exhorts his Son a young Student at Athens not to forget his Latin tho' he was in a Greek University but to mix the Studies of both those Languages and also learn to Write both as a Philosopher and an Orator To this purpose he advises him to read his Works as having equally written in each of those kinds which none of the Grecians had ever done But he modestly adds That he thinks they could have done it but that they apply'd themselves wholly to one of them Dear Son MARCUS THo' after a Year's Study under a The most noted Peripatetick Philosopher of that Age a familiar Acquaintance of Cicero's and by him often equall'd to the greatest of the Ancients He was of Mytilene the chief City in the Island Lesbos and there taught for some time Afterwards heremov'd to Athens where Cicero among others entrusted his Son with him See Famil Epist. Lib. 16. Epist. 21. Cratippus and that at such a Place as b The famousest City in the World for Politeness and good Literature whither all the great Men of Antiquity resorted for Learning where Plato Aristotle Demosthenes Sophocles and innumerable others the greatest Wits of the World in old time flourish'd therefore by our Author in his first Book de Orat. ch 4. call'd The Inventress of all Arts. His Son then being at such a place and under such a Master he expects he should have made a suitable Improvement Athens you can't but have abundantly furnish'd your self with Knowledge in the Doctrins and Rules of Philosophy having had the Advantage of so eminent a Master to supply you with Learning and a City that affords you such excellent c Not of Persons then living only but of those also that were dead and gone nothing so bringing to our remembrance the Virtues and Learning of great Men as being in the Places where they once-flourish'd which is one great Advantage of a Publick Education Examples Yet I should think it convenient for you which is a Method I took for my own profit always to mingle some Latin with your Greek in the Study of Eloquence as well as Philosophy that you may be equally perfect in both d Utriusque orationis may mean either the two Languages of Latin and Greek or the two kinds of Stile that are proper one for the Bar and the other for Philosophical Discourses I have taken both Sences into the Translation those ways of Writing and make your self Master of either Language For the furtherance of which I am apt to imagin I have done no inconsiderable Service to our Country-men so that not only those who don't understand Greek but even the Learned themselves will confess that by reading my Works they have mended their Stiles and somewhat improv'd their Reason and Judgments Wherefore I am willing 't is true you should learn of your present Master the greatest Philosopher of this Age and learn of him too as long as you desire it and so long I think 't is your Duty to desire it as you find your self sufficiently benefited by it But withal I would have you to read my Writings which very little differ from those of the Peripateticks for e So I understand the word Utrique to mean both the Academicks of whom Cicero and the Peripateticks of whom Cratippus was These two Sects at first were almost one and the same as appears from several places of Cicero See Book 3. ch 4. Xenocrates the chief Author of the former and Aristotle of the latter being each of them Scholars to the incomparable Plato who was Hearer of the wise Socrates The Academicks therefore and Peripateticks were both of them Followers not of Socrates only for that almost all the Philosophers were See Cic. de Orat. 3. 16 17. but of Plato too and so were very nearly ally'd to each other both we and they profess our selves Followers not of Socrates only but of Plato likewise As for the Matters contain'd in them use your own Judgment with Freedom and Impartiality for I lay no manner of Restraint upon you your Improvement in the Latin is what I chiefly desire which I am confident must follow from a careful Perusal of ' em Nor let any one think that I am Vain or Pretending when I speak thus For allowing some others the precedence in Philosophy should I assume to my self what 's the Part of an Orator viz. to speak f Apte distincte c. The word Apte properly denotes the Conformity of our Stile to the Subject we are handling and is call'd by our Author in other places Apte ad rerum dignitatem dicere and he tells us that those Men may be said to speak apte Qui it a moder antur Orationem ut rerum personarum dignitates ferunt which I think answers to our English word suitably Distincte refers to the Method of a Discourse and is oppos'd to Confusedness Ornate to the Figures and Ornaments of Rhetorick So that the three words seem indifferently well to comprehend the whole Business of an Orator which is Invenire praeclare inventa disponere disposita exornare To invent what is suitable and proper for the Subject to put it into a good Method and to give it the Ornaments of Eloquence c. suitably methodically and handsomely upon any Subject seeing I have spent my whole Life in that Study I think 't is no more than what I might reasonably and fairly lay claim to I can't but very earnestly desire you therefore my dear Cicero to read my Books with care