,note3 ,images of the original pages are
 available through        ,internet     
,archive4 ,see                          
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ajaiefiga      ,transcriber's note3     
,text enclosed by underscores is in     
italics 7italics74                      
,,seneca',s ,,morals ,,of ,a ,,happy    
,,life1  ,,benefits1 ,,anger ,,and      
,,clemency4    ,translated by    ,,sir  
,,roger ,l',,estrange4    ,new ,edition4
              ,chicago3  ,belford1      
,clarke  ,co41  #ahhb4    ,belford 4    
,clarke  ,co41  #ahha4    ,printed and  
,bound by  ,donohue  ,henneberry4       
,chicago1 ,ill4          ,,to ,,the     
,,reader4      ,it has been a long time 
my thought to turn ,,seneca into        
,english2  but whether as a translation 
or an abstract1 was the question4  ,a   
translation1 ,i perceive1 it must not   
be1 at last1 for several  reasons4      
,first1 it is a thing already done to my
 hand1 and of above  sixty years'       
standing2 though with as little credit1 

perhaps1 to  the ,author1 as            
satisfaction to the ,reader4 ,secondly1 
,there is a  great deal in him1 that is 
wholly foreign to my business3 as his   
philosophical treatises of ,meteors1    
,earthquakes1 the ,original  of ,rivers1
 several frivolous disputes betwixt the 
,epicureans and  the ,stoics1 etc41 to  
say nothing of his frequent repetitions 
of the  same thing again in other words1
 7wherein he very handsomely excuses    
himself1 by saying1 8,that he does but  
inculcate over and over the same        
counsels to those that over and over    
commit the same faults407,thirdly1  ,his
 excellency consists rather in a        
rhapsody of divine and  extraordinary   
hints and notions1 than in any regulated
 method of  discourse2 so that to take  
him as he lies1 and so to go through    
with  him1 were utterly inconsistent    
with the order and brevity which ,i     
propound2 my principal design1 being    
only to digest1 and commonplace  his    
,morals1 in such sort1 that any man1    

upon occasion1 may know where  to find  
them4 ,and ,i have kept myself so close 
to this proposition1  that ,i have      
reduced all his scattered ,ethics to    
their proper heads1  without any        
additions of my own1 more than of       
absolute necessity  for the tacking of  
them together4 ,some other man in my    
place would  perhaps make you twenty    
apologies for his want of skill and     
address1  in governing this affair2 but 
these are formal and pedantic fooleries1
  as if any man that first takes himself
 for a coxcomb in his own heart1  would 
afterwards make himself one in print    
too4 ,this ,abstract1 such  as it is1   
you are extremely welcome to2 and ,i am 
sorry it is no better1  both for your   
sakes and my own1 for if it were written
 up to the spirit  of the original1 it  
would be one of the most valuable       
presents that  ever any private man     
bestowed upon the public2 and this1 too1
 even in  the judgment of both parties1 
as well ,christian as ,heathen1 of which

 in  its due place4    ,next to my      
choice of the ,author and of the        
subject1 together with  the manner of   
handling it1 ,i have likewise had some  
regard1 in this  publication1 to the    
timing of it1 and to the preference of  
this topic  of ,benefits above all      
others1 for the groundwork of my first  
essay4  ,we are fallen into an age of   
vain philosophy 7as the holy apostle    
calls it7 and so desperately overrun    
with ,drolls and ,sceptics1 that  there 
is hardly any thing so certain or so    
sacred1 that is not exposed  to question
 and contempt1 insomuch1 that betwixt   
the hypocrite and the  ,atheist1 the    
very foundations of religion and good   
manners are shaken1  and the two tables 
of the ,decalogue dashed to pieces the  
one against  the other2 the laws of     
government are subjected to the fancies 
of the  vulgar2 public authority to the 
private passions and opinions of the    
people2 and the supernatural motions of 
grace confounded with the  common       

dictates of nature4 ,in this state of   
corruption1 who so fit as a  good honest
 ,christian ,pagan for a moderator among
 ,pagan ,christians8    ,to pass now    
from the general scope of the whole work
 to the particular  argument of the     
first part of it1 ,i pitched upon the   
theme of  ,benefits1 ,gratitude1 and    
,ingratitude1 to begin withal1 as an    
earnest of the rest1 and a lecture      
expressly calculated for the            
unthankfulness of these times2 the      
foulest undoubtedly1 and the most       
execrable of all others1 since the very 
apostasy of the angels3  nay1 if ,i     
durst but suppose a possibility of mercy
 for those damned  spirits1 and that    
they might ever be taken into favor     
again1 my  charity would hope even      
better for them than we have found from 
some  of our revolters1 and that they   
would so behave themselves as not to    
incur a second forfeiture4 ,and to carry
 the resemblance yet one point  farther1
 they do both of them agree in an       

implacable malice against  those of     
their fellows that keep their stations4 
,but1 alas6 what  could ,ingratitude do 
without ,hypocrisy1 the inseparable     
companion  of it1 and1 in effect1 the   
bolder and blacker devil of the two8 for
  ,lucifer himself never had the face to
 lift up his eyes to heaven1 and  talk  
to the ,,almighty at the familiar rate  
of our pretended patriots  and zealots1 
and at the same time to make him party  
to a cheat4 ,it is  not for nothing that
 the ,holy ,ghost has denounced so many 
woes1 and  redoubled so many cautions   
against hypocrites2 plainly intimating  
at once how dangerous a snare they are  
to mankind1 and no less odious  to ,god 
himself2 which is sufficiently denoted  
in the force of that  dreadful          
expression1 ,and your portion shall be  
with hypocrites4 ,you  will find in the 
holy scriptures 7as ,i have formerly    
observed7 that  ,god has given the grace
 of repentance to persecutors1          
idolaters1  murderers1 adulterers1 etc41

 but ,i am mistaken if the whole ,bible 
affords you any one instance of a       
converted hypocrite4    ,to descend now 
from truth itself to our own experience 
have we not  seen1 even in our days1 a  
most pious 7and almost faultless7       
,prince  brought to the scaffold by his 
own subjects8 ,the most glorious        
constitution upon the face of the earth1
 both ecclesiastical and  civil1 torn to
 pieces and dissolved8 ,the happiest    
people under the sun  enslaved8 ,our    
temples sacrilegiously profaned1 and a  
license given  to all sorts of heresy   
and outrage8 ,and by whom but by a race 
of  hypocrites8 who had nothing in their
 mouths all this while but the  purity  
of the gospel1 the honor of the king1   
and the liberty of  the people1 assisted
 underhand with defamatory papers1 which
 were  levelled at the king himself     
through the sides of his most faithful  
ministers4 ,this ,,project succeeded so 
well against one government1  that it is
 now again set afoot against another2   

and by some of the  very actors too in  
that ,,tragedy1 and after a most        
gracious pardon  also1 when ,providence 
had laid their necks and their fortunes 
at his  majesty's feet4 ,it is a        
wonderful thing that libels and         
libellers1  the most infamous of        
practices and of men2 the most unmanly  
sneaking methods and instruments of     
mischief2 the very bane  of human       
society1 and the plague of all          
governments2 it is a  wonderful thing   
7,i say7 that these engines and         
engineers should ever  find credit      
enough in the world to engage a party2  
but it would be  still more wonderful if
 the same trick should pass twice upon  
the  same people1 in the same age1 and  
from the same ,,impostors4 ,this        
contemplation has carried me a little   
out of my way1 but it has at  length    
brought me to my text again1 for there  
is in the bottom of it  the highest     
opposition imaginable of ingratitude and
 obligation4    ,the reader will1 in    

some measure1 be able to judge by this  
taste what  he is farther to expect2    
that is to say1 as to the cast of my    
design1  and the simplicity of the style
 and dress2 for that will still be the  
same1 only accompanied with variety of  
matter4 ,whether it pleases the  world  
or no1 the care is taken2 and yet ,i    
could wish that it might be  as         
delightful to others upon the perusal1  
as it has been to me in the             
speculation4 ,next to the gospel itself1
 ,i do look upon it as the most         
sovereign remedy against the miseries of
 human nature3 and ,i have ever  found  
it so1 in all the injuries and          
distresses of an unfortunate life4  ,you
 may read more of him1 if you please1 in
 the ,appendix1 which ,i  have here     
subjoined to this ,preface1 concerning  
the authority of his  writings1 and the 
circumstances of his life2 as ,i have   
extracted  them out of ,lipsius4        
,,of ,,seneca',s ,,writings4      ,it   
appears that our author had among the   

ancients three professed  enemies4 ,in  
the first place ,caligula1 who called   
his writings1 sand  without lime2       
alluding to the starts of his fancy1 and
 the incoherence  of his sentences4 ,but
 ,seneca was never the worse for the    
censure of a  person that propounded    
even the suppressing of ,homer himself2 
and of  casting ,virgil and ,livy out of
 all public libraries4 ,the next was    
,fabius1 who taxes him for being too    
bold with the eloquence of former       
times1 and failing in that point        
himself2 and likewise for being too     
quaint and finical in his expressions2  
which ,tacitus imputes1 in  part to the 
freedom of his own particular           
inclination1 and partly to  the humor of
 the times4 ,he is also charged by      
,fabius as no profound  philosopher2 but
 with all this1 he allows him to be a   
man very studious  and learned1 of great
 wit and invention1 and well read in all
 sorts of  literature2 a severe reprover
 of vice2 most divinely sententious2 and

  well worth the reading1 if it were    
only for his morals2 adding1 that if    
his judgment had been answerable to his 
wit1 it had been much the more  for his 
reputation2 but he wrote whatever came  
next2 so that ,i would  advise the      
reader 7says he7 to distinguish where he
 himself did not1  for there are many   
things in him1 not only to be approved1 
but admired2  and it was great pity that
 he that could do what he would1 should 
not  always make the best choice4 ,his  
third adversary is ,agellius1 who  falls
 upon him for his style1 and a kind of  
tinkling in his sentences1  but yet     
commends him for his piety and good     
counsels4 ,on the other  side1 ,columela
 calls him a man of excellent wit and   
learning2 ,pliny1  the prince of        
erudition2 ,tacitus gives him the       
character of a wise  man1 and a fit     
tutor for a prince2 ,dio reports him to 
have been the  greatest man of his age4 
,of those pieces of his that are extant1
 we shall not need to give  any         

particular account3 and of those that   
are lost1 we cannot1 any  farther than  
by lights to them from other authors1 as
 we find them  cited much to his honor2 
and we may reasonably compute them to be
  the greater part of his works4 ,that  
he wrote several poems in his           
banishment1 may be gathered partly from 
himself1 but more expressly  out of     
,tacitus1 who says1 8that he was        
reproached with his applying  himself to
 poetry1 after he saw that ,nero took   
pleasure in it1 out  of a design to     
curry favor40 ,st4 ,jerome refers to a  
discourse of his  concerning matrimony4 
,lactantius takes notice of his history1
 and his  books of ,moralities3 ,st4    
,augustine quotes some passages of his  
out of  a book of ,superstition2 some   
references we meet with to his books of 
,exhortations3 ,fabius makes mention of 
his ,dialogues3 and he himself  speaks  
of a treatise of his own concerning     
,earthquakes1 which he wrote  in his    
youth1 but the opinion of an epistolary 

correspondence that he  had with ,st4   
,paul1 does not seem to have much color 
for it4    ,some few fragments1 however1
 of those books of his that are wanting1
  are yet preserved in the writings of  
other eminent authors1 sufficient  to   
show the world how great a treasure they
 have lost by the excellency  of that   
little that is left4    ,seneca1 says   
,lactantius1 that was the sharpest of   
all the ,stoics1  how great a veneration
 has he for the ,almighty6 as for       
instance1  discoursing of a violent     
death2 8,do you not understand80 says   
he1 8the  majesty and the authority of  
your ,judge2 he is the supreme ,governor
 of  heaven and earth1 and the ,god of  
all your gods2 and it is upon him that  
all those powers depend which we worship
 for deities40 ,moreover1 in his        
,exhortations1 8,this ,god10 says he1   
8when he laid the foundations of the    
universe1 and entered upon the greatest 
and the best work in nature1 in  the    
ordering of the government of the world1

 though he was himself ,all  in all1 yet
 he substituted other subordinate       
ministers1 as the servants  of his      
commands40 ,and how many other things   
does this ,heathen speak of  ,god like  
one of us6    ,which the acute ,seneca1 
says ,lactantius again1 saw in his      
,exhortations4  8,we10 says he1 8have   
our dependence elsewhere1 and should    
look up to  that power1 to which we are 
indebted for all that we can pretend to 
that is good40    ,and again1 ,seneca   
says very well in his ,morals1 8,they   
worship the  images of the ,god10 says  
he1 8kneel to them1 and adore them1 they
 are  hardly ever from them1 either     
plying them with offerings or           
sacrifices1  and yet1 after all this    
reverence to the image1 they have no    
regard at  all to the workman that made 
it40    ,lactantius again4 8,an         
invective10 says ,seneca in his         
,exhortations1 8is  the masterpiece of  
most of our philosophers2 and if they   
fall upon  the subject of avarice1 lust1

 ambition1 they lash out into such      
excess of bitterness1 as if railing were
 a mark of their profession4  ,they make
 me think of gallipots in an            
apothecary's shop1 that have  remedies  
without and poison within40             
,lactantius still4 8,he that would know 
all things1 let him read ,seneca2  the  
most lively describer of public vices   
and manners1 and the smartest           
reprehender of them40    ,and again2 as 
,seneca has it in the books of ,moral   
,philosophy1 8,he is  the brave man1    
whose splendor and authority is the     
least part of his  greatness1 that can  
look death in the face without trouble  
or surprise2  who1 if his body were to  
be broken upon the wheel1 or melted lead
 to be  poured down his throat1 would be
 less concerned for the pain itself1    
than for the dignity of bearing it40    
,let no man1 says ,lactantius1 think    
himself the safer in his wickedness  for
 want of a witness2 for ,god is         
omniscient1 and to him nothing can  be a

 secret4 ,it is an admirable sentence   
that ,seneca concludes his              
,exhortations withal3 8,god10 says he1  
8is a great1 7,i know not what71  an    
incomprehensible ,power2 it is to him   
that we live1 and to him that  we must  
approve ourselves4 ,what does it avail  
us that our consciences  are hidden from
 men1 when our souls lie open to ,god80 
,what could a  ,christian have spoken   
more to the purpose in this case than   
this divine  ,pagan8 ,and in the        
beginning of the same work1 says        
,seneca1 8,what is  it that we do8 to   
what end is it to stand contriving1 and 
to hide  ourselves8 ,we are under a     
guard1 and there is no escaping from our
  keeper4 ,one man may be parted from   
another by travel1 death1 sickness2  but
 there is no dividing us from ourselves4
 ,it is to no purpose to  creep into a  
corner where nobody shall see us4       
,ridiculous madness6  ,make it the case1
 that no mortal eye could find us out1  
he that has a  conscience gives evidence

 against himself40    ,it is truly and  
excellently spoken of ,seneca1 says     
,lactantius1 once  again2 8,consider10  
says he 8the majesty1 the goodness1 and 
the  venerable mercies of the ,almighty2
 a friend that is always at hand4  ,what
 delight can it be to him the slaughter 
of innocent creatures or  the worship of
 bloody sacrifices8 ,let us purge our   
minds1 and lead  virtuous and honest    
lives4 ,his pleasure lies not in the    
magnificence of  temples made with      
stone1 but in the pity and devotion of  
consecrated  hearts40    ,in the book   
that ,seneca wrote against              
,superstitions1 treating of  images1    
says ,st4 ,austin1 he writes thus3      
8,they represent the holy1 the          
immortal1 and the inviolable gods in the
 basest matter1 and without  life or    
motion2 in the forms of men1 beasts1    
fishes1 some of mixed  bodies1 and those
 figures they call deities1 which1 if   
they were but  animated1 would affright 
a man1 and pass for monsters40 ,and     

then1 a  little farther1 treating of    
,natural ,theology1 after citing the    
opinions  of philosophers1 he supposes  
an objection against himself3 8,somebody
  will perhaps ask me1 would you have me
 then to believe the heavens and  the   
earth to be gods1 and some of them above
 the moon1 and some below  it8 ,shall ,i
 ever be brought to the opinion of      
,plato1 or of ,strabo the  ,peripatetic8
 the one of which would have ,god to be 
without a body1  and the other without a
 mind40 ,to which he replies1 8,and do  
you give  more credit then to the dreams
 of ,t4 ,tatius1 ,romulus1 ,hostilius1  
who  caused1 among other deities1 even  
,fear and ,paleness to be worshipped8   
the vilest of human affections2 the one 
being the motion of an  affrighted mind1
 and the other not so much the disease  
as the color  of a disordered body4 ,are
 these the deities that you will rather 
put  your faith in1 and place in the    
heavens80 ,and speaking afterward of    
their abominable customs1 with what     

liberty does he write6 8,one10 says  he1
 8out of zeal1 makes himself an eunuch1 
another lances his arms2 if  this be the
 way to please their gods1 what should a
 man do if he had  a mind to anger them8
 or1 if this be the way to please them1 
they do  certainly deserve not to be    
worshipped at all4 ,what a frenzy is    
this to  imagine that the gods can be   
delighted with such cruelties1 as even  
the  worst of men would make a          
conscience to inflict6 ,the most        
barbarous and  notorious of tyrants1    
some of them have perhaps done it       
themselves1 or  ordered the tearing of  
men to pieces by others2 but they never 
went so  far as to command any man to   
torment himself4 ,we have heard of those
  that have suffered castration to      
gratify the lust of their imperious     
masters1 but never any man that was     
forced to act it upon himself4 ,they    
murder themselves in their very temples1
 and their prayers are offered  up in   
blood4 ,whosoever shall but observe what

 they do1 and what they  suffer1 will   
find it so misbecoming an honest man1 so
 unworthy of a  freeman1 and so         
inconsistent with the action of a man in
 his wits1 that  he must conclude them  
all to be mad1 if it were not that there
 are so  many of them2 for only their   
number is their justification and their 
protection40    ,when he comes to       
reflect1 says ,st4 ,augustine1 upon     
those passages which  he himself had    
seen in the ,capitol1 he censures them  
with liberty and  resolution2 and no man
 will believe that such things would be 
done  unless in mockery or frenzy4 ,what
 lamentation is there in the ,egyptian  
sacrifices for the loss of ,osiris8 and 
then what joy for the finding  of him   
again8 ,which he makes himself sport    
with2 for in truth it is  all a fiction2
 and yet those people that neither lost 
any thing nor  found any thing1 must    
express their sorrows and their         
rejoicings to  the highest degree4 8,but
 there is only a certain time10 says he1

 8for  this freak1 and once in a year   
people may be allowed to be mad4 ,i came
  into the ,capitol10 says ,seneca1     
8where the several deities had their    
several servants and attendants1 their  
lictors1 their dressers1 and  all in    
posture and action1 as if they were     
executing their offices2  some to hold  
the glass1 others to comb out ,juno's   
and ,minerva's hair2  one to tell       
,jupiter what o'clock it is2 some lasses
 there are that sit  gazing upon the    
image1 and fancy ,jupiter has a kindness
 for them4 ,all  these things10 says    
,seneca1 a while after1 8a wise man will
 observe for  the law's sake more than  
for the gods2 and all this rabble of    
deities1  which the superstition of many
 ages has gathered together1 we are in  
such manner to adore1 as to consider the
 worship to be rather matter  of custom 
than of conscience40 ,whereupon ,st4    
,augustine observes1 that  this         
illustrious senator worshipped what he  
reproved1 acted what he  disliked1 and  

adored what he condemned4               
,,seneca',s ,,life ,,and ,,death4       
,it has been an ancient custom to record
 the actions and the writings  of       
eminent men1 with all their             
circumstances1 and it is but a right    
that we owe to the memory of our famous 
author4 ,seneca was by birth a          
,spaniard of ,cordova1 7a ,roman colony 
of great fame and antiquity47 ,he  was  
of the family of ,annus1 of the order of
 knights2 and the father1  ,lucius      
,annus ,seneca1 was distinguished from  
the son1 by the name  of the ,orator4   
,his mother's name was ,helvia1 a woman 
of excellent  qualities4 ,his father    
came to ,rome in the time of ,augustus1 
and his  wife and children soon followed
 him1 our ,seneca yet being in his      
infancy4 ,there were three brothers of  
them1 and never a sister4 ,marcus       
,annus ,novatus1 ,lucius ,annus ,seneca1
 and ,lucius ,annus ,mela2 the first  of
 these changed his name for ,junius     
,gallio1 who adopted him2 to him it  was

 that he dedicated his treatise of      
,,anger1 whom he calls ,novatus too2    
and he also dedicated his discourse of a
 ,happy ,life to his brother  ,gallio4  
,the youngest brother 7,annus ,mela7 was
 ,lucan's father4 ,seneca  was about    
twenty years of age in the fifth year of
 ,tiberius1 when the  ,jews were        
expelled from ,rome4 ,his father trained
 him up to rhetoric1  but his genius led
 him rather to philosophy2 and he       
applied his wit  to morality and virtue4
 ,he was a great hearer of the          
celebrated  men of those times2 as      
,attalus1 ,sotion1 ,papirius1 ,fabianus1
 7of whom  he makes often mention17 and 
he was much an admirer also of          
,demetrius  the ,cynic1 whose           
conversation he had afterwards in the   
,court1 and both  at home also and      
abroad1 for they often travelled        
together4 ,his father  was not at all   
pleased with his humor of philosophy1   
but forced him  upon the law1 and for a 
while he practiced pleading4 ,after     

which  he would needs put him upon      
public employment3 and he came first to 
be qustor1 then prtor1 and some will    
have it that he was chosen  consul2 but 
this is doubtful4    ,seneca finding    
that he had ill offices done him at     
court1 and that  ,nero's favor began to 
cool1 he went directly and resolutely to
 ,nero1  with an offer to refund all    
that he had gotten1 which ,nero would   
not  receive2 but however1 from that    
time he changed his course of life1     
received few visits1 shunned company1   
went little abroad2 still  pretending to
 be kept at home1 either by             
indisposition or by his  study4 ,being  
,nero's tutor and governor1 all things  
were well so long  as ,nero followed his
 counsel4 ,his two chief favorites were 
,burrhus and  ,seneca1 who were both of 
them excellent in their ways3 ,burrhus1 
in  his care of military affairs1 and   
severity of discipline2 ,seneca  for his
 precepts and good advice in the matter 
of eloquence1  and the gentleness of an 

honest mind2 assisting one another1 in  
that slippery age of the prince 7says   
,tacitus7 to invite him1 by the         
allowance of lawful pleasures1 to the   
love of virtue4 ,seneca had two  wives2 
the name of the first is not mentioned2 
his second was ,paulina1  whom he often 
speaks of with great passion4 ,by the   
former he had his  son ,marcus4    ,in  
the first year of ,claudius he was      
banished into ,corsica1 when ,julia1    
the daughter of ,germanicus1 was accused
 by ,messalina of adultery and  banished
 too1 ,seneca being charged as one of   
the adulterers4 ,after a  matter of     
eight years or upwards in exile1 he was 
called back1 and as  much in favor again
 as ever4 ,his estate was partly        
patrimonial1 but the  greatest part of  
it was the bounty of his prince4 ,his   
gardens1 villas1  lands1 possessions1   
and incredible sums of money1 are agreed
 upon at  all hands2 which drew an envy 
upon him4 ,dio reports him to have had  
#bej1jjjl4 sterling at interest in      

,britanny alone1 which he called in  all
 at a sum4 ,the ,court itself could not 
bring him to flattery2 and  for his     
piety1 submission1 and virtue1 the      
practice of his whole life  witnesses   
for him4 8,so soon10 says he1 8as the   
candle is taken away1  my wife1 that    
knows my custom1 lies still1 without a  
word speaking1  and then do ,i recollect
 all that ,i have said or done that day1
 and  take myself to shrift4 ,and why   
should ,i conceal or reserve anything1  
or make any scruple of inquiring into my
 errors1 when ,i can say to  myself1 ,do
 so no more1 and for this once ,i will  
forgive thee80 ,and  again1 what can be 
more pious and self-denying than this   
passage1 in  one of his epistles8       
8,believe me now1 when ,i tell you the  
very bottom  of my soul3 in all the     
difficulties and crosses of my life1    
this is my  consideration--since it is  
,god's will1 ,i do not only obey1 but   
assent to  it2 nor do ,i comply out of  
necessity1 but inclination40    8,here  

follows now10 says ,tacitus1 8the death 
of ,seneca1 to ,nero's great            
satisfaction2 not so much for any       
pregnant proof against him that he  was 
of ,piso's conspiracy2 but ,nero was    
resolved to do that by the sword  which 
he could not effect by poison4 ,for it  
is reported1 that ,nero  had corrupted  
,cleonicus 7a freeman of ,seneca's7 to  
give his master  poison1 which did not  
succeed4 ,whether that the servant had  
discovered  it to his master1 or that   
,seneca1 by his own caution and         
jealousy1 had  avoided it2 for he lived 
only upon a simple diet1 as the fruits  
of the  earth1 and his drink was most   
commonly river water4    8,natalis1 it  
seems1 was sent upon a visit to him     
7being indisposed7  with a complaint    
that he would not let ,piso come at him2
 and advising  him to the continuance of
 their friendship and acquaintance as   
formerly4 ,to whom ,seneca made answer1 
that frequent meetings and  conferences 
betwixt them could do neither of them   

any good2 but that  he had a great      
interest in ,piso's welfare4 ,hereupon  
,granius ,silvanus  7a captain of the   
guard7 was sent to examine ,seneca upon 
the discourse  that passed betwixt him  
and ,natalis1 and to return his answer4 
,seneca1  either by chance or upon      
purpose1 came that day from ,campania1  
to  a villa of his own1 within four     
miles of the city2 and thither the      
officer went the next evening1 and beset
 the place4 ,he found ,seneca  at supper
 with his wife ,paulina1 and two of his 
friends2 and gave him  immediately an   
account of his commission4 ,seneca told 
him1 that it was  true that ,natalis had
 been with him in ,piso's name1 with a  
complaint  that ,piso could not be      
admitted to see him2 and that he excused
  himself by reason of his want of      
health1 and his desires to be quiet  and
 private2 and that he had no reason to  
prefer another man's welfare  before his
 own4 ,csar himself1 he said1 knew very 
well that he was not  a man of          

compliment1 having received more proofs 
of his freedom than  of his flattery4   
,this answer of ,seneca's was delivered 
to ,csar in the  presence of ,poppa1 and
 ,tigellinus1 the intimate confidants of
 this  barbarous prince3 and ,nero asked
 him whether he could gather anything   
from ,seneca as if he intended to make  
himself away8 ,the tribune's  answer    
was1 that he did not find him one jot   
moved with the message3  but that he    
went on roundly with his tale1 and never
 so much as changed  countenance for the
 matter4 ,go back to him then1 says     
,nero1 and tell  him1 that he is        
condemned to die4 ,fabius ,rusticus     
delivers it1 that  the tribune did not  
return the same way he came1 but went   
aside to  ,fenius 7a captain of that    
name7 and told him ,csar's orders1      
asking his  advice whether he should    
obey them or not2 who bade him by all   
means  to do as he was ordered4 ,which  
want of resolution was fatal to them    
all2 for ,silvanus also1 that was one of

 the conspirators1 assisted now  to     
serve and to increase those crimes1     
which he had before complotted  to      
revenge4 ,and yet he did not think fit  
to appear himself in the  business1 but 
sent a centurion to ,seneca to tell him 
his doom4    8,seneca1 without any      
surprise or disorder1 calls for his     
will2 which  being refused him by the   
officer1 he turned to his friends1 and  
told  them that since he was not        
permitted to requite them as they       
deserved1  he was yet at liberty to     
bequeath them the thing of all others   
that  he esteemed the most1 that is1 the
 image of his life2 which should  give  
them the reputation both of constancy   
and friendship1 if they  would but      
imitate it2 exhorting them to a firmness
 of mind1 sometimes  by good counsel1   
otherwhile by reprehension1 as the      
occasion required4  ,where1 says he1 is 
all your philosophy now8 all your       
premeditated  resolutions against the   
violences of ,fortune8 ,is there any man

 so  ignorant of ,nero's cruelty1 as to 
expect1 after the murder of his  mother 
and his brother1 that he should ever    
spare the life of his  governor and     
tutor8 ,after some general expressions  
to this purpose1 he  took his wife in   
his arms1 and having somewhat fortified 
her against  the present calamity1 he   
besought and conjured her to moderate   
her  sorrows1 and betake herself to the 
contemplations and comforts of a        
virtuous life2 which would be a fair and
 ample consolation to her for  the loss 
of her husband4 ,paulina1 on the other  
side1 tells him her  determination to   
bear him company1 and wills the         
executioner to do  his office4 ,well1   
says ,seneca1 if after the sweetness of 
life1 as ,i  have represented it to     
thee1 thou hadst rather entertain an    
honorable  death1 ,i shall not envy thy 
example2 consulting1 at the same time1  
the  fame of the person he loved1 and   
his own tenderness1 for fear of the     
injuries that might attend her when he  

was gone4 ,our resolution1 says  he1 in 
this generous act1 may be equal1 but    
thine will be the greater  reputation4  
,after this the veins of both their arms
 were opened at the  same time4 ,seneca 
did not bleed so freely1 his spirits    
being wasted  with age and a thin diet2 
so that he was forced to cut the veins  
of his  thighs and elsewhere1 to hasten 
his dispatch4 ,when he was far spent1   
and almost sinking under his torments1  
he desired his wife to remove  into     
another chamber1 lest the agonies of the
 one might work upon the  courage of the
 other4 ,his eloquence continued to the 
last1 as appears  by the excellent      
things he delivered at his death2 which 
being taken  in writing from his own    
mouth1 and published in his own words1  
,i shall  not presume to deliver them in
 any other4 ,nero1 in the meantime1 who 
had no particular spite to ,paulina1    
gave orders to prevent her death1  for  
fear his cruelty should grow more and   
more insupportable and  odious4         

,whereupon the soldiers gave all freedom
 and encouragement to  her servants to  
bind up her wounds1 and stop the blood1 
which they did  accordingly2 but whether
 she was sensible of it or not is a     
question4  ,for among the common people1
 who are apt to judge the worst1 there  
were some of opinion1 that as long as   
she despaired of ,nero's mercy1  she    
seemed to court the glory of dying with 
her husband for company2  but that upon 
the likelihood of better quarter she was
 prevailed upon  to outlive him2 and so 
for some years she did survive him1 with
 all  piety and respect to his memory2  
but so miserably pale and wan1 that     
everybody might read the loss of her    
blood and spirits in her very           
countenance4    8,seneca finding his    
death slow and lingering1 desires       
,statius ,annus  7his old friend and    
physician7 to give him a dose of poison1
 which he  had provided beforehand1     
being the same preparation which was    
appointed  for capital offenders in     

,athens4 ,this was brought him1 and he  
drank  it up1 but to little purpose2 for
 his body was already chilled1 and      
bound up against the force of it4 ,he   
went at last into a hot bath1 and       
sprinkling some of his servants that    
were next him1 this1 says he1  is an    
oblation to ,jupiter the deliverer4 ,the
 fume of the bath soon  dispatched him1 
and his body was burnt1 without any     
funeral solemnity1  as he had directed  
in his testament3 though this will of   
his was made  in the height of his      
prosperity and power4 ,there was a rumor
 that  ,subrius ,flavius1 in a private  
consultation with the centurions1 had   
taken up this following resolution1 7and
 that ,seneca himself was no  stranger  
to it7 that is to say1 that after ,nero 
should have been slain  by the help of  
,piso1 ,piso himself should have been   
killed too2 and the  empire delivered up
 to ,seneca1 as one that well deserved  
it1 for his  integrity and virtue40     
,,seneca ,,of ,,benefits4               

,,chapter ,i4    ,,of ,,benefits ,,in   
,,general4      ,it is1 perhaps1 one of 
the most pernicious errors of a rash and
  inconsiderate life1 the common        
ignorance of the world in the matter of 
exchanging benefits4 ,and this arises   
from a mistake1 partly in the  person   
that we would oblige1 and partly in the 
thing itself4 ,to begin  with the       
latter3 8,a benefit is a good office1   
done with intention and  judgment20 that
 is to say1 with a due regard to all the
 circumstances  of what1 how1 why1 when1
 where1 to whom1 how much1 and  the     
like2 or otherwise3 8,it is a voluntary 
and benevolent action that  delights the
 giver in the comfort it brings to the  
receiver40 ,it will  be hard to draw    
this subject1 either into method or     
compass3 the one1  because of the       
infinite variety and complication of    
cases2 the other1  by reason of the     
large extent of it3 for the whole       
business 7almost7  of mankind in society
 falls under this head2 the duties of   

kings  and subjects1 husbands and wives1
 parents and children1 masters and      
servants1 natives and strangers1 high   
and low1 rich and poor1 strong  and     
weak1 friends and enemies4 ,the very    
meditation of it breeds good  blood and 
generous thoughts2 and instructs us in  
honor1 humanity1  friendship1 piety1    
gratitude1 prudence1 and justice4 ,in   
short1 the art  and skill of conferring 
benefits is1 of all human duties1 the   
most  absolutely necessary to the       
well-being1 both of reasonable nature1  
and  of every individual2 as the very   
cement of all communities1 and the      
blessing of particulars4 ,he that does  
good to another man does good  also to  
himself2 not only in the consequence1   
but in the very act of  doing it2 for   
the conscience of well-doing is an ample
 reward4    ,of benefits in general1    
there are several sorts2 as necessary1  
profitable1 and delightful4 ,some things
 there are1 without which  we cannot    
live2 others without which we ought not 

to live2 and  some1 again1 without which
 we will not live4 ,in the first rank   
are  those which deliver us from capital
 dangers1 or apprehensions of  death3   
and the favor is rated according to the 
hazard2 for the greater  the extremity1 
the greater seems the obligation4 ,the  
next is a case  wherein we may indeed   
live1 but we had better die2 as in the  
question  of liberty1 modesty1 and a    
good conscience4 ,in the third place1   
follow  those things which custom1 use1 
affinity1 and acquaintance1 have made   
dear to us2 as husbands1 wives1         
children1 friends1 etc41 which an       
honest man will preserve at his utmost  
peril4 ,of things profitable  there is a
 large field1 as money1 honor1 etc41 to 
which might be  added1 matters of       
superfluity and pleasure4 ,but we shall 
open a way  to the circumstances of a   
benefit by some previous and more       
general  deliberations upon the thing   
itself4          ,,chapter ,,ii4        
,,several ,,sorts ,,of ,,benefits4      

,we shall divide benefits into absolute 
and vulgar2 the one  appertaining to    
good life1 the other is only matter of  
commerce4 ,the  former are the more     
excellent1 because they can never be    
made void2  whereas all material        
benefits are tossed back and forward1   
and change  their master4 ,there are    
some offices that look like benefits1   
but are  only desirable conveniences1 as
 wealth1 etc41 and these a wicked man   
may receive from a good1 or a good man  
from an evil4 ,others1 again1  that bear
 the face of injuries1 which are only   
benefits ill taken2 as  cutting1        
lancing1 burning1 under the hand of a   
surgeon4 ,the greatest  benefits of all 
are those of good education1 which we   
receive from our  parents1 either in the
 state of ignorance or perverseness2 as1
 their  care and tenderness in our      
infancy2 their discipline in our        
childhood1  to keep us to our duties by 
fear2 and1 if fair means will not do1   
their proceeding afterwards to severity 

and punishment1 without which  we should
 never have come to good4 ,there are    
matters of great value1  many times1    
that are but of small price2 as         
instructions from a tutor1  medicine    
from a physician1 etc4 ,and there are   
small matters again1  which are of great
 consideration to us3 the gift is small1
 and the  consequence great2 as a cup of
 cold water in a time of need may save a
  man's life4 ,some things are of great 
moment to the giver1 others to the      
receiver3 one man gives me a house2     
another snatches me out when it is      
falling upon my head2 one gives me an   
estate2 another takes me out of  the    
fire1 or casts me out a rope when ,i am 
sinking4 ,some good offices  we do to   
friends1 others to strangers2 but those 
are the noblest that  we do without     
pre-desert4 ,there is an obligation of  
bounty1 and an  obligation of charity2  
this in case of necessity1 and that in  
point of  convenience4 ,some benefits   
are common1 others are personal2 as if a

  prince 7out of pure grace7 grant a    
privilege to a city1 the obligation     
lies upon the community1 and only upon  
every individual as a part of  the      
whole2 but if it be done particularly   
for my sake1 then am ,i singly  the     
debtor for it4 ,the cherishing of       
strangers is one of the duties  of      
hospitality1 and exercises itself in the
 relief and protection of  the          
distressed4 ,there are benefits of good 
counsel1 reputation1 life1  fortune1    
liberty1 health1 nay1 and of superfluity
 and pleasure4 ,one man  obliges me out 
of his pocket2 another gives me matter  
of ornament and  curiosity2 a third1    
consolation4 ,to say nothing of negative
 benefits2  for there are that reckon it
 an obligation if they do a body no     
hurt2  and place it to account1 as if   
they saved a man1 when they do not undo 
him4 ,to shut up all in one word2 as    
benevolence is the most sociable of  all
 virtues1 so it is of the largest       
extent2 for there is not any man1       

either so great or so little1 but he is 
yet capable of giving and of  receiving 
benefits4          ,,chapter ,,iii4     
,a ,,son ,,may ,,oblige ,,his ,,father1 
,,and ,a ,,servant ,,his ,,master4      
,the question is 7in the first place7   
whether it may not be possible  for a   
father to owe more to a son1 in other   
respects1 than the son  owes to his     
father for his being8 ,that many sons   
are both greater and  better than their 
fathers1 there is no question2 as there 
are many  other things that derive their
 beings from others1 which yet are far  
greater than their original4 ,is not the
 tree larger than the seed8 the  river  
than the fountain8 ,the foundation of   
all things lies hid1 and  the           
superstructure obscures it4 ,if ,i owe  
all to my father1 because he  gives me  
life1 ,i may owe as much to a physician 
that saved his life2  for if my father  
had not been cured1 ,i had never been   
begotten3 or1 if  ,i stand indebted for 
all that ,i am to my beginning1 my      

acknowledgment  must run back to the    
very original of all human beings4 ,my  
father gave  me the benefit of life3    
which he had never done1 if his father  
had not  first given it to him4 ,he gave
 me life1 not knowing to whom2 and when 
,i was in a condition neither to feel   
death nor to fear it4 ,that is the      
great benefit1 to give life to one that 
knows how to use it1 and that  is       
capable of the apprehension of death4   
,it is true1 that without a  father ,i  
could never have had a being2 and so1   
without a nurse1 that  being had never  
been improved3 but ,i do not therefore  
owe my virtue  either to my nativity or 
to her that gave me suck4 ,the          
generation of me  was the last part of  
the benefit3 for to live is common with 
brutes2  but to live well is the main   
business2 and that virtue is all my own1
  saving what ,i drew from my education4
 ,it does not follow that the  first    
benefit must be the greatest1 because   
without the first the  greatest could   

never have been4 ,the father gives life 
to the son but  once2 but if the son    
save the father's life often1 though he 
do but his  duty1 it is yet a greater   
benefit4 ,and again1 the benefit that a 
man  receives is the greater1 the more  
he needs it2 but the living has more    
need of life than he that is not yet    
born2 so that the father receives  a    
greater benefit in the continuance of   
his life than the son in the  beginning 
of it4 ,what if a son deliver his father
 from the rack2 or1  which is more1 lay 
himself down in his place8 ,the giving  
of him a being  was but the office of a 
father2 a simple act1 a benefit given at
 a  venture3 beside that1 he had a      
participant in it1 and a regard to his  
family4 ,he gave only a single life1 and
 he received a happy one4 ,my  mother   
brought me into the world naked1        
exposed1 and void of reason2  but my    
reputation and my fortune are advanced  
by my virtue4 ,scipio 7as  yet in his   
minority7 rescued his father in a battle

 with ,hannibal1 and  afterward from the
 practices and persecution of a powerful
 faction2  covering him with consulary  
honors1 and the spoils of public        
enemies4  ,he made himself as eminent   
for his moderation as for his piety and 
military knowledge3 he was the defender 
and the establisher of his  country3 he 
left the empire without a competitor1   
and made himself as  well the ornament  
of ,rome as the security of it3 and did 
not ,scipio1  in all this1 more than    
requite his father barely for begetting 
of him8  ,whether did ,anchises more for
 neas1 in dandling the child in his     
arms2  or neas for his father1 when he  
carried him upon his back through  the  
flames of ,troy1 and made his name      
famous to future ages among the         
founders of the ,roman ,empire8 ,t4     
,manlius was the son of a sour and      
imperious father1 who banished him his  
house as a blockhead1 and a  scandal to 
the family4 ,this ,manlius1 hearing that
 his father's life was  in question1 and

 a day set for his trial1 went to the   
tribune that was  concerned in his      
cause1 and discoursed with him about it3
 the tribune  told him the appointed    
time1 and withal 7as an obligation upon 
the  young man7 that his cruelty to his 
son would be part of his accusation4    
,manlius1 upon this1 takes the tribune  
aside1 and presenting a poniard  to his 
breast1 8,swear10 says he1 8that you    
will let this cause fall1  or you shall 
have this dagger in the heart of you2   
and now it is at  your choice which way 
you will deliver my father40 ,the       
tribune swore  and kept his word1 and   
made a fair report of the whole matter  
to the  council4 ,he that makes himself 
famous by his eloquence1 justice1 or    
arms1 illustrates his extraction1 let it
 be never so mean2 and gives            
inestimable reputation to his parents4  
,we should never have heard of          
,sophroniscus1 but for his son          
,socrates2 nor for ,aristo and ,gryllus1
 if  it had not been for ,xenophon and  

,plato4    ,this is not to              
discountenance the veneration we owe to 
parents2 nor  to make children the      
worse1 but the better2 and to stir up   
generous  emulations3 for1 in contests  
of good offices1 both parties are happy2
  as well the vanquished as those that  
overcome4 ,it is the only honorable     
dispute that can arise betwixt a father 
and son1 which of the two  shall have   
the better of the other in the point of 
benefits4    ,in the question betwixt a 
master and a servant1 we must           
distinguish  betwixt benefits1 duties1  
and actions ministerial4 ,by benefits1  
we  understand those good offices that  
we receive from strangers1 which  are   
voluntary1 and may be forborne without  
blame4 ,duties are the  parts of a son  
and wife1 and incumbent upon kindred and
 relations4  ,offices ministerial belong
 to the part of a servant4 ,now1 since  
it  is the mind1 and not the condition  
of a person1 that prints the  value upon
 the benefit1 a servant may oblige his  

master1 and so may a  subject his       
sovereign1 or a common soldier his      
general1 by doing more  than he is      
expressly bound to do4 ,some things     
there are1 which the law  neither       
commands nor forbids2 and here the      
servant is free4 ,it would  be very hard
 for a servant to be chastised for doing
 less than his  duty1 and not thanked   
for it when he does more4 ,his body1 it 
is true1  is his master's1 but his mind 
is his own3 and there are many commands 
which a servant ought no more to obey   
than a master to impose4 ,there is  no  
man so great1 but he may both need the  
help and service1 and stand  in fear of 
the power and unkindness1 even of the   
meanest of mortals4  ,one servant kills 
his master2 another saves him1 nay1     
preserves his  master's life1 perhaps1  
with the loss of his own3 he exposes    
himself to  torment and death2 he stands
 firm against all threats and batteries3
  which is not only a benefit in a      
servant1 but much the greater for his   

being so4    ,when ,domitius was        
besieged in ,corfinium1 and the place   
brought to great  extremity1 he pressed 
his servant so earnestly to poison him1 
that at  last he was prevailed upon to  
give him a potion2 which1 it seems1 was 
an innocent opiate1 and ,domitius       
outlived it3 ,csar took the town1 and   
gave ,domitius his life1 but it was his 
servant that gave it him first4         
,there was another town besieged1 and   
when it was upon the last pinch1  two   
servants made their escape1 and went    
over to the enemy3 upon the  ,romans    
entering the town1 and in the heat of   
the soldiers' fury1 these  two fellows  
ran directly home1 took their mistress  
out of her house1  and drove her before 
them1 telling every body how barbarously
 she had  used them formerly1 and that  
they would now have their revenge2 when 
they had her without the gates1 they    
kept her close till the danger was      
over2 by which means they gave their    
mistress her life1 and she gave  them   

their freedom4 ,this was not the action 
of a servile mind1 to do so  glorious a 
thing1 under an appearance of so great a
 villainy2 for if  they had not passed  
for deserters and parricides1 they could
 not have  gained their end4    ,with   
one instance more 7and that a very brave
 one7 ,i shall conclude  this chapter4  
,in the civil wars of ,rome1 a party    
coming to search for a person of        
quality that was proscribed1 a servant  
put on his master's clothes1  and       
delivered himself up to the soldiers as 
the master of the house2  he was taken  
into custody1 and put to death1 without 
discovering the  mistake4 ,what could be
 more glorious1 than for a servant to   
die for his  master1 in that age1 when  
there were not many servants that would 
not  betray their masters8 ,so generous 
a tenderness in a public cruelty2  so   
invincible a faith in a general         
corruption2 what could be more          
glorious1 ,i say1 than so exalted a     
virtue1 as rather to choose death  for  

the reward of his fidelity1 than the    
greatest advantages he might  otherwise 
have had for the violation of it8       
,,chapter ,,iv4    ,,it ,,is ,,the      
,,intention1 ,,not ,,the ,,matter1      
,,that ,,makes ,,the ,,benefit4         
,the good-will of the benefactor is the 
fountain of all benefits2  nay it is the
 benefit itself1 or1 at least1 the stamp
 that makes it  valuable and current4   
,some there are1 ,i know1 that take the 
matter  for the benefit1 and tax the    
obligation by weight and measure4 ,when 
anything is given them1 they presently  
cast it up2 8,what may such a  house be 
worth8 such an office8 such an estate80 
as if that were the  benefit which is   
only the sign and mark of it3 for the   
obligation  rests in the mind1 not in   
the matter2 and all those advantages    
which  we see1 handle1 or hold in actual
 possession by the courtesy of  another1
 are but several modes or ways of       
explaining and putting the  good-will in
 execution4 ,there needs no great       

subtlety to prove1 that  both benefits  
and injuries receive their value from   
the intention1  when even brutes        
themselves are able to decide this      
question4 ,tread  upon a dog by chance1 
or put him to pain upon the dressing of 
a wound2  the one he passes by as an    
accident2 and the other1 in his fashion1
 he  acknowledges as a kindness3 but1   
offer to strike at him1 though you  do  
him no hurt at all1 he flies yet in the 
face of you1 even for the  mischief that
 you barely meant him4    ,it is further
 to be observed1 that all benefits are  
good2 and 7like the  distributions of   
,providence7 made up of wisdom and      
bounty2 whereas the  gift itself is     
neither good nor bad1 but may           
indifferently be applied1  either to the
 one or to the other4 ,the benefit is   
immortal1 the gift  perishable3 for the 
benefit itself continues when we have no
 longer  either the use or the matter of
 it4 ,he that is dead was alive2 he that
  has lost his eyes1 did see2 and1      

whatsoever is done1 cannot be rendered  
undone4 ,my friend 7for instance7 is    
taken by pirates2 ,i redeem him2 and    
after that he falls into other pirates' 
hands2 his obligation to me is  the same
 still as if he had preserved his       
freedom4 ,and so1 if ,i save  a man from
 any misfortune1 and he falls into      
another2 if ,i give him a  sum of money1
 which is afterwards taken away by      
thieves2 it comes to  the same case4    
,fortune may deprive us of the matter of
 a benefit1 but  the benefit itself     
remains inviolable4 ,if the benefit     
resided in the  matter1 that which is   
good for one man would be so for        
another2 whereas  many times the very   
same thing1 given to several persons1   
work contrary  effects1 even to the     
difference of life or death2 and that   
which is one  body's cure proves another
 body's poison4 ,beside that1 the timing
 of  it alters the value2 and a crust of
 bread1 upon a pinch1 is a greater      
present than an imperial crown4 ,what is

 more familiar than in a battle  to     
shoot at an enemy and kill a friend8 or1
 instead of a friend1 to  save an enemy8
 ,but yet this disappointment1 in the   
event1 does not at  all operate upon the
 intention4 ,what if a man cures me of a
 wen with  a stroke that was designed to
 cut off my head8 or1 with a malicious  
blow upon my stomach1 breaks an         
imposthume8 or1 what if he saves my     
life with a draught that was prepared to
 poison me8 ,the providence  of the     
issue does not at all discharge the     
obliquity of the intent4  ,and the same 
reason holds good even in religion      
itself4 ,it is not the  incense1 or the 
offering1 that is acceptable to ,god1   
but the purity and  devotion of the     
worshipper3 neither is the bare will1   
without action1  sufficient1 that is1   
where we have the means of acting2 for1 
in that  case1 it signifies as little to
 wish well1 without well-doing1 as  to  
do good without willing it4 ,there must 
be effect as well as  intention1 to make

 me owe a benefit2 but1 to will against 
it1 does  wholly discharge it4 ,in fine1
 the conscience alone is the judge1 both
  of benefits and injuries4    ,it does 
not follow now1 because the benefit     
rests in the good-will1  that therefore 
the good-will should be always a        
benefit2 for if it be  not accompanied  
with government and discretion1 those   
offices1 which we  call benefits1 are   
but the works of passion1 or of chance2 
and many  times1 the greatest of all    
injuries4 ,one man does me good by      
mistake2  another ignorantly2 a third   
upon force3 but none of these cases do  
,i  take to be an obligation2 for they  
were neither directed to me1 nor  was   
there any kindness of intention2 we do  
not thank the seas for the  advantages  
we receive by navigation2 or the rivers 
with supplying us  with fish and flowing
 of our grounds2 we do not thank the    
trees either  for their fruits or       
shades1 or the winds for a fair gale2   
and what is  the difference betwixt a   

reasonable creature that does not know  
and  an inanimate that cannot8 ,a good  
horse saves one man's life2 a good  suit
 of arms another's2 and a man1 perhaps1 
that never intended it1  saves a third4 
,where is the difference now betwixt the
 obligation of  one and of the other8 ,a
 man falls into a river1 and the fright 
cures  him of the ague2 we may call this
 a kind of lucky mischance1 but not  a  
remedy4 ,and so it is with the good we  
receive1 either without1 or  beside1 or 
contrary to intention4 ,it is the mind1 
and not the event1  that distinguishes a
 benefit from an injury4                
,,chapter ,v4    ,,there ,,must ,,be    
,,judgment ,,in ,a ,,benefit1 ,,as      
,,well ,,as ,,matter ,,and ,,intention2 
,,and ,,especially ,,in ,,the ,,choice  
,,of ,,the ,,person4      ,as it is the 
will that designs the benefit1 and the  
matter that  conveys it1 so it is the   
judgment that perfects it2 which depends
  upon so many critical niceties1 that  
the least error1 either in the  person1 

the matter1 the manner1 the quality1 the
 quantity1 the time1 or  the place1     
spoils all4    ,the consideration of the
 person is a main point3 for we are to  
give  by choice1 and not by hazard4 ,my 
inclination bids me oblige one man2 ,i  
am bound in duty and justice to serve   
another2 here it is a charity1  there it
 is pity2 and elsewhere1 perhaps1       
encouragement4 ,there are some  that    
want1 to whom ,i would not give2        
because1 if ,i did1 they would want     
still4 ,to one man ,i would barely offer
 a benefit2 but ,i would press it  upon 
another4 ,to say the truth1 we do not   
employ any more profit than  that which 
we bestow2 and it is not to our friends1
 our acquaintances  or countrymen1 nor  
to this or that condition of men1 that  
we are to  restrain our bounties2 but   
wheresoever there is a man1 there is a  
place  and occasion for a benefit4 ,we  
give to some that are good already2 to  
others1 in hope to make them so3 but we 
must do all with discretion2  for we are

 as well answerable for what we give as 
for what we receive2  nay1 the          
misplacing of a benefit is worse than   
the not receiving of it2  for the one is
 another man's fault2 but the other is  
mine4 ,the error  of the giver does     
oft-times excuse the ingratitude of the 
receiver3  for a favor ill-placed is    
rather a profusion than a benefit4 ,it  
is the  most shameful of losses1 an     
inconsiderate bounty4 ,i will choose a  
man  of integrity1 sincere1 considerate1
 grateful1 temperate1 well-natured1     
neither covetous nor sordid3 and when ,i
 have obliged such a man1 though  not   
worth a groat in the world1 ,i have     
gained my end4 ,if we give only  to     
receive1 we lose the fairest objects of 
our charity3 the absent1  the sick1 the 
captive1 and the needy4 ,when we oblige 
those that can  never pay us again in   
kind1 as a stranger upon his last       
farewell1 or a  necessitous person upon 
his death-bed1 we make ,providence our  
debtor1  and rejoice in the conscience  

even of a fruitless benefit4 ,so long as
  we are affected with passions1 and    
distracted with hopes and fears1  and   
7the most unmanly of vices7 with our    
pleasures1 we are incompetent  judges   
where to place our bounties3 but when   
death presents itself1  and that we come
 to our last will and testament1 we     
leave our fortunes  to the most worthy4 
,he that gives nothing1 but in hopes of 
receiving1  must die intestate4 ,it is  
the honesty of another man's mind that  
moves  the kindness of mine2 and ,i     
would sooner oblige a grateful man than 
an ungrateful3 but this shall not hinder
 me from doing good also to a  person   
that is known to be ungrateful3 only    
with this difference1 that  ,i will     
serve the one in all extremities with my
 life and fortune1 and  the other no    
farther than stands with my convenience4
 ,but what shall  ,i do1 you will say1  
to know whether a man will be grateful  
or not8 ,i  will follow probability1 and
 hope the best4 ,he that sows is not    

sure  to reap2 nor the seaman to reach  
his port2 nor the soldier to win  the   
field3 he that weds is not sure his wife
 shall be honest1 or his  children      
dutiful3 but shall we therefore neither 
sow1 sail1 bear arms1  nor marry8 ,nay1 
if ,i knew a man to be incurably        
thankless1 ,i would yet  be so kind as  
to put him in his way1 or let him light 
a candle at mine1  or draw water at my  
well2 which may stand him perhaps in    
great stead1  and yet not be reckoned as
 a benefit from me2 for ,i do it        
carelessly1  and not for his sake1 but  
my own2 as an office of humanity1       
without any  choice or kindness4        
,,chapter ,,vi4    ,,the ,,matter ,,of  
,,obligations1 ,,with ,,its             
,,circumstances4      ,next to the      
choice of the person follows that of the
 matter2  wherein a regard must be had  
to time1 place1 proportion1 quality2    
and to the very nicks of opportunity and
 humor4 ,one man values his  peace above
 his honor1 another his honor above his 

safety2 and not  a few there are that   
7provided they may save their bodies7   
never  care what becomes of their souls4
 ,so that good offices depend much  upon
 construction4 ,some take themselves to 
be obliged1 when they are  not2 others  
will not believe it1 when they are2 and 
some again take  obligations and        
injuries1 the one for the other4    ,for
 our better direction1 let it be noted1 
8,that a benefit is a common  tie       
betwixt the giver and receiver1 with    
respect to both30 wherefore  it must be 
accommodated to the rules of discretion2
 for all things  have their bounds and  
measures1 and so must liberality among  
the rest2  that it be neither too much  
for the one nor too little for the      
other2  the excess being every jot as   
bad as the defect4 ,alexander bestowed a
  city upon one of his favorites2 who   
modestly excusing himself1 8,that  it   
was too much for him to receive40       
8,well1 but10 says ,alexander1 8it  is  
not too much for me to give40 ,a haughty

 certainly1 and an imprudent  speech2   
for that which was not fit for the one  
to take could not be  fit for the other 
to give4 ,it passes in the world for    
greatness of mind  to be perpetually    
giving and loading of people with       
bounties2 but it is  one thing to know  
how to give1 and another thing not to   
know how to  keep4 ,give me a heart that
 is easy and open1 but ,i will have no  
holes  in it2 let it be bountiful with  
judgment1 but ,i will have nothing run  
out of it ,i know not how4 ,how much    
greater was he that refused the city    
than the other that offered it8 ,some   
men throw away their money as if  they  
were angry with it1 which is the error  
commonly of weak minds and  large       
fortunes4 ,no man esteems of anything   
that comes to him by chance2  but when  
it is governed by reason1 it brings     
credit both to the giver  and receiver2 
whereas those favors are1 in some sort1 
scandalous1 that  make a man ashamed of 
his patron4    ,it is a matter of great 

prudence1 for the benefactor to suit the
  benefit to the condition of the       
receiver3 who must be either his        
superior1 his inferior1 or his equal2   
and that which would be the  highest    
obligation imaginable to the one1 would 
perhaps be as great a  mockery and      
affront to the other2 as a plate of     
broken meat 7for the  purpose7 to a rich
 man were an indignity1 which to a poor 
man is a  charity4 ,the benefits of     
princes and of great men1 are honors1   
offices1  monies1 profitable            
commissions1 countenance1 and           
protection3 the poor  man has nothing to
 present but good-will1 good advice1    
faith1 industry1  the service and hazard
 of his person1 an early apple1         
peradventure1 or  some other cheap      
curiosity3 equals indeed may correspond 
in kind2 but  whatsoever the present be1
 or to whomsoever we offer it1 this     
general  rule must be observed1 that we 
always design the good and satisfaction 
of the receiver1 and never grant        

anything to his detriment4 ,it is not   
for a man to say1 ,i was overcome by    
importunity2 for when the fever is  off1
 we detest the man that was prevailed   
upon to our destruction4 ,i  will no    
more undo a man with his will1 than     
forbear saving him against  it4 ,it is a
 benefit in some cases to grant1 and in 
others to deny2 so  that we are rather  
to consider the advantage than the      
desire of the  petitioner4 ,for we may  
in a passion earnestly beg for 7and take
 it ill  to be denied too7 that very    
thing1 which1 upon second thoughts1 we  
may  come to curse1 as the occasion of a
 most pernicious bounty4 ,never give    
anything that shall turn to mischief1   
infamy1 or shame4 ,i will consider      
another man's want or safety2 but so as 
not to forget my own2 unless  in the    
case of a very excellent person1 and    
then ,i shall not much  heed what       
becomes of myself4 ,there is no giving  
of water to a man in  a fever2 or       
putting a sword into a madman's hand4   

,he that lends a man  money to carry him
 to a bawdy-house1 or a weapon for his  
revenge1 makes  himself a partaker of   
his crime4    ,he that would make an    
acceptable present1 will pitch upon     
something  that is desired1 sought for1 
and hard to be found2 that which he sees
  nowhere else1 and which few have2 or  
at least not in that place or  season2  
something that may be always in his eye1
 and mind him of his  benefactor4 ,if it
 be lasting and durable1 so much the    
better2 as plate1  rather than money2   
statues than apparel2 for it will serve 
as a monitor  to mind the receiver of   
the obligation1 which the presenter     
cannot so  handsomely do4 ,however1 let 
it not be improper1 as arms to a woman1 
books to a clown1 toys to a philosopher3
 ,i will not give to any man  that which
 he cannot receive1 as if ,i threw a    
ball to a man without  hands2 but ,i    
will make a return1 though he cannot    
receive it2 for my  business is not to  
oblige him1 but to free myself3 nor     

anything that  may reproach a man of his
 vice or infirmity2 as false dice to a  
cheat2  spectacles to a man that is     
blind4 ,let it not be unseasonable      
neither2  as a furred gown in summer1 an
 umbrella in winter4 ,it enhances the   
value of the present1 if it was never   
given to him by anybody else1 nor  by me
 to any other2 for that which we give to
 everybody is welcome to  nobody4       
,the particularity does much1 but yet   
the same thing may receive  a different 
estimate from several persons2 for there
 are ways of  marking and recommending  
it in such a manner1 that if the same   
good  office be done to twenty people1  
every one of them shall reckon  himself 
peculiarly obliged as a cunning whore1  
if she has a thousand  sweethearts1 will
 persuade every one of them she loves   
him best4 ,but  this is rather the      
artifice of conversation than the virtue
 of it4    ,the citizens of ,megara send
 ambassadors to ,alexander in the height
 of  his glory1 to offer him1 as a      

compliment1 the freedom of their city4  
,upon ,alexander's smiling at the       
proposal1 they told him1 that it was  a 
present which they had never made but to
 ,hercules and himself4  ,whereupon     
,alexander treated them kindly1 and     
accepted of it2 not for  the presenters'
 sake1 but because they had joined him  
with ,hercules2  now unreasonably       
soever2 for ,hercules conquered nothing 
for himself1  but made his business to  
vindicate and to protect the miserable1 
without any private interest or design2 
but this intemperate young  man 7whose  
virtue was nothing else but a successful
 temerity7 was  trained up from his     
youth in the trade of violence2 the     
common enemy  of mankind1 as well of his
 friends as of his foes1 and one that   
valued  himself upon being terrible to  
all mortals3 never considering1 that the
  dullest creatures are as dangerous and
 as dreadful1 as the fiercest2  for the 
poison of a toad1 or the tooth of a     
snake1 will do a man's  business1 as    

sure as the paw of a tiger4             
,,chapter ,,vii4    ,,the ,,manner ,,of 
,,obliging4      ,there is not any      
benefit so glorious in itself1 but it   
may yet be  exceedingly sweetened and   
improved by the manner of conferring it4
  ,the virtue1 ,i know1 rests in the    
intent1 the profit in the judicious     
application of the matter2 but the      
beauty and ornament of an  obligation   
lies in the manner of it2 and it is then
 perfect when the  dignity of the office
 is accompanied with all the charms and 
delicacies  of humanity1 good-nature1   
and address2 and with dispatch too2 for 
he  that puts a man off from time to    
time1 was never right at heart4    ,in  
the first place1 whatsoever we give1 let
 us do it frankly3 a  kind benefactor   
makes a man happy as soon as he can1 and
 as much  as he can4 ,there should be no
 delay in a benefit but the modesty  of 
the receiver4 ,if we cannot forsee the  
request1 let us1 however1  immediately  
grant it1 and by no means suffer the    

repeating of it4 ,it  is so grievous a  
thing to say1 ,i ,,beg2 the very word   
puts a man out  of countenance2 and it  
is a double kindness to do the thing1   
and save  an honest man the confusion of
 a blush4 ,it comes too late that comes 
for the asking3 for nothing costs us so 
dear as that we purchase with  our      
prayers3 it is all we give1 even for    
heaven itself2 and even there  too1     
where our petitions are at the fairest1 
we choose rather to  present them in    
secret ejaculations than by word of     
mouth4 ,that is the  lasting and the    
acceptable benefit that meets the       
receiver half-way4  ,the rule is1 we are
 to give1 as we would receive1          
cheerfully1  quickly1 and without       
hesitation2 for there is no grace in a  
benefit  that sticks to the fingers4    
,nay1 if there should be occasion for   
delay1  let us1 however1 not seem to    
deliberate2 for demurring is next door  
to denying2 and so long as we suspend1  
so long are we unwilling4 ,it  is a     

court-humor to keep people upon the     
tenters2 their injuries are  quick and  
sudden1 but their benefits are slow4    
,great ministers love  to rack men with 
attendance1 and account it an           
ostentation of their  power to hold     
their suitors in hand1 and to have many 
witnesses of  their interest4 ,a benefit
 should be made acceptable by all       
possible  means1 even to the end that   
the receiver1 who is never to forget it1
  may bear it in his mind with          
satisfaction4 ,there must be no mixture 
of  sourness1 severity1 contumely1 or   
reproof1 with our obligations2 nay1  in 
case there should be any occasion for so
 much as an admonition1 let  it be      
referred to another time4 ,we are a     
great deal apter to remember  injuries  
than benefits2 and it is enough to      
forgive an obligation that  has the     
nature of an offence4    ,there are some
 that spoil a good office after it is   
done and others1  in the very instant of
 doing it4 ,there be so much entreaty   

and  importunity2 nay1 if we do but     
suspect a petitioner1 we put on a sour  
face2 look another way2 pretend haste1  
company1 business2 talk of other        
matters1 and keep him off with          
artificial delays1 let his necessities  
be never so pressing2 and when we are   
put to it at last1 it comes so  hard    
from us that it is rather extorted than 
obtained2 and not so  properly the      
giving of a bounty1 as the quitting of a
 man's hold upon  the tug1 when another 
is too strong for him2 so that this is  
but doing  one kindness for me1 and     
another for himself3 he gives for his   
own  quiet1 after he has tormented me   
with difficulties and delays4 ,the      
manner of saying or of doing any thing1 
goes a great way in the  value of the   
thing itself4 ,it was well said of him  
that called a good  office1 that was    
done harshly1 and with an ill will1 a   
stony piece  of bread2 it is necessary  
for him that is hungry to receive it1   
but  it almost chokes a man in the going

 down4 ,there must be no pride1         
arrogance of looks1 or tumor of words1  
in the bestowing of benefits2 no        
insolence of behavior1 but a modesty of 
mind1 and a diligent care to  catch at  
occasions and prevent necessities4 ,a   
pause1 an unkind tone1  word1 look1 or  
action1 destroys the grace of a         
courtesy4 ,it corrupts a  bounty1 when  
it is accompanied with state1           
haughtiness1 and elation of  mind1 in   
the giving of it4 ,some have a trick of 
shifting off a suitor  with a point of  
wit1 or a cavil4 ,as in the case of the 
,cynic that  begged a talent of         
,antigonus3 8,that is too much10 says   
he1 8for a ,cynic  to ask20 and when he 
fell to a penny1 8,that is too little10 
says he1  8for a prince to give40 ,he   
might have found a way to have          
compounded  this controversy1 by giving 
him a penny as to a ,cynic and a  talent
 as from a prince4 ,whatsoever we       
bestow1 let it be done with  a frank and
 cheerful countenance3 a man must not   

give with his hand1  and deny with his  
looks4 ,he that gives quickly1 gives    
willingly4    ,we are likewise to       
accompany good deeds with good words1   
and say1  7for the purpose17 8,why      
should you make such a matter of this8  
why  did not you come to me sooner8 why 
would you make use of any body  else8 ,i
 take it ill that you should bring me a 
recommendation2 pray  let there be no   
more of this1 but when you have occasion
 hereafter1  come to me upon your own   
account40 ,that is the glorious bounty1 
when  the receiver can say to himself2  
8,what a blessed day has this been  to  
me6 never was any thing done so         
generously1 so tenderly1 with so  good a
 grace4 ,what is it ,i would not do to  
serve this man8 ,a thousand  times as   
much another way could not have given me
 this satisfaction40  ,in such a case1  
let the benefit be never so             
considerable1 the manner  of conferring 
it is yet the noblest part4 ,where there
 is harshness of  language1 countenance1

 or behavior1 a man had better be       
without it4 ,a  flat denial is          
infinitely before a vexatious delay3 as 
a quick death is  a mercy1 compared with
 a lingering torment4 ,but to be put to 
waitings  and intercessions1 after a    
promise is passed1 is a cruelty         
intolerable4  ,it is troublesome to stay
 long for a benefit1 let it be never so 
great2  and he that holds me needlessly 
in pain1 loses two precious things1     
time1 and the proof of friendship4 ,nay1
 the very hint of a man's want  comes   
many times too late4 8,if ,i had money10
 said ,socrates1 8,i would  buy me a    
cloak40 ,they that knew he wanted one   
should have prevented  the very         
intimation of that want4 ,it is not the 
value of the present1  but the          
benevolence of the mind1 that we are to 
consider4 8,he gave me  but a little1   
but it was generously and frankly done2 
it was a little  out of a little3 he    
gave it me without asking2 he pressed it
 upon me2  he watched the opportunity of

 doing it1 and took it as an obligation 
upon himself40 ,on the other side1 many 
benefits are great in show1 but  little 
or nothing perhaps in effect1 when they 
come hard1 slow1 or at  unawares4 ,that 
which is given with pride and           
ostentation1 is rather an  ambition than
 a bounty4    ,some favors are to be    
conferred in public1 others in private4 
,in public the rewards of great actions2
 as honors1 charges1 or  whatsoever else
 gives a man reputation in the world2   
but the good  offices we do for a man in
 want1 distress1 or under reproach1     
these  should be known only to those    
that have the benefit of them4 ,nay1 not
  to them neither1 if we can handsomely 
conceal it from whence the favor  came2 
for the secrecy1 in many cases1 is a    
main part of the benefit4  ,there was a 
good man that had a friend1 who was both
 poor and sick1  and ashamed to own his 
condition3 he privately conveyed a bag  
of money  under his pillow1 that he     
might seem rather to find than receive  

it4  ,provided ,i know that ,i give it1 
no matter for his knowing from whence   
it comes that receives it4 ,many a man  
stands in need of help that has  not the
 face to confess it3 if the discovery   
may give offence1 let it  lie concealed2
 he that gives to be seen would never   
relieve a man in  the dark4 ,it would be
 too tedious to run through all the     
niceties that  may occur upon this      
subject2 but1 in two words1 he must be a
 wise1 a  friendly1 and a well-bred man1
 that perfectly acquits himself in the  
art and duty of obliging3 for all his   
actions must be squared according  to   
the measures of civility1 good-nature   
and discretion4          ,,chapter      
,,viii4    ,,the ,,difference ,,and     
,,value ,,of ,,benefits4      ,we have  
already spoken of benefits in general2  
the matter and  the intention1 together 
with the manner of conferring them4 ,it 
follows now1 in course1 to say something
 of the value of them2 which  is rated1 
either by the good they do us1 or by the

 inconvenience they  save us1 and has no
 other standard than that of a judicious
 regard  to circumstance and occasion4  
,suppose ,i save a man from drowning1   
the advantage of life is all one to him1
 from what hand soever it  comes1 or by 
what means2 but yet there may be a vast 
difference in the  obligation4 ,i may do
 it with hazard1 or with security1 with 
trouble1 or  with ease2 willingly1 or by
 compulsion2 upon intercession1 or      
without  it3 ,i may have a prospect of  
vain-glory or profit3 ,i may do it in   
kindness to another1 or an hundred      
by-ends to myself2 and every point  does
 exceedingly vary the case4 ,two persons
 may part with the same sum  of money1  
and yet not the same benefit3 the one   
had it of his own1  and it was but a    
little out of a great deal2 the other   
borrowed  it1 and bestowed upon me that 
which he wanted for himself4 ,two boys  
were sent out to fetch a certain person 
to their master3 the one of  them hunts 
up and down1 and comes home again weary1

 without finding  him2 the other falls  
to play with his companions at the wheel
 of  ,fortune1 sees him by chance       
passing by1 delivers him his errand1 and
  brings him4 ,he that found him by     
chance deserves to be punished2 and he  
that sought for him1 and missed him1 to 
be rewarded for his good-will4    ,in   
some cases we value the thing1 in others
 the labor and  attendance4 ,what can be
 more precious than good manners1 good  
letters1 life1 and health8 and yet we   
pay our physicians and tutors  only for 
their service in the professions4 ,if we
 buy things cheap1 it  matters not1 so  
long as it is a bargain3 it is no       
obligation from the  seller1 if nobody  
else will give him more for it4 ,what   
would not a  man give to be set ashore  
in a tempest8 for a house in a          
wilderness8  a shelter in a storm8 a    
fire1 or a bit of meat1 when a man is   
pinched  with hunger or cold8 a defence 
against thieves1 and a thousand other   
matters of moment1 that cost but little8

