built what fate doe I lie under When walls of mine own age thus fall in sunder The next occasion I take to chide I frowning say it cannot be denied These plane-trees are neglected for they beare No leaves their drie bowes shrivell ev'ry where How full of mosse their bodies are no doubt This could not be had they been dig'd about And water'd Straight way by my Gemins he Protests and swears there wants no industrie To make them thrive But to prevent my rage Tells me the cause of fading is their age These trees I planted and first saw them grow What difference then tweene us to th' gate I goe Aske whos ' this so decreped and decayd And at the dore as dead men are is layd For he the potter was whence came he why Do'st thou take care of strangers corps say I. But he replies sir doe not you me know I 'm he on whom you used to bestow So many fairings I Felicius am Phylositus the Bayliefs son the same That made you sport This dotard sure mistakes Say I turnes child and childish pastime makes And it is very likely his teeth too Fall from his gums as childrens use to doe I owe this to my country house that I My old age whereso'ere I looke descry Let 's then embrace and love it for 't is fraught With pleasure if we use it as we ought Apples are best when they are almost gon And childhood is most comely when 't is don Wine-drinkers in the last carouse delight That drowne their cares inebriat's them out-right All pleasure reserves that which is most sweet Untill the last and we our age may greet With no small joy at least if that age be Declining not decrepid though I see Even such as stand upon the utmost brink Of life their pleasures have or we may think To need no pleasure serves in stead of pleasure Do ubtlesse to banish lusts hath no small measure Of sweetness But thou 't say it irksome is T' have death before our eyes I answer this Ought ever to be lookt upon as well By yong men as by old Death does not tell The yeers of men nor summon by a role None is so old but he without controle May hope to live a day and yet a day Is a degree of life our whole age may Be found by observation to consist Of parts which many orbes together twist One whereof all begirts which we may call Our birth day reaching to our funerall Another the full space of youth unfolds And one our childhood in it's circle holds Ther 's then a yeare in which all times inclos'd Whereof b'ing multiply'd our lives composd A month hath a lesse orbe a day the least Yet this begins and ends from East to West And therefore Heracletus whose known marke Was from darke sayings to be called darke Was wont to say one daye 's the same withall This hath by sundry men had severall Interpretations he sayd it was The same in houres and that for truth must passe Because if from a day the time proceeds Of four and twenty houres all dayes must needs Be equall in themselves for the night hath That which the day hath lost Another saith One day is equall in similitude To all The longest time cannot include More then one day light darkenesse and Th' alternate course by which the world does stand Longer or shorter makes no difference For there is still the same circumference We therefore all our dayes must so dispose As if we finisht and compleated life like those Who use in armies to bring up the reare Pacuvius who by abiding there Made Syri'a his owne countrey when with wine And funerall Feasts he usd t'inshrine From supper to his chamber borne with rites And lewd applause of his stale catamites Causd this to be with aery musick sung He ' hath liv'd he ' hath livd and thus his whole house rung What he with an ill conscience did we may Do with a good and blith and jocond say As oft as we our selves to sleepe present I' have liv'd and past the time that nature lent If God be pleasd to ad another day We should receive it thank efully and may A count him very happy and a man Fixt in th' injoyment of himselfe that can Expect the morrow without anxious care Whosoere says I have lived does prepare To rise next day to profit t is fit now I finish my Epistle But sayst thou Shall it to me without advantage come Feare not it shall bring some Why said I some Much. For what words more excellentcan be Than these which I give him to send to thee To live in need is ill but 't is agreed Ther 's no necessity to live in need Why should I not say none since ev'ry where The way to liberty is short and cleare Thankes be to God no man is forc't to live We to necessity it selfe may give The law But thou wilt say this came From Epicurus why do'st thou lay claime To what 's anothers what is true is mine His sayings I 'll inculcate with designe T' have such as so ingage to men that they Value their persons more then what they say In the assurance of this truth to rest Those things belong to all which are the best EPIST. XIII I Know thou hast much courage for I find That even before I seasoned thy mind With precepts which are wholsome prevaile Against adversity thou didst not faile To satisfie thy selfe ' gainst fortune's power And much more then when she began to lower And made thee come to handy blows whereby Thou hadst occasion thy strength to try For as we never can be confident Till threatning dangers sundry feares present And sometimes set upon us So the stout And constant mind resolving to cast out All base subjection to anothers will Is trie'd by danger that 's the touch-stone still He is not like the combate to make good That hath no scars He who hath oft lost bloud And in the fight grated his teeth and though Repulsd hath rush'd againe upon his foe He who though often falling letting not His courage fall as often up hath got Will enter with more confidence the list Then let me in this similie persist Fortune hath oft lay'n heavy on thee yet Thou didst not yield but alwayes from her get Returning with more courage vertue thrive's By provocation and by wounds revives Yet if thou thinkst it meet from me accept Some aide by which thou 't