and diligence not my Orations only but these Pieces also that concern Philosophy which are now of a bulk almost equal to them For tho' in the former there is more of the force and power of Eloquence yet is the smooth and even Stile of the latter by no means to be neglected And of all the Grecians I find not one that has employ'd his Pen in both these kinds and been at once successful in the Language of the Bar and this other more gentle and easie Stile of Philosophical Discourses Unless g A Peripatetick born at Phalerum a small Town on the Sea-coast of Attica from whence he had his Name He was ten Years Governour of Athens in which time he was honour'd with 300 Statues Being afterwards driven our by Demetrius Poliorcetes Son of Antigonus Alexander the Great 's Captain he fled to Ptolomy King of Aegypt by whom he was set over the famous Alexandrian Library which contain'd in it as some write 700000 Volumes He perswaded that Prince to get the Old Testament translated into Greek which is what we now call the Translation of the Seventy Most of his Works are lost Demetrius Phalereus may be reckon'd for one who is subtle enough in his Disputes of Philosophy but methinks in his Oratory wants that Spirit and Vehemence that is requisite however has so much of Sweetness in him that one might know he had been h A noble
which are so very filthy and intolerably obscene that 't is a shame ev'n so much as to repeat 'em after him These then must never be done for one's Country nor will one's Country ever desire that they should for the best on 't is 't is impossible such a Conjuncture should happen as that it should be profitable for any Republick to have wise Men be guilty of such abominable Actions We may lay down this then for a certain Conclusion That when several Duties come into competition those should take place before any others which relate to the Maintenance of Human Society For wise and considerate Acting is the End of all Knowledge and prudent Thinking and c According to the Maxim of the Philosophers The End is always more valuable than that which is only done for the sake of the End by consequence that is more valuable than this And so much may suffice upon this Subject for I think I have sufficiently clear'd the way so that hereafter there will be no difficulty to know which Duties are to be preferr'd before which But those very Duties which relate to Society are of different Rates and Degrees among themselves but 't is no hard matter to see in what Order they b An eminent Stoick Schollar of Panaetius he was born at Apamea a Town in Syria but liv'd at Rhodes where Panaetius had been before him See chap. 2. Book 3. He was one of Cicero's Masters who some where calls him Vel omnium Stoicoram maximum Pompey the Great in his return from the Asian Wars went to Rhodes on purpose to hear him His Works are lost ought to be perform'd as in the first place Those to the Immortal Gods Secondly To our Native Country Thirdly To our Parents and so on to all others in their respective places What has been said in a few Words on this last Head I hope is sufficient to make it appear that 't is usual for Men not only to doubt Whether such and such an Action be Honest or Dishonest but also Of two that are both of 'em Honest which is the most so This is one of those two Heads which I at first observ'd were omitted by Panaetius Let us now pass on to the remaining part of our propos'd Division The End of the First Book TULLY 's OFFICES The Second Book CHAP. I. What will be the Subject of this Second Book He applies himself to the Study of Philosophy as his greatest Consolation in the midst of the Publick Calamities of his Country WHat those Duties are Son Mark which Honesty and Virtue require of us and how they arise from their several Fountains is I think plain enough from the former Book I am now in the next place to speak of those others which wholly regard the Convenience of Life and are requisite for the Getting and Enjoyment of those things which serve for our comfortable Subsistence here such as Interest Riches c. And here I told you the common Heads of Deliberation were What is Profitable and what Unprofitable And Of several Profitables which is more and which most of all such a Having propos'd the Subject about which he is to treat in this Book he defers discoursing of it till he has answer'd two Objections made against him for this sort of Writing Concerning which I shall begin to speak after I have premis'd but a Word or two in Vindication of my self and my present Undertaking For tho' my Books have excited several both to the Reading and even Writing of Philosophy b The first Objection against him is That he spent too much Time and took too much Pains in such a fruitless Study as that of Philosophy For the Romans being a rough and ambitious People minded nothing before those Times but the Arts of War and encreasing the Glory of their Empire As for Philosophy c. 