 ,and yet we know that the  skipper has 
but his freight for our passage2 and the
 carpenters and  bricklayers do their   
work by the day4 ,those are many times  
the greatest  obligations in truth1     
which in vulgar opinions are the        
smallest3 as  comfort to the sick1 poor 
captives2 good counsel1 keeping of      
people  from wickedness1 etc4 ,wherefore
 we should reckon ourselves to owe most 
for the noblest benefits4 ,if the       
physician adds care and friendship  to  
the duty of his calling1 and the tutor  
to the common method of his  business1  
,i am to esteem them as the nearest of  
my relations3 for to  watch with me1 to 
be troubled for me1 and to put off all  
other patients  for my sake1 is a       
particular kindness3 and so it is in my 
tutor1 if  he takes more pains with me  
than with the rest of my fellows4 ,it is
  not enough1 in this case1 to pay the  
one his fees1 and the other his  salary2
 but ,i am indebted to them over and    
above for their friendship4  ,the       

meanest of mechanics1 if he does his    
work with industry and care1  it is an  
usual thing to cast in something by way 
of reward more than  the bare agreement3
 and shall we deal worse with the       
preservers of our  lives1 and the       
reformers of our manners8 ,he that gives
 me himself 7if  he be worth taking7    
gives the greatest benefit3 and this is 
the present  which schines1 a poor      
disciple of ,socrates1 made to his      
master1 and as  a matter of great       
consideration3 8,others may have given  
you much10 says  he1 8but ,i am the only
 man that has left nothing to himself40 
8,this  gift10 says ,socrates1 8you     
shall never repent of2 for ,i will take 
care  to return it better than ,i found 
it40 ,so that a brave mind can never    
want matter for liberality in the       
meanest condition2 for ,nature has  been
 so kind to us1 that where we have      
nothing of ,fortune's1 we may  bestow   
something of our own4    ,it falls out  
often1 that a benefit is followed with  

an injury2 let  which will be foremost1 
it is with the latter as with one       
writing  upon another2 it does in a     
great measure hide the former1 and keep 
it  from appearing1 but it does not     
quite take it away4 ,we may in some     
cases divide them1 and both requite the 
one1 and revenge the other2  or         
otherwise compare them1 to know whether 
,i am creditor or debtor4  ,you have    
obliged me in my servant1 but wounded me
 in my brother2 you  have saved my son1 
but have destroyed my father2 in this   
instance1 ,i  will allow as much as     
piety1 and justice1 and good nature1    
will bear2  but ,i am not willing to set
 an injury against a benefit4 ,i would  
have some respect to the time2 the      
obligation came first2 and then1        
perhaps1 the one was designed1 the other
 against his will2 under these          
considerations ,i would amplify the     
benefit1 and lessen the injury2 and     
extinguish the one with the other2 nay1 
,i would pardon the injury even  without

 the benefit1 but much more after it4   
,not that a man can be  bound by one    
benefit to suffer all sorts of injuries2
 for there are  some cases wherein we   
lie under no obligation for a benefit2  
because  a greater injury absolves it3  
as1 for example1 a man helps me out of  
a law-suit1 and afterwards commits a    
rape upon my daughter2 where the        
following impiety cancels the antecedent
 obligation4 ,a man lends me a  little  
money1 and then sets my house on fire2  
the debtor is here turned  creditor1    
when the injury outweighs the benefit4  
,nay1 if a man does  but so much as     
repent the good office done1 and grow   
sour and insolent  upon it1 and upbraid 
me with it2 if he did it only for his   
own sake1 or  for any other reason than 
for mine1 ,i am in some degree1 more or 
less1  acquitted of the obligation4 ,i  
am not at all beholden to him that makes
  me the instrument of his own          
advantage4 ,he that does me good for his
  own sake1 ,i will do him good for     

mine4    ,suppose a man makes suit for a
 place1 and cannot obtain it1 but upon  
the ransom of ten slaves out of the     
galleys4 ,if there be ten1 and  no more1
 they owe him nothing for their         
redemption2 but they are  indebted to   
him for the choice1 where he might have 
taken ten others  as well as these4 ,put
 the case again1 that by an act of grace
 so many  prisoners are to be released1 
their names to be drawn by lot1 and mine
  happens to come out among the rest3   
one part of my obligation is to him     
that put me in a capacity of freedom1   
and the other is to ,providence  for my 
being one of that number4 ,the greatest 
benefits of all have no  witnesses1 but 
lie concealed in the conscience4        
,there is a great difference betwixt a  
common obligation and a  particular2 he 
that lends my country money1 obliges me 
only as a part  of the whole4 ,plato    
crossed the river1 and the ferry-man    
would take no  money of him3 he         
reflected upon it as honor done to      

himself2 and told  him1 8,that ,plato   
was in debt40 ,but ,plato1 when he found
 it to be no  more than he did for      
others1 recalled his words1 8,for10 says
 he1 8,plato  will owe nothing in       
particular for a benefit in common2 what
 ,i owe with  others1 ,i will pay with  
others40    ,some will have it that the 
necessity of wishing a man well is some 
abatement to the obligation in the doing
 of him a good office4 ,but ,i  say1 on 
the contrary1 that it is the greater2   
because the good-will  cannot be        
changed4 ,it is one thing to say1 that a
 man could not but  do me this or that  
civility1 because he was forced to do   
it2 and  another thing1 that he could   
not quit the good-will of doing it4 ,in 
the former case1 ,i am a debtor to him  
that imposeth the force1 in  the other  
to himself4 ,the unchangeable good-will 
is an indispensable  obligation3 and1 to
 say1 that nature cannot go out of her  
course1 does  not discharge us of what  
we owe to ,providence4 ,shall he be said

 to  will1 that may change his mind the 
next moment8 and shall we question  the 
will of the ,almighty1 whose nature     
admits no change8 ,must the  stars quit 
their stations1 and fall foul one upon  
another8 must the  sun stand still in   
the middle of his course1 and heaven and
 earth drop  into confusion8 must a     
devouring fire seize upon the universe2 
the  harmony of the creation be         
dissolved2 and the whole frame of nature
  swallowed up in a dark abyss2 and will
 nothing less than this serve to        
convince the world of their audacious   
and impertinent follies8 ,it is  not to 
say1 that these heavenly bodies are not 
made for us2 for in  part they are so2  
and we are the better for their virtues 
and motions1  whether we will or not2   
though1 undoubtedly1 the principal cause
 is  the unalterable law of ,god4       
,providence is not moved by anything    
from  without2 but the ,divine will is  
an everlasting law1 an immutable        
decree2 and the impossibility of        

variation proceeds from ,god's purpose  
of preserving2 for he never repents of  
his first counsels4 ,it is not  with our
 heavenly as with our earthly father4   
,god thought of us and  provided for us1
 before he made us3 7for unto him all   
future events  are present47 ,man was   
not the work of chance2 his mind carries
 him  above the slight of fortune1 and  
naturally aspires to the contemplation  
of heaven and divine mysteries4 ,how    
desperate a frenzy is it now to         
undervalue1 nay1 to contemn and to      
disclaim these divine blessings1        
without which we are utterly incapable  
of enjoying any other6                  
,,chapter ,,ix4    ,,an ,,honest ,,man  
,,cannot ,,be ,,outdone ,,in ,,courtesy4
      ,it passes in the world for a     
generous and magnificent saying1 that   
8it  is a shame for a man to be outdone 
in courtesy20 and it is worth the  while
 to examine1 both the truth of it1 and  
the mistake4 ,first1 there  can be no   
shame in a virtuous emulation2 and1     

secondly1 there can be  no victory      
without crossing the cudgels1 and       
yielding the cause4 ,one  man may have  
the advantage of strength1 of means1 of 
fortune2 and this  will undoubtedly     
operate upon the events of good         
purposes1 but yet  without any          
diminution to the virtue4 ,the good will
 may be the same in  both1 and yet one  
may have the heels of the other2 for it 
is not in a  good office as in a course1
 where he wins the plate that comes     
first to  the post3 and even there also1
 chance has many times a great hand in  
the success4 ,where the contest is about
 benefits2 and that the one has  not    
only a good will1 but matter to work    
upon1 and a power to put  that good     
intent in execution2 and the other has  
barely a good-will1  without either the 
means1 or the occasion1 of a requital2  
if he  does but affectionately wish it1 
and endeavor it1 the latter is no more  
overcome in courtesy than he is in      
courage that dies with his sword in  his

 hand1 and his face to the enemy1 and   
without shrinking maintains  his        
station3 for where fortune is partial1  
it is enough that  the good-will is     
equal4 ,there are two errors in this    
proposition3  first1 to imply that a    
good man may be overcome2 and then to   
imagine  that anything shameful can     
befall him4 ,the ,spartans prohibited   
all  those exercises where the victory  
was declared by the confession of  the  
contendant4 ,the #cjj ,fabii were never 
said to be conquered1 but  slain2 nor   
,regulus to be overcome1 though he was  
taken prisoner  by the ,carthaginians4  
,the mind may stand firm under the      
greatest malice  and iniquity of        
fortune2 and yet the giver and receiver 
continue upon  equal terms3 as we reckon
 it a drawn battle1 when two combatants 
are  parted1 though the one has lost    
more blood than the other4 ,he that     
knows how to owe a courtesy1 and        
heartily wishes that he could requite   
it1 is invincible2 so that every man may

 be as grateful as he pleases4  ,it is  
your happiness to give1 it is my fortune
 that ,i can only receive4  ,what       
advantage now has your chance over my   
virtue8 ,but there are some  men that   
have philosophized themselves almost out
 of the sense of human  affections2 as  
,diogenes1 that walked naked and        
unconcerned through  the middle of      
,alexander's treasures1 and was1 as well
 in other men's  opinions as in his own1
 even above ,alexander himself1 who at  
that  time had the whole world at his   
feet3 for there was more that the one   
scorned to take than that the other had 
it in his power to give3 and it  is a   
greater generosity for a beggar to      
refuse money than for a prince  to      
bestow it4 ,this is a remarkable        
instance of an immovable mind1 and      
there is hardly any contending with it2 
but a man is never the less  valiant for
 being worsted by an invulnerable enemy2
 nor the fire one  jot the weaker for   
not consuming an incombustible body2 nor

 a sword  ever a whit the worse for not 
cleaving a rock that is impenetrable2   
neither is a grateful mind overcome for 
want of an answerable fortune4  ,no     
matter for the inequality of the things 
given and received1 so long  as1 in     
point of good affection1 the two parties
 stand upon the same  level4 ,it is no  
shame not to overtake a man1 if we      
follow him as fast  as we can4 ,that    
tumor of a man1 the vain-glorious       
,alexander1 was used  to make his boast1
 that never any man went beyond him in  
benefits2 and  yet he lived to see a    
poor fellow in a tub1 to whom there was 
nothing  that he could give1 and from   
whom there was nothing that he could    
take  away4    ,nor is it always        
necessary for a poor man to fly to the  
sanctuary of  an invincible mind to quit
 scores with the bounties of a plentiful
  fortune2 but it does often fall out1  
that the returns which he cannot  make  
in kind are more than supplied in       
dignity and value4  ,archelaus1 a king  

of ,macedon1 invited ,socrates to his   
palace3 but he  excused himself1 as     
unwilling to receive greater benefits   
than he  was able to requite4 ,this     
perhaps was not pride in ,socrates1 but 
craft2 for he was afraid of being forced
 to accept of something  which might    
possibly have been unworthy of him2     
beside1 that he was  a man of liberty1  
and loath to make himself a voluntary   
slave4 ,the  truth of it is1 that       
,archelaus had more need of ,socrates   
than ,socrates  of ,archelaus2 for he   
wanted a man to teach him the art of    
life and  death1 and the skill of       
government1 and to read the book of     
,nature to  him1 and show him the light 
at noon-day3 he wanted a man that1 when 
the sun was in an eclipse1 and he had   
locked himself up in all the  horror and
 despair imaginable2 he wanted a man1 ,i
 say1 to deliver  him from his          
apprehensions1 and to expound the       
prodigy to him1 by  telling him1 that   
there was no more in it than only that  

the moon  was got betwixt the sun and   
the earth1 and all would be well again  
presently4 ,let the world judge now1    
whether ,archelaus' bounty1 or          
,socrates' philosophy1 would have been  
the greater present3 he does  not       
understand the value of wisdom and      
friendship that does not know  a wise   
friend to be the noblest of presents4 ,a
 rarity scarce to be  found1 not only in
 a family1 but in an age2 and nowhere   
more wanted  than where there seems to  
be the greatest store4 ,the greater a   
man is1  the more need he has of him2   
and the more difficulty there is both   
of finding and of knowing him4 ,nor is  
it to be said1 that 8,i cannot  requite 
such a benefactor because ,i am poor1   
and have it not20 ,i can  give good     
counsel2 a conversation wherein he may  
take both delight and  profit2 freedom  
of discourse1 without flattery2 kind    
attention1 where  he deliberates2 and   
faith inviolable where he trusts2 ,i may
 bring him  to a love and knowledge of  

truth2 deliver him from the errors of   
his  credulity1 and teach him to        
distinguish betwixt friends and         
parasites4          ,,chapter ,x4       
,,the ,,question ,,discussed1 ,,whether 
,,or ,,not ,a ,,man ,,may ,,give ,,or   
,,return ,a  ,,benefit ,,to ,,himself8  
,there are many cases1 wherein a man    
speaks of himself as of another4  ,as1  
for example1 8,i may thank myself for   
this2 ,i am angry at myself2 ,i  hate   
myself for that40 ,and this way of      
speaking has raised a dispute  among the
 ,stoics1 8whether or not a man may give
 or return a benefit to  himself80 ,for1
 say they1 if ,i may hurt myself1 ,i may
 oblige myself2 and  that which were a  
benefit to another body1 why is it not  
so to myself8  ,and why am ,i not as    
criminal in being ungrateful to myself  
as if ,i were  so to another body8 ,and 
the case is the same in flattery and    
several  other vices2 as1 on the other  
side1 it is a point of great reputation 
for a man to command himself4 ,plato    

thanked ,socrates for what he had       
learned of him2 and why might not       
,socrates as well thank ,plato for  that
 which he had taught him8 8,that which  
you want10 says ,plato1  8borrow it of  
yourself40 ,and why may not ,i as well  
give to myself as  lend8 ,if ,i may be  
angry with myself1 ,i may thank myself2 
and if ,i chide  myself1 ,i may as well 
commend myself1 and do myself good as   
well as  hurt2 there is the same reason 
of contraries3 it is a common thing to  
say1 8,such a man hath done himself an  
injury40 ,if an injury1 why not a       
benefit8 ,but ,i say1 that no man can be
 a debtor to himself2 for the  benefit  
must naturally precede the              
acknowledgment2 and a debtor can  no    
more be without a creditor than a       
husband without a wife4 ,somebody  must 
give1 that somebody may receive2 and it 
is neither giving nor  receiving1 the   
passing of a thing from one hand to the 
other4 ,what  if a man should be        
ungrateful in the case8 there is nothing

 lost2  for he that gives it has it3 and
 he that gives and he that receives  are
 one and the same person4 ,now1 properly
 speaking1 no man can be  said to bestow
 any thing upon himself1 for he obeys   
his nature1 that  prompts every man to  
do himself all the good he can4 ,shall  
,i call him  liberal1 that gives to     
himself2 or good-natured1 that pardons  
himself2  or pitiful1 that is affected  
with his own misfortunes8 ,that which   
were bounty1 clemency1 compassion1 to   
another1 to myself is nature4  ,a       
benefit is a voluntary thing2 but to do 
good to myself is a thing  necessary4   
,was ever any man commended for getting 
out of a ditch1 or  for helping himself 
against thieves8 ,or what if ,i should  
allow1 that a  man might confer a       
benefit upon himself2 yet he cannot owe 
it1 for he  returns it in the same      
instant that he receives it4 ,no man    
gives1 owes1  or makes a return1 but to 
another4 ,how can one man do that to    
which two  parties are requisite in so  

many respects8 ,giving and receiving    
must  go backward and forward betwixt   
two persons4 ,if a man give to himself1 
he may sell to himself2 but to sell is  
to alienate a thing1 and to  translate  
the right of it to another2 now1 to make
 a man both the giver  and the receiver 
is to unite two contraries4 ,that is a  
benefit1 which1  when it is given1 may  
possibly not be requited2 but he that   
gives to  himself1 must necessarily     
receive what he gives2 beside1 that all 
benefits are given for the receiver's   
sake1 but that which a man does  for    
himself1 is for the sake of the giver4  
,this is one of those subtleties1 which1
 though hardly worth a man's  while1 yet
 it is not labor absolutely lost        
neither4 ,there is more of  trick and   
artifice in it than solidity2 and yet   
there is matter of  diversion too2      
enough perhaps to pass away a winter's  
evening1 and keep  a man waking that is 
heavy-headed4          ,,chapter ,,xi4  
,,how ,,far ,,one ,,man ,,may ,,be      

,,obliged ,,for ,a ,,benefit ,,done ,,to
 ,,another4      ,the question now      
before us requires distinction and      
caution4 ,for  though it be both natural
 and generous to wish well to my        
friend's  friend1 yet a second-hand     
benefit does not bind me any further    
than  to a second-hand gratitude3 so    
that ,i may receive great satisfaction  
and advantage from a good office done to
 my friend1 and yet lie under  no       
obligation myself2 or1 if any man thinks
 otherwise1 ,i must ask  him1 in the    
first place1 ,where it begins8 and1 ,how
 it extends8 that  it may not be        
boundless4 ,suppose a man obliges the   
son1 does that  obligation work upon the
 father8 and why not upon the uncle too8
 the  brother8 the wife8 the sister8 the
 mother8 nay1 upon all that have any    
kindness for him8 and upon all the      
lovers of his friends8 and upon all     
that love them too8 and so in infinitum4
 ,in this case we must have  recourse1  
as is said heretofore1 to the intention 

of the benefactor1  and fix the         
obligation upon him unto whom the       
kindness was directed4  ,if a man       
manures my ground1 keeps my house from  
burning or falling1  it is a benefit to 
me1 for ,i am the better for it1 and my 
house and  land are insensible4 ,but if 
he save the life of my son1 the benefit 
is  to my son2 it is a joy and a comfort
 to me1 but no obligation4 ,i am  as    
much concerned as ,i ought to be in the 
health1 the felicity1 and  the welfare  
of my son1 as happy in the enjoyment of 
him2 and ,i should  be as unhappy as is 
possible in his loss2 but it does not   
follow that  ,i must of necessity lie   
under an obligation for being either    
happier  or less miserable1 by another  
body's means4 ,there are some benefits1 
which although conferred upon one man1  
may yet work upon others2 as  a sum of  
money may be given to a poor man for his
 own sake1 which in  the consequence    
proves the relief of his whole family2  
but still the  immediate receiver is the

 debtor for it2 for the question is not1
 to  whom it comes afterward to be      
transferred1 but who is the principal8  
and upon whom it was first bestowed8 ,my
 son's life is as dear to me  as my own2
 and in saving him you preserve me too3 
in this case ,i will  acknowledge myself
 obliged to you1 that is to say1 in my  
son's name2  for in my own1 and in      
strictness1 ,i am not2 but ,i am content
 to make  myself a voluntary debtor4    
,what if he had borrowed money8 my      
paying  of it does not at all make it my
 debt4 ,it would put me to the blush    
perhaps to have him taken in bed with   
another man's wife2 but that does  not  
make me an adulterer4 ,it is a wonderful
 delight and satisfaction  that ,i      
receive in his safety2 but still this   
good is not a benefit4 ,a  man may be   
the better for an animal1 a plant1 a    
stone2 but there must  be a will1 an    
intention1 to make it an obligation4    
,you save the son  without so much as   
knowing the father1 nay1 without so much

 as thinking  of him2 and1 perhaps you  
would have done the same thing even if  
you had  hated him4    ,but without any 
further alteration of dialogue1 the     
conclusion is this2  if you meant him   
the kindness1 he is answerable for it1  
and ,i may enjoy  the fruit of it       
without being obliged by it3 but if it  
was done for  my sake1 then ,i am       
accountable2 or howsoever1 upon any     
occasion1 ,i am  ready to do you all the
 kind offices imaginable2 not as the    
return of  a benefit1 but as the earnest
 of a friendship2 which you are not to  
challenge neither1 but to entertain as  
an act of honor and of justice1  rather 
than of gratitude4 ,if a man find the   
body of my dead father in  a desert1 and
 give it a burial2 if he did it as to my
 father1 ,i am  beholden to him3 but if 
the body was unknown to him1 and that he
 would  have done the same thing for any
 other body1 ,i am no farther concerned 
in it than as a piece of public         
humanity4    ,there are1 moreover1 some 

cases wherein an unworthy person may be 
obliged and for the sake of others3 and 
the sottish extract of an  ancient      
nobilty may be preferred before a better
 man that is but of  yesterday's        
standing4 ,and it is but reasonable to  
pay a reverence  even to the memory of  
eminent virtues4 ,he that is not        
illustrious in  himself1 may yet be     
reputed so in the right of his          
ancestors3 and  there is a gratitude to 
be entailed upon the offspring of famous
  progenitors4 ,was it not for the      
father's sake that ,cicero the son  was 
made counsel8 and was it not the        
eminence of one ,pompey that raised  and
 dignified the rest of his family8 ,how 
came ,caligula to be emperor  of the    
world8 a man so cruel1 that he spilt    
blood as greedily as if  he were to     
drink it2 the empire was not given to   
himself1 but to his  father ,germanicus4
 ,a brave man deserved that for him1    
which he could  never have challenged   
upon his own merit4 ,what was it that   

preferred  ,fabius ,persicus1 7whose    
very mouth was the uncleanest part about
 him17  what was it but the #cjj of that
 family that so generously opposed the  
enemy for the safety of the             
commonwealth8    ,nay1 ,providence      
itself is gracious to the wicked        
posterity of an  honorable race4 ,the   
counsels of heaven are guided by wisdom1
 mercy1 and  justice4 ,some men are made
 kings of their proper virtues1 without 
any  respect to their predecessors3     
others for their ancestors' sakes1 whose
  virtues1 though neglected in their    
lives1 come to be afterward rewarded  in
 their issues4 ,and it is but equity1   
that our gratitude should extend  as far
 as the influence of their heroical     
actions and examples4          ,,chapter
 ,,xii4    ,,the ,,benefactor ,,must    
,,have ,,no ,,by-,,ends4      ,we come  
now to the main point of the matter in  
question3 that is to  say1 whether or   
not it be a thing desirable in itself1  
the giving and  receiving of benefits8  

,there is a sect of philosophers that   
accounts  nothing valuable but what is  
profitable1 and so makes all virtue     
mercenary2 an unmanly mistake to        
imagine1 that the hope of gain1 or  fear
 of loss1 should make a man either the  
more or less honest4 ,as  who should    
say1 8,what will ,i get by it1 and ,i   
will be an honest man80  ,whereas1 on   
the contrary1 honesty is a thing in     
itself to be purchased  at any rate4 ,it
 is not for a body to say1 8,it will be 
a charge1 a  hazard1 ,i shall give      
offence10 etc4 ,my business is to do    
what ,i ought  to do3 all other         
considerations are foreign to the       
office4 ,whensoever  my duty calls me1  
it is my part to attend1 without        
scrupulizing upon  forms or             
difficulties4 ,shall ,i see an honest   
man oppressed at the bar1  and not      
assist him1 for fear of a court faction8
 or not second him upon  the highway    
against thieves1 for fear of a broken   
head8 and choose  rather to sit still1  

the quiet spectator of fraud and        
violence8 ,why  will men be just1       
temperate1 generous1 brave1 but because 
it carries  along with it fame and a    
good conscience8 and for the same       
reason1 and  no other1 7to apply it to  
the subject in hand17 let a man also be 
bountiful4 ,the school of ,epicurus1 ,i 
am sure1 will never swallow this        
doctrine3 7that effeminate tribe of lazy
 and voluptuous philosophers27  they    
will tell you1 that virtue is but the   
servant and vassal of  pleasure4 8,no10 
says ,epicurus1 8,i am not for pleasure 
neither without  virtue40 ,but1 why then
 for pleasure1 say ,i1 before virtue8   
,not that  the stress of the controversy
 lies upon the order only2 for the      
power of it1 as well as the dignity1 is 
now under debate4 ,it is  the office of 
virtue to superintend1 to lead1 and to  
govern2 but the  parts you have assigned
 it1 are to submit1 to follow1 and to be
 under  command4 ,but this1 you will    
say1 is nothing to the purpose1 so long 

as  both sides are agreed1 that there   
can be no happiness without virtue3     
8,take away that10 says ,epicurus1 8and 
,i am as little a friend to  pleasure as
 you40 ,the pinch1 in short1 is this1   
whether virtue itself  be the supreme   
good or the only cause of it8 ,it is not
 the inverting of  the order that will  
clear this point2 7though it is a very  
preposterous  error1 to set that first  
which should be last47 ,it does not half
  so much offend me2 ranging of pleasure
 before virtue1 as the very  comparing  
of them2 and the bringing of the two    
opposites1 and professed  enemies1 into 
any sort of competition4    ,the drift  
of this discourse is1 to support the    
cause of benefits2 and  to prove1 that  
it is a mean and dishonorable thing to  
give for any  other end than for        
giving's sake4 ,he that gives for gain1 
profit1 or  any by-end1 destroys the    
very intent of bounty2 for it falls only
 upon  those that do not want1 and      
perverts the charitable inclinations of 

princes and of great men1 who cannot    
reasonably propound to themselves  any  
such end4 ,what does the sun get by     
travelling about the universe2  by      
visiting and comforting all the quarters
 of the earth8 ,is the whole  creation  
made and ordered for the good of        
mankind1 and every particular  man only 
for the good of himself8 ,there passes  
not an hour of our  lives1 wherein we do
 not enjoy the blessings of ,providence1
 without  measure and without           
intermission4 ,and what design can the  
,almighty have  upon us1 who is in      
himself full1 safe1 and inviolable8 ,if 
he should  give only for his own sake1  
what would become of poor mortals1 that 
have nothing to return him at best but  
dutiful acknowledgments8 ,it is  putting
 out of a benefit to interest only to   
bestow where we may place  it to        
advantage4    ,let us be liberal then1  
after the example of our great ,creator1
 and  give to others with the same      
consideration that he gives to us4      

,epicurus's answer will be to this1 that
 ,god gives no benefits at all1  but    
turns his back upon the world2 and      
without any concern for us1  leaves     
,nature to take her course3 and whether 
he does anything himself1  or nothing1  
he takes no notice1 however1 either of  
the good or of the  ill that is done    
here below4 ,if there were not an       
ordering and an  over-ruling            
,providence1 how comes it 7say ,i1 on   
the other side7 that  the universality  
of mankind should ever have so          
unanimously agreed in  the madness of   
worshipping a power that can neither    
hear nor help us8  ,some blessings are  
freely given us2 others upon our prayers
 are granted  us2 and every day brings  
forth instances of great and of         
seasonable  mercies4 ,there never was   
yet any man so insensible as not to     
feel1 see1  and understand1 a ,deity in 
the ordinary methods of nature1 though  
many  have been so obstinately          
ungrateful as not to confess it2 nor is 

any  man so wretched as not to be a     
partaker in that divine bounty4 ,some   
benefits1 it is true1 may appear to be  
unequally divided2 but it is  no small  
matter yet that we possess in common3   
and which ,nature has  bestowed upon us 
in her very self4 ,if ,god be not       
bountiful1 whence is  it that we have   
all that we pretend to8 ,that which we  
give1 and that  which we deny1 that     
which we lay up1 and that which we      
squander away8  ,those innumerable      
delights for the entertainment of our   
eyes1 our  ears1 and our understandings8
 nay1 that copious matter even for      
luxury  itself8 ,for care is taken1 not 
only for our necessities1 but also for  
our pleasures1 and for the gratifying of
 all our senses and appetites4  ,so many
 pleasant groves2 fruitful and salutary 
plants2 so many fair  rivers that serve 
us1 both for recreation1 plenty1 and    
commerce3  vicissitudes of seasons2     
varieties of food1 by nature made ready 
to our  hands1 and the whole creation   

itself subjected to mankind for health1 
medicine and dominion4 ,we can be       
thankful to a friend for a few acres1   
or a little money3 and yet for the      
freedom and command of the whole  earth1
 and for the great benefits of our      
being1 as life1 health1 and  reason1 we 
look upon ourselves as under no         
obligation4 ,if a man bestows  upon us a
 house that is delicately beautified    
with paintings1 statues1  gildings1 and 
marble1 we make a mighty business of it1
 and yet it lies  at the mercy of a puff
 of wind1 the snuff of a candle1 and a  
hundred  other accidents1 to lay it in  
the dust4 ,and is it nothing now to     
sleep  under the canopy of heaven1 where
 we have the globe of the earth for  our
 place of repose1 and the glories of the
 heavens for our spectacle8  ,how comes 
it that we should so much value what we 
have1 and yet at  the same time be so   
unthankful for it8 ,whence is it that we
 have our  breath1 the comforts of light
 and of heat1 the very blood that runs  

in  our veins8 the cattle that feed us1 
and the fruits of the earth that  feed  
them8 ,whence have we the growth of our 
bodies1 the succession of  our ages1 and
 the faculties of our minds8 so many    
veins of metals1  quarries of marble1   
etc4 ,the seed of everything is in      
itself1 and it is  the blessing of ,god 
that raises it out of the dark into act 
and motion4  ,to say nothing of the     
charming varieties of music1 beautiful  
objects1  delicious provisions for the  
palate1 exquisite perfumes1 which are   
cast  in1 over and above1 to the common 
necessities of our being4    ,all this1 
says ,epicurus1 we are to ascribe to    
,nature4 ,and why not to  ,god1 ,i      
beseech ye8 as if they were not both of 
them one and the same  power1 working in
 the whole1 and in every part of it4    
,or1 if you call  him the ,almighty     
,jupiter2 the ,thunderer2 the ,creator  
and ,preserver of  us all3 it comes to  
the same issue2 some will express him   
under the  notion of ,fate2 which is    

only a connexion of causes1 and himself 
the  uppermost and original1 upon which 
all the rest depend4 ,the ,stoics       
represent the several functions of the  
,almighty ,power under  several         
appellations4 ,when they speak of him as
 the father and the  fountain of all    
beings1 they call him ,bacchus3 and     
under the name of  ,hercules1 they      
denote him to be indefatigable and      
invincible2 and  in the contemplation of
 him in the reason1 order1 proportion1  
and  wisdom of his proceedings1 they    
call him ,mercury2 so that which way    
soever they look1 and under what name   
soever they couch their meaning1  they  
never fail of finding him2 for he is    
everywhere1 and fills his  own work4 ,if
 a man should borrow money of ,seneca1  
and say that he owes  it to ,amnus or   
,lucius1 he may change the name but not 
his creditor2  for let him take which of
 the three names he pleases1 he is still
 a  debtor to the same person4 ,as      
justice1 integrity1 prudence1 frugality1

  fortitude1 are all of them goods of   
one and the same mind1 so that          
whichsoever of them pleases us1 we      
cannot distinctly say that it is  this  
or that1 but the mind4    ,but1 not to  
carry this digression too far2 that     
which ,god himself does1  we are sure is
 well done2 and we are no less sure1    
that for whatsoever  he gives1 he       
neither wants1 expects1 nor receives1   
anything in return2  so that the end of 
a benefit ought to be the advantage of  
the receiver2  and that must be our     
scope without any by-regard to          
ourselves4 ,it is  objected to us1 the  
singular caution we prescribe in the    
choice of the  person3 for it were a    
madness1 we say1 for a husbandman to sow
 the  sand3 which1 if true1 say they1   
you have an eye upon profit1 as well  in
 giving as in plowing and sowing4 ,and  
then they say again1 that if  the       
conferring of a benefit were desirable  
in itself1 it would have  no dependence 
upon the choice of a man2 for let us    

give it when1 how1  or wheresoever we   
please1 it would be still a benefit4    
,this does not  at all affect our       
assertion2 for the person1 the matter1  
the manner1  and the time1 are          
circumstances absolutely necessary to   
the reason of  the action3 there must be
 a right judgment in all respects to    
make it  a benefit4 ,it is my duty to be
 true to a trust1 and yet there may be  
a time or a place1 wherein ,i would make
 little difference betwixt the          
renouncing of it and the delivering of  
it up2 and the same rule holds  in      
benefits2 ,i will neither render the    
one1 nor bestow the other1 to  the      
damage of the receiver4 ,a wicked man   
will run all risks to do  an injury1 and
 to compass his revenge2 and shall not  
an honest man  venture as far to do a   
good office8 ,all benefits must be      
gratuitous4 ,a  merchant sells me the   
corn that keeps me and my family from   
starving2  but he sold it for his       
interests1 as well as ,i bought it for  

mine2  and so ,i owe him nothing for it4
 ,he that gives for profit1 gives to    
himself2 as a physician or a lawyer1    
gives counsel for a fee1 and only  makes
 use of me for his own ends2 as a       
grazier fats his cattle to  bring them  
to a better market4 ,this is more       
properly the driving of a  trade than   
the cultivating of a generous commerce4 
,this for that1 is  rather a truck than 
a benefit2 and he deserves to be cozened
 that gives  any thing in hope of a     
return4 ,and in truth1 what end should a
 man  honorably propound8 not profit2   
sure that is vulgar and mechanic2  and  
he that does not contemn it can never be
 grateful4 ,and then for  glory1 it is a
 mighty matter indeed for a man to boast
 of doing his  duty4 ,we are to give1 if
 it were only to avoid not giving2 if   
any  thing comes of it1 it is clear     
gain2 and1 at worst1 there is nothing   
lost2 beside1 that one benefit well     
placed makes amends for a thousand      
miscarriages4 ,it is not that ,i would  

exclude the benefactor neither for      
being himself the better for a good     
office he does for another4 ,some  there
 are that do us good only for their own 
sakes2 others for ours2  and some again 
for both4 ,he that does it for me in    
common with himself1  if he had a       
prospect upon both in the doing it1 ,i  
am obliged to him for  it2 and glad with
 all my heart that he had a share in it4
 ,nay1 ,i were  ungrateful and unjust if
 ,i should not rejoice1 that what was   
beneficial  to me might be so likewise  
to himself4    ,to pass now to the      
matter of gratitude and ingratitude4    
,there never  was any man yet so wicked 
as not to approve of the one1 and detest
  the other2 as the two things in the   
whole world1 the one to be the  most    
abominated1 the other the most esteemed4
 ,the very story of an  ungrateful      
action puts us out of all patience1 and 
gives us a loathing  for the author of  
it4 8,that inhuman villain10 we cry1 8to
 do so horrid  a thing30 not1 8that     

inconsiderate fool for omitting so      
profitable a  virtue20 which plainly    
shows the sense we naturally have1 both 
of the  one and of the other1 and that  
we are led to it by a common impulse of 
reason and of conscience4 ,epicurus     
fancies ,god to be without power1  and  
without arms2 above fear himself1 and as
 little to be feared4 ,he  places him   
betwixt the orbs1 solitary and idle1 out
 of the reach of  mortals1 and neither  
hearing our prayers nor minding our     
concerns2  and allows him only such a   
veneration and respect as we pay to our 
parents4 ,if a man should ask him now1  
why any reverence at all1 if we  have no
 obligation to him1 or rather1 why that 
greater reverence to his  fortuitous    
atoms8 his answer would be1 that it was 
for their majesty  and their admirable  
nature1 and not out of any hope or      
expectation from  them4 ,so that by his 
proper confession1 a thing may be       
desirable for  its own worth4 ,but1 says
 he1 gratitude is a virtue that has     

commonly  profit annexed to it4 ,and    
where is the virtue1 say ,i1 that has   
not8 but  still the virtue is to be     
valued for itself1 and not for the      
profit  that attends it4 ,there is no   
question1 but gratitude for benefits    
received is the ready way to procure    
more2 and in requiting one friend  we   
encourage many3 but these accessions    
fall in by the by2 and if ,i  were sure 
that the doing of good offices would be 
my ruin1 ,i would yet  pursue them4 ,he 
that visits the sick1 in hope of a      
legacy1 let him be  never so friendly in
 all other cases1 ,i look upon him in   
this to be no  better than a raven1 that
 watches a weak sheep only to peck out  
the  eyes of it4 ,we never give with so 
much judgment or care1 as when we       
consider the honesty of the action1     
without any regard to the profit of  it2
 for our understandings are corrupted by
 fear1 hope1 and pleasure4              
,,chapter ,,xiii4    ,,there ,,are      
,,many ,,cases ,,wherein ,a ,,man ,,may 

,,be ,,minded ,,of ,a ,,benefit1 ,,but  
,,it  ,,is ,,very ,,rarely ,,to ,,be    
,,challenged1 ,,and ,,never ,,to ,,be   
,,upbraided4      ,if the world were    
wise1 and as honest as it should be1    
there would be  no need of caution or   
precept how to behave ourselves in our  
several  stations and duties2 for both  
the giver and the receiver would do what
  they ought to do on their own accord3 
the one would be bountiful1 and  the    
other grateful1 and the only way of     
minding a man of one good turn  would be
 the following of it with another4 ,but 
as the case stands1 we  must take other 
measures1 and consult the best we can1  
the common ease  and relief of mankind4 
,as there are several sorts of          
ungrateful men1 so there must be several
  ways of dealing with them1 either by  
artifice1 counsel1 admonition1  or      
reproof1 according to the humor of the  
person1 and the degree of  the offence3 
provided always1 that as well in the    
reminding a man of  a benefit1 as in the

 bestowing of it1 the good of the       
receiver be  the principal thing        
intended4 ,there is a curable           
ingratitude1 and an  incurable2 there is
 a slothful1 a neglectful1 a proud1 a   
dissembling1 a  disclaiming1 a heedless1
 a forgetful1 and a malicious           
ingratitude2 and  the application must  
be suited to the matter we have to work 
upon4 ,a  gentle nature may be reclaimed
 by authority1 advice1 or reprehension2 
a father1 a husband1 a friend may do    
good in the case4 ,there are a sort  of 
lazy and sluggish people1 that live as  
if they were asleep1 and must  be lugged
 and pinched to wake them4 ,these men   
are betwixt grateful  and ungrateful2   
they will neither deny an obligation nor
 return it1  and only want quickening4  
,i will do all ,i can to hinder any man 
from  ill-doing1 but especially a       
friend2 and yet more especially from    
doing  ill to me4 ,i will rub up his    
memory with new benefits3 if that will  
not  serve1 ,i will proceed to good     

counsel1 and from thence to rebuke3 if  
all fails1 ,i will look upon him as a   
desperate debtor1 and even let him      
alone in his ingratitude1 without making
 him my enemy3 for no necessity  shall  
ever make me spend time in wrangling    
with any man upon that point4           
,assiduity of obligation strikes upon   
the conscience as well as the  memory1  
and pursues an ungrateful man till he   
becomes grateful3 if one  good office   
will not do it1 try a second1 and then a
 third4 ,no man can  be so thankless1   
but either shame1 occasion1 or example1 
will1 at some  time or other1 prevail   
upon him4 ,the very beasts themselves1  
even lions  and tigers1 are gained by   
good usage3 beside1 that one obligation 
does  naturally draw on another2 and a  
man would not willingly leave his own   
work imperfect4 8,i have helped him thus
 far1 and ,i will even go through  with 
it now40 ,so that1 over and above the   
delight and the virtue of  obliging1 one
 good turn is a shouting-horn to        

another4 ,this1 of all  hints1 is       
perhaps the most effectual1 as well as  
the most generous4    ,in some cases it 
must be carried more home3 as in that of
 ,julius ,csar1  who1 as he was hearing 
a cause1 the defendant finding himself  
pinched2  8,sir10 says he1 8do not you  
remember a strain you got in your ankle 
when you commanded in ,spain2 and that a
 soldier lent you his cloak  for a      
cushion1 upon the top of a craggy rock1 
under the shade of a  little tree1 in   
the heat of the day80 8,i remember it   
perfectly well10  says ,csar1 8and that 
when ,i was ready to choke with thirst1 
an honest  fellow fetched me a draught  
of water in his helmet40 8,but that man1
 and  that helmet10 says the soldier1   
8does ,csar think that he could not     
know them again1 if he saw them80 8,the 
man1 perchance1 ,i might10 says  ,csar1 
somewhat offended1 8but not the helmet4 
,but what is the story  to my business8 
you are none of the man40 8,pardon me1  
,sir10 says the  soldier1 8,i am that   

very man2 but ,csar may well forget me3 
for ,i have  been trepanned since1 and  
lost an eye at the battle of ,munda1    
where  that helmet too had the honor to 
be cleft with a ,spanish blade40 ,csar  
took it as it was intended3 and it was  
an honorable and a prudent way  of      
refreshing his memory4 ,but this would  
not have gone down so well  with        
,tiberius3 for when an old acquaintance 
of his began his address  to him with1  
8,you remember1 ,csar40 8,no10 says     
,csar1 7cutting him  short17 8,i do not 
remember what ,i ,,was40 ,now1 with him1
 it was better  to be forgotten than    
remembered2 for an old friend was as bad
 as an  informer4 ,it is a common thing 
for men to hate the authors of their    
preferment1 as the witnesses of their   
mean original4    ,there are some people
 well enough disposed to be grateful1   
but  they cannot hit upon it without a  
prompter2 they are a little like        
school-boys that have treacherous       
memories2 it is but helping them  here  

and there with a word1 when they stick1 
and they will go through  with their    
lesson2 they must be taught to be       
thankful1 and it is a  fair step1 if we 
can but bring them to be willing1 and   
only offer  at it4 ,some benefits we    
have neglected2 some we are not willing 
to  remember4 ,he is ungrateful that    
disowns an obligation1 and so is he     
that dissembles it1 or to his power does
 not requite it2 but the worst  of all  
is he that forgets it4 ,conscience1 or  
occasion1 may revive the  rest2 but here
 the very memory of it is lost4 ,those  
eyes that cannot  endure the light are  
weak1 but those are stark blind that    
cannot see  it4 ,i do not love to hear  
people say1 8,alas6 poor man1 he has    
forgotten  it10 as if that were the     
excuse of ingratitude1 which is the very
 cause  of it3 for if he were not       
ungrateful1 he would not be forgetful1  
and  lay that out of the way which      
should be always uppermost and in sight4
  ,he that thinks as he ought to do1 of 

requiting a benefit1 is in no  danger of
 forgetting it4 ,there are1 indeed1 some
 benefits so great that  they can never 
slip the memory2 but those which are    
less in value1 and  more in number1 do  
commonly escape us4 ,we are apt enough  
to acknowledge  that 8such a man has    
been the making of us20 so long as we   
are in  possession of the advantage he  
has brought us2 but new appetites deface
  old kindnesses1 and we carry our      
prospect forward to something more1     
without considering what we have        
obtained already4 ,all that is past  we 
give for lost2 so that we are only      
intent upon the future4 ,when a  benefit
 is once out of sight1 or out of use1 it
 is buried4    ,it is the freak of many 
people1 they cannot do a good office but
 they  are presently boasting of it1    
drunk or sober3 and about it goes into  
all companies what wonderful things they
 have done for this man1 and  what for  
the other4 ,a foolish and a dangerous   
vanity1 of a doubtful  friend to make a 

certain enemy4 ,for these reproaches and
 contempts will  set everybody's tongue 
a walking2 and people will conclude that
 these  things would never be1 if there 
were not something very extraordinary   
in the bottom of it4 ,when it comes to  
that once1 there is not any  calumny but
 fastens more or less1 nor any falsehood
 so incredible1 but  in some part or    
other of it1 shall pass for a truth4    
,our great mistake  is this1 we are     
still inclined to make the most of what 
we give1 and  the least of what we      
receive2 whereas we should do the clean 
contrary4  8,it might have been more1   
but he had a great many to oblige4 ,it  
was as  much as he could well spare2 but
 he will make it up some other time10   
etc4 ,nay1 we should be so far from     
making publication of our bounties1  as 
not to hear them so much as mentioned   
without sweetening the matter3  as1     
8,alas1 ,i owe him a great deal more    
than that comes to4 ,if it were  in my  
power to serve him1 ,i should be very   

glad of it40 ,and this1 too1  not with  
the figure of a compliment1 but with all
 humanity and truth4  ,there was a man  
of quality1 that in the triumviral      
proscription1 was  saved by one of      
,csar's friends1 who would be still     
twitting him with  it2 who it was that  
preserved him1 and telling him over and 
over1 8you  had gone to pot1 friend1 but
 for me40 8,pr'ythee10 says the         
proscribed1  8let me hear no more of    
this1 or even leave me as you found me3 
,i am  thankful enough of myself to     
acknowledge that ,i owe you my life1 but
 it  is death to have it rung in my ears
 perpetually as a reproach2 it looks  as
 if you had only saved me to carry me   
about for a spectacle4 ,i would  fain   
forget the misfortune that ,i was once a
 prisoner1 without being  led in triumph
 every day of my life40    ,oh6 the     
pride and folly of a great fortune1 that
 turns benefits  into injuries6 that    
delights in excesses1 and disgraces     
every thing  it does6 ,who would receive

 any thing from it upon these terms8 the
  higher it raises us1 the more sordid  
it makes us4 ,whatsoever it gives  it   
corrupts4 ,what is there in it that     
should thus puff us up8 by  what magic  
is it that we are so transformed1 that  
we do no longer  know ourselves8 ,is it 
impossible for greatness to be liberal  
without  insolence8 ,the benefits that  
we receive from our superiors are then  
welcome when they come with an open     
hand1 and a clear brow2 without  either 
contumely or state2 and so as to prevent
 our necessities4 ,the  benefit is never
 the greater for the making of a bustle 
and a noise  about it3 but the          
benefactor is much the less for the     
ostentation of  his good deeds2 which   
makes that odious to us1 which would    
otherwise  be delightful4 ,tiberius had 
gotten a trick1 when any man begged     
money  of him1 to refer him to the      
senate1 where all the petitioners were  
to  deliver up the names of their       
creditors4 ,his end perhaps was1 to     

deter  men from asking1 by exposing the 
condition of their fortunes to an       
examination4 ,but it was1 however1 a    
benefit turned unto a reprehension1  and
 he made a reproach of a bounty4    ,but
 it is not enough yet to forbear the    
casting of a benefit in a man's  teeth2 
for there are some that will not allow  
it to be so much as  challenged4 ,for an
 ill man1 say they1 will not make a     
return1 though it  be demanded1 and a   
good man will do it of himself3 and then
 the asking  of it seems to turn it into
 a debt4 ,it is a kind of injury to be  
too  quick with the former3 for to call 
upon him too soon reproaches him1 as  if
 he would not have done it otherwise4   
,nor would ,i recall a benefit  from any
 man so as to force it1 but only to     
receive it4 ,if ,i let him  quite alone1
 ,i make myself guilty of his           
ingratitude3 and undo him for  want of  
plain dealing4 ,a father reclaims a     
disobedient son1 a wife  reclaims a     
dissolute husband2 and one friend       

excites the languishing  kindness of    
another4 ,how many men are lost for want
 of being touched to  the quick8 ,so    
long as ,i am not pressed1 ,i will      
rather desire a favor1  than so much as 
mention a requital2 but if my country1  
my family1 or  my liberty1 be at stake1 
my zeal and indignation shall overrule  
my  modesty1 and the world shall then   
understand that ,i have done all ,i     
could1 not to stand in need of an       
ungrateful man4 ,and in conclusion the  
necessity of receiving a benefit shall  
overcome the shame of recalling  it4    
,nor is it only allowable upon some     
exigents to put the receiver in  mind of
 a good turn1 but it is many times for  
the common advantage of  both parties4  
,,chapter ,,xiv4    ,,how ,,far ,,to    
,,oblige ,,or ,,requite ,a ,,wicked     
,,man4      ,there are some benefits    
whereof a wicked man is wholly          
incapable2 of  which hereafter4 ,there  
are others1 which are bestowed upon him1
 not  for his own sake1 but for         

secondary reasons2 and of these we have 
spoken in part already4 ,there are1     
moreover1 certain common offices  of    
humanity1 which are only allowed him as 
he is a man1 and without  any regard    
either to vice or virtue4 ,to pass over 
the first point2 the  second must be    
handled with care and distinction1 and  
not without some  seeming exceptions to 
the general rule2 as first1 here is no  
choice  or intention in the case1 but it
 is a good office done him for some     
by-interest1 or by chance4 ,secondly1   
,there is no judgment in  it neither1   
for it is to a wicked man4 ,but to      
shorten the matter3  without these      
circumstances it is not properly a      
benefit2 or at least  not to him2 for it
 looks another way4 ,i rescue a friend  
from thieves1  and the other escapes for
 company4 ,i discharge a debt for a     
friend1 and  the other comes off too3   
for they were both in a bond4 ,the third
 is of  a great latitude1 and varies    
according to the degree of generosity on

  the one side1 and of wickedness on the
 other4 ,some benefactors will          
supererogate1 and do more than they are 
bound to do2 and some men are  so lewd1 
that it is dangerous to do them any sort
 of good2 no1 not so  much as by way of 
return or requital4    ,if the          
benefactor's bounty must extend to the  
bad as well as the  good2 put the case1 
that ,i promise a good office to an     
ungrateful  man2 we are first to        
distinguish 7as ,i said before7 betwixt 
a common  benefit and a personal2       
betwixt what is given for merit and what
  for company4 ,secondly1 ,whether or   
not we know the person to be            
ungrateful1 and can reasonably conclude1
 that this vice is incurable4  ,thirdly1
 ,a consideration must be had of the    
promise1 how far that may  oblige us4   
,the two first points are cleared both  
in one3 we cannot  justify any          
particular kindness for one that we     
conclude to be a  hopelessly wicked man3
 so that the force of the promise is in 

the  single point in question4 ,in the  
promise of a good office to a wicked  or
 ungrateful man1 ,i am to blame if ,i   
did it knowingly2 and ,i am to  blame   
nevertheless1 if ,i did it otherwise3   
but ,i must yet make it good1  7under   
due qualifications17 because ,i promised
 it2 that is to say1  matters continuing
 in the same state1 for no man is       
answerable for  accidents4 ,i will sup  
at such a place though it be cold2 ,i   
will rise  at such an hour though ,i be 
sleepy2 but if it prove tempestuous1 or 
that ,i fall sick of a fever1 ,i will   
neither do the one nor the other4  ,i   
promise to second a friend in a quarrel1
 or to plead his cause2 and  when ,i    
come into the field1 or into the court1 
it proves to be against  my father or my
 brother3 ,i promise to go a journey    
with him1 but there  is no traveling    
upon the road for robbing2 my child is  
fallen sick2 or  my wife is in labor3   
these circumstances are sufficient to   
discharge  me2 for a promise against law

 or duty is void in its own nature4     
,the counsels of a wise man are certain1
 but events are uncertain3 and  yet if  
,i have passed a rash promise1 ,i will  
in some degree punish the  temerity of  
making it with the damage of keeping it1
 unless it turn  very much to my shame  
or detriment1 and then ,i will be my own
 confessor  in the point1 and rather be 
once guilty of denying1 than always of  
giving4 ,it is not with a benefit as    
with a debt--it is one thing to  trust  
an ill paymaster1 and another thing to  
oblige an unworthy  person--the one is  
an ill man1 and the other only an ill   
husband4    ,there was a valiant fellow 
in the army1 that ,philip of ,macedon   
took  particular notice of1 and he gave 
him several considerable marks of  the  
kindness he had for him4 ,this soldier  
put to sea and was cast away  upon a    
coast where a charitable neighbor took  
him up half dead1 carried  him to the   
house1 and there1 at his own charge     
maintained and provided  for him thirty 

days1 until he was perfectly recovered1 
and1 after all1  furnished him over and 
above1 with a viaticum at parting4 ,the 
soldier  told him the mighty matters    
that he would do for him in return1 so  
soon  as he should have the honor once  
again to see his master4 ,to court he   
goes1 tells ,philip of the wreck1 but   
not a syllable of his preserver1  and   
begs the estate of this very man that   
kept him alive4 ,it was with  ,philip as
 it was with many other princes1 they   
give they know not  what1 especially in 
a time of war4 ,he granted the soldier  
his request1  contemplating at the same 
time1 the impossibility of satisfying so
 many  ravenous appetites as he had to  
please4 ,when the good man came to be   
turned out of all1 he was not so        
mealy-mouthed as to thank his majesty   
for not giving away his person too as   
well as his fortune2 but in a  bold1    
frank letter to ,philip1 made a just    
report of the whole story4  ,the king   
was so incensed at the abuse1 that he   

immediately commanded  the right owner  
to be restored to his estate1 and the   
unthankful guest  and soldier to be     
stigmatized for an example to others4   
,should ,philip now have kept this      
promise8 ,first1 he owed the soldier    
nothing4 ,secondly1 it would have been  
injurious and impious2 and1  lastly1 a  
precedent of dangerous consequence to   
human society2 for it  would have been  
little less than an interdiction of fire
 and water to  the miserable1 to have   
inflicted such a penalty upon relieving 
them2 so  that there must be always some
 tacit exception or reserve3 if ,i can1 
if ,i may2 or1 if matters continue as   
they were4    ,if it should be my       
fortune to receive a benefit from one   
that  afterwards betrays his country1 ,i
 should still reckon myself obliged  to 
him for such a requital as might stand  
with my public duty2 ,i  would not      
furnish him with arms1 nor with money or
 credit1 or levy  or pay soldiers2 but  
,i should not stick to gratify him at my

 own  expense with such curiosities as  
might please him one way without  doing 
mischief another4 ,i would not do any   
thing that might contribute  to the     
support or advantage of his party4 ,but 
what should ,i do now  in the case of a 
benefactor1 that should afterwards      
become not only  mine and my country's  
enemy1 but the common enemy of mankind6 
,i would  here distinguish betwixt the  
wickedness of a man and the cruelty of a
  beast--betwixt a limited or a         
particular passion and a sanguinary rage
  that extends to the hazard and        
destruction of human society4 ,in the   
former case ,i would quit scores1 that  
,i might have no more to do with  him2  
but if he comes once to delight in      
blood1 and to act outrages  with        
greediness--to study and invent         
torments1 and to take pleasure in       
them--the law of reasonable nature has  
discharged me of such a debt4  ,but this
 is an impiety so rare that it might    
pass for a portent1 and  be reckoned    

among comets and monsters4 ,let us      
therefore restrain our  discourse to    
such men as we detest without horror2   
such men as we see  every day in courts1
 camps1 and upon the seats of justice2  
to such  wicked men ,i will return what 
,i have received1 without making any    
advantage of their unrighteousness4     
,it does not divert the ,almighty from  
being still gracious1 though we  proceed
 daily in the abuse of his bounties4    
,how many there are that  enjoy the     
comfort of the light that do not deserve
 it2 that wish they  had never been     
born6 and yet ,nature goes quietly on   
with her work1 and  allows them a being1
 even in despite of their               
unthankfulness4 ,such  a knave1 we cry1 
was better used than ,i3 and the same   
complaint we  extend to ,providence     
itself4 ,how many wicked men have good  
crops1 when  better than themselves have
 their fruits blasted6 ,such a man1 we  
say1  has treated me very ill4 ,why1    
what should we do1 but that very thing  

which is done by ,god himself8 that is  
to say1 give to the ignorant1  and      
persevere to the wicked4 ,all our       
ingratitude1 we see1 does not  turn     
,providence from pouring down of        
benefits1 even upon those that  question
 whence they come4 ,the wisdom of       
,heaven does all things with  a regard  
to the good of the universe1 and the    
blessings of nature  are granted in     
common1 to the worst as well as to the  
best of men2  for they live             
promiscuously together2 and it is ,god's
 will1 that the  wicked shall rather    
fare the better for the good1 than that 
the good  shall fare the worse for the  
wicked4 ,it is true that a wise prince  
will confer peculiar honors only upon   
the worthy2 but in the dealing  of a    
public dole1 there is no respect had to 
the manners of the man2  but a thief or 
traitor shall put in for a share as well
 as an honest  man4 ,if a good man and a
 wicked man sail both in the same       
bottom1 it  is impossible that the same 

wind which favors the one should cross  
the  other4 ,the common benefits of     
laws1 privileges1 communities1 letters1 
and medicines1 are permitted to the bad 
as well as to the good2 and no  man ever
 yet suppressed a sovereign remedy for  
fear a wicked man might  be cured with  
it4 ,cities are built for both sorts1   
and the same remedy  works upon both    
alike4 ,in these cases1 we are to set an
 estimate upon  the persons3 there is a 
great difference betwixt the choosing of
 a man  and the not excluding him3 the  
law is open to the rebellious as well   
as to the obedient3 there are some      
benefits which1 if they were not        
allowed to all1 could not be enjoyed by 
any4 ,the sun was never made for  me1   
but for the comfort of the world1 and   
for the providential order  of the      
seasons2 and yet ,i am not without my   
private obligation also4  ,to conclude1 
he that will oblige the wicked and the  
ungrateful1 must  resolve to oblige     
nobody2 for in some sort or another we  

are all of us  wicked1 we are all of us 
ungrateful1 every man of us4    ,we have
 been discoursing all this while how far
 a wicked man may be  obliged1 and the  
,stoics tell us at last1 that he cannot 
be obliged  at all4 ,for they make him  
incapable of any good1 and consequently 
of any benefit4 ,but he has this        
advantage1 that if he cannot be         
obliged1 he cannot be ungrateful3 for if
 he cannot receive1 he is not  bound to 
return4 ,on the other side1 a good man  
and an ungrateful1  are a contradiction3
 so that at this rate there is no such  
thing as  ingratitude in nature4 ,they  
compare a wicked man's mind to a        
vitiated  stomach2 he corrupts whatever 
he receives1 and the best nourishment   
turns to the disease4 ,but taking this  
for granted1 a wicked man may  yet so   
far be obliged as to pass for           
ungrateful1 if he does not  requite what
 he receives3 for though it be not a    
perfect benefit1 yet  he receives       
something like it4 ,there are goods of  

the mind1 the body1  and of fortune4 ,of
 the first sort1 fools and wicked men   
are wholly  incapable2 to the rest they 
may be admitted4 ,but why should ,i call
 any  man ungrateful1 you will say1 for 
not restoring that which ,i deny to be  
a benefit8 ,i answer1 that if the       
receiver take it for a benefit1 and     
fails of a return1 it is ingratitude in 
him3 for that which goes for an         
obligation among wicked men1 is an      
obligation upon them3 and they may  pay 
one another in their own coin2 the money
 is current1 whether it be  gold or     
leather1 when it comes once to be       
authorized4 ,nay1 ,cleanthes  carries it
 farther2 he that is wanting1 says he1  
to a kind office1  though it be no      
benefit1 would have done the same thing 
if it had been  one2 and is as guilty as
 a thief is1 that has set his booty1 and
 is  already armed and mounted with a   
purpose to seize it1 though he has  not 
yet drawn blood4 ,wickedness is formed  
in the heart2 and the matter  of fact is

 only the discovery and the execution of
 it4 ,now1 though a  wicked man cannot  
either receive or bestow a benefit1     
because he wants  the will of doing     
good1 and for that he is no longer      
wicked1 when  virtue has taken          
possession of him2 yet we commonly call 
it one1 as we  call a man illiterate    
that is not learned1 and naked that is  
not well  clad2 not but that the one can
 read1 and the other is covered4        
,,chapter ,,xv4    ,a ,,general ,,view  
,,of ,,the ,,parts ,,and ,,duties ,,of  
,,the ,,benefactor4      ,the three main
 points in the question of benefits are1
 first1 a  judicious choice in the      
object2 secondly1 in the matter of our  
benevolence2 and thirdly1 a grateful    
felicity in the manner of  expressing   
it4 ,but there are also incumbent upon  
the benefactor other  considerations1   
which will deserve a place in this      
discourse4    ,it is not enough to do   
one good turn1 and to do it with a good 
grace  too1 unless we follow it with    

more1 and without either upbraiding or  
repining4 ,it is a common shift1 to     
charge that upon the ingratitude  of the
 receiver1 which1 in truth1 is most     
commonly the levity and  indiscretion of
 the giver2 for all circumstances must  
be duly weighed  to consummate the      
action4 ,some there are that we find    
ungrateful2 but  what with our          
forwardness1 change of humor and        
reproaches1 there are  more that we make
 so4 ,and this is the business3 we give 
with design1  and most to those that are
 able to give most again4 ,we give to   
the  covetous1 and to the ambitious2 to 
those that can never be thankful1  7for 
their desires are insatiable17 and to   
those that will not4  ,he that is a     
tribune would be prtor2 the prtor1 a    
consul2 never  reflecting upon what he  
was1 but only looking forward to what he
  would be4 ,people are still computing1
 ,must ,i lose this or that  benefit8   
,if it be lost1 the fault lies in the   
ill bestowing of it2  for rightly       

placed1 it is as good as consecrated2 if
 we be deceived  in another1 let us not 
be deceived in ourselves too4 ,a        
charitable man  will mend the matter3   
and say to himself1 ,perhaps he has     
forgot it1  perchance he could not1     
perhaps he will yet requite it4 ,a      
patient  creditor will1 of an ill       
paymaster1 in time make a good one2 an  
obstinate goodness overcomes an ill     
disposition1 as a barren soil is  made  
fruitful by care and tillage4 ,but let a
 man be never so ungrateful  or inhuman1
 he shall never destroy the satisfaction
 of my having done a  good office4      
,but what if others will be wicked8 does
 it follow that we must be so  too8 ,if 
others will be ungrateful1 must we      
therefore be inhuman8  ,to give and to  
lose1 is nothing2 but to lose and to    
give still1 is the  part of a great     
mind4 ,and the others in effect is the  
greater loss2  for the one does but lose
 his benefit1 and the other loses       
himself4  ,the light shines upon the    

profane and sacrilegious as well as upon
 the  righteous4 ,how many              
disappointments do we meet with in our  
wives and  children1 and yet we couple  
still8 ,he that has lost one battle     
hazards  another4 ,the mariner puts to  
sea again after a wreck4 ,an illustrious
  mind does not propose the profit of a 
good office1 but the duty4 ,if the      
world be wicked1 we should yet persevere
 in well-doing1 even among evil  men4 ,i
 had rather never receive a kindness    
than never bestow one3 not  to return a 
benefit is the greater sin1 but not to  
confer it is the  earlier4 ,we cannot   
propose to ourselves a more glorious    
example than  that of the ,almighty1 who
 neither needs nor expects anything from
 us2  and yet he is continually         
showering down and distributing his     
mercies  and his grace among us1 not    
only for our necessities1 but also for  
our delights2 as fruits and seasons1    
rain and sunshine1 veins of water  and  
of metal2 and all this to the wicked as 

well as to the good1 and  without any   
other end than the common benefit of the
 receivers4 ,with  what face then can we
 be mercenary one to another1 that have 
received  all things from ,divine       
,providence gratis8 ,it is a common     
saying1 8,i  gave such or such a man so 
much money3 ,i would ,i had thrown it   
into  the sea20 and yet the merchant    
trades again after a piracy1 and the    
banker ventures afresh after a bad      
security4 ,he that will do no good      
offices after a disappointment1 must    
stand still1 and do just nothing  at    
all4 ,the plow goes on after a barren   
year3 and while the ashes  are yet warm1
 we raise a new house upon the ruins of 
a former4 ,what  obligations can be     
greater than those which children       
receive from their  parents8 and yet    
should we give them over in their       
infancy1 it were all  to no purpose4    
,benefits1 like grain1 must be followed 
from the seed to  the harvest4 ,i will  
not so much as leave any place for      

ingratitude4 ,i  will pursue1 and ,i    
will encompass the receiver with        
benefits2 so that  let him look which   
way he will1 his benefactor shall be    
still in his  eye1 even when he would   
avoid his own memory3 and then ,i will  
remit  to one man because he calls for  
it2 to another1 because he does not2  to
 a third1 because he is wicked2 and to a
 fourth1 because he is the  contrary4 ,i
 will cast away a good turn upon a bad  
man1 and ,i will  requite a good one2   
the one because it is my duty1 and the  
other that ,i  may not be in debt4    ,i
 do not love to hear any man complain   
that he has met with a thankless  man4  
,if he has met but with one1 he has     
either been very fortunate or  very     
careful4 ,and yet care is not           
sufficient3 for there is no way to      
escape the hazard of losing a benefit   
but the not bestowing of it1 and  to    
neglect a duty to myself for fear       
another should abuse it4 ,it is         
another's fault if he be ungrateful1 but

 it is mine if ,i do not  give4 ,to find
 one thankful man1 ,i will oblige a     
great many that are  not so4 ,the       
business of mankind would be at a stand1
 if we should do  nothing for fear of   
miscarriages in matters of certain      
event4 ,i will  try and believe all     
things1 before ,i give any man over1 and
 do all that  is possible that ,i may   
not lose a good office and a friend     
together4  ,what do ,i know but he may  
misunderstand the obligation8 business  
may  have put it out of his head1 or    
taken him off from it3 he may have      
slipt his opportunity4 ,i will say1 in  
excuse of human weakness1 that  one     
man's memory is not sufficient for all  
things2 it is but a limited  capacity1  
so as to hold only so much1 and no more3
 and when it is once  full1 it must let 
out part of what it had to take in      
anything beside2  and the last benefit  
ever sits closest to us4 ,in our youth  
we forget  the obligations of our       
infancy1 and when we are men we forget  

those  of our youth4 ,if nothing will   
prevail1 let him keep what he has and   
welcome2 but let him have a care of     
returning evil for good1 and making  it 
dangerous for a man to do his duty4 ,i  
would no more give a benefit  for such a
 man1 than ,i would lend money to a     
beggarly spendthrift2 or  deposit any in
 the hands of a known knight of the     
post4 ,however the  case stands1 an     
ungrateful person is never the better   
for a reproach2  if he be already       
hardened in his wickedness1 he gives no 
heed to it2  and if he be not1 it turns 
a doubtful modesty into an incorrigible 
impudence3 beside that1 he watches for  
all ill words to pick a quarrel  with   
them4    ,as the benefactor is not to   
upbraid a benefit1 so neither to delay  
it3 the one is tiresome1 and the other  
odious4 ,we must not hold men  in hand1 
as physicians and surgeons do their     
patients1 and keep them  longer in fear 
and pain than needs1 only to magnify the
 cure4 ,a  generous man gives easily1   

and receives as he gives1 but never     
exacts4  ,he rejoices in the return1 and
 judges favorably of it whatever it be1 
and contents himself with bare thanks   
for a requital4 ,it is a harder  matter 
with some to get the benefit after it is
 promised than the first  promise of it1
 there must be so many friends made in  
the case4 ,one  must be desired to      
solicit another2 and he must be         
entreated to move  a third2 and a fourth
 must be at last besought to receive it2
 so that  the author1 upon the upshot1  
has the least share in the obligation4  
,it  is then welcome when it comes free1
 and without deduction2 and no man      
either to intercept or hinder1 or to    
detain it4 ,and let it be of such a     
quality too1 that it be not only        
delightful in the receiving1 but after  
it is received2 which it will certainly 
be1 if we do but observe this  rule1    
never to do any thing for another which 
we would not honestly  desire for       
ourselves4          ,,chapter ,,xvi4    

,,how ,,the ,,receiver ,,ought ,,to     
,,behave ,,himself4      ,there are     
certain rules in common betwixt the     
giver and the receiver4  ,we must do    
both cheerfully1 that the giver may     
receive the fruit of  his benefit in the
 very act of bestowing it4 ,it is a just
 ground of  satisfaction to see a friend
 pleased2 but it is much more to make   
him so4 ,the intention of the one is to 
be suited to the intention  of the      
other2 and there must be an emulation   
betwixt them1 whether  shall oblige     
most4 ,let the one say1 that he has     
received a benefit1  and let the other  
persuade himself that he has not        
returned it4 ,let  the one say1 ,i am   
paid1 and the other1 ,i am yet in your  
debt2 let  the benefactor acquit the    
receiver1 and the receiver bind himself4
  ,the frankness of the discharge       
heightens the obligation4 ,it is in     
conversation as in a tennis-court2      
benefits are to be tossed like  balls2  
the longer the rest1 the better are the 

gamesters4 ,the giver1 in  some respect1
 has the odds1 because 7as in a race7 he
 starts first1 and  the other must use  
great diligence to overtake him4 ,the   
return must be  larger than the first   
obligation to come up to it2 and it is a
 kind of  ingratitude not to render it  
with interest4 ,in a matter of money1 it
  is a common thing to pay a debt out of
 course1 and before it be due2  but we  
account ourselves to owe nothing for a  
good office2 whereas  the benefit       
increases by delay4 ,so insensible are  
we of the most  important affair of     
human life6 ,that man were doubtless in 
a miserable  condition1 that could      
neither see1 nor hear1 nor taste1 nor   
feel1 nor  smell2 but how much more     
unhappy is he then that1 wanting a sense
 of  benefits1 loses the greatest       
comfort in nature in the bliss of giving
  and receiving them8 ,he that takes a  
benefit as it is meant is in the  right2
 for the benefactor has then his end1   
and his only end1 when the  receiver is 

grateful4    ,the more glorious part1 in
 appearance1 is that of the giver2 but  
the  receiver has undoubtedly the harder
 game to play in many regards4  ,there  
are some from whom ,i would not accept  
of a benefit2 that is to  say1 from     
those upon whom ,i would not bestow one4
 ,for why should ,i not  scorn to       
receive a benefit where ,i am ashamed to
 own it8 and ,i would  yet be more      
tender too1 where ,i receive1 than where
 ,i give2 for it is  no torment to be in
 debt where a man has no mind to pay2 as
 it is the  greatest delight imaginable 
to be engaged by a friend1 whom ,i      
should  yet have a kindness for2 if ,i  
were never so much disobliged4 ,it is a 
pain to an honest and a generous mind to
 lie under a duty of affection  against 
inclination4 ,i do not speak here of    
wise men1 that love to  do what they    
ought to do2 that have their passions at
 command2 that  prescribe laws to       
themselves1 and keep them when they have
 done2 but of  men in a state of        

imperfection1 that may have a good will 
perhaps to  be honest1 and yet be       
overborne by the contumacy of their     
affections4  ,we must therefore have a  
care to whom we become obliged2 and ,i  
would  be much stricter yet in the      
choice of a creditor for benefits than  
for  money4 ,in the one case1 it is but 
paying what ,i had1 and the debt is     
discharged2 in the other1 ,i do not only
 owe more1 but when ,i have paid  that1 
,i am still in arrear3 and this law is  
the very foundation of  friendship4 ,i  
will suppose myself a prisoner2 and a   
notorious villain  offers to lay down a 
good sum of money for my redemption4    
,first1  ,shall ,i make use of this     
money or not8 ,secondly1 ,if ,i do1 what
 return  shall ,i make him for it8 ,to  
the first point1 ,i will take it2 but   
only  as a debt2 not as a benefit1 that 
shall ever tie me to a friendship  with 
him2 and1 secondly1 my acknowledgment   
shall be only correspondent  to such an 
obligation4 ,it is a school question1   

whether or not ,brutus1  that thought   
,csar not fit to live1 7and put himself 
at the head of a  conspiracy against    
him17 could honestly have received his  
life from  ,csar1 if he had fallen into 
,csar's power1 without examining what   
reason moved him to that action8 ,how   
great a man soever he was in  other     
cases1 without dispute he was extremely 
out in this1 and below  the dignity of  
his profession4 ,for a ,stoic to fear   
the name of a king1  when yet monarchy  
is the best state of government2 or     
there to hope for  liberty1 where so    
great rewards are propounded1 both for  
tyrants and  their slaves2 for him to   
imagine ever to bring the laws to their 
former  state1 where so many thousand   
lives had been lost in the contest1 not 
so much whether they should serve or    
not1 but who should be their  master3 he
 was strangely mistaken1 in the nature  
and reason of things1  to fancy1 that   
when ,julius was gone1 somebody else    
would not start up  in his place1 when  

there was yet a ,tarquin found1 after so
 many kings  that were destroyed1 either
 by sword or thunder3 and yet the       
resolution  is1 that he might have      
received it1 but not as a benefit2 for  
at that  rate ,i owe my life to every   
man that does not take it away4         
,grcinus ,julius 7whom ,caligula put to 
death out of a pure malice to his       
virtue7 had a considerable sum of money 
sent him from ,fabius ,persicus  7a man 
of great and infamous example7 as a     
contribution towards the  expense of    
plays and other public entertainments2  
but ,julius would  not receive it2 and  
some of his friends that had an eye more
 upon the  present than the presenter1  
asked him1 with some freedom1 what he   
meant  by refusing it8 8,why10 says he1 
8do you think that ,i will take money   
where ,i would not take so much as a    
glass of wine80 ,after this ,rebilus  7a
 man of the same stamp7 sent him a      
greater sum upon the same score4  8,you 
must excuse me10 says he to the         

messenger1 8for ,i would not take  any  
thing of ,persicus neither40    ,to     
match this scruple of receiving money   
with another of keeping it2  and the sum
 not above three pence1 or a groat at   
most4 ,there was a  certain ,pythagorean
 that contracted with a cobbler for a   
pair of shoes1  and some three or four  
days after1 going to pay him his money1 
the  shop was shut up2 and when he had  
knocked a great while at the door1      
8,friend10 says a fellow1 8you may      
hammer your heart out there1 for the    
man that you look for is dead4 ,and when
 our friends are dead1 we hear  no more 
news of them2 but yours1 that are to    
live again1 will shift  well enough10   
7alluding to ,pythagora's               
transmigration74 ,upon this the         
philosopher went away1 with his money   
chinking in his hand1 and well  enough  
content to save it3 at last1 his        
conscience took check at it2  and1 upon 
reflection1 8,though the man be dead10  
says he1 8to others1 he  is alive to    

thee2 pay him what thou owest him30 and 
so he went back  presently1 and thrust  
it into his shop through the chink of   
the door4  ,whatever we owe1 it is our  
part to find where to pay it1 and to do 
it  without asking too2 for whether the 
creditor be good or bad1 the debt  is   
still the same4    ,if a benefit be     
forced upon me1 as from a tyrant1 or a  
superior1 where  it may be dangerous to 
refuse1 this is rather obeying than     
receiving1  where the necessity destroys
 the choice4 ,the way to know what ,i   
have a  mind to do1 is to leave me at   
liberty whether ,i will do it or not2   
but  it is yet a benefit1 if a man does 
me good in spite of my teeth2 as it  is 
none1 if ,i do any man good against my  
will4 ,a man may both hate and  yet     
receive a benefit at the same time2 the 
money is never the worse1  because a    
fool that is not read in coins refuses  
to take it4 ,if the  thing be good for  
the receiver1 and so intended1 no matter
 how ill it  is taken4 ,nay1 the        

receiver may be obliged1 and not know   
it2 but there  can be no benefit which  
is unknown to the giver4 ,neither will  
,i1 upon  any terms1 receive a benefit  
from a worthy person that may do him a  
mischief3 it is the part of an enemy to 
save himself by doing another  man harm4
    ,but whatever we do1 let us be sure 
always to keep a grateful mind4  ,it is 
not enough to say1 what requital shall a
 poor man offer to a  prince2 or a slave
 to his patron2 when it is the glory of 
gratitude  that it depends only upon the
 good will8 ,suppose a man defends my   
fame2 delivers me from beggary2 saves my
 life2 or gives me liberty1  that is    
more than life2 how shall ,i be grateful
 to that man8 ,i will  receive1 cherish1
 and rejoice in the benefit4 ,take it   
kindly1 and  it is requited3 not that   
the debt itself is discharged1 but it is
  nevertheless a discharge of the       
conscience4 ,i will yet distinguish     
betwixt the debtor that becomes         
insolvent by expenses upon whores and   

dice1 and another that is undone by fire
 or thieves2 nor do ,i take this        
gratitude for a payment1 but there is no
 danger1 ,i presume1 of being  arrested 
for such a debt4    ,in the return of   
benefits let us be ready and cheerful   
but not  pressing4 ,there is as much    
greatness of mind in the owing of a good
  turn as in doing of it2 and we must no
 more force a requital out of  season   
than be wanting in it4 ,he that         
precipitates a return1 does  as good as 
say1 8,i am weary of being in this man's
 debt30 not but  that the hastening of a
 requital1 as a good office1 is a       
commendable  disposition1 but it is     
another thing to do it as a discharge2  
for it  looks like casting off a heavy  
and a troublesome burden4 ,it is for the
  benefactor to say when he will receive
 it2 no matter for the opinion  of the  
world1 so long as ,i gratify my own     
conscience2 for ,i cannot be  mistaken  
in myself1 but another may4 ,he that is 
over solicitous to  return a benefit1   

thinks the other so likewise to receive 
it4 ,if he had  rather we should keep   
it1 why should we refuse1 and presume to
 dispose  of his treasure1 who may call 
it in1 or let it lie out1 at his choice8
  ,it is as much a fault to receive what
 ,i ought not1 as not to give what  ,i  
ought2 for the giver has the privilege  
of choosing his own time of  receiving4 
,some are too proud in the conferring of
 benefits2 others1 in the  receiving of 
them2 which is1 to say the truth1       
intolerable4 ,the same  rule serves both
 sides1 as in the case of a father and a
 son2 a husband  and a wife2 one friend 
or acquaintance and another1 where the  
duties  are known and common4 ,there are
 some that will not receive a benefit   
but in private1 nor thank you for it but
 in your ear1 or in a corner2  there    
must be nothing under hand and seal1 no 
brokers1 notaries1 or  witnesses1 in the
 case3 that is not so much a scruple of 
modesty as a  kind of denying the       
obligation1 and only a less hardened    

ingratitude4  ,some receive benefits so 
coldly and indifferently1 that a man    
would  think the obligation lay on the  
other side3 as who should say1 8,well1  
since you will needs have it so1 ,i am  
content to take it40 ,some again  so    
carelessly1 as if they hardly knew of   
any such thing1 whereas we  should      
rather aggravate the matter3 8,you      
cannot imagine how many  you have       
obliged in this act3 there never was so 
great1 so kind1 so  seasonable a        
courtesy40 ,furnius never gained so much
 upon ,augustus as  by a speech1 upon   
the getting of his father's pardon for  
siding with  ,antony3 8,this grace10    
says he1 8is the only injury that ever  
,csar did  me3 for it has put me upon a 
necessity of living and dying           
ungrateful40  ,it is safer to affront   
some people than to oblige them2 for the
 better  a man deserves1 the worse they 
will speak of him3 as if the possessing 
of open hatred to their benefactors were
 an argument that they lie  under no    

obligation4 ,some people are so sour and
 ill-natured1 that they  take it for an 
affront to have an obligation or a      
return offered them1  to the            
discouragement both of bounty and       
gratitude together4 ,the not  doing1 and
 the not receiving1 of benefits1 are    
equally a mistake4 ,he  that refuses a  
new one1 seems to be offended at an old 
one3 and yet  sometimes ,i would neither
 return a benefit1 no1 nor so much as   
receive  it1 if ,i might4               
,,chapter ,,xvii4    ,,of ,,gratitude4  
,he that preaches gratitude1 pleads the 
cause both of ,god and man2 for  without
 it we can neither be sociable nor      
religious4 ,there is a strange  delight 
in the very purpose and contemplation of
 it1 as well as in the  action2 when ,i 
can say to myself1 8,i love my          
benefactor2 what is there  in this world
 that ,i would not do to oblige and     
serve him80 ,where ,i  have not the     
means of a requital1 the very meditation
 of it is  sufficient4 ,a man is        

nevertheless an artist for not having   
his tools  about him2 or a musician1    
because he wants his fiddle3 nor is he  
the  less brave because his hands are   
bound2 or the worse pilot for being     
upon dry ground4 ,if ,i have only will  
to be grateful1 ,i am so4 ,let  me be   
upon the wheel1 or under the hand of the
 executioner2 let me be  burnt limb by  
limb1 and my whole body dropping in the 
flames1 a good  conscience supports me  
in all extremes2 nay1 it is comfortable 
even  in death itself2 for when we come 
to approach that point1 what care  do we
 take to summon and call to mind all our
 benefactors1 and the  good offices they
 have done us1 that we leave the world  
fair1 and set  our minds in order8      
,without gratitude1 we can neither have 
security1  peace1 nor reputation3 and it
 is not therefore the less desirable1   
because it draws many adventitious      
benefits along with it4 ,suppose the    
sun1 the moon1 and the stars1 had no    
other business than only to pass  over  

our heads1 without any effect upon our  
minds or bodies2 without  any regard to 
our health1 fruits1 or seasons2 a man   
could hardly lift  up his eyes towards  
the heavens without wonder and          
veneration1 to  see so many millions of 
radiant lights1 and to observe their    
courses  and revolutions1 even without  
any respect to the common good of the   
universe4 ,but when we come to consider 
that ,providence and ,nature are  still 
at work when we sleep1 with the         
admirable force and operation  of their 
influences and motions1 we cannot then  
but acknowledge their  ornament to be   
the least part of their value2 and that 
they are more  to be esteemed for their 
virtues than for their splendor4 ,their 
main  end and use is matter of life and 
necessity1 though they may seem to  us  
more considerable for their majesty and 
beauty4 ,and so it is with  gratitude2  
we love it rather for secondary ends1   
than for itself4    ,no man can be      
grateful without contemning those things

 that put the  common people out of     
their wits4 ,we must go into banishment2
 lay  down our lives2 beggar and expose 
ourselves to reproaches2 nay1 it  is    
often seen1 that loyalty suffers the    
punishment due to rebellion1  and that  
treason receives the rewards of         
fidelity4 ,as the benefits  of it are   
many and great1 so are the hazards2     
which is the case more  or less of all  
other virtues3 and it were hard1 if     
this1 above the  rest1 should be both   
painful and fruitless3 so that though we
 may go  currently on with it in a      
smooth way1 we must yet prepare and     
resolve  7if need be7 to force our      
passage to it1 even if the way were     
covered  with thorns and serpents2 and  
fall back1 fall edge1 we must be        
grateful still3 grateful for the        
virtue's sake1 and grateful over and    
above upon the point of interest2 for it
 preserves old friends1 and  gains new  
ones4 ,it is not our business to fish   
for one benefit with  another2 and by   

bestowing a little to get more2 or to   
oblige for any  sort of expedience1 but 
because ,i ought to do it1 and because  
,i love  it1 and that to such a degree1 
that if ,i could not be grateful without
  appearing the contrary1 if ,i could   
not return a benefit without being      
suspected of doing an injury2 in despite
 of infamy itself1 ,i would  yet be     
grateful4 ,no man is greater in my      
esteem than he that ventures  the fame  
to preserve the conscience of an honest 
man2 the one is but  imaginary1 the     
other solid and inestimable4 ,i cannot  
call him grateful1  who in the instant  
of returning one benefit has his eye    
upon another4  ,he that is grateful for 
profit or fear1 is like a woman that is 
honest  only upon the score of          
reputation4    ,as gratitude is a       
necessary and a glorious1 so it is also 
an obvious1 a  cheap1 and an easy       
virtue2 so obvious1 that wheresoever    
there is a life  there is a place for   
it--so cheap that the covetous man may  

be grateful  without expense--and so    
easy that the sluggard may be so1       
likewise1  without labor4 ,and yet it is
 not without its niceties too2 for there
  may be a time1 a place or occasion    
wherein ,i ought not to return a        
benefit2 nay1 wherein ,i may better     
disown it than deliver it4    ,let it be
 understood1 by the way1 that it is one 
thing to be grateful  for a good office1
 and another thing to return it--the    
good will is  enough in one case1 being 
as much as the one side demands and the 
other  promises2 but the effect is      
requisite in the other4 ,the physician  
that  has done his best is acquitted    
though the patient dies1 and so is the  
advocate1 though the client may lose his
 cause4 ,the general of an  army1 though
 the battle be lost1 is yet worthy of   
commendation1 if he  has discharged all 
the parts of a prudent commander2 in    
this case1 the  one acquits himself1    
though the other be never the better for
 it4 ,he  is a grateful man that is     

always willing and ready3 and he that   
seeks  for all means and occasions of   
requiting a benefit1 though without     
attaining his end1 does a great deal    
more than the man that1 without  any    
trouble1 makes an immediate return4     
,suppose my friend a prisoner1  and that
 ,i have sold my estate for his ransom2 
,i put to sea in foul  weather1 and upon
 a coast that is pestered with pirates2 
my friend  happens to be redeemed before
 ,i come to the place2 my gratitude is  
as  much to be esteemed as if he had    
been a prisoner2 and if ,i had been     
taken and robbed myself1 it would still 
have been the same case4 ,nay1  there is
 a gratitude in the very countenance2   
for an honest man bears  his conscience 
in his face1 and propounds the requital 
of a good turn  in the very moment of   
receiving it2 he is cheerful and        
confident2 and1  in the possession of a 
true friendship1 delivered from all     
anxiety4  ,there is this difference     
betwixt a thankful man and an           

unthankful1 the  one is always pleased  
in the good he has done1 and the other  
only  once in what he has received4     
,there must be a benignity in the       
estimation even of the smallest offices2
 and such a modesty as appears  to be   
obliged in whatsoever it gives4 ,as it  
is indeed a very great  benefit1 the    
opportunity of doing a good office to a 
worthy man4 ,he  that attends to the    
present1 and remembers what is past1    
shall never be  ungrateful4 ,but who    
shall judge in the case8 for a man may  
be grateful  without making a return1   
and ungrateful with it4 ,our best way is
 to  help every thing by a fair         
interpretation2 and wheresoever there is
  a doubt1 to allow it the most         
favorable construction2 for he that is  
exceptious at words1 or looks1 has a    
mind to pick a quarrel4 ,for my  own    
part1 when ,i come to cast up my        
account1 and know what ,i owe1 and  to  
whom1 though ,i make my return sooner to
 some1 and later to others1  as occasion

 or fortune will give me leave1 yet ,i  
will be just to all3  ,i will be        
grateful to ,god1 to man1 to those that 
have obliged me3 nay1  even to those    
that have obliged my friends4 ,i am     
bound in honor and in  conscience to be 
thankful for what ,i have received2 and 
if it be not  yet full1 it is some      
pleasure still that ,i may hope for     
more4 ,for the  requital of a favor     
there must be virtue1 occasion1 means1  
and fortune4    ,it is a common thing to
 screw up justice to the pitch of an    
injury4 ,a  man may be over-righteous2  
and why not over-grateful too8 ,there is
  a mischievous excess1 that borders so 
close upon ingratitude1 that it  is no  
easy matter to distinguish the one from 
the other3 but1 in regard  that there is
 good-will in the bottom of it1 7however
 distempered1 for  it is effectually but
 kindness out of the wits17 we shall    
discourse it  under the title of        
,gratitude mistaken4          ,,chapter 
,,xviii4    ,,gratitude ,,mistaken4     