be in safety kept There are Lucillus may things which scare Rather then hurt most of our dangers are More in conceit then truth to thee I speake Not the strong words of Stoicks but more weake For we say all those things which do wring forth Howlings and groanes are slight and little worth Le ts passe by these great words though good Gods true I wish that thou wouldest onely this pursue Not to anticipate thy ill or make That iminent which nere perhaps will take Effect at least is not already come Some things more trouble us than they ought som Before they ought some other things perplex us Extreamely which ought not at all to vex us We griefe augment or faine or else forestall As for that other which 'tweene us does fall In question we 'll defer it what I deem To be but light thou heavy wilt esteeme For some I know under the whip will smile And others at one buffet groanes the while But whether these things from their owne strength flow Or from our weakeness wee 'l herafter show Mean time do thou but this when any shall Seeke to perswade thee thou art wretched call Thy reason to thee and consider well What thou dost feele and not what others tell Say to thy selfe with patience who knowest best Thine owne condition why have these exprest Such griefe for me why do they tremble so And feare to touch or to come neare as though Calamities infection did containe Does any hurt in what they feare remaine Is not the thing reputed to be ill Rather then so indeed be therefore still Ready t' interrogate thy selfe and say Whether do I without a cause give way To trouble and vexation doe I make That ill which is not what course shall I take Sayst thou to know if what disturbes my rest Be true or false to try that here 's a test We troubled are either at present things Or future or at both Sence easily brings A judgement of things present if unbound Thy body be and in thy power and sound And if no injury procures thy woe What future is thou afterward shalt know That is not this dayes worke But 't is expected How art thou sure the ill will be effected For we with jealousies much troubled are And that which oftentimes procures a warr Report will much more worke on each of us 'T is very true my deare Lucilius We quickly to opinions do adhere And question not the thing that causes feare Nor doe we shake it off but thereat tremble And turning so our backes we much resemble Those whom the dust made by a flocke of sheepe Drives from their tents or that are struck with deep Astonishment at some strange fable bred Among the vulgar without author spred False things I know not how do more molest Whereas the true within their measure rest Whatse'ver an uncertaine rumor sends Is subject to conjectures and depends On the construction of a fearefull mind And therefore Panick above other kind Of feares is carry'd on with violence Those without reason are this without sense Then let 's make further search Some future ill Is like t' ensue we are not sure it will How many ' unexpected things fall out How many ' expected are nere brought about But say they should heereafter chance Yet why Shouldest thou make hast to meet thy misery When ill does come thou soone enough wilt grieve In the meane time do thou the best believe What shall I gaine by thy credulity Time Many things may intervene whereby Th' approaching danger may be stopt or past Or else upon an others head be cast A raging fire hath opt away to flight And some have from a ruin'd house fal'n light Some from the stroake of death have been repriv'd And have the executioner furviv'd For even il-fortune hath it's levity It may or may not come And therefore I Advile thee while 't is not to thinke the best Oft-times when no true fignes do manifest Ensuing ill the mind vaine things pretends And either doubtfull wordes misapprehends Or when another is with us offended Conceives far more than is perhaps intended Not waighing how much anger hee does show But to what height an angry man may goe If feare be what it may there will be found No cause of life of misery no bound Let wisdome here assist by strength of mind Let 's now reject the feare whereof we find Apparent cause at least let errour chase Errour away and let hope feare displace Of those things which are feard ther 's none so sure But it is surer that what does procure Both feare and hope deceaves us Let us then Take care t' examine feare and hope and when All things are found uncertaine let us doe For our owne ease what w'have most mind unto And though there be more arguments of feare yet let us this course follow and forbeare To toyle and vex our selves and keepe this still Fixt in our minds thus most men though no ill They feele nor certaine are they ever shall Do ner'thelesse into distempers fall For no man makes resistance when he finds Feare once begin to trouble him or minds How to finde out the truth No man resorts To reason when his eares meet sad reports Or sayes the author's vaine and being vaine Does either vainely credit them or faine We yield up our beleife to what we heare And doubtfull things as they were certaine feare We keepe no moderation in our errour A scruple soone converts into a terror I am asham'd such language to devise And cherish thee with such slight remedies Let others say perhaps this will not be But thou what if it happen we shall see Whether it will or not 'T will come perchance For my behoofe death will my life advance Poyson made Socrates more great If wee The sword th'assertor of his libertie Wrest out of Cato's hand we then detract Much from the glory of so brave an act But too much time is in advising spent T' incourage thee is more expedient I doe not lead thee to those wayes which thwart Thy nature thou for these things framed art Then let not thy endeavours be forborne Thy innate gifts to cherish and adorne But I shall end my Letter now if I Set to the seale that is if I applie Some gallant phrase that to our use relates Follie 'mong other ills appropriates This also that it still begins to live If to the meaning of these words thou 't give Lucillius the best of men good heed Thou 'lt understand what sordid things proceed From the vaine thoughts of men who dayly mind New wayes of life and when even death they find Approaching they vaine hopes of life pursue Looke round about and thou shalt often view Old men that are prepar'd to venter on Long journeys businesse and ambition Yet nothing can be found of greater scorne Than an old man beginning to be borne I should not add an author to this speach But