't was counted fit for none almost but Pedants and as they us'd to call 'em the trifling insignificant Grecians Tu regere imperia populos c. was their Maxim yet I am now-and-then apt to be afraid least some who are otherwise very Good Men should hate and despise the very Name of that Study and wonder at me for bestowing such Portions of my Time and Pains in so very fruitless and insignificant a manner To whom I answer c He excuses himself for spending his Time in this idle manner by shewing what he had formerly done for the sake of the Commonwealth and how desirous he is of doing the same again if the Times would permit him That so long as the Republick was govern'd by those to whose Care and Management she had intrusted her self I was ever diligent and employ'd all my Thoughts for her Good and Preservation But when d Julius Caesar who having conquer'd Pompey the Great got the whole Power of Rome into his Hands one Man had seiz'd of her wholly to himself and there was no place left for my Counsel or Authority and when I had lost those extraordinary Persons who had been my Companions in labouring for her Interest I resolv'd not to sink into Anguish and Despair which had wholly over-whelm'd me if I had not resisted 'em nor to follow such Pleasures or idle Ways of Living as were improper and unbecoming a Man of Learning I could heartily wish had it so pleas'd the Gods that the Republick had continu'd in its ancient Condition and never fall'n into the Hands of e Not only Caesar but Mark Anthony and his Adherents who after the Murder of Caesar endeavour'd to get the sole Power to himself See his Life in Plut. those Men who aren't so much for Changing as Overturning every thing I should then as I did in its flourishing Circumstances spend my Time rather in Business than Writing and what I did write would not be things of this Moral Nature but my Publick Orations as I have often done But when the poor State which had taken up all my Care and Thoughts and for which I had labour'd with all my Power was utterly ruin'd and sunk into Nothing there was quickly no room left for such Orations either at the Bar or in the Senate-house And my active Mind which had always been employ'd in that kind of Studies now not being able to lye wholly idle I thought I could not find out a better way to get rid of those Troubles which oppress'd my Mind than by returning again to the Studies of Philosophy I had spent a good part of my time in these whilst I was young for the improvement of my Reason But when I came once to be a Candidate for Places and devoted my self to the Service of the Publick I had little time left for Philosophical Enquiries only so much as could be spar'd from the Business of my Friends and the State which was wholly taken up in nothing but Reading without any Leisure at all for Writing CHAP. II. Some Advantage to be drawn out
move gracefully and agreeably whence the Word is often oppos'd to clownish Carriage and motus habens Palaestram aliquam is a gentile becoming Motion in our Author de Perfect Orat. But sometimes it seems People learn't to be affected and foppish in the Palaestra as they do now in ordinary Dancing-schools among us affected Motions and Carriage of those who would be taken for Masters of a gentile Air and your Actors on the Stage have a great many foolish impertinent Gestures which are very displeasing and offensive to the Spectators and in each of these kinds what is simple and unaffected is always best lik'd of and approv'd by the World If you would have a true Comliness you must endeavour to keep a good Colour in your Face and the way to do that is to use frequent Exercise Nor do we forbid Men the use of all Ornaments and Graces to recommend 'em but only of those that are too exquisite and affected so far they are allowable as they are necessary to keep a Man from being thought a Clown and from shewing a Disrespect for the Persons he has to do with And the same Rule may serve very well for our Cloaths in which to be moderate as in most other cases is certainly the best way We should also avoid an effeminate softness and slowness in our Gate like those that are marching along in Procession and no less an over-great hastiness and speed which only begets a deep panting and breathing distorts the Face and perfectly changes the whole Air of the Countenance which discovers a lightness and inconstancy of Humour Now if the Motions of the Body deserve all this Pains and Concern about 'em how much Care should we take b If this ben't done the Motions of the Body however gentile and graceful they may be will but make our Folly the more remarkable and such sort of Men are well enough compar'd by one to an ill Piece of Painting set off and adorn'd with a beautiful Frame Those People therefore who spend so much time in adorning their Outsides would do well to consider that they do but make ' emselves the more ridiculous unless they take care to make their Insides answerable to keep those of the Mind within the Limits prescrib'd 'em by Nature and Right Reason which ne'r can be done any other way than by keeping the Soul in such an even Temper as not to be concern'd or dejected at any thing and by a constant care and application of Thought so as to nothing but what is Honest and Becoming Now the Motions of the Soul are of two sorts some of 'em proceeding from the Reasonable or Thinking others from the Sensitive and Passionate part The former is busied in nothing but searching and finding out of Truth