,to refuse a good office1 not so much   
because we do not need it1 as  because  
we would not be indebted for it1 is a   
kind of fantastical  ingratitude1 and   
somewhat akin to that nicety of humor1  
on the other  side1 of being            
over-grateful2 only it lies another way1
 and seems to be  the more pardonable   
ingratitude of the two4 ,some people    
take it for a  great instance of their  
good-will to be wishing their           
benefactors such  or such a mischief2   
only1 forsooth1 that they themselves may
 be the  happy instruments of their     
release4    ,these men do like          
extravagant lovers1 that take it for a  
great proof of  their affection to wish 
one another banished1 beggared1 or      
diseased1  that they might have the     
opportunity of interposing to their     
relief4  ,what difference is there      
betwixt such wishing and cursing8 such  
an  affection and a mortal hatred8 ,the 
intent is good1 you will say1 but  this 
is a misapplication of it4 ,let such a  

one fall into my power1 or  into the    
hands of his enemies1 his creditors1 or 
the common people1 and  no mortal be    
able to rescue him but myself3 let his  
life1 his liberty1  and his reputation1 
lie all at stake1 and no creature but   
myself in  condition to succor him2 and 
why all this1 but because he has obliged
  me1 and ,i would requite him8 ,if this
 be gratitude to propound jails1        
shackles1 slavery1 war1 beggary1 to the 
man that you would requite1  what would 
you do where you are ungrateful8 ,this  
way of proceeding1  over and above that 
it is impious in itself1 is likewise    
over-hasty and  unseasonable3 for he    
that goes too fast is as much to blame  
as he that  does not move at all1 7to   
say nothing of the injustice17 for if ,i
 had  never been obliged1 ,i should     
never have wished it4    ,there are     
seasons wherein a benefit is neither to 
be received nor  requited4 ,to press a  
return upon me when ,i do not desire it1
 is  unmannerly2 but it is worse to     

force me to desire it4 ,how rigorous    
would he be to exact a requital2 who is 
thus eager to return it6 ,to  wish a man
 in distress that ,i may relieve him1 is
 first to wish him  miserable3 to wish  
that he may stand in need of anybody1 is
 against  him2 and to wish that he may  
stand in need of me1 is for myself3  so 
that my business is not so much a       
charity to my friend as the  cancelling 
of a bond2 nay1 it is half-way the wish 
of an enemy4 ,it is  barbarous to wish a
 man in chains1 slavery1 or want1 only  
to bring  him out again3 let me rather  
wish him powerful and happy1 and myself 
indebted to him6 ,by nature we are prone
 to mercy1 humanity compassion2  may we 
be excited to be more so by the number  
of the grateful6 may  their number      
increase1 and may we have no need of    
trying them6    ,it is not for an honest
 man to make way to a good office by a  
crime3 as  if a pilot should pray for a 
tempest1 that he might prove his skill3 
or a general wish his army routed1 that 

he may show himself a great  commander  
in recovering the day4 ,it is throwing a
 man into a river to  take him out      
again4 ,it is an obligation1 ,i confess1
 to cure a wound or  a disease2 but to  
make that wound or disease on purpose to
 cure it1  is a most perverse           
ingratitude4 ,it is barbarous even to an
 enemy1 much  more to a friend2 for it  
is not so much to do him a kindness1 as 
to put  him in need of it4 ,of the two1 
let me rather be a scar than a wound2   
and yet it would be better to have it   
neither4 ,rome had been little  beholden
 to ,scipio if he had prolonged the     
,punic war that he might  have the      
finishing of it at last1 or to the      
,decii for dying for their  country1 if 
they had first brought it to the last   
extremity of needing  their devotion4   
,it may be a good contemplation1 but it 
is a lewd wish4  neas had never been    
surnamed the ,pious1 if he had wished   
the ruin  of his country1 only that he  
might have the honor of taking his      

father  out of the fire4 ,it is the     
scandal of a physician to make work1 and
  irritate a disease1 and to torment his
 patient1 for the reputation of  his    
cure4 ,if a man should openly imprecate 
poverty1 captivity1 fear1  or danger1   
upon a person that he has been obliged  
to1 would not the  whole world condemn  
him for it8 ,and what is the difference1
 but the one  is only a private wish1   
and the other a public declaration8     
,rutilius  was told in his exile1 that1 
for his comfort1 there would be ere-long
  a civil war1 that would bring all the 
banished men home again4 8,god  forbid10
 says he1 8for ,i had rather my country 
should blush for my  banishment than    
mourn for my return40 ,how much more    
honorable it is to  owe cheerfully1 than
 to pay dishonestly8 ,it is the wish of 
an enemy  to take a town that he may    
preserve it1 and to be victorious that  
he  may forgive2 but the mercy comes    
after the cruelty2 beside that it is  an
 injury both to ,god and man2 for the   

man must be first afflicted by  ,heaven 
to be relieved by me4 ,so that we impose
 the cruelty upon  ,god1 and take the   
compassion to ourselves2 and at the     
best1 it is but  a curse that makes way 
for a blessing2 the bare wish is an     
injury2 and  if it does not take effect1
 it is because ,heaven has not heard our
  prayers2 or if they should succeed1   
the fear itself is a torment2 and  it is
 much more desirable to have a firm and 
unshaken security4 ,it is  friendly to  
wish it in your power to oblige me1 if  
ever ,i chance to  need it2 but it is   
unkind to wish me miserable that ,i may 
need it4 ,how  much more pious is it1   
and humane1 to wish that ,i may never   
want the  occasion of obliging1 nor the 
means of doing it2 nor ever have reason 
to repent of what ,i have done8         
,,chapter ,,xix4    ,,of ,,ingratitude4 
,ingratitude is of all the crimes1 that 
which we are to account the  most venial
 in others1 and the most unpardonable in
 ourselves4 ,it  is impious to the      

highest degree2 for it makes us fight   
against our  children and our altars4   
,there are1 there ever were1 and there  
ever  will be criminals of all sorts1 as
 murderers1 tyrants1 thieves1           
adulterers1 traitors1 robbers and       
sacrilegious persons2 but there  is     
hardly any notorious crime without a    
mixture of ingratitude4 ,it  disunites  
mankind1 and breaks the very pillars of 
society2 and yet so  far is this        
prodigious wickedness from being any    
wonder to us1 that  even thankfulness   
itself were much the greater of the two2
 for men  are deterred from it by labor1
 expense1 laziness1 business2 or else   
diverted from it by lust1 envy1         
ambition1 pride1 levity1 rashness1      
fear2 nay1 by the very shame of         
confessing what they have received4 ,and
  the unthankful man has nothing to say 
for himself all this while1 for  there  
needs neither pains or fortune for the  
discharge of his duty1  beside the      
inward anxiety and torment when a man's 

conscience makes him  afraid of his own 
thoughts4    ,to speak against the      
ungrateful is to rail against mankind1  
for even  those that complain are       
guilty3 nor do ,i speak only of those   
that  do not live up to the strict rule 
of virtue2 but mankind itself is        
degenerated and lost4 ,we live          
unthankfully in this world1 and we go   
struggling and murmuring out of it1     
dissatisfied with our lot1 whereas  we  
should be grateful for the blessings we 
have enjoyed1 and account  that         
sufficient which ,providence has        
provided for us2 a little more  time may
 make our lives longer but not happier1 
and whensoever it is  the pleasure of   
,god to call us1 we must obey2 and yet  
all this while  we go on quarreling at  
the world for what we find in ourselves1
 and  we are yet more unthankful to     
,heaven than we are to one another4     
,what  benefit can be great now to that 
man that despises the bounties of his   
,maker8 ,we would be as strong as       

elephants1 as swift as bucks1 as light  
as birds--and we complain that we have  
not the sagacity of dogs1 the  sight of 
eagles1 the long life of ravens--nay1   
that we are not immortal1  and endued   
with the knowledge of things to come3   
nay1 we take it ill  that we are not    
gods upon earth1 never considering the  
advantages  of our condition1 or the    
benignity of ,providence in the comforts
  that we enjoy4 ,we subdue the         
strongest of creatures and overtake the 
fleetest--we reclaim the fiercest and   
outwit the craftiest4 ,we are  within   
one degree of heaven itself1 and yet we 
are not satisfied4    ,since there is   
not any one creature which we had rather
 be1 we take it  ill that we cannot draw
 the united excellencies of all other   
creatures  into ourselves4 ,why are we  
not rather thankful to that goodness    
which  has subjected the whole creation 
to our use and service8    ,the         
principal causes of ingratitude are     
pride and self-conceit1  avarice1 envy1 

etc4 ,it is a familiar exclamation1 8,it
 is true he did  this or that for me1   
but it came so late1 and it was so      
little1 ,i had  even as good have been  
without it--if he had not given it to   
me1 he must  have given it to somebody  
else--it was nothing out of his pocket40
 ,nay1  we are so ungrateful1 that he   
that gives us all we have1 if he leaves 
any thing to himself1 we reckon that he 
does us an injury4    ,it cost ,julius  
,csar his life by the disappointment of 
his insatiable  companions2 and yet he  
reserved nothing of all that he got to  
himself  but the liberty of disposing of
 it4 ,there is no benefit so large  but 
malignity will still lessen it2 none so 
narrow1 which a good  interpretation    
will not enlarge4 ,no man shall ever be 
grateful that  views a benefit on the   
wrong side1 or takes a good office by   
the wrong  handle4 ,the avaricious man  
is naturally ungrateful1 for he never   
thinks  he has enough1 but1 without     
considering what he has1 only minds what

  he covets4 ,some pretend want of power
 to make a competent return1 and  you   
shall find in others a kind of graceless
 modesty1 that makes a man  ashamed of  
requiting an obligation1 because it is a
 confession that he  has received one4  
,not to return one good office for      
another is inhuman2 but to return  evil 
for good is diabolical4 ,there are too  
many even of this sort1 who1  the more  
they owe1 the more they hate4 ,there is 
nothing more dangerous  than to oblige  
those people2 for when they are         
conscious of not paying  the debt1 they 
wish the creditor out of the way4 ,it is
 a mortal hatred1  that which arises    
from the shame of an abused benefit4    
,when we are on  the asking side1 what a
 deal of cringing there is1 and         
profession6  8,well1 ,i shall never     
forget this favor1 it will be an eternal
  obligation to me40 ,but within a while
 the note is changed1 and we  hear no   
more words of it1 until1 by little and  
little1 it is all quite  forgotten4 ,so 

long as we stand in need of a benefit1  
there is nothing  dearer to us2 nor     
anything cheaper1 when we have received 
it4 ,and yet  a man may as well refuse  
to deliver up a sum of money that is    
left him  in trust without a suit1 as   
not to return a good office without     
asking2  and when we have no value any  
farther for the benefit1 we do commonly 
care as little for the author4 ,people  
follow their interest3 one man  is      
grateful for his convenience1 and       
another man is ungrateful for the  same 
reason4    ,some are ungrateful to their
 own country1 and their country no less 
ungrateful to others2 so that the       
complaint of ingratitude reaches  all   
men4 ,doth not the son wish for the     
death of his father1 the  husband for   
that of his wife1 etc4 ,but who can look
 for gratitude  in an age of so many    
gaping and craving appetites1 where all 
people  take1 and none give8 ,in an age 
of license to all sorts of vanity  and  
wickedness1 as lust1 gluttony1 avarice1 

envy1 ambition1 sloth1  insolence1      
levity1 contumacy1 fear1 rashness1      
private discords and  public evils1     
extravagant and groundless wishes1 vain 
confidences1  sickly affections1        
shameless impieties1 rapine authorized1 
and the  violation of all things1 sacred
 and profane3 obligations are pursued   
with sword and poison2 benefits are     
turned into crimes1 and that blood  most
 seditiously spilt for which every      
honest man should expose his  own4      
,those that should be the preservers of 
their country are the  destroyers of it2
 and it is a matter of dignity to       
trample upon the  government3 the sword 
gives the law1 and mercenaries take up  
arms  against their masters4 ,among     
these turbulent and unruly motions1 what
  hope is there of finding honesty or   
good faith1 which is the quietest  of   
all virtues8 ,there is no more lively   
image of human life than that  of a     
conquered city2 there is neither mercy1 
modesty1 nor religion2  and if we forget

 our lives1 we may well forget our      
benefits4 ,the  world abounds with      
examples of ungrateful persons1 and no  
less with  those of ungrateful          
governments4 ,was not ,catiline         
ungrateful8 whose  malice aimed1 not    
only at the mastering of his country1   
but at the  total destruction of it1 by 
calling in an inveterate and vindictive 
enemy from beyond the ,alps1 to wreak   
their long-thirsted-for revenge1  and to
 sacrifice the lives of as many noble   
,romans as might serve  to answer and   
appease the ghosts of the slaughtered   
,gauls8 ,was not  ,marius ungrateful1   
that1 from a common soldier1 being      
raised up to a  consul1 not only gave   
the world for civil bloodshed and       
massacres1 but  was himself the sign of 
the execution2 and every man he met in  
the  streets1 to whom he did not stretch
 out his right hand1 was murdered8  ,and
 was not ,sylla ungrateful too8 that    
when he had waded up to the  gates in   
human blood1 carried the outrage into   

the city1 and there most  barbarously   
cut two entire legions to pieces in a   
corner1 not only  after the victory1 but
 most perfidiously after quarter given  
them8  ,good ,god6 that ever any man    
should not only escape with impunity1   
but  receive a reward for so horrid a   
villainy6 ,was not ,pompey ungrateful   
too8 who1 after three consulships1 three
 triumphs1 and so many honors1  usurped 
before his time1 split the commonwealth 
into three parts1  and brought it to    
such a pass1 that there was no hope of  
safety but  by slavery only2 forsooth1  
to abate the envy of his power1 he took 
other partners with him into the        
government1 as if that which was not    
lawful for any one might have been      
allowable for more2 dividing and        
distributing the provinces1 and breaking
 all into a triumvirate1  reserving     
still two parts of the three in his own 
family4 ,and was not  ,csar ungrateful  
also1 though to give him his due1 he was
 a man of his  word2 merciful in his    

victories1 and never killed any man but 
with his  sword in his hand8 ,let us    
therefore forgive one another4 ,only one
 word  more now for the shame of        
ungrateful ,governments4 ,was not       
,camillus  banished8 ,scipio dismissed8 
and ,cicero exiled and plundered8 ,but1 
what  is all this to those who are so   
mad1 and to dispute even the goodness   
of ,heaven1 which gives us all1 and     
expects nothing again1 but continues    
giving to the most unthankful and       
complaining8          ,,chapter ,,xx4   
,,there ,,can ,,be ,,no ,,law ,,against 
,,ingratitude4      ,ingratitude is so  
dangerous to itself1 and so detestable  
to other  people1 that nature1 one would
 think1 had sufficiently provided       
against  it1 without need of any other  
law4 ,for every ungrateful man is his   
own enemy1 and it seems superfluous to  
compel a man to be kind to  himself1 and
 to follow in his own inclinations4     
,this1 of all wickedness  imaginable1 is
 certainly the vice which does the most 

divide and  distract human nature4      
,without the exercise and the commerce  
of mutual  offices1 we can be neither   
happy nor safe for it is only society   
that  secures us3 take us one by one1   
and we are a prey even to brutes as     
well as to one another4    ,nature has  
brought us into the world naked and     
unarmed2 we have not  the teeth or the  
paws of lions or bears to make ourselves
 terrible2  but by the two blessings of 
reason and union1 we secure and defend  
ourselves against violence and fortune4 
,this it is that makes man the  master  
of all other creatures1 who otherwise   
were scarce a match for  the weakest of 
them4 ,this it is that comforts us in   
sickness1 in age1  in misery1 in pains1 
and in the worst of calamities4 ,take   
away this  combination1 and mankind is  
dissociated1 and falls to pieces4 ,it is
  true1 that there is no law established
 against this abominable vice2  but we  
cannot say yet that it escapes          
unpunished1 for a public hatred  is     

certainly the greatest of all penalties2
 over and above that we lose  the most  
valuable blessings of life1 in the not  
bestowing and receiving  of benefits4   
,if ingratitude were to be punished by a
 law1 it would  discredit the           
obligation2 for a benefit to be given1  
not lent3 and if  we have no return at  
all1 there is no just cause of          
complaint3 for  gratitude were no       
virtue1 if there were any danger in     
being ungrateful4  ,there are halters1  
,i know1 hooks and gibbets1 provided for
 homicide  poison1 sacrilege1 and       
rebellion2 but ingratitude 7here upon   
earth7 is  only punished in the schools2
 all farther pains and inflictions being
  wholly remitted to divine justice4    
,and1 if a man may judge of the         
conscience by the countenance the       
ungrateful man is never without a       
canker at his heart2 his mind an aspect 
is sad and solicitous2 whereas  the     
other is always cheerful and serene4    
,as there are no laws extant against    

ingratitude1 so is it utterly           
impossible to contrive any1 that in all 
circumstances shall reach it4  ,if it   
were actionable1 there would not be     
courts enough in the whole  world to try
 the causes in4 ,there can be no setting
 a day for the  requiting of benefits as
 for the payment of money1 nor any      
estimate  upon the benefits themselves2 
but the whole matter rests in the       
conscience of both parties3 and then    
there are so many degrees of it1  that  
the same rule will never serve all4     
,beside that1 to proportion  it as the  
benefit is greater or less1 will be both
 impracticable and  without reason4 ,one
 good turn saves my life2 another1 my   
freedom1 or  peradventure my very soul4 
,how shall any law now suit a punishment
 to  an ingratitude under these         
differing degrees8 ,it must not be said 
in  benefits as in bonds1 ,pay what you 
owe4 ,how shall a man pay life1  health1
 credit1 security1 in kind8 ,there can  
be no set rule to bound  that infinite  

variety of cases1 which are more        
properly the subject of  humanity and   
religion than of law and public justice4
 ,there would be  disputes also about   
the benefit itself1 which must totally  
depend upon  the courtesy of the judge2 
for no law imaginable can set it forth4 
,one  man gives me an estate2 another   
only lends me a sword1 and that  sword  
preserves my life4 ,nay1 the very same  
thing1 several ways done1  changes the  
quality of the obligation4 ,a word1 a   
tone1 a look1 makes a  great alteration 
in the case4 ,how shall we judge then1  
and determine  a matter which does not  
depend upon the fact itself1 but upon   
the  force and intention of it8 ,some   
things are reputed benefits1 not for    
their value1 but because we desire them3
 and there are offices of as  much      
greater value1 that we do not reckon    
upon at all4 ,if ingratitude  were      
liable to a law1 we must never give but 
before witnesses1 which  would overthrow
 the dignity of the benefit3 and then   

the punishment  must either be equal    
where the crimes are unequal1 or else it
 must be  unrighteous1 so that blood    
must answer for blood4 ,he that is      
ungrateful  for my saving his life must 
forfeit his own4 ,and what can be more  
inhuman than that benefits should       
conclude in sanguinary events8 ,a  man  
saves my life1 and ,i am ungrateful for 
it4 ,shall ,i be punished  in my purse8 
that is too little2 if it be less than  
the benefit1 it  is unjust1 and it must 
be capital to be made equal to it4      
,there are1  moreover1 certain          
privileges granted to parents1 that can 
never be  reduced to a common rule4     
,their injuries may be cognizable1 but  
not  their benefits4 ,the diversity of  
cases is too large and intricate to  be 
brought within the prospect of a law3 so
 that it is much more  equitable to     
punish none than to punish all alike4   
,what if a man  follows a good office   
with an injury2 whether or no shall this
 quit  scores8 or who shall compare     

them1 and weigh the one against the     
other8  ,there is another thing yet     
which perhaps we do not dream of3 not   
one  man upon the face of the earth     
would escape1 and yet every man would   
expect to be his judge4 ,once again1 we 
are all of us ungrateful2 and  the      
number does not only take away the      
shame1 but gives authority and          
protection to the wickedness4    ,it is 
thought reasonable by some1 that there  
should be a law against  ingratitude2   
for1 say they1 it is common for one city
 to upbraid  another1 and to claim that 
of posterity which was bestowed upon    
their  ancestors2 but this is only      
clamor without reason4 ,it is objected  
by  others1 as a discouragement to good 
offices1 if men shall not be made       
answerable for them2 but ,i say1 on the 
other side1 that no man would  accept of
 a benefit upon those terms4 ,he that   
gives is prompted to it  by a goodness  
of mind1 and the generosity of the      
action is lessened  by the caution3 for 

it is his desire that the receiver      
should please  himself1 and owe no more 
than he thinks fit4 ,but what if this   
might  occasion fewer benefits1 so long 
as they would be franker8 nor is there  
any hurt in putting a check upon        
rashness and profusion4 ,in answer to   
this2 men will be careful enough when   
they oblige without a law3 nor is  it   
possible for a judge ever to set us     
right in it2 or indeed1 anything  else1 
but the faith of the receiver4 ,the     
honor of a benefit is this way          
preserved1 which is otherwise profaned1 
when it comes to the mercenary1  and    
made matter of contention4 ,we are even 
forward enough of ourselves  to wrangle1
 without necessary provocations4 ,it    
would be well1 ,i think1  if moneys     
might pass upon the same conditions with
 other benefits1 and  the payment       
remitted to the conscience1 without     
formalizing upon bills  and securities3 
but human wisdom has rather advised with
 convenience  than virtue2 and chosen   

rather to force honesty than expect it4 
,for  every paltry sum of money there   
must be bonds1 witnesses1 counterparts1 
powers1 etc41 which is no other than a  
shameful confession of fraud and        
wickedness1 when more credit is given to
 our seals than to our minds2  and      
caution taken lest he that has received 
the money should deny it4  ,were it not 
better now to be deceived by some than  
to suspect all8 what  is the difference1
 at this rate1 betwixt the benefactor   
and the usurer1  save only that in the  
benefactor's case there is nobody stands
 bound8          ,,seneca ,,of ,a       
,,happy ,,life4          ,,chapter ,i4  
,,of ,a ,,happy ,,life1 ,,and ,,wherein 
,,it ,,consists4      ,there is not any 
thing in this world1 perhaps1 that is   
more talked  of1 and less understood1   
than the business of a happy life4 ,it  
is  every man's wish and design2 and yet
 not one of a thousand that knows       
wherein that happiness consists4 ,we    
live1 however1 in a blind and eager     

pursuit of it2 and the more haste we    
make in a wrong way1 the further  we are
 from our journey's end4 ,let us        
therefore1 first1 consider  8what it is 
we should be at20 and1 secondly1 8which 
is the readiest  way to compass it40 ,if
 we be right1 we shall find every day   
how much  we improve2 but if we either  
follow the cry1 or the track1 of people 
that are out of the way1 we must expect 
to be misled1 and to continue  our days 
in wandering in error4 ,wherefore1 it   
highly concerns us to  take along with  
us a skilful guide2 for it is not in    
this1 as in other  voyages1 where the   
highway brings us to our place of       
repose2 or if  a man should happen to be
 out1 where the inhabitants might set   
him  right again3 but on the contrary1  
the beaten road is here the most        
dangerous1 and the people1 instead of   
helping us1 misguide us4 ,let  us not   
therefore follow1 like beasts1 but      
rather govern ourselves by  reason1 than
 by example4 ,it fares with us in human 

life as in a  routed army2 one stumbles 
first1 and then another falls upon him1 
and  so they follow1 one upon the neck  
of another1 until the whole field  comes
 to be but one heap of miscarriages4    
,and the mischief is1 8that  the number 
of the multitude carries it against     
truth and justice20 so  that we must    
leave the crowd1 if we would be happy3  
for the question  of a happy life is not
 to be decided by vote3 nay1 so far from
 it1  that plurality of voices is still 
an argument of the wrong2 the common    
people find it easier to believe than to
 judge1 and content themselves  with    
what is usual1 never examining whether  
it be good or not4 ,by the  common      
people is intended the man of title as  
well as the clouted  shoe3 for ,i do not
 distinguish them by the eye1 but by the
 mind1 which  is the proper judge of the
 man4 ,worldly felicity1 ,i know1 makes 
the  head giddy2 but if ever a man comes
 to himself again1 he will confess1     
that 8whatsoever he has done1 he wishes 

undone20 and that 8the things  he feared
 were better than those he prayed for40 
,the true felicity of life is to be free
 from perturbations1 to  understand our 
duties towards ,god and man3 to enjoy   
the present without  any anxious        
dependence upon the future4 ,not to     
amuse ourselves with  either hopes or   
fears1 but to rest satisfied with what  
we have1 which  is abundantly           
sufficient2 for he that is so1 wants    
nothing4 ,the great  blessings of       
mankind are within us1 and within our   
reach2 but we shut  our eyes1 and1 like 
people in the dark1 we fall foul upon   
the very  thing which we search for     
without finding it4 8,tranquillity is a 
certain equality of mind1 which no      
condition of fortune can either  exalt  
or depress40 ,nothing can make it less3 
for it is the state of  human           
perfection3 it raises us as high as we  
can go2 and makes every  man his own    
supporter2 whereas he that is borne up  
by any thing else  may fall4 ,he that   

judges aright1 and perseveres in it1    
enjoys a  perpetual calm3 he takes a    
true prospect of things2 he observes an 
order1 measure1 a decorum in all his    
actions2 he has a benevolence  in his   
nature2 he squares his life according to
 reason2 and draws to  himself love and 
admiration4 ,without a certain and an   
unchangeable  judgment1 all the rest is 
but fluctuation3 but 8he that always    
wills  and nills the same thing1 is     
undoubtedly in the right40 ,liberty and 
serenity of mind must necessarily ensue 
upon the mastering of those  things     
which either allure or affright us2 when
 instead of those flashy  pleasures1    
7which even at the best are both vain   
and hurtful together17  we shall find   
ourselves possessed of joy transporting 
and everlasting4  ,it must be a sound   
mind that makes a happy man2 there must 
be a  constancy in all conditions1 a    
care for the things of this world1 but  
without trouble2 and such an            
indifferency for the bounties of        

fortune1  that either with them1 or     
without them1 we may live contentedly4  
,there  must be neither lamentation1 nor
 quarrelling1 nor sloth1 nor fear2  for 
it makes a discord in a man's life4 8,he
 that fears1 serves40 ,the  joy of a    
wise man stands firm without            
interruption2 in all places1  at all    
times1 and in all conditions1 his       
thoughts are cheerful and  quiet4 ,as it
 never came in to him from without1 so  
it will never  leave him2 but it is born
 within him1 and inseparable from him4  
,it  is a solicitous life that is egged 
on with the hope of any thing1  though  
never so open and easy1 nay1 though a   
man should never suffer  any sort of    
disappointment4 ,i do not speak this    
either as a bar to the  fair enjoyment  
of lawful pleasures1 or to the gentle   
flatteries of  reasonable expectations3 
but1 on the contrary1 ,i would have men 
to be  always in good humor1 provided   
that it arises from their own souls1    
and be cherished in their own breasts4  

,other delights are trivial2  they may  
smooth the brow1 but they do not fill   
and affect the heart4  8,true joy is a  
serene and sober motion20 and they are  
miserably out  that take laughing for   
rejoicing4 ,the seat of it is within1   
and  there is no cheerfulness like the  
resolution of a brave mind1 that  has   
fortune under his feet4 ,he that can    
look death in the face1 and  bid it     
welcome2 open his door to poverty1 and  
bridle his appetites2  this is the man  
whom ,providence has established in the 
possession of  inviolable delights4 ,the
 pleasures of the vulgar are ungrounded1
 thin1  and superficial2 but the others 
are solid and eternal4 ,as the body     
itself is rather a necessary thing1 than
 a great2 so the comforts  of it are but
 temporary and vain2 beside that1       
without extraordinary  moderation1 their
 end is only pain and repentance2       
whereas a peaceful  conscience1 honest  
thoughts1 virtuous actions1 and an      
indifference for  casual events1 are    

blessings without end1 satiety1 or      
measure4 ,this  consummated state of    
felicity is only a submission to the    
dictate of  right nature2 8,the         
foundation of it is wisdom and virtue2  
the knowledge  of what we ought to do1  
and the conformity of the will to that  
knowledge40          ,,chapter ,,ii4    
,,human ,,happiness ,,is ,,founded      
,,upon ,,wisdom ,,and ,,virtue2 ,,and   
,,first1 ,,of ,,wisdom4      ,taking for
 granted that human happiness is founded
 upon wisdom and  virtue we shall treat 
of these two points in order as they    
lie3 and1  first1 of wisdom2 not in the 
latitude of its various operations but  
as it has only a regard to good life1   
and the happiness of mankind4    ,wisdom
 is a right understanding1 a faculty of 
discerning good from  evil2 what is to  
be chosen1 and what rejected2 a judgment
 grounded upon  the value of things1 and
 not the common opinion of them2 an     
equality  of force1 and a strength of   
resolution4 ,it sets a watch over our   

words and deeds1 it takes us up with the
 contemplation of the works  of nature1 
and makes us invincible by either good  
or evil fortune4 ,it  is large and      
spacious1 and requires a great deal of  
room to work in2  it ransacks heaven and
 earth2 it has for its object things    
past and  to come1 transitory and       
eternal4 ,it examines all the           
circumstances  of time2 8what it is1    
when it began1 and how long it will     
continue3  and so for the mind2 whence  
it came2 what it is2 when it begins2 how
  long it lasts2 whether or not it      
passes from one form to another1 or     
serves only one and wanders when it     
leaves us2 whether it abides in a  state
 of separation1 and what the action of  
it2 what use it makes of  its liberty2  
whether or not it retains the memory of 
things past1 and  comes to the knowledge
 of itself40 ,it is the habit of a      
perfect mind1  and the perfection of    
humanity1 raised as high as ,nature can 
carry it4  ,it differs from philosophy1 

as avarice and money2 the one desires1  
and the other is desired2 the one is the
 effect and the reward of the  other4   
,to be wise is the use of wisdom1 as    
seeing is the use of eyes1  and         
well-speaking the use of eloquence4 ,he 
that is perfectly wise is  perfectly    
happy2 nay1 the very beginning of wisdom
 makes life easy to  us4 ,neither is it 
enough to know this1 unless we print it 
in our minds  by daily meditation1 and  
so bring a good-will to a good habit4   
,and  we must practice what we preach3  
for philosophy is not a subject for     
popular ostentation2 nor does it rest in
 words1 but in things4 ,it is  not an   
entertainment taken up for delight1 or  
to give a taste to our  leisure2 but it 
fashions the mind1 governs our actions1 
tells us what  we are to do1 and what   
not4 ,it sits at the helm1 and guides us
 through  all hazards2 nay1 we cannot be
 safe without it1 for every hour gives  
us occasion to make use of it4 ,it      
informs us in all duties of life1  piety

 to our parents1 faith to our friends1  
charity to the miserable1  judgment in  
counsel2 it gives us peace by fearing   
nothing1 and  riches by coveting        
nothing4    ,there is no condition of   
life that excludes a wise man from      
discharging  his duty4 ,if his fortune  
be good1 he tempers it2 if bad1 he      
masters  it2 if he has an estate1 he    
will exercise his virtue in plenty2 if  
none1 in poverty3 if he cannot do it in 
his country1 he will do it in           
banishment2 if he has no command1 he    
will do the office of a common  soldier4
 ,some people have the skill of         
reclaiming the fiercest of  beasts2 they
 will make a lion embrace his keeper1 a 
tiger kiss him1  and an elephant kneel  
to him4 ,this is the case of a wise man 
in the  extremest difficulties2 let them
 be never so terrible in themselves1    
when they come to him once1 they are    
perfectly tame4 ,they that ascribe  the 
invention of tillage1 architecture1     
navigation1 etc41 to wise  men1 may     

perchance be in the right1 that they    
were invented by wise  men1 as wise men2
 for wisdom does not teach our fingers1 
but our  minds3 fiddling and dancing1   
arms and fortifications1 were the works 
of luxury and discord2 but wisdom       
instructs us in the way of nature1  and 
in the arts of unity and concord1 not in
 the instruments1 but in  the government
 of life2 not to make us live only1 but 
to live happily4  ,she teaches us what  
things are good1 what evil1 and what    
only appear  so2 and to distinguish     
betwixt true greatness and tumor4 ,she  
clears  our minds of dross and vanity2  
she raises up our thoughts to heaven1   
and carries them down to hell3 she      
discourses of the nature of the  soul1  
the powers and faculties of it2 the     
first principles of things2  the order  
of ,providence3 she exalts us from      
things corporeal to things  incorporeal1
 and retrieves the truth of all3 she    
searches nature1 gives  laws to life2   
and tells us1 8,that it is not enough to

 ,god1 unless we  obey him30 she looks  
upon all accidents as acts of           
,providence3 sets a  true value upon    
things2 delivers us from false opinions1
 and condemns  all pleasures that are   
attended with repentance4 ,she allows   
nothing  to be good that will not be so 
forever2 no man to be happy but that    
needs no other happiness than what he   
has within himself4 ,this is the        
felicity of human life2 a felicity that 
can neither be corrupted nor            
extinguished3 it inquires into the      
nature of the heavens1 the influence  of
 the stars2 how far they operate upon   
our minds and bodies3 which  thoughts1  
though they do not form our manners1    
they do yet raise and  dispose us for   
glorious things4    ,it is agreed upon  
all hands that 8right reason is the     
perfection of  human nature10 and wisdom
 only the dictate of it4 ,the greatness 
that  arises from it is solid and       
unmovable1 the resolutions of wisdom    
being  free1 absolute and constant2     

whereas folly is never long pleased with
  the same thing1 but still shifting of 
counsels and sick of itself4  ,there can
 be no happiness without constancy and  
prudence1 for a wise  man is to write   
without a blot1 and what he likes once  
he approves for  ever4 ,he admits of    
nothing that is either evil or slippery1
 but marches  without staggering or     
stumbling1 and is never surprised2 he   
lives  always true and steady to        
himself1 and whatsoever befalls him1    
this  great artificer of both fortunes  
turns to advantage2 he that demurs  and 
hesitates is not yet composed2 but      
wheresoever virtue interposes  upon the 
main1 there must be concord and consent 
in the parts2 for  all virtues are in   
agreement1 as well as all vices are at  
variance4 ,a  wise man1 in what         
condition soever he is will be still    
happy1 for he  subjects all things to   
himself1 because he submits himself to  
reason1  and governs his actions by     
council1 not by passion4    ,he is not  

moved with the utmost violence of       
fortune1 nor with the  extremities of   
fire and sword2 whereas a fool is afraid
 of his own  shadow1 and surprised at   
ill accidents1 as if they were all      
levelled at  him4 ,he does nothing      
unwillingly1 for whatever he finds      
necessary1 he  makes it his choice4 ,he 
propounds to himself the certain scope  
and end  of human life3 he follows that 
which conduces to it1 and avoids that   
which hinders it4 ,he is content with   
his lot whatever it be1 without  wishing
 what he has not1 though1 of the two1 he
 had rather abound than  want4 ,the     
great business of his life like that of 
nature1 is performed  without tumult or 
noise4 ,he neither fears danger or      
provokes it1 but  it is his caution1 not
 any want of courage--for captivity1    
wounds and  chains1 he only looks upon  
as false and lymphatic terrors4 ,he does
 not  pretend to go through with        
whatever he undertakes1 but to do that  
well  which he does4 ,arts are but the  

servants--wisdom commands--and where the
  matter fails it is none of the        
workman's fault4 ,he is cautelous in    
doubtful cases1 in prosperity temperate1
 and resolute in adversity1  still      
making the best of every condition and  
improving all occasions to  make them   
serviceable to his fate4 ,some accidents
 there are1 which ,i  confess may affect
 him1 but not overthrow him1 as bodily  
pains1 loss of  children and friends1   
the ruin and desolation of a man's      
country4 ,one  must be made of stone or 
iron1 not to be sensible of these       
calamities2  and1 beside1 it were no    
virtue to bear them1 if a body did not  
feel  them4    ,there are three degrees 
of proficients in the school of wisdom4 
,the first are those that come within   
sight of it1 but not up to  it--they    
have learned what they ought to do1 but 
they have not put  their knowledge in   
practice--they are past the hazard of a 
relapse1 but  they have still the       
grudges of a disease1 though they are   

out of the  danger of it4 ,by a disease 
,i do understand an obstinacy in evil1  
or an  ill habit1 that makes us over    
eager upon things which are either not  
much to be desired1 or not at all4 ,a   
second sort are those that have         
subjected their appetites for a season1 
but are yet in fear of falling  back4 ,a
 third sort are those that are clear of 
many vices but not of  all4 ,they are   
not covetous1 but perhaps they are      
choleric--nor lustful1  but perchance   
ambitious2 they are firm enough in some 
cases but weak  enough in others3 there 
are many that despise death and yet     
shrink at  pain4 ,there are diversities 
in wise men1 but no inequalities--one is
  more affable1 another more ready1 a   
third a better speaker2 but the         
felicity of them all is equal4 ,it is in
 this as in heavenly bodies1  there is a
 certain state in greatness4    ,in     
civil and domestic affairs1 a wise man  
may stand in need of  counsel1 as of a  
physician1 an advocate1 a solicitor2 but

 in greater  matters1 the blessing of   
wise men rests in the joy they take in  
the  communication of their virtues4 ,if
 there were nothing else in it1 a  man  
would apply himself to wisdom1 because  
it settles him in a perfect             
tranquillity of mind4          ,,chapter
 ,,iii4    ,,there ,,can ,,be ,,no      
,,happiness ,,without ,,virtue4         
,virtue is that perfect good which is   
the complement of a happy life2  the    
only immortal thing that belongs to     
mortality--it is the knowledge  both of 
others and itself--it is an invincible  
greatness of mind1 not  to be elevated  
or dejected with good or ill fortune4   
,it is sociable  and gentle1 free1      
steady1 and fearless1 content within    
itself1 full of  inexhaustible delights1
 and it is valued for itself4 ,one may  
be a good  physician1 a good governor1 a
 good grammarian1 without being a good  
man1 so that all things from without are
 only accessories1 for the seat  of it  
is a pure and holy mind4 ,it consists in

 a congruity of actions  which we can   
never expect so long as we are          
distracted by our passions3  not but    
that a man may be allowed to change     
color and countenance1 and  suffer such 
impressions as are properly a kind of   
natural force upon  the body1 and not   
under the dominion of the mind2 but all 
this while  ,i will have his judgment   
firm1 and he shall act steadily and     
boldly1  without wavering betwixt the   
motions of his body and those of his    
mind4    ,it is not a thing indifferent1
 ,i know1 whether a man lies at ease    
upon  a bed1 or in torment upon a       
wheel--and yet the former may be the    
worse  of the two if he suffer the      
latter with honor1 and enjoy the other  
with infamy4 ,it is not the matter1 but 
the virtue1 that makes the  action good 
or ill2 and he that is led in triumph   
may be yet greater  than his conqueror4 
,when we come once to value our flesh   
above our honesty we are lost3  and yet 
,i would not press upon dangers1 no1 not

 so much as upon  inconveniences1 unless
 where the man and the brute come in    
competition2  and in such a case1 rather
 than make a forfeiture of my credit1 my
  reason1 or my faith1 ,i would run all 
extremities4    ,they are great         
blessings to have tender parents1       
dutiful children1 and  to live under a  
just and well-ordered government4 ,now1 
would it not  trouble even a virtuous   
man to see his children butchered before
 his  eyes1 his father made a slave1 and
 his country overrun by a barbarous     
enemy8 ,there is a great difference     
betwixt the simple loss of a  blessing  
and the succeeding of a great mischief  
in the place of it1  over and above4    
,the loss of health is followed with    
sickness1 and the  loss of sight with   
blindness2 but this does not hold in the
 loss of  friends and children1 where   
there is rather something to the        
contrary  to supply that loss3 that is  
to say1 virtue1 which fills the mind1   
and takes away the desire of what we    

have not4 ,what matters it whether  the 
water be stopped or not1 so long as the 
fountain is safe8 ,is a man  ever the   
wiser for a multitude of friends1 or the
 more foolish for the  loss of them8 so 
neither is he the happier1 nor the more 
miserable4  ,short life1 grief and pain 
are accessions that have no effect at   
all  upon virtue4 ,it consists in the   
action and not in the things we do--in  
the choice itself1 and not in the       
subject-matter of it4 ,it is not a      
despicable body or condition1 nor       
poverty1 infamy or scandal1 that  can   
obscure the glories of virtue2 but a man
 may see her through all  oppositions3  
and he that looks diligently into the   
state of a wicked  man will see the     
canker at his heart1 through all the    
false and  dazzling splendors of        
greatness and fortune4 ,we shall then   
discover  our childishness1 in setting  
our hearts upon things trivial and      
contemptible1 and in the selling of our 
very country and parents for  a rattle4 

,and what is the difference 7in effect7 
betwixt old men  and children1 but that 
the one deals in paintings and statues1 
and the other in babies1 so that we     
ourselves are only the more  expensive  
fools4    ,if one could but see the mind
 of a good man1 as it is illustrated    
with  virtue2 the beauty and the majesty
 of it1 which is a dignity not so  much 
as to be thought of without love and    
veneration--would not a man  bless      
himself at the sight of such an object  
as at the encounter of  some            
supernatural power--a power so          
miraculous that it is a kind of  charm  
upon the souls of those that are truly  
affected with it4 ,there  is so         
wonderful a grace and authority in it   
that even the worst of men  approve it1 
and set up for the reputation of being  
accounted virtuous  themselves4 ,they   
covet the fruit indeed1 and the profit  
of wickedness2  but they hate and are   
ashamed of the imputation of it4 ,it is 
by an  impression of ,nature that all   

men have a reverence for virtue--they   
know it and they have a respect for it  
though they do not practice  it--nay1   
for the countenance of their very       
wickedness1 they miscall it  virtue4    
,their injuries they call benefits1 and 
expect a man should  thank them for     
doing him a mischief--they cover their  
most notorious  iniquities with a       
pretext of justice4    ,he that robs    
upon the highway had rather find his    
booty than force  it2 ask any of them   
that live upon rapine1 fraud1           
oppression1 if they  had not rather     
enjoy a fortune honestly gotten1 and    
their consciences  will not suffer them 
to deny it4 ,men are vicious only for   
the proof of  villainy2 for at the same 
time that they commit it they condemn   
it2  nay1 so powerful is virtue1 and so 
gracious is ,providence1 that every  man
 has a light set up within him for a    
guide1 which we do1 all of  us1 both see
 and acknowledge1 though we do not      
pursue it4 ,this it is  that makes the  

prisoner upon the torture happier than  
the executioner1  and sickness better   
than health1 if we bear it without      
yielding or  repining--this it is that  
overcomes ill-fortune and moderates     
good--for  it marches betwixt the one   
and the other1 with an equal contempt   
for  both4 ,it turns 7like fire7 all    
things into itself1 our actions and our 
friendships are tinctured with it1 and  
whatever it touches becomes  amiable4   
,that which is frail and mortal rises   
and falls1 grows1 wastes1 and  varies   
from itself2 but the state of things    
divine is always the same2  and so is   
virtue1 let the matter be what it will4 
,it is never the worse  for the         
difficulty of the action1 nor the better
 for the easiness of  it4 ,it is the    
same in a rich man as in a poor2 in a   
sickly man as in a  sound2 in a strong  
as in a weak2 the virtue of the besieged
 is as great  as that of the besiegers4 
,there are some virtues1 ,i confess1    
which a  good man cannot be without1 and

 yet he had rather have no occasion to  
employ them4 ,if there were any         
difference1 ,i should prefer the virtues
  of patience before those of pleasure2 
for it is braver to break through       
difficulties than to temper our         
delights4 ,but though the subject of    
virtue may possibly be against nature1  
as to be burnt or wounded1 yet  the     
virtue itself of an invincible patience 
is according to nature4  ,we may seem1  
perhaps1 to promise more than human     
nature is able to  perform2 but we speak
 with a respect to the mind1 and not to 
the body4    ,if a man does not live up 
to his own rules1 it is something yet to
 have  virtuous meditations and good    
purposes1 even without acting2 it is    
generous1 the very adventure of being   
good1 and the bare proposal of  an      
eminent course of life1 though beyond   
the force of human frailty to           
accomplish4 ,there is something of honor
 yet in the miscarriage2 nay1  in the   
naked contemplation of it4 ,i would     

receive my own death with as  little    
trouble as ,i would hear of another     
man's2 ,i would bear the same  mind     
whether ,i be rich or poor1 whether ,i  
get or lose in the world2  what ,i have1
 ,i will neither sordidly spare1 or     
prodigally squander  away1 and ,i will  
reckon upon benefits well-placed as the 
fairest part  of my possession3 not     
valuing them by number or weight1 but by
 the  profit and esteem of the receiver2
 accounting myself never the poorer  for
 that which ,i give to a worthy person4 
,what ,i do shall be done for           
conscience1 not ostentation4 ,i will eat
 and drink1 not to gratify my  palate1  
or only to fill and empty1 but to       
satisfy nature3 ,i will be  cheerful to 
my friends1 mild and placable to my     
enemies3 ,i will prevent  an honest     
request if ,i can foresee it1 and ,i    
will grant it without  asking3 ,i will  
look upon the whole world as my country1
 and upon the  gods1 both as the        
witnesses and the judges of my words and

 deeds4 ,i  will live and die with this 
testimony1 that ,i loved good studies1  
and a  good conscience2 that ,i never   
invaded another man's liberty2 and that 
,i preserved my own4 ,i will govern my  
life and my thoughts as if the  whole   
world were to see the one1 and to read  
the other2 for 8what does  it signify to
 make anything a secret to my neighbor1 
when to ,god 7who  is the searcher of   
our hearts7 all our privacies are open80
    ,virtue is divided into two parts1  
contemplation and action4 ,the  one is  
delivered by institution1 the other by  
admonition3 one part of  virtue consists
 in discipline1 the other in exercise3  
for we must first  learn1 and then      
practice4 ,the sooner we begin to apply 
ourselves to  it1 and the more haste we 
make1 the longer shall we enjoy the     
comforts  of a rectified mind2 nay1 we  
have the fruition of it in the very act 
of forming it3 but it is another sort of
 delight1 ,i must confess1  that arises 
from a contemplation of a soul which is 

advanced into the  possession of wisdom 
and virtue4 ,if it was so great a       
comfort to us  to pass from the         
subjection of our childhood into a state
 of liberty  and business1 how much     
greater will it be when we come to cast 
off the  boyish levity of our minds1 and
 range ourselves among the philosophers8
  ,we are past our minority1 it is true1
 but not our indiscretions2  and1 which 
is yet worse1 we have the authority of  
seniors1 and the  weaknesses of         
children1 7,i might have said of        
infants1 for every little  thing frights
 the one1 and every trivial fancy the   
other47 ,whoever  studies this point    
well will find that many things are the 
less to  be feared the more terrible    
they appear4 ,to think anything good    
that  is not honest1 were to reproach   
,providence2 for good men suffer many   
inconveniences2 but virtue1 like the    
sun1 goes on still with her work1  let  
the air be never so cloudy1 and finishes
 her course1 extinguishing  likewise all

 other splendors and oppositions2       
insomuch that calamity is  no more to a 
virtuous mind1 than a shower into the   
sea4 ,that which is  right1 is not to be
 valued by quantity1 number1 or time2 a 
life  of a day may be as honest as a    
life of a hundred years3 but yet virtue 
in one man may have a larger field to   
show itself in than in another4  ,one   
man1 perhaps1 may be in a station to    
administer unto cities and  kingdoms2 to
 contrive good laws1 create friendships1
 and do beneficial  offices to mankind4 
,for virtue is open to all2 as well to  
servants and exiles1 as to  princes3 it 
is profitable to the world and to       
itself1 at all distances  and in all    
conditions2 and there is no difficulty  
can excuse a man from  the exercise of  
it2 and it is only to be found in a wise
 man1 though  there may be some faint   
resemblances of it in the common people4
 ,the  ,stoics hold all virtues to be   
equal2 but yet there is great variety   
in the matter they have to work upon1   

according as it is larger or  narrower1 
illustrious or less noble1 of more or   
less extent2 as all  good men are equal1
 that is to say1 as they are good2 but  
yet one may  be young1 another old2 one 
may be rich1 another poor2 one eminent  
and  powerful1 another unknown and      
obscure4 ,there are many things which   
have  little or no grace in themselves1 
and are yet glorious and remarkable  by 
virtue4 ,nothing can be good which gives
 neither greatness nor  security to the 
mind2 but1 on the contrary1 infects it  
with insolence1  arrogance1 and tumor3  
nor does virtue dwell upon the tip of   
the tongue1  but in the temple of a     
purified heart4 ,he that depends upon   
any other  good becomes covetous of     
life1 and what belongs to it2 which     
exposes a  man to appetites that are    
vast1 unlimited1 and intolerable4       
,virtue is  free and indefatigable1 and 
accompanied with concord and            
gracefulness2  whereas pleasure is mean1
 servile1 transitory1 tiresome1 and     

sickly  and scarce outlives the tasting 
of it3 it is the good of the belly1  and
 not of the man2 and only the felicity  
of brutes4 ,who does not know  that     
fools enjoy their pleasures1 and that   
there is great variety in  the          
entertainments of wickedness8 ,nay1 the 
mind itself has its variety  of perverse
 pleasures as well as the body3 as      
insolence1 self-conceit1  pride1        
garrulity1 laziness1 and the abusive wit
 of turning everything  into ridicule1  
whereas virtue weighs all this1 and     
corrects it4 ,it is  the knowledge both 
of others and of itself2 it is to be    
learned from  itself2 and the very will 
itself may be taught2 which will cannot 
be  right1 unless the whole habit of the
 mind be right from whence the will     
comes4 ,it is by the impulse of virtue  
that we love virtue1 so that the  very  
way to virtue1 lies by virtue1 which    
takes in also1 at a view1 the  laws of  
human life4    ,neither are we to value 
ourselves upon a day1 or an hour1 or any

 one  action1 but upon the whole habit  
of the mind4 ,some men do one thing     
bravely1 but not another2 they will     
shrink at infamy1 and bear up  against  
poverty3 in this case1 we commend the   
fact1 and despise the  man4 ,the soul is
 never in the right place until it be   
delivered from  the cares of human      
affairs2 we must labor and climb the    
hill1 if we  will arrive at virtue1     
whose seat is upon the top of it4 ,he   
that  masters avarice1 and is truly     
good1 stands firm against ambition2 he  
looks upon his last hour not as a       
punishment1 but as the equity of a      
common fate2 he that subdues his carnal 
lusts shall easily keep himself         
untainted with any other3 so that reason
 does not encounter this or  that vice  
by itself1 but beats down all at a blow4
 ,what does he care  for ignominy that  
only values himself upon conscience1 and
 not opinion8  ,socrates looked a       
scandalous death in the face with the   
same constancy  that he had before      

practiced towards the thirty tyrants3   
his virtue  consecrated the very        
dungeon3 as ,cato's repulse was ,cato's 
honor1 and  the reproach of the         
government4 ,he that is wise will take  
delight even  in an ill opinion that is 
well gotten2 it is ostentation1 not     
virtue1  when a man will have his good  
deeds published2 and it is not enough   
to be just where there is honor to be   
gotten1 but to continue so1 in  defiance
 of infamy and danger4    ,but virtue   
cannot lie hid1 for the time will come  
that shall raise it  again 7even after  
it is buried7 and deliver it from the   
malignity of  the age that oppressed it3
 immortal glory is the shadow of it1 and
  keeps it company whether we will or   
not2 but sometimes the shadow  goes     
before the substance1 and other whiles  
it follows it2 and the  later it comes1 
the larger it is1 when even envy itself 
shall have  given way to it4 ,it was a  
long time that ,democritus was taken for
 a  madman1 and before ,socrates had any

 esteem in the world4 ,how long was  it 
before ,cato could be understood8 ,nay1 
he was affronted1 contemned1  and       
rejected2 and the people never knew the 
value of him until they had  lost him3  
the integrity and courage of mad        
,rutilius had been forgotten  but for   
his sufferings4 ,i speak of those that  
fortune has made famous  for their      
persecutions3 and there are others also 
that the world never  took notice of    
until they were dead2 as ,epicurus and  
,metrodorus1 that  were almost wholly   
unknown1 even in the place where they   
lived4 ,now1 as  the body is to be kept 
in upon the down-hill1 and forced       
upwards1 so  there are some virtues that
 require the rein and others the spur4  
,in  liberality1 temperance1 gentleness 
of nature1 we are to check  ourselves   
for fear of falling2 but in patience1   
resolutions1 and  perseverance1 where we
 are to mount the hill1 we stand in need
 of  encouragement4 ,upon this division 
of the matter1 ,i had rather steer the  

smoother course than pass through the   
experiments of sweat and blood3  ,i know
 it is my duty to be content in all     
conditions2 but yet1 if it  were at my  
election1 ,i would choose the fairest4  
,when a man comes once  to stand in need
 of fortune1 his life is anxious1       
suspicious1 timorous1  dependent upon   
every moment1 and in fear of all        
accidents4 ,how can that  man resign    
himself to ,god1 or bear his lot1       
whatever it be1 without  murmuring1 and 
cheerfully submit to ,providence1 that  
shrinks at every  motion of pleasure or 
pain8 ,it is virtue alone that raises us
 above  griefs1 hopes1 fears and        
chances2 and makes us not only patient1 
but  willing1 as knowing that whatever  
we suffer is according to the decree  of
 ,heaven4 ,he that is overcome with     
pleasure1 7so contemptible and  weak an 
enemy7 what will become of him when he  
comes to grapple with  dangers1         
necessities1 torments1 death1 and the   
dissolution of nature  itself8 ,wealth1 

honor1 and favor1 may come upon a man by
 chance2 nay1  they may be cast upon him
 without so much as looking after them3 
but  virtue is the work of industry and 
labor2 and certainly it is worth the    
while to purchase that good which brings
 all others along with it4 ,a  good man 
is happy within himself1 and independent
 upon fortune3 kind  to his friend1     
temperate to his enemy1 religiously     
just1 indefatigably  laborious2 and he  
discharges all duties with a constancy  
and congruity  of actions4              
,,chapter ,,iv4    ,,philosophy ,,is    
,,the ,,guide ,,of ,,life4      ,if it  
be true1 that the understanding and the 
will are the two  eminent faculties of  
the reasonable soul1 it follows         
necessarily1  that wisdom and virtue1   
7which are the best improvements of     
these  two faculties17 must be the      
perfection also of our reasonable being2
  and consequently1 the undeniable      
foundation of a happy life4 ,there  is  
not any duty to which ,providence has   

not annexed a blessing2 nor  any        
institution of ,heaven which1 even in   
this life1 we may not be the  better    
for2 not any temptation1 either of      
fortune or of appetite1 that  is not    
subject to our reason2 nor any passion  
or affliction for which  virtue has not 
provided a remedy4 ,so that it is our   
own fault if we  either fear or hope for
 anything2 which two affections are the 
root of  all our miseries4 ,from this   
general prospect of the foundation of   
our  tranquillity1 we shall pass by     
degrees to a particular consideration   
of the means by which it may be         
procured1 and of the impediments  that  
obstruct it2 beginning with that        
philosophy which principally  regards   
our manners1 and instructs us in the    
measures of a virtuous and  quiet life4 
,philosophy is divided into moral1      
natural1 and rational3 the  first       
concerns our manners2 the second        
searches the works of  ,nature2 and the 
third furnishes us with propriety of    

words and  arguments1 and the faculty of
 distinguishing1 that we may not be     
imposed upon with tricks and fallacies4 
,the causes of things fall  under       
natural philosophy1 arguments under     
rational1 and actions  under moral4     
,moral philosophy is again divided into 
matter of  justice1 which arises from   
the estimation of things and of men2 and
  into affections and actions2 and a    
failing in any one of these1  disorders 
all the rest3 for what does it profit us
 to know the true  value of things1 if  
we be transported by our passion8 or to 
master our  appetites without           
understanding the when1 the what1 the   
how1  and other circumstances of our    
proceedings8 ,for it is one thing to    
know the rate and dignity of things1 and
 another to know the little  nicks and  
springs of acting4 ,natural philosophy  
is conversant about  things corporeal   
and incorporeal2 the disquisition of    
causes and  effects1 and the            
contemplation of the cause of causes4   

,rational  philosophy is divided into   
logic and rhetoric2 the one looks after 
words1 sense1 and order2 the other      
treats barely of words1  and the        
significations of them4 ,socrates places
 all philosophy in  morals2 and wisdom  
in the distinguishing of good and evil4 
,it is the art and law of life1 and it  
teaches us what to do in all  cases1    
and1 like good marksmen1 to hit the     
white at any distance4 ,the  force of it
 is incredible2 for it gives us in the  
weakness of a man  the security of a    
spirit3 in sickness it is as good as a  
remedy to  us2 for whatsoever eases the 
mind is profitable also to the body4    
,the  physician may prescribe diet and  
exercise1 and accommodate his rule  and 
medicine to the disease1 but it is      
philosophy that must bring  us to a     
contempt of death1 which is the remedy  
of all diseases4 ,in  poverty it gives  
us riches1 or such a state of mind as   
makes them  superfluous to us4 ,it arms 
us against all difficulties3 one man is 

pressed with death1 another with        
poverty2 some with envy1 others are     
offended at ,providence1 and unsatisfied
 with the condition of mankind3  but    
philosophy prompts us to relieve the    
prisoner1 the infirm1 the  necessitous1 
the condemned2 to show the ignorant     
their errors1 and  rectify their        
affections4 ,it makes us inspect and    
govern our manners2  it rouses us where 
we are faint and drowsy3 it binds up    
what is loose1  and humbles in us that  
which is contumacious3 it delivers the  
mind  from the bondage of the body1 and 
raises it up to the contemplation of    
its divine original4 ,honors1 monuments1
 and all the works of vanity  and       
ambition are demolished and destroyed by
 time2 but the reputation  of wisdom is 
venerable to posterity1 and those that  
were envied or  neglected in their lives
 are adored in their memories1 and      
exempted  from the very laws of created 
nature1 which has set bounds to all     
other  things4 ,the very shadow of glory

 carries a man of honor upon all        
dangers1 to the contempt of fire and    
sword2 and it were a shame if  right    
reason should not inspire as generous   
resolutions into a man of  virtue4      
,neither is philosophy only profitable  
to the public1 but one wise man  helps  
another1 even in the exercise of the    
virtues2 and the one has  need of the   
other1 both for conversation and        
counsel2 for they kindle a  mutual      
emulation in good offices4 ,we are not  
so perfect yet1 but that  many new      
things remain still to be found out1    
which will give us the  reciprocal      
advantages of instructing one another3  
for as one wicked man  is contagious to 
another1 and the more vices are mingled1
 the worse it  is1 so is it on the      
contrary with good men and their        
virtues4 ,as men  of letters are the    
most useful and excellent of friends1 so
 are they  the best of subjects2 as     
being better judges of the blessings    
they  enjoy under a well-ordered        

government1 and of what they owe to the 
magistrate for their freedom and        
protection4 ,they are men of sobriety   
and learning1 and free from boasting and
 insolence2 they reprove the  vice      
without reproaching the person2 for they
 have learned to be  without either pomp
 or envy4 ,that which we see in high    
mountains1  we find in philosophers2    
they seem taller near at hand than at a 
distance4 ,they are raised above other  
men1 but their greatness is             
substantial4 ,nor do they stand upon    
tiptoe1 that they may seem higher  than 
they are1 but1 content with their own   
stature1 they reckon  themselves tall   
enough when fortune cannot reach them4  
,their laws are  short1 and yet         
comprehensive too1 for they bind all4   
,it is the bounty of nature that we     
live2 but of philosophy that  we live   
well1 which is in truth a greater       
benefit than life itself4  ,not but that
 philosophy is also the gift of ,heaven1
 so far as to  the faculty1 but not to  

the science2 for that must be the       
business  of industry4 ,no man is born  
wise2 but wisdom and virtue require a   
tutor1 though we can easily learn to be 
vicious without a master4 ,it  is       
philosophy that gives us a veneration   
for ,god1 a charity for our  neighbor1  
that teaches us our duty to ,heaven1 and
 exhorts us to an  agreement one with   
another2 it unmasks things that are     
terrible to us1  assuages our lusts1    
refutes our errors1 restrains our       
luxury1 reproves  our avarice1 and works
 strangely upon tender natures4 ,i could
 never  hear ,attalus 7says ,seneca7    
upon the vices of the age and the errors
  of life1 without a compassion for     
mankind2 and in his discourses  upon    
poverty1 there was something methought  
that was more than human4  8,more than  
we use10 says he1 8is more than we need1
 and only a burden  to the bearer40     
,that saying of his put me out of       
countenance at the  superfluities of my 
own fortune4 ,and so in his invectives  

against vain  pleasures1 he did at such 
a rate advance the felicities of a sober
  table1 a pure mind1 and a chaste body 
that a man could not hear him  without a
 love for continence and moderation4    
,upon these lectures of  his1 ,i denied 
myself1 for a while after1 certain      
delicacies that ,i had  formerly used3  
but in a short time ,i fell to them     
again1 though so  sparingly1 that the   
proportion came little short of a total 
abstinence4    ,now1 to show you 7says  
our author7 how much earnester my       
entrance upon  philosophy was than my   
progress1 my tutor ,sotion gave me a    
wonderful  kindness for ,pythagoras1 and
 after him for ,sextius3 the former     
forbore  shedding of blood upon his     
metempsychosis3 and put men in fear of  
it1  lest they should offer violence to 
the souls of some of their departed     
friends or relations4 8,whether10 says  
he1 8there be a transmigration or  not2 
if it be true1 there is no hurt2 if     
false1 there is frugality3 and  nothing 

is gotten by cruelty neither1 but the   
cozening a wolf1 perhaps1  or a vulture1
 of a supper40    ,now1 ,sextius        
abstained upon another account1 which   
was1 that he  would not have men inured 
to hardness of heart by the laceration  
and  tormenting of living creatures2    
beside1 8that ,nature had sufficiently  
provided for the sustenance of mankind  
without blood40 ,this wrought  upon me  
so far that ,i gave over eating of      
flesh1 and in one year ,i  made it not  
only easy to me but pleasant2 my mind   
methought was more  at liberty1 7and ,i 
am still of the same opinion17 but ,i   
gave it over  nevertheless2 and the     
reason was this3 it was imputed as a    
superstition  to the ,jews1 the         
forbearance of some sorts of flesh1 and 
my father  brought me back again to my  
old custom1 that ,i might not be thought
  tainted with their superstition4 ,nay1
 and ,i had much ado to prevail  upon   
myself to suffer it too4 ,i make use of 
this instance to show the  aptness of   

youth to take good impressions1 if there
 be a friend at hand  to press them4    
,philosophers are the tutors of mankind2
 if they have  found out remedies for   
the mind1 it must be our part to employ 
them4  ,i cannot think of ,cato1        
,lelius1 ,socrates1 ,plato1 without     
veneration3  their very names are sacred
 to me4 ,philosophy is the health of the
  mind2 let us look to that health      
first1 and in the second place to  that 
of the body1 which may be had upon      
easier terms2 for a strong  arm1 a      
robust constitution1 or the skill of    
procuring this1 is not a  philosopher's 
business4 ,he does some things as a wise
 man1 and other  things as he is a man2 
and he may have strength of body as well
 as of  mind2 but if he runs1 or casts  
the sledge1 it were injurious to ascribe
  that to his wisdom which is common to 
the greatest of fools4 ,he studies      
rather to fill his mind than his        
coffers2 and he knows that gold and     
silver were mingled with dirt1 until    

avarice or ambition parted them4  ,his  
life is ordinate1 fearless1 equal1      
secure2 he stands firm in all           
extremities1 and bears the lot of his   
humanity with a divine temper4  ,there  
is a great difference betwixt the       
splendor of philosophy and  of fortune2 
the one shines with an original light1  
the other with a  borrowed one2 beside  
that it makes us happy and immortal3 for
 learning  shall outlive palaces and    
monuments4 ,the house of a wise man is  
safe1  though narrow2 there is neither  
noise nor furniture in it1 no porter  at
 the door1 nor anything that is either  
vendible or mercenary1 nor any  business
 of fortune1 for she has nothing to do  
where she has nothing  to look after4   
,this is the way to ,heaven which       
,nature has chalked out1  and it is both
 secure and pleasant2 there needs no    
train of servants1  no pomp or equipage1
 to make good our passage2 no money or  
letters of  credit1 for expenses upon   
the voyage2 but the graces of an honest 

mind  will serve us upon the way1 and   
make us happy at our journey's end4     
,to tell you my opinion now of the      
liberal sciences2 ,i have no great      
esteem for any thing that terminates in 
profit or money2 and yet ,i  shall allow
 them to be so far beneficial1 as they  
only prepare the  understanding without 
detaining it4 ,they are but the         
rudiments  of wisdom1 and only then to  
be learned when the mind is capable of  
nothing better1 and the knowledge of    
them is better worth the keeping  than  
the acquiring4 ,they do not so much as  
pretend to the making of  us virtuous1  
but only to give us an aptitude of      
disposition to be  so4 ,the grammarian's
 business lies in a syntax of speech2 or
 if  he proceed to history1 or the      
measuring of a verse1 he is at  the end 
of his line2 but what signifies a       
congruity of periods1 the  computing of 
syllables1 or the modifying of numbers1 
to the taming  of our passions1 or the  
repressing of our lusts8 ,the           

philosopher  proves the body of the sun 
to be large1 but for the true dimensions
  of it we must ask the mathematician3  
geometry and music1 if  they do not     
teach us to master our hopes and fears1 
all the rest is  to little purpose4     
,what does it concern us which was the  
elder of the  two1 ,homer or ,hesiod8 or
 which was the taller1 ,helen or        
,hecuba8 ,we  take a great deal of pains
 to trace ,ulysses in his wanderings1   
but  were it not time as well spent to  
look to ourselves that we may not       
wander at all8 ,are not we ourselves    
tossed with tempestuous passions8  and  
both assaulted by terrible monsters on  
the one hand1 and  tempted by syrens on 
the other8 ,teach me my duty to my      
country1 to  my father1 to my wife1 to  
mankind4 ,what is it to me whether      
,penelope  was honest or not8 teach me  
to know how to be so myself1 and to     
live according to that knowledge4 ,what 
am ,i the better for putting so  many   
parts together in music1 and raising a  

harmony out of so many  different tones8
 teach me to tune my affections1 and to 
hold constant  to myself4 ,geometry     
teaches me the art of measuring acres2  
teach  me to measure my appetites1 and  
to know when ,i have enough2 teach  me  
to divide with my brother1 and to       
rejoice in the prosperity of my         
neighbor4 ,you teach me how ,i may hold 
my own1 and keep my estate2 but  ,i     
would rather learn how ,i may lose it   
all1 and yet be contented4 8,it  is     
hard10 you will say1 8for a man to be   
forced from the fortune of his  family40
 ,this estate1 it is true1 was my       
father's2 but whose was it  in the time 
of my grandfather8 ,i do not only say1  
what man's was  it8 but what nation's8  
,the astrologer tells me of ,saturn and 
,mars  in opposition2 but ,i say1 let   
them be as they will1 their courses  and
 their positions are ordered them by an 
unchangeable decree of  fate4 ,either   
they produce and point out the effects  
of all things1 or  else they signify    

them2 if the former1 what are we the    
better for the  knowledge of that which 
must of necessity come to pass8 ,if the 
latter1  what does it avail us to       
foresee what we cannot avoid8 ,so that  
whether  we know or not know1 the event 
will still be the same4    ,he that     
designs the institution of human life   
should not be  over-curious of his      
words2 it does not stand with his       
dignity to be  solicitous about sounds  
and syllables1 and to debase the mind of
  man with trivial things2 placing      
wisdom in matters that are rather       
difficult than great4 ,if it be         
eloquent1 it is his good fortune1  not  
his business4 ,subtle disputations are  
only the sport of wits1  that play upon 
the catch1 and are fitter to be         
contemned than resolved4  ,were not ,i a
 madman to sit wrangling about words1   
and putting of  nice and impertinent    
questions1 when the enemy has already   
made the  breach1 the town fired over my
 head1 and the mine ready to play that  

shall blow me up into the air8 were this
 a time for fooleries8 ,let me  rather  
fortify myself against death and        
inevitable necessities2 let  me         
understand that the good of life does   
not consist in the length or  space1 but
 in the use of it4 ,when ,i go to sleep1
 who knows whether  ,i shall ever wake  
again8 and when ,i wake1 whether ever ,i
 shall  sleep again8 ,when ,i go abroad1
 whether ever ,i shall come home  again8
 and when ,i return1 whether ever ,i    
shall go abroad again8 ,it  is not at   
sea only that life and death are within 
a few inches one of  another2 but they  
are as near everywhere else too1 only we
 do not take  so much notice of it4     
,what have we to do with frivolous and  
captious  questions1 and impertinent    
niceties8 ,let us rather study how to   
deliver  ourselves from sadness1 fear1  
and the burden of all our secret lusts3 
let us pass over all our most solemn    
levities1 and make haste to a  good     
life1 which is a thing that presses us4 

,shall a man that goes  for a midwife1  
stand gaping upon a post to see what    
play to-day8  or1 when his house is on  
fire1 stay the curling of a periwig     
before  he calls for help8 ,our houses  
are on fire1 our country invaded1 our   
goods taken away1 our children in       
danger2 and1 ,i might add to these1  the
 calamities of earthquakes1 shipwrecks1 
and whatever else is most  terrible4 ,is
 this a time for us now to be playing   
fast and loose with  idle questions1    
which are in effect so many unprofitable
 riddles8 ,our  duty is the cure of the 
mind rather than the delight of it2 but 
we have  only the words of wisdom       
without the works2 and turn philosophy  
into a  pleasure that was given for a   
remedy4 ,what can be more ridiculous    
than  for a man to neglect his manners  
and compose his style8 ,we are  sick and
 ulcerous1 and must be lanced and       
scarified1 and every man has  as much   
business within himself as a physician  
in a common pestilence4  8,misfortunes10

 in fine1 8cannot be avoided2 but they  
may be sweetened1  if not overcome2 and 
our lives may be made happy by          
philosophy40          ,,chapter ,v4     
,,the ,,force ,,of ,,precepts4          
,there seems to be so near an affinity  
betwixt wisdom1 philosophy1  and good   
counsels1 that it is rather matter of   
curiosity than of  profit to divide     
them2 philosophy1 being only a limited  
wisdom2  and good counsels a            
communication of that wisdom1 for the   
good of  others1 as well as of          
ourselves2 and to posterity1 as well as 
to  the present4 ,the wisdom of the     
ancients1 as to the government of  life1
 was no more than certain precepts1 what
 to do and what not3 and  men were much 
better in that simplicity2 for as they  
came to be more  learned1 they grew less
 careful of being good4 ,that plain and 
open virtue is now turned into a dark   
and intricate science2 and  we are      
taught to dispute rather than to live4  
,so long as wickedness  was simple1     

simple remedies also were sufficient    
against it2 but now it  has taken root1 
and spread1 we must make use of         
stronger4    ,there are some            
dispositions that embrace good things as
 soon as they  hear them2 but they will 
still need quickening by admonition and 
precept4 ,we are rash and forward in    
some cases1 and dull in others2  and    
there is no repressing of the one humor1
 or raising of the other1  but by       
removing the causes of them2 which are  
7in one word7 false  admiration and     
false fear4    ,every man knows his duty
 to his country1 to his friends1 to his 
guests2 and yet when he is called upon  
to draw his sword for the one1  or to   
labor for the other1 he finds himself   
distracted betwixt his  apprehensions   
and his delights3 he knows well enough  
the injury he  does his wife in the     
keeping of a wench1 and yet his lust    
overrules  him3 so that it is not enough
 to give good advice1 unless we can take
  away that which hinders the benefit of

 it4 ,if a man does what he ought  to   
do1 he will never do it constantly or   
equally1 without knowing why  he does   
it3 and if it be only chance or custom1 
he that does well by  chance1 may do ill
 so too4 ,and farther1 a precept may    
direct us what  we ought to do1 and yet 
fall short in the manner of doing it3 an
  expensive entertainment may1 in one   
case be extravagance or gluttony1  and  
yet a point of honor and discretion in  
another4 ,tiberius ,csar had  a huge    
mullet presented him1 which he sent to  
the market to be sold3  8and now10 says 
he1 8my masters10 to some company with  
him1 8you shall  see that either        
,apicius or ,octavius will be the       
chapman for this fish40  ,octavius beat 
the price1 and gave about thirty pounds 
sterling for it4  ,now1 there was a     
great difference between ,octavius1 that
 bought it for  his luxury1 and the     
other that purchased it for a compliment
 to  ,tiberius4 ,precepts are idle1 if  
we be not first taught what opinion  we 

are to have of the matter in question2  
whether it be poverty1  riches1         
disgrace1 sickness1 banishment1 etc4    
,let us therefore  examine them one by  
one2 not what they are called1 but what 
in truth  they are4 ,and so for the     
virtues2 it is to no purpose to set a   
high  esteem upon prudence1 fortitude1  
temperance1 justice1 if we do  not first
 know what virtue is2 whether one or    
more2 or if he  that has one1 has all2  
or how they differ4    ,precepts are of 
great weight2 and a few useful ones at  
hand do more  toward a happy life than  
whole volumes or cautions1 that we know 
not  where to find4 ,these salutary     
precepts should be our daily meditation1
  for they are the rules by which we    
ought to square our lives4 ,when they   
are contracted into sentences1 they     
strike the affections3 whereas          
admonition is only blowing of the coal2 
it moves the vigor of the  mind1 and    
excites virtue3 we have the thing       
already1 but we know not  where it lies4

 ,it is by precept that the             
understanding is nourished  and         
augmented3 the offices of prudence and  
justice are guided by them1  and they   
lead us to the execution of our duties4 
,a precept delivered  in verse has a    
much greater effect than in prose3 and  
those very  people that never think they
 have enough1 let them but hear a sharp 
sentence against avarice1 how will they 
clap and admire it1 and bid  open       
defiance to money8 ,so soon as we find  
the affections struck1 we  must follow  
the blow2 not with syllogisms or quirks 
of wit2 but  with plain and weighty     
reason and we must do it with kindness  
too1 and respect for 8there goes a      
blessing along with counsels and        
discourses that are bent wholly upon the
 good of the hearer30 and  those are    
still the most efficacious that take    
reason along with them2  and tell us as 
well why we are to do this or that1 as  
what we are  to do3 for some            
understandings are weak1 and need an    

instructor to  expound to them what is  
good and what is evil4 ,it is a great   
virtue  to love1 to give1 and to follow 
good counsel2 if it does not  lead us to
 honesty1 it does at least prompt us to 
it4 ,as several  parts make up but one  
harmony1 and the most agreeable music   
arises  from discords2 so should a wise 
man gather many acts1 many precepts1    
and the examples of many arts1 to inform
 his own life4 ,our forefathers  have   
left us in charge to avoid three things2
 hatred1 envy1 and  contempt2 now1 it is
 hard to avoid envy and not incur       
contempt2  for in taking too much care  
not to usurp upon others1 we become many
  times liable to be trampled upon      
ourselves4 ,some people are afraid of   
others1 because it is possible that     
others may be afraid of them3 but  let  
us secure ourselves upon all hands2 for 
flattery is as dangerous  as contempt4  
,it is not to say1 in case of           
admonition1 ,i knew this  before1 for we
 know many things1 but we do not think  

of them2 so that  it is the part of a   
monitor1 not so much to teach as to mind
 us  of our duties4 ,sometimes a man    
oversees that which lies just under his 
nose2 otherwhile he is careless1 or     
pretends not to see it3 we do all  know 
that friendship is sacred1 and yet we   
violate it2 and the greatest  libertine 
expects that his own wife should be     
honest4    ,good counsel is the most    
needful service that we can do to       
mankind2  and if we give it to many1 it 
will be sure to profit some3 for of     
many trials1 some or other will         
undoubtedly succeed4 ,he that places  a 
man in the possession of himself does a 
great thing2 for wisdom  does not show  
itself so much in precept as in life2 in
 a firmness of  mind and a mastery of   
appetite3 it teaches us to do as well as
 to  talk3 and to make our words and    
actions all of a color4 ,if that fruit  
be pleasantest which we gather from a   
tree of our own planting1 how  much     
greater delight shall we take in the    

growth and increase of good  manners of 
our own forming6 ,it is an eminent mark 
of wisdom for a man  to be always like  
himself4 ,you shall have some that keep 
a thrifty  table1 and lavish out upon   
building2 profuse upon themselves1 and  
forbid to others2 niggardly at home1 and
 lavish abroad4 ,this diversity  is     
vicious1 and the effect of a            
dissatisfied and uneasy mind2 whereas   
every wise man lives by rule4 ,this     
disagreement of purposes arises  from   
hence1 either that we do not propound to
 ourselves what we would  be at2 or if  
we do1 that we do not pursue it1 but    
pass from one thing  to another2 and we 
do not only change neither but return to
 the very  thing which we had both      
quitted and condemned4    ,in all our   
undertakings1 let us first examine our  
own strength2 the  enterprise next2 and1
 thirdly1 the persons with whom we have 
to do4 ,the  first point is most        
important2 for we are apt to overvalue  
ourselves1  and reckon that we can do   

more than indeed we can4 ,one man sets  
up  for a speaker1 and is out as soon as
 he opens his mouth2 another            
overcharges his estate1 perhaps1 or his 
body3 a bashful man is not  fit for     
public business3 some again are too     
stiff and peremptory for  the court3    
many people are apt to fly out in their 
anger1 nay1 and in  a frolic too2 if any
 sharp thing fall in their way1 they    
will rather  venture a neck than lose a 
jest4 ,these people had better be quiet 
in  the world than busy4 ,let him that  
is naturally choleric and impatient     
avoid all provocations1 and those       
affairs also that multiply and draw  on 
more2 and those also from which there is
 no retreat4 ,when we may  come off at  
pleasure1 and fairly hope to bring our  
matters to a period1  it is well enough4
 ,if it so happen that a man be tied up 
to business1  which he can neither      
loosen nor break off1 let him imagine   
those  shackles upon his mind to be     
irons upon his legs3 they are           

troublesome  at first2 but when there is
 no remedy but patience1 custom makes   
them  easy to us1 and necessity gives us
 courage4 ,we are all slaves to         
fortune3 some only in loose and golden  
chains1 others in strait ones1  and     
coarser3 nay1 and they that bind us are 
slaves too themselves2  some to honor1  
others to wealth2 some to offices1 and  
others to  contempt2 some to their      
superiors1 others to themselves3 nay1   
life  itself is a servitude3 let us make
 the best of it then1 and with our      
philosophy mend our fortune4            
,difficulties may be softened1 and heavy
  burdens disposed of to our ease4 ,let 
us covet nothing out of our reach1  but 
content ourselves with things hopeful   
and at hand2 and without  envying the   
advantages of others2 for greatness     
stands upon a craggy  precipice1 and it 
is much safer and quieter living upon a 
level4 ,how  many great men are forced  
to keep their station upon mere         
necessity2  because they find there is  

no coming down from it but headlong8    
,these  men should do well to fortify   
themselves against ill consequences by  
such virtues and meditations as may make
 them less solicitous for the  future4  
,the surest expedient in this case is to
 bound our desires1 and  to leave       
nothing to fortune which we may keep in 
our own power4 ,neither  will this      
course wholly compose us1 but it shows  
us at worst the end of  our troubles4   
,it is but a main point to take care    
that we propose nothing but what is     
hopeful and honest4 ,for it will be     
equally troublesome to us1 either  not  
to succeed1 or to be ashamed of the     
success4 ,wherefore let us be  sure not 
to admit any ill design into our heart2 
that we may lift up  pure hands to      
heaven and ask nothing which another    
shall be a loser by4  ,let us pray for a
 good mind1 which is a wish to no man's 
injury4 ,i  will remember always that ,i
 am a man1 and then consider1 that if ,i
 am  happy1 it will not last always2 if 

unhappy1 ,i may be other if  ,i please4 
,i will carry my life in my hand1 and   
deliver it up readily  when it shall be 
called for4 ,i will have a care of being
 a slave to  myself2 for it is a        
perpetual1 a shameful1 and the heaviest 
of all  servitudes3 and this may be done
 by moderate desires4 ,i will say to    
myself1 8,what is it that ,i labor1     
sweat1 and solicit for1 when it is  but 
very little that ,i want1 and it will   
not be long that ,i will need  any      
thing80 ,he that would make a trial of  
the firmness of his mind1 let  him set  
certain days apart for the practice of  
his virtues4 ,let him  mortify himself  
with fasting1 coarse clothes1 and hard  
lodging2 and  then say to himself1 8,is 
this the thing now that ,i was afraid   
of80 ,in a  state of security1 a man may
 thus prepare himself against hazards1  
and  in plenty fortify himself against  
want4 ,if you will have a man resolute  
when he comes to the push1 train him up 
to it beforehand4 ,the soldier  does    

duty in peace1 that he may be in breath 
when he comes to battle4  ,how many     
great and wise men have made experiment 
of their moderation  by a practice of   
abstinence1 to the highest degree of    
hunger and  thirst2 and convinced       
themselves that a man may fill his belly
 without  being beholden to fortune2    
which never denies any of us wherewith  
to  satisfy our necessities1 though she 
be never so angry6 ,it is as easy  to   
suffer it always as to try it once2 and 
it is no more than  thousands of        
servants and poor people do every day in
 their lives4 ,he  that would live      
happily1 must neither trust to good     
fortune nor submit  to bad3 he must     
stand upon his guard against all        
assaults2 he must  stick to himself1    
without any dependence upon other       
people4 ,where  the mind is tinctured   
with philosophy1 there is no place for  
grief1  anxiety1 or superfluous         
vexations4 ,it is prepossessed with     
virtue to  the neglect of fortune1 which

 brings us to a degree of security not  
to be disturbed4 ,it is easier to give  
counsel than to take it2 and  a common  
thing for one choleric man to condemn   
another4 ,we may be  sometimes earnest  
in advising1 but not violent or tedious4
 ,few words1  with gentleness and       
efficacy1 are best3 the misery is1 that 
the wise  do not need counsel1 and fools
 will not take it4 ,a good man1 it is   
true1 delights in it2 and it is a mark  
of folly and ill-nature to hate         
reproof4    ,to a friend ,i would be    
always frank and plain2 and rather fail 
in the  success than be wanting in the  
matter of faith and trust4 ,there are   
some precepts that serve in common both 
to the rich and poor1 but they  are too 
general2 as 8,cure your avarice1 and the
 work is done40 ,it is  one thing not to
 desire money1 and another thing not to 
understand  how to use it4 ,in the      
choice of the persons we have to do     
withal1 we  should see that they be     
worth our while2 in the choice of our   

business1  we are to consult nature1 and
 follow our inclinations4 ,he that gives
  sober advice to a witty droll must    
look to have every thing turned into    
ridicule4 8,as if you philosophers10    
says ,marcellinus1 8did not love  your  
whores and your guts as well as other   
people30 and then he tells  you of such 
and such that were taken in the manner4 
,we are all sick1 ,i  must confess1 and 
it is not for sick men to play the      
physicians2 but  it is yet lawful for a 
man in an hospital to discourse of the  
common  condition and distempers of the 
place4 ,he that should pretend to teach 
a madman how to speak1 walk1 and behave 
himself1 were not he the most  mad man  
of the two8 ,he that directs the pilot1 
makes him move the  helm1 order the     
sails so or so1 and makes the best of a 
scant wind1  after this or that manner4 
,and so should we do in our counsels4   
,do not tell me what a man should do in 
health or poverty1 but show  me the way 
to be either sound or rich4 ,teach me to

 master my vices3  for it is to no      
purpose1 so long as ,i am under their   
government1 to  tell me what ,i must do 
when ,i am clear of it4 ,in case of an  
avarice a  little eased1 a luxury       
moderated1 a temerity restrained1 a     
sluggish  humor quickened2 precepts will
 then help us forward1 and tutor us how 
to behave ourselves4 ,it is the first   
and the main tie of a soldier his       
military oath1 which is an engagement   
upon him both of religion and  honor4   
,in like manner1 he that pretends to a  
happy life must first lay  a foundation 
of virtue1 as a bond upon him1 to live  
and die true to  that cause4 ,we do not 
find felicity in the veins of the earth 
where we  dig for gold1 nor in the      
bottom of the sea where we fish for     
pearls1  but in a pure and untainted    
mind1 which1 if it were not holy1 were  
not  fit to entertain the ,deity4 8,he  
that would be truly happy1 must think   
his own lot best1 and so live with men1 
as considering that ,god sees  him1 and 

so speak to ,god as if men heard him40  
,,chapter ,,vi4    ,,no ,,felicity      
,,like ,,peace ,,of ,,conscience4       
8,a good conscience is the testimony of 
a good life1 and the reward  of it40    
,this is it that fortifies the mind     
against fortune1 when a  man has gotten 
the mastery of his passions2 placed his 
treasure and  security within himself2  
learned to be content with his          
condition2  and that death is no evil in
 itself1 but only the end of man4 ,he   
that  has dedicated his mind to virtue1 
and to the good of human society1       
whereof he is a member1 has consummated 
all that is either profitable  or       
necessary for him to know or to do      
toward the establishment of his  peace4 
,every man has a judge and a witness    
within himself of all the  good and ill 
that he does1 which inspires us with    
great thoughts1 and  administers to us  
wholesome counsels4 ,we have a          
veneration for all the  works of        
,nature1 the heads of rivers1 and the   

springs of medicinal  waters2 the       
horrors of groves and of caves strike us
 with an impression  of religion and    
worship4 ,to see a man fearless in      
dangers1 untainted  with lusts1 happy in
 adversity1 composed in a tumult1 and   
laughing at  all those things which are 
generally either coveted or feared2 all 
men  must acknowledge that this can be  
nothing else but a beam of divinity     
that influences a mortal body4 ,and this
 is it that carries us to the           
disquisition of things divine and human2
 what the state of the world  was before
 the distribution of the first matter   
into parts2 what power  it was that drew
 order out of that confusion1 and gave  
laws both to the  whole1 and to every   
particle thereof2 what that space is    
beyond the  world2 and whence proceed   
the several operations of ,nature4      
,shall any man see the glory and order  
of the universe2 so many  scattered     
parts and qualities wrought into one    
mass2 such a medley of  things1 which   

are yet distinguished3 the world        
enlightened1 and the  disorders of it so
 wonderfully regulated2 and shall he not
 consider  the ,author and ,disposer of 
all this2 and whither we ourselves shall
  go1 when our souls shall be delivered 
from the slavery of our flesh8  ,the    
whole creation we see conforms to the   
dictates of ,providence1 and  follows   
,god both as a governor and as a guide4 
,a great1 a good1 and  a right mind1 is 
a kind of divinity lodged in flesh1 and 
may be the  blessing of a slave as well 
as of a prince2 it came from heaven1 and
 to  heaven it must return2 and it is a 
kind of heavenly felicity1 which a  pure
 and virtuous mind enjoys1 in some      
degree1 even upon earth3 whereas        
temples of honor are but empty names1   
which1 probably1 owe their  beginning   
either to ambition or to violence4    ,i
 am strangely transported with the      
thoughts of eternity2 nay1 with  the    
belief of it2 for ,i have a profound    
veneration for the opinions  of great   

men1 especially when they promise things
 so much to my  satisfaction3 for they  
do promise them1 though they do not     
prove them4  ,in the question of the    
immortality of the soul1 it goes very   
far with  me1 a general consent to the  
opinion of a future reward and          
punishment2  which meditation raises me 
to the contempt of this life1 in hopes  
of  a better4 ,but still1 though we know
 that we have a soul2 yet what the  soul
 is1 how1 and from whence1 we are       
utterly ignorant3 this only we          
understand1 that all the good and ill we
 do is under the dominion of  the mind2 
that a clear conscience states us in an 
inviolable peace2 and  that the greatest
 blessing in ,nature is that which every
 honest man may  bestow upon himself4   
,the body is but the clog and prisoner  
of the mind2  tossed up and down1 and   
persecuted with punishments1 violences1 
and  diseases2 but the mind itself is   
sacred and eternal1 and exempt from  the
 danger of all actual impression4       

,provided that we look to our           
consciences1 no matter for opinion3 let 
me deserve well1 though ,i hear ill4    
,the common people take stomach and     
audacity for the marks of magnanimity   
and honor2 and if a man be soft  and    
modest1 they look upon him as an easy   
fop2 but when they come once  to observe
 the dignity of his mind in the equality
 and firmness of his  actions2 and that 
his external quiet is founded upon an   
internal peace1  the very same people   
who have him in esteem and admiration2  
for there  is no man but approves of    
virtue1 though but few pursue it2 we see
  where it is1 but we dare not venture  
to come at it3 and the reason is1  we   
overvalue that which we must quit to    
obtain it4    ,a good conscience fears  
no witnesses1 but a guilty conscience is
  solicitous even of solitude4 ,if we do
 nothing but what is honest1 let  all   
the world know it2 but if otherwise1    
what does it signify to have  nobody    
else know it1 so long as ,i know it     

myself8 ,miserable is he that  slights  
that witness6 ,wickedness1 it is true1  
may escape the law1 but  not the        
conscience2 for a private conviction is 
the first and the  greatest punishment  
to offenders2 so that sin plagues       
itself2 and the  fear of vengeance      
pursues even those that escape the      
stroke of it4  ,it were ill for good men
 that iniquity may so easily evade the  
law1  the judge1 and the execution1 if  
,nature had not set up torments and     
gibbets in the consciences of           
transgressors4 ,he that is guilty lives 
in perpetual terror2 and while he       
expects to be punished1 he punishes     
himself2 and whosoever deserves it      
expects it4 ,what if he be not          
detected8 he is still in apprehension   
yet that he may be so4 ,his sleeps  are 
painful1 and never secure2 and he cannot
 speak of another man's  wickedness     
without thinking of his own1 whereas a  
good conscience is a  continual feast4  
,those are the only certain and         

profitable delights1 which arise from   
the consciousness of a well-acted life2 
no matter for noise abroad1  so long as 
we are quiet within3 but if our passions
 be seditious1  that is enough to keep  
us waking without any other tumult4 ,it 
is not  the posture of the body1 or the 
composure of the bed1 that will give    
rest to an uneasy mind3 there is an     
impatient sloth that may be roused  by  
action1 and the vices of laziness must  
be cured by business4 ,true  happiness  
is not to be found in excesses of wine1 
or of women1 or in  the largest         
prodigalities of fortune2 what she has  
given to me1 she  may take away1 but she
 shall not tear it from me2 and1 so long
 as it  does not grow to me1 ,i can part
 with it without pain4 ,he that would   
perfectly know himself1 let him set     
aside his money1 his fortune1 his       
dignity1 and examine himself naked1     
without being put to learn from  others 
the knowledge of himself4    ,it is     
dangerous for a man too suddenly1 or too

 easily1 to believe  himself4 ,wherefore
 let us examine1 observe1 and inspect   
our own  hearts1 for we ourselves are   
our own greatest flatterers3 we should  
every night call ourselves to account1  
8,what infirmity have ,i mastered       
to-day8 what passion opposed8 what      
temptation resisted8 what virtue        
acquired80 ,our vices will abate of     
themselves1 if they be brought every    
day to the shrift4 ,oh the blessed sleep
 that follows such a diary6 ,oh  the    
tranquillity1 liberty1 and greatness of 
that mind that is a spy  upon itself1   
and a private censor of its own manners6
 ,it is my custom  7says our author7    
every night1 so soon as the candle is   
out1 to run  over all the words and     
actions of the past day2 and ,i let     
nothing  escape me2 for why should ,i   
fear the sight of my own errors1 when ,i
 can  admonish and forgive myself8 8,i  
was a little too hot in such a dispute3 
my opinion might have been as well      
spared1 for it gave offence1 and  did no

 good at all4 ,the thing was true1 but  
all truths are not to be  spoken at all 
times2 ,i would ,i had held my tongue1  
for there is no  contending either with 
fools or our superiors4 ,i have done    
ill1 but it  shall be so no more40 ,if  
every man would but thus look into      
himself1  it would be the better for us 
all4 ,what can be more reasonable than  
this daily review of a life that we     
cannot warrant for a moment8 ,our  fate 
is set1 and the first breath we draw is 
only the first motion  toward our last3 
one cause depends upon another2 and the 
course of all  things1 public and       
private1 is but a long connection of    
providential  appointments4 ,there is a 
great variety in our lives1 but all     
tends to  the same issue4 ,nature may   
use her own bodies as she pleases2 but a
  good man has this consolation1 that   
nothing perishes which he can call  his 
own4 ,it is a great comfort that we are 
only condemned to the same  fate with   
the universe2 the heavens themselves are

 mortal as well  as our bodies2 ,nature 
has made us passive1 and to suffer is   
our lot4  ,while we are in flesh1 every 
man has his chain and his clog1 only it 
is  looser and lighter to one man than  
to another2 and he is more at ease  that
 takes it up and carries it1 than he    
that drags it4 ,we are born1 to  lose   
and to perish1 to hope and to fear1 to  
vex ourselves and others2  and there is 
no antidote against a common calamity   
but virtue2 for 8the  foundation of true
 joy is in the conscience40             
,,chapter ,,vii4    ,a ,,good ,,man     
,,can ,,never ,,be ,,miserable1 ,,nor ,a
 ,,wicked ,,man ,,happy4      ,there is 
not in the scale of nature a more       
inseparable connection  of cause and    
effect1 than in the case of happiness   
and virtue2 nor  anything that more     
naturally produces the one1 or more     
necessarily  presupposes the other4 ,for
 what is it to be happy1 but for a man  
to  content himself with his lot1 in a  
cheerful and quiet resignation to  the  

appointments of ,god8 ,all the actions  
of our lives ought to be  governed with 
respect to good and evil3 and it is only
 reason that  distinguishes2 by which   
reason we are in such manner influenced1
 as  if a ray of the ,divinity were dipt
 in a mortal body1 and that is the      
perfection of mankind4 ,it is true1 we  
have not the eyes of eagles  or the     
sagacity of hounds3 nor if we had1 could
 we pretend to value  ourselves upon    
anything which we have in common with   
brutes4 ,what  are we the better for    
that which is foreign to us1 and may be 
given  and taken away8 ,as the beams of 
the sun irradiate the earth1 and yet    
remain where they were2 so is it in some
 proportion with a holy mind  that      
illustrates all our actions1 and yet it 
adheres to its original4  ,why do we not
 as well commend a horse for his        
glorious trappings1 as a  man for his   
pompous additions8 ,how much a braver   
creature is a lion1  7which by nature   
ought to be fierce and terrible7 how    

much braver 7,i  say7 in his natural    
horror than in his chains8 so that      
everything in  its pure nature pleases  
us best4 ,it is not health1 nobility1   
riches1  that can justify a wicked man3 
nor is it the want of all these that    
can discredit a good one4 ,that is the  
sovereign blessing1 which makes  the    
possessor of it valuable without        
anything else1 and him that wants  it   
contemptible1 though he had all the     
world besides4 ,it is not the  painting1
 gilding1 or carving1 that makes a good 
ship2 but if she be  a nimble sailer1   
tight and strong to endure the seas2    
that is her  excellency4 ,it is the edge
 and temper of the blade that makes a   
good  sword1 not the richness of the    
scabbard3 and so it is not money or     
possessions1 that makes a man           
considerable1 but his virtue4    ,it is 
every man's duty to make himself        
profitable to mankind--if he  can1 to   
many--if not1 to fewer--if not so       
neither1 to his neighbor--but1  however1

 to himself4 ,there are two republics3 a
 great one1 which is  human nature2 and 
a less1 which is the place where we were
 born4 ,some  serve both at a time1 some
 only the greater1 and some again only  
the  less4 ,the greater may be served in
 privacy1 solitude1 contemplation1  and 
perchance that way better than any      
other2 but it was the intent  of        
,nature1 however1 that we should serve  
both4 ,a good man may serve  the public1
 his friend1 and himself in any station3
 if he be not for  the sword1 let him   
take the gown2 if the bar does not agree
 with him1  let him try the pulpit2 if  
he be silenced abroad1 let him give     
counsel  at home1 and discharge the part
 of a faithful friend and a temperate   
companion4 ,when he is no longer a      
citizen1 he is yet a man2 but the  whole
 world is his country1 and human nature 
never wants matter to work  upon3 but if
 nothing will serve a man in the civil  
government unless  he be prime minister1
 or in the field but to command in      

chief1 it  is his own fault4    ,the    
common soldier where he cannot use his  
hands1 fights with his  looks1 his      
example1 his encouragement1 his voice1  
and stands his ground  even when he has 
lost his hands1 and does service too    
with his very  clamor1 so that in any   
condition whatsoever1 he still          
discharges the  duty of a good          
patriot--nay1 he that spends his time   
well even in a  retirement1 gives a     
great example4    ,we may enlarge1      
indeed1 or contract1 according to the   
circumstances  of time1 place1 or       
abilities2 but above all things we must 
be sure to  keep ourselves in action1   
for he that is slothful is dead even    
while  he lives4 ,was there ever any    
state so desperate as that of ,athens   
under the thirty tyrants--where it was  
capital to be honest1 and the           
senate-house was turned into a college  
of hangmen8 ,never was any  government  
so wretched and so hopeless2 and yet    
,socrates at the same  time preached    

temperance to the tyrants1 and courage  
to the rest1  and afterwards died an    
eminent example of faith and resolution1
 and a  sacrifice for the common good4  
,it is not for a wise man to stand      
shifting and fencing with fortune1  but 
to oppose her barefaced1 for he is      
sufficiently convinced that  she can do 
him no hurt2 she may take away his      
servants1 possessions1  dignity1 assault
 his body1 put out his eyes1 cut off his
 hands1 and  strip him of all the       
external comforts of life4 ,but what    
does all this  amount to more than the  
recalling of a trust which he has       
received1  with condition to deliver it 
up again upon demand8 ,he looks upon    
himself as precarious1 and only lent to 
himself1 and yet he does not  value     
himself ever the less because he is not 
his own1 but takes such  care as an     
honest man should do of a thing that is 
committed to him in  trust4 ,whensoever 
he that lent me myself and what ,i have1
 shall call  for all back again1 it is  

not a loss but a restitution1 and ,i    
must  willingly deliver up what most    
undeservedly was bestowed upon me1 and  
it will become me to return my mind     
better than ,i received it4             
,demetrius1 upon the taking of ,megara1 
asked ,stilpo1 the philosopher1  what he
 had lost4 8,nothing10 said he1 8for ,i 
had all that ,i could call  my own about
 me40 ,and yet the enemy had then made  
himself master of  his patrimony1 his   
children1 and his country2 but these he 
looked upon  as only adventitious goods1
 and under the command of fortune4 ,now1
 he  that neither lost any thing nor    
feared any thing in a public ruin1 but  
was safe and at peace in the middle of  
the flames1 and in the heat of a        
military intemperance and fury--what    
violence or provocation imaginable  can 
put such a man as this out of the       
possession of himself8 ,walls  and      
castles may be mined and battered1 but  
there is no art or engine  that can     
subvert a steady mind4 8,i have made my 

way10 says ,stilpo1  8through fire and  
blood--what has become of my children ,i
 know not2 but  these are transitory    
blessings1 and servants that are bound  
to change  their masters2 what was my   
own before is my own still4 ,some have  
lost  their estates1 others their       
dear-bought mistresses1 their           
commissions  and offices3 the usurers   
have lost their bonds and securities3   
but1  ,demetrius1 for my part ,i have   
saved all1 and do not imagine after  all
 this1 either that ,demetrius is a      
conqueror1 or that ,stilpo is           
overcome--it is only thy fortune has    
been too hard for mine40    ,alexander  
took ,babylon1 ,scipio took ,carthage1  
the capitol was burnt2  but there is no 
fire or violence that can discompose a  
generous mind2  and let us not take this
 character either for a chimera1 for all
 ages  afford some1 though not many1    
instances of this elevated virtue4    ,a
 good man does his duty1 let it be never
 so painful1 so hazardous1 or  never so 

great a loss to him2 and it is not all  
the money1 the power1  and the pleasure 
in the world2 not any force of          
necessity1 that can  make him wicked3 he
 considers what he is to do1 not what he
 is to  suffer1 and will keep on his    
course1 though there should be nothing  
but gibbets and torments in the way4    
,and in this instance of ,stilpo1  who1 
when he had lost his country1 his wife1 
his children1 the town  on fire over his
 head1 himself escaping very hardly and 
naked out of  the flames2 8,i have saved
 all my goods10 says he1 8my justice1 my
  courage1 my temperance1 my prudence20 
accounting nothing his own1 or          
valuable1 and showing how much easier it
 was to overcome a nation than  one wise
 man4 ,it is a certain mark of a brave  
mind not to be moved  by any accidents3 
the upper region of the air admits      
neither clouds  nor tempests2 the       
thunder1 storms1 and meteors1 are formed
 below2 and  this is the difference     
betwixt a mean and an exalted mind2 the 

former  is rude and tumultuary2 the     
latter is modest1 venerable1 composed1  
and always quiet in its station4 ,in    
brief1 it is the conscience that        
pronounces upon the man whether he be   
happy or miserable4 ,but1 though        
sacrilege and adultery be generally     
condemned1 how many are there  still    
that do not so much as blush at the one1
 and in truth that  take a glory in the 
other8 ,for nothing is more common than 
for great  thieves to ride in triumph   
when the little ones are punished4 ,but 
let 8wickedness escape as it may at the 
bar1 it never fails of doing  justice   
upon itself2 for every guilty person is 
his own hangman40          ,,chapter    
,,viii4    ,,the ,,due ,,contemplation  
,,of ,,divine ,,providence ,,is ,,the   
,,certain ,,cure ,,of ,,all             
,,misfortunes4      ,whoever observes   
the world1 and the order of it1 will    
find all the  motions in it to be only  
vicissitudes of falling and rising2     
nothing  extinguished1 and even those   

things which seem to us to perish are in
  truth but changed4 ,the seasons go and
 return1 day and night follow in  their 
courses1 the heavens roll1 and ,nature  
goes on with her work3 all  things      
succeed in their turns1 storms and      
calms2 the law of ,nature  will have it 
so1 which we must follow and obey1      
accounting all things  that are done to 
be well done2 so that what we cannot    
mend we must  suffer1 and wait upon     
,providence without repining4 ,it is the
 part of  a cowardly soldier to follow  
his commander groaning3 but a generous  
man delivers himself up to ,god without 
struggling2 and it is only  for a narrow
 mind to condemn the order of the world1
 and to propound  rather the mending of 
,nature than of himself4 ,no man has any
 cause  of complaint against            
,providence1 if that which is right     
pleases him4  ,those glories that appear
 fair to the eye1 their lustre is but   
false  and superficial2 and they are    
only vanity and delusion3 they are      

rather  the goods of a dream than a     
substantial possession3 they may cozen  
us  at a distance1 but bring them once  
to the touch1 they are rotten and       
counterfeit4 ,there are no greater      
wretches in the world than many of      
those which the people take to be happy4
 ,those are the only true and           
incorruptible comforts that will abide  
all trials1 and the more we turn  and   
examine them1 the more valuable we find 
them2 and the greatest  felicity of all 
is1 not to stand in need of any4 ,what  
is poverty8 ,no  man lives so poor as he
 was born4 ,what is pain8 ,it will      
either have  an end itself1 or make an  
end of us4 ,in short1 ,fortune has no   
weapon  that reaches the mind3 but the  
bounties of ,providence are certain and 
permanent blessings2 and they are the   
greater and the better1 the  longer we  
consider them2 that is to say1 8the     
power of contemning  things terrible1   
and despising what the common people    
covet40 ,in the  very methods of ,nature

 we cannot but observe the regard that  
,providence  had to the good of mankind1
 even in the disposition of the world1  
in  providing so amply for our          
maintenance and satisfaction4 ,it is not
  possible for us to comprehend what the
 ,power is which has made all  things3  
some few sparks of that ,divinity are   
discovered1 but infinitely  the greater 
part of it lies hid4 ,we are all of us1 
however1 thus far  agreed1 first1 in the
 acknowledgement and belief of that     
almighty  ,being2 and1 secondly1 that we
 are to ascribe to it all majesty and   
goodness4    8,if there be a            
,providence10 say some1 8how comes it to
 pass that  good men labor under        
affliction and adversity1 and wicked men
 enjoy  themselves in ease and plenty80 
,my answer is1 that ,god deals by us as 
a  good father does by his children2 he 
tries us1 he hardens us1 and fits  us   
for himself4 ,he keeps a strict hand    
over those that he loves2 and by  the   
rest he does as we do by our slaves2 he 

lets them go on in license  and         
boldness4    ,as the master gives his   
most hopeful scholars the hardest       
lessons1 so  does ,god deal with the    
most generous spirits2 and the cross    
encounters  of fortune we are not to    
look upon as a cruelty1 but as a        
contest3 the  familiarity of dangers    
brings us to the contempt of them1 and  
that part  is strongest which is most   
exercised3 the seaman's hand is callous1
 the  soldier's arm is strong1 and the  
tree that is most exposed to the wind   
takes the best root3 there are people   
that live in a perpetual winter1  in    
extremity of frost and penury1 where a  
cave1 a lock of straw1 or a  few leaves1
 is all their covering1 and wild beasts 
their nourishment2  all this by custom  
is not only made tolerable1 but when it 
is once  taken up upon necessity1 by    
little and little1 it becomes pleasant  
to  them4 ,why should we then count that
 condition of life a calamity which  is 
the lot of many nations8 ,there is no   

state of life so miserable  but that    
there are in it remissions1 diversions1 
nay1 and delights  too2 such is the     
benignity of ,nature towards us1 even in
 the severest  accidents of human life4 
,there were no living if adversity      
should hold  on as it begins1 and keep  
up the force of the first impression4   
,we are  apt to murmur at many things as
 great evils1 that have nothing at all  
of evil in them besides the complaint1  
which we should more reasonably  take up
 against ourselves4 ,if ,i be sick1 it  
is part of my fate2 and  for other      
calamities1 they are usual things2 they 
ought to be2 nay1  which is more1 they  
must be1 for they come by divine        
appointment4 ,so  that we should not    
only submit to ,god1 but assent to him1 
and obey him  out of duty1 even if there
 were no necessity4 ,all those terrible 
appearances that make us groan and      
tremble are but the tribute of life2  we
 are neither to wish1 nor to ask1 nor to
 hope to escape them2 for  it is a kind 

of dishonesty to pay a tribute          
unwillingly4 ,am ,i troubled  with the  
stone1 or afflicted with continual      
losses8 nay1 is my body in  danger8 ,all
 this is no more than what ,i prayed for
 when ,i prayed for  old age4 ,all these
 things are as familiar in a long life1 
as dust and  dirt in a long way4 ,life  
is a warfare2 and what brave man would  
not  rather choose to be in a tent than 
in shambles8 ,fortune does like a       
swordsman1 she scorns to encounter a    
fearful man3 there is no honor in  the  
victory where there is no danger in the 
way to it2 she tries ,mucius  by fire2  
,rutilius by exile2 ,socrates by poison2
 ,cato by death4    ,it is only in      
adverse fortune1 and in bad times1 that 
we find great  examples4 ,mucius thought
 himself happier with his hand in the   
flame1  than if it had been in the bosom
 of his mistress4 ,fabricius took more  
pleasure in eating the roots of his own 
planting than in all the  delicacies of 
luxury and expense4 ,shall we call      

,rutilius miserable1  whom his very     
enemies have adored8 who1 upon a        
glorious and a public  principle1 chose 
rather to lose his country than to      
return from  banishment8 the only man   
that denied any thing to ,sylla the     
dictator1  who recalled him4 ,nor did he
 only refuse to come1 but drew himself  
further off3 8,let them10 says he1 8that
 think banishment a misfortune1  live   
slaves at ,rome1 under the imperial     
cruelties of ,sylla3 he that  sets a    
price upon the heads of senators2 and   
after a law of his own  institution     
against cut-throats1 becomes the        
greatest himself40 ,is it  not better   
for a man to live in exile abroad than  
to be massacred at  home8 ,in suffering 
for virtue1 it is not the torment but   
the cause1  that we are to consider2 and
 the more pain1 the more renown4 ,when  
any  hardship befalls us1 we must look  
upon it as an act of ,providence1  which
 many times suffers particulars to be   
wounded for the conservation  of the    

whole3 beside that1 ,god chastises some 
people under an  appearance of blessing 
them1 turning their prosperity to their 
ruin as  a punishment for abusing his   
goodness4 ,and we are further to        
consider1  that many a good man is      
afflicted1 only to teach others to      
suffer2 for  we are born for example2   
and likewise that where men are         
contumacious  and refractory1 it pleases
 ,god many times to cure greater evils  
by  less1 and to turn our miseries to   
our advantage4    ,how many casualties  
and difficulties are there that we dread
 as  insupportable mischiefs1 which1    
upon farther thoughts1 we find to  be   
mercies and benefits8 as banishment1    
poverty1 loss of relations1  sickness1  
disgrace4 ,some are cured by the lance2 
by fire1 hunger1  thirst2 taking out of 
bones1 lopping off limbs1 and the like3 
nor do  we only fear things that are    
many times beneficial to us2 but1 on the
  other side1 we hanker after and pursue
 things that are deadly and  pernicious3

 we are poisoned in the very pleasure of
 our luxury1 and  betrayed to a thousand
 diseases by the indulging of our       
palate4 ,to lose  a child or a limb1 is 
only to part with what we have received1
 and  ,nature may do what she pleases   
with her own4 ,we are frail ourselves1  
and we have received things             
transitory--that which was given us may 
be  taken away--calamity tries virtue as
 the fire does gold1 nay1 he that  lives
 most at ease is only delayed1 not      
dismissed1 and his portion is  to come4 
,when we are visited with sickness or   
other afflictions we are  not to murmur 
as if we were ill used--it is a mark of 
the general's  esteem when he puts us   
upon a post of danger3 we do not say    
8,my  captain uses me ill10 but 8he does
 me honor20 and so should we say that   
are commanded to encounter difficulties1
 for this is our case with ,god         
,almighty4    ,what was ,regulus the    
worse1 because ,fortune made choice of  
him for  an eminent instance both of    

faith and patience8 ,he was thrown into 
a  case of wood stuck with pointed      
nails1 so that which way soever he      
turned his body1 it rested upon his     
wounds2 his eyelids were cut off  to    
keep him waking2 and yet ,mecnas was not
 happier upon his bed  than ,regulus    
upon his torments4 ,nay1 the world is   
not yet grown so  wicked as not to      
prefer ,regulus before ,mecnas3 and can 
any man take  that to be an evil of     
which ,providence accounted this brave  
man worthy8  8,it has pleased ,god10    
says he1 8to single me out for an       
experiment of  the force of human       
nature40 ,no man knows his own strength 
or value but  by being put to the proof4
 ,the pilot is tried in a storm2 the    
soldier  in a battle2 the rich man knows
 not how to behave himself in poverty3  
he that has lived in popularity and     
applause1 knows not how he would  bear  
infamy and reproach3 nor he that never  
had children how he would  bear the loss
 of them4 ,calamity is the occasion of  

virtue1 and a spur  to a great mind4    
,the very apprehension of a wound       
startles a man when  he first bears     
arms2 but an old soldier bleeds boldly1 
because he  knows that a man may lose   
blood1 and yet win the day4 ,nay1 many  
times  a calamity turns to our          
advantage2 and great ruins have but made
 way  to greater glories4 ,the crying   
out of fire has many times quieted  a   
fray1 and the interposing of a wild     
beast has parted the thief and  the     
traveller2 for we are not at leisure for
 less mischiefs while we  are under the 
apprehensions of greater4 ,one man's    
life is saved by a  disease3 another is 
arrested1 and taken out of the way1 just
 when his  house was falling upon his   
head4    ,to show now that the favors or
 the crosses of fortune1 and the        
accidents of sickness and of health1 are
 neither good nor evil1 ,god  permits   
them indifferently both to good and evil
 men4 8,it is hard10 you  will say1 8for
 a virtuous man to suffer all sorts of  

misery1 and for  a wicked man not only  
to go free1 but to enjoy himself at     
pleasure40  ,and is it not the same     
thing for men of prostituted impudence  
and  wickedness to sleep in a whole     
skin1 when men of honor and honesty     
bear arms2 lie in the trenches1 and     
receive wounds8 or for the vestal       
virgins to rise in the night to their   
prayers1 when common strumpets  lie     
stretching themselves in their beds8 ,we
 should rather say with  ,demetrius1    
8,if ,i had known the will of ,heaven   
before ,i was called to  it1 ,i would   
have offered myself40 ,if it be the     
pleasure of ,god to take  my children1  
,i have brought them up to that end3 if 
my fortune1 any  part of my body1 or my 
life1 ,i would rather present it than   
yield it  up3 ,i am ready to part with  
all1 and to suffer all2 for ,i know that
  nothing comes to pass but what ,god   
appoints3 our fate is decreed1 and      
things do not so much happen1 as in     
their due time proceed1 and every  man's

 portion of joy and sorrow is           
predetermined4    ,there is nothing     
falls amiss to a good man that can be   
charged upon  ,providence2 for wicked   
actions1 lewd thoughts1 ambitious       
projects1  blind lusts1 and insatiable  
avarice--against all these he is armed  
by  the benefit of reason3 and do we    
expect now that ,god should look to  our
 luggage too8 7,i mean our bodies47     
,demetrius discharged himself of  his   
treasure as the clog and burden of his  
mind3 shall we wonder then  if ,god     
suffers that to befall a good man which 
a good man sometimes  does to himself8  
,i lose a son1 and why not1 when it may 
sometimes so  fall out that ,i myself   
may kill him8 ,suppose he be banished by
 an order  of state1 is it not the same 
thing with a man's voluntarily leaving  
his country never to return8 ,many      
afflictions may befall a good man1  but 
no evil1 for contraries will never      
incorporate--all the rivers in  the     
world are never able to change the taste

 or quality of the sea4  ,prudence and  
religion are above accidents1 and draw  
good out of every  thing--affliction    
keeps a man in use1 and makes him       
strong1 patient1 and  hardy4 ,providence
 treats us like a generous father1 and  
brings us up  to labors1 toils1 and     
dangers2 whereas the indulgence of a    
fond mother  makes us weak and          
spiritless4    ,god loves us with a     
masculine love1 and turns us loose to   
injuries  and indignities3 he takes     
delight to see a brave and a good man   
wrestling with evil fortune1 and yet    
keeping himself upon his legs1  when the
 whole world is in disorder about him4  
,and are not we ourselves  delighted1 to
 see a bold fellow press with his lance 
upon a boar or  lion8 and the constancy 
and resolution of the action is the     
grace and  dignity of the spectacle4 ,no
 man can be happy that does not stand   
firm  against all contingencies2 and say
 to himself in all extremities1 8,i     
should have been content1 if it might   

have been so or so1 but since it  is    
otherwise determined1 ,god will provide 
better40 ,the more we struggle  with our
 necessities1 we draw the knot the      
harder1 and the worse it  is with us3   
and the more a bird flaps and flutters  
in the snare1 the  surer she is caught3 
so that the best way is to submit and   
lie still1  under this double           
consideration1 that 8the proceedings of 
,god are  unquestionable1 and his       
decrees are not to be resisted40        
,,chapter ,,ix4    ,,of ,,levity ,,of   
,,mind1 ,,and ,,other ,,impediments ,,of
 ,a ,,happy ,,life4      ,now1 to sum up
 what is already delivered1 we have     
showed what happiness  is1 and wherein  
it consists3 that it is founded upon    
wisdom and virtue2  for we must first   
know what we ought to do1 and then live 
according to  that knowledge4 ,we have  
also discoursed the helps of philosophy 
and  precept toward a happy life2 the   
blessing of a good conscience2 that  a  
good man can never be miserable1 nor a  

wicked man happy2 nor any  man          
unfortunate that cheerfully submits to  
,providence4 ,we shall now  examine1 how
 it comes to pass that1 when the certain
 way to happiness  lies so fair before  
us1 men will yet steer their course on  
the other  side1 which as manifestly    
leads to ruin4    ,there are some that  
live without any design at all1 and only
 pass  in the world like straws upon a  
river2 they do not go1 but they are     
carried4 ,others only deliberate upon   
the parts of life1 and not upon  the    
whole1 which is a great error3 for there
 is no disposing of the  circumstances  
of it1 unless we first propound the main
 scope4 ,how shall  any man take his aim
 without a mark8 or what wind will serve
 him that  is not yet resolved upon his 
port8 ,we live as it were by chance1 and
  by chance we are governed4 ,some there
 are that torment themselves  afresh    
with the memory of what is past3 8,lord6
 what did ,i endure8 never  was any man 
in my condition2 everybody gave me over2

 my very heart  was ready to break10    
etc4 ,others1 again1 afflict themselves 
with the  apprehension of evils to come2
 and very ridiculously3 for the one     
does not now concern us1 and the other  
not yet3 beside that1  there may he     
remedies for mischiefs likely to happen2
 for they give us  warning by signs and 
symptoms of their approach4 ,let him    
that would be  quiet take heed not to   
provoke men that are in power1 but live 
without  giving offence2 and if we      
cannot make all great men our friends1  
it  will suffice to keep them from being
 our enemies4 ,this is a thing we  must 
avoid1 as a mariner would do a storm4   
,a rash seaman never considers what wind
 blows1 or what course he  steers1 but  
runs at a venture1 as if he would brave 
the rocks and the  eddies2 whereas he   
that is careful and considerate1 informs
 himself  beforehand where the danger   
lies1 and what weather it is like to be3
  he consults his compass1 and keeps    
aloof from those places that are        

infamous for wrecks and miscarriages2 so
 does a wise man in the common  business
 of life2 he keeps out of the way from  
those that may do him  hurt3 but it is a
 point of prudence not to let them take 
notice that  he does it on purpose2 for 
that which a man shuns he tacitly       
condemns4  ,let him have a care also of 
listeners1 newsmongers1 and meddlers  in
 other people's matters2 for their      
discourse is commonly of such  things as
 are never profitable1 and most commonly
 dangerous either to  be spoken or      
heard4    ,levity of mind is a great    
hindrance of repose1 and the very change
  of wickedness is an addition to the   
wickedness itself2 for it is            
inconstancy added to iniquity2 we       
relinquish the thing we sought1 and     
then we take it up again2 and so divide 
our lives between our lust and  our     
repentances4 ,from one appetite we pass 
to another1 not so much  upon choice as 
for change2 and there is a check of     
conscience that  casts a damp upon all  

our unlawful pleasures1 which makes us  
lose the  day in expectation of the     
night1 and the night itself for fear of 
the  approaching light4    ,some people 
are never at quiet1 others are always   
so1 and they are  both to blame3 for    
that which looks like vivacity and      
industry in the  one is only a          
restlessness and agitation2 and that    
which passes in the  other for          
moderation and reserve is but a drowsy  
and unactive sloth4  ,let motion and    
rest both take their turns1 according to
 the order of  ,nature1 which makes both
 the day and the night4 ,some are       
perpetually  shifting from one thing to 
another2 others1 again1 make their whole
  life but a kind of uneasy sleep3 some 
lie tossing and turning until  very     
weariness brings them to rest2 others1  
again1 ,i cannot so properly  call      
inconstant as lazy4 ,there are many     
proprieties and diversities of  vice2   
but it is one never-failing effect of it
 to live displeased4 ,we  do all of us  

labor under inordinate desires2 we are  
either timorous1  and dare not venture1 
or venturing we do not succeed2 or else 
we cast  ourselves upon uncertain hopes1
 where we are perpetually solicitous1   
and in suspense4 ,in this distraction we
 are apt to propose to ourselves  things
 dishonest and hard2 and when we have   
taken great pains to no  purpose1 we    
come then to repent of our undertakings3
 we are afraid to  go on1 and we can    
neither master our appetites nor obey   
them3 we live  and die restless and     
irresolute2 and1 which is worst of all1 
when we  grow weary of the public1 and  
betake ourselves to solitude for relief1
  our minds are sick and wallowing1 and 
the very house and walls are            
troublesome to us2 we grow impatient and
 ashamed of ourselves1 and  suppress our
 inward vexation until it breaks our    
heart for want of  vent4 ,this is it    
that makes us sour and morose1 envious  
of others1 and  dissatisfied with       
ourselves2 until at last1 betwixt our   

troubles for  other people's successes  
and the despair of our own1 we fall foul
 upon  ,fortune and the times1 and get  
into a corner perhaps1 where we sit     
brooding over our own disquiets4 ,in    
these dispositions there is a kind  of  
pruriginous fancy1 that makes some      
people take delight in labor and        
uneasiness1 like the clawing of an itch 
until the blood starts4    ,this is it  
that puts us upon rambling voyages2 one 
while by land2 but  still disgusted with
 the present3 the town pleases us       
to-day1 the  country to-morrow3 the     
splendors of the court at one time1 the 
horrors  of a wilderness at another1 but
 all this while we carry our plague     
about us2 for it is not the place we are
 weary of1 but ourselves4 ,nay1  our    
weakness extends to everything2 for we  
are impatient equally of  toil and of   
pleasure4 ,this trotting of the ring1   
and only treading  the same steps over  
and over again1 has made many a man lay 
violent  hands upon himself4 ,it must be

 the change of the mind1 not of the     
climate1 that will remove the heaviness 
of the heart2 our vices go  along with  
us1 and we carry in ourselves the causes
 of our disquiets4  ,there is a great   
weight lies upon us1 and the bare       
shocking of it  makes it the more       
uneasy2 changing of countries1 in this  
case1 is not  travelling1 but wandering4
 ,we must keep on our course1 if we     
would gain  our journey's end4 8,he that
 cannot live happily anywhere1 will live
  happily nowhere40 ,what is a man the  
better for travelling8 as if his  cares 
could not find him out wherever he goes8
 ,is there any retiring  from the fear  
of death1 or of torments8 or from those 
difficulties  which beset a man wherever
 he is8 ,it is only philosophy that     
makes the  mind invincible1 and places  
us out of the reach of fortune1 so that 
all her arrows fall short of us4 ,this  
it is that reclaims the rage of  our    
lusts1 and sweetens the anxiety of our  
fears4 ,frequent changing of  places or 

councils1 shows an instability of mind2 
and we must fix the  body before we can 
fix the soul4 ,we can hardly stir       
abroad1 or look  about us1 without      
encountering something or other that    
revives our  appetites4 ,as he that     
would cast off an unhappy love avoids   
whatsoever  may put him in mind of the  
person1 so he that would wholly deliver 
himself from his beloved lusts must shun
 all objects that may put them  in his  
head again1 and remind him of them4 ,we 
travel1 as children run  up and down    
after strange sights1 for novelty1 not  
profit2 we return  neither the better   
nor the sounder2 nay1 and the very      
agitation hurts  us4 ,we learn to call  
towns and places by their names1 and to 
tell  stories of mountains and of       
rivers2 but had not our time been better
  spent in the study of wisdom and of   
virtue8 in the learning of what  is     
already discovered1 and in the quest of 
things not yet found out8  ,if a man    
break his leg1 or strain his ankle1 he  

sends presently for a  surgeon to set   
all right again1 and does not take horse
 upon it1 or put  himself on ship-board2
 no more does the change of place work  
upon our  disordered minds than upon our
 bodies4 ,it is not the place1 ,i hope1 
that makes either an orator or a        
physician4 ,will any man ask upon the   
road1 ,pray1 which is the way to        
prudence1 to justice1 to temperance1  to
 fortitude8 ,no matter whither any man  
goes that carries his  affections along 
with him4 ,he that would make his       
travels delightful  must make himself a 
temperate companion4    ,a great        
traveller was complaining that he was   
never the better for his  travels2      
8,that is very true10 said ,socrates1   
8because you travelled  with yourself40 
,now1 had not he better have made       
himself another man  than to transport  
himself to another place8 ,it is no     
matter what  manners we find anywhere2  
so long as we carry our own4 ,but we    
have all  of us a natural curiosity of  

seeing fine sights1 and of making new   
discoveries1 turning over antiquities1  
learning the customs of nations1  etc4  
,we are never quiet2 to-day we seek an  
office1 to-morrow we are  sick of it4   
,we divide our lives betwixt a dislike  
of the present and a  desire of the     
future3 but he that lives as he should1 
orders himself  so1 as neither to fear  
nor to wish for to-morrow2 if it comes1 
it is  welcome2 but if not1 there is    
nothing lost2 for that which is come1 is
  but the same over again with what is  
past4 ,as levity is a pernicious  enemy 
to quiet1 so pertinacity is a great one 
too4 ,the one changes  nothing1 the     
other sticks to nothing2 and which of   
the two is the  worse1 may be a         
question4 ,it is many times seen1 that  
we beg earnestly  for those things1     
which1 if they were offered us1 we would
 refuse2 and  it is but just to punish  
this easiness of asking with an equal   
facility  of granting4 ,there are some  
things we would be thought to desire1   

which  we are so far from desiring that 
we dread them4 8,i shall tire you10     
says one1 in the middle of a tedious    
story4 8,nay1 pray be pleased to  go    
on10 we cry1 though we wish his tongue  
out at half-way3 nay1 we do  not deal   
candidly even with ,god himself4 ,we    
should say to ourselves  in these cases1
 8,this ,i have drawn upon myself4 ,i   
could never be quiet  until ,i had      
gotten this woman1 this place1 this     
estate1 this honor1 and  now see what is
 come of it40    ,one sovereign remedy  
against all misfortunes is constancy of 
mind3 the  changing of parties and      
countenances looks as if a man were     
driven with  the wind4 ,nothing can be  
above him that is above fortune4 ,it is 
not  violence1 reproach1 contempt1 or   
whatever else from without1 that can    
make a wise man quit his ground3 but he 
is proof against calamities1  both great
 and small3 only our error is1 that what
 we cannot do  ourselves1 we think      
nobody else can2 so that we judge of the

 wise by  the measures of the weak4     
,place me among princes or among        
beggars1 the  one shall not make me     
proud1 nor the other ashamed4 ,i can    
take as sound  a sleep in a barn as in a
 palace1 and a bundle of hay makes me as
 good  a lodging as a bed of down4      
,should every day succeed to my wish1 it
  should not transport me2 nor would ,i 
think myself miserable if ,i should  not
 have one quiet hour in my life4 ,i will
 not transport myself with  either pain 
or pleasure2 but yet for all that1 ,i   
could wish that ,i had  an easier game  
to play1 and that ,i were put rather to 
moderate my joys  than my sorrows4 ,if  
,i were an imperial prince1 ,i had      
rather take than  be taken2 and yet ,i  
would bear the same mind under the      
chariot of my  conqueror that ,i had in 
my own4 ,it is no great matter to       
trample upon  those things that are most
 coveted or feared by the common people4
  ,there are those that will laugh upon 
the wheel1 and cast themselves  upon a  

certain death1 only upon a transport of 
love1 perhaps anger1  avarice1 or       
revenge2 how much more then upon an     
instinct of virtue1  which is invincible
 and steady6 ,if a short obstinacy of   
mind can do  this1 how much more shall a
 composed and deliberate virtue1 whose  
force  is equal and perpetual4    ,to   
secure ourselves in this world1 first1  
we must aim at nothing that  men count  
worth the wrangling for4 ,secondly1 we  
must not value the  possession of any   
thing which even a common thief would   
think worth the  stealing4 ,a man's body
 is no booty4 ,let the way be never so  
dangerous  for robberies1 the poor and  
the naked pass quietly4 ,a plain-dealing
  sincerity of manners makes a man's    
life happy1 even in despite of scorn    
and contempt1 which is every clear man's
 fate4 ,but we had better yet  be       
contemned for simplicity than lie       
perpetually upon the torture of  a      
counterfeit2 provided that care be taken
 not to confound simplicity  with       

negligence2 and it is1 moreover1 an     
uneasy life that of a  disguise2 for a  
man to seem to be what he is not1 to    
keep a perpetual  guard upon himself1   
and to live in fear of a discovery4 ,he 
takes every  man that looks upon him for
 a spy1 over and above the trouble of   
being  put to play another man's part4  
,it is a good remedy in some cases for  
a man to apply himself to civil affairs 
and public business2 and yet1  in this  
state of life too1 what betwixt ambition
 and calumny1 it is  hardly safe to be  
honest4 ,there are1 indeed1 some cases  
wherein a wise  man will give way2 but  
let him not yield over easily neither2  
if he  marches off1 let him have a care 
of his honor1 and make his retreat  with
 his sword in his hand1 and his face to 
the enemy4 ,of all others1 a  studious  
life is the least tiresome3 it makes us 
easy to ourselves and  to others1 and   
gains us both friends and reputation4   
,,chapter ,x4    ,,he ,,that ,,sets ,,up
 ,,his ,,rest ,,upon ,,contingencies    

,,shall ,,never ,,be ,,quiet4           
,never pronounce any man happy that     
depends upon fortune for his  happiness2
 for nothing can be more preposterous   
than to place the  good of a reasonable 
creature in unreasonable things4 ,if ,i 
have lost  any thing1 it was            
adventitious2 and the less money1 the   
less trouble2  the less favor1 the less 
envy2 nay1 even in those cases that put 
us  out of their wits1 it is not the    
loss itself1 but the opinion of the     
loss1 that troubles us4 ,it is a common 
mistake to account those things         
necessary that are superfluous1 and to  
depend upon fortune for the  felicity of
 life1 which arises only from virtue4   
,there is no trusting  to her smiles2   
the sea swells and rages in a moment1   
and the ships are  swallowed at night1  
in the very place where they sported    
themselves in  the morning4 ,and fortune
 has the same power over princes that it
 has  over empires1 over nations that it
 has over cities1 and the same power    

over cities that it has over private    
men4 ,where is that estate that may  not
 be followed upon the heel with famine  
and beggary8 that dignity  which the    
next moment may not be laid in the dust8
 that kingdom that is  secure from      
desolation and ruin8 ,the period of all 
things is at hand1  as well that which  
casts out the fortunate as the other    
that delivers  the unhappy2 and that    
which may fall out at any time may fall 
out this  very day4 ,what shall come to 
pass ,i know not1 but what may come to  
pass ,i know3 so that ,i will despair of
 nothing1 but expect everything2  and   
whatsoever ,providence remits is clear  
gain4 ,every moment1 if it  spares me1  
deceives me2 and yet in some sort it    
does not deceive me2  for though ,i know
 that any thing may happen1 yet ,i know 
likewise  that everything will not4 ,i  
will hope the best1 and provide for the 
worst4 ,methinks we should not find so  
much fault with ,fortune for her        
inconstancy when we ourselves suffer a  

change every moment that we  live2 only 
other changes make more noise1 and this 
steals upon us like  the shadow upon a  
dial1 every jot as certainly1 but more  
insensibly4    ,the burning of ,lyons   
may serve to show us that we are never  
safe1 and  to arm us against all        
surprises4 ,the terror of it must needs 
be great1  for the calamity is almost   
without example4 ,if it had been fired  
by an  enemy1 the flame would have left 
some further mischief to have been  done
 by the soldiers2 but to be wholly      
consumed1 we have not heard of  many    
earthquakes so pernicious3 so many      
rarities to be destroyed in  one night2 
and in the depth of peace to suffer an  
outrage beyond the  extremity of war2   
who would believe it8 but twelve hours  
betwixt so  fair a city and none at all6
 ,it was laid in ashes in less time than
 it  would require to tell the story4   
,to stand unshaken in such a calamity is
 hardly to be expected1 and  our wonder 
can but be equal to our grief4 ,let this

 accident teach us  to provide against  
all possibilities that fall within the  
power of  fortune4 ,all external things 
are under her dominion3 one while she   
calls our hands to her assistance2      
another while she contents herself  with
 her own force1 and destroys us with    
mischiefs of which we cannot  find the  
author4 ,no time1 place1 or condition1  
is excepted2 she makes  our very        
pleasures painful to us2 she makes war  
upon us in the depth of  peace1 and     
turns the means of our security into an 
occasion of fear2  she turns a friend   
into an enemy1 and makes a foe of a     
companion2 we  suffer the effects of war
 without any adversary2 and rather than 
fail1  our felicity shall be the cause  
of our destruction4 ,lest we should     
either forget or neglect her power1     
every day produces something            
extraordinary4 ,she persecutes the most 
temperate with sickness1 the  strongest 
constitutions with the phthisis2 she    
brings the innocent  to punishment1 and 

the most retired she assaults with      
tumults4 ,those  glories that have grown
 up with many ages1 with infinite labor 
and  expense1 and under the favor of    
many auspicious providences1 one day    
scatters and brings to nothing4 ,he that
 pronounced a day1 nay1 an hour1        
sufficient for the destruction of the   
greatest empire1 might have  fallen to a
 moment4    ,it were some comfort yet to
 the frailty of mankind and of human    
affairs1 if things might but decay as   
slowly as they rise2 but they  grow by  
degrees1 and they fall to ruin in an    
instant4 ,there is no  felicity in      
anything either private or public2 men1 
nations1 and  cities1 have all their    
fates and periods2 our very             
entertainments are  not without terror1 
and our calamity rises there where we   
least expect  it4 ,those kingdoms that  
stood the shock both of foreign wars and
 civil1  come to destruction without the
 sight of an enemy4 ,nay1 we are to     
dread  our peace and felicity more than 

violence1 because we are here taken     
unprovided2 unless in a state of peace  
we do the duty of men in war1  and say  
to ourselves1 ,whatsoever may be1 will  
be4 ,i am to-day safe  and happy in the 
love of my country2 ,i am to-morrow     
banished3 to-day in  pleasure1 peace1   
health2 to-morrow broken upon a wheel1  
led in triumph1  and in the agony of    
sickness4 ,let us therefore prepare for 
a shipwreck  in the port1 and for a     
tempest in a calm4 ,one violence drives 
me from  my country1 another ravishes   
that from me2 and that very place where 
a man can hardly pass this day for a    
crowd may be to-morrow a desert4        
,wherefore let us set before our eyes   
the whole condition of human  nature1   
and consider as well what may happen as 
what commonly does4  ,the way to make   
future calamities easy to us in the     
sufferance1 is to  make them familiar to
 us in the contemplation4 ,how many     
cities in ,asia1  ,achaia1 ,assyria1    
,macedonia1 have been swallowed up by   

earthquakes8  nay1 whole countries are  
lost1 and large provinces laid under    
water2  but time brings all things to an
 end2 for all the works of mortals  are 
mortal2 all possessions and their       
possessors are uncertain and            
perishable2 and what wonder is it to    
lose anything at any time1 when we  must
 one day lose all8    ,that which we    
call our own is but lent us2 and what we
 have received  gratis we must return   
without complaint4 ,that which ,fortune 
gives  us this hour she may take away   
the next2 and he that trusts to her     
favors1 shall either find himself       
deceived1 or if he be not1 he will  at  
least be troubled1 because he may be so4
 ,there is no defence in  walls1        
fortifications1 and engines1 against the
 power of fortune2 we  must provide     
ourselves within1 and when we are safe  
there1 we are  invincible2 we may be    
battered1 but not taken4 ,she throws her
 gifts  among us1 and we sweat and      
scuffle for them1 never considering how 

few  are the better for that which is   
expected by all4 ,some are transported  
with what they get2 others tormented for
 what they miss2 and many  times there  
is a leg or an arm broken in a contest  
for a counter4 ,she  gives us honors1   
riches1 favors1 only to take them away  
again1 either  by violence or treachery3
 so that they frequently turn to the    
damage  of the receiver4 ,she throws out
 baits for us1 and sets traps as we do  
for birds and beasts2 her bounties are  
snares and lime-twigs to us2 we  think  
that we take1 but we are taken4 ,if they
 had any thing in them  that was        
substantial1 they would some time or    
other fill and quiet us2  but they serve
 only to provoke our appetite without   
anything more than  pomp and show to    
allay it4 ,but the best of it is1 if a  
man cannot mend  his fortune1 he may yet
 mend his manners1 and put himself so   
far out of  her reach1 that whether she 
gives or takes1 it shall be all one to  
us2  for we are neither the greater for 

the one1 nor the less for the other4    
,we call this a dark room1 or that a    
light one2 when it is in itself  neither
 the one nor the other1 but only as the 
day and the night render  it4 ,and so it
 is in riches1 strength of body1 beauty1
 honor1 command3  and likewise in pain1 
sickness1 banishment1 death3 which are  
in  themselves middle and indifferent   
things1 and only good or bad as they    
are influenced by virtue4 ,to weep1     
lament1 and groan1 is to renounce  our  
duty2 and it is the same weakness on the
 other side to exult and  rejoice4 ,i   
would rather make my fortune than expect
 it2 being neither  depressed with her  
injuries1 nor dazzled with her favors4  
,when ,zeno was  told1 that all his     
goods were drowned2 8,why then10 says   
he1 8,fortune  has a mind to make me a  
philosopher40 ,it is a great matter for 
a man to  advance his mind above her    
threats or flatteries2 for he that has  
once  gotten the better of her is safe  
forever4    ,it is some comfort yet to  

the unfortunate1 that great men lie     
under the  lash for company2 and that   
death spares the palace no more than the
  cottage1 and that whoever is above me 
has a power also above him4 ,do  we not 
daily see funerals without trouble1     
princes deposed1 countries  depopulated1
 towns sacked2 without so much as       
thinking how soon it may  be our own    
case8 whereas1 if we would but prepare  
and arm ourselves  against the          
iniquities of fortune1 we should never  
be surprised4    ,when we see any man   
banished1 beggared1 tortured1 we are to 
account1  that though the mischief fell 
upon another1 it was levelled at us4    
,what  wonder is it if1 of so many      
thousands of dangers that are constantly
  hovering about us1 one comes to hit us
 at last8 ,that which befalls any  man1 
may befall every man2 and then it breaks
 the force of a present  calamity to    
provide against the future4 ,whatsoever 
our lot is1 we must  bear it3 as suppose
 it be contumely1 cruelty1 fire1 sword1 

pains1  diseases1 or a prey to wild     
beasts2 there is no struggling1 nor any 
remedy but moderation4 ,it is to no     
purpose to bewail any part of our  life1
 when life itself is miserable          
throughout2 and the whole flux of  it   
only a course of transition from one    
misfortune to another4    ,a man may as 
well wonder that he should be cold in   
winter1 sick at sea1  or have his bones 
clatter together in a wagon1 as at the  
encounter  of ill accidents and crosses 
in the passage of human life2 and it is 
in vain to run away from fortune1 as if 
there were any hiding-place  wherein she
 could not find us2 or to expect any    
quiet from her2 for she  makes life a   
perpetual state of war1 without so much 
as any respite or  truce4 ,this we may  
conclude upon1 that her empire is but   
imaginary1 and  that whosoever serves   
her1 makes himself a voluntary slave2   
for 8the  things that are often         
contemned by the inconsiderate1 and     
always by the  wise1 are in themselves  

neither good nor evil30 as pleasure and 
pains2  prosperity and adversity2 which 
can only operate upon our outward       
condition1 without any proper and       
necessary effect upon the mind4         
,,chapter ,,xi4    ,a ,,sensual ,,life  
,,is ,a ,,miserable ,,life4      ,the   
sensuality that we here treat of falls  
naturally under the head of  luxury2    
which extends to all the excesses of    
gluttony1 lust1 effeminacy  of manners2 
and1 in short1 to whatsoever concerns   
the overgreat care of  the carcass4     
,to begin now with the pleasures of the 
palate1 7which deal with us like        
,egyptian thieves1 that strangle those  
they embrace71 what shall we say  of the
 luxury of ,nomentanus and ,apicius1    
that entertained their very  souls in   
the kitchen3 they have the choicest     
music for their ears2 the  most         
diverting spectacles for their eyes2 the
 choicest variety of meats  and drinks  
for their palates4 ,what is all this1 ,i
 say1 but a merry  madness8 ,it is true1

 they have their delights1 but not      
without heavy  and anxious thoughts1    
even in their very enjoyments1 beside   
that1 they  are followed with           
repentance1 and their frolics are little
 more than  the laughter of so many     
people out of their wits4 ,their        
felicities are  full of disquiet1 and   
neither sincere nor well grounded3 but  
they have  need of one pleasure to      
support another2 and of new prayers to  
forgive  the errors of their former4    
,their life must needs be wretched that 
get  with great pains what they keep    
with greater4    ,one diversion         
overtakes another2 hope excites hope2   
ambition begets  ambition2 so that they 
only change the matter of their         
miseries1  without seeking any end of   
them2 and shall never be without either 
prosperous or unhappy causes of         
disquiet4 ,what if a body might have    
all the pleasures in the world for the  
asking8 who would so much unman         
himself1 as by accepting of them1 to    

desert his soul1 and become a  perpetual
 slave to his senses8 ,those false and  
miserable palates1 that  judge of meats 
by the price and difficulty1 not by the 
healthfulness  of taste1 they vomit that
 they may eat1 and they eat that they   
may  fetch it up again4 ,they cross the 
seas for rarities1 and when they have   
swallowed them1 they will not so much as
 give them time to digest4  ,wheresoever
 ,nature has placed men1 she has        
provided them aliment3 but  we rather   
choose to irritate hunger by expense    
than to allay it at an  easier rate4    
,what is it that we plow the seas for2  
or arm ourselves against men and        
beasts8 ,to what end do we toil1 and    
labor1 and pile bags upon bags8 ,we  may
 enlarge our fortunes1 but we cannot our
 bodies2 so that it does  but spill and 
run over1 whatsoever we take more than  
we can hold4 ,our  forefathers 7by the  
force of whose virtues we are now       
supported in our  vices7 lived every jot
 as well as we1 when they provided and  

dressed  their own meat with their own  
hands2 lodged upon the ground1 and were 
not as yet come to the vanity of gold   
and gems2 when they swore by  their     
earthen gods1 and kept their oath1      
though they died for it4    ,did not our
 consuls live more happily when they    
cooked their own meat  with those       
victorious hands that had conquered so  
many enemies and  won so many laurels8  
,did they not live more happily1 ,i say1
 than our  ,apicius 7that corrupter of  
youth1 and plague of the age he lived   
in7  who1 after he had spent a          
prodigious fortune upon his belly1      
poisoned  himself for fear of starving1 
when he had yet #bej1jjj crowns in his  
coffers8 which may serve to show us1    
that it is the mind1 and not  the sum1  
that makes any man rich2 when ,apicius  
with all his treasure  counted himself  
in a state of beggary1 and took poison  
to avoid that  condition1 which another 
would have prayed for4 ,but why do we   
call  it poison1 which was the          