by the latter we are push'd and driven forward to Action 'T is our Duty therefore to employ our Thoughts about laudable Objects and so to reduce and over-rule the Passions as that they may ebb and flow in obedience to Reason CHAP. XXXVII Decorum shews it self in Speaking Two sorts of Speech There might Rules be given about our ordinary Discourse Two things requir'd in the Voice and Pronunciation How each of 'em may be gotten Several Examples of good Speakers Rules about the Manner Subjects and Measure of our common Talk ANother a He proceeds now to the second of those three things in which Decorum shews it self viz. Our Speech which he divides into two sorts c. great Instance in which this Becomingness shews it self is our Speech and Discourse But whereas of this there are two sorts the one proper only for Argument and Contention the other for common and ordinary Talk we should make use of that when we plead at the Bar or speak in the Senate and Publick Assemblies of this when we meet and discourse with our Friends when we walk in any of the publick Places or are sitting at Table and over a Glass of Wine There are Teachers of Rhetorick who give Rules about the former but there are no Rules to be given about the latter Not but that I think there might some be invented but the Business is there 's no body to be found that would study 'em if they were otherwise Masters would never be wanting if there were but Learners that would study and employ ' em Hence we are almost over-run with Rhetoricians tho' no small part of the Rules which they give viz. those that concern either the Words or the Sence may be very well applied to our ordinary Discourse 'T is the b The first thing to be consider'd in Speech is the Voice as to the natural Tone or Accent of it which he desires should be clear and harmonious and shews the great Usefulness of its being so by Examples Voice is that whereby we can Talk and convey our inward Thoughts from one another in which there are two things chiefly required First That it be Clear And Secondly Harmonious Each of these must be the Gift of Nature and is not attainable any other way but where they are naturally Practice and Exercise will encrease the one and Imitation of those who speak sweetly and agreeably better the other This was the principal thing in the c See Note on on ch 22. Catuli which made 'em be counted Men of Judgment and Learning tho' they had some Skill in the matter 't is true and so had some others as well as they but this one thing recommended 'em so much that they were esteemed the most perfect Masters of the Roman Language The sound of their Voices was pleasing and harmonious they neither slurr'd over things negligently in their Pronunciation nor yet were too exact in expressing every Letter the former of which would have made their Speech obscure and the latter affected They never spoke so as to strain their Voices but equally avoided the double Extream that of Faintness and Sickliness as it were on the one hand and of too much Loudness and Elevation on the other Crassus's Discourse was full out as witty and not near so barren as that of the Catuli yet these had as great a Reputation as he upon the score of good Speaking Caesar who was Brother to the Elder Catulus was far more facetious and witty than any of 'em so that in Court when before the Judges he 'd do more by his easie familiar way of Talking than others could do by all the Powers of their Eloquence Each of these things should be diligently taken care of if we desire to Act decently on all Occasions Our c Having done with what concerns the manner of Pronunciation and Regulation of the Voice and advis'd against Affectation Loudness c. in Speaking He now proceeds to give some Rules about our Discourse as that it should be Easie not Tedious c. which relate some of 'em to the Manner others to the Matter and others to the Measure that should be observ'd in
have him hindred upon their account neither But in every case have it fairly consider'd not how Wealthy and Great but how Good and Deserving a Person he is c The last Rule to be observ'd in this sort of Liberality I shall conclude this Head with only one Rule more which is Never for the sake of doing any one a Kindness to venture upon that which is unjust in it self or injurious to a third Person For no Credit or Esteem can be solid and durable unless built upon the Foundations of Justice and Honesty without which nothing can be virtuous or commendable CHAP. XXI Two sorts of that Bounty which relates to the Publick Nothing to be done for the sake of the Members in particular which may any ways damage the Publick in general The first Duty of the Governours of a State to secure each Particular in the Possession of his own Levelling all Estates very destructive Why Men first built Cities Not to burden the People with Taxes a second Duty A third To furnish the People with Necessaries Covetousness in a Governour pernicious to any State The unhappy Effects of it in the Roman Empire a Chap. 19. He divided that Beneficence which consists in doing Kindnesses by our Labour c. into two Parts He has done with the former which respects Particulars and comes now to the latter which respects