wholesomest draught of his life8 ,his   
daily  gluttony was poison rather1 both 
to himself and others4 ,his ostentation 
of it was intolerable2 and so was the   
infinite pains he took to mislead       
others by his example1 who went even    
fast enough of themselves without       
driving4    ,it is a shame for a man to 
place his felicity in those             
entertainments  and appetites that are  
stronger in brutes4 ,do not beasts eat  
with a  better stomach8 ,have they not  
more satisfaction in their lusts8 ,and  
they have not only a quicker relish of  
their pleasures1 but they enjoy  them   
without either scandal or remorse4 ,if  
sensuality were happiness1  beasts were 
happier than men2 but human felicity is 
lodged in the  soul1 not in the flesh4  
,they that deliver themselves up to     
luxury  are still either tormented with 
too little1 or oppressed with too  much2
 and equally miserable1 by being either 
deserted or overwhelmed3  they are like 
men in a dangerous sea2 one while cast  

a-dry upon a  rock1 and another while   
swallowed up in a whirlpool2 and all    
this  from the mistake of not           
distinguishing good from evil4 ,the     
huntsman1  that with which labor and    
hazard takes a wild beast1 runs as great
 a  risk afterwards in the keeping of   
him2 for many times he tears out  the   
throat of his master2 and it is the same
 thing with inordinate  pleasures3 the  
more in number1 and the greater they    
are1 the more  general and absolute a   
slave is the servant of them4 ,let the  
common  people pronounce him as happy as
 they please1 he pays his liberty for   
his delights1 and sells himself for what
 he buys4    ,let any man take a view of
 our kitchens1 the number of our cooks1 
and  the variety of our meats2 will he  
not wonder to see so much provision     
made for one belly8 ,we have as many    
diseases as we have cooks or  meats2 and
 the service of the appetite is the     
study now in vogue4 ,to  say nothing of 
our trains of lackeys1 and our troops of

 caterers and  sewers3 ,good ,god6 that 
ever one belly should employ so many    
people6  ,how nauseous and fulsome are  
the surfeits that follow these excesses8
  ,simple meats are out of fashion1 and 
all are collected into one2 so  that the
 cook does the office of the stomach2   
nay1 and of the teeth  too2 for the meat
 looks as if it were chewed beforehand3 
here is the  luxury of all tastes in one
 dish1 and liker a vomit than a soup4   
,from  these compounded dishes arise    
compounded diseases1 which require      
compounded medicines4 ,it is the same   
thing with our minds that it is  with   
our tables2 simple vices are curable by 
simple counsels1 but a  general         
dissolution of manners is hardly        
overcome2 we are overrun with  a public 
as well as with a private madness4 ,the 
physicians of old  understood little    
more than the virtue of some herbs to   
stop blood1 or  heal a wound2 and their 
firm and healthful bodies needed little 
more  before they were corrupted by     

luxury and pleasure2 and when it came to
  that once1 their business was not to  
allay hunger1 but to provoke it by  a   
thousand inventions and sauces4 ,that   
which was aliment to a craving  stomach 
is become a burden to a full one4 ,from 
hence came paleness1  trembling1 and    
worse effects from crudities than       
famine2 a weakness in  the joints1 the  
belly stretched1 suffusion of choler1   
the torpor of  the nerves1 and a        
palpitation of the heart4 ,to say       
nothing of megrims1  torments of the    
eyes and ears1 head-ache1 gout1 scurvy1 
several sorts  of fevers and putrid     
ulcers1 with other diseases that are but
 the  punishment of luxury4 ,so long as 
our bodies were hardened with labor1  or
 tired with exercise or hunting1 our    
food was plain and simple2 many  dishes 
have made many diseases4    ,it is an   
ill thing for a man not to know the     
measure of his stomach1  nor to consider
 that men do many things in their drink 
that they are  ashamed of sober2        

drunkenness being nothing else but a    
voluntary  madness4 ,it emboldens men to
 do all sorts of mischiefs2 it both     
irritates wickedness and discovers it2  
it does not make men vicious1  but it   
shows them to be so4 ,it was in a       
drunken fit that ,alexander  killed     
,clytus4 ,it makes him that is insolent 
prouder1 him that is  cruel fiercer1 it 
takes away all shame4 ,he that is       
peevish breaks out  presently into ill  
words and blows4 ,the lecher1 without   
any regard to  decency or scandal1 turns
 up his whore in the market-place4 ,a   
man's  tongue trips1 his head runs      
round1 he staggers in his pace4 ,to say 
nothing of the crudities and diseases   
that follow upon this distemper1        
consider the public mischiefs it has    
done4 ,how many warlike nations  and    
strong cities1 that have stood          
invincible to attacks and sieges1  has  
drunkenness overcome6 ,is it not a great
 honor to drink the company  dead8 a    
magnificent virtue to swallow more wine 

than the rest1 and yet  at last to be   
outdone by a hogshead8 ,what shall we   
say of those men  that invert the       
offices of day and night8 as if our eyes
 were only  given us to make use of in  
the dark8 ,is it day8 8,it is time to go
 to  bed40 ,is it night8 8,it is time to
 rise40 ,is it toward morning8 8,let us 
go to supper40 ,when other people lie   
down they rise1 and lie till the  next  
night to digest the debauch of the day  
before4 ,it is an argument  of clownery1
 to do as other people do4    ,luxury   
steals upon us by degrees2 first1 it    
shows itself in a more  than ordinary   
care of our bodies1 it slips next into  
the furniture of  our houses2 and it    
gets then into the fabric1 curiosity1   
and expense  of the house itself4 ,it   
appears1 lastly1 in the fantastical     
excesses  of our tables4 ,we change and 
shuffle our meats1 confound our sauces1 
serve that in first that used to be     
last1 and value our dishes1 not for  the
 taste1 but for the rarity4 ,nay1 we are

 so delicate1 that we must  be told when
 we are to eat or drink2 when we are    
hungry or weary2 and  we cherish some   
vices as proofs and arguments of our    
happiness4 ,the  most miserable mortals 
are they that deliver themselves up to  
their  palates1 or to their lusts3 the  
pleasure is short and turns presently   
nauseous1 and the end of it is either   
shame or repentance4 ,it is a  brutal   
entertainment1 and unworthy of a man1 to
 place his felicity in  the service of  
his senses4 ,as to the wrathful1 the    
contentious1 the  ambitious1 though the 
distemper be great1 the offence has yet 
something  in it that is manly2 but the 
basest of prostitutes are those that    
dedicate themselves wholly to lust2 what
 with their hopes and fears1  anxiety of
 thought1 and perpetual disquiets1 they 
are never well1 full  nor fasting4      
,what a deal of business is now made    
about our houses and diet1 which  was at
 first both obvious and of little       
expense8 ,luxury led the  way1 and we   

have employed our wits in the aid of our
 vices4 ,first  we desired              
superfluities1 our next step was to     
wickedness1 and1 in  conclusion1 we     
delivered up our minds to our bodies1   
and so became  slaves to our appetites1 
which before were our servants1 and are 
now  become our masters4 ,what was it   
that brought us to the extravagance  of 
embroideries1 perfumes1 tire-women1 etc4
 ,we passed the bounds of  ,nature1 and 
launched out into superfluities2        
insomuch1 that it is  now-a-days only   
for beggars and clowns to content       
themselves with what  is sufficient2 our
 luxury makes us insolent and mad4 ,we  
take upon us  like princes1 and fly out 
for every trifle1 as though there were  
life  and death in the case4 ,what a    
madness is it for a man to lay out an   
estate upon a table or a cabinet1 a     
patrimony upon a pain of pendants1  and 
to inflame the price of curiosities     
according to the hazard either  of      
breaking or losing of them8 ,to wear    

garments that will neither  defend a    
woman's body1 nor her modesty3 so thin  
that one could make a  conscience of    
swearing she were naked3 for she hardly 
shows more in  the privacies of her     
amour than in public8 ,how long shall we
 covet  and oppress1 enlarge our        
possessions1 and account that too little
 for  one man which was formerly enough 
for a nation8 ,and our luxury is as     
insatiable as our avarice4 ,where is    
that lake1 that sea1 that forest1  that 
spot of land2 that is not ransacked to  
gratify our palate8 ,the  very earth is 
burdened with our buildings2 not a      
river1 not a mountain1  escapes us4 ,oh1
 that there should be such boundless    
desires in our  little bodies6 ,would   
not fewer lodgings serve us8 ,we lie but
 in one1  and where we are not1 that is 
not properly ours4 ,what with our hooks1
  snares1 nets1 dogs1 etc41 we are at   
war with all living creatures2 and      
nothing comes amiss but that which is   
either too cheap1 or too common2  and   

all this is to gratify a fantastical    
palate4 ,our avarice1 our  ambition1 our
 lusts1 are insatiable2 we enlarge our  
possessions1 swell  our families1 we    
rifle sea and land for matter of        
ornament and luxury4  ,a bull contents  
himself with one meadow1 and one forest 
is enough for a  thousand elephants2 but
 the little body of a man devours more  
than all  other living creatures4 ,we do
 not eat to satisfy hunger1 but         
ambition2  we are dead while we are     
alive1 and our houses are so much our   
tombs1  that a man might write our      
epitaphs upon our very doors4    ,a     
voluptuous person1 in fine1 can neither 
be a good man1 a good  patriot1 nor a   
good friend2 for he is transported with 
his appetites1  without considering1    
that the lot of man is the law of       
,nature4 ,a good  man 7like a good      
soldier7 will stand his ground1 receive 
wounds1 glory  in his scars1 and in     
death itself love his master for whom he
 falls2  with that divine precept always

 in his mind1 8,follow good30 whereas   
he that complains1 laments1 and groans1 
must yield nevertheless1 and  do his    
duty though in spite of his heart4 ,now1
 what a madness is it  for a man to     
choose rather to be lugged than to      
follow1 and vainly to  contend with the 
calamities of human life8 ,whatsoever is
 laid upon  us by necessity1 we should  
receive generously2 for it is foolish to
  strive with what we cannot avoid4 ,we 
are born subjects1 and to obey  ,god is 
perfect liberty4 ,he that does this     
shall be free1 safe1 and  quiet3 all his
 actions shall succeed to his wish3 and 
what can any man  desire more than to   
want nothing from without1 and to have  
all things  desirable within himself8   
,pleasures do but weaken our minds1 and 
send  us for our support to ,fortune1   
who gives us money only as the wages of 
slavery4 ,we must stop our eyes and our 
ears4 ,ulysses had but one rock  to     
fear1 but human life has many4 ,every   
city1 nay1 every man1 is one2  and there

 is no trusting even to our nearest     
friends4 ,deliver me from  the          
superstition of taking those things     
which are light and vain for            
felicities4          ,,chapter ,,xii4   
,,avarice ,,and ,,ambition ,,are        
,,insatiable ,,and ,,restless4      ,the
 man that would be truly rich must not  
increase his fortune1 but  retrench his 
appetites3 for riches are not only      
superfluous1 but mean1  and little more 
to the possessor than to the looker-on4 
,what is the  end of ambition and       
avarice1 when at best we are but        
stewards of what  we falsely call our   
own8 ,all those things that we pursue   
with so much  hazard and expense of     
blood1 as well to keep as to get1 for   
which we  break faith and friendship1   
what are they but the mere deposita of  
,fortune8 and not ours1 but already     
inclining toward a new master4  ,there  
is nothing our own but that which we    
give to ourselves1 and of  which we have
 a certain and an inexpugnable          

possession4 ,avarice is  so insatiable1 
that it is not in the power of          
liberality to content  it2 and our      
desires are so boundless1 that whatever 
we get is but in  the way to getting    
more without end3 and so long as we are 
solicitous  for the increase of wealth1 
we lose the true use of it2 and spend   
our  time in putting out1 calling in1   
and passing our accounts1 without  any  
substantial benefit1 either to the world
 or to ourselves4 ,what is  the         
difference betwixt old men and children8
 the one cries for nuts  and apples1 and
 the other for gold and silver3 the one 
sets up courts  of justice1 hears and   
determines1 acquits and condemns1 in    
jest2 the  other in earnest3 the one    
makes houses of clay1 the other of      
marble3  so that the works of old men   
are nothing in the world but the        
progress  and improvement of children's 
errors2 and they are to be admonished   
and  punished too like children1 not in 
revenge for injuries received1 but  as a

 correction of injuries done1 and to    
make them give over4 ,there  is some    
substance yet in gold and silver2 but as
 to judgments and  statutes1 procuration
 and continuance-money1 these are only  
the visions  and dreams of avarice4     
,throw a crust of bread to a dog1 he    
takes it  open-mouthed1 swallows it     
whole1 and presently gapes for more3    
just so  do we with the gifts of        
,fortune2 down they go without chewing1 
and we  are immediately ready for       
another chop4 ,but what has avarice now 
to do  with gold and silver1 that is so 
much outdone by curiosities of a far    
greater value8 ,let us no longer        
complain that there was not a heavier   
load laid upon those precious metals1 or
 that they were not buried  deep enough1
 when we have found out ways by wax and 
parchments1 and  by bloody usurious     
contracts1 to undo one another4 ,it is  
remarkable1  that ,providence has given 
us all things for our advantage near at 
hand2  but iron1 gold1 and silver1      

7being both the instrument of blood and 
slaughter1 and the price of it7 ,nature 
has hidden in the bowels of the  earth4 
,there is no avarice without some       
punishment1 over and above that which   
it is to itself4 ,how miserable is it in
 the desire6 how miserable even  in the 
attaining of our ends6 ,for money is a  
greater torment in the  possession than 
it is in the pursuit4 ,the fear of      
losing it is a great  trouble1 the loss 
of it a greater1 and it is made a       
greater yet by  opinion4 ,nay1 even in  
the case of no direct loss at all1 the  
covetous  man loses what he does not    
get4 ,it is true1 the people call the   
rich  man a happy man1 and wish         
themselves in his condition2 but can any
  condition be worse than that which    
carries vexation and envy along with    
it8 ,neither is any man to boast of his 
fortune1 his herds of cattle1  his      
number of slaves1 his lands and palaces2
 for comparing that which  he has to    
that which he further covets1 he is a   

beggar4 ,no man can  possess all things1
 but any man may contemn them2 and the  
contempt of  riches is the nearest way  
to the gaining of them4    ,some        
magistrates are made for money1 and     
those commonly are bribed with  money4  
,we are all turned merchants1 and look  
not into the quality of  things1 but    
into the price of them2 for reward we   
are pious1 and for  reward again we are 
impious4 ,we are honest so long as we   
may thrive  upon it2 but if the devil   
himself gives better wages1 we change   
our  party4 ,our parents have trained us
 up into an admiration of gold and      
silver1 and the love of it is grown up  
with us to that degree that  when we    
would show our gratitude to ,heaven1 we 
make presents of those  metals4 ,this it
 is that makes poverty look like a curse
 and a reproach2  and the poets help it 
forward2 the chariot of the sun must be 
all of  gold2 the best of times must be 
the ,golden ,age1 and thus they turn the
  greatest misery of mankind into the   

greatest blessings4    ,neither does    
avarice make us only unhappy in         
ourselves1 but malevolent  also to      
mankind4 ,the soldier wishes for war2   
the husbandman would have  his corn     
dear2 the lawyer prays for dissension2  
the physician for a  sickly year2 he    
that deals in curiosities1 for luxury   
and excess1 for  he makes up his        
fortunes out of the corruptions of the  
age4 ,high winds  and public            
conflagrations make work for the        
carpenter and bricklayer1  and one man  
lives by the loss of another2 some few1 
perhaps1 have  the fortune to be        
detected1 but they are all wicked alike4
 ,a great  plague makes work for the    
sexton2 and1 in one word1 whosoever     
gains  by the dead has not much kindness
 for the living4 ,demades of ,athens    
condemned a fellow that sold necessaries
 for funerals1 upon proof that  he      
wished to make himself a fortune by his 
trade1 which could not be  but by a     
great mortality2 but perhaps he did not 

so much desire to have  many customers1 
as to sell dear1 and buy cheap2 besides1
 that all of  that trade might have been
 condemned as well as he4 ,whatsoever   
whets  our appetites1 flatters and      
depresses the mind1 and1 by dilating it1
  weakens it2 first blowing it up1 and  
then filling and deluding it with       
vanity4    ,to proceed now from the most
 prostitute of all vices1 sensuality and
  avarice1 to that which passes in the  
world for the most generous1 the  thirst
 of glory and dominion4 ,if they that   
run mad after wealth and  honor1 could  
but look into the hearts of them that   
have already gained  these points1 how  
would it startle them to see those      
hideous cares and  crimes that wait upon
 ambitious greatness3 all those         
acquisitions that  dazzle the eyes of   
the vulgar are but false pleasures1     
slippery and  uncertain4 ,they are      
achieved with labor1 and the very guard 
of them is  painful4 ,ambition puffs us 
up with vanity and wind3 and we are     

equally  troubled either to see any body
 before us1 or nobody behind us2 so that
  we lie under a double envy2 for       
whosoever envies another is also envied 
himself4 ,what matters it how far       
,alexander extended his conquests1  if  
he was not yet satisfied with what he   
had8 ,every man wants as  much as he    
covets2 and it is lost labor to pour    
into a vessel that  will never be full4 
,he that had subdued so many princes and
 nations1  upon the killing of ,clytus  
7one friend7 and the loss of ,hyphestion
  7another7 delivered himself up to     
anger and sadness2 and when he was      
master of the world1 he was yet a slave 
to his passions4 ,look into  ,cyrus1    
,cambyses1 and the whole ,persian line1 
and you shall not find so  much as one  
man of them that died satisfied with    
what he had gotten4  ,ambition aspires  
from great things to greater2 and       
propounds matters  even impossible1 when
 it has once arrived at things beyond   
expectation4  ,it is a kind of dropsy2  

the more a man drinks1 the more he      
covets4 ,let  any man but observe the   
tumults and the crowds that attend      
palaces2  what affronts must we endure  
to be admitted1 and how much greater    
when  we are in6 ,the passage to virtue 
is fair1 but the way to greatness  is   
craggy and it stands not only upon a    
precipice1 but upon ice too2  and yet it
 is a hard matter to convince a great   
man that his station  is slippery1 or to
 prevail with him not to depend upon his
 greatness2  but all superfluities are  
hurtful4 ,a rank crop lays the corn2 too
  great a burden of fruit breaks the    
bough2 and our minds may be as well     
overcharged with an immoderate          
happiness4 ,nay1 though we ourselves    
would be at rest1 our fortune will not  
suffer it3 the way that leads  to honor 
and riches leads to troubles2 and we    
find the source of our  sorrows in the  
very objects of our delights4    ,what  
joy is there in feasting and luxury2 in 
ambition and a crowd of  clients2 in the

 arms of a mistress1 or in the vanity of
 an unprofitable  knowledge8 ,these     
short and false pleasures deceive us1   
and1 like  drunkenness1 revenge the     
jolly madness of one hour with the      
nauseous  and sad repentance of many4   
,ambition is like a gulf3 everything is 
swallowed up in it and buried1 beside   
the dangerous consequences of  it2 for  
that which one has taken from all1 may  
be easily taken away  again by all from 
one4 ,it was not either virtue or       
reason1 but the  mad love of a deceitful
 greatness1 that animated ,pompey in his
 wars1  either abroad or at home4 ,what 
was it but his ambition that hurried    
him to ,spain1 ,africa1 and elsewhere1  
when he was too great already  in       
everybody's opinion but his own8 ,and   
the same motive had ,julius  ,csar1 who 
could not1 even then1 brook a superior  
himself1 when the  commonwealth had     
submitted unto two already4    ,nor was 
it any instinct of virtue that pushed on
 ,marius1 who at the  head of an army   

was himself led on under the command of 
ambition3 but  he came at last to the   
deserved fate of other wicked men1 and  
to drink  himself of the same cup that  
he had filled to others4 ,we impose upon
  our reason1 when we suffer ourselves  
to be transported with titles2 for  we  
know that they are nothing but a more   
glorious sound2 and so for  ornaments   
and gildings1 though there be a lustre  
to dazzle our eyes1  our understanding  
tells us that it is only outside1 and   
the matter  under it is only coarse and 
common4    ,i will never envy those that
 the people call great and happy4 ,a    
sound  mind is not to be shaken with a  
popular and vain applause2 nor is it  in
 the power of their pride to disturb the
 state of our happiness4 ,an  honest man
 is known now-a-days by the dust he     
raises upon the way1 and  it is become a
 point of honor to overrun people1 and  
keep all at a  distance2 though he that 
is put out of the way may perchance be  
happier  than he that takes it4 ,he that

 would exercise a power profitable to   
himself1 and grievous to nobody else1   
let him practice it upon his  passion4  
,they that have burnt cities1 otherwise 
invincible1 driven  armies before them1 
and bathed themselves in human blood1   
after they  have overcome all open      
enemies1 they have been vanquished by   
their  lust1 by their cruelty1 and      
without any resistance4    ,alexander   
was possessed with the madness of laying
 kingdoms waste4  ,he began with        
,greece1 where he was brought up2 and   
there he quarried  himself upon that in 
it which was the best2 he enslaved      
,lacedemon1 and  silenced ,athens3 nor  
was he content with the destruction of  
those towns  which his father ,philip   
had either conquered or bought2 but he  
made  himself the enemy of human nature2
 and1 like the worst of beasts1 he      
worried what he could not eat4          
,felicity is an unquiet thing2 it       
torments itself1 and puzzles the  brain4
 ,it makes some people ambitious1 others

 luxurious2 it puffs up  some1 and      
softens others2 only 7as it is with     
wine7 some heads bear  it better than   
others2 but it dissolves all4 ,greatness
 stands upon a  precipice3 and if       
prosperity carries a man never so little
 beyond his  poise1 it overbears and    
dashes him to pieces4 ,it is a rare     
thing for  a man in a great fortune to  
lay down his happiness gently2 it being 
a  common fate for a man to sink under  
the weight of those felicities that     
raise him4 ,how many of the nobility did
 ,marius bring down to herdsmen  and    
other mean offices6 ,nay1 in the very   
moment of our despising  servants1 we   
may be made so ourselves4               
,,chapter ,,xiii4    ,,hope ,,and ,,fear
 ,,are ,,the ,,bane ,,of ,,human ,,life4
      ,no man can be said to be         
perfectly happy that runs the risk of   
disappointment3 which is the case of    
every man that fears or hopes  for      
anything4 ,for hope and fear1 how       
distant soever they may seem  to be the 

one from the other1 they are both of    
them yet coupled in the  same chain1 as 
the guard and the prisoner2 and the one 
treads upon  the heels of the other4    
,the reason of this is obvious1 for they
 are  passions that look forward1 and   
are ever solicitous for the future2     
only hope is the more plausible weakness
 of the two1 which in truth1  upon the  
main1 are inseparable2 for the one      
cannot be without the  other3 but where 
the hope is stronger than the fear1 or  
the fear  than the hope1 we call it the 
one or the other2 for without fear it   
were no longer hope1 but certainty2 as  
without hope it were no  longer fear but
 despair4    ,we may come to understand 
whether our disputes are vain or not1 if
 we  do but consider that we are either 
troubled about the present1 the  future 
or both4 ,if the present1 it is easy to 
judge1 and the future  is uncertain4 ,it
 is a foolish thing to be miserable     
beforehand for  fear of misery to come2 
for a man loses the present1 which he   

might  enjoy1 in expectation of the     
future3 nay1 the fear of losing anything
  is as bad as the loss itself4 ,i will 
be as prudent as ,i can1 but not        
timorous or careless2 and ,i will       
bethink myself1 and forecast what       
inconveniences may happen before they   
come4 ,it is true1 a man may fear1  and 
yet not be fearful2 which is no more    
than to have the affection of  fear     
without the vice of it2 but yet a       
frequent admittance of it runs  into a  
habit4 ,it is a shameful and an unmanly 
thing to be doubtful1  timorous1 and    
uncertain2 to set one step forward1 and 
another backward2  and to be irresolute4
 ,can there be any man so fearful1 that 
had not  rather fall once than hang     
always in suspense8    ,our miseries are
 endless1 if we stand in fear of all    
possibilities2  the best way1 in such a 
case1 is to drive out one nail with     
another1  and a little to qualify fear  
with hope2 which may serve to palliate a
  misfortune2 though not to cure it4    

,there is not anything that we fear1    
which is so certain to come1 as it is   
certain that many things which  we do   
fear will not come2 but we are loth to  
oppose our credulity when  it begins to 
move us1 and so to bring our fear to the
 test4 ,well6 but  8what if the thing we
 fear should come to pass80 ,perhaps it 
will be  the better for us4 ,suppose it 
be death itself1 why may it not prove   
the glory of my life8 ,did not poison   
make ,socrates famous8 and was not      
,cato's sword a great part of his honor8
 8,do we fear any misfortune to  befall 
us80 ,we are not presently sure that it 
will happen4 ,how many  deliverances    
have come unlooked for8 and how many    
mischiefs that we  looked for have never
 come to pass8 ,it is time enough to    
lament when it  comes1 and1 in the      
interim1 to promise ourselves the best4 
,what do ,i  know but something or other
 may delay or divert it8 ,some have     
escaped  out of the fire2 others1 when a
 house has fallen over their head1  have

 received no hurt3 one man has been     
saved when a sword was at his  throat2  
another has been condemned1 and outlived
 his headsman3 so that  ill-fortune1 we 
see1 as well as good1 has her levities2 
peradventure  it will be1 peradventure  
not2 and until it comes to pass1 we are 
not  sure of it3 we do many times take  
words in a worse sense than they were   
intended1 and imagine things to be worse
 taken than they are4 ,it is  time      
enough to bear a misfortune when it     
comes1 without anticipating it4    ,he  
that would deliver himself from all     
apprehensions of the future1  let him   
first take for granted1 that all fears  
will fall upon him2 and  then examine   
and measure the evil that he fears1     
which he will find  to be neither great 
nor long4 ,beside1 that the ills which  
he fears he  may suffer1 he suffers in  
the very fear of them4 ,as in the       
symptoms of  an approaching disease1 a  
man shall find himself lazy and         
listless3 a  weariness in his limbs1    

with a yawning and shuddering all over  
him2 so  it is in the case of a weak    
mind1 it fancies misfortunes1 and makes 
a  man wretched before his time4 ,why   
should ,i torment myself at present     
with what1 perhaps1 may fall out fifty  
years hence8 ,this humor is a  kind of  
voluntary disease1 and an industrious   
contrivance of our own  unhappiness1 to 
complain of an affliction that we do not
 feel4 ,some  are not only moved with   
grief itself1 but with the mere opinion 
of  it2 as children will start at a     
shadow1 or at the sight of a deformed   
person4 ,if we stand in fear of violence
 from a powerful enemy1 it is  some     
comfort to us1 that whosoever makes     
himself terrible to others is  not      
without fear himself3 the least noise   
makes a lion start2 and the  fiercest of
 beasts1 whatsoever enrages them1 makes 
them tremble too3 a  shadow1 a voice1 an
 unusual odor1 rouses them4    ,the     
things most to be feared ,i take to be  
of three kinds2 want1  sickness1 and    

those violences that may be imposed upon
 us by a  strong hand4 ,the last of     
these has the greatest force1 because it
  comes attended with noise and tumult2 
whereas the incommodities of  poverty   
and diseases are more natural1 and steal
 upon us in silence1  without any       
external circumstances of horror3 but   
the other marches in  pomp1 with fire   
and sword1 gibbets1 racks1 hooks2 wild  
beasts to devour  us2 stakes to impale  
us2 engines to tear us to pieces2       
pitched bags to  burn us in1 and a      
thousand other exquisite inventions of  
cruelty4 ,no  wonder then1 if that be   
the most dreadful to us that presents   
itself in  so many uncouth shapes2 and  
by the very solemnity is rendered the   
most  formidable4 ,the more instruments 
of bodily pain the executioner shows    
us1 the more frightful he makes himself3
 for many a man that would have         
encountered death in any generous form1 
with resolution enough1 is  yet overcome
 with the manner of it4 ,as for the     

calamities of hunger  and thirst1 inward
 ulcers1 scorching fevers1 tormenting   
fits of the  stone1 ,i look upon these  
miseries to be at least as grievous as  
any  of the rest2 only they do not so   
much affect the fancy1 because they  lie
 out of sight4 ,some people talk high of
 danger at a distance2 but  7like       
cowards7 when the executioner comes to  
do his duty1 and show us  the fire1 the 
ax1 the scaffold1 and death at hand1    
their courage fails  them upon the very 
pinch1 when they have most need of it4  
,sickness1 7,i  hope7 captivity1 fire1  
are no new things to us2 the fall of    
houses1  funerals1 and conflagrations1  
are every day before our eyes4 ,the man 
that ,i supped with last night is dead  
before morning2 why should ,i  wonder   
then1 seeing so many fall about me1 to  
be hit at last myself8  ,what can be    
greater madness than to cry out1 8,who  
would have dreamed  of this80 ,and why  
not1 ,i beseech you8 ,where is that     
estate that may  not be reduced to      

beggary8 that dignity which may not be  
followed with  banishment1 disgrace1 and
 extreme contempt8 that kingdom that may
 not  suddenly fall to ruin2 change its 
master1 and be depopulated8 that  prince
 that may not pass the hand of a common 
hangman8 ,that which is  one man's      
fortune may be another's2 but the       
foresight of calamities to  come breaks 
the violence of them4          ,,chapter
 ,,xiv4    ,,it ,,is ,,according ,,to   
,,the ,,true ,,or ,,false ,,estimate    
,,of ,,things ,,that ,,we ,,are  ,,happy
 ,,or ,,miserable4      ,how many things
 are there that the fancy makes terrible
 by night1 which  the day turns into    
ridiculous6 ,what is there in labor1 or 
in death1  that a man should be afraid  
of8 ,they are much slighter in act than 
in contemplation2 and we may contemn    
them1 but we will not3 so  that it is   
not because they are hard that we dread 
them1 but they are  hard because we are 
first afraid of them4 ,pains1 and other 
violences  of ,fortune1 are the same    

thing to us that goblins are to         
children3  we are more scared with them 
than hurt4 ,we take up our opinions upon
  trust1 and err for company1 still     
judging that to be best that has  most  
competitors4 ,we make a false           
calculation of matters1 because we      
advise with opinion1 and not with       
,nature2 and this misleads us to a      
higher esteem for riches1 honor1 and    
power1 than they are worth3 we  have    
been used to admire and recommend them1 
and a private error is  quickly turned  
into a public4 ,the greatest and the    
smallest things  are equally hard to be 
comprehended2 we account many things    
great1  for want of understanding what  
effectually is so3 and we reckon other  
things to be small1 which we find       
frequently to be of the highest  value4 
,vain things only move vain minds4 ,the 
accidents that we so  much boggle at are
 not terrible in themselves1 but they   
are made so  by our infirmities2 but we 
consult rather what we hear than what we

  feel1 without examining1 opposing1 or 
discussing the things we fear2  so that 
we either stand still and tremble1 or   
else directly run for  it1 as those     
troops did1 that1 upon the raising of   
the dust1 took a  flock of sheep for the
 enemy4 ,when the body and mind are     
corrupted1  it is no wonder if all      
things prove intolerable2 and not       
because they  are so in truth1 but      
because we are dissolute and foolish3   
for we are  infatuated to such a degree1
 that1 betwixt the common madness of    
men1  and that which falls under the    
care of the physician1 there is but     
this difference1 the one labors of a    
disease1 and the other of a false       
opinion4    ,the ,stoics hold1 that all 
those torments that commonly draw from  
us  groans and ejaculations1 are in     
themselves trivial and contemptible4    
,but these high-flown expressions apart 
7how true soever7 let us  discourse the 
point at the rate of ordinary men1 and  
not make ourselves  miserable before our

 time2 for the things we apprehend to be
 at hand  may possibly never come to    
pass4 ,some things trouble us more than 
they  should1 other things sooner2 and  
some things again disorder us that      
ought not to trouble us at all2 so that 
we either enlarge1 or create1  or       
anticipate our disquiets4 ,for the first
 part1 let it rest as a  matter in      
controversy2 for that which ,i account  
light1 another perhaps  will judge      
insupportable6 ,one man laughs under the
 lash1 and another  whines for a fillip4
 ,how sad a calamity is poverty to one  
man1 which to  another appears rather   
desirable than inconvenient8 ,for the   
poor man1  who has nothing to lose1 has 
nothing to fear3 and he that would enjoy
  himself to the satisfaction of his    
soul1 must be either poor indeed1  or at
 least look as if he were so4 ,some     
people are extremely dejected  with     
sickness and pain2 whereas ,epicurus    
blessed his fate with his last  breath1 
in the acutest torments of the stone    

imaginable4 ,and so for  banishment1    
which to one man is so grievous1 and yet
 to another is no  more than a bare     
change of place3 a thing that we do     
every day for our  health1 pleasure1    
nay1 and upon the account even of common
 business4    ,how terrible is death to 
one man1 which to another appears the   
greatest  providence in nature1 even    
toward all ages and conditions6 ,it is  
the  wish of some1 the relief of many1  
and the end of all4 ,it sets the slave  
at liberty1 carries the banished man    
home1 and places all mortals upon  the  
same level3 insomuch1 that life itself  
were a punishment without  it4 ,when ,i 
see tyrants1 tortures1 violences1 the   
prospect of death is a  consolation to  
me1 and the only remedy against the     
injuries of life4    ,nay1 so great are 
our mistakes in the true estimate of    
things1 that we  have hardly done any   
thing that we have not had reason to    
wish undone2  and we have found the     
things we feared to be more desirable   

than those  we coveted4 ,our very       
prayers have been more pernicious than  
the curses  of our enemies2 and we must 
pray to have our former prayers         
forgiven4  ,where is the wise man that  
wishes to himself the wishes of his     
mother1  nurse1 or his tutor2 the worst 
of enemies1 with the intention of the   
best of friends4 ,we are undone if their
 prayers be heard2 and it is our  duty  
to pray that they may not2 for they are 
no other than well-meaning  execrations4
 ,they take evil for good1 and one wish 
fights with another3  give me rather the
 contempt of all those things whereof   
they wish me  the greatest plenty4 ,we  
are equally hurt by some that pray for  
us1 and  by others that curse us3 the   
one imprints in us a false fear1 and the
  other does us mischief by a mistake3  
so that it is no wonder if mankind  be  
miserable1 when we are brought up from  
the very cradle under the  imprecations 
of our parents4 ,we pray for trifles1   
without so much as  thinking of the     

greatest blessings2 and we are not      
ashamed many times  to ask ,god for that
 which we should blush to own to our    
neighbor4    ,it is with us as with an  
innocent that my father had in his      
family2 she  fell blind on a sudden1 and
 nobody could persuade her she was      
blind4  8,she could not endure the      
house10 she cried1 8it was so dark10 and
 was  still calling to go abroad4 ,that 
which we laughed at in her we find  to  
be true in ourselves1 we are covetous   
and ambitious2 but the world  shall     
never bring us to acknowledge it1 and we
 impute it to the place3  nay1 we are   
the worse of the two2 for that blind    
fool called for a  guide1 and we wander 
about without one4 ,it is a hard matter 
to cure  those that will not believe    
they are sick4 ,we are ashamed to admit 
a  master1 and we are too old to learn4 
,vice still goes before virtue3 so  that
 we have two works to do3 we must cast  
off the one1 and learn the  other4 ,by  
one evil we make way to another1 and    

only seek things to be  avoided1 or     
those of which we are soon weary4 ,that 
which seemed too  much when we wished   
for it1 proves too little when we have  
it2 and it  is not1 as some imagine1    
that felicity is greedy1 but it is      
little and  narrow1 and cannot satisfy  
us4 ,that which we take to be very high 
at a  distance1 we find to be but low   
when we come at it4 ,and the business   
is1 we do not understand the true state 
of things3 we are deceived by  rumors2  
when we have gained the thing we aimed  
at1 we find it to be  either ill or     
empty2 or perchance less than we expect1
 or otherwise  perhaps great1 but not   
good4          ,,chapter ,,xv4    ,,the 
,,blessings ,,of ,,temperance ,,and     
,,moderation4      ,there is not        
anything that is necessary to us but we 
have it either  cheap or gratis3 and    
this is the provision that our heavenly 
,father has made for us1 whose bounty   
was never wanting to our needs4  ,it is 
true the belly craves and calls upon us1

 but then a small matter  contents it3 a
 little bread and water is sufficient1  
and all the rest  is but superfluous4   
,he that lives according to reason shall
 never be  poor1 and he that governs his
 life by opinion shall never be rich3   
for nature is limited1 but fancy is     
boundless4 ,as for meat1 clothes1  and  
lodging1 a little feeds the body1 and as
 little covers it2 so  that if mankind  
would only attend human nature1 without 
gaping at  superfluities1 a cook would  
be found as needless as a soldier3 for  
we  may have necessaries upon very easy 
terms2 whereas we put ourselves to      
great pains for excesses4 ,when we are  
cold1 we may cover ourselves with  skins
 of beasts2 and1 against violent heats1 
we have natural grottoes2  or with a few
 osiers and a little clay we may defend 
ourselves against  all seasons4         
,providence has been kinder to us than  
to leave us to live  by our wits1 and to
 stand in need of invention and arts4   
,it is only pride and curiosity that    

involve us in difficulties3 if  nothing 
will serve a man but rich clothes and   
furniture1 statues and  plate1 a        
numerous train of servants1 and the     
rarities of all nations1  it is not     
,fortune's fault1 but his own1 that he  
is not satisfied3 for  his desires are  
insatiable1 and this is not a thirst1   
but a disease2  and if he were master of
 the whole world1 he would be still a   
beggar4  ,it is the mind that makes us  
rich and happy1 in what condition soever
  we are2 and money signifies no more to
 it than it does to the gods4 ,if  the  
religion be sincere1 no matter for the  
ornaments it is only luxury  and avarice
 that make poverty grievous to us2 for  
it is a very small  matter that does our
 business2 and when we have provided    
against cold1  hunger1 and thirst1 all  
the rest is but vanity and excess3 and  
there  is no need of expense upon       
foreign delicacies1 or the artifices of 
the  kitchen4 ,what is he the worse for 
poverty that despises these things8     

nay1 is he not rather the better for it1
 because he is not able to go  to the   
price of them8 for he is kept sound     
whether he will or not3 and  that which 
a man cannot do1 looks many times as if 
he would not4    ,when ,i look back into
 the moderation of past ages1 it makes  
me ashamed  to discourse1 as if poverty 
had need of any consolation2 for we are 
now come to that degree of intemperance1
 that a fair patrimony is too  little   
for a meal4 ,homer had but one servant1 
,plato three1 and ,zeno  7the master of 
the masculine sect of ,stoics7 had none 
at all4 ,the  daughters of ,scipio had  
their portions out of the common        
treasury1  for their father left them   
not a penny3 how happy were the husbands
  that had the people of ,rome for their
 father-in-law6 ,shall any man now      
contemn poverty after these eminent     
examples1 which are sufficient  not only
 to justify but to recommend it8 ,upon  
,diogenes' only servant  running away   
from him1 he was told where he was1 and 

persuaded to fetch  him back again3     
8,what10 says he1 8can ,manes live      
without ,diogenes1 and  not ,diogenes   
without ,manes80 and so let him go4     
,the piety and moderation of ,scipio    
have made his memory more venerable     
than his arms2 and more yet after he    
left his country than while he  defended
 it3 for matters were come to that pass1
 that either ,scipio  must be injurious 
to ,rome or ,rome to ,scipio4 ,coarse   
bread and water to  a temperate man is  
as good as a feast2 and the very herbs  
of the field  yield a nourishment to man
 as well as to beasts4 ,it was not by   
choice  meats and perfumes that our     
forefathers recommended themselves1 but 
in virtuous actions1 and the sweat of   
honest1 military1 and of manly  labors4 
,while ,nature lay in common1 and all   
her benefits were promiscuously         
enjoyed1 what could be happier than the 
state of mankind1 when people  lived    
without avarice or envy8 ,what could be 
richer than when there  was not a poor  

man to be found in the world8 ,so soon  
as this impartial  bounty of ,providence
 came to be restrained by covetousness1 
and  that particulars appropriated to   
themselves that which was intended  for 
all1 then did poverty creep into the    
world1 when some men1 by  desiring more 
than came to their share1 lost their    
title to the rest2  a loss never to be  
repaired2 for though we may come yet to 
get much1  we once had all4 ,the fruits 
of the earth were in those days divided 
among the inhabitants of it1 without    
either want or excess4 ,so long  as men 
contented themselves with their lot1    
there was no violence1  no engrossing or
 hiding of those benefits for particular
 advantages1  which were appointed for  
the community2 but every man had as much
  care for his neighbor as for himself4 
,no arms or bloodshed1 no war1  but with
 wild beasts3 but under the protection  
of a wood or a cave1  they spent their  
days without cares1 and their nights    
without groans2  their innocence was    

their security and their protection4    
,there were  as yet no beds of state1 no
 ornaments1 of pearl or embroidery1 nor 
any of those remorses that attend them2 
but the heavens were their  canopy1 and 
the glories of them their spectacle4    
,the motions of the  orbs1 the courses  
of the stars1 and the wonderful order of
 ,providence1  was their contemplation4 
,there was no fear of the house falling1
 or  the rustling of a rat behind the   
arras2 they had no palaces then like    
cities2 but they had open air1 and      
breathing room1 crystal fountains1      
refreshing shades1 the meadows dressed  
up in their native beauty1 and  such    
cottages as were according to nature1   
and wherein they lived  contentedly1    
without fear either of losing or of     
falling4 ,these people  lived without   
either solitude or fraud2 and yet ,i    
must call them rather  happy than wise4 
,that men were generally better before  
they were corrupted than after1  ,i make
 no doubt2 and ,i am apt to believe that

 they were both stronger  and hardier   
too but their wits were not yet come to 
maturity2 for  ,nature does not give    
virtue2 and it is a kind of art to      
become good4  ,they had not as yet torn 
up the bowels of the earth for gold1    
silver1  or precious stones2 and so far 
were they from killing any man1 as we   
do1 for a spectacle1 that they were not 
as yet come to it1 either in  fear or   
anger2 nay1 they spared the very fishes4
 ,but1 after all this1  they were       
innocent because they were ignorant3 and
 there is a great  difference betwixt   
not knowing how to offend and not being 
willing to  do it4 ,they had1 in that   
rude life1 certain images and           
resemblances of  virtue1 but yet they   
fell short of virtue itself1 which comes
 only by  institution1 learning1 and    
study1 as it is perfected by practice4  
,it is  indeed the end for which we were
 born1 but yet it did not come into the 
world with us2 and in the best of men1  
before they are instructed1 we  find    

rather the matter and the seeds of      
virtue than the virtue itself4  ,it is  
the wonderful benignity of ,nature that 
has laid open to us all  things that may
 do us good1 and only hid those things  
from us that may  hurt us2 as if she    
durst not trust us with gold and silver1
 or with  iron1 which is the instrument 
of war and contention1 for the other4   
,it is we ourselves that have drawn out 
of the earth both the causes  and the   
instruments of our dangers3 and we are  
so vain as to set  the highest esteem   
upon those things to which ,nature has  
assigned the  lowest place4 ,what can be
 more coarse and rude in the mine than  
these  precious metals1 or more slavish 
and dirty than the people that dig and  
work them8 and yet they defile our minds
 more than our bodies1 and make  the    
possessor fouler than the artificer of  
them4 ,rich men1 in fine1 are  only the 
greater slaves2 both the one and the    
other want a great deal4    ,happy is   
that man that eats only for hunger1 and 

drinks only for  thirst2 that stands    
upon his own legs1 and lives by reason1 
not by  example2 and provides for use   
and necessity1 not for ostentation  and 
pomp6 ,let us curb our appetites1       
encourage virtue1 and rather  be        
beholden to ourselves for riches than to
 ,fortune1 who when a man  draws himself
 into a narrow compass1 has the least   
mark at him4 ,let  my bed be plain and  
clean1 and my clothes so too3 my meat   
without  much expense1 or many waiters1 
and neither a burden to my purse nor  to
 my body1 not to go out the same way it 
came in4 ,that which is too  little for 
luxury1 is abundantly enough for nature4
 ,the end of eating  and drinking is    
satiety2 now1 what matters it though one
 eats and  drinks more1 and another     
less1 so long as the one is not         
a-hungry1 nor  the other athirst8       
,epicurus1 who limits pleasure to       
nature1 as the  ,stoics do virtue1 is   
undoubtedly in the right2 and those that
 cite  him to authorize their           

voluptuousness do exceedingly mistake   
him1 and  only seek a good authority for
 an evil cause3 for their pleasures of  
sloth1 gluttony1 and lust1 have no      
affinity at all with his precepts  or   
meaning4 ,it is true1 that at first     
sight his philosophy seems  effeminate2 
but he that looks nearer him will find  
him to be a very  brave man only in a   
womanish dress4    ,it is a common      
objection1 ,i know1 that these          
philosophers do not  live at the rate   
they talk2 fer they can flatter their   
superiors1  gather estates1 and be as   
much concerned at the loss of fortune1  
or  of friends1 as other people3 as     
sensible of reproaches1 as luxurious  in
 their eating and drinking1 their       
furniture1 their houses2 as  magnificent
 in their plate1 servants1 and officers2
 as profuse and  curious in their       
gardens1 etc4 ,well6 and what of all    
this1 or if it  were twenty times more8 
,it is some degree of virtue for a man  
to  condemn himself2 and if he cannot   

come up to the best1 to be yet  better  
than the worst2 and if he cannot wholly 
subdue his appetites1  however to check 
and diminish them4 ,if ,i do not live as
 ,i preach1 take  notice that ,i do not 
speak of myself1 but of virtue1 nor am  
,i so much  offended with other men's   
vices as with my own4 ,all this was     
objected  to ,plato1 ,epicurus1 ,zeno2  
nor is any virtue so sacred as to escape
  malevolence4 ,the ,cynic ,demetrius   
was a great instance of severity and    
mortification2 and one that imposed upon
 himself neither to possess  anything1  
nor so much as to ask it3 and yet he had
 this scorn put  upon him1 that his     
profession was poverty1 not virtue4     
,plato is  blamed for asking money2     
,aristotle for receiving it2 ,democritus
  for neglecting it2 ,epicurus for      
consuming it4 ,how happy were we if  we 
could but come to imitate these men's   
vices2 for if we knew our own           
condition1 we should find work enough at
 home4 ,but we are like people  that are

 making merry at a play or a tavern when
 their own houses are  on fire1 and yet 
they know nothing of it4 ,nay1 ,cato    
himself was said to  be a drunkard2 but 
drunkenness itself shall sooner be      
proved to be  no crime than ,cato       
dishonest4 ,they that demolish temples1 
and overturn  altars1 show their        
good-will1 though they can do the gods  
no hurt1 and  so it fares with those    
that invade the reputation of great men4
    ,if the professors of virtue be as  
the world calls them1 avaricious1       
libidinous1 ambitious--what are they    
then that have a detestation for  the   
very name of it3 but malicious natures  
do not want wit to abuse  honester men  
than themselves4 ,it is the practice of 
the multitude to  bark at eminent men as
 little dogs do at strangers2 for they  
look upon  other men's virtues as the   
upbraiding of their own wickedness4 ,we 
should do well to commend those that are
 good1 if not1 let us pass them  over2  
but1 however1 let us spare ourselves3   

for beside the blaspheming  of virtue1  
our rage is to no purpose4 ,but to      
return now to my text4    ,we are ready 
enough to limit others but loth to put  
bonds and  restraints upon ourselves1   
though we know that many times a greater
  evil is cured by a less2 and the mind 
that will not be brought to  virtue by  
precepts1 comes to it frequently by     
necessity4 ,let us try a  little to eat 
upon a joint stool1 to serve ourselves1 
to live within  compass1 and accommodate
 our clothes to the end they were made  
for4  ,occasional experiments of our    
moderation give us the best proof of    
our firmness and virtue4 ,a             
well-governed appetite is a great part  
of  liberty1 and it is a blessed lot1   
that since no man can have all things   
that he would have1 we may all of us    
forbear desiring what we have not4  ,it 
is the office of temperance to overrule 
us in our pleasures2 some  she rejects1 
others she qualifies and keeps within   
bounds4 ,oh6 the  delights of rest when 

a man comes to be weary1 and of meat    
when he is  heartily hungry4    ,i have 
learned 7says our author7 by one journey
 how many things we have  that are      
superfluous1 and how easily they might  
be spared1 for when we  are without them
 upon necessity1 we do not so much as   
feel the want of  them4 ,this is the    
second blessed day 7says he7 that my    
friend and ,i  have travelled together3 
one wagon carries ourselves and our     
servants2  my mattress lies upon the    
ground and ,i upon that3 our diet       
answerable  to our lodging1 and never   
without our figs and our table-books4   
,the  muleteer without shoes1 and the   
mules only prove themselves to be alive 
by their walking4 ,in this equipage1 ,i 
am not willing1 ,i perceive1  to own    
myself1 but as often as we happen into  
better company1 ,i  presently fall      
a-blushing1 which shows that ,i am not  
yet confirmed in  those things which ,i 
approve and commend4 ,i am not yet come 
to own my  frugality1 for he that is    

ashamed to be seen in a mean condition  
would  be proud of a splendid one4 ,i   
value myself upon what passengers think 
of me1 and tacitly renounce my          
principles1 whereas ,i should rather    
lift up my voice to be heard by mankind1
 and tell them 8,you are all  mad--your 
minds are set upon superfluities and you
 value no man for his  virtues40    ,i  
came one night weary home1 and threw    
myself upon the bed with this           
consideration about me3 8,there is      
nothing ill that is well taken40 ,my    
baker tells me he has no bread2 but1    
says he1 ,i may get some of your        
tenants1 though ,i fear it is not good4 
,no matter1 said ,i1 for ,i will  stay  
until it be better--that is to say until
 my stomach will be glad  of worse4 ,it 
is discretion sometimes to practice     
temperance and wont  ourselves to a     
little1 for there are many difficulties 
both of time and  place that may force  
us upon it4    ,when we come to the     
matter of patrimony1 how strictly do we 

examine  what every man is worth before 
we will trust him with a penny6 8,such a
  man10 we cry1 8has a great estate1 but
 it is shrewdly encumbered--a very  fair
 house1 but it was built with borrowed  
money--a numerous family1  but he does  
not keep touch with his creditors--if   
his debts were paid  he would not be    
worth a groat40 ,why do we not take the 
same course in  other things1 and       
examine what every man is worth8 ,it is 
not enough to  have a long train of     
attendants1 vast possessions1 or an     
incredible  treasure in money and       
jewels--a man may be poor for all this4 
,there  is only this difference at      
best--one man borrows of the usurer1 and
  the other of fortune4 ,what signifies 
the carving or gilding of the  chariot2 
is the master ever the better of it8    
,we cannot close up this chapter with a 
more generous instance of  moderation   
than that of ,fabricius4 ,pyrrhus       
tempted him with a sum of  money to     
betray his country1 and ,pyrrhus's      

physician offered ,fabricius1  for a sum
 of money1 to poison his master2 but he 
was too brave  either to be overcome by 
gold1 or to be overcome by poison1 so   
that he  refused the money1 and advised 
,pyrrhus to have a care of treachery3   
and this too in the heat of a licentious
 war4 ,fabricius valued himself  upon   
his poverty1 and was as much above the  
thought of riches as of  poison4 8,live 
,pyrrhus10 says he 8by my friendship2   
and turn that to  thy satisfaction which
 was before thy trouble30 that is to say
 that  ,fabricius could not be          
corrupted4          ,,chapter ,,xvi4    
,,constancy ,,of ,,mind ,,gives ,a ,,man
 ,,reputation1 ,,and ,,makes ,,him      
,,happy ,,in  ,,despite ,,of ,,all      
,,misfortune4      ,the whole duty of   
man may be reduced to the two points of 
abstinence  and patience2 temperance in 
prosperity1 and courage in  adversity4  
,we have already treated of the former3 
and the other  follows now in course4   
,epicurus will have it1 that a wise man 

will bear all injuries2 but  the ,stoics
 will not allow those things to be      
injuries which ,epicurus  calls so4     
,now1 betwixt these two1 there is the   
same difference that  we find betwixt   
two gladiators2 the one receives wounds1
 but yet  maintains his ground1 the     
other tells the people1 when he is in   
blood1  that it is but a scratch1 and   
will not suffer anybody to part them4   
,an injury cannot be received1 but it   
must be done2 but it may be  done and   
yet not received2 as a man may be in the
 water1 and not  swim1 but if he swims1 
it is presumed that he is in the water4 
,or if  a blow or a shot be levelled at 
us1 it may so happen that a man may     
miss his aim1 or some accident interpose
 that may divert the mischief4  ,that   
which is hurt is passive1 and inferior  
to that which hurts it4  ,but you will  
say1 that ,socrates was condemned and   
put to death1 and  so received an       
injury2 but ,i answer1 that the tyrants 
did him an  injury1 and yet he received 

none4 ,he that steals anything from me  
and hides it in my own house1 though ,i 
have not lost it1 yet he has  stolen it4
 ,he that lies with his own wife1 and   
takes her for another  woman1 though the
 woman be honest1 the man is an         
adulterer4 ,suppose a  man gives me a   
draught of poison and it proves not     
strong enough to  kill me1 his guilt is 
nevertheless for the disappointment4 ,he
 that  makes a pass at me is as much a  
murderer1 though ,i put it by1 as if he 
had struck me to the heart4 ,it is the  
intention1 not the effect1 that  makes  
the wickedness4 ,he is a thief that has 
the will of killing and  slaying1 before
 his hand is dipt in blood2 as it is    
sacrilege1 the very  intention of laying
 violent hands upon holy things4 ,if a  
philosopher  be exposed to torments1 the
 ax over his head1 his body wounded1 his
  guts in his hands1 ,i will allow him  
to groan2 for virtue itself cannot      
divest him of the nature of a man2 but  
if his mind stand firm1 he has          

discharged his part4 ,a great mind      
enables a man to maintain his station   
with honor2 so that he only makes use of
 what he meets in his way1 as a  pilgrim
 that would fain be at his journey's    
end4    ,it is the excellency of a great
 mind to ask nothing1 and to want       
nothing2 and to say1 8,i will have      
nothing to do with fortune1 that        
repulses ,cato1 and prefers ,vatinius40 
,he that quits his hold1  and accounts  
anything good that is not honest1 runs  
gaping after  casualties1 spends his    
days in anxiety and vain expectation1   
that  man is miserable4 ,and yet it is  
hard1 you will say1 to be banished  or  
cast into prison3 nay1 what if it were  
to be burnt1 or any other  way          
destroyed8 ,we have examples in all ages
 and cases1 of great men  that have     
triumphed over all misfortunes4         
,metellus suffered exile  resolutely1   
,rutilius cheerfully2 ,socrates disputed
 in the dungeon2 and  though he might   
have made his escape1 refused it2 to    

show the world how  easy a thing it was 
to subdue the two great terrors of      
mankind1 death  and a jail4 ,or what    
shall we say of ,mucius ,scevola1 a man 
only of  a military courage1 and without
 the help either of philosophy or       
letters8 who1 when he found that he had 
killed the ,secretary instead of        
,porsenna1 7the prince17 burnt his right
 hand to ashes for the mistake2  and    
held his arm in the flame until it was  
taken away by his very  enemies4        
,porsenna did more easily pardon ,mucius
 for his intent to kill  him than       
,mucius forgave himself for missing of  
his aim4 ,he might have  a luckier      
thing1 but never a braver4    ,did not  
,cato1 in the last night of his life1   
take ,plato to bed with  him1 with his  
sword at his bed's head2 the one that he
 might have death  at his will1 the     
other1 that he might have it in his     
power2 being  resolved that no man      
should be able to say1 either that he   
killed or  that he saved ,cato8 ,so soon

 as he had composed his thoughts1 he    
took  his sword2 8,fortune10 says he1   
8,i have hitherto fought for my         
country's  liberty1 and for my own1 and 
only that ,i might live free among      
freemen2  but the cause is now lost1 and
 ,cato safe40 ,with that word he cast   
himself upon his sword2 and after the   
physicians that pressed in upon  him had
 bound up his wound1 he tore it up      
again1 and expired with the  same       
greatness of soul that he lived4 ,but   
these are the examples1 you  will say1  
of men famous in their generations4     
,let us but consult history1 and we     
shall find1 even in the most  effeminate
 of nations1 and the most dissolute of  
times1 men of all  degrees1 ages1 and   
fortunes1 nay1 even women themselves1   
that have  overcome the fear of death3  
which1 in truth1 is so little to be     
feared1 that duly considered1 it is one 
of the greatest benefits of  nature4 ,it
 was as great an honor for ,cato1 when  
his party was broken1  that he himself  

stood his ground1 as it would have been 
if he had  carried the day1 and settled 
an universal peace3 for1 it is an equal 
prudence1 to make the best of a bad     
game1 and to manage a good one4 ,the    
day that he was repulsed1 he played1 and
 the night that he killed  himself1 he  
read1 as valuing the loss of his life1  
and the missing of  an office at the    
same rate4 ,people1 ,i know1 are apt to 
pronounce upon  other men's infirmities 
by the measure of their own1 and to     
think it  impossible that a man should  
be content to be burnt1 wounded1 killed1
  or shackled1 though in some cases he  
may4 ,it is only for a great mind  to   
judge of great things2 for otherwise1   
that which is our infirmity  will seem  
to be another body's1 as a straight     
stick in the water  appears to be       
crooked3 he that yields1 draws upon his 
own head his  own ruin2 for we are sure 
to get the better of ,fortune1 if we do 
but  struggle with her4 ,fencers and    
wrestlers1 we see what blows and bruises

  they endure1 not only for honor1 but  
for exercise4 ,if we turn our backs     
once1 we are routed and pursued2 that   
man only is happy that draws  good out  
of evil1 that stands fast in his        
judgment1 and unmoved by any  external  
violence2 or however1 so little moved1  
that the keenest arrow  in the quiver of
 ,fortune is but as the prick of a      
needle to him rather  than a wound2 and 
all her other weapons fall upon him only
 as hail upon  the roof of a house1 that
 crackles and skips off again1 without  
any  damage to the inhabitant4    ,a    
generous and clear-sighted young man    
will take it for a happiness to         
encounter ill fortune4 ,it is nothing   
for a man to hold up his head in  a     
calm2 but to maintain his post when all 
others have quitted their  ground1 and  
there to stand upright where other men  
are beaten down1  this is divine and    
praiseworthy4 ,what ill is there in     
torments1 or in  those things which we  
commonly account grievous crosses8 ,the 

great evil  is the want of courage1 the 
bowing and submitting to them1 which can
  never happen to a wise man2 for he    
stands upright under any weight2        
nothing that is to be borne displeases  
him2 he knows his strength1 and         
whatsoever may be any man's lot1 he     
never complains of1 if it be his  own4  
,nature1 he says1 deceives nobody2 she  
does not tell us whether  our children  
shall be fair or foul1 wise or foolish1 
good subjects or  traitors1 nor whether 
our fortune shall be good or bad4 ,we   
must not  judge of a man by his         
ornaments1 but strip him of all the     
advantages  and the impostures of       
,fortune1 nay1 of his very body too1 and
 look into  his mind4 ,if he can see a  
naked sword at his eyes without so much 
as  winking2 if he make it a thing      
indifferent to him whether his life go  
out at his throat or at his mouth2 if he
 can hear himself sentenced to  torments
 or exiles1 and under the very hand of  
the executioner1 says  thus to himself1 

8,all this ,i am provided for1 and it is
 no more than  a man that is to suffer  
the fate of humanity40 ,this is the     
temper of  mind that speaks a man happy2
 and without this1 all the confluences  
of external comforts signify no more    
than the personating of a king  upon the
 stage2 when the curtain is drawn1 we   
are players again4 ,not  that ,i pretend
 to exempt a wise man out of a number of
 men1 as if he  had no sense of pain2   
but ,i reckon him as compounded of body 
and soul2  the body is irrational1 and  
may be galled1 burnt1 tortured2 but the 
rational part is fearless1 invincible1  
and not to be shaken4 ,this  it is that 
,i reckon upon as the supreme good of   
man2 which until it  be perfected1 is   
but an unsteady agitation of thought1   
and in the  perfection an immovable     
stability4 ,it is not in our contentions
 with  ,fortune as in those of the      
theatre1 where we may throw down our    
arms1  and pray for quarter2 but here we
 must die firm and resolute4 ,there     

needs no encouragement to those things  
which we are inclined to by  a natural  
instinct1 as the preservation of        
ourselves with ease and  pleasure2 but  
if it comes to the trial of our faith by
 torments1 or of  our courage by wounds1
 these are difficulties that we must be 
armed  against by philosophy and        
precept2 and yet all this is no more    
than  what we were born to1 and no      
matter of wonder at all2 so that a wise 
man prepares himself for it1 as         
expecting whatsoever may be will be4    
,my body is frail1 and liable not only  
to the impressions of violence1  but to 
afflictions also1 that naturally succeed
 our pleasures4 ,full  meals bring      
crudities2 whoring and drinking make the
 hands to shake  and the knees to       
tremble4 ,it is only the surprise and   
newness of the  thing which makes that  
misfortune terrible1 which1 by          
premeditation1  might be made easy to   
us3 for that which some people make     
light by  sufferance1 others do by      

foresight4 ,whatsoever is necessary1 we 
must  bear patiently4 ,it is no new     
thing to die1 no new thing to mourn1 and
  no new thing to be merry again4 ,must 
,i be poor8 ,i shall have company3  in  
banishment8 ,i will think myself born   
there4 ,if ,i die1 ,i shall be  no more 
sick2 and it is a thing ,i cannot do but
 once4    ,let us never wonder at       
anything we are born to2 for no man has 
reason  to complain1 where we are all in
 the same condition4 ,he that escapes   
might have suffered2 and it is but equal
 to submit to the law of  mortality4 ,we
 must undergo the colds of winter1 the  
heats of summer2  the distempers of the 
air1 and the diseases of the body4 ,a   
wild beast  meets us in one place1 and a
 man that is more brutal in another2 we 
are here assaulted by fire1 there by    
water4 ,demetrius was reserved by       
,providence for the age he lived in1 to 
show1 that neither the times  could     
corrupt him1 nor he reform the people4  
,he was a man of an exact  judgment1    

steady to his purpose1 and of a strong  
eloquence2 not finical  in his words1   
but his sense was masculine and         
vehement4 ,he was so  qualified in his  
life and discourse1 that he served both 
for an example  and a reproach4 ,if     
fortune should have offered that man the
 government  and possession of the whole
 world1 upon condition not to lay it    
down  again1 ,i dare say he would have  
refused it3 and thus have expostulated  
the matter with you3 8,why should you   
tempt a freeman to put his  shoulder    
under a burden2 or an honest man to     
pollute himself with the  dregs of      
mankind8 ,why do you offer me the spoils
 of princes1 and of  nations1 and the   
price not only of your blood1 but of    
your souls80    ,it is the part of a    
great mind to be temperate in           
prosperity1  resolute in adversity2 to  
despise what the vulgar admire1 and to  
prefer a mediocrity to an excess4 ,was  
not ,socrates oppressed with  poverty1  
labor1 nay1 the worst of wars in his own

 family1 a fierce  and turbulent woman  
for his wife8 were not his children     
indocile1 and  like their mother8 ,after
 seven-and-twenty years spent in arms1  
he  fell under a slavery to the thirty  
tyrants1 and most of them his  bitter   
enemies3 he came at last to be sentenced
 as 8a violater of  religion1 a         
corrupter of youth1 and a common enemy  
to ,god and man40  ,after this he was   
imprisoned1 and put to death by poison1 
which was  all so far from working upon 
his mind1 that it never so much as      
altered  his countenance4 ,we are to    
bear ill accidents as unkind seasons1   
distempers1 or diseases2 and why may we 
not reckon the actions of  wicked men   
even among those accidents2 their       
deliberations are not  counsels but     
frauds1 snares1 and inordinate motions  
of the mind2 and  they are never without
 a thousand pretences and occasions of  
doing a  man mischief4 ,they have their 
informers1 their knights of the post2   
they can make an interest with powerful 

men1 and one may be robbed  as well upon
 the bench as upon the highway4 ,they   
lie in wait for  advantages1 and live in
 perpetual agitation betwixt hope and   
fear2  whereas he that is truly composed
 will stand all shocks1 either of       
violences1 flatteries1 or menaces1      
without perturbation4 ,it is an  inward 
fear that makes us curious after what we
 hear abroad4    ,it is an error to     
attribute either good or ill to         
,fortune2 but  the matter of it we may2 
and we ourselves are the occasion of it1
  being in effect the artificers of our 
own happiness or misery3 for the  mind  
is above fortune2 if that be evil1 it   
makes everything else so  too2 but if it
 be right and sincere1 it corrects what 
is wrong1 and  mollifies what is hard1  
with modesty and courage4 ,there is a   
great  difference among those that the  
world calls wise men4 ,some take up     
private resolutions of opposing         
,fortune1 but they cannot go through    
with them2 for they are either dazzled  

with splendor on the one hand1  or      
affrighted with terrors on the other2   
but there are others that will  close   
and grapple with ,fortune1 and still    
come off victorious4    ,mucius overcame
 the fire2 ,regulus1 the gibbet2        
,socrates1 poison2  ,rutilius1          
banishment2 ,cato1 death2 ,fabricius1   
riches2 ,tubero1 poverty2  and ,sextius1
 honors4 ,but there are some again so   
delicate1 that they  cannot so much as  
bear a scandalous report2 which is the  
same thing  as if a man should quarrel  
for being jostled in a crowd1 or dashed 
as  he walks in the streets4 ,he that   
has a great way to go must expect a     
slip1 to stumble1 and to be tired4 ,to  
the luxurious man frugality is a        
punishment2 labor and industry to the   
sluggard2 nay1 study itself is a        
torment to him2 not that these things   
are hard to us by nature1 but we        
ourselves are vain and irresolute2 nay1 
we wonder many of us1 how any  man can  
live without wine1 or endure to rise so 

early in a morning4    ,a brave man must
 expect to be tossed2 for he is to steer
 his course  in the teeth of ,fortune1  
and to work against wind and weather4   
,in the  suffering of torments1 though  
there appears but one virtue1 a man     
exercises many4 ,that which is most     
eminent is patience1 7which is but a    
branch of fortitude47 ,but there is     
prudence also in the choice of the      
action1 and in the bearing what we      
cannot avoid2 and there is constancy  in
 bearing it resolutely3 and there is the
 same concurrence also of  several      
virtues in other generous undertakings4 
,when ,leonidas was to carry his #cjj   
men into the ,straits of ,thermopyl1  to
 put a stop to ,xerxes's huge army3     
8,come1 fellow-soldiers10 says he1  8eat
 your dinners here as if you were to sup
 in another world40 ,and  they answered 
his resolution4 ,how plain and imperious
 was that short  speech of ,cditius to  
his men upon a desperate action6 and how
 glorious  a mixture was there in it    

both of bravery and prudence6           
8,soldiers10  says he1 8it is necessary 
for us to go1 but it is not necessary   
for us  to return40 ,this brief and     
pertinent harangue was worth ten        
thousand  of the frivolous cavils and   
distinctions of the schools1 which      
rather  break the mind than fortify it2 
and when it is once perplexed and       
pricked with difficulties and scruples1 
there they leave it4 ,our  passions are 
numerous and strong1 and not to be      
mastered with quirks  and tricks1 as if 
a man should undertake to defend the    
cause of ,god  and man with a bulrush4  
,it was a remarkable piece of honor and 
policy  together1 that action of ,csar's
 upon the taking of ,pompey's cabinet at
  the battle of ,pharsalia3 it is       
probable that the letters in it might   
have discovered who were his friends1   
and who his enemies2 and yet he  burnt  
it without so much as opening it2       
esteeming it the noblest way  of        
pardoning1 to keep himself ignorant both

 of the offender and of  the offense4   
,it was a brave presence of mind also in
 ,alexander1 who1  upon advice that his 
physician ,philip intended to poison    
him1 took  the letter of advice in one  
hand and the cup in the other2          
delivering  ,philip the letter to read  
while he himself drank the potion4      
,some are of opinion that death gives a 
man courage to support pain1  and that  
pain fortifies a man against death3 but 
,i say rather1 that a  wise man depends 
upon himself against both1 and that he  
does not either  suffer with patience1  
in hopes of death1 or die willingly1    
because he  is weary of life2 but he    
bears the one1 and waits for the other1 
and  carries a divine mind through all  
the accidents of human life4 ,he looks  
upon faith and honesty as the most      
sacred good of mankind1 and neither  to 
be forced by necessity nor corrupted by 
reward2 kill1 burn1 tear him  in pieces1
 he will be true to his trust2 and the  
more any man labors  to make him        

discover a secret1 the deeper will he   
hide it4 ,resolution  is the            
inexpugnable defence of human weakness1 
and it is a wonderful  ,providence that 
attends it4    ,horatius ,cocles opposed
 his single body to the whole army until
 the  bridge was cut down behind him and
 then leaped into the river with his    
sword in his hand and came off safe to  
his party4 ,there was a fellow          
questioned about a plot upon the life of
 a tyrant1 and put to the  torture to   
declare his confederates3 he named1 by  
one and one1 all the  tyrant's friends  
that were about him3 and still as they  
were named1  they were put to death3 the
 tyrant asked him at last if there were 
any  more4 8,yes10 says he1 8yourself   
were in the plot2 and now you have      
never another friend left in the world30
 whereupon the tyrant cut the  throats  
of his own guards4 8,he is the happy man
 that is the master of  himself1 and    
triumphs over the fear of death1 which  
has overcome the  conquerors of the     

world40          ,,chapter ,,xvii4      
,,our ,,happiness ,,depends ,,in ,a     
,,great ,,measure ,,upon ,,the ,,choice 
,,of ,,our ,,company4      ,the comfort 
of life depends upon conversation4 ,good
 offices1 and  concord1 and human       
society1 is like the working of an arch 
of stone2  all would fall to the ground 
if one piece did not support another4   
,above all things let us have a         
tenderness for blood2 and it is yet too 
little not to hurt1 unless we profit one
 another4 ,we are to relieve  the       
distressed2 to put the wanderer into his
 way2 and to divide our  bread with the 
hungry3 which is but the doing of good  
to ourselves2  for we are only several  
members of one great body4 ,nay1 we are 
all of  a consanguinity2 formed of the  
same materials1 and designed to the     
same end2 this obliges us to a mutual   
tenderness and converse2 and  the other1
 to live with a regard to equity and    
justice4 ,the love of  society is       
natural2 but the choice of our company  

is matter of virtue  and prudence4      
,noble examples stir us up to noble     
actions2 and the  very history of large 
and public souls1 inspires a man with   
generous  thoughts4 ,it makes a man long
 to be in action1 and doing something   
that  the world may be the better for2  
as protecting the weak1 delivering  the 
oppressed1 punishing the insolent4 ,it  
is a great blessing the very  conscience
 of giving a good example2 beside1 that 
it is the greatest  obligation any man  
can lay upon the age he lives in4    ,he
 that converses with the proud shall be 
puffed up2 a lustful  acquaintance makes
 a man lascivious2 and the way to secure
 a man from  wickedness is to withdraw  
from the examples of it4 ,it is too much
 to  have them near us1 but more to have
 them within us--ill examples1  pleasure
 and ease1 are1 no doubt of it1 great   
corrupters of manners4    ,a rocky      
ground hardens the horse's hoof2 the    
mountaineer makes the best  soldier2 the
 miner makes the best pioneer1 and      

severity of discipline  fortifies the   
mind4 ,in all excesses and extremities  
of good and of ill  fortune1 let us have
 recourse to great examples that have   
contemned  both4 8,these are the best   
instructors that teach in their lives1  
and  prove their words by their         
actions40    ,as an ill air may endanger
 a good constitution1 so may a place of 
ill  example endanger a good man1 nay1  
there are some places that have a  kind 
of privilege to be licentious1 and where
 luxury and dissolution  of manners seem
 to be lawful2 for great examples give  
both authority  and excuse to           
wickedness4 ,those places are to be     
avoided as dangerous  to our manners4   
,hannibal himself was unmanned by the   
looseness of  ,campania1 and though a   
conqueror by his arms1 he was overcome  
by his  pleasures4 ,i would as soon live
 among butchers as among cooks--not but 
a  man may be temperate in any          
place--but to see drunken men staggering
 up  and down everywhere1 and only the  

spectacle of lust1 luxury and excess    
before our eyes1 it is not safe to      
expose ourselves to the temptation4  ,if
 the victorious ,hannibal himself could 
not resist it1 what shall  become of us 
then that are subdued1 and give ground  
to our lusts  already8 ,he that has to  
do with an enemy in his breast1 has a   
harder  task upon him than he that is to
 encounter one in the field2 his hazard 
is greater if he loses ground1 and his  
duty is perpetual1 for he has no  place 
or time for rest4 ,if ,i give way to    
pleasure1 ,i must also yield to  grief1 
to poverty1 to labor1 ambition1 anger1  
until ,i am torn to pieces  by my       
misfortunes and lusts4 ,but against all 
this philosophy propounds  a liberty1   
that is to say1 a liberty from the      
service of accidents and  fortune4      
,there is not anything that does more   
mischief to mankind than  mercenary     
masters and philosophy1 that do not live
 as they teach--they  give a scandal to 
virtue4 ,how can any man expect that a  

ship should  steer a fortunate course1  
when the pilot lies wallowing in his own
  vomit8 ,it is a usual thing first to  
learn to do ill ourselves1 and then  to 
instruct others to do so3 but that man  
must needs be very wicked  that has     
gathered into himself the wickedness of 
other people4    ,the best conversation 
is with the philosophers--that is to    
say1 with  such of them as teach us     
matter1 not words--that preach to us    
things  necessary and keep us to the    
practice of them4 ,there can be no peace
 in  human life without the contempt of 
all events4 ,there is nothing that      
either puts better thoughts into a man1 
or sooner sets him right that  is out of
 the way1 than a good companion1 for the
 example has the force  of a precept1   
and touches the heart with an affection 
to goodness2 and  not only the frequent 
hearing and seeing of a wise man        
delights us1 but  the very encounter of 
him suggests profitable contemplation   
such as a  man finds himself moved with 

when he goes into a holy place4 ,i will 
take more care with whom ,i eat and     
drink than what1 for without a  friend  
the table is a manger4    ,writing does 
well1 but personal discourse and        
conversation does better2  for men give 
great credit to their ears1 and take    
stronger impressions  from example than 
precept4 ,cleanthes had never hit ,zeno 
so to the life  if he had not been in   
with him at all his privacies1 if he had
 not  watched and observed him whether  
or not he practised as he taught4       
,plato got more from ,socrates' manners 
than from his words1 and it  was not the
 school1 but the company and familiarity
 of ,epicurus  that made ,metrodorus1   
,hermachus and ,polynus so famous4      
,now1 though it be by instinct that we  
covet society1 and avoid  solitude1 we  
should yet take this along with us1 that
 the more  acquaintance the more danger3
 nay1 there is not one man of a hundred 
that is to be trusted with himself4 ,if 
company cannot alter us1 it may         

interrupt us1 and he that so much as    
stops upon the way loses a great  deal  
of a short life1 which we yet make      
shorter by our inconstancy4 ,if  an     
enemy were at our heels1 what haste     
should we make6--but death is  so1 and  
yet we never mind it4 ,there is no      
venturing of tender and easy  natures   
among the people1 for it is odds that   
they will go over to the  major party4  
,it would1 perhaps1 shake the constancy 
of ,socrates1 ,cato1  ,llius1 or any of 
us all1 even when our resolutions are at
 the height1  to stand the shock of vice
 that presses upon us with a kind of    
public  authority4    ,it is a world of 
mischief that may be done by one single 
example of  avarice or luxury4 ,one     
voluptuous palate makes a great many4 ,a
 wealthy  neighbor stirs up envy1 and a 
fleering companion moves ill-nature     
wherever he comes4 ,what will become of 
those people then that expose           
themselves to a popular violence8 which 
is ill both ways2 either if  they comply

 with the wicked1 because they are many1
 or quarrel with  the multitude because 
they are not principled alike4 ,the best
 way is  to retire1 and associate only  
with those that may be the better for   
us1 and we for them4 ,these respects are
 mutual2 for while we teach1 we  learn4 
,to deal freely1 ,i dare not trust      
myself in the hands of much  company3 ,i
 never go abroad that ,i come home again
 the same man ,i went  out4 ,something  
or other that ,i had put in order is    
discomposed2 some  passion that ,i had  
subdued gets head again2 and it is just 
with our  minds as it is after a long   
indisposition with our bodies2 we are   
grown  so tender1 that the least breath 
of air exposes us to a relapse4 ,and it 
is no wonder if a numerous conversation 
be dangerous1 where there is  scarce any
 single man but by his discourse1       
example1 or behavior1 does  either      
recommend to us1 or imprint in us1 or1  
by a kind of contagion1  insensibly     
infect us with one vice or other2 and   

the more people  the greater is the     
peril4 ,especially let us have a care of
 public  spectacles where wickedness    
insinuates itself with pleasure2 and1   
above  all others1 let us avoid         
spectacles of cruelty and blood2 and    
have  nothing to do with those that are 
perpetually whining and complaining2    
there may be faith and kindness there1  
but no peace4 ,people that are  either  
sad or fearful1 we do commonly1 for     
their own sakes1 set a  guard upon them1
 for fear they should make an ill use of
 being alone2  especially the imprudent1
 who are still contriving of mischief1  
either  for others or for themselves1 in
 cherishing their lusts1 or forming     
their designs4 ,so much for the choice  
of a companion2 we shall now  proceed to
 that of a friend4          ,,chapter   
,,xviii4    ,,the ,,blessings ,,of      
,,friendship4      ,of all felicities1  
the most charming is that of a firm and 
gentle  friendship4 ,it sweetens all our
 cares1 dispels our sorrows1 and        

counsels us in all extremities4 ,nay1 if
 there were no other comfort in  it than
 the bare exercise of so generous a     
virtue1 even for that single  reason1 a 
man would not be without it4 ,beside1   
that it is a sovereign  antidote against
 all calamities1 even against the fear  
of death itself4    ,but we are not to  
number our friends by the visits that   
are made us2  and to confound the       
decencies of ceremony and commerce with 
the  offices of united affections4      
,caius ,gracchus1 and after him ,livius 
,drusus1 were the men that introduced   
among the ,romans the fashion of        
separating their visitants2 some were   
taken into their closet1 others  were   
only admitted into the antechamber3 and 
some1 again1 were fain  to wait in the  
hall perhaps1 or in the court4 ,so that 
they had  their first1 their second1 and
 their third rate friends2 but none  of 
them true3 only they are called so in   
course1 as we salute strangers  with    
some title or other of respect at a     

venture4 ,there is no depending  upon   
those men that only take their          
compliment in their turn1 and  rather   
slip through the door than enter at it4 
,he will find himself in  a great       
mistake1 that either seeks for a friend 
in a palace1 or tries  him at a feast4  
,the great difficulty rests in the      
choice of him2 that is to say1 in the   
first place1 let him be virtuous1 for   
vice is contagious1 and there  is no    
trusting the sound and the sick         
together2 and he ought to be a  wise man
 too1 if a body knew where to find him2 
but in this case1 he  that is least ill 
is best1 and the highest degree of human
 prudence is  only the most venial      
folly4 ,that friendship where men's     
affections are  cemented by an equal and
 by a common love of goodness1 it is not
 either  hope or fear1 or any private   
interest1 that can ever dissolve it3 but
  we carry it with us to our graves1 and
 lay down our lives for it with         
satisfaction4 ,paulina's good and mine  

7says our author7 were so wrapped  up   
together1 that in consulting her comfort
 ,i provided for my own2  and when ,i   
could not prevail upon her to take less 
care for me1 she  prevailed upon me to  
take more care for myself4    ,some     
people make it a question1 whether is   
the greatest delight1 the  enjoying of  
an old friendship1 or the acquiring of a
 new one8 but it  is in the preparing of
 a friendship1 and in the possession of 
it1  as it is with the husbandman in    
sowing and reaping2 his delight is  the 
hope of his labor in the one case1 and  
the fruit of it in the  other4 ,my      
conversation lies among my books1 but   
yet in the letters  of a friend1        
methinks ,i have his company2 and when  
,i answer them1 ,i  do not only write1  
but speak3 and1 in effect1 a friend is  
an eye1  a heart1 a tongue1 a hand1 at  
all distances4 ,when friends see one    
another personally1 they do not see one 
another as they do when they  are       
divided1 where the meditation dignifies 

the prospect2 but they are  effectually 
in a great measure absent even when they
 are present4  ,consider their nights   
apart1 their private studies1 their     
separate  employments1 and necessary    
visits2 and they are almost as much     
together  divided as present4 ,true     
friends are the whole world to one      
another2  and he that is a friend to    
himself is also a friend to mankind4    
,even  in my very studies1 the greatest 
delight ,i take in what ,i learn is  the
 teaching of it to others2 for there is 
no relish1 methinks1 in  the possession 
of anything without a partner2 nay1 if  
wisdom itself  were offered me upon     
condition only of keeping it to myself1 
,i should  undoubtedly refuse it4       
,lucilius tells me1 that he was written 
to by a friend1 but cautions  me withal 
not to say anything to him of the affair
 in question2 for  he himself stands    
upon the same guard4 ,what is this but  
to affirm and  to deny the same thing in
 the same breath1 in calling a man a    

friend1  whom we dare not trust as our  
own soul8 ,for there must be no reserves
  in friendship3 as much deliberation as
 you please before the league  is       
struck1 but no doubtings or jealousies  
after4 ,it is a preposterous  weakness  
to love a man before we know him1 and   
not to care for him  after4 ,it requires
 time to consider of a friendship1 but  
the resolution  once taken1 entitles him
 to my very heart4 ,i look upon my      
thoughts to  be as safe in his breast as
 in my own3 ,i shall1 without any       
scruple1  make him the confidant of my  
most secret cares and counsels4    ,it  
goes a great way toward the making of a 
man faithful1 to let him  understand    
that you think him so3 and he that does 
but so much as  suspect that ,i will    
deceive him gives me a kind of right to 
cozen him4  ,when ,i am with my friend1 
methinks ,i am alone1 and as much at    
liberty  to speak anything as to think  
it1 and as our hearts are one1 so must  
be  our interest and convenience2 for   

friendship lays all things in common1   
and nothing can be good to the one that 
is ill to the other4 ,i do not  speak of
 such a community as to destroy one     
another's propriety2 but as  the father 
and the mother have two children1 not   
one apiece1 but each  of them two4      
,but let us have a care1 above all      
things1 that our kindness be  rightfully
 founded2 for where there is any other  
invitation to  friendship than the      
friendship itself1 that friendship will 
be bought  and sold4 ,he derogates upon 
the majesty of it that makes it only    
dependent upon good fortune4 ,it is a   
narrow consideration for a man  to      
please himself in the thought of a      
friend1 8because10 says he1 8,i  shall  
have one to help me when ,i am sick1 in 
prison1 or in want40 ,a  brave man      
should rather take delight in the       
contemplation of doing  the same offices
 for another4 ,he that loves a man for  
his own sake is  in an error4 ,a        
friendship of interest cannot last any  

longer than the  interest itself1 and   
this is the reason that men in          
prosperity are so  much followed1 and   
when a man goes down the wind1 nobody   
comes near him4    ,temporary friends   
will never stand the test4 ,one man is  
forsaken  for fear of profit1 another is
 betrayed4 ,it is a negotiation1 not a  
friendship1 that has an eye to          
advantages2 only1 through the corruption
  of times1 that which was formerly a   
friendship is now become a design  upon 
a booty3 alter your testament1 and you  
lose your friend4 ,but my  end of       
friendship is to have one dearer to me  
than myself1 and for  the saving of     
whose life ,i would cheerfully lay down 
my own2 taking  this along with me1 that
 only wise men can be friends1 others   
are but  companions2 and that there is a
 great difference also betwixt love and 
friendship2 the one may sometimes do us 
hurt1 the other always does us  good1   
for the one friend is hopeful to another
 in all cases1 as well in  prosperity as

 in affliction4 ,we receive comfort1    
even at a distance1  from those we love1
 but then it is light and faint2        
whereas1 presence  and conversation     
touch us to the quick1 especially if we 
find the man  we love to be such a      
person as we wish4    ,it is usual with 
princes to reproach the living by       
commending the dead1  and to praise     
those people for speaking truth from    
whom there is no  longer any danger of  
hearing it4 ,this is ,augustus's case3  
he was forced  to banish his daughter   
,julia for her common and prostituted   
impudence2  and still upon fresh        
informations1 he was often heard to say1
 8,if  ,agrippa or ,mecenas had been now
 alive1 this would never have been40    
,but  yet where the fault lay may be a  
question2 for perchance it was his  own1
 that had rather complain for the want  
of them than seek for others  as good4  
,the ,roman losses by war and by fire1  
,augustus could quickly  supply and     
repair2 but for the loss of two friends 

he lamented his  whole life after4      
,xerxes1 7a vain and a foolish prince7  
when he made war upon ,greece1 one  told
 him1 8,it would never come to a        
battle02another1 8,that he would  find  
only empty cities and countries1 for    
they would not so much as  stand the    
very fame of his coming20 others soothed
 him in the opinion  of his prodigious  
numbers2 and they all concurred to puff 
him up to  his destruction2 only        
,damaratus advised him not to depend too
 much upon  his numbers1 for he would   
rather find them a burden to him than an
  advantage3 and that three hundred men 
in the straits of the mountains  would  
be sufficient to give a check to his    
whole army2 and that such an  accident  
would undoubtedly turn his vast numbers 
to his confusion4 ,it  fell out         
afterward as he foretold1 and he had    
thanks for his fidelity4  ,a miserable  
prince1 that among so many thousand     
subjects had but one  servant to tell   
him the truth6          ,,chapter ,,xix4

    ,,he ,,that ,,would ,,be ,,happy    
,,must ,,take ,,an ,,account ,,of ,,his 
,,time4      ,in the distribution of    
human life1 we find that a great part of
 it  passes away in evil doing2 a       
greater yet in doing just nothing at    
all3 and effectually the whole in doing 
things beside our business4  ,some hours
 we bestow upon ceremony and servile    
attendances2 some upon  our pleasures1  
and the remainder runs at waste4 ,what a
 deal of time  is it that we spend in   
hopes and fears1 love and revenge1 in   
balls1  treats1 making of interests1    
suing for offices1 soliciting of causes1
  and slavish flatteries6 ,the shortness
 of life1 ,i know1 is the common        
complaint both of fools and             
philosophers2 as if the time we have    
were  not sufficient for our duties4    
,but it is with our lives as with our   
estates1 a good husband makes a little  
go a great way2 whereas1 let  the       
revenue of a prince fall into the hands 
of a prodigal1 it is gone  in a moment4 

,so that the time allotted us1 if it    
were well employed1  were abundantly    
enough to answer all the ends and       
purposes of mankind4  ,but we squander  
it away in avarice1 drink1 sleep1       
luxury1 ambition1  fawning addresses1   
envy1 rambling1 voyages1 impertinent    
studies1  change of counsels1 and the   
like2 and when our portion is spent1 we 
find the want of it1 though we gave no  
heed to it in the passage3  insomuch1   
that we have rather made our life short 
than found it  so4 ,you shall have some 
people perpetually playing with their   
fingers1  whistling1 humming1 and       
talking to themselves2 and others       
consume their  days in the composing1   
hearing1 or reciting of songs and       
lampoons4 ,how  many precious morning   
hours do we spend in consultation with  
barbers1  tailors1 and tire-women1      
patching and painting betwixt the comb  
and  the glass6 ,a council must be      
called upon every hair we cut2 and one  
curl amiss is as much as a body's life  

is worth4 ,the truth is1 we are  more   
solicitous about our dress than our     
manners1 and about the order  of our    
periwigs than that of the government4   
,at this rate1 let us but  discount1 out
 of a life of a hundred years1 that time
 which has been  spent upon popular     
negotiations1 frivolous amours1 domestic
 brawls1  sauntering up and down to no  
purpose1 diseases that we have brought  
upon ourselves1 and this large extent of
 life will not amount perhaps  to the   
minority of another man4 ,it is a long  
being1 but perchance a  short life4 ,and
 what is the reason of all this8 ,we    
live as we should  never die1 and       
without any thought of human frailty1   
when yet the very  moment we bestow upon
 this man or thing1 may1 peradventure1  
be our  last4 ,but the greatest loss of 
time is delay and expectation1 which    
depend upon the future4 ,we let go the  
present1 which we have in our  own      
power2 we look forward to that which    
depends upon ,fortune2 and so  quit a   

certainty for an uncertainty4 ,we should
 do by time as we do by a  torrent1 make
 use of it while we have it1 for it will
 not last always4    ,the calamities of 
human nature may be divided into the    
fear of death1  and the miseries and    
errors of life4 ,and it is the great    
work of  mankind to master the one1 and 
to rectify the other2 and so live as    
neither to make life irksome to us1 nor 
death terrible4 ,it should be  our care1
 before we are old1 to live well1 and   
when we are so1 to die  well2 that we   
may expect our end without sadness3 for 
it is the duty of  life to prepare      
ourselves for death2 and there is not an
 hour we live  that does not mind us of 
our mortality4    ,time runs on1 and all
 things have their fate1 though it lies 
in the  dark4 ,the period is certain to 
nature1 but what am ,i the better for it
  if it be not so to me8 ,we propound   
travels1 arms1 adventures1 without  ever
 considering that death lies in the way4
 ,our term is set1 and  none of us know 

how near it is2 but we are all of us    
agreed that the  decree is unchangeable4
 ,why should we wonder to have that     
befall us  to-day which might have      
happened to us any minute since we were 
born8  ,let us therefore live as if     
every moment were to be our last1 and   
set  our accounts right every day that  
passes over our heads4 ,we are not      
ready for death1 and therefore we fear  
it1 because we do not know what  will   
become of us when we are gone1 and that 
consideration strikes us  with an       
inexplicable terror4 ,the way to avoid  
this distraction is to  contract our    
business and our thoughts--when the mind
 is once settled1  a day or an age is   
all one to us2 and the series of time1  
which is now  our trouble will be then  
our delight2 for he that is steadily    
resolved  against all uncertainties1    
shall never be disturbed with the       
variety of  them4 ,let us make haste1   
therefore1 to live1 since every day to a
 wise  man is a new life--for he has    

done his business the day before1 and so
  prepared himself for the next1 that if
 it be not his last1 he knows  yet that 
it might have been so4 ,no man enjoys   
the true taste of life  but he that is  
willing and ready to quit it4    ,the   
wit of man is not able to express the   
blindness of human folly in  taking so  
much more care of our fortunes1 our     
houses1 and our money1  than we do of   
our lives--everybody breaks in upon the 
one gratis1 but  we betake ourselves to 
fire and sword if any man invades the   
other4  ,there is no dividing in the    
case of patrimony1 but people share our 
time with us at pleasure1 so profuse are
 we of that only thing whereof  we may  
be honestly covetous4 ,it is a common   
practice to ask an hour  or two of a    
friend for such or such a business1 and 
it is as easily  granted1 both parties  
only considering the occasion1 and not  
the thing  itself4 ,they never put time 
to account1 which is the most valuable  
of  all precious things2 but because    

they do not see it they reckon upon  it 
as nothing3 and yet these easy men when 
they come to die would give  the whole  
world for those hours again which they  
so inconsiderately  cast away before2   
but there is no recovering of them4 ,if 
they could  number their days that are  
yet to come as they can those that are  
already past1 how would those very      
people tremble at the apprehension  of  
death1 though a hundred years hence1    
that never so much as think of  it at   
present1 though they know not but it may
 take them away the next  immediate     
minute6    ,it is an usual saying 8,i   
would give my life for such or such a   
friend10  when1 at the same time1 we do 
give it without so much as thinking  of 
it2 nay1 when that friend is never the  
better for it1 and we  ourselves the    
worse4 ,our time is set1 and day and    
night we travel on4  ,there is no       
baiting by the way1 and it is not in the
 power of either  prince or people to   
prolong it4 ,such is the love of life1  

that even  those decrepit dotards that  
have lost the use of it will yet beg the
  continuance of it1 and make themselves
 younger than they are1 as if  they     
could cozen even ,fate itself6 ,when    
they fall sick1 what promises  of       
amendment if they escape that bout6     
,what exclamations against the  folly of
 their misspent time--and yet if they   
recover1 they relapse4 ,no  man takes   
care to live well1 but long2 when yet it
 is in everybody's  power to do the     
former1 and in no man's to do the       
latter4 ,we consume  our lives in       
providing the very instruments of life1 
and govern  ourselves still with a      
regard to the future1 so that we do not 
properly  live1 but we are about to     
live4 ,how great a shame is it to be    
laying  new foundations of life at our  
last gasp1 and for an old man 7that can 
only prove his age by his beard17 with  
one foot in the grave1 to go to  school 
again6 ,while we are young we may learn2
 our minds are tractable  and our bodies

 fit for labor and study2 but when age  
comes on1 we are  seized with languor   
and sloth1 afflicted with diseases1 and 
at last  we leave the world as ignorant 
as we came into it--only we die worse   
than we were born1 which is none of     
,nature's fault1 but ours2 for our      
fears1 suspicions1 perfidy1 etc41 are   
from ourselves4    ,i wish with all my  
soul that ,i had thought of my end      
sooner1 but ,i must  make the more haste
 now and spur on like those that set out
 late upon  a journey--it will be better
 to learn late than not at all--though  
it be  but only to instruct me how ,i   
may leave the stage with honor4    ,in  
the division of life1 there is time     
present1 past1 and to  come4 ,what we do
 is short1 what we shall do is doubtful1
 but  what we have done is certain1 and 
out of the power of fortune4 ,the       
passage of time is wonderfully quick1   
and a man must look backward to  see it2
 and1 in that retrospect1 he has all    
past ages at a view2 but  the present   

gives us the slip unperceived4 ,it is   
but a moment that we  live1 and yet we  
are dividing it into childhood1 youth1  
man's  estate1 and old age1 all which   
degrees we bring into that narrow       
compass4 ,if we do not watch1 we lose   
our opportunities2 if we do not  make   
haste1 we are left behind2 our best     
hours escape us1 the worst are  to come4
 ,the purest part of our life runs      
first1 and leaves only the  dregs at the
 bottom2 and 8that time which is good   
for nothing else1 we  dedicate to       
virtue20 and only propound to begin to  
live at an age that  very few people    
arrive at4 ,what greater folly can there
 be in the world  than this loss of     
time1 the future being so uncertain1 and
 the damages  so irreparable8 ,if death 
be necessary1 why should any man fear   
it8 and  if the time of it be uncertain1
 why should not we always expect it8 ,we
  should therefore first prepare        
ourselves by a virtuous life against the
  dread of an inevitable death2 and it  

is not for us to put off being  good    
until such or such a business is over1  
for one business draws on  another1 and 
we do as good as sow it1 one grain      
produces more4 ,it is  not enough to    
philosophize when we have nothing else  
to do1 but we must  attend wisdom even  
to the neglect of all things else2 for  
we are so far  from having time to      
spare1 that the age of the world would  
be yet too  narrow for our business2 nor
 is it sufficient not to omit it1 but we
  must not so much as intermit it4      
,there is nothing that we can properly  
call our own but our time1 and  yet     
every body fools us out of it that has a
 mind to it4 ,if a man  borrows a paltry
 sum of money1 there must be bonds and  
securities1 and  every common civility  
is charged upon account2 but he that has
 my time1  thinks he owes me nothing for
 it1 though it be a debt that gratitude 
itself can never repay4 ,i cannot call  
any man poor that has enough  still     
left1 be it never so little3 it is good 

advice yet to those that  have the world
 before them1 to play the good husbands 
betimes1 for it  is too late to spare at
 the bottom1 when all is drawn out to   
the lees4  ,he that takes away a day    
from me1 takes away what he can never   
restore  me4 ,but our time is either    
forced away from us1 or stolen from us1 
or lost2 of which the last is the       
foulest miscarriage4 ,it is in life  as 
in a journey2 a book or a companion     
brings us to our lodging before  we     
thought we were half-way4 ,upon the     
whole matter we consume ourselves  one  
upon another1 without any regard at all 
to our own particular4 ,i  do not speak 
of such as live in notorious scandal1   
but even those men  themselves1 whom the
 world pronounces happy1 are smothered  
in their  felicities1 servants to their 
professions and clients1 and drowned  in
 their lusts4 ,we are apt to complain of
 the haughtiness of great  men1 when yet
 there is hardly any of them all so     
proud but that1 at  some time or other1 

a man may yet have access to him1 and   
perhaps a  good word or look into the   
bargain4 ,why do we not rather complain 
of  ourselves1 for being of all others1 
even to ourselves1 the most deaf  and   
inaccessible4    ,company and business  
are great devourers of time1 and our    
vices destroy  our lives as well as our 
fortunes4 ,the present is but a moment1 
and  perpetually in flux2 the time past1
 we call to mind when we please1 and  it
 will abide the examination and         
inspection4 ,but the busy man has  not  
leisure to look back1 or if he has1 it  
is an unpleasant thing to  reflect upon 
a life to be repented of1 whereas the   
conscience of a good  life puts a man   
into a secure and perpetual possession  
of a felicity  never to be disturbed or 
taken away3 but he that has led a wicked
 life  is afraid of his own memory2 and1
 in the review of himself1 he finds     
only appetite1 avarice1 or ambition1    
instead of virtue4 ,but still he  that  
is not at leisure many times to live1   

must1 when his fate comes1  whether he  
will or not1 be at leisure to die4      
,alas6 what is time to  eternity8 the   
age of a man to the age of the world8   
,and how much of  this little do we     
spend in fears1 anxieties1 tears1       
childhood6 nay1 we  sleep away the one  
half4 ,how great a part of it runs away 
in luxury  and excess3 the ranging of   
our guests1 our servants1 and our       
dishes6  ,as if we were to eat and drink
 not for satiety1 but ambition4 ,the    
nights may well seem short that are so  
dear bought1 and bestowed upon  wine and
 women2 the day is lost in expectation  
of the night1 and the  night in the     
apprehension of the morning4 ,there is a
 terror in our very  pleasures2 and this
 vexatious thought in the very height of
 them1 that  they will not last always3 
which is a canker in the delights1 even 
of  the greatest and the most fortunate 
of men4          ,,chapter ,,xx4        
,,happy ,,is ,,the ,,man ,,that ,,may   
,,choose ,,his ,,own ,,business4        

,oh the blessings of privacy and        
leisure6 ,the wish of the powerful  and 
eminent1 but the privilege only of      
inferiors2 who are the only  people that
 live to themselves3 nay1 the very      
thought and hope of it  is a            
consolation1 even in the middle of all  
the tumults and hazards  that attend    
greatness4 ,it was ,augustus' prayer1   
that he might live to  retire and       
deliver himself from public business3   
his discourses were  still pointing that
 way1 and the highest felicity which    
this mighty  prince had in prospect1 was
 the divesting himself of that          
illustrious  state1 which1 how glorious 
soever in show1 had at the bottom of it 
only anxiety and care4 ,but it is one   
thing to retire for pleasure1 and       
another thing for virtue1 which must be 
active even in that retreat1  and give  
proof of what it has learned3 for a good
 and a wise man does  in privacy consult
 the well-being of posterity4 ,zeno and 
,chrysippus  did greater things in their

 studies than if they had led armies1   
borne  offices1 or given laws2 which in 
truth they did1 not to one city alone1  
but to all mankind3 their quiet         
contributed more to the common  benefit 
than the sweat and labor of other       
people4 ,that retreat is  not worth the 
while which does not afford a man       
greater and nobler work  than business4 
,there is no slavish attendance upon    
great officers1  no canvassing for      
places1 no making of parties1 no        
disappointments in  my pretension to    
this charge1 to that regiment1 or to    
such or such a  title1 no envy of any   
man's favor or fortune2 but a calm      
enjoyment of  the general bounties of   
,providence in company with a good      
conscience4  ,a wise man is never so    
busy as in the solitary contemplation of
 ,god  and the works of ,nature4 ,he    
withdraws himself to attend the service 
of  future ages3 and those counsels     
which he finds salutary to himself1 he  
commits to writing for the good of      

after-times1 as we do the receipts  of  
sovereign antidotes or balsams4 ,he that
 is well employed in his  study1 though 
he may seem to do nothing at all1 does  
the greatest  things yet of all others1 
in affairs both human and divine4 ,to   
supply a  friend with a sum of money1 or
 give my voice for an office1 these are 
only private and particular obligations3
 but he that lays down precepts  for the
 governing of our lives and the         
moderating of our passions1  obliges    
human nature not only in the present1   
but in all succeeding  generations4     
,he that would be at quiet1 let him     
repair to his philosophy1 a study  that 
has credit with all sorts of men4 ,the  
eloquence of the bar1 or  whatsoever    
else addresses to the people1 is never  
without enemies2 but  philosophy minds  
its own business1 and even the worst    
have an esteem  for it4 ,there can never
 be such a conspiracy against virtue1   
the world  can never be so wicked1 but  
the very name of a philosopher shall    

still continue venerable and sacred4    
,and yet philosophy itself must be      
handled modestly and with caution4 ,but 
what shall we say of ,cato then1  for   
his meddling in the broil of a civil    
war1 and interposing himself  in the    
quarrel betwixt two enraged princes8 ,he
 that1 when ,rome was  split into two   
factions betwixt ,pompey and ,csar1     
declared himself  against both4 ,i speak
 this of ,cato's last part2 for in his  
former  time the commonwealth was made  
unfit for a wise man's administration4  
,all he could do then was but bawling   
and beating of the air3 one while  he   
was lugged and tumbled by the rabble1   
spit upon and dragged out of  the forum1
 and then again hurried out of the      
senate-house to prison4  ,there are some
 things which we propound originally1   
and others which  fall in as accessory  
to another proposition4 ,if a wise man  
retire1 it  is no matter whether he does
 it because the commonwealth was wanting
 to  him1 or because he was wanting to  

it4 ,but to what republic shall a man   
betake himself8 ,not to ,athens1 where  
,socrates was condemned1 and whence     
,aristotle fled1 for fear he should have
 been condemned too1 and where  virtue  
was oppressed by envy3 not to ,carthage1
 where there was nothing  but tyranny1  
injustice1 cruelty1 and ingratitude4    
,there is scarce any  government to be  
found that will either endure a wise    
man1 or which a  wise man will endure2  
so that privacy is made necessary1      
because the  only thing which is better 
is nowhere to be had4 ,a man may commend
  navigation1 and yet caution us against
 those seas that are troublesome  and   
dangerous3 so that he does as good as   
command me not to weigh  anchor that    
commends sailing only upon these terms4 
,he that is a slave  to business is the 
most wretched of slaves4    8,but how   
shall ,i get myself at liberty8 ,we can 
run any hazards for  money3 take any    
pains for honor2 and why do we not      
venture also  something for leisure and 

freedom8 without which we must expect to
 live  and die in a tumult3 for so long 
as we live in public1 business breaks   
in upon us1 as one billow drives on     
another2 and there is no avoiding  it   
with either modesty or quiet40 ,it is a 
kind of whirlpool1 that sucks  a man in1
 and he can never disengage himself4 ,a 
man of business cannot  in truth be said
 to live1 and not one of a thousand     
understands how to  do it3 for how to   
live1 and how to die1 is the lesson of  
every moment  of our lives3 all other   
arts have their masters4    ,as a busy  
life is always a miserable life1 so it  
is the greatest of all  miseries to be  
perpetually employed upon other people's
 business2  for to sleep1 to eat1 to    
drink1 at their hour2 to walk their     
pace1 and  to love and hate as they do1 
is the vilest of servitudes4 ,now1      
though  business must be quitted1 let it
 not be done unseasonably2 the longer   
we defer it1 the more we endanger our   
liberty2 and yet we must no more  fly   

before the time than linger when the    
time comes3 or1 however1 we  must not   
love business for business' sake1 nor   
indeed do we1 but for  the profit that  
goes along with it3 for we love the     
reward of misery1  though we hate the   
misery itself4 ,many people1 ,i know1   
seek business  without choosing it1 and 
they are even weary of their lives      
without it  for want of entertainment in
 their own thoughts2 the hours are long 
and hateful to them when they are alone1
 and they seem as short on the  other   
side in their debauches4 ,when they are 
no longer candidates1  they are         
suffragans2 when they give over other   
people's business1  they do their own2  
and pretend business1 but they make it1 
and value  themselves upon being thought
 men of employment4    ,liberty is the  
thing which they are perpetually        
a-wishing1 and never  come to obtain3 a 
thing never to be bought nor sold1 but a
 man must  ask it of himself1 and give  
it to himself4 ,he that has given proof 

of  his virtue in public1 should do well
 to make a trial of it in private  also4
 ,it is not that solitude1 or a country 
life1 teaches innocence or  frugality2  
but vice falls of itself1 without       
witnesses and spectators1  for the thing
 it designs is to be taken notice of4   
,did ever any man  put on rich clothes  
not to be seen8 or spread the pomp of   
his luxury  where nobody was to take    
notice of it8 ,if it were not for       
admirers and  spectators there would be 
no temptations to excess3 the very      
keeping  of us from exposing them cures 
us of desiring them1 for vanity and     
intemperance are fed with ostentation4  
,he that has lived at sea in a storm1   
let him retire and die in the  haven2   
but let his retreat be without          
ostentation1 and wherein he may  enjoy  
himself with a good conscience1 without 
the want1 the fear1 the  hatred1 or the 
desire1 of anything1 not out of         
malevolent detestation  of mankind1 but 
for satisfaction and repose4 ,he that   

shuns both  business and men1 either out
 of envy1 or any other discontent1 his  
retreat is but to the life of a mole3   
nor does he live to himself1 as  a wise 
man does1 but to his bed1 his belly1 and
 his lusts4 ,many people  seem to retire
 out of a weariness of public affairs1  
and the trouble of  disappointments2 and
 yet ambition finds them out even in    
that recess  into which fear and        
weariness had cast them2 and so does    
luxury1 pride1  and most of the         
distempers of a public life4    ,there  
are many that lie close1 not that they  
may live securely1 but  that they may   
transgress more privately3 it is their  
conscience1 not  their states1 that     
makes them keep a porter2 for they live 
at such a  rate1 that to be seen before 
they be aware is to be detected4 ,crates
  saw a young man walking by himself2   
8,have a care10 says he 8of lewd        
company40 ,some men are busy in         
idleness1 and make peace more laborious 
and troublesome than war2 nay1 and more 

wicked too1 when they bestow it  upon   
such lusts1 and other vices1 which even 
the license of a military  life would   
not endure4 ,we cannot call these people
 men of leisure that  are wholly taken  
up with their pleasures4 ,a troublesome 
life is much  to be preferred before a  
slothful one2 and it is a strange thing1
  methinks1 that any man should fear    
death that has buried himself alive2  as
 privacy without letters is but the     
burying of a man quick4    ,there are   
some that make a boast of their retreat1
 which is but a kind  of lazy ambition2 
they retire to make people talk of them1
 whereas ,i  would rather withdraw to   
speak to myself4 ,and what shall that   
be1 but  that which we are apt to speak 
of one another8 ,i will speak ill of    
myself3 ,i will examine1 accuse1 and    
punish my infirmities4 ,i have no       
design to be cried up for a great man1  
that has renounced the world in  a      
contempt of the vanity and madness of   
human life2 ,i blame nobody but  myself1

 and ,i address only to myself4 ,he that
 comes to me for help is  mistaken1 for 
,i am not a physician1 but a patient3   
and ,i shall be well  enough content to 
have it said1 when any man leaves me1   
8,i took him  for a happy and a learned 
man1 and truly ,i find no such matter40 
,i had  rather have my retreat pardoned 
than envied4    ,there are some         
creatures that confound their footing   
about their dens1  that they may not be 
found out1 and so should a wise man in  
the case of  his retirement4 ,when the  
door is open1 the thief passes it by as 
not  worth his while2 but when it is    
bolted and sealed1 it is a temptation   
for people to be prying4 ,to have it    
said 8that such a one is never  out of  
his study1 and sees nobody10 etc42 this 
furnishes matter for  discourse4 ,he    
that makes his retirement too strict and
 severe1 does as  good as call company  
to take notice of it4    ,every man     
knows his own constitution2 one eases   
his stomach by  vomit--another supports 

it with good nourishment2 he that has   
the gout  forbears wine and bathing1 and
 every man applies to the part that is  
most infirm4 ,he that shows a gouty     
foot1 a lame hand1 or contracted        
nerves1 shall be permitted to lie still 
and attend his cure2 and why  not so in 
the vices of his mind6 ,we must         
discharge all impediments and  make way 
for philosophy1 as a study inconsistent 
with common business4  ,to all other    
things we must deny ourselves openly and
 frankly1 when we  are sick refuse      
visits1 keep ourselves close1 and lay   
aside all public  cares1 and shall we   
not do as much when we philosophize8    
,business is  the drudgery of the world1
 and only fit for slaves1 but           
contemplation  is the work of wise men4 
,not but that solitude and company may  
be  allowed to take their turns3 the one
 creates in us the love of mankind1  the
 other that of ourselves2 solitude      
relieves us when we are sick of         
company1 and conversation when we are   

weary of being alone2 so that  the one  
cures the other4 8,there is no man10 in 
fine1 8so miserable as  he that is at a 
loss how to spend his time40 ,he is     
restless in his  thoughts1 unsteady in  
his counsels1 dissatisfied with the     
present1  solicitous for the future2    
whereas he that prudently computes his  
hours and his business1 does not only   
fortify himself against the  common     
accidents of life1 but improves the most
 rigorous dispensations  of ,providence 
to his comfort1 and stands firm under   
all the trials of  human weakness4      
,,chapter ,,xxi4    ,,the ,,contempt    
,,of ,,death ,,makes ,,all ,,the        
,,miseries ,,of ,,life ,,easy ,,to ,,us4
      ,it is a hard task to master the  
natural desire of life by a             
philosophical contempt of death1 and to 
convince the world that there  is no    
hurt in it1 and crush an opinion that   
was brought up with us from  our        
cradles4 ,what help8 what encouragement8
 what shall we say to human  frailty1 to

 carry it fearless through the fury of  
flames1 and upon the  points of swords8 
what rhetoric shall we use to bear down 
the universal  consent of people to so  
dangerous an error8 ,the captious and   
superfine  subtleties of the schools    
will never do the work3 these speak many
  things sharp1 but utterly unnecessary1
 and void of effect4 ,the truth  of it  
is1 there is but one chain that holds   
all the world in bondage1  and that is  
the love of life4 ,it is not that ,i    
propound the making of  death so        
indifferent to us1 as it is1 whether a  
man's hairs be even or  odd2 for what   
with self-love1 and an implanted desire 
in every being of  preserving itself1   
and a long acquaintance betwixt the soul
 and body1  friends may be loth to part1
 and death may carry an appearance of   
evil1  though in truth it is itself no  
evil at all4 ,beside1 that we are to go 
to a strange place in the dark1 and     
under great uncertainties of our  future
 state2 so that people die in terror1   

because they do not know  whither they  
are to go1 and they are apt to fancy the
 worst of what  they do not understand3 
these thoughts are indeed sufficient to 
startle  a man of great resolution      
without a wonderful support from above4 
,and1  moreover1 our natural scruples   
and infirmities are assisted by the wits
  and fancies of all ages1 in their     
infamous and horrid description of      
another world3 nay1 taking it for       
granted that there will be no reward    
and punishment1 they are yet more afraid
 of an annihilation than of  hell       
itself4    ,but what is it we fear8     
8,oh6 it is a terrible thing to die40   
,well2  and is it not better once to    
suffer it1 than always to fear it8 ,the 
earth itself suffers both with me1 and  
before me4 ,how many islands  are       
swallowed up in the sea6 how many towns 
do we sail over6 nay1 how  many nations 
are wholly lost1 either by inundations  
or earthquakes6  and shall ,i be afraid 
of my little body8 why should ,i1 that  

am sure  to die1 and that all other     
things are mortal1 be fearful of coming 
to  my last gasp myself8 ,it is the fear
 of death that makes us base1 and       
troubles and destroys the life we would 
preserve2 that aggravates all           
circumstances1 and makes them           
formidable4 ,we depend but upon a flying
  moment4 ,die we must2 but when8 what  
is that to us8 ,it is the law of        
,nature1 the tribute of mortals1 and the
 remedy of all evils4 ,it is only  the  
disguise that affrights us2 as children 
that are terrified with  a vizor4 ,take 
away the instruments of death1 the fire1
 the ax1 the  guards1 the executioners1 
the whips1 and the racks2 take away the 
pomp1  ,i say1 and the circumstances    
that accompany it1 and death is no more 
than what my slave yesterday contemned2 
the pain is nothing to a fit of  the    
stone2 if it be tolerable1 it is not    
great2 and if intolerable1  it cannot   
last long4 ,there is nothing that       
,nature has made necessary  which is    

more easy than death3 we are longer     
a-coming into the world  than going out 
of it2 and there is not any minute of   
our lives wherein  we may not reasonably
 expect it4 ,nay1 it is but a moment's  
work1 the  parting of the soul and body4
 ,what a shame is it then to stand in   
fear  of anything so long that is over  
so soon6    ,nor is it any great matter 
to overcome this fear2 for we have      
examples  as well of the meanest of men 
as of the greatest that have done it4   
,there was a fellow to be exposed upon  
the theatre1 who in disdain  thrust a   
stick down his own throat1 and choked   
himself2 and another on  the same       
occasion1 pretended to nod upon the     
chariot1 as if he were  asleep1 cast his
 head betwixt the spokes of the wheel1  
and kept his  seat until his neck was   
broken4 ,caligula1 upon a dispute with  
,canius  ,julius2 8,do not flatter      
yourself10 says he1 8for ,i have given  
orders to  put you to death40 8,i thank 
your most gracious ,majesty for it10    

says  ,canius1 giving to understand1    
perhaps1 that under his government death
  was a mercy3 for he knew that         
,caligula seldom failed of being as good
  as his word in that case4 ,he was at  
play when the officer carried him  away 
to his execution1 and beckoning to the  
centurion1 8,pray10 says  he1 8will you 
bear me witness1 when ,i am dead and    
gone1 that ,i had the  better of the    
game80 ,he was a man exceedingly beloved
 and lamented1  and1 for a farewell1    
after he had preached moderation to his 
friends2  8,you10 says he1 8are here    
disputing about the immortality of the  
soul1  and ,i am now going to learn the 
truth of it4 ,if ,i discover any thing  
upon that point1 you shall hear of it40 
,nay1 the most timorous of  creatures1  
when they see there is no escaping1 they
 oppose themselves  to all dangers2 the 
despair gives them courage1 and the     
necessity  overcomes the fear4 ,socrates
 was thirty days in prison after his    
sentence1 and had time enough to have   

starved himself1 and so to have         
prevented the poison3 but he gave the   
world the blessing of his life  as long 
as he could1 and took that fatal draught
 in the meditation and  contempt of     
death4    ,marcellinus1 in a            
deliberation upon death1 called several 
of his  friends about him3 one was      
fearful1 and advised what he himself    
would  have done in the case2 another   
gave the counsel which he thought       
,marcellinus would like best2 but a     
friend of his that was a ,stoic1 and  a 
stout man1 reasoned the matter to him   
after this manner2 ,marcellinus  do not 
trouble yourself1 as if it were such a  
mighty business that you  have now in   
hand2 it is nothing to live2 all your   
servants do it1  nay1 your very beasts  
too2 but to die honestly and resolutely1
 that  is a great point4 ,consider with 
yourself there is nothing pleasant in   
life but what you have tasted already1  
and that which is to come is  but the   
same over again2 and how many men are   

there in the world that  rather choose  
to die than to suffer the nauseous      
tediousness of the  repetition8 ,upon   
which discourse he fasted himself to    
death4 ,it was  the custom of ,pacuvius 
to solemnize1 in a kind of pageantry1   
every day  his own funeral4 ,when he had
 swilled and gormandized to a luxurious 
and beastly excess1 he was carried away 
from supper to bed with this  song and  
acclamation1 8,he has lived1 he has     
lived40 ,that which he did  in lewdness1
 will become us to do in sobriety and   
prudence4 ,if it  shall please ,god to  
add another day to our lives1 let us    
thankfully  receive it2 but1 however1 it
 is our happiest and securest course so 
to compose ourselves to-night1 that we  
may have no anxious dependence  on      
to-morrow4 8,he that can say1 ,i have   
lived this day1 makes the next  clear   
again40    ,death is the worst that     
either the severity of laws or the      
cruelty of  tyrants can impose upon us2 
and it is the utmost extent of the      

dominion  of ,fortune4 ,he that is      
fortified against that1 must1           
consequently1 be  superior to all other 
difficulties that are put in the way to 
it4 ,nay1  and on some occasions1 it    
requires more courage to live than to   
die4  ,he that is not prepared for death
 shall be perpetually troubled1 as  well
 with vain apprehensions1 as with real  
dangers4 ,it is not death  itself that  
is dreadful1 but the fear of it that    
goes before it4 ,when  the mind is under
 a consternation1 there is no state of  
life that can  please us2 for we do not 
so endeavor to avoid mischiefs as to run
 away  from them1 and the greatest      
slaughter is upon a flying enemy4 ,had  
not  a man better breathe out his last  
once for all1 than lie agonizing  in    
pains1 consuming by inches1 losing of   
his blood by drops8 and yet  how many   
are there that are ready to betray their
 country1 and their  friends1 and to    
prostitute their very wives and         
daughters1 to preserve  a miserable     

carcass6 ,madmen and children have no   
apprehension of death2  and it were a   
shame that our reason should not do as  
much toward our  security as their      
folly4 ,but the great matter is to die  
considerately  and cheerfully upon the  
foundation of virtue2 for life in itself
 is  irksome1 and only eating and       
drinking in a circle4    ,how many are  
there that1 betwixt the apprehensions of
 death and the  miseries of life1 are at
 their wits' end what to do with        
themselves8  ,wherefore let us fortify  
ourselves against those calamities from 
which  the prince is no more exempt than
 the beggar4 ,pompey the ,great had his 
head taken off by a boy and a eunuch1   
7young ,ptolemy and ,photinus47         
,caligula commanded the tribune ,dcimus 
to kill ,lepidus2 and another  tribune  
7,chreus7 did as much for ,caligula4    
,never was a man so great  but he was as
 liable to suffer mischief as he was    
able to do it4 ,has  not a thief1 or an 
enemy1 your throat at his mercy8 nay1   

and the  meanest of servants has the    
power of life and death over his master2
  for whosoever contemns his own life   
may be master of another body's4  ,you  
will find in story1 that the displeasure
 of servants has been as  fatal as that 
of tyrants3 and what matters it the     
power of him we  fear1 when the thing we
 fear is in every body's power8 ,suppose
 ,i fall  into the hands of an enemy1   
and the conqueror condemns me to be led 
in triumph2 it is but carrying me       
thither whither ,i should have gone     
without him1 that is to say1 toward     
death1 whither ,i have been marching    
ever since ,i was born4 ,it is the fear 
of our last hour that disquiets  all the
 rest4 ,by the justice of all           
constitutions1 mankind is condemned  to 
a capital punishment2 now1 how          
despicable would that man appear1  who1 
being sentenced to death in common with 
the whole world1 should  only petition  
that he might be the last man brought to
 the block8    ,some men are            

particularly afraid of thunder1 and yet 
extremely careless  of other and of     
greater dangers3 as if that were all    
they have to  fear4 ,will not a sword1 a
 stone1 a fever1 do the work as well8   
,suppose  the bolt should hit us1 it    
were yet braver to die with a stroke    
than  with the bare apprehension of it3 
beside the vanity of imagining  that    
heaven and earth should be put into such
 a disorder only for the  death of one  
man4 ,a good and a brave man is not     
moved with lightning1  tempest1 or      
earthquakes2 but perhaps he would       
voluntarily plunge  himself into that   
gulf1 where otherwise he should only    
fall4 ,the  cutting of a corn1 or the   
swallowing of a fly1 is enough to       
dispatch a  man2 and it is no matter how
 great that is that brings me to my     
death1  so long as death itself is but  
little4 ,life is a small matter2 but it 
is a matter of importance to contemn it4
 ,nature1 that begat us1 expels  us1 and
 a better and a safer place is provided 

for us4 ,and what is  death but a       
ceasing to be what we were before8 ,we  
are kindled and put  out3 to cease to   
be1 and not to begin to be1 is the same 
thing4 ,we die  daily1 and while we are 
growing1 our life decreases2 every      
moment that  passes takes away part of  
it2 all that is past is lost2 nay1 we   
divide  with death the very instant that
 we live4 ,as the last sand in the glass
  does not measure the hour1 but        
finishes it2 so the last moment that  we
 live does not make up death1 but       
concludes4 ,there are some that  pray   
more earnestly for death than we do for 
life2 but it is better to  receive it   
cheerfully when it comes than to hasten 
it before the time4    8,but what is it 
that we would live any longer for80 ,not
 for our  pleasures2 for those we have  
tasted over and over1 even to satiety3  
so  that there is no point of luxury    
that is new to us4 8,but a man would be 
loth to leave his country and his       
friends behind him20 that is to say1  he

 would have them go first2 for that is  
the least part of his care4  8,well2 but
 ,i would fain live to do more good1 and
 discharge myself  in the offices of    
life20 as if to die were not the duty of
 every man  that lives4 ,we are loth to 
leave our possessions2 and no man swims 
well with his luggage4 ,we are all of us
 equally fearful of death1 and  ignorant
 of life2 but what can be more shameful 
than to be solicitous  upon the brink of
 security8 ,if death be at any time to  
be feared1 it  is always to be feared2  
but the way never to fear it1 is to be  
often  thinking of it4 ,to what end is  
it to put off for a little while that   
which we cannot avoid8 ,he that dies    
does but follow him that is dead4  8,why
 are we then so long afraid of that     
which is so little awhile of  doing80   
,how miserable are those people that    
spend their lives in the  dismal        
apprehensions of death6 for they are    
beset on all hands1 and  every minute in
 dread of a surprise4 ,we must therefore

 look about us1  as if we were in an    
enemy's country2 and consider our last  
hour1 not as  a punishment1 but as the  
law of ,nature3 the fear of it is a     
continual  palpitation of the heart1 and
 he that overcomes that terror shall    
never  be troubled with any other4      
,life is a navigation2 we are           
perpetually wallowing and dashing one   
against another2 sometimes we suffer    
shipwreck1 but we are always in  danger 
and in expectation of it4 ,and what is  
it when it comes1 but  either the end of
 a journey1 or a passage8 ,it is as     
great a folly to  fear death as to fear 
old age2 nay1 as to fear life itself2   
for he  that would not die ought not to 
live1 since death is the condition of   
life4 ,beside that it is a madness to   
fear a thing that is certain2 for  where
 there is no doubt1 there is no place   
for fear4    ,we are still chiding of   
,fate1 and even those that exact the    
most  rigorous justice betwixt man and  
man are yet themselves unjust to        

,providence4 8,why was such a one taken 
away in the prime of his years80  ,as if
 it were the number of years that makes 
death easy to us1 and not  the temper of
 the mind4 ,he that would live a little 
longer to-day1  would be as loth to die 
a hundred years hence4 ,but which is    
more  reasonable for us to obey ,nature1
 or for ,nature to obey us8 ,go we must 
at last1 and no matter how soon4 ,it is 
the work of ,fate to make us live  long1
 but it is the business of virtue to    
make a short life sufficient4  ,life is 
to be measured by action1 not by time2 a
 man may die old at  thirty1 and young  
at fourscore3 nay1 the one lives after  
death1 and  the other perished before he
 died4 ,i look upon age among the       
effects  of chance4 ,how long ,i shall  
live is in the power of others1 but it  
is  in my own how well4 ,the largest    
space of time is to live till a man is  
wise4 ,he that dies of old age does no  
more than go to bed when he is  weary4  
,death is the test of life1 and it is   

that only which discovers  what we are1 
and distinguishes betwixt ostentation   
and virtue4 ,a man  may dispute1 cite   
great authorities1 talk learnedly1 huff 
it out1 and  yet be rotten at heart4    
,but let us soberly attend our business3
 and  since it is uncertain when1 or    
where1 we shall die1 let us look for    
death in all places1 and at all times3  
we can never study that point  too much1
 which we can never come to experiment  
whether we know it or  not4 ,it is a    
blessed thing to dispatch the business  
of life before we  die1 and then to     
expect death in the possession of a     
happy life4 ,he is  the great man who is
 willing to die when his life is        
pleasant to him4  ,an honest life is not
 a greater good than an honest death4   
,how many  brave young men1 by an       
instinct of ,nature1 are carried on to  
great  actions1 and even to the contempt
 of all hazards6    ,it is childish to  
go out of the world groaning and wailing
 as we came  into it4 ,our bodies must  

be thrown away1 as the secundine that   
wraps  up the infant1 the other being   
only the covering of the soul2 we shall 
then discover the secrets of ,nature2   
the darkness shall be discussed1  and   
our souls irradiated with light and     
glory3 a glory without a  shadow2 a     
glory that shall surround us1 and from  
whence we shall look  down and see day  
and night beneath us4 ,if we cannot lift
 up our eyes  toward the lamp of heaven 
without dazzling1 what shall we do when 
we  come to behold the divine light in  
its illustrious original8 ,that death   
which we so much dread and decline1 is  
not the determination1 but the          
intermission of a life1 which will      
return again4 ,all those things1  that  
are the very cause of life1 are the way 
to death3 we fear it as  we do fame2 but
 it is a great folly to fear words4     
,some people are so  impatient of life1 
that they are still wishing for death2  
but he that  wishes to die does not     
desire it3 let us rather wait ,god's    

pleasure1  and pray for health and life4
 ,if we have a mind to live1 why do we  
wish to die8 ,if we have a mind to die1 
we may do it without talking  of it4    
,men are a great deal more resolute in  
the article of death  itself than they  
are about the circumstances of it3 for  
it gives a man  courage to consider that
 his fate is inevitable3 the slow       
approaches of  death are the most       
troublesome to us2 as we see many a     
gladiator1 who  upon his wounds1 will   
direct his adversary's weapon to his    
very heart1  though but timorous perhaps
 in the combat4 ,there are some that    
have not  the heart either to live or   
die2 that is a sad case4 ,but this we   
are  sure of1 8the fear of death is a   
continual slavery1 as the contempt of   
it is certain liberty40                 
,,chapter ,,xxii4    ,,consolations     
,,against ,,death1 ,,from ,,the         
,,providence ,,and ,,the ,,necessity    
,,of ,,it4      ,this life is only a    
prelude to eternity1 where we are to    

expect another  original1 and another   
state of things2 we have no prospect of 
heaven  here but at a distance2 let us  
therefore expect our last and decretory 
hour with courage4 ,the last 7,i say7 to
 our bodies1 but not to our  minds3 our 
luggage we leave behind us1 and return  
as naked out of the  world as we came   
into it4 ,the day which we fear as our  
last is but  the birth-day of our       
eternity2 and it is the only way to it4 
,so that  what we fear as a rock1 proves
 to be but a port1 in many cases to be  
desired1 never to be refused2 and he    
that dies young has only made a  quick  
voyage of it4 ,some are becalmed1 others
 cut it away before wind2  and we live  
just as we sail3 first1 we rub our      
childhood out of sight2  our youth next2
 and then our middle age3 after that    
follows old age1  and brings us to the  
common end of mankind4    ,it is a great
 providence that we have more ways out  
of the world than  we have into it4 ,our
 security stands upon a point1 the very 

article  of death4 ,it draws a great    
many blessings into a very narrow       
compass3  and although the fruit of it  
does not seem to extend to the defunct1 
yet the difficulty of it is more than   
balanced by the contemplation of  the   
future4 ,nay1 suppose that all the      
business of this world should be        
forgotten1 or my memory1 traduced1 what 
is all this to me8 8,i have done  my    
duty40 ,undoubtedly that which puts an  
end to all other evils1 cannot  be a    
very great evil itself1 and yet it is no
 easy thing for flesh and  blood to     
despise life4 ,what if death comes8 ,if 
it does not stay with us  why should we 
fear it8 ,one hangs himself for a       
mistress2 another leaps  the            
garret-window to avoid a choleric       
master2 a third runs away and  stabs    
himself1 rather than he will be brought 
back again4 ,we see the  force even of  
our infirmities1 and shall we not then  
do greater things  for the love of      
virtue8 ,to suffer death is but the law 

of nature2  and it is a great comfort   
that it can be done but once2 in the    
very  convulsions of it we have this    
consolation1 that our pain is near an   
end1 and that it frees us from all the  
miseries of life4    ,what it is we know
 not1 and it were rash to condemn what  
we do not  understand2 but this we      
presume1 either that we shall pass out  
of this  into a better life1 where we   
shall live with tranquillity and        
splendor1  in diviner mansions1 or else 
return to our first principles1 free    
from  the sense of any inconvenience4   
,there is nothing immortal1 nor many    
things lasting2 by but divers ways      
everything comes to an end4 ,what  an   
arrogance is it then1 when the world    
itself stands condemned to a            
dissolution1 that man alone should      
expect to live forever6 ,it is unjust   
not to allow unto the giver the power of
 disposing of his own bounty1  and a    
folly only to value the present4 ,death 
is as much a debt as  money1 and life is

 but a journey towards it3 some dispatch
 it sooner1  others later1 but we must  
all have the same period4 ,the          
thunderbolt is  undoubtedly just that   
draws even from those that are struck   
with it a  veneration4    ,a great soul 
takes no delight in staying with the    
body3 it considers  whence it came1 and 
knows whither it is to go4 ,the day will
 come that  shall separate this mixture 
of soul and body1 of divine and human2  
my  body ,i will leave where ,i found   
it1 my soul ,i will restore to heaven1  
which would have been there already1 but
 for the clog that keeps it  down3 and  
beside1 how many men have been the worse
 for longer living1  that might have    
died with reputation if they had been   
sooner taken  away6 ,how many           
disappointments of hopeful youths1 that 
have proved  dissolute men6 ,over and   
above the ruins1 shipwrecks1 torments1  
prisons1  that attend long life2 a      
blessing so deceitful1 that if a child  
were  in condition to judge of it1 and  

at liberty to refuse it1 he would not   
take it4    ,what ,providence has made  
necessary1 human prudence should comply 
with  cheerfully3 as there is a         
necessity of death1 so that necessity is
  equal and invincible4 ,no man has     
cause of complaint for that which  every
 man must suffer as well as himself4    
,when we should die1 we  will not1 and  
when we would not we must3 but our fate 
is fixed1  and unavoidable is the       
decree4 ,why do we then stand trembling 
when  the time comes8 ,why do we not as 
well lament that we did not live a      
thousand years ago1 as that we shall not
 be alive a thousand years  hence8 ,it  
is but traveling the great road1 and to 
the place whither we  must all go at    
last4 ,it is but submitting to the law  
of ,nature1 and to  that lot which the  
whole world has suffered that is gone   
before us2 and  so must they too that   
are to come after us4 ,nay1 how many    
thousands1  when our time comes1 will   
expire in the same moment with us6 ,he  

that  will not follow shall be drawn by 
force3 and is it not much better now  to
 do that willingly which we shall       
otherwise be made to do in spite of  our
 hearts8    ,the sons of mortal parents 
must expect a mortal posterity--death is
  the end of great and small4 ,we are   
born helpless1 and exposed to the       
injuries of all creatures and of all    
weathers4 ,the very necessaries  of life
 are deadly to us2 we meet with our fate
 in our dishes1 in  our cups1 and in the
 very air we breathe2 nay1 our very     
birth is  inauspicious1 for we come into
 the world weeping1 and in the middle of
  our designs1 while we are meditating  
great matters1 and stretching of  our   
thoughts to after ages1 death cuts us   
off1 and our longest date is  only the  
revolution of a few years4 ,one man dies
 at the table2 another  goes away in his
 sleep1 a third in his mistress's arms1 
a fourth is  stabbed1 another is stung  
with an adder1 or crushed with the fall 
of  a house4 ,we have several ways to   

our end1 but the end itself1 which  is  
death1 is still the same4 ,whether we   
die by a sword1 by a halter1  by a      
potion1 or by a disease1 it is all but  
death4 ,a child dies in  the            
swaddling-clouts1 and an old man at a   
hundred--they are both mortal  alike1   
though the one goes sooner than the     
other4 ,all that lies betwixt  the      
cradle and the grave is uncertain4 ,if  
we compute the troubles1  the life even 
of a child is long3 if the sweetness of 
the passage1  that of an old man is     
short2 the whole is slippery and        
deceitful1 and  only death certain2 and 
yet all people complain of that which   
never  deceived any man4 ,senecio raised
 himself from a small beginning to a    
vast fortune1 being very well skilled in
 the faculties both of getting  and of  
keeping1 and either of them was         
sufficient for the doing of his         
business4 ,he was a man infinitely      
careful both of his patrimony and of    
his body4 ,he gave me a morning's visit1

 7says our author17 and after  that     
visit he went away and spent the rest of
 the day with a friend of  his that was 
desperately sick4 ,at night1 he was     
merry at supper1 and  seized immediately
 after with a quinsy which dispatched   
him in a few  hours4 ,this man that had 
money at use in all places1 and in the  
very  course and height of his          
prosperity was thus cut off4 ,how       
foolish a  thing is it then for a man to
 flatter himself with long hopes1 and to
  pretend to dispose of the future3 nay1
 the very present slips through  our    
fingers1 and there is not that moment   
which we can call our own4    ,how vain 
a thing is it for us to enter upon      
projects1 and to say to  ourselves1     
8,well1 ,i will go build1 purchase1     
discharge such offices1  settle my      
affairs1 and then retire60 ,we are all  
of us born to the same  casualties--all 
equally frail and uncertain of          
to-morrow4 ,at the very  altar where we 
pray for life1 we learn to die1 by      

seeing the sacrifices  killed before us4
 ,but there is no need of a wound1 or   
searching the  heart for it1 when the   
noose of a cord1 or the smothering of a 
pillow  will do the work4 ,all things   
have their seasons--they begin1 they    
increase1 and they die4 ,the heavens and
 the earth grow old1 and are  appointed 
their periods4    ,that which we call   
death is but a pause or suspension2 and1
 in  truth1 a progress to life1 only our
 thoughts look downward upon the  body1 
and not forward upon things to come4    
,all things under the sun  are          
mortal--cities--empires--and the time   
will come when it shall be a  question  
where they were1 and1 perchance1 whether
 ever they had a  being or not4 ,some   
will be destroyed by war1 others by     
luxury1 fire1  inundations1             
earthquakes--why should it trouble me   
then to die1 as a  forerunner of an     
universal dissolution8 ,a great mind    
submits itself to  ,god1 and suffers    
willingly what the law of the universe  

will otherwise  bring to pass upon      
necessity4    ,that good old man        
,bassus1 7though with one foot in the   
grave17 how  cheerful a mind does he    
bear4 ,he lives in the view of death1   
and  contemplates his own end with less 
concern of thought or countenance1  than
 he would do another man's4 ,it is a    
hard lesson1 and we are a long  time a  
learning of it1 to receive our death    
without trouble1 especially  in the case
 of ,bassus3 in other deaths there is a 
mixture of hope--a  disease may be      
cured1 a fire quenched1 a falling house 
either propped  or avoided1 the sea may 
swallow a man and throw him up again1 a 
pardon  may interpose twixt the ax and  
the body--but in the case of old age    
there is no place for either hope or    
intercession4    ,let us live in our    
bodies1 therefore1 as if we were only to
 lodge  in them this night1 and to leave
 them to-morrow4 ,it is the frequent    
thought of death that must fortify us   
against the necessity of it4 ,he  that  

has armed himself against poverty1 may1 
perhaps1 come to live  in plenty4 ,a man
 may strengthen himself against pain and
 yet live in  a state of health2 against
 the loss of friends1 and never lose    
any1  but he that fortifies himself     
against the fear of death shall most    
certainly have occasion to employ that  
virtue4 ,it is the care of a wise  and a
 good man to look to his manners and    
actions2 and rather how well  he lives  
than how long1 for to die sooner or     
later is not the business1  but to die  
well or ill1 for 8death brings us to    
immortality40          ,,chapter        
,,xxiii4    ,,against ,,immoderate      
,,sorrow ,,for ,,the ,,death ,,of       
,,friends4      ,next to the encounter  
of death in our own bodies1 the most    
sensible  calamity to an honest man is  
the death of a friend2 and we are not in
  truth without some generous instances 
of those that have preferred  a friend's
 life before their own2 and yet this    
affliction1 which by  nature is so      

grievous to us1 is by virtue and        
,providence made familiar  and easy4    
,to lament the death of a friend is both
 natural and just2 a sigh  or a tear ,i 
would allow to his memory3 but no       
profuse or obstinate  sorrow4 ,clamorous
 and public lamentations are not so much
 the effects  of grief as of vain-glory4
 ,he that is sadder in company than     
alone1  shows rather the ambition of his
 sorrow than the piety of it4 ,nay1 and 
in the violence of his passion there    
fall out twenty things that set  him    
a-laughing4 ,at the long-run1 time cures
 all1 but it were better  done by       
moderation and wisdom4 ,some people do  
as good as set a watch  upon themselves1
 as if they were afraid that their grief
 would make  an escape4 ,the ostentation
 of grief is many times more than the   
grief  itself4 ,when any body is within 
hearing1 what groans and outcries6 when 
they are alone and private1 all is hush 
and quiet3 so soon as any body  comes   
in1 they are at it again2 and down they 

throw themselves upon the  bed2 fall to 
wringing of their hands1 and wishing of 
themselves dead2  which they might have 
executed by themselves2 but their sorrow
 goes off  with the company4 ,we forsake
 nature1 and run over to the practices  
of  the people1 that never were the     
authors of anything that is good4 ,if   
destiny were to be wrought upon by      
tears1 ,i would allow you to spend  your
 days and nights in sadness and         
mourning1 tearing of your hair1 and     
beating of your breast2 but if ,fate be 
inexorable1 and death will keep  what it
 has taken1 grief is to no purpose4 ,and
 yet ,i would not advise  insensibility 
and hardness2 it were inhumanity1 and   
not virtue1 not to  be moved at the     
separation of familiar friends and      
relations3 now1 in  such cases1 we      
cannot command ourselves1 we cannot     
forbear weeping1 and  we ought not to   
forbear3 but let us not pass the bounds 
of affection1  and run into imitation2  
within these limits it is some ease to  

the mind4    ,a wise man gives way to   
tears in some cases1 and cannot avoid   
them in  others4 ,when one is struck    
with the surprise of ill-news1 as the   
death  of a friend1 or the like2 or upon
 the last embrace of an acquaintance    
under the hand of an executioner1 he    
lies under a natural necessity  of      
weeping and trembling4 ,in another case1
 we may indulge our sorrow1  as upon the
 memory of a dead friend's conversation 
or kindness1 one  may let fall tears of 
generosity and joy4 ,we favor the one1  
and we are  overcome by the other2 and  
this is well3 but we are not upon any   
terms  to force them3 they may flow of  
their own accord1 without derogating    
from the dignity of a wise man2 who at  
the same time both preserves  his       
gravity1 and obeys nature4 ,nay1 there  
is a certain decorum even  in weeping2  
for excess of sorrow is as foolish as   
profuse laughter4  ,why do we not as    
well cry1 when our trees that we took   
pleasure in1  shed their leaves1 as at  

the loss of our satisfactions2 when the 
next  season repairs them1 either with  
the same again1 or others in their      
places4 ,we may accuse ,fate1 but we    
cannot alter it2 for it is hard  and    
inexorable1 and not to be removed either
 with reproaches or tears4  ,they may   
carry us to the dead1 but never bring   
them back again  to us4 ,if reason does 
not put an end to our sorrows1 fortune  
never  will3 one is pinched with        
poverty2 another solicited with         
ambition1 and  fears the very wealth    
that he coveted4 ,one is troubled for   
the loss  of children2 another for the  
want of them3 so that we shall sooner   
want tears than matter for them2 let us 
therefore spare that for which  we have 
so much occasion4 ,i do confess1 that in
 the very parting of  friends there is  
something of uneasiness and trouble2 but
 it is rather  voluntary than natural2  
and it is custom more than sense that   
affects  us3 we do rather impose a      
sorrow upon ourselves than submit to it2

 as  people cry when they have company1 
and when nobody looks on1 all is  well  
again4 ,to mourn without measure is     
folly1 and not to mourn at  all is      
insensibility4 ,the best temper is      
betwixt piety and reason2  to be        
sensible1 but neither transported nor   
cast down4 ,he that can  put a stop to  
his tears and pleasures when he will is 
safe4 ,it is an  equal infelicity to be 
either too soft or too hard3 we are     
overcome  by the one1 and put to        
struggle with the other4 ,there is a    
certain  intemperance in that sorrow    
that passes the rules of modesty2 and   
yet  great piety is1 in many cases1 a   
dispensation to good manners4 ,the  loss
 of a son or of a friend1 cuts a man to 
the heart1 and there is no  opposing the
 first violence of his passion2 but when
 a man comes once  to deliver himself   
wholly up to lamentations1 he is to     
understand1  that though some tears     
deserve compassion1 others are yet      
ridiculous4 ,a  grief that is fresh     

finds pity and comfort1 but when it is  
inveterate  it is laughed at1 for it is 
either counterfeit or foolish4 ,beside  
that1  to weep excessively for the dead 
is an affront to the living4 ,the most  
justifiable cause of mourning is to see 
good men come to ill ends1 and  virtue  
oppressed by the iniquity of ,fortune4  
,but in this case1 too1  they either    
suffer resolutely1 and yield us delight 
in their courage  and example1 or       
meanly1 and so give us the less trouble 
for the loss4  ,he that dies cheerfully1
 dries up my tears2 and he that dies    
whiningly1  does not deserve them4 ,i   
would bear the death of friends and     
children  with the same constancy that  
,i would expect my own1 and no more     
lament  the one than fear the other4 ,he
 that bethinks himself1 how often       
friends have been parted1 will find more
 time lost among the living1  than upon 
the dead2 and the most desperate        
mourners are they that cared  least for 
their friends when they were living2 for

 they think to redeem  their credits1   
for want of kindness to the living1 by  
extravagant  ravings after the dead4    
,some 7,i know7 will have grief to be   
only the  perverse delight of a restless
 mind1 and sorrows and pleasures to be  
near akin2 and there are1 ,i am         
confident1 that find joy even in their  
tears4 ,but which is more barbarous1 to 
be insensible of grief for the  death of
 a friend1 or to fish for pleasure in   
grief1 when a son perhaps  is burning1  
or a friend expiring8 ,to forget one's  
friend1 to bury the  memory with the    
body1 to lament out of measure1 is all  
inhuman4 ,he that  is gone either would 
not have his friend tormented1 or does  
not know  that he is so3 if he does not 
feel it1 it is superfluous2 if he does1 
it is unacceptable to him4 ,if reason   
cannot prevail1 reputation may2  for    
immoderate mourning lessens a man's     
character3 it is a shameful  thing for a
 wise man to make the weariness of      
grieving the remedy  of it4 ,in time1   

the most stubborn grief will leave us1  
if in prudence  we do not leave that    
first4    ,but do ,i grieve for my      
friend's sake or for my own8 ,why should
 ,i  afflict myself for the loss of him 
that is either happy or not at all  in  
being8 ,in the one case it is envy1 and 
in the other it is madness4  ,we are apt
 to say1 8,what would ,i give to see him
 again1 and to enjoy  his conversation6 
,i was never sad in his company3 my     
heart leaped  whenever ,i met him2 ,i   
want him wherever ,i go40 ,all that is  
to be said  is1 8,the greater the loss1 
the greater is the virtue to overcome   
it40  ,if grieving will do no good1 it  
is an idle thing to grieve2 and if that 
which has befallen one man remains to   
all1 it is as unjust to complain4  ,the 
whole world is upon the march towards   
the same point2 why do we  not cry for  
ourselves that are to follow1 as well as
 for him that has  gone first8 ,why do  
we not as well lament beforehand for    
that which we  know will be1 and can not

 possibly but be8 ,he is not gone1 but  
sent  before4 ,as there are many things 
that he has lost1 so there are many     
things that he does not fear2 as anger1 
jealousy1 envy1 etc4 ,is he not  more   
happy in desiring nothing than miserable
 in what he has lost8 ,we  do not mourn 
for the absent1 why then for the dead1  
who are effectually  no other8 ,we have 
lost one blessing1 but we have many     
left2 and shall  not all these          
satisfactions support us against one    
sorrow8    ,the comfort of having a     
friend may be taken away1 but not that  
of having had one4 ,as there is a       
sharpness in some fruits1 and a         
bitterness in some wines that please us1
 so there is a mixture in the           
remembrance of friends1 where the loss  
of their company is sweetened  again by 
the contemplation of their virtues4 ,in 
some respects1 ,i have  lost what ,i    
had1 and in others1 ,i retain still what
 ,i have lost4 ,it  is an ill           
construction of ,providence to reflect  

only upon my friend's  being taken away1
 without any regard to the benefit of   
his being  once given me4 ,let us       
therefore make the best of our friends  
while  we have them2 for how long we    
shall keep them is uncertain4 ,i have   
lost a hopeful son1 but how many fathers
 have been deceived in their            
expectations6 and how many noble        
families have been destroyed by luxury  
and riot6 ,he that grieves for the loss 
of a son1 what if he had lost a  friend8
 and yet he that has lost a friend has  
more cause of joy that  he once had him1
 than of grief that he is taken away4   
,shall a man bury  his friendship with  
his friend8 ,we are ungrateful for that 
which is  past1 in hope of what is to   
come2 as if that which is to come would 
not  quickly be past too4 ,that which is
 past we are sure of4 ,we may receive   
satisfaction1 it is true1 both from the 
future and what is already  past2 the   
one by expectation1 and the other by    
memory2 only the one may  possibly not  

come to pass1 and it is impossible to   
make the other not  to have been4       
,but there is no applying of consolation
 to fresh and bleeding sorrow2  the very
 discourse irritates the grief and      
inflames it4 ,it is like an             
unseasonable medicine in a disease2 when
 the first violence is over1  it will be
 more tractable1 and endure the         
handling4 ,those people  whose minds are
 weakened by long felicity may be       
allowed to groan and  complain1 but it  
is otherwise with those that have led   
their days  in misfortunes4 ,a long     
course of adversity has this good in it1
 that  though it vexes a body a great   
while1 it comes to harden us at last2   
as a raw soldier shrinks at every wound1
 and dreads the surgeon more  than an   
enemy2 whereas a veteran sees his own   
body cut and lamed with  as little      
concern as if it were another's4 ,with  
the same resolution  should we stand the
 shock and cure of all misfortunes2 we  
are never the  better for our           

experience1 if we have not yet learned  
to be miserable4  ,and there is no      
thought of curing us by the diversion of
 sports and  entertainments2 we are apt 
to fall into relapses2 wherefore we had 
better overcome our sorrow than delude  
it4          ,,chapter ,,xxiv4          
,,consolation ,,against ,,banishment    
,,and ,,bodily ,,pain4      ,it is a    
masterpiece to draw good out of evil2   
and1 by the help of  virtue1 to improve 
misfortunes into blessings4 8,it is a   
sad condition10  you will say1 8for a   
man to be barred the freedom of his own 
country40  ,and is not this the case of 
thousands that we meet every day in the 
streets8 ,some for ambition2 others1 to 
negotiate1 or for curiosity1  delight1  
friendship1 study1 experience1 luxury1  
vanity1 discontent3  some to exercise   
their virtues1 others their vices2 and  
not a few to  prostitute either their   
bodies or their eloquence8 ,to pass now 
from  pleasant countries into the worst 
of islands2 let them be never so  barren

 or rocky1 the people never so          
barbarous1 or the clime never so        
intemperate1 he that is banished thither
 shall find many strangers to  live     
there for their pleasure4 ,the mind of  
man is naturally curious  and restless2 
which is no wonder1 considering their   
divine original2  for heavenly things   
are always in motion3 witness the stars1
 and the  orbs1 which are perpetually   
moving1 rolling1 and changing of place  
and  according to the law and           
appointment of ,nature4 ,but here are no
 woods1  you will say1 no rivers1 no    
gold nor pearl1 no commodity for traffic
  or commerce2 nay1 hardly provision    
enough to keep the inhabitants  from    
starving4 ,it is very right2 here are no
 palaces1 no artificial  grottoes1 or   
materials for luxury and excess2 but we 
lie under the  protection of ,heaven2   
and a poor cottage for a retreat is more
 worth  than the most magnificent       
temple1 when that cottage is consecrated
  by an honest man under the guard of   

his virtue4 ,shall any man think        
banishment grievous1 when he may take   
such company along with him6  ,nor is   
there any banishment but yields enough  
for our necessities1  and no kingdom is 
sufficient for superfluities4 ,it is the
 mind that  makes us rich in a desert2  
and if the body be but kept alive1 the  
soul enjoys all spiritual felicities in 
abundance4 ,what signifies the  being   
banished from one spot of ground to     
another1 to a man that has  his thoughts
 above1 and can look forward and        
backward1 and wherever  he pleases2 and 
that1 wherever he is1 has the same      
matter to work  upon8 ,the body is but  
the prison or the clog of the mind1     
subjected to  punishments1 robberies1   
diseases2 but the mind is sacred and    
spiritual1  and liable to no violence4  
,is it that1 a man shall want garments  
or  covering in banishment8 ,the body is
 as easily clothed as fed2 and  ,nature 
has made nothing hard that is necessary4
 ,but if nothing will  serve us but rich

 embroideries and scarlet1 it is none of
 ,fortune's  fault that we are poor1 but
 our own4 ,nay1 suppose a man should    
have  all restored him back again that  
he has lost1 it will come to nothing1   
for he will want more after that to     
satisfy his desires than he did  before 
to supply his necessities4 ,insatiable  
appetites are not so much  a thirst as a
 disease4    ,to come lower now2 where  
is the people or nation that have not   
changed  their place of abode8 ,some by 
the fate of war2 others have been cast  
by tempests1 shipwrecks1 or want of     
provisions1 upon unknown coasts4  ,some 
have been forced abroad by pestilence1  
sedition1 earthquakes1  surcharge of    
people at home4 ,some travel to see the 
world1 others  for commerce2 but1 in    
fine1 it is clear1 that1 upon some      
reason or  other1 the whole race of     
mankind have shifted their quarters2    
changed  their very names as well as    
their habitations2 insomuch that we have
  lost the very memorials of what they  

were4 ,all these transportations  of    
people1 what are they but public        
banishments8 ,the very founder  of the  
,roman empire was an exile3 briefly1 the
 whole world has  been transplanted1 and
 one mutation treads upon the heel of   
another4  ,that which one man desires1  
turns another man's stomach2 and he that
  proscribes me to-day1 shall himself be
 cast out to-morrow4 ,we have1  however1
 this comfort in our misfortune2 we have
 the same nature1 the  same ,providence1
 and we carry our virtues along with us4
 ,and this  blessing we owe to that     
almighty ,power1 call it what you will2 
either  a ,god1 or an ,incorporeal      
,reason1 a ,divine ,spirit1 or ,fate1   
and  the unchangeable ,course of causes 
and effects3 it is1 however1  so        
ordered1 that nothing can be taken from 
us but what we can well  spare3 and that
 which is most magnificent and valuable 
continues with  us4 ,wherever we go1 we 
have the heavens over our heads1 and no 
farther  from us than they were before2 

and so long as we can entertain our eyes
  and thoughts with those glories1 what 
matter is it what ground we tread  upon8
    ,in the case of pain or sickness1 it
 is only the body that is affected2  it 
may take off the speed of a footman1 or 
bind the hands of a cobbler1  but the   
mind is still at liberty to hear1 learn1
 teach1 advise1 and to  do other good   
offices4 ,it is an example of public    
benefit1 a man that  is in pain and     
patient4 ,virtue may show itself as well
 in the bed as  in the field2 and he    
that cheerfully encounters the terrors  
of death  and corporal anguish1 is as   
great a man as he that most generously  
hazards himself in a battle4 ,a disease1
 it is true1 bars us of some  pleasures1
 but procures us others4 ,drink is never
 so grateful to us as  in a burning     
fever2 nor meat1 as when we have fasted 
ourselves sharp  and hungry4 ,the       
patient may be forbidden some sensual   
satisfaction1  but no physician will    
forbid us the delight of the mind4      