the State in general This he again divides into two sorts some terminating in the State consider'd abstractedly by it self others in all the particular Members of it About the latter he immediately gives us one Direction never to do any thing for the sake of Particulars which may any ways be prejudicial to the Whole in general Under the former he comprehends the Duties of those that are Governours and principal Magistrates in the Republick concerning which he discourses very largely HAving thus discours'd of the one sort of Kindnesses which are done to particular Members of the City we are now in the next place to speak of those others which are done to them all and to the Commonwealth in general Now these again are of two sorts The one more immediately relating to the Community the other reaching down to each Member in particular which latter of the two is more grateful and acceptable We should shew our Beneficence as far as we are able in both these Ways but especially in this latter which relates to each one of the particular Members In which however one Caution must be observ'd That nothing be done in behalf of Particulars but that which is useful or at least not prejudicial to the Commonwealth in general b See ch 12. of this Book C. Gracchus for Instance made a large Distribution of Corn to the People and the Effect of it was that the Treasury was exhausted by it c He was Tribune of the People together with Tib. Gracchus and resisted him very much in his pernicious Attempts and was therefore by him depriv'd of his Office What Action of his our Author here means is uncertain Marcus Octavius made one that was moderate which was a Kindness to the Multitude and no ways a Burthen or Grievance to the State and accordingly both the Publick and all the Members of the City receiv'd Benefit from it d The first Duty of those who are Governours of a State to keep every Man in the peaceful Possession of what is his own But the principal thing for a Governour to take care of is That each Individual be kept in the quiet Possession of his own and That private Men ben't e Which would have been done by the two Gracchi by their equal Distribution of Lands dispossessed of their Lands under a Pretence of taking Care of the Publick For Nothing 's more destructive to the Peace of any Kingdom than to bring in a new Distribution of Estates which was attempted by f Luc. Marcius Philippus See ch 30. Book 3. Philip in the Time of his Tribuneship However he quickly gave over his Design and did not persist stubbornly in Defence of it as soon as he found it was so vigorously oppos'd But in his publick Speeches and Harangues to the People among a great many things to obtain their Favour he was heard to say one of very dangerous Consequence That the whole City had not Two Thousand Men in it that were Masters of Estates A very pernicious and desperate Saying directly tending to bring all things to a Level which is the greatest Misfortune that can befal any People For to what end were Cities and Commonwealths establish'd but that every one might be safer and securer in the Enjoyment of his own For tho' Men by Nature are sociable Creatures yet 't was the Desire of Preserving what they had that first put 'em upon building of Cities for a Refuge g A second Duty of a good Governour Not to burthen c. 'T is a Second Duty of the Governours of a State to see that the People ben't forc'd to pay Taxes as they often were in our Fore-fathers time partly because they were always in War and partly by reason of the Lowness of the Treasury This is an Inconvenience which ought as far as possible to be provided against before-hand But if any State should be under such Circumstances as that it must be forc'd to make use of this Expedient I say any State because I 'm unwilling to suppose so unhappy a thing of our own beside that I speak here of all of 'em in general but if I say any State should be brought to such a Pinch due Care must be taken to let the People know That 't is absolutely necessary as Affairs now stand and that otherwise they must needs be inevitably ruin'd h To provide Necessaries for the Support of the People a third Duty of a Governour Again 'T is yet further requir'd of those Men who Govern and Preside in a Commonwealth to see that it be furnish'd with all the Conveniencies and Necessaries of Life To tell what these are and how to be provided would be altogether needless in this place since 't is sufficiently known already I only thought fit just to touch upon it by the Bye i A fourth Duty is To be free from even any Suspicion of Avarice But in all kinds of Business and managing Affairs of a publick Nature there 's nothing more necessary than always to keep one's self clear and untainted so as not to lye under the least suspicion of Avarice I could heartily wish said k He was the Samnite General when the Peace was made with them at the Passage of Caudium to the great Disgrace and Shame of the Romans See Livy Book 9. chap. 1. Caius Pontius the Samnite that Fortune had reserv'd me to those Times and that it had been my fate to be then born whenever the Romans shall begin to take Bribes I should quickly have put an end to their flourishing Empire Truly he