,shall we call  any sick man miserable1 
because he must give over his           
intemperance  of wine and gluttony1 and 
betake himself to a diet of more        
sobriety1  and less expense2 and abandon
 his luxury1 which is the distemper of  
the mind as well as of the body8 ,it is 
troublesome1 ,i know1 at first1  to     
abstain from the pleasures we have been 
used to1 and to endure  hunger and      
thirst2 but in a little time we lose the
 very appetite1  and it is no trouble   
then to be without that which we do not 
desire4  ,in diseases there are great   
pains2 but if they be long they remit1  
and give us some intervals of ease2 if  
short and violent1 either they  dispatch
 us1 or consume themselves2 so that     
either their respites  make them        
tolerable1 or the extremity makes them  
short4 ,so merciful  is ,almighty ,god  
to us1 that our torments cannot be very 
sharp and  lasting4 ,the acutest pains  
are those that affect the nerves1 but   
there  is this comfort in them too1 that

 they will quickly make us stupid and   
insensible4 ,in cases of extremity1 let 
us call to mind the most eminent        
instances of patience and courage1 and  
turn our thoughts from our  afflictions 
to the contemplation of virtue4 ,suppose
 it be the stone1  the gout1 nay1 the   
rack itself2 how many have endured it   
without so  much as a groan or word     
speaking2 without so much as asking for 
relief1  or giving an answer to a       
question6 ,nay1 they have laughed at the
  tormentors upon the very torture1 and 
provoked them to new experiments  of    
their cruelty1 which they have had still
 in derision4 ,the asthma ,i  look upon 
as of all diseases the most importunate2
 the physicians call  it the meditation 
of death1 as being rather an agony than 
a sickness2  the fit holds one not above
 an hour1 as nobody is long in expiring4
 ,are  there not three things grievous  
in sickness1 the fear of death1 bodily  
pain1 and the intermission of our       
pleasures8 the first is to be imputed   

to nature1 not to the disease2 for we do
 not die because we are sick1  but      
because we live4 ,nay1 sickness itself  
has preserved many a man from  dying4   
,,chapter ,,xxv4    ,,poverty ,,to ,a   
,,wise ,,man ,,is ,,rather ,a ,,blessing
 ,,than ,a ,,misfortune4      ,no man   
shall ever be poor that goes to himself 
for what he wants2  and that is the     
readiest way to riches4 ,nature1 indeed1
 will have  her due2 but yet whatsoever 
is beyond necessity is precarious1 and  
not necessary4 ,it is not her business  
to gratify the palate1 but to  satisfy a
 craving stomach4 ,bread1 when a man is 
hungry1 does his work1  let it be never 
so coarse2 and water when he is dry2 let
 his thirst  be quenched1 and ,nature is
 satisfied1 no matter whence it comes1  
or  whether he drinks in gold1 silver1  
or in the hollow of his hand4 ,to       
promise a man riches1 and to teach him  
poverty1 is to deceive him3 but  shall  
,i call him poor that wants nothing2    
though he maybe beholden for  it to his 

patience1 rather than to his fortune8   
,or shall any man deny  him to be rich1 
whose riches can never be taken away8   
,whether is it  better to have much or  
enough8 ,he that has much desires more1 
and shows  that he has not yet enough2  
but he that has enough is at rest4      
,shall  a man be reputed the less rich  
for not having that for which he shall  
be banished2 for which his very wife1 or
 son1 shall poison him3 that  which     
gives him security in war1 and quiet in 
peace2 which he possesses  without      
danger1 and disposes of without trouble8
 ,no man can be poor  that has enough2  
nor rich1 that covets more than he has4 
,alexander1  after all his conquests1   
complained that he wanted more worlds2  
he  desired something more1 even when he
 had gotten all3 and that which was     
sufficient for human nature was not     
enough for one man4 ,money never  made  
any man rich2 for the more he had1 the  
more he still coveted4 ,the  richest man
 that ever lived is poor in my opinion1 

and in any man's may  be so3 but he that
 keeps himself to the stint of ,nature1 
does neither  feel poverty nor fear it2 
nay1 even in poverty itself there are   
some  things superfluous4 ,those which  
the world calls happy1 their felicity   
is a false splendor1 that dazzles the   
eyes of the vulgar2 but our rich  man is
 glorious and happy within4 ,there is no
 ambition in hunger or  thirst3 let     
there be food1 and no matter for the    
table1 the dish1 and  the servants1 nor 
with what meats nature is satisfied4    
,those are the  torments of luxury1 that
 rather stuff the stomach than fill it3 
it  studies rather to cause an appetite 
than to allay it4 ,it is not for us  to 
say1 8,this is not handsome2 that is    
common2 the other offends my  eye40     
,nature provides for health1 not        
delicacy4 ,when the trumpet sounds  a   
charge1 the poor man knows that he is   
not aimed at2 when they cry  out fire1  
his body is all he has to look after3 if
 he be to take a  journey1 there is no  

blocking up of streets1 and thronging of
 passages1  for a parting compliment3 a 
small matter fills his belly1 and       
contents  his mind3 he lives from hand  
to mouth1 without caring or fearing for 
to-morrow4 ,the temperate rich man is   
but his counterfeit2 his wit is  quicker
 and his appetite calmer4    ,no man    
finds poverty a trouble to him1 but he  
that thinks it so2 and  he that thinks  
it so1 makes it so4 ,does not a rich man
 travel more  at ease with less luggage1
 and fewer servants8 ,does he not eat   
many  times as little and as coarse in  
the field as a poor man8 ,does he  not  
for his own pleasure1 sometimes1 and for
 variety1 feed upon the  ground1 and use
 only earthen vessels8 ,is not he a     
madman then1 that  always fears what he 
often desires1 and dreads the thing that
 he takes  delight to imitate3 he that  
would know the worst of poverty1 let him
  but compare the looks of the rich and 
of the poor1 and he shall find  the poor
 man to have a smoother brow1 and to be 

more merry at heart2 or  if any trouble 
befalls him1 it passes over like a      
cloud3 whereas the  other1 either his   
good humor is counterfeit1 or his       
melancholy deep  and ulcerated1 and the 
worse1 because he dares not publicly own
 his  misfortune2 but he is forced to   
play the part of a happy man even with  
a cancer in his heart4 ,his felicity is 
but personated2 and if he were  but     
stripped of his ornaments1 he would be  
contemptible4 ,in buying of  a horse1 we
 take off his clothes and his trappings1
 and examine his  shape and body for    
fear of being cozened2 and shall we put 
an estimate  upon a man for being set   
off by his fortune and quality8 ,nay1 if
 we see  anything of ornament about him1
 we are to suspect him the more for some
  infirmity under it4 ,he that is not   
content in poverty1 would not be so     
neither in plenty2 for the fault is not 
in the thing1 but in the mind4  ,if that
 be sickly1 remove him from a kennel to 
a palace1 he is at the  same pass2 for  

he carries his disease along with him4  
,what can be happier than the condition 
both of mind and of fortune from  which 
we cannot fall--what can be a greater   
felicity than in a covetous1  designing 
age1 for a roan to live safe among      
informers and thieves8 ,it  puts a poor 
man into the very condition of          
,providence1 that gives all1  without   
reserving anything to itself4 ,how happy
 is he that owes nothing  but to        
himself1 and only that which he can     
easily refuse or easily  pay6 ,i do not 
reckon him poor that has but a little1  
but he is so that  covets more--it is a 
fair degree of plenty to have what is   
necessary4  ,whether had a man better   
find satiety in want1 or hunger in      
plenty8 ,it  is not the augmenting of   
our fortunes1 but the abating of our    
appetites  that makes us rich4    ,why  
may not a man as well contemn riches in 
his own coffers as in  another man's1   
and rather hear that they are his than  
feel them to be  so1 though it is a     

great matter not to be corrupted even by
 having  them under the same roof4 ,he  
is the greater man that is honestly poor
  in the middle of plenty--but he is the
 more secure that is free from  the     
temptation of that plenty1 and has the  
least matter for another  to design     
upon4 ,it is no great business for a    
poor man to preach the  contempt of     
riches1 or for a rich man to extol the  
benefits of poverty1  because we do not 
know how either the one or the other    
would behave  himself in the contrary   
condition4 ,the best proof is the doing 
of it  by choice and not by necessity2  
for the practice of poverty in jest  is 
a preparation toward the bearing of it  
in earnest2 but it is yet a  generous   
disposition so to provide for the worst 
of fortunes as what  may be easily      
borne--the premeditation makes them not 
only tolerable but  delightful to us1   
for there is that in them without which 
nothing can  be comfortable1 that is to 
say1 security4 ,if there were nothing   

else in  poverty but the certain        
knowledge of our friends1 it were yet a 
most  desirable blessing1 when every man
 leaves us but those that love us4  ,it 
is a shame to place the happiness of    
life in gold and silver1 for  which     
bread and water is sufficient2 or1 at   
the worst1 hunger puts an  end to       
hunger4    ,for the honor of poverty1 it
 was both the foundation and the cause  
of the ,roman empire2 and no man was    
ever yet so poor but he had enough  to  
carry him to his journey's end4    ,all 
,i desire is that my property may not be
 a burden to myself1 or make  me so to  
others2 and that is the best state of   
fortune that is neither  directly       
necessitous1 nor far from it4 ,a        
mediocricity of fortune with  a         
gentleness of mind1 will preserve us    
from fear or envy1 which is a  desirable
 condition1 for no man wants power to do
 mischief4 ,we never  consider the      
blessing of coveting nothing1 and the   
glory of being full  in ourselves1      

without depending upon ,fortune4 ,with  
parsimony a little  is sufficient and   
without it nothing2 whereas frugality   
makes a poor  man rich4 ,if we lose an  
estate1 we had better never have had    
it--he that  has least to lose has least
 to fear1 and those are better satisfied
  whom ,fortune never favored1 than     
those whom she has forsaken4    ,the    
state is most commodious that lies      
betwixt poverty and plenty4  ,diogenes  
understood this very well when he put   
himself into an  incapacity of losing   
any thing4 ,that course of life is most 
commodious  which is both safe and      
wholesome--the body is to be indulged no
 farther  than for health1 and rather   
mortified than not kept in subjection to
  the mind4 ,it is necessary to provide 
against hunger1 thirst1 and cold2  and  
somewhat for a covering to shelter us   
against other inconveniences2  but not a
 pin matter whether it be of turf or of 
marble--a man may lie  as warm and as   
dry under a thatched as under a gilded  

roof4 ,let the  mind be great and       
glorious1 and all other things are      
despicable in  comparison4 8,the future 
is uncertain1 and ,i had rather beg of  
myself  not to desire any thing1 than of
 ,fortune to bestow it40                
,,seneca ,,of ,,anger4                  
,,chapter ,i4    ,,anger ,,described1   
,,it ,,is ,,against ,,nature1 ,,and     
,,only ,,to ,,be ,,found ,,in ,,man4    
,we are here to encounter the most      
outrageous1 brutal1 dangerous1 and      
intractable of all passions2 the most   
loathsome and unmannerly2 nay1  the most
 ridiculous too2 and the subduing of    
this monster will do a  great deal      
toward the establishment of human peace4
 ,it is the method of  physicians to    
begin with a description of the disease1
 before they  meddle with the cure3 and 
,i know not why this may not do as well 
in the  distempers of the mind as in    
those of the body4    ,the ,stoics will 
have anger to be a 8desire of punishing 
another  for some injury done40 ,against

 which it is objected1 that we are many 
times angry with those that never did   
hurt us1 but possibly may1 though  the  
harm be not as yet done4 ,but ,i say1   
that they hurt us already in  conceit3  
and the very purpose of it is an injury 
in thought before it  breaks out into   
act4 ,it is opposed again1 that if anger
 were a desire  of punishing1 mean      
people would not be angry with great    
ones that are  out of their reach2 for  
no man can be said to desire any thing  
which he  judges impossible to compass4 
,but ,i answer to this1 ,that anger is  
the  desire1 not the power and faculty  
of revenge2 neither is any  man so low1 
but that the greatest man alive may     
peradventure lie at his  mercy4         
,aristotle takes anger to be1 8a desire 
of paying sorrow for sorrow20  and of   
plaguing those that have plagued us4 ,it
 is argued against both1  that beasts   
are angry2 though neither provoked by   
any injury1 nor moved  with a desire of 
any body's grief or punishment4 ,nay1   

though they cause  it1 they do not      
design or seek it4 ,neither is anger    
7how unreasonable  soever in itself7    
found anywhere but in reasonable        
creatures4 ,it is  true1 the beasts have
 an impulse of rage and fierceness2 as  
they are  more affected also than men   
with some pleasures2 but we may as well 
call them luxurious and ambitious as    
angry4 ,and yet they are not  without   
certain images of human affections4     
,they have their likings  and their     
loathings2 but neither the passions of  
reasonable nature1  nor their virtues1  
nor their vices4 ,they are moved to fury
 by some  objects2 they are quieted by  
others2 they have their terrors and     
their  disappointments1 but without     
reflection3 and let them be never so    
much  irritated or affrighted1 so soon  
as ever the occasion is removed they    
fall to their meat again1 and lie down  
and take their rest4 ,wisdom and        
thought are the goods of the mind1      
whereof brutes are wholly incapable2    

and we are as unlike them within as we  
are without3 they have an  odd kind of  
fancy1 and they have a voice too2 but   
inarticulate and  confused1 and         
incapable of those variations which are 
familiar to us4    ,anger is not only a 
vice1 but a vice point-blank against    
nature1 for it  divides instead of      
joining2 and in some measure1 frustrates
 the end of  ,providence in human       
society4 ,one man was born to help      
another2 anger  makes us destroy one    
another2 the one unites1 the other      
separates2 the  one is beneficial to us1
 the other mischievous2 the one succors 
even  strangers1 the other destroys even
 the most intimate friends2 the one     
ventures all to save another1 the other 
ruins himself to undo another4  ,nature 
is bountiful1 but anger is pernicious3  
for it is not fear1 but  mutual love    
that binds up mankind4    ,there are    
some motions that look like anger1 which
 cannot properly be  called so2 as the  
passion of the people against the       

gladiators1 when  they hang off1 and    
will not make so quick a dispatch as the
 spectators  would have them3 there is  
something in it of the humor of         
children1  that if they get a fall1 will
 never leave bawling until the naughty  
ground is beaten1 and then all is well  
again4 ,they are angry without  any     
cause or injury2 they are deluded by an 
imitation of strokes1 and  pacified with
 counterfeit tears4 ,a false and a      
childish sorrow is  appeased with as    
false and as childish a revenge4 ,they  
take it for a  contempt1 if the         
gladiators do not immediately cast      
themselves upon  the sword's point4     
,they look presently about them from one
 to another1  as who should say2 8,do   
but see1 my masters1 how these rogues   
abuse us40    ,to descend to the        
particular branches and varieties would 
be  unnecessary and endless4 ,there is a
 stubborn1 a vindictive1 a  quarrelsome1
 a violent1 a froward1 a sullen1 a      
morose kind of anger2  and then we have 

this variety in complication too4 ,one  
goes no  further than words2 another    
proceeds immediately to blows1 without a
  word speaking2 a third sort breaks out
 into cursing and reproachful  language2
 and there are that content themselves  
with chiding and  complaining4 ,there is
 a conciliable anger and there is an    
implacable2  but in what form or degree 
soever it appears1 all anger1 without   
exception1 is vicious4                  
,,chapter ,,ii4    ,,the ,,rise ,,of    
,,anger4      ,the question will be     
here1 whether anger takes its rise from 
impulse  or judgment2 that is1 whether  
it be moved of its own accord1 or1 as   
many other things are1 from within us1  
that arise we know not how8 ,the        
clearing of this point will lead us to  
greater matters4    ,the first motion of
 anger is in truth involuntary1 and only
 a kind  of menacing preparation towards
 it4 ,the second deliberates2 as who    
should say1 8,this injury should not    
pass without a revenge10 and there  it  

stops4 ,the third is impotent2 and1     
right or wrong1 resolves upon           
vengeance4 ,the first motion is not to  
be avoided1 nor indeed the  second1 any 
more than yawning for company2 custom   
and care may lessen  it1 but reason     
itself cannot overcome it4 ,the third1  
as it rises upon  consideration1 it must
 fall so too1 for that motion which     
proceeds with  judgment may be taken    
away with judgment4 ,a man thinks       
himself injured1  and hath a mind to be 
revenged1 but for some reason lets it   
rest4 ,this  is not properly anger1 but 
an affection overruled by reason2 a kind
  of proposal disapproved--and what are 
reason and affection1 but only  changes 
of the mind for the better or for the   
worse8 ,reason deliberates  before it   
judges2 but anger passes sentence       
without deliberation4  ,reason only     
attends the matter in hand2 but anger is
 startled at every  accident2 it passes 
the bounds of reason1 and carries it    
away with  it4 ,in short1 8anger is an  

agitation of the mind that proceeds to  
the  resolution of a revenge1 the mind  
assenting to it40    ,there is no doubt 
but anger is moved by the species of an 
injury2 but  whether that motion be     
voluntary or involuntary is the point in
 debate2  though it seems manifest to me
 that anger does nothing but where the  
mind goes along with it1 for1 first1 to 
take an offence1 and then to  meditate a
 revenge1 and after that to lay both    
propositions together1  and say to      
myself1 8,this injury ought not to have 
been done2 but as the  case stands1 ,i  
must do myself right40 ,this discourse  
can never proceed  without the          
concurrence of the will4    ,the first  
motion indeed is single2 but all the    
rest is deliberation  and               
superstructure--there is something      
understood and condemned--an            
indignation conceived and a revenge     
propounded4 ,this can never be  without 
the agreement of the mind to the matter 
in deliberation4 ,the  end of this      

question is to know the nature and      
quality of anger4 ,if  it be bred in us 
it will never yield to reason1 for all  
involuntary  motions are inevitable and 
invincible2 as a kind of horror and     
shrugging upon the sprinkling of cold   
water2 the hair standing on  end at ill 
news2 giddiness at the sight of a       
precipice2 blushing at  lewd discourse4 
,in these cases reason can do no good1  
but anger  may undoubtedly be overcome  
by caution and good counsel1 for it is a
  voluntary vice1 and not of the        
condition of those accidents that       
befall us as frailties of our humanity1 
amongst which must be reckoned  the     
first motions of the mind after the     
opinion of an injury received1  which it
 is not in the power of human nature to 
avoid1 and this is it  that affects us  
upon the stage1 or in a story4    ,can  
any man read the death of ,pompey1 and  
not be touched with an  indignation8    
,the sound of a trumpet rouses the      
spirits and provokes  courage4 ,it makes

 a man sad to see the shipwreck even of 
an enemy2 and  we are much surprised by 
fear in other cases--all these motions  
are not  so much affections as preludes 
to them4 ,the clashing of arms or the   
beating of a drum excites a war-horse3  
nay1 a song from ,xenophantes  would    
make ,alexander take his sword in his   
hand4    ,in all these cases the mind   
rather suffers than acts1 and therefore 
it  is not an affection to be moved1 but
 to give way to that motion1  and to    
follow willingly what was started by    
chance--these are not  affections1 but  
impulses of the body4 ,the bravest man  
in the world may  look pale when he puts
 on his armor1 his knees knock1 and his 
heart  work before the battle is joined3
 but these are only motions2 whereas    
anger is an excursion1 and proposes     
revenge or punishment1 which  cannot be 
without the mind4 ,as fear flies1 so    
anger assaults2 and it is  not possible 
to resolve1 either upon violence or     
caution1 without the  concurrence of the

 will4          ,,chapter ,,iii4        
,,anger ,,may ,,be ,,suppressed4        
,it is an idle thing to pretend that we 
cannot govern our anger2  for some      
things that we do are much harder than  
others that we ought  to do2 the wildest
 affections may be tamed by discipline1 
and there  is hardly anything which the 
mind will do but it may do4 ,there needs
  no more argument in this case than the
 instances of several persons1  both    
powerful and impatient1 that have gotten
 the absolute mastery of  themselves in 
this point4    ,thrasippus in his drink 
fell foul upon the cruelties of         
,pisistratus2  who1 when he was urged by
 several about him to make an example of
 him1  returned this answer1 8,why      
should ,i be angry with a man that      
stumbles  upon me blindfold80 ,in effect
 most of our quarrels are of our own    
making1 either by mistake or by         
aggravation4 ,anger comes sometimes upon
  us1 but we go oftener to it1 and      
instead of rejecting it we call it4     

,augustus was a great master of his     
passion3 for ,timagenus1 an  historian1 
wrote several bitter things against his 
person and his  family3 which passed    
among the people plausibly enough1 as   
pieces of  rash wit commonly do4 ,csar  
advised him several times to forbear2   
and  when that would not do1 forbade him
 his roof4 ,after this1 ,asinius        
,pollio gave him entertainment2 and he  
was so well beloved in the  city1 that  
every man's house was open to him4      
,those things that he  had written in   
honor of ,augustus1 he recited and      
burnt1 and publicly  professed himself  
,csar's enemy4 ,augustus1 for all this1 
never fell  out with any man that       
received him2 only once1 he told        
,pollio1 that he  had taken a snake into
 his bosom3 and as ,pollio was about to 
excuse  himself2 8,no10 says ,csar1     
interrupting him1 8make your best of    
him40  ,and offering to cast him off at 
that very moment1 if ,csar pleased3 8,do
  you think10 says ,csar1 8that ,i will 

ever contribute to the parting of  you1 
that made you friends80 for ,pollio was 
angry with him before1 and  only        
entertained him now because ,csar had   
discarded him4    ,the moderation of    
,antigonus was remarkable4 ,some of his 
soldiers were  railing at him one night1
 where there was but a hanging betwixt  
them4  ,antigonus overheard them1 and   
putting it gently aside2 8,soldiers10   
says  he1 8stand a little further off1  
for fear the king should hear you40     
,and we are to consider1 not only       
violent examples1 but moderate1 where   
there wanted neither cause of           
displeasure nor power of revenge3 as in 
the case of ,antigonus1 who the same    
night hearing his soldiers cursing  him 
for bringing them into so foul a way1 he
 went to them1 and without  telling them
 who he was1 helped them out of it4     
8,now10 says he1 8you  may be allowed to
 curse him that brought you into the    
mire1 provided  you bless him that took 
you out of it40    ,it was a notable    

story that of ,vedius ,pallio1 upon his 
inviting of  ,augustus to supper4 ,one  
of his boys happened to break a glass3  
and his  master1 in a rage1 commanded   
him to be thrown in a pond to feed his  
lampreys4 ,this action of his might be  
taken for luxury1 though1 in  truth1 it 
was cruelty4 ,the boy was seized1 but   
brake loose and threw  himself at       
,augustus' feet1 only desiring that he  
might not die that  death4 ,csar1 in    
abhorrence of the barbarity1 presently  
ordered all  the rest of the glasses to 
be broken1 the boy to be released1 and  
the  pond to be filled up1 that there   
might be no further occasion for an     
inhumanity of that nature4 ,this was an 
authority well employed4 ,shall  the    
breaking of a glass cost a man his life8
 ,nothing but a predominant  fear could 
ever have mastered his choleric and     
sanguinary disposition4  ,this man      
deserved to die a thousand deaths1      
either for eating human  flesh at       
second-hand in his lampreys1 or for     

keeping of his fish to  be so fed4      
,it is written of ,prxaspes 7a favorite 
of ,cambyses1 who was much given  to    
wine7 that he took the freedom to tell  
this prince of his hard  drinking1 and  
to lay before him the scandal and the   
inconveniences of  his excesses2 and how
 that1 in those distempers1 he had not  
the command  of himself4 8,now10 says   
,cambyses1 8to show you your mistake1   
you shall  see me drink deeper than ever
 ,i did1 and yet keep the use of my     
eyes1  and of my hands1 as well as if ,i
 were sober40 ,upon this he drank to  a 
higher pitch than ordinary1 and ordered 
,prxaspes' son to go out1  and stand on 
the other side of the threshold1 with   
his left arm over  his head2 8,and10    
says he1 8if ,i have a good aim1 have at
 the heart of  him40 ,he shot1 and upon 
cutting up the young man1 they found    
indeed  that the arrow had struck him   
through the middle of the heart4 8,what 
do you think now10 says ,cambyses1 8is  
my hand steady or not80 8,apollo        

himself10 says ,prxaspes1 8could not    
have outdone it40 ,it may be a  question
 now1 which was the greater impiety1 the
 murder itself1 or  the commendation of 
it2 for him to take the heart of his    
son1 while  it was yet reeking and      
panting under the wound1 for an occasion
 of  flattery3 why was there not another
 experiment made upon the father1  to   
try if ,cambyses could not have yet     
mended his shot8 ,this was a most       
unmanly violation of hospitality2 but   
the approbation of the act was  still   
worse than the crime itself4 ,this      
example of ,prxaspes proves             
sufficiently that a man may repress his 
anger2 for he returned not  one ill     
word1 no not so much as a complaint2 but
 he paid dear for his  good counsel4 ,he
 had been wiser1 perhaps1 if he had let 
the king alone  in his cups1 for he had 
better have drunk wine than blood4 ,it  
is a  dangerous office to give good     
advice to intemperate princes4          
,another instance of anger suppressed1  

we have in ,harpagus1 who was  commanded
 to expose ,cyrus upon a mountain4 ,but 
the child was preserved2  which1 when   
,astyages came afterwards to understand1
 he invited ,harpagus  to a dish of     
meat2 and when he had eaten his fill1 he
 told him it was a  piece of his son1   
and asked him how he liked the          
seasoning4 8,whatever  pleases your     
,majesty10 says ,harpagus1 8must please 
me30 and he made no  more words of it4  
,it is most certain1 that we might      
govern our anger if  we would2 for the  
same thing that galls us at home gives  
us no offence  at all abroad2 and what  
is the reason of it1 but that we are    
patient in  one place1 and froward in   
another8    ,it was a strong provocation
 that which was given to ,philip of     
,macedon1  the father of ,alexander4    
,the ,athenians sent their ambassadors  
to him1  and they were received with    
this compliment1 8,tell me1 gentlemen10 
says ,philip1 8what is there that ,i can
 do to oblige the ,athenians80          

,democharas1 one of the ambassadors1    
told him1 that they would take it  for a
 great obligation if he would be pleased
 to hang himself4 ,this  insolence gave 
an indignation to the by-standers2 but  
,philip bade them  not to meddle with   
him1 but even to let that foul-mouthed  
fellow go as  he came4 8,and for you1   
the rest of the ambassadors10 says he1  
8pray  tell the ,athenians1 that it is  
worse to speak such things than to hear 
and forgive them40 ,this wonderful      
patience under contumelies was a  great 
means of ,philip's security4            
,,chapter ,,iv4    ,,it ,,is ,a ,,short 
,,madness1 ,,and ,a ,,deformed ,,vice4  
,he was much in the right1 whoever it   
was1 that first called anger  a short   
madness2 for they have both of them the 
same symptoms2 and  there is so         
wonderful a resemblance betwixt the     
transports of choler  and those of      
frenzy1 that it is a hard matter to know
 the one from  the other4 ,a bold1      
fierce1 and threatening countenance1 as 

pale as  ashes1 and1 in the same moment1
 as red as blood2 a glaring eye1 a      
wrinkled brow1 violent motions1 the     
hands restless and perpetually  in      
action1 wringing and menacing1 snapping 
of the joints1 stamping  with the feet1 
the hair starting1 trembling of the     
lips1 a forced and  squeaking voice2 the
 speech false and broken1 deep and      
frequent sighs1  and ghastly looks2 the 
veins swell1 the heart pants1 the knees 
knock2  with a hundred dismal accidents 
that are common to both distempers4     
,neither is anger a bare resemblance    
only of madness1 but many times  an     
irrevocable transition into the thing   
itself4 ,how many persons  have we      
known1 read1 and heard of1 that have    
lost their wits in a  passion1 and never
 came to themselves again8 ,it is       
therefore to be  avoided1 not only for  
moderation's sake1 but also for health4 
,now1 if  the outward appearance of     
anger be so foul and hideous1 how       
deformed  must that miserable mind be   

that is harassed with it8 for it leaves 
no place either for counsel or          
friendship1 honesty or good manners2  no
 place either for the exercise of       
reason1 or for the offices of  life4 ,if
 ,i were to describe it1 ,i would draw a
 tiger bathed in blood1  sharp set1 and 
ready to take a leap at his prey2 or    
dress it up as the  poets represent the 
furies1 with whips1 snakes1 and flames2 
it should  be sour1 livid1 full of      
scars1 and wallowing in gore1 raging up 
and  down1 destroying1 grinning1        
bellowing1 and pursuing2 sick of all    
other  things1 and most of all1 itself4 
,it turns beauty into deformity1 and    
the calmest counsels into fierceness3 it
 disorders our very garments1  and fills
 the mind with horror4 ,how abominable  
is it in the soul then1  when it appears
 so hideous even through the bones1 the 
skin and so  many impediments6 ,is not  
he a madman that has lost the government
 of  himself1 and is tossed hither and  
thither by his fury as by a tempest8    

the executioner and the murderer of his 
nearest friends8 ,the smallest  matter  
moves it1 and makes us unsociable and   
inaccessible4 ,it does all  things by   
violence1 as well upon itself as others2
 and it is1 in short2  the master of all
 passions4    ,there is not any creature
 so terrible and dangerous by nature1   
but  it becomes fiercer by anger4 ,not  
that beasts have human affections1  but 
certain impulses they have which come   
very near them4 ,the boar  foams1       
champs1 and whets his tusks2 the bull   
tosses his horns in the  air1 bounds1   
and tears up the ground with his feet2  
the lion roars  and swinges himself with
 his tail2 the serpent swells2 and there
 is  a ghastly kind of fellness in the  
aspect of a mad dog4 ,how great a       
wickedness is it now to indulge a       
violence1 that does not only turn  a man
 into a beast1 but makes even the most  
outrageous of beasts  themselves to be  
more dreadful and mischievous6 ,a vice  
that carries  along with it neither     

pleasure nor profit1 neither honor nor  
security2  but on the contrary1 destroys
 us to all the comfortable and glorious 
purposes of our reasonable being4 ,some 
there are1 that will have the  root of  
it to be the greatness of mind4 ,and1   
why may we not as well  entitle         
impudence to courage1 whereas the one is
 proud1 the other  brave2 the one is    
gracious and gentle1 the other rude and 
furious8  ,at the same rate we may      
ascribe magnanimity to avarice1 luxury1 
and  ambition1 which are all but        
splendid impotences1 without measure and
  without foundation4 ,there is nothing 
great but what is virtuous1 nor  indeed 
truly great1 but what is also composed  
and quiet4 ,anger1 alas6  is but a wild 
impetuous blast1 an empty tumor1 the    
very infirmity of  woman and children2 a
 brawling1 clamorous evil3 and the more 
noise the  less courage2 as we find it  
commonly1 that the boldest tongues have 
the  faintest hearts4          ,,chapter
 ,v4    ,,anger ,,is ,,neither          

,,warrantable ,,nor ,,useful4      ,in  
the first place1 ,anger is unwarrantable
 as it is unjust3 for it  falls many    
times upon the wrong person1 and        
discharges itself upon the  innocent    
instead of the guilty3 beside the       
disproportion of making the  most       
trivial offences to be capital1 and     
punishing an inconsiderate  word perhaps
 with torments1 fetters1 infamy1 or     
death4 ,it allows a man  neither time   
nor means for defence1 but judges a     
cause without hearing  it1 and admits of
 no mediation4 ,it flies into the face  
of truth itself1  if it be of the       
adverse party2 and turns obstinacy in an
 error1 into  an argument of justice4   
,it does every thing with agitation and 
tumult2  whereas reason and equity can  
destroy whole families1 if there be     
occasion for it1 even to the            
extinguishing of their names and        
memories1  without any indecency1 either
 of countenance or action4    ,secondly1
 ,it is unsociable to the highest point2

 for it spares neither  friend nor foe2 
but tears all to pieces1 and casts human
 nature into  a perpetual state of war4 
,it dissolves the bond of mutual        
society1  insomuch that our very        
companions and relations dare not come  
near  us2 it renders us unfit for the   
ordinary offices of life3 for we can    
neither govern our tongues1 our hands1  
nor any part of our body4 ,it  tramples 
upon the laws of hospitality1 and of    
nations1 leaves every man  to be his own
 carver1 and all things1 public and     
private1 sacred and  profane1 suffer    
violence4    ,thirdly1 ,it is to no     
purpose4 8,it is a sad thing10 we cry1  
8to put up  with these injuries1 and we 
are not able to bear them20 as if any   
man  that can bear anger could not bear 
an injury1 which is much more           
supportable4 ,you will say that anger   
does some good yet1 for it keeps  people
 in awe1 and secures a man from         
contempt2 never considering1 that  it is
 more dangerous to be feared than       

despised4 ,suppose that an angry  man   
could do as much as he threatens2 the   
more terrible1 he is still  the more    
odious2 and on the other side1 if he    
wants power1 he is the  more despicable 
for his anger2 for there is nothing more
 wretched than  a choleric huff1 that   
makes a noise1 and nobody cares for it4 
,if anger would be valuable because men 
are afraid of it1 why not an  adder1 a  
toad1 or a scorpion as well8 ,it makes  
us lead the life of  gladiators2 we     
live1 and we fight together4 ,we hate   
the happy1 despise  the miserable1 envy 
our superiors1 insult our inferiors1 and
 there  is nothing in the world which we
 will not do1 either for pleasure  or   
profit4 ,to be angry at offenders is to 
make ourselves the common  enemies of   
mankind1 which is both weak and wicked2 
and we may as well  be angry that our   
thistles do not bring forth apples1 or  
that every  pebble in our ground is not 
an oriental pearl4 ,if we are angry both
  with young men and with old1 because  

they do offend1 why not with  infants   
too1 because they will offend8 ,it is   
laudable to rejoice for  anything that  
is well done2 but to be transported for 
another man's  doing ill1 is narrow and 
sordid4 ,nor is it for the dignity of   
virtue  to be either angry or sad4      
,it is with a tainted mind as with an   
ulcer1 not only the touch1 but the  very
 offer at it1 makes us shrink and       
complain2 when we come once to  be      
carried off from our poise1 we are lost4
 ,in the choice of a sword1  we take    
care that it be wieldy and well mounted2
 and it concerns us as  much to be wary 
of engaging in the excesses of          
ungovernable passions4  ,it is not the  
speed of a horse altogether that pleases
 us unless we  find that he can stop and
 turn at pleasure4 ,it is a sign of     
weakness1  and a kind of stumbling1 for 
a man to run when he intends only to    
walk2 and it behoves us to have the same
 command of our mind that we  have of   
our bodies4 ,besides that the greatest  

punishment of an injury  is the         
conscience of having done it2 and no man
 suffers more than he  that is turned   
over to the pain of a repentance4 ,how  
much better is it  to compose injuries  
than to revenge them8 ,for it does not  
only spend  time1 but the revenge of one
 injury exposes to more4 ,in fine1 as it
  is unreasonable to be angry at a      
crime1 it is as foolish to be angry     
without one4    ,but 8may not an honest 
man then be allowed to be angry at the  
murder  of his father1 or the ravishing 
of his sister or daughter before his    
face80 ,no1 not at all4 ,i will defend  
my parents1 and ,i will repay the       
injuries that are done them2 but it is  
my piety and not my anger1 that  moves  
me to it4 ,i will do my duty without    
fear or confusion1 ,i will not  rage1 ,i
 will not weep2 but discharge the office
 of a good man without  forfeiting the  
dignity of a man4 ,if my father be      
assaulted1 ,i will  endeavor to rescue  
him2 if he be killed1 ,i will do right  

to his memory2  find all this1 not in   
any transport of passion1 but in honor  
and  conscience4 ,neither is there any  
need of anger where reason does the     
same thing4    ,a man may be temperate1 
and yet vigorous1 and raise his mind    
according  to the occasion1 more or     
less1 as a stone is thrown according to 
the  discretion and intent of the       
caster4 ,how outrageous have ,i seen    
some  people for the loss of a monkey or
 a spaniel6 ,and were it not a shame  to
 have the same sense for a friend that  
we have for a puppy2 and to  cry like   
children1 as much for a bauble as for   
the ruin of our country8  ,this is not  
the effect of reason1 but of infirmity4 
,for a man indeed to  expose his person 
for his prince1 or his parents1 or his  
friends1 out  of a sense of honesty1 and
 judgment of duty1 it is1 without       
dispute1 a  worthy and a glorious       
action2 but it must be done then with   
sobriety1  calmness1 and resolution4    
,it is high time to convince the world  

of the indignity and uselessness  of    
this passion1 when it has the authority 
and recommendation of no  less than     
,aristotle himself1 as an affection very
 much conducing to all  heroic actions  
that require heat and vigor3 now1 to    
show1 on the other  side1 that it is not
 in any case profitable1 we shall lay   
open the  obstinate and unbridled       
madness of it3 a wickedness neither     
sensible  of infamy nor of glory1       
without either modesty or fear2 and if  
it  passes once from anger into a       
hardened hatred1 it is incurable4 ,it is
  either stronger than reason1 or it is 
weaker4 ,if stronger1 there is  no      
contending with it2 if weaker1 reason   
will do the business without  it4 ,some 
will have it that an angry man is       
good-natured and sincere2  whereas1 in  
truth1 he only lays himself open out of 
heedlessness and  want of caution4 ,if  
it were in itself good the more of it   
the better2  but in this case1 the more 
the worse2 and a wise man does his duty1

  without the aid of anything that is   
ill4 ,it is objected by some1  that     
those are the most generous creatures   
which are the most prone  to anger4     
,but1 first1 reason in man is impetuous 
in beasts4  ,secondly1 without          
discipline it runs into audaciousness   
and temerity2  over and above that1 the 
same thing does not help all4 ,if anger 
helps  the lion1 it is fear that saves  
the stag1 swiftness the hawk1 and       
flight the pigeon3 but man has ,god for 
his example 7who is never  angry7 and   
not the creatures4 ,and yet it is not   
amiss sometimes to  counterfeit anger2  
as upon the stage2 nay1 upon the bench1 
and in the  pulpit1 where the imitation 
of it is more effectual than the thing  
itself4    ,but it is a great error to  
take this passion either for a companion
  or for an assistant to virtue2 that   
makes a man incapable of those          
necessary counsels by which virtue is to
 govern herself4 ,those are  false and  
inauspicious powers1 and destructive of 

themselves1 which  arise only from the  
accession and fervor of disease4 ,reason
 judges  according to right2 anger will 
have every thing seem right1 whatever it
  does1 and when it has once pitched    
upon a mistake1 it is never to be       
convinced1 but prefers a pertinacity1   
even in the greatest evil1 before  the  
most necessary repentance4    ,some     
people are of opinion that anger        
inflames and animates the  soldier2 that
 it is a spur to bold and arduous       
undertakings2 and that  it were better  
to moderate than to wholly suppress it1 
for fear of  dissolving the spirit and  
force of the mind4 ,to this ,i answer1  
that  virtue does not need the help of  
vice2 but where there is any ardor  of  
mind necessary1 we may rouse ourselves1 
and be more or less brisk  and vigorous 
as there is occasion3 but all without   
anger still4 ,it is  a mistake to say1  
that we may make use of anger as a      
common soldier1  but not as a commander2
 for if it hears reason1 and follows    

orders1  it is not properly anger2 and  
if it does not1 it is contumacious  and 
mutinous4 ,by this argument a man must  
be angry to be valiant2  covetous to be 
industrious2 timorous to be safe1 which 
makes our reason  confederate with our  
affections4 ,and it is all one whether  
passion be  inconsiderate without       
reason1 or reason ineffectual without   
passion2  since the one cannot be       
without the other4 ,it is true1 the less
 the  passion1 the less is the mischief2
 for a little passion is the smaller    
evil4 ,nay1 so far is it from being of  
use or advantage in the field1  that it 
is in place of all others where it is   
the most dangerous2  for the actions of 
war are to be managed with order and    
caution1 not  precipitation and fancy2  
whereas anger is heedless and heady1 and
 the  virtue only of barbarous nations2 
which1 though their bodies were  much   
stronger and more hardened1 were still  
worsted by the moderation  and          
discipline of the ,romans4 ,there is not

 upon the face of the earth  a bolder or
 a more indefatigable nation than the   
,germans2 not a braver  upon a charge1  
nor a hardier against colds and heats2  
their only  delights and exercise is in 
arms1 to the utter neglect of all things
  else3 and1 yet upon the encounter1    
they are broken and destroyed  through  
their own undisciplined temerity1 even  
by the most effeminate  of men4 ,the    
huntsman is not angry with the wild boar
 when he either  pursues or receives    
him2 a good swordsman watches his       
opportunity1 and  keeps himself upon his
 guard1 whereas passion lays a man open3
 nay1  it is one of the prime lessons in
 a fencing-school to learn not to  be   
angry4 ,if ,fabius had been choleric1   
,rome had been lost2 and  before he     
conquered ,hannibal he overcame himself4
 ,if ,scipio had  been angry1 he would  
never have left ,hannibal and his army  
7who were  the proper objects of his    
displeasure7 to carry the war into      
,afric  and so compass his end by a more

 temperate way4 ,nay1 he was so slow1   
that it was charged upon him for want of
 mettle and resolution4 ,and  what did  
the other ,scipio8 7,africanus ,i mean37
 how much time did he  spend before     
,numantia1 to the common grief both of  
his country and  himself8 ,though he    
reduced it at last by so miserable a    
famine1 that  the inhabitants laid      
violent hands upon themselves1 and left 
neither  man1 woman1 nor child1 to      
survive the ruins of it4 ,if anger makes
 a  man fight better1 so does wine1     
frenzy1 nay1 and fear itself2 for  the  
greatest coward in despair does the     
greatest wonders4 ,no man is  courageous
 in his anger that was not so without   
it4 ,but put the case1  that anger by   
accident may have done some good1 and so
 have fevers  removed some distempers2  
but it is an odious kind of remedy that 
makes  us indebted to a disease for a   
cure4 ,how many men have been preserved 
by poison2 by a fall from a precipice2  
by a shipwreck2 by a tempest6  does it  

therefore follow that we are to         
recommend the practice of these         
experiments8    8,but in case of an     
exemplary and prostitute dissolution of 
manners1  when ,clodius shall be        
preferred1 and ,cicero rejected2 when   
loyalty  shall be broken upon the wheel1
 and treason sit triumphant upon the    
bench2 is not this a subject to move the
 choler of any virtuous man80  ,no1 by  
no means1 virtue will never allow of the
 correcting of one vice  by another2 or 
that anger1 which is the greater crime  
of the two1  should presume to punish   
the less4 ,it is the natural property of
  virtue to make a man serene and       
cheerful2 and it is not for the dignity 
of a philosopher to be transported      
either with grief or anger2 and then    
the end of anger is sorrow1 the constant
 effect of disappointment and           
repentance4 ,but1 to my purpose4 ,if a  
man should be angry at wickedness1  the 
greater the wickedness is1 the greater  
must be his anger2 and1 so  long as     

there is wickedness in the world he must
 never be pleased3  which makes his     
quiet dependent upon the humor or       
manners of others4    ,there passes not 
a day over our heads but he that is     
choleric shall  have some cause or other
 of displeasure1 either from men1       
accidents1  or business4 ,he shall never
 stir out of his house but he shall meet
  with criminals of all sorts2 prodigal1
 impudent1 covetous1 perfidious1        
contentious1 children persecuting their 
parents1 parents cursing their          
children1 the innocent accused1 the     
delinquent acquitted1 and the judge     
practicing that in his chamber which he 
condemns upon the bench4 ,in  fine1     
wherever there are men there are faults2
 and upon these terms1  ,socrates       
himself should never bring the same     
countenance home again  that he carried 
out with him4    ,if anger was          
sufferable in any case1 it might be     
allowed against an  incorrigible        
criminal under the hand of justice3 but 

punishment is  not matter of anger but  
of caution4 ,the law is without passion1
 and  strikes malefactors as we do      
serpents and venomous creatures1 for    
fear  of greater mischief4 ,it is not   
for the dignity of a judge1 when he     
comes to pronounce the fatal sentence1  
to express any motions of anger  in his 
looks1 words1 or gestures3 for he       
condemns the vice1 not the  man2 and    
looks upon the wickedness without anger1
 as he does upon the  prosperity of     
wicked men without envy4 ,but though he 
be not angry1 ,i  would have him a      
little moved in point of humanity2 but  
yet without any  offence1 either to his 
place or wisdom4 ,our passions vary1 but
 reason  is equal2 and it were a great  
folly for that which is stable1         
faithful1  and sound1 to repair for     
succor to that which is uncertain1      
false1 and  distempered4 ,if the        
offender be incurable1 take him out of  
the world1  that if he will not be good 
he may cease to be evil2 but this must  

be  without anger too4 ,does any man    
hate an arm1 or a leg1 when he cuts  it 
off2 or reckon that a passion which is  
only a miserable cure8 ,we  knock mad   
dogs on the head1 and remove scabbed    
sheep out of the fold3  and this is not 
anger still1 but reason1 to separate the
 sick from  the sound4 ,justice cannot  
be angry2 nor is there any need of an   
angry  magistrate for the punishment of 
foolish and wicked men4 ,the power of   
life and death must not be managed with 
passion4 ,we give a horse the  spur that
 is restive or jadish1 and tries to cast
 his rider2 but this  is without anger  
too1 and only to take down his stomach1 
and bring him1  by correction1 to       
obedience4    ,it is true1 that         
correction is necessary1 yet within     
reason and bounds2  for it does not     
hurt1 but profits us under an appearance
 of harm4 ,ill  dispositions in the mind
 are to be dealt with as those in the   
body3 the  physician first tries purging
 and abstinence2 if this will not do1 he

  proceeds to bleeding1 nay1 to         
dismembering rather than fail2 for there
  is no operation too severe that ends  
in health4 ,the public magistrate       
begins with persuasion1 and his business
 is to beget a detestation for  vice1   
and a veneration for virtue2 from       
thence1 if need be1 he advances  to     
admonition and reproach1 and then to    
punishments2 but moderate and           
revocable1 unless the wickedness be     
incurable1 and then the punishment  must
 be so too4 ,there is only this         
difference1 the physician when he       
cannot save his patient's life1         
endeavors to make his death easy2 but   
the magistrate aggravates the death of  
the criminal with infamy and  disgrace2 
not as delighting in the severity of it1
 7for no good man  can be so barbarous7 
but for example1 and to the end that    
they that  will do no good living may do
 some dead4 ,the end of all correction  
is  either the amendment of wicked men1 
or to prevent the influence of  ill     

example3 for men are punished with a    
respect to the future2 not  to expiate  
offenses committed1 but for fear of     
worse to come4 ,public  offenders must  
be a terror to others2 but still1 all   
this while1 the  power of life and death
 must not be managed with passion4 ,the 
medicine1  in the mean time must be     
suited to the disease2 infamy cures one1
 pain  another1 exile cures a third1    
beggary a fourth2 but there are some    
that  are only to be cured by the       
gibbet4 ,i would be no more angry with a
  thief1 or a traitor1 than ,i am angry 
with myself when ,i open a vein4  ,all  
punishment is but a moral or civil      
remedy4 ,i do not do anything  that is  
very ill1 but yet ,i transgress often4  
,try me first with a  private           
reprehension1 and then with a public2 if
 that will not serve1  see what         
banishment will do2 if not that neither1
 load me with chains1  lay me in prison3
 but if ,i should prove wicked for      
wickedness' sake1  and leave no hope of 

reclaiming me1 it would be a kind of    
mercy to  destroy me4 ,vice is          
incorporated with me2 and there is no   
remedy but  the taking of both away     
together2 but still without anger4      
,,chapter ,,vi4    ,,anger ,,in         
,,general1 ,,with ,,the ,,danger ,,and  
,,effects ,,of ,,it4      ,there is no  
surer argument of a great mind than not 
to be transported  to anger by any      
accident2 the clouds and the tempests   
are formed below1  but all above is     
quiet and serene2 which is the emblem of
 a brave man1  that suppresses all      
provocations1 and lives within himself1 
modest1  venerable1 and composed3       
whereas anger is a turbulent humor1     
which1 at  first dash1 casts off all    
shame1 without any regard to order1     
measure1  or good manners2 transporting 
a man into misbecoming violences with   
his  tongue1 his hands1 and every part  
of his body4 ,and whoever considers  the
 foulness and the brutality of this     
vice1 must acknowledge that  there is no

 such monster in ,nature as one man     
raging against another1  and laboring to
 sink that which can never be drowned   
but with himself  for company4 ,it      
renders us incapable either of discourse
 or of other  common duties4 ,it is of  
all passions the most powerful2 for it  
makes a  man that is in love to kill his
 mistress1 the ambitious man to trample 
upon his honors1 and the covetous to    
throw away his fortune4    ,there is not
 any mortal that lives free from the    
danger of it2 for it  makes even the    
heavy and the good-natured to be fierce 
and outrageous3  it invades us like a   
pestilence1 the lusty as well as the    
weak2 and  it is not either strength of 
body1 or a good diet1 that can secure   
us against it2 nay1 the most learned1   
and men otherwise of exemplary          
sobriety1 are infected with it4 ,it is  
so potent a passion that ,socrates      
durst not trust himself with it4        
8,sirrah10 says he to his man1 8now     
would ,i beat you1 if ,i were not angry 

with you60 ,there is no age or  sect of 
men that escapes it4 ,other vices take  
us one by one2 but this1  like an       
epidemical contagion1 sweeps all3 men1  
women1 and children1  princes and       
beggars1 are carried away with it in    
shoals and troops as  one man4    ,it   
was never seen that a whole nation was  
in love with one woman1 or  unanimously 
bent upon one vice3 but here and there  
some particular men  are tainted with   
some particular crimes2 whereas in      
anger1 a single  word many times        
inflames the whole multitude1 and men   
betake themselves  presently to fire and
 sword upon it2 the rabble take upon    
them to give  laws to their governors2  
the common soldiers to their officers1  
to the  ruin1 not only of private       
families1 but of kingdoms3 turning their
 arms  against their own leaders1 and   
choosing their own generals4 ,there is  
no public council1 no putting things to 
the vote2 but in a rage the  mutineers  
divide from the senate1 name their head1

 force the nobility  in their own       
houses1 and put them to death with their
 own hands4  ,the laws of nations are   
violated1 the persons of public         
ministers  affronted1 whole cities      
infected with a general madness1 and no 
respite allowed for the abatement or    
discussing of this public tumor4  ,the  
ships are crowded with tumultuary       
soldiers2 and in this rude and          
ill-boding manner they march1 and act   
under the conduct only of their  own    
passions4 ,whatever comes next serves   
them for arms1 until at last  they pay  
for their licentious rashness with the  
slaughter of the whole  party3 this is  
the event of a heady and inconsiderate  
war4    ,when men's minds are struck    
with the opinion of an injury1 they fall
 on  immediately wheresoever their      
passion leads them1 without either      
order1  fear1 or caution3 provoking     
their own mischief2 never at rest till  
they  come to blows2 and pursuing their 
revenge1 even with their bodies1  upon  

the points of their enemies' weapons4   
,so that the anger itself is  much more 
hurtful for us than the injury that     
provokes it2 for the one  is bounded1   
but where the other will stop1 no man   
living knows4 ,there  are no greater    
slaves certainly1 than those that serve 
anger2 for they  improve their          
misfortunes by an impatience more       
insupportable than the  calamity that   
causes it4    ,nor does it rise by      
degrees1 as other passions1 but flashes 
like  gunpowder1 blowing up all in a    
moment4 ,neither does it only press to  
the mark1 but overbears everything in   
the way to it4 ,other vices drive  us1  
but this hurries us headlong2 other     
passions stand firm themselves1  though 
perhaps we cannot resist them2 but this 
consumes and destroys  itself3 it falls 
like thunder or a tempest1 with an      
irrevocable  violence1 that gathers     
strength in the passage1 and then       
evaporates in  the conclusion4 ,other   
vices are unreasonable1 but this is     

unhealthful  too2 other distempers have 
their intervals and degrees1 but in this
  we are thrown down as from a          
precipice3 there is not anything so     
amazing to others1 or so destructive to 
itself2 so proud and insolent  if it    
succeeds1 or so extravagant if it be    
disappointed4 ,no repulse  discourages  
it1 and1 for want of other matter to    
work upon1 it falls  foul upon itself2  
and1 let the ground be never so trivial1
 it is  sufficient for the wildest      
outrage imaginable4 ,it spares neither  
age1  sex1 nor quality4    ,some people 
would be luxurious perchance1 but that  
they are poor2 and  others lazy1 if they
 were not perpetually kept at work4 ,the
 simplicity  of a country life1 keeps   
many men in ignorance of the frauds and 
impieties of courts and camps3 but no   
nation or condition of men is  exempt   
from the impressions of anger2 and it is
 equally dangerous1 as  well in war as  
in peace4 ,we find that elephants will  
be made familiar2  bulls will suffer    

children to ride upon their backs1 and  
play with  their horns2 bears and lions1
 by good usage1 will be brought to fawn 
upon their masters2 how desperate a     
madness is it then for men1 after  the  
reclaiming of the fiercest of beasts1   
and the bringing of them  to be         
tractable and domestic1 to become yet   
worse than beasts one to  another6      
,alexander had two friends1 ,clytus and 
,lysimachus2 the one he  exposed to a   
lion1 the other to himself2 and he that 
was turned loose  to the beast escaped4 
,why do we not rather make the best of a
 short  life1 and render ourselves      
amiable to all while we live1 and       
desirable  when we die8    ,let us      
bethink ourselves of our mortality1 and 
not squander away the  little time that 
we have upon animosities and feuds1 as  
if it were  never to be at an end4 ,had 
we not better enjoy the pleasure of our 
own  life than to be still contriving   
how to gall and torment another's8  in  
all our brawlings and contentions never 

so much as dreaming of our  weakness4   
,do we not know that these implacable   
enmities of ours lie  at the mercy of a 
fever1 or any petty accident1 to        
disappoint8 ,our  fate is at hand1 and  
the very hour that we have set for      
another man's  death may peradventure be
 prevented by our own4 ,what is it that 
we  make all this bustle for1 and so    
needlessly disquiet our minds8 ,we are  
offended with our servants1 our masters1
 our princes1 our clients3 it  is but a 
little patience1 and we shall be all of 
us equal2 so that  there is no need     
either of ambushes or of combats4 ,our  
wrath cannot  go beyond death2 and death
 will most undoubtedly come whether we  
be  peevish or quiet4 ,it is time lost  
to take pains to do that which will     
infallibly be done without us4 ,but     
suppose that we would only have our     
enemy banished1 disgraced1 or damaged1  
let his punishment be more or  less1 it 
is yet too long1 either for him to be   
inhumanly tormented1  or for us         

ourselves to be most barbarously pleased
 with it4 ,it holds  in anger as in     
mourning1 it must and it will at last   
fall of itself2  let us look to it then 
betimes1 for when it is once come to an 
ill  habit1 we shall never want matter  
to feed it2 and it is much better to    
overcome our passions than to be        
overcome by them4 ,some way or other1   
either our parents1 children1 servants1 
acquaintance1 or strangers1  will be    
continually vexing us4 ,we are tossed   
hither and thither by our  affections1  
like a feather in a storm1 and by fresh 
provocations the  madness becomes       
perpetual4 ,miserable creatures6 that   
ever our precious  hours should be so   
ill employed6 ,how prone and eager are  
we in our  hatred1 and how backward in  
our love6 ,were it not much better now  
to  be making of friendships1 pacifying 
of enemies1 doing of good offices  both 
public and private1 than to be still    
meditating of mischief1 and  designing  
how to wound one man in his fame1       

another in his fortune1 a  third in his 
person8 the one being so easy1 innocent1
 and safe1 and the  other so difficult1 
impious1 and hazardous4 ,nay1 take a man
 in chains1  and at the foot of his     
oppressor2 how many are there1 who1 even
 in this  case1 have maimed themselves  
in the heat of their violence upon      
others4    ,this untractable passion is 
much more easily kept out than governed 
when it is once admitted2 for the       
stronger will give laws to the  weaker2 
and make reason a slave to the appetite4
 ,it carries us  headlong2 and in the   
course of our fury1 we have no more     
command of  our minds1 than we have of  
our bodies down a precipice3 when they  
are  once in motion1 there is no stop   
until they come to the bottom4 ,not but 
that it is possible for a man to be warm
 in winter1 and not to sweat  in the    
summer1 either by the benefit of the    
place1 or the hardiness of  the body3   
and in like manner we may provide       
against anger4 ,but certain  it is1 that

 virtue and vice can never agree in the 
same subject2 and  one may as well be a 
sick man and a sound at the same time1  
as a good  man1 and an angry4 ,besides1 
if we will needs be quarrelsome1 it must
  be either with our superior1 our      
equal1 or inferior4 ,to contend with    
our superior is folly and madness3 with 
our equals1 it is doubtful and          
dangerous3 and with our inferiors1 it is
 base4 ,for does any man know  but that 
he that is now our enemy may come       
hereafter to be our friend1  over and   
above the reputation of clemency and    
good nature8 ,and what  can be more     
honorable or comfortable1 than to       
exchange a feud for a  friendship8 ,the 
people of ,rome never had more faithful 
allies than  those that were at first   
the most obstinate enemies2 neither had 
the  ,roman ,empire ever arrived at that
 height of power1 if ,providence had    
not mingled the vanquished with the     
conquerors4    ,there is an end of the  
contest when one side deserts it2 so    

that  the paying of anger with benefits 
puts a period to the controversy4  ,but1
 however1 if it be our fortune to       
transgress1 let not our anger  descend  
to the children1 friends or relations1  
even of our bitterest  enemies4 ,the    
very cruelty of ,sylla was heightened by
 that instance of  incapacitating the   
issue of the proscribed4 ,it is inhuman 
to entail the  hatred we have for the   
father upon his posterity4    ,a good   
and a wise man is not to be an enemy of 
wicked men1 but a  reprover of them2 and
 he is to look upon all the drunkards1  
the  lustful1 the thankless1 covetous1  
and ambitious1 that he meets with1  not 
otherwise than as a physician looks upon
 his patients2 for he that  will be     
angry with any man must be displeased   
with all2 which were  as ridiculous as  
to quarrel with a body for stumbling in 
the dark2 with  one that is deaf1 for   
not doing as you bid him2 or with a     
school-boy  for loving his play better  
than his book4 ,democritus laughed1 and 

,heraclitus wept1 at the folly and      
wickedness of the world1 but we  never  
read of any angry philosopher4    ,this 
is undoubtedly the most detestable of   
vices1 even compared with  the worst of 
them4 ,avarice scrapes and gathers      
together that which  somebody may be the
 better for3 but anger lashes out1 and  
no man comes  off gratis4 ,an angry     
master makes one servant run away1 and  
another  hang himself2 and his choler   
causes him a much greater loss than he  
suffered in the occasion of it4 ,it is  
the cause of mourning to the  father1   
and of divorce to the husband3 it makes 
the magistrate odious1  and gives the   
candidate a repulse4 ,and it is worse   
than luxury too1  which only aims at its
 proper pleasure2 whereas the other is  
bent upon  another body's pain4    ,the 
malevolent and the envious content      
themselves only to wish  another man    
miserable2 but it is the business of    
anger to make him  so1 and to wreck the 
mischief itself2 not so much desiring   

the hurt  of another1 as to inflict it4 
,among the powerful1 it breaks out into 
open war1 and into a private one with   
the common people1 but without  force or
 arms4 ,it engages us in treacheries1   
perpetual troubles and  contentions3 it 
alters the very nature of a man1 and    
punishes itself in  the persecution of  
others4 ,humanity excites us to love1   
this to hatred2  that to be beneficial  
to others1 this to hurt them3 beside1   
that1  though it proceeds from too high 
a conceit of ourselves1 it is yet1 in   
effect1 but a narrow and contemptible   
affection2 especially when it  meets    
with a mind that is hard and            
impenetrable1 and returns the dart  upon
 the head of him that casts it4    ,to  
take a farther view1 now1 of the        
miserable consequences and  sanguinary  
effects of this hideous distemper2 from 
hence come  slaughters and poisons1     
wars1 and desolations1 the razing and   
burning  of cities2 the unpeopling of   
nations1 and the turning of populous    

countries into deserts1 public massacres
 and regicides2 princes led in  triumph2
 some murdered in their bed-chambers2   
others stabbed in the  senate or cut off
 in the security of their spectacles and
 pleasures4  ,some there are that take  
anger for a princely quality2 as        
,darius1  who1 in his expedition against
 the ,scythians1 being besought by a    
nobleman1 that had three sons1 that he  
would vouchsafe to accept  of two of    
them into his service1 and leave the    
third at home for a  comfort to his     
father4 8,i will do more for you than   
that10 says ,darius1  8for you shall    
have them all three again20 so he       
ordered them to be  slain before his    
face1 and left him their bodies4 ,but   
,xerxes dealt a  little better with     
,pythius1 who had five sons1 and desired
 only one of  them for himself4 ,xerxes 
bade him take his choice1 and he named  
the  eldest1 whom he immediately        
commanded to be cut in halves2 and one  
half of the body to be laid on each side

 of the way when his army was  to pass  
betwixt them2 undoubtedly a most        
auspicious sacrifice2 but he  came      
afterward to the end that he deserved2  
for he lived to see that  prodigious    
power scattered and broken3 and instead 
of military and  victorious troops1 to  
be encompassed with carcasses4 ,but     
these1 you  will say1 were only         
barbarous princes that knew neither     
civility nor  letters2 and these savage 
cruelties will be imputed perchance to  
their  rudeness of manners1 and want of 
discipline4 ,but what will you say then 
of ,alexander the ,great1 that was      
trained up under the institution of     
,aristotle himself1 and killed ,clytus1 
his favorite and schoolfellow1  with his
 own hand1 under his own roof1 and over 
the freedom of a  cup of wine8 ,and what
 was his crime8 ,he was loth to         
degenerate from a  ,macedonian liberty  
into a ,persian slavery2 that is to say1
 he could  not flatter4    ,lysimachus1 
another of his friends1 he exposed to a 

lion2 and this  very ,lysimachus1 after 
he had escaped this danger1 was never   
the more  merciful when he came to reign
 himself2 for he cut off the ears and   
nose of his friend ,telesphorous2 and   
when he had so disfigured him  that he  
had no longer the face of a man1 he     
threw him into a dungeon1  and there    
kept him to be showed for a monster1 as 
a strange sight4  ,the place was so low 
that he was fain to creep upon all      
fours1 and  his sides were galled too   
with the straitness of it4 ,in this     
misery  he lay half-famished in his own 
filth2 so odious1 so terrible1 and  so  
loathsome a spectacle1 that the horror  
of his condition had even  extinguished 
all pity for him4 8,nothing was ever so 
unlike a mar as the  poor wretch that   
suffered this1 saving the tyrant that   
acted it40    ,nor did this merciless   
hardness only exercise itself among     
foreigners1  but the fierceness of their
 outrages and punishments1 as well as   
their  vices1 brake in upon the ,romans4

 ,c4 ,marius1 that had his statue set up
  everywhere1 and was adored as a ,god1 
,l4 ,sylla commanded his bones to be    
broken1 his eyes to be pulled out1 his  
hands to be cut off2 and1 as if  every  
wound had been a several death1 his body
 to be torn to pieces1  and ,catiline   
was the executioner4 ,a cruelty that was
 only fit for  ,marius to suffer1 ,sylla
 to command1 and ,catiline to act2 but  
most  dishonorable and fatal to the     
commonwealth1 to fall indifferently upon
  the sword's point both of citizens and
 of enemies4    ,it was a severe        
instance1 that of ,piso too4 ,a soldier 
that had leave  to go abroad with his   
comrade1 came back to the camp at his   
time1  but without his companion4 ,piso 
condemned him to die1 as if he had      
killed him1 and appoints a centurion to 
see the execution4 ,just as the         
headsman was ready to do his office1 the
 other soldier appeared1 to the  great  
joy of the whole field1 and the         
centurion bade the executioner  hold his

 hand4 ,hereupon ,piso1 in a rage1      
mounts the tribunal1 and  sentences all 
three to death3 the one because he was  
condemned1  the other because it was for
 his sake that his fellow-soldier  was  
condemned1 the centurion for not obeying
 the order of his  superior4 ,an        
ingenious piece of inhumanity1 to       
contrive how to make  three criminals1  
where effectively there were none4      
,there was a ,persian king that caused  
the noses of a whole nation to  be cut  
off1 and they were to thank him that he 
spared their heads4  ,and this1 perhaps1
 would have been the fate of the        
,macrobii1 7if  ,providence had not     
hindered it17 for the freedom they used 
to ,cambyses'  ambassadors1 in not      
accepting the slavish terms that were   
offered  them4 ,this put ,cambyses into 
such a rage1 that he presently listed   
into his service every man that was able
 to bear arms2 and1 without  either     
provisions or guides1 marched           
immediately through dry and barren      

deserts1 and where never any man had    
passed before him1 to take his  revenge4
 ,before he was a third part of the way1
 his provisions failed  him4 ,his men1  
at first1 made shift with the buds of   
trees1 boiled  leather1 and the like2   
but soon after there was not so much as 
a root  or a plant to be gotten1 nor a  
living creature to be seen2 and then by 
lot every tenth man was to die for a    
nourishment to the rest1 which was      
still worse than the famine4 ,but yet   
this passionate king went on so  far1   
until one part of his army was lost1 and
 the other devoured1 and  until he      
feared that he himself might come to be 
served with the same  sauce4 ,so that at
 last he ordered a retreat1 wanting no  
delicates all  this while for himself1  
while his soldiers were taking their    
chance who  should die miserably1 or    
live worse4 ,here was an anger taken up 
against  a whole nation1 that neither   
deserved any ill from him1 nor was so   
much  as known to him4                  

,,chapter ,,vii4    ,,the ,,ordinary    
,,grounds ,,and ,,occasions ,,of        
,,anger4      ,in this wandering state  
of life we meet with many occasions of  
trouble  and displeasure1 both great and
 trivial2 and not a day passes but1 from
  men or things1 we have some cause or  
other for offense2 as a man must  expect
 to be jostled1 dashed1 and crowded1 in 
a populous city4 ,one  man deceives our 
expectation2 another delays it2 and a   
third crosses  it2 and if everything    
does not succeed to our wish1 we        
presently fall  out either with the     
person1 the business1 the place1 our    
fortune1 or  ourselves4 ,some men value 
themselves upon their wit1 and will     
never  forgive anyone that pretends to  
lessen it2 others are inflamed by wine3 
and some are distempered by sickness1   
weariness1 watchings1 love1 care1  etc4 
,some are prone to it1 by heat of       
constitution2 but moist1 dry1 and  cold 
complexions are more liable to other    
affections2 as suspicion1  despair1     

fear1 jealousy1 etc4 ,but most of our   
quarrels are of our own  contriving4    
,one while we suspect upon mistake2 and 
another while we  make a great matter of
 trifles4 ,to say the truth1 most of    
those things  that exasperate us are    
rather subjects of disgust than of      
mischief3  there is a large difference  
betwixt opposing a man's satisfaction   
and not assisting it3 betwixt taking    
away and not giving2 but we  reckon upon
 denying and deferring as the same      
thing2 and interpret  another's being   
for himself as if he were against us4   
,nay1 we do  many times entertain an ill
 opinion of well doing1 and a good one  
of  the contrary3 and we hate a man for 
doing that very thing which we  should  
hate him for on the other side1 if he   
did not do it4    ,we take it ill to be 
opposed when there is a father perhaps1 
a brother1  or a friend1 in the case    
against us2 when we should rather love a
  man for it2 and only wish that he     
could be honestly of our party4 ,we     

approve of the fact1 and detest the doer
 of it4 ,it is a base thing to  hate the
 person whom we cannot but commend2 but 
it is a great deal  worse yet if we hate
 him for the very thing that deserves   
commendation4  ,the things that we      
desire1 if they be such as cannot be    
given to one  without being taken away  
from another1 must needs set those      
people  together by the ears that desire
 the same thing4 ,one man has a design  
upon my mistress1 another upon mine     
inheritance2 and that which should  make
 friends makes enemies1 our being all of
 a mind4 ,the general cause  of anger is
 the sense or opinion of an injury2 that
 is1 the opinion  either of an injury   
simply done1 or of an injury done1 which
 we have  not deserved4 ,some are       
naturally given to anger1 others are    
provoked  to it by occasion2 the anger  
of women and children is commonly sharp1
  but not lasting3 old men are rather   
querulous and peevish4 ,hard labor1     
diseases1 anxiety of thought1 and       

whatsoever hurts the body or the  mind1 
disposes a man to be froward1 but we    
must not add fire to fire4    ,he that  
duly considers the subject-matter of all
 our controversies  and quarrels1 will  
find them low and mean1 not worth the   
thought of  a generous mind2 but the    
greatest noise of all is about money4   
,this  is it that sets fathers and      
children together by the ears1 husbands 
and wives2 and makes way for sword and  
poison4 ,this is it that tires  out     
courts of justice1 enrages princes1 and 
lays cities in the dust1  to seek for   
gold and silver in the ruins of them4   
,this is it that  finds work for the    
judge to determine which side is least  
in the  wrong2 and whose is the more    
plausible avarice1 the plaintiff's or   
the  defendant's4 ,and what is it that  
we contend for all this while1 but      
those baubles that make us cry when we  
should laugh8 ,to see a rich  old cuff1 
that has nobody to leave his estate to1 
break his heart  for a handful of dirt2 

and a gouty usurer1 that has no other   
use of  his fingers left him but to     
count withal2 to see him1 ,i say in the 
extremity of his fit1 wrangling for the 
odd money in his interest4 ,if  all that
 is precious in ,nature were gathered   
into one mass1 it were  not worth the   
trouble of a sober mind4 ,it were       
endless to run over all  those          
ridiculous passions that are moved about
 meats and drinks1 and  the matter of   
our luxury2 nay1 about words1 looks1    
actions1 jealousies1  mistakes1 which   
are all of them as contemptible         
fooleries as those very  baubles that   
children scratch and cry for4 ,there is 
nothing great or  serious in all that   
which we keep such a clutter about2 the 
madness  of it is1 that we set too great
 a value upon trifles4 ,one man flies   
out upon a salute1 a letter1 a speech1 a
 question1 a gesture1 a wink1  a look4  
,an action moves one man2 a word affects
 another2 one man is  tender of his     
family2 another of his person2 one sets 

up for an orator1  another for a        
philosopher3 this man will not bear     
pride1 nor that man  opposition4 ,he    
that plays the tyrant at home1 is gentle
 as a lamb  abroad4 ,some take offense  
if a man ask a favor of them1 and       
others1 if  he does not4 ,every man has 
his weak side2 let us learn which that  
is1  and take a care of it2 for the same
 thing does not work upon all men       
alike4 ,we are moved like beasts at the 
idle appearances of things1 and  the    
fiercer the creature1 the more is it    
startled4 ,the sight of a red  coat     
enrages a bull2 a shadow provokes the   
asp2 nay1 so unreasonable  are some men1
 that they take moderate benefits for   
injuries1 and  squabble about it with   
their nearest relations3 8,they have    
done this  and that for others10 they   
cry2 8and they might have dealt better  
with  us if they had pleased40 ,very    
good6 and if it be less than we looked  
for1 it may be yet more than we deserve4
 ,of all unquiet humors this  is the    

worst1 that will never suffer any man to
 be happy1 so long as  he sees a happier
 man than himself4 ,i have known some   
men so weak as  to think themselves     
contemned if a horse did but play the   
jade with  them1 that is yet obedient to
 another rider4 ,a brutal folly to be   
offended at a mute animal2 for no injury
 can be done us without the  concurrence
 of reason4 ,a beast may hurt us1 as a  
sword or a stone1 and  no otherwise4    
,nay1 there are that will complain of   
8foul weather1 a  raging sea1 a biting  
winter10 as if it were expressly        
directed to them2  and this they charge 
upon ,providence1 whose operations are  
all of them  so far from being          
injurious1 that they are beneficial to  
us4    ,how vain and idle are many of   
those things that make us stark mad6 ,a 
resty horse1 the overturning of a glass1
 the falling of a key1 the  dragging of 
a chair1 a jealousy1 a misconstruction4 
,how shall that  man endure the         
extremities of hunger and thirst that   

flies out into a  rage for putting of a 
little too much water in his wine8 ,what
 haste  is there to lay a servant by the
 heels1 or break a leg or an arm        
immediately for it1 as if he were not to
 have the same power over him  an hour  
after1 that he has at that instant8 ,the
 answer of a servant1 a  wife1 a tenant1
 puts some people out of all patience2  
and yet they can  quarrel with the      
government1 for not allowing them the   
same liberty in  public1 which they     
themselves deny to their own families4  
,if they say  nothing1 it is contumacy3 
if they speak or laugh1 it is insolence4
 ,as  if a man had his ears given him   
only for music2 whereas we must suffer  
all sorts of noises1 good and bad1 both 
of man and beast4 ,how idle  is it to   
start at the tinkling of a bell1 or the 
creaking of a door1  when1 for all this 
delicacy1 we must endure thunder6       
,neither are our  eyes less curious and 
fantastical than our ears4 ,when we are 
abroad1 we  can bear well enough with   

foul ways1 nasty streets1 noisome       
ditches2  but a spot upon a dish at     
home1 or an unswept hearth1 absolutely  
distracts us4 ,and what is the reason1  
but that we are patient in the  one     
place1 and fantastically peevish in the 
other8 ,nothing makes us  more          
intemperate than luxury1 that shrinks at
 every stroke1 and starts  at every     
shadow4 ,it is death to some to have    
another sit above them1  as if a body   
were ever the more or the less honest   
for the cushion4  ,but they are only    
weak creatures that think themselves    
wounded if they  be but touched4 ,one of
 the ,sybarites1 that saw a fellow hard 
at work a  digging1 desired him to give 
over1 for it made him weary to see him3 
and it was an ordinary complaint with   
him1 that 8he could take no  rest       
because the rose-leaves lay double under
 him40 ,when we are once  weakened with 
our pleasures1 everything grows         
intolerable4 ,and we are  angry as well 
with those things that cannot hurt us as

 with those that  do4 ,we tear a book   
because it is blotted2 and our clothes1 
because  they are not well made3 things 
that neither deserve our anger nor feel 
it3 the tailor1 perchance1 did his best1
 or1 however1 had no intent to          
displease us3 if so1 first1 why should  
we be angry at all8 ,secondly1  why     
should we be angry with the thing for   
the man's sake8 ,nay1 our  anger extends
 even to dogs1 horses1 and other beasts4
    ,it was a blasphemous and a sottish 
extravagance1 that of ,caius ,csar1  who
 challenged ,jupiter for making such a  
noise with his thunder1 that  he could  
not hear his mimics1 and so invented a  
machine in imitation  of it to oppose   
thunder to thunder2 a brutal conceit1 to
 imagine1  either that he could reach   
the ,almighty1 or that the ,almighty    
could not  reach him6    ,and every jot 
as ridiculous1 though not so impious1   
was that of ,cyrus2  who1 in his design 
upon ,babylon1 found a river in his way 
that put a  stop to his march3 the      

current was strong1 and carried away one
 of the  horses that belonged to his own
 chariot3 upon this he swore1 that since
  it had obstructed his passage1 it     
should never hinder any body's  else2   
and presently set his whole army to work
 upon it1 which diverted  it into a     
hundred and fourscore channels1 and laid
 it dry4 ,in this  ignoble and          
unprofitable employment he lost his     
time1 and the soldiers  their courage1  
and gave his adversaries an opportunity 
of providing  themselves1 while he was  
waging war with a river instead of an   
enemy4          ,,chapter ,,viii4       
,,advice ,,in ,,the ,,cases ,,of        
,,contumely ,,and ,,revenge4      ,of   
provocations to anger there are two     
sorts2 there is an injury1  and there is
 a contumely4 ,the former in its own    
nature is the  heavier2 the other slight
 in itself1 and only troublesome to a   
wounded  imagination4 ,and yet some     
there are that will bear blows1 and     
death  itself1 rather than contumelious 

words4 ,a contumely is an indignity     
below the consideration of the very law2
 and not worthy either of  a revenge1 or
 so much as a complaint4 ,it is only the
 vexation and  infirmity of a weak mind1
 as well as the practice of a haughty   
and  insolent nature1 and signifies no  
more to a wise and sober man than  an   
idle dream1 that is no sooner past than 
forgotten4 ,it is true1 it  implies     
contempt2 but what needs any man care   
for being contemptible  to others1 if he
 be not so to himself8 ,for a child in  
the arms to  strike the mother1 tear her
 hair1 claw the face of her1 and call   
her  names1 that goes for nothing with  
us1 because the child knows not what  he
 does4 ,neither are we moved at the     
impudence and bitterness of a  buffoon1 
though he fall upon his own master as   
well as the guests2  but1 on the        
contrary1 we encourage and entertain the
 freedom4    ,are we not mad then1 to be
 delighted and displeased with the same 
thing1 and to take that as an injury    

from one man1 which passes only  for a  
raillery from another8 ,he that is wise 
will behave himself  toward all men as  
we do to our children2 for they are but 
children  too1 though they have gray    
hairs3 they are indeed of a larger size1
  and their errors are grown up with    
them2 they live without rule1 they      
covet without choice1 they are timorous 
and unsteady2 and if at any  time they  
happen to be quiet1 it is more out of   
fear than reason4 ,it  is a wretched    
condition to stand in awe of everybody's
 tongue2 and  whosoever is vexed at a   
reproach would be proud if he were      
commended4  ,we should look upon        
contumelies1 slanders1 and ill words1   
only as the  clamor of enemies1 or      
arrows shot at a distance1 that make a  
clattering  upon our arms1 but do no    
execution4 ,a man makes himself less    
than his  adversary by fancying that he 
is contemned4 ,things are only ill that 
are ill taken2 and it is not for a man  
of worth to think himself better  or    

worse for the opinion of others4 ,he    
that thinks himself injured1 let  him   
say1 8,either ,i have deserved this1 or 
,i have not4 ,if ,i have1 it is  a      
judgment2 if ,i have not1 it is an      
injustice3 and the doer of it has  more 
reason to be ashamed than the           
sufferers40    ,nature has assigned     
every man his post1 which he is bound in
 honor to  maintain1 let him be never so
 much pressed4 ,diogenes was disputing  
of  anger1 and an insolent young fellow1
 to try if he could put him beside  his 
philosophy1 spit in his face3 8,young   
man10 says ,diogenes1 8this  does not   
make me angry yet2 but ,i am in some    
doubt whether ,i should be  so or not40 
,some are so impatient that they cannot 
bear a contumely1  even from a woman2   
whose very beauty1 greatness1 and       
ornaments1 are all  of them little      
enough to vindicate her from any        
indecencies1 without  much modesty and  
discretion2 nay1 they will lay it to    
heart even from  the meanest of         

servants4 ,how wretched is that man     
whose peace lies at  the mercy of the   
people8    ,a physician is not angry at 
the intemperance of a mad patient2 nor  
does  he take it ill to be railed at by 
a man in a fever2 just so should a  wise
 man treat all mankind as a physician   
does his patient2 and looking  upon them
 only as sick and extravagant1 let their
 words and actions1  whether good or    
bad1 go equally for nothing1 attending  
still his duty  even in the coarsest    
offices that may conduce to their       
recovery4 ,men  that are proud1 froward1
 and powerful1 he values their scorn as 
little  as their quality1 and looks upon
 them no otherwise than as people in    
the excess of a fever4 ,if a beggar     
worships him1 or if he takes no  notice 
of him1 it is all one to him2 and with a
 rich man he makes it  the same case4   
,their honors and their injuries he     
accounts much alike2  without rejoicing 
at the one1 or grieving at the other4   
,in these cases1 the rule is to pardon  

all offenses1 where there is any  sign  
of repentance1 or hope of amendment4 ,it
 does not hold in injuries  as in       
benefits1 the requiting of the one with 
the other2 for it is  a shame to        
overcome in the one1 and in the other to
 be overcome4 ,it  is the part of a     
great mind to despise injuries2 and it  
is one kind  of revenge to neglect a man
 as not worth it3 for it makes the first
  aggressor too considerable4 ,our      
philosophy1 methinks1 might carry us  up
 to the bravery of a generous mastiff1  
that can hear the barking of  a thousand
 curs without taking any notice of them4
 ,he that receives  an injury from his  
superior1 it is not enough for him to   
bear it with  patience1 and without any 
thought of revenge1 but he must receive 
it  with a cheerful countenance1 and    
look as if he did not understand it     
too2 for if he appear too sensible1 he  
shall be sure to have more of  it4 8,it 
is a damned humor in great men1 that    
whom they wrong they will  hate40    ,it

 is well answered of an old courtier1   
that was asked how he kept  so long in  
favor8 8,why10 says he1 8by receiving   
injuries1 and crying  your humble       
servant for them40 ,some men take it for
 an argument of  greatness to have      
revenge in their power2 but so far is he
 that is  under the dominion of anger   
from being great1 that he is not so much
  as free4 ,not but that anger is a kind
 of pleasure to some in the act  of     
revenge2 but the very word is inhuman1  
though it may pass for  honest4         
8,virtue10 in short1 8is impenetrable1  
and revenge is only the  confession of  
an infirmity40    ,it is a fantastical  
humor1 that the same jest in private    
should make us  merry1 and yet enrage us
 in public2 nay1 we will not allow the  
liberty  that we take4 ,some railleries 
we account pleasant1 others bitter3 a   
conceit upon a squint-eye1 a hunch-back1
 or any personal defect1  passes for a  
reproach4 ,and why may we not as well   
hear it as see it8  ,nay1 if a man      

imitates our gait1 speech1 or any       
natural imperfection1  it puts us out of
 all patience2 as if the counterfeit    
were more  grievous than the doing of   
the thing itself4 ,some cannot endure to
  hear of their age1 nor others of their
 poverty2 and they make the  thing the  
more taken notice of the more they      
desire to hide it4 ,some  bitter jest   
7for the purpose7 was broken upon you at
 the table3 keep  better company then4  
,in the freedom of cups1 a sober man    
will hardly  contain himself within     
bounds4 ,it sticks with us extremely    
sometimes1  that the porter will not let
 us in to his great master4 ,will any   
but a  madman quarrel with a cur for    
barking1 when he may pacify him with a  
crust8 ,what have we to do but to keep  
further off1 and laugh at him8  ,fidus  
,cornelius 7a tall slim fellow7 fell    
downright a-crying in the  senate-house 
at ,corbulo's saying that 8he looked    
like an ostrich40  ,he was a man that   
made nothing of a lash upon his life and

 manners2  but it was worse than death  
to him a reflection upon his person4 ,no
  man was ever ridiculous to others that
 laughed at himself first3 it  prevents 
mischief1 and it is a spiteful          
disappointment of those that  take      
pleasure in such abuses4 ,vatinius1 7a  
man that was made up for  scorn and     
hatred1 scurrilous and impudent to the  
highest degree1 but  most abusively     
witty and with all this he was diseased1
 and deformed to  extremity71 his way1  
was always to make sport with himself1  
and so he  prevented the mockeries of   
other people4 ,there are none more      
abusive  to others than they that lie   
most open to it themselves2 but the     
humor  goes round1 and he that laughs at
 me to-day will have somebody to laugh  
at him to-morrow1 and revenge my        
quarrel4 ,but1 however1 there are some  
liberties that will never go down with  
some men4    ,asiaticus ,valerius1 7one 
of ,caligula's particular friends1 and a
 man of  stomach1 that would not easily 

digest an affront7 ,caligula told him in
  public what kind of bedfellow his wife
 was4 ,good ,god6 that ever any man     
should hear this1 or a prince speak it1 
especially to a man of consular         
authority1 a friend1 and a husband3 and 
in such a manner too as at once  to own 
his disgust and his adultery4 ,the      
tribune ,chreas had a weak  broken      
voice1 like an hermaphrodite2 when he   
came to ,caligula for the  word1 he     
would give him sometimes ,venus1        
otherwhiles ,priapus1  as a slur upon   
him both ways4 ,valerius was afterwards 
the principal  instrument in the        
conspiracy against him2 and ,chreas1 to 
convince him  of his manhood1 at one    
blow cleft him down the chin with his   
sword4  ,no man was so forward as       
,caligula to break a jest1 and no man so
  unwilling to bear it4                 
,,chapter ,,ix4    ,,cautions ,,against 
,,anger ,,in ,,the ,,matter ,,of        
,,education1 ,,converse1 ,,and ,,other  
,,general ,,rules ,,of ,,preventing     

,,it1 ,,both ,,in ,,ourselves ,,and     
,,others4      ,all that we have to say 
in particular upon this subject lies    
under  these two heads3 first1 that we  
do not fall into anger2 and secondly1   
that we do not transgress in it4 ,as in 
the case of our bodies1 we  have some   
medicines to preserve us when we are    
well1 and others to  recover us when we 
are sick2 so it is one thing not to     
admit it1 and  another thing to overcome
 it4 ,we are1 in the first place1 to    
avoid all  provocations1 and the        
beginnings of anger3 for if we be once  
down1 it  is a hard task to get up      
again4 ,when our passion has got the    
better of  our reason1 and the enemy is 
received into the gate1 we cannot expect
  that the conqueror should take        
conditions from the prisoner4 ,and1 in  
truth1 our reason1 when it is thus      
mastered1 turns effectually into        
passion4 ,a careful education is a great
 matter2 for our minds are  easily      
formed in our youth1 but it is a harder 

business to cure ill  habits3 beside    
that1 we are inflamed by climate1       
constitution1 company1  and a thousand  
other accidents1 that we are not aware  
of4    ,the choice of a good nurse1 and 
a well-natured tutor1 goes a great  way3
 for the sweetness both of the blood and
 of the manners will  pass into the     
child4 ,there is nothing breeds anger   
more than a soft  and effeminate        
education2 and it is very seldom seen   
that either  the mother's or the        
school-master's darling ever comes to   
good4 ,but  my young master1 when he    
comes into the world1 behaves himself   
like a choleric coxcomb2 for flattery1  
and a great fortune1 nourish            
touchiness4 ,but it is a nice point so  
to check the seeds of anger in  a child 
as not to take off his edge1 and quench 
his spirits2 whereof  a principal care  
must be taken betwixt license and       
severity1 that he  be neither too much  
emboldened nor depressed4 ,commendation 
gives him  courage and confidence2 but  

then the danger is1 of blowing him up   
into insolence and wrath3 so that when  
to use the bit1 and when the  spur1 is  
the main difficulty4 ,never put him to a
 necessity of begging  anything basely3 
or if he does1 let him go without it4   
,inure him to  a familiarity where he   
has any emulation2 and in all his       
exercises  let him understand that it is
 generous to overcome his competitor1   
but not to hurt him4 ,allow him to be   
pleased when he does well1 but  not     
transported2 for that will puff him up  
into too high a conceit  of himself4    
,give him nothing that he cries for till
 the dogged fit  is over1 but then let  
him have it when he is quiet2 to show   
him that  there is nothing to be gotten 
by being peevish4 ,chide him for        
whatever  he does amiss1 and make him   
betimes acquainted with the fortune that
  he was born to4 ,let his diet be      
cleanly1 but sparing2 and clothe him    
like the rest of his fellows3 for by    
placing him upon that equality at       

first1 he will be the less proud        
afterward3 and1 consequently the less   
waspish and quarrelsome4    ,in the next
 place1 let us have a care of           
temptations that we cannot  resist1 and 
provocations that we cannot bear2 and   
especially of sour  and exceptious      
company3 for a cross humor is           
contagious4 ,nor is it all  that a man  
shall be the better for the example of a
 quiet conversation2  but an angry      
disposition is troublesome1 because it  
has nothing else to  work upon4 ,we     
should therefore choose a sincere1 easy1
 and temperate  companion1 that will    
neither provoke anger nor return it2 nor
 give a  man any occasion of exercising 
his distempers4 ,nor is it enough to be 
gentle1 submissive1 and humane1 without 
integrity and plain-dealing2  for       
flattery is as offensive on the other   
side4 ,some men would take a  curse from
 you better than a compliment4 ,clius1 a
 passionate orator1  had a friend of    
singular patience that supped with him1 

who had no  way to avoid a quarrel but  
by saying amen to all that ,clius said4 
,clius1 taking this ill3 8,say something
 against me10 says he1 8that you  and ,i
 may be two20 and he was angry with him 
because he would not3 but  the dispute  
fell1 as it needs must1 for want of an  
opponent4    ,he that is naturally      
addicted to anger1 let him use a        
moderate diet1  and abstain from wine2  
for it is but adding fire to fire4      
,gentle  exercises1 recreations1 and    
sports1 temper and sweeten the mind4    
,let  him have a care also of long and  
obstinate disputes2 for it is easier    
not to begin them than to put an end to 
them4 ,severe studies are not  good for 
him either1 as law1 mathematics2 too    
much attention preys  upon the spirits1 
and makes him eager3 but poetry1 history
 and  those lighter entertainments1 may 
serve him for diversion and relief4  ,he
 that would be quiet1 must not venture  
at things out of his reach1  or beyond  
his strength2 for he shall either       

stagger under the burden1  or discharge 
it upon the next man he meets2 which is 
the same case in  civil and domestic    
affairs4 ,business that is ready and    
practicable  goes off with ease2 but    
when it is too heavy for the bearer1    
they fall  both together4 ,whatsoever we
 design1 we should first take a measure 
of  ourselves1 and compare our force    
with the undertaking2 for it vexes  a   
man not to go through with his work3 a  
repulse inflames a generous  nature1 as 
it makes one that is phlegmatic1 sad4 ,i
 have known  some that have advised     
looking in a glass when a man is in the 
fit1  and the very spectacle of his own 
deformity has cured him4 ,many that  are
 troublesome in their drink1 and know   
their own infirmity1 give  their servant
 order beforehand to take them away by  
force for fear  of mischief1 and not to 
obey their masters themselves when they 
are  hot-headed4 ,if the thing were duly
 considered we should need no other     
cure than the bare consideration of it4 

,we are not angry at madmen1  children1 
and fools1 because they do not know what
 they do3 and why  should not imprudence
 have an equal privilege in other cases8
 ,if a  horse kick1 or a dog bite1 shall
 a man kick or bite again8 ,the one1  it
 is true1 is wholly void of reason1 but 
it is also an equivalent  darkness of   
mind that possesses the other4 ,so long 
as we are among  men1 let us cherish    
humanity1 and so live that no man may be
 either in  fear or in danger of us4    
,losses1 injuries1 reproaches1          
calumnies1 they  are but short          
inconveniences1 and we should bear them 
with resolution4  ,beside that1 some    
people are above our anger1 others below
 it4 ,to  contend with our superiors    
were a folly1 and with our inferiors an 
indignity4    ,there is hardly a more   
effectual remedy against anger than     
patience  and consideration4 ,let but   
the first fervor abate1 and that mist   
which  darkens the mind will be either  
lessened or dispelled2 a day1 nay1  an  

hour1 does much in the most violent     
cases1 and perchance totally  suppresses
 it2 time discovers the truth of things1
 and turns that  into judgment which at 
first was anger4 ,plato was about to    
strike his  servant1 and while his hand 
was in the air1 he checked himself1 but 
still held it in that menacing posture4 
,a friend of his took notice of  it1 and
 asked him what he meant8 8,i am now10  
says ,plato1 8punishing of  an angry    
man20 so that he had left his servant to
 chastise himself4  ,another time his   
servant having committed a great fault3 
8,speusippus10  says he1 8do you beat   
that fellow1 for ,i am angry10 so that  
he forebore  striking him for the very  
reason that would have made another man 
have  done it4 8,i am angry10 says he1  
8and shall go further than becomes me40 
,nor is it fit that a servant should be 
in his power that is not his  own       
master4 ,why should any one venture now 
to trust an angry man with  a revenge1  
when ,plato durst not trust himself8    

,either he must govern  that1 or that   
will undo him4 ,let us do our best to   
overcome it1 but let  us1 however1 keep 
it close1 without giving it any vent4   
,an angry man1  if he gives himself     
liberty at all times1 will go too far4  
,if it comes  once to show itself in the
 eye or countenance1 it has got the     
better  of us4 ,nay1 we should so oppose
 it as to put on the very contrary      
dispositions2 calm looks1 soft and slow 
speech1 an easy and deliberate  march1  
and by little and little1 we may        
possibly bring our thoughts  into sober 
conformity with our actions4 ,when      
,socrates was angry1 he  would take     
himself in it1 and speak low1 in        
opposition to the motions  of his       
displeasure4 ,his friends would take    
notice of it2 and it was  not to his    
disadvantage neither1 but rather to his 
credit1 that so  many should know that  
he was angry1 and nobody feel it2 which 
could not have been1 if he had not given
 his friends the same liberty  of       

admonition which he himself took4 ,and  
this course should we take2  we should  
desire our friends not to flatter us in 
our follies1 but to  treat us with all  
liberties of reprehension1 even when we 
are least  willing to bear it1 against  
so powerful and so insinuating an evil2 
we should call for help while we have   
our eyes in our head1 and are  yet      
masters of ourselves4 ,moderation is    
profitable for subjects1 but  more for  
princes1 who have the means of executing
 all that their anger  prompts them to4 
,when that power comes once to be       
exercised to a common  mischief1 it can 
never long continue2 a common fear      
joining in one  cause all their divided 
complaints4 ,in a word now1 how we may  
prevent1  moderate1 or master this      
impotent passion in others4    ,it is   
not enough to be sound ourselves1 unless
 we endeavor to make  others so1 wherein
 we must accommodate the remedy to the  
temper of the  patient4 ,some are to be 
dealt with by artifice and address3 as1 

for  example1 8,why will you gratify    
your enemies to show yourself so much   
concerned8 ,it is not worth your anger3 
it is below you3 ,i am as much  troubled
 at it myself as you can be2 but you had
 better say nothing1  and take your time
 to be even with them40 ,anger in some  
people is to be  openly opposed2 in     
others1 there must be a little yielding1
 according  to the disposition of the   
person4 ,some are won by entreaties1    
others  are gained by mere shame and    
conviction1 and some by delay2 a dull   
way  of cure for a violent distemper1   
but this must be the last experiment4   
,other affections may be better dealt   
with at leisure2 for they proceed       
gradually3 but this commences and       
perfects itself in the same moment4  ,it
 does not1 like other passions1 solicit 
and mislead us1 but it runs  away with  
us by force1 and hurries us on with an  
irresistible temerity1  as well to our  
own as to another's ruin3 not only      
flying in the face  of him that provokes

 us1 but like a torrent1 bearing down   
all before  it4 ,there is no            
encountering the first heat and fury of 
it3 for it is  deaf and mad1 the best   
way is 7in the beginning7 to give it    
time and  rest1 and let it spend itself3
 while the passion is too hot to handle1
  we may deceive it2 but1 however1 let  
all instruments of revenge be  put out  
of the way4 ,it is not amiss sometimes  
to pretend to be angry  too2 and join   
with him1 not only in the opinion of the
 injury1 but in  the seeming contrivance
 of a revenge4 ,but this must be a      
person then  that has some authority    
over him4 ,this is a way to get time1   
and1 by  advising upon some greater     
punishment to delay the present4 ,if the
  passion be outrageous1 try what shame 
or fear can do4 ,if weak1 it is no  hard
 matter to amuse it by strange stories1 
grateful news1 or pleasant  discourses4 
,deceit1 in this case1 is friendship2   
for men must be  cozened to be cured4   
,the injuries that press hardest upon us

 are those which either we  have not    
deserved1 or not expected1 or1 at least1
 not in so high a  degree4 ,this arises 
from the love of ourselves3 for every   
man takes  upon him1 like a prince1 in  
this case1 to practice all liberties1   
and  to allow none1 which proceeds      
either from ignorance or insolence4     
,what  news is it for people to do ill  
things8 for an enemy to hurt us2 nay1   
for a friend or a servant to transgress1
 and to prove treacherous1  ungrateful1 
covetous1 impious8 ,what we find in one 
man we may in  another1 and there is    
more security in fortune than in men4   
,our joys  are mingled with fear1 and a 
tempest may arise out of a calm2 but a  
skilful pilot is always provided for it4
          ,,chapter ,x4    ,,against    
,,rash ,,judgment4      ,it is good for 
every man to fortify himself on his weak
 side3 and  if he loves his peace he    
must not be inquisitive1 and hearken to 
tale-bearers2 for the man that is       
over-curious to hear and see            

everything1 multiplies troubles to      
himself3 for a man does not  feel what  
he does not know4 ,he that is listening 
after private  discourse1 and what      
people say of him1 shall never be at    
peace4 ,how  many things that are       
innocent in themselves are made injuries
 yet by  misconstruction6 ,wherefore1   
some things we are to pause upon1 others
 to  laugh at1 and others again to      
pardon4 ,or1 if we cannot avoid the     
sense  of indignities1 let us however   
shun the open profession of it1 which   
may easily be done1 as appears by many  
examples of those that have  suppressed 
their anger under the awe of a greater  
fear4 ,it is a good  caution not to     
believe any thing until we are very     
certain of it2 for  many probable things
 prove false1 and a short time will make
 evidence  of the undoubted truth4 ,we  
are prone to believe many things which  
we are willing to hear1 and so we       
conclude1 and take up a prejudice       
before we can judge4 ,never condemn a   

friend unheard2 or without letting  him 
know his accuser1 or his crime4 ,it is a
 common thing to say1 8,do  not you tell
 that you had it from me3 for if you do1
 ,i will deny  it1 and never tell you   
any thing again30 by which means friends
 are  set together by the ears1 and the 
informer slips his neck out of the      
collar4 ,admit no stories upon these    
terms3 for it is an unjust thing  to    
believe in private and to be angry      
openly4 ,he that delivers himself  up to
 guess and conjecture runs a great      
hazard2 for there can be no  suspicion  
without some probable grounds2 so that  
without much candor  and simplicity1 and
 making the best of every thing1 there  
is no living  in society with mankind4  
,some things that offend us we have by  
report2  others we see or hear4 ,in the 
first case1 let us not be too credulous3
  some people frame stories that they   
may deceive us2 others only tell  what  
they hear1 and are deceived themselves3 
some make it their sport  to do ill     

offices1 others do them only to pick a  
thank3 there are some  that would part  
the dearest friends in the world2 others
 love to do  mischief1 and stand aloof  
off to see what comes of it4 ,if it be a
 small  matter1 ,i would have witnesses2
 but if it be a greater1 ,i would have  
it upon oath1 and allow time to the     
accused1 and counsel too1 and hear  over
 and over again4    ,in those cases     
where we ourselves are witnesses1 we    
should take into  consideration all the 
circumstances4 ,if a child1 it was      
ignorance3  if a woman1 a mistake3 if   
done by command a necessity2 if a  man  
be injured1 it is but quod pro quo3 if a
 judge1 he knows  what he does3 if a    
prince1 ,i must submit2 either if       
guilty1 to  justice1 or if innocent1 to 
fortune3 if a brute1 ,i make myself  one
 by imitating it3 if a calamity or      
disease1 my best relief  is patience3 if
 providence1 it is both impious and vain
 to  be angry at it3 if a good man1 ,i  
will make the best of it3 if  a bad1 ,i 

will never wonder at it4 ,nor is it only
 by tales and  stories that we are      
inflamed1 but suspicions1 countenances1 
nay1  a look or a smile1 is enough to   
blow us up4 ,in these cases1 let us     
suspend our displeasure1 and plead the  
cause of the absent4 8,perhaps  he is   
innocent2 or1 if not1 ,i have time to   
consider of it and may take  my revenge 
at leisure30 but when it is once        
executed it is not to  be recalled4 ,a  
jealous head is apt to take that to     
himself which  was never meant him4 ,let
 us therefore trust to nothing but what 
we  see1 and chide ourselves where we   
are over-credulous4 ,by this course  we 
shall not be so easily imposed upon1 nor
 put to trouble ourselves  about things 
not worth the while3 as the loitering of
 a servant upon an  errand1 and the     
tumbling of a bed1 or the spilling of a 
glass of drink4    ,it is a madness to  
be disordered at these fooleries2 we    
consider the  thing done1 and not the   
doer of it4 8,it may be he did it       

unwillingly1  or by chance4 ,it was a   
trick put upon him1 or he was forced to 
it4 ,he  did it for reward perhaps1 not 
hatred2 nor of his own accord1 but he   
was urged on to it40 ,nay1 some regard  
must be had to the age of the  person1  
or to fortune2 and we must consult      
humanity and candor in the  case4 ,one  
does me a great mischief at unawares2   
another does me a  very small one by    
design1 or peradventure none at all1 but
 intended  me one4 ,the latter was more 
in fault1 but ,i will be angry with     
neither4  ,we must distinguish betwixt  
what a man cannot do and what he will   
not4  8,it is true he has once offended 
me2 but how often has he pleased me6    
,he has offended me often1 and in other 
kinds2 and why should not ,i bear  it as
 well now as ,i have done80 ,is he my   
friend8 why then1 8,it was  against his 
will40 ,is he my enemy8 ,it is 8no more 
than ,i looked for40  ,let us give way  
to wise men1 and not squabble with      
fools2 and say thus  to ourselves1 8,we 

have all of us our errors40 ,no man is  
so circumspect1  so considerate1 or so  
fearful of offending1 but he has much to
 answer  for4    ,a generous prisoner   
cannot immediately comply with all the  
sordid and  laborious offices of a      
slave4 ,a footman that is not breathed  
cannot  keep pace with his master's     
horse4 ,he that is over-watched may be  
allowed to be drowsy4 ,all these things 
are to be weighed before we give  any   
ear to the first impulse4 ,if it be my  
duty to love my country1  ,i must be    
kind also to my countrymen2 if a        
veneration be due to the  whole1 so is a
 piety also to the parts3 and it is the 
common interest  to preserve them4 ,we  
are all members of one body1 and it is  
as natural  to help one another as for  
the hands to help the feet1 or the eyes 
the  hands4 ,without the love and care  
of the parts1 the whole can never  be   
preserved1 and we must spare one another
 because we are born for  society1 which
 cannot be maintained without a regard  

to particulars4  ,let this be a rule to 
us1 never to deny a pardon1 that does no
 hurt  either to the giver or receiver4 
,that may be well enough in one which   
is ill in another2 and therefore we are 
not to condemn anything that is  common 
to a nation2 for custom defends it4 ,but
 much more pardonable are  those things 
which are common to mankind4    ,it is a
 kind of spiteful comfort1 that whoever 
does me an injury may  receive one2 and 
that there is a power over him that is  
above me4 ,a man  should stand as firm  
against all indignities as a rock does  
against  the waves4 ,as it is some      
satisfaction to a man in a mean         
condition  that there is no security in 
a more prosperous2 and as the loss of  a
 son in a corner is borne with more     
patience upon the sight of a  funeral   
carried out of a palace2 so are injuries
 and contempts the more  tolerable from 
a meaner person1 when we consider1 that 
the greatest  men and fortunes are not  
exempt4 ,the wisest also of mortals have

 their  failings1 and no man living is  
without the same excuse4 ,the difference
  is1 that we do not all of us          
transgress the same way2 but we are     
obliged in humanity to bear one with    
another4    ,we should1 every one of us1
 bethink ourselves1 how remiss we have  
been in our duties1 how immodest in our 
discourses1 how intemperate  in our     
cups2 and why not1 as well1 how         
extravagant we have been in  our        
passions8 ,let us clear ourselves of    
this evil1 purge our minds1  and utterly
 root out all those vices1 which upon   
leaving the least  sting1 will grow     
again and recover4 ,we must think of    
everything1 expect  everything1 that we 
may not be surprised4 ,it is a shame1   
says ,fabius1  for a commander to excuse
 himself by saying1 8,i was not aware of
 it40          ,,chapter ,,xi4    ,,take
 ,,nothing ,,ill ,,from ,,another ,,man1
 ,,until ,,you ,,have ,,made ,,it ,,your
 ,,own ,,case4      ,it is not prudent  
to deny a pardon to any man1 without    

first examining  if we stand not in need
 of it ourselves2 for it may be our lot 
to ask  it1 even at his feet to whom we 
refuse it4 ,but we are willing enough to
  do what we are very unwilling to      
suffer4 ,it is unreasonable to charge   
public vices upon particular persons2   
for we are all of us wicked1  and that  
which we blame in others we find in     
ourselves4 ,it is not a  paleness in    
one1 or a leanness in another1 but a    
pestilence that has  laid hold upon all4
    ,it is a wicked world1 and we make  
part of it2 and the way to be quiet  is 
to bear one with another4 8,such a man10
 we cry1 8has done me a  shrewd turn1   
and ,i never did him any hurt40 ,well1  
but it may be ,i have  mischieved other 
people1 or at least1 ,i may live to do  
as much to him  as that comes to4 8,such
 a one has spoken ill things of me20 but
 if ,i  first speak ill of him1 as ,i do
 of many others1 this is not an injury1 
but a repayment4 ,what if he did        
overshoot himself8 ,he was loth to lose 

his conceit perhaps1 but there was no   
malice in it2 and if he had  not done me
 a mischief1 he must have done himself  
one4 ,how many good  offices are there  
that look like injuries6 ,nay1 how many 
have been  reconciled and good friends  
after a professed hatred6    ,before we 
lay anything to heart1 let us ask       
ourselves if we have not  done the same 
thing to others4 ,but where shall we    
find an equal judge8  ,he that loves    
another man's wife 7only because she is 
another's7 will  not suffer his own to  
be so much looked upon4 ,no man is so   
fierce  against calumny as the evil     
speaker2 none so strict exactors of     
modesty  in a servant as those that are 
most prodigal of their own4 ,we carry   
our  neighbors' crimes in sight1 and we 
throw our own over our shoulders4  ,the 
intemperance of a bad son is chastised  
by a worse father2 and the  luxury that 
we punish in others1 we allow to        
ourselves4 ,the tyrant  exclaims against
 homicide2 and sacrilege against theft4 

,we are angry  with the persons1 but not
 with the faults4    ,some things there 
are that cannot hurt us1 and others will
 not2 as good  magistrates1 parents1    
tutors1 judges2 whose reproof or        
correction we  are to take as we do     
abstinence1 bleeding1 and other uneasy  
things1  which we are the better for1 in
 which cases1 we are not so much to     
reckon upon what we suffer as upon what 
we have done4 8,i take it ill10  says   
one2 and1 8,i have done nothing10 says  
another3 when1 at the same  time1 we    
make it worse1 by adding arrogance and  
contumacy to our first  error4 ,we cry  
out presently1 8,what law have we       
transgressed80 ,as if the  letter of the
 law were the sum of our duty1 and that 
piety1 humanity1  liberality1 justice1  
and faith1 were things beside our       
business4 ,no1  no2 the rule of human   
duty is of a greater latitude2 and we   
have many  obligations upon us that are 
not to be found in the statute-books4   
,and yet we fall short of the exactness 

event of that legal  innocency4 ,we have
 intended one thing and done another2   
wherein only  the want of success has   
kept us from being criminals4 ,this very
 thing1  methinks1 should make us more  
favorable to delinquents1 and to forgive
  not only ourselves1 but the gods too2 
of whom we seem to have harder  thoughts
 in taking that to be a particular evil 
directed to us1 that  befalls us only by
 the common law of mortality4 ,in fine1 
no man living  can absolve himself to   
his conscience1 though to the world1    
perhaps1 he  may4 ,it is true1 that we  
are also condemned to pains and         
diseases1 and  to death too1 which is no
 more than the quitting of the soul's   
house4  ,but why should any man complain
 of bondage1 that1 wheresoever he looks1
  has his way open to liberty8 ,that    
precipice1 that sea1 that river1 that   
well1 there is freedom in the bottom of 
it4 ,it hangs upon every crooked  bow2  
and not only a man's throat1 or his     
heart1 but every vein in his  body1     

opens a passage to it4    ,to conclude1 
where my proper virtue fails me1 ,i will
 have recourse to  examples1 and say to 
myself1 ,am ,i greater than ,philip or  
,augustus1 who  both of them put up with
 greater reproaches8 ,many have pardoned
 their  enemies1 and shall not ,i       
forgive a neglect1 a little freedom of  
the  tongue8 ,nay1 the patience but of a
 second thought does the business3  for 
though the first shock be violent2 take 
it in parts1 and it is  subdued4 ,and1  
to wind up all in one word1 the great   
lesson of mankind1  as well in this as  
in all other cases1 is1 8to do as we    
would be done  by40          ,,chapter  
,,xii4    ,,of ,,cruelty4      ,there is
 so near an affinity betwixt anger and  
cruelty1 that many  people confound     
them2 as if cruelty were only the       
execution of  anger in the payment of a 
revenge3 which holds in some cases1  but
 not in others4 ,there are a sort of men
 that take delight in the  spilling of  
human blood1 and in the death of those  

that never did them  any injury1 nor    
were ever so much suspected for it2 as  
,apollodorus1  ,phalaris1 ,sinis1       
,procrustus1 and others1 that burnt men 
alive2 whom  we cannot so properly call 
angry as brutal1 for anger does         
necessarily presuppose an injury1 either
 done1 or conceived1 or  feared1 but the
 other takes pleasure in tormenting1    
without so  much as pretending any      
provocation to it1 and kills merely for 
killing sake4 ,the original of this     
cruelty perhaps was anger1  which by    
frequent exercise and custom1 has lost  
all sense of  humanity and mercy1 and   
they that are thus affected are so far  
from the countenance and appearance of  
men in anger1 that they will  laugh1    
rejoice1 and entertain themselves with  
the most horrid  spectacles1 as racks1  
jails1 gibbets1 several sorts of chains 
and punishments1 dilaceration of        
members1 stigmatizing1 and  wild beasts1
 with other exquisite inventions of     
torture2 and yet1 at  last the cruelty  

itself is more horrid and odious than   
the means by  which it works4 ,it is a  
bestial madness to love mischief2       
beside1  that it is womanish to rage and
 tear4 ,a generous beast will scorn  to 
do it when he has any thing at his      
mercy4 ,it is a vice for wolves  and    
tigers1 and no less abominable to the   
world than dangerous to  itself4    ,the
 ,romans had their morning and their    
meridian spectacles4 ,in  the former1   
they had their combats of men with wild 
beasts2 and  in the latter1 the men     
fought one with another4 8,i went10 says
  our author1 8the other day to the     
meridian spectacles1 in hope of  meeting
 somewhat of mirth and diversion to     
sweeten the humors of those  that had   
been entertained with blood in the      
morning2 but it proved  otherwise1 for1 
compared with this inhumanity1 the      
former was a mercy4  ,the whole business
 was only murder upon murder3 the       
combatants fought  naked1 and every blow
 was a wound4 ,they do not contend for  

victory1  but for death2 and he that    
kills one man is to be killed by        
another4  ,by wounds they are forced    
upon wounds which they take and give    
upon  their bare breasts4 ,burn that    
rogue1 they cry ,what6 ,is he afraid  of
 his flesh8 ,do but see how sneakingly  
that rascal dies4 ,look to  yourselves1 
my masters1 and consider of it3 who     
knows but this may come  to be your own 
case80 ,wicked examples seldom fail of  
coming home at  last to the authors4 ,to
 destroy a single man may be dangerous2 
but  to murder whole nations is only a  
more glorious wickedness4 ,private      
avarice and rigor are condemned1 but    
oppression1 when it comes to  be        
authorized by an act of state1 and to be
 publicly commanded1  though            
particularly forbidden1 becomes a point 
of dignity and  honor4 ,what a shame is 
it for men to interworry one another1   
when  yet the fiercest even of beasts   
are at peace with those of their own    
kind8 ,this brutal fury puts philosophy 

itself to a stand4 ,the drunkard1  the  
glutton1 the covetous1 may be reduced2  
nay1 and the mischief of  it is that no 
vice keeps itself within its proper     
bounds4 ,luxury runs  into avarice1 and 
when the reverence of virtue is         
extinguished1 men  will stick at nothing
 that carries profit along with it2     
man's blood is  shed in wantonness--his 
death is a spectacle for entertainment1 
and his  groans are music4 ,when        
,alexander delivered up ,lysimachus to a
 lion1 how  glad would he have been to  
have had nails and teeth to have        
devoured  him himself3 it would have too
 much derogated1 he thought1 from the   
dignity of his wrath1 to have appointed 
a man for the execution of  his friend4 
,private cruelties1 it is true1 cannot  
do much mischief1 but  in princes they  
are a war against mankind4    ,c4 ,csar 
would commonly1 for exercise and        
pleasure1 put senators  and ,roman      
knights to the torture2 and whip several
 of them like  slaves1 or put them to   

death with the most acute torments1     
merely for the satisfaction of his      
cruelty4 ,that ,csar that 8wished  the  
people of ,rome had but one neck1 that  
he might cut it off at one  blow20--it  
was the employment1 the study1 and the  
joy of his life4 ,he  would not so much 
as give the expiring leave to groan1 but
 caused their  mouths to be stopped with
 sponges1 or for want of them1 with rags
 of  their own clothes1 that they might 
not breathe out so much as their  last  
agonies at liberty2 or1 perhaps1 lest   
the tormented should speak  something   
which the tormentor had no mind to hear4
 ,nay1 he was so  impatient of delay1   
that he would frequently rise from      
supper to have  men killed by           
torch-light1 as if his life and death   
had depended  upon their dispatch before
 the next morning2 to say nothing how   
many  fathers were put to death in the  
same night with their sons 7which  was a
 kind of mercy in the prevention of     
their mourning74 ,and was not  ,sylla's 

cruelty prodigious too1 which was only  
stopped for want of  enemies8 ,he caused
 seven thousand citizens of ,rome to be 
slaughtered  at once2 and some of the   
senators being startled at their cries  
that  were heard in the senate-house1   
8,let us mind our business10 says       
,sylla2 8this is nothing but a few      
mutineers that ,i have ordered to be    
sent out of the way40 ,a glorious       
spectacle6 says ,hannibal1 when he  saw 
the trenches flowing with human blood2  
and if the rivers had run  blood too1 he
 would have liked it so much the better4
    ,among the famous and detestable    
speeches that are committed to memory1  
,i know none worse than that impudent   
and tyrannical maxim1 8,let them  hate  
me1 so they fear me20 not considering   
that those that are kept  in obedience  
by fear1 are both malicious and         
mercenary1 and only wait  for an        
opportunity to change their master4     
,beside that1 whosoever is  terrible to 
others is likewise afraid of himself4   

,what is more ordinary  than for a      
tyrant to be destroyed by his own       
guards8 which is no more  than the      
putting those crimes into practice which
 they learned of  their masters4 ,how   
many slaves have revenged themselves of 
their cruel  oppressors1 though they    
were sure to die for it6 but when it    
comes  once to a popular tyranny1 whole 
nations conspire against it4 ,for       
8whosoever threatens all1 is in danger  
of all10 over and above1 that  the      
cruelty of the prince increases the     
number of his enemies1 by  destroying   
some of them2 for it entails an         
hereditary hatred upon the  friends and 
relations of those that are taken away4 
,and then it has  this misfortune1 that 
a man must be wicked upon necessity2 for
 there  is no going back2 so that he    
must betake himself to arms1 and yet he 
lives in fear4 ,he can neither trust to 
the faith of his friends1 nor  to the   
piety of his children2 he both dreads   
death and wishes it2 and  becomes a     

greater terror to himself than he is to 
his people4 ,nay1 if  there were nothing
 else to make cruelty detestable1 it    
were enough that  it passes all bounds1 
both of custom and humanity2 and is     
followed upon  the heel with sword or   
poison4 ,a private malice indeed does   
not move  whole cities2 but that which  
extends to all is every body's mark4    
,one  sick person gives no great        
disturbance in a family2 but when it    
comes  to a depopulating plague1 all    
people fly from it4 ,and why should a   
prince expect any man to be good whom he
 has taught to be wicked8    ,but what  
if it were safe to be cruel8 ,were it   
not still a sad  thing1 the very state  
of such a government8 ,a government that
  bears the image of a taken city1 where
 there is nothing but  sorrow1 trouble1 
and confusion4 ,men dare not so much as 
trust  themselves with their friends or 
with their pleasures4 ,there is not any 
entertainment so innocent but it affords
 pretence of crime and danger4  ,people 

are betrayed at their tables and in     
their cups1 and drawn  from the very    
theatre to the prison4 ,how horrid a    
madness is it  to be still raging and   
killing2 to have the rattling of chains 
always in our ears2 bloody spectacles   
before our eyes2 and to carry  terror   
and dismay wherever we go6 ,if we had   
lions and serpents1  to rule over us1   
this would be the manner of their       
government1  saving that they agree     
better among themselves4 ,it passes for 
a mark  of greatness to burn cities1 and
 lay whole kingdoms waste2 nor is it    
for the honor of a prince1 to appoint   
this or that single man to be  killed1  
unless they have whole troops1 or       
7sometimes7 legions1 to  work upon4 ,but
 it is not the spoils of war and bloody 
trophies that  make a prince glorious1  
but the divine power of preserving unity
  and peace4 ,ruin without distinction  
is more properly the business  of a     
general deluge1 or a conflagration4     
,neither does a fierce  and inexorable  

anger become the supreme magistrate2    
8,greatness of  mind is always meek and 
humble2 but cruelty is a note and an    
effect of  weakness1 and brings down a  
governor to the level of a competitor40 
,,seneca ,,of ,,clemency4      ,the     
humanity and excellence of this virtue  
is confessed at all hands1  as well by  
the men of pleasure1 and those that     
think every man was  made for himself1  
as by the ,stoics1 that make 8man a     
sociable creature1  and born for the    
common good of mankind30 for it is of   
all dispositions  the most peaceable and
 quiet4 ,but before we enter any farther
 upon  the discourse1 it should be first
 known what clemency is1 that we may    
distinguish it from pity2 which is a    
weakness1 though many times  mistaken   
for a virtue3 and the next thing will   
be1 to bring the mind  to the habit and 
exercise of it4    8,clemency is a      
favorable disposition of the mind1 in   
the matter of  inflicting punishment2   
or1 a moderation that remits somewhat of

 the  penalty incurred2 as pardon is the
 total remission of a deserved          
punishment40 ,we must be careful not to 
confound clemency with  pity2 for as    
religion worships ,god1 and superstition
 profanes  that worship2 so should we   
distinguish betwixt clemency and pity2  
practicing the one1 and avoiding the    
other4 ,for pity proceeds  from a       
narrowness of mind1 that respects rather
 the fortune than  the cause4 ,it is a  
kind of moral sickness1 contracted from 
other  people's misfortune3 such another
 weakness as laughing or yawning for    
company1 or as that of sick eyes that   
cannot look upon others that are        
bleared without dropping themselves4 ,i 
will give a shipwrecked man a  plank1 a 
lodging to a stranger1 or a piece of    
money to him that wants  it3 ,i will dry
 up the tears of my friend1 yet ,i will 
not weep with him1  but treat him with  
constancy and humanity1 as one man ought
 to treat  another4    ,it is objected  
by some1 that clemency is an            

insignificant virtue2 and  that only the
 bad are the better for it1 for the good
 have no need of  it4 ,but in the first 
place1 as physic is in use only among   
the sick1  and yet in honor with the    
sound1 so the innocent have a reverence 
for clemency1 though criminals are      
properly the objects of it4 ,and  then  
again1 a man may be innocent1 and yet   
have occasion for it too2  for by the   
accidents of fortune1 or the condition  
of times1 virtue  itself may come to be 
in danger4 ,consider the most populous  
city or  nation2 what a solitude would  
it be if none should be left there but  
those that could stand the test of a    
severe justice6 ,we should have  neither
 judges nor accusers2 none either to    
grant a pardon or to ask  it4 ,more or  
less1 we are all sinners2 and he that   
has best purged his  conscience1 was    
brought by errors to repentance4 ,and it
 is farther  profitable to mankind2 for 
many delinquents come to be converted4  
,there  is a tenderness to be used even 

toward our slaves1 and those that we    
have bought with our money3 how much    
more then to free and to honest  men1   
that are rather under our protection    
than dominion6 ,not that ,i  would have 
it so general neither as not to         
distinguish betwixt the good  and the   
bad2 for that would introduce a         
confusion1 and give a kind of           
encouragement to wickedness4 ,it must   
therefore have a respect to the  quality
 of the offender1 and separate the      
curable from the desperate2  for it is  
an equal cruelty to pardon all and to   
pardon none4 ,where  the matter is in   
balance1 let mercy turn the scale3 if   
all wicked men  should be punished1 who 
should escape8    ,though mercy and     
gentleness of nature keeps all in peace 
and  tranquillity1 even in a cottage2   
yet it is much more beneficial  and     
conspicuous in a palace4 ,private men in
 their condition are  likewise private  
in their virtues and in their vices2 but
 the  words and the actions of princes  

are the subject of public rumor2  and   
therefore they had need have a care1    
what occasion they give  people for     
discourse1 of whom people will be always
 a talking4 ,there  is the government of
 a prince over his people1 a father over
  his children1 a master over his       
scholars1 an officer over his  soldiers4
 ,he is an unnatural father1 that for   
every trifle beats his  children4 ,who  
is the better master1 he that rages over
 his scholars for  but missing a word in
 a lesson1 or he that tries1 by         
admonition and  fair words1 to instruct 
and reform them8 ,an outrageous officer 
makes  his men run from their colors4 ,a
 skilful rider brings his horse to      
obedience by mingling fair means with   
foul2 whereas to be perpetually         
switching and spurring1 makes him       
vicious and jadish3 and shall we  not   
have more care of men than of beasts8   
,it breaks the hope of  generous        
inclinations1 when they are depressed by
 servility and terror4  ,there is no    

creature so hard to be pleased with ill 
usage as man4    ,clemency does well    
with all but best with princes2 for it  
makes  their power comfortable and      
beneficial1 which would otherwise be the
  pest of mankind4 ,it establishes their
 greatness1 when they make the  good of 
the public their particular care1 and   
employ their power for  the safety of   
the people4 ,the prince1 in effect1 is  
but the soul of the  community1 as the  
community is only the body of the       
prince2 so that  being merciful to      
others1 he is tender of himself3 nor is 
any man so  mean but his master feels   
the loss of him1 as a part of his       
empire3 and  he takes care not only of  
the lives of his people1 but also of    
their  reputation4 ,now1 giving for     
granted that all virtues are in         
themselves  equal1 it will not yet be   
denied1 that they may be more beneficial
 to  mankind in one person than in      
another4 ,a beggar may be as magnanimous
  as a king3 for what can be greater or 

braver than to baffle ill  fortune8     
,this does not hinder but that a man in 
authority and plenty  has more matter   
for his generosity to work upon than a  
private person2  and it is also more    
taken notice of upon the bench than upon
 the level4    ,when a gracious prince  
shows himself to his people1 they do not
 fly  from him as from a tiger that     
rouses himself out of his den1 but they 
worship him as a benevolent influence2  
they secure him against all             
conspiracies1 and interpose their bodies
 betwixt him and danger4 ,they  guard   
him while he sleeps1 and defend him in  
the field against his  enemies4 ,nor is 
it without reason1 this unanimous       
agreement in love and  loyalty1 and this
 heroical zeal of abandoning themselves 
for the safety  of their prince2 but it 
is as well the interest of the people4  
,in the  breath of a prince there is    
life and death2 and his sentence stands 
good1 right or wrong4 ,if he be angry1  
nobody dares advise him2 and if  he does

 amiss1 who shall call him to account8  
,now1 for him that has so  much mischief
 in his power1 and yet applies that     
power to the common  utility and comfort
 of his people1 diffusing also clemency 
and goodness  into their hearts too1    
what can be a greater blessing to       
mankind than  such a prince8 ,any man   
may kill another against the law1 but   
only  a prince can save him so4 ,let him
 so deal with his own subjects as  he   
desires ,god should deal with him4 ,if  
,heaven should be inexorable to         
sinners1 and destroy all without mercy1 
what flesh could be safe8    ,but as the
 faults of great men are not presently  
punished with thunder  from above1 let  
them have a like regard to their        
inferiors here upon  earth4 ,he that has
 revenge in his power1 and does not use 
it1 is the  great man4 ,which is the    
more beautiful and agreeable state1 that
 of  a calm1 a temperate1 and a clear   
day2 or that of lightning1 thunder1  and
 tempests8 and this is the very         

difference betwixt a moderate and       
turbulent government4 ,it is for low and
 vulgar spirits to brawl1 storm1  and   
transport themselves3 but it is not for 
the majesty of a prince to  lash out    
into intemperance of words4 ,some will  
think it rather slavery  than empire to 
be debarred liberty of speech3 and what 
if it be1 when  government itself is but
 a more illustrious servitude8    ,he   
that uses his power as he should1 takes 
as much delight in making  it           
comfortable to his people as glorious to
 himself4 ,he is affable  and easy of   
access2 his very countenance makes him  
the joy of his  people's eyes1 and the  
delight of mankind4 ,he is beloved1     
defended1  and reverenced by all his    
subjects2 and men speak as well of him  
in  private as in public4 ,he is safe   
without guards1 and the sword is  rather
 his ornament than his defence4 ,in his 
duty1 he is like that of a  good father1
 that sometimes gently reproves a son1  
sometimes threatens  him2 nay1 and      

perhaps corrects him3 but no father in  
his right wits  will disinherit a son   
for the first fault2 there must be many 
and great  offences1 and only desperate 
consequences1 that should bring him to  
that decretory resolution4 ,he will make
 many experiments to try if he  can     
reclaim him first1 and nothing but the  
utmost despair must put him  upon       
extremities4    ,it is not flattery that
 calls a prince the father of his       
country2  the titles of great and august
 are matter of compliment and of  honor2
 but in calling him father1 we mind him 
of that moderation and  indulgence which
 he owes to his children4 ,his subjects 
are his members2  where1 if there must  
be an amputation1 let him come slowly to
 it2 and  when the part is cut off1 let 
him wish it were on again3 let him      
grieve  in the doing of it4 ,he that    
passes a sentence hastily1 looks as if  
he  did it willingly2 and then there is 
an injustice in the excess4    ,it is a 
glorious contemplation for a prince1    

first to consider the  vast multitudes  
of his people1 whose seditious1 divided1
 and impotent  passions1 would cast all 
in confusion1 and destroy themselves1   
and  public order too1 if the hand of   
government did not restrain them2  and  
thence to pass the examination of his   
conscience1 saying thus to  himself1    
8,it is by the choice of ,providence    
that ,i am here made ,god's  deputy upon
 earth1 the arbitrator of life and      
death2 and that upon  my breath depends 
the fortune of my people4 ,my lips are  
the oracles  of their fate1 and upon    
them hangs the destiny both of cities   
and of  men4 ,it is under my favor that 
people seek either for prosperity or    
protection3 thousands of swords are     
drawn or sheathed at my pleasure4  ,what
 towns shall be advanced or destroyed2  
who shall be slaves1 or who  free1      
depends upon my will2 and yet1 in this  
arbitrary power of acting  without      
control1 ,i was never transported to do 
any cruel thing1 either  by anger or hot

 blood in myself or by the contumacy1   
rashness1 or  provocations of other men2
 though sufficient to turn mercy itself 
into  fury4 ,i was never moved by the   
odious vanity of making myself terrible 
by my power1 7that accursed1 though     
common humor of ostentation and  glory  
that haunts imperious natures47 ,my     
sword has not only been buried  in the  
scabbard1 but in a manner bound to the  
peace1 and tender even  of the cheapest 
blood3 and where ,i find no other motive
 to compassion1  humanity itself is     
sufficient4 ,i have been always slow to 
severity1 and  prone to forgive2 and    
under as strict a guard to observe the  
laws as if  ,i were accountable for the 
breaking of them4 ,some ,i pardoned for 
their  youth1 others for their age4 ,i  
spare one man for his dignity1 another  
for his humility2 and when ,i find no   
other matter to work upon1 ,i spare     
myself4 ,so that if ,god should at this 
instant call me to an account1  the     
whole world agree to witness for me1    

that ,i have not by any force1  either  
public or private1 either by myself or  
by any other1 defrauded  the            
commonwealth2 and the reputation that ,i
 have ever sought for has  been that    
which few princes have obtained1 the    
conscience of my proper  innocence4 ,and
 ,i have not lost my labor neither2 for 
no man was ever so  dear to another1 as 
,i have made myself to the whole body of
 my people40  ,under such a prince the  
subjects have nothing to wish for beyond
 what  they enjoy2 their fears are      
quieted1 and their prayers heard1 and   
there is nothing can make their felicity
 greater1 unless to make it  perpetual2 
and there is no liberty denied to the   
people but that of  destroying one      
another4    ,it is the interest of the  
people1 by the consent of all nations1  
to run  all hazards for the safety of   
their prince1 and by a thousand deaths  
to  redeem that one life1 upon which so 
many millions depend4 ,does not the     
whole body serve the mind1 though only  

the one is exposed to the eye  and the  
other not1 but thin and invisible1 the  
very seat of it being  uncertain8 ,yet  
the hands1 feet1 and eyes1 observe the  
motions of it4 ,we  lie down1 run about 
and ramble1 as that commands us4 ,if we 
be covetous1  we fish the seas and      
ransack the earth for treasure3 if      
ambitious1 we  burn our own flesh with  
,scvola2 we cast ourselves into the gulf
 with  ,curtius3 so would that vast     
multitude of people1 which is animated  
but  with one soul1 governed by one     
spirit1 and moved by one reason1 destroy
  itself with its own strength1 if it   
were not supported by wisdom and        
government4 ,wherefore1 it is for their 
own security that the people  expose    
their lives for their prince1 as the    
very bond that ties the  republic       
together2 the vital spirit of so many   
thousands1 which would  be nothing else 
but a burden and prey without a         
governor4    ,when this union comes once
 to be dissolved1 all falls to pieces2  

for  empire and obedience must stand and
 fall together4 ,it is no wonder then   
if a prince be dear to his people1 when 
the community is wrapt up in  him1 and  
the good of both as inseparable as the  
body and the head2 the  one for         
strength1 and the other for counsel2 for
 what signifies the  force of the body  
without the direction of the            
understanding8 ,while the  prince       
watches1 his people sleep2 his labor    
keeps them at ease1 and  his business   
keeps them quiet4 ,the natural intent of
 monarchy appears  even from the very   
discipline of bees3 they assign to their
 master the  fairest lodgings1 the      
safest place2 and his office is only to 
see that  the rest perform their duties4
 ,when their king is lost1 the whole    
swarm  dissolve3 more than one they will
 not admit2 and then they contend who   
shall have the best4 ,they are of all   
creatures the fiercest for their        
bigness2 and leave their stings behind  
them in their quarrels2 only  the king  

himself has none1 intimating that kings 
should neither be  vindictive nor cruel4
    ,is it not a shame1 after such an   
example of moderation in these          
creatures1 that men should be yet       
intemperate8 ,it were well if they  lost
 their stings too in their revenge1 as  
well as the other1 that they  might hurt
 but once1 and do no mischief by their  
proxies4 ,it would tire  them out1 if   
either they were to execute all with    
their own hands1 or  to wound others at 
the peril of their own lives4    ,a     
prince should behave himself generously 
in the power which ,god has  given him  
of life and death1 especially towards   
those that have been  at any time his   
equals2 for the one has his revenge1 and
 the other his  punishment in it4 ,he   
that stands indebted for his life has   
lost it2  but he that receives his life 
at the foot of his enemy1 lives to the  
honor of his preserver3 he lives the    
lasting monument of his virtue2         
whereas1 if he had been led in triumph1 

the spectacle would have been  quickly  
over4 ,or what if he should restore him 
to his kingdom again8  would it not be  
an ample accession to his honor to show 
that he found  nothing about the        
conquered that was worthy of the        
conqueror8 ,there is  nothing more      
venerable than a prince that does not   
revenge an injury4  ,he that is gracious
 is beloved and reverenced as a common  
father2 but a  tyrant stands in fear and
 in danger even of his own guards4 ,no  
prince  can be safe himself of whom all 
others are afraid2 for to spare none  is
 to enrage all4 ,it is an error to      
imagine that any man can be secure  that
 suffers nobody else to be so too4 ,how 
can any man endure to lead  an uneasy1  
suspicious1 anxious life1 when he may be
 safe if he please1  and enjoy all the  
blessings of power1 together with the   
prayers of  his people8 ,clemency       
protects a prince without a guard2 there
 is no  need of troops1 castles1 or     
fortifications3 security on the one side

  is the condition of security on the   
other2 and the affections of the        
subject are the most invincible         
fortress4 ,what can be fairer1 than for 
a prince to live the object of his      
people's love2 to have the vows of      
their heart as well as of their lips1   
and his health and sickness their       
common hopes and fears8 ,there will be  
no danger of plots2 nay1 on the         
contrary1 who would not frankly venture 
his blood to save him1 under  whose     
government1 justice1 peace1 modesty1 and
 dignity flourish8 under  whose         
influence men grow rich and happy2 and  
whom men look upon with  such           
veneration1 as they would do upon the   
immortal gods1 if they were  capable of 
seeing them8 ,and as the true           
representative of the ,,almighty  they  
consider him1 when he is gracious and   
bountiful1 and employs his  power to the
 advantage of his subjects4    ,when a  
prince proceeds to punishment1 it must  
be either to vindicate  himself or      

others4 ,it is a hard matter to govern  
himself in his own  case4 ,if a man     
should advise him not to be credulous1  
but to examine  matters1 and indulge the
 innocent1 this is rather a point of    
justice  than of clemency3 but in case  
that he be manifestly injured1 ,i would 
have him forgive1 where he may safely do
 it3 and be tender even  where he cannot
 forgive2 but far more exorable in his  
own case1  however1 than in another's4  
,it is nothing to be free of another    
man's purse1 and it is as little to  be 
merciful in another man's cause4 ,he is 
the great man that masters  his passion 
where he is stung himself1 and pardons  
when he might  destroy4 ,the end of     
punishment is either to comfort the     
party injured1  or to secure him for the
 future4 ,a prince's fortune is above   
the need  of such a comfort1 and his    
power is too eminent to seek an advance 
of  reputation by doing a private man a 
mischief4 ,this ,i speak in case of  an 
affront from those that are below us2   

but he that of an equal has  made any   
man his inferior1 has his revenge in the
 bringing of him down4  ,a prince has   
been killed by a servant1 destroyed by a
 serpent3  but whosoever preserves a man
 must be greater than the person that he
  preserves4 ,with citizens1 strangers1 
and people of low condition1 a  prince  
is not to contend1 for they are beneath 
him3 he may spare some  out of good     
will1 and others as he would do some    
little creatures that  a man cannot     
touch without fouling his fingers3 but  
for those that  are to be pardoned or   
exposed to public punishment1 he may use
 mercy  as he sees occasion2 and a      
generous mind can never want inducements
  and motives to it2 and whether it be  
age or sex1 high or low1  nothing comes 
amiss4    ,to pass now to the           
vindication of others1 there must be had
 a regard  either to the amendment of   
the person punished1 or the making      
others  better for fear of punishment1  
or the taking the offender out of the   

way for the security of others4 ,an     
amendment may be procured by a  small   
punishment1 for he lives more carefully 
that has something yet  to lose--it is a
 kind of impunity to be incapable of a  
farther  punishment4 ,the corruptions of
 a city are best cured by a few and     
sparing severities2 for the multitude of
 offenders creates a custom of          
offending1 and company authorizes a     
crime1 and there is more good to  be    
done upon a dissolute age by patience   
than by rigor2 provided  that it pass   
not for an approbation of ill-manners1  
but only as an  unwillingness to proceed
 to extremities4 ,under a merciful      
prince1 a  man will be ashamed to       
offend1 because a punishment that is    
inflicted  by a gentle governor seems to
 fall heavier and with more reproach3   
and it is remarkable also1 that 8those  
sins are often committed which  are very
 often punished40 ,caligula1 in five    
years1 condemned more  people to the    
sack than ever were before him3 and     

there were 8fewer  parricides before the
 law against them than after20 for our  
ancestors  did wisely presume that the  
crime would never be committed1 until by
  law for punishing it1 they found that 
it might be done4 ,parricides  began    
with the law against them1 and the      
punishment instructed men in  the crime4
 ,where there are few punishments1      
innocency is indulged as a  public good1
 and it is a dangerous thing to show a  
city how strong it  is in delinquents4  
,there is a certain contumacy in the    
nature of man  that makes him oppose    
difficulties4 ,we are better to follow  
than to  drive2 as a generous horse     
rides best with an easy bit4 ,people    
obey  willingly where they are commanded
 kindly4    ,when ,burrhus the prefect  
was to sentence two malefactors1 he     
brought  the warrant to ,nero to sign2  
who1 after a long reluctancy came to it 
at  last with this exclamation3 8,i     
would ,i could not write60 ,a speech    
that  deserved the whole world for an   

auditory1 but all princes especially2   
and that the hearts of all the subjects 
would conform to the likeness  of their 
masters4 ,as the head is well or ill1 so
 is the mind dull or  merry4 ,what is   
the difference betwixt a king and a     
tyrant1 but a  diversity of will under  
one and the same power4 ,the one        
destroys  for his pleasure1 the other   
upon necessity2 a distinction rather in 
fact than in name4    ,a gracious prince
 is armed as well as a tyrant2 but it is
 for the  defence of his people and not 
for the ruin of them4 ,no king can ever 
have faithful servants that accustoms   
them to tortures and executions2  the   
very guilty themselves do not lead so   
anxious a life as the  persecutors3 for 
they are not only afraid of justice1    
both divine and  human1 but it is       
dangerous for them to mend their        
manners2 so that  when they are once in1
 they must continue to be wicked upon   
necessity4  ,an universal hatred unites 
in a popular rage4 ,a temperate fear may

  be kept in order2 but when it comes   
once to be continual and sharp1  it     
provokes people to extremities1 and     
transports them to desperate            
resolutions1 as wild beasts when they   
are pressed upon the toil1  turn back   
and assault the very pursuers4 ,a       
turbulent government is a  perpetual    
trouble both to prince and people2 and  
he that is a terror  to all others is   
not without terror also himself4        
,frequent punishments  and revenges may 
suppress the hatred of a few1 but then  
it stirs up the  detestation of all1 so 
that there is no destroying one enemy   
without  making many4 ,it is good to    
master the will of being cruel1 even    
while there may be cause for it1 and    
matter to work upon4    ,augustus was a 
gracious prince when he had the power in
 his own hand2  but in the triumviracy  
he made use of his sword1 and had his   
friends  ready armed to set upon ,antony
 during that dispute4 ,but he behaved   
himself afterwards at another rate2 for 

when he was betwixt forty and  fifty    
years of age he was told that ,cinna was
 in a plot to murder him1  with the     
time1 place and manner of the design2   
and this from one of  the confederates4 
,upon this he resolved upon a revenge1  
and sent for  several of his friends to 
advise upon it4 ,the thought of it kept 
him  waking1 to consider1 that there was
 the life of a young nobleman in the    
case1 the nephew of ,pompey1 and a      
person otherwise innocent4 ,he was  off 
and on several times whether he should  
put him to death or not4  8,what60 says 
he1 8shall ,i live in trouble and in    
danger myself1 and the  contriver of my 
death walk free and secure8 ,will       
nothing serve him but  that life which  
,providence has preserved in so many    
civil wars--in so  many battles both by 
sea and land2 and now in the state of an
 universal  peace too--and not a simple 
murder either1 but a sacrifice2 for ,i  
am  to be assaulted at the very         
altar--and shall the contriver of all   

this  villainy escape unpunished80 ,here
 ,augustus made a little pause1 and     
then recollecting himself3 8,no1 no1    
,csar10 says he1 8it is rather  ,csar   
than ,cinna that ,i am to be angry with3
 why do ,i myself live any  longer after
 that my death is become the interest of
 so many people8  ,and if ,i go on1 what
 end will there be of blood and of      
punishment8  ,if it be against my life  
that the nobility arm itself1 and level 
its  weapons1 my single life is not     
worth the while1 if so many must be     
destroyed that ,i may be preserved40    
,his wife ,livia gave him here an       
interruption1 and desired him that  he  
would for once hear a woman's counsel4  
8,do10 says she1 8like a  physician1    
that when common remedies fail1 will try
 the contrary3 you  have got nothing    
hitherto by severity--after ,salvidianus
 there followed  ,lepidus--after him    
,murna--,cpio followed him1 and         
,egnatius followed  ,cpio--try now what 
mercy will do--forgive ,cinna4 ,he is   

discovered1  and can do no hurt to your 
person2 and it will yet advantage you in
  your reputation40 ,augustus was glad  
of the advice1 and he gave thanks  for  
it2 and thereupon countermanded the     
meeting of his friends1 and  ordered    
,cinna to be brought to him alone2 for  
whom he caused a chair  to be set1 and  
then discharged the rest of the company4
 8,cinna10 says  ,augustus1 8before ,i  
go any farther1 you must promise not to 
give me  the interruption of one        
syllable until ,i have told you all ,i  
have to  say1 and you shall have liberty
 afterwards to say what you please4 ,you
  cannot forget1 that when ,i found you 
in arms against me1 and not only  made  
my enemy1 but born so1 ,i gave you your 
life and fortune4 ,upon  your petition  
for the priesthood1 ,i granted it1 with 
a repulse to the  sons of those that had
 been my fellow-soldiers2 and you are at
 this  day so happy and so rich1 that   
even the conquerors envy him that is    
overcome2 and yet after all this1 you   

are in a plot1 ,cinna1 to murder  me40  
,at that word ,cinna started1 and       
interposed with exclamations1  8that    
certainly he was far from being either  
so wicked or so mad40  8,this is a      
breach of conditions1 ,cinna10 says     
,augustus1 8it is not your  time to     
speak yet3 ,i tell you again1 that you  
are in a plot to murder  me20 and so he 
told him the time1 the place1 the       
confederates1 the  order and manner of  
the design1 and who it was that was to  
do the deed4  ,cinna1 upon this1 fixed  
his eye upon the ground without any     
reply3  not for his word's sake1 but as 
in a confusion of conscience3 and so    
,augustus went on4 8,what10 says he1    
8may your design be in all this8 ,is  it
 that you would pretend to step into my 
place8 ,the commonwealth were  in an ill
 condition1 if only ,augustus were in   
the way betwixt you and  the government4
 ,you were cast the other day in a cause
 by one of your  own freemen1 and do you
 expect to find a weaker adversary of   

,csar8  ,but what if ,i were removed8   
,there is milius ,paulus1 ,fabius       
,maximus1  and twenty other families of 
great blood and interest1 that would    
never  bear it40 ,to cut off the story  
short2 7for it was a discourse of above 
two hours2 and ,augustus lengthened the 
punishment in words1 since he  intended 
that should be all27 8,well1 ,cinna10   
says he1 8the life that  ,i gave to you 
once as an enemy1 ,i will now repeat it 
to a traitor  and to a parricide1 and   
this shall be the last reproach ,i will 
give  you4 ,for the time to come there  
shall be no other contention betwixt    
you and me1 than which shall outdo the  
other in point of friendship40  ,after  
this ,augustus made ,cinna consul1 7an  
honor which he confessed  he durst not  
so much as desire7 and ,cinna was ever  
affectionately  faithful to him3 he made
 ,csar his sole heir2 and this was the  
last  conspiracy that ever was formed   
against him4    ,this moderation of     
,augustus was the excellency of his     

mature age2 for  in his youth he was    
passionate and sudden2 and he did many  
things which  afterward he looked back  
upon with trouble3 after the battle of  
,actium1  so many navies broken in      
,sicily1 both ,roman and strangers3 the 
,perusian altars1 where #cjj lives were 
sacrificed to the ghost  of ,julius2 his
 frequent proscriptions1 and other      
severities2 his  temperance at last     
seemed to be little more than a weary   
cruelty4  ,if he had not forgiven those 
that he conquered1 whom should  he have 
governed8 ,he chose his very life-guard 
from among his  enemies1 and the flower 
of the ,romans owed their lives to his  
clemency4 ,nay1 he only punished        
,lepidus himself with banishment1  and  
permitted him to wear the ensigns of his
 dignity1 without  taking the           
pontificate to himself so long as       
,lepidus was living2  for he would not  
possess it as a spoil1 but as an honor4 
,this  clemency it was that secured him 
in his greatness1 and ingratiated  him  

to the people1 though he laid his hand  
upon the government before  they had    
thoroughly submitted to the yoke2 and   
this clemency it was  that made his name
 famous to posterity4 ,this is it that  
makes us  reckon him divine without the 
authority of an apotheosis4 ,he was  so 
tender and patient1 that though many a  
bitter jest was broken upon  him1 7and  
contumelies upon princes are the most   
intolerable of all  injuries7 yet he    
never punished any man upon that        
subject4 ,it is1  then1 generous to be  
merciful1 when we have it in our power  
to  take revenge4    ,a son of ,titus   
,arius1 being examined and found guilty 
of parricide1  was banished ,rome1 and  
confined to ,marseilles1 where his      
father allowed  him the same annuity    
that he had before2 which made all      
people conclude  him guilty1 when they  
saw that his father had yet condemned   
the son  that he could not hate4        
,augustus was pleased to sit upon the   
fact in  the house of ,arius1 only as a 

single member of the council that was   
to examine it3 if it had been in ,csar's
 palace1 the judgment must have  been   
,csar's and not the father's4 ,upon a   
full hearing of the matter1  ,csar      
directed that every man should write his
 opinion whether guilty  or not1 and    
without declaring of his own1 for fear  
of a partial  vote4 ,before the opening 
of the books1 ,csar passed an oath1 that
 he  would not be ,arius's heir3 and to 
show that he had no interest in  his    
sentence1 as appeared afterward2 for he 
was not condemned to the  ordinary      
punishments of parricides1 nor to a     
prison1 but1 by the  mediation of ,csar1
 only banished ,rome1 and confined to   
the place which  his father should name2
 ,augustus insisting upon it1 that the  
father  should content himself with an  
easy punishment3 and arguing that the   
young man was not moved to the attempt  
by malice1 and that he was  but half    
resolved upon the fact1 for he wavered  
in it2 and1 therefore1  to remove him   

from the city1 and from his father's    
sight1 would be  sufficient4 ,this is a 
glorious mercy1 and worthy of a prince1 
to make  all things gentler wherever he 
comes4    ,how miserable is that man in 
himself1 who1 when he has employed his  
power in rapines and cruelty upon       
others1 is yet more unhappy in  himself6
 ,he stands in fear both of his         
domestics and of strangers2 the  faith  
of his friends and the piety of his     
children1 and flies to actual  violence 
to secure him from the violence he      
fears4 ,when he comes to  look about    
him1 and to consider what he has done1  
what he must1  and what he is about to  
do2 what with the wickedness1 and with  
the  torments of his conscience1 many   
times he fears death1 oftener he  wishes
 for it2 and lives more odious to       
himself than to his subjects2  whereas  
on the contrary1 he that takes a care of
 the public1 though of  one part more   
perhaps than of another1 yet there is   
not any part of it  but he looks upon as

 part of himself4 ,his mind is tender   
and gentle2  and even where punishment  
is necessary and profitable1 he comes to
 it  unwillingly1 and without any rancor
 or enmity in his heart4 ,let the       
authority1 in fine1 be what it will1    
clemency becomes it2 and the  greater   
the power1 the greater is the glory of  
it4 8,it is a truly royal  virtue for a 
prince to deliver his people from other 
men's anger1 and  not to oppress them   
with his own40                 99       
99       99       99       99           
,transcriber's note3    ,obvious        
typographical errors have been corrected
 silently4 ,other  variations in        
hyphenation1 spelling and punctuation   
remain unchanged4