The workes of Lucius Annæus Seneca, both morrall and naturall Containing, 1. His bookes of benefites. 2. His epistles. 3. His booke of prouidence. 4. Three bookes of anger. 5. Two bookes of clemencie. 6. His booke of a blessed life. 7. His booke of the tranquilitie of the minde. 8. His booke of the constancie of a wiseman. 9. His booke of the shortnesse of life. 10. Two bookes of consolation to Martia. 11. Three bookes of consolation to Heluia. 12. His booke of consolation to Polibius. 13. His seuen bookes of naturall questions. Translated by Tho. Lodge, D. in Physicke.

CHAP. IIII.

THis is that (sayest thou) that I expresly willed, I haue ouertaken thee now, and intend to see how thou wilt rid thy selfe of these in∣combrances, whereinto thou art wilfully fallen. Tell mee, how may any man giue ought to a wise-man, if all things are his? For that also which he giueth him is his owne. A benefite therefore cannot be bestowed vpon a * 1.1 wise-man, who can haue nothing giuen him which is not his owne: yet say you, a man may giue somewhat vnto a wise-man. But know this, that I demand the like in respect of friends. You say that all things are common amongst them, therefore can no man giue any thing to his friend: for he giueth that which is common to him. There is no cause but that some∣what may be both a wise-mans, and his that possesseth it, to whom it is giuen and assigned. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ciuill lawe all things are the Kings: and yet those things whose intire possession appertaineth to the King, are distributed amongst seuerall lords, and each thing hath his possessor. Therefore may we giue the King our house, our bond-slaue, and our money•• neyther for all this are we said to giue him his owne. For to Kings appertaineth the power ouer all, but to seueral men the property. We cal them the bounds of the Athenians, or Campanians, which otherwise the neighbours by priuate termination distinguish amongst them∣selues: and all the lands belonging to this or that man, are the Common-weals,

and yet each part hath his determinate owner, we therefore may giue our lands to the Common-weale, although they be said to be the Common-weales, be∣cause in one sort they are theirs, in another sort mine. Can it bee doubted, but that a slaue, and whatsoeuer substance he hath is his masters? Yet may he giue him a present.* 1.2 For a man cannot therefore say that the seruant hath nothing, because he could not haue, if so be his lord said he should not; neither therefore faileth it to be a present, when as he gaue it willingly, because it might be taken from him, although hee would not. Euen as we haue approued that all things appertaine vnto a wise man (for we are alreadie agreed in this point) so we must at this present expresse, that we haue more matter then we need, to giue liberal∣ly vnto him, whom w••e confesse to be the master of what we haue. All things are the fathers, which are in the possession of his children; yet who knoweth not that the sonne also may giue his father somewhat? All things appertaine vnto the gods, yet haue we sacrificed at their Altars, and offered many times in their Temples. That therefore which I haue, faileth not to be mine, because it is thine, for one and the same thing may be thine and mine. He (sayest thou) is a Baud, that is the owner of common harlots, but a wise man is owner of all things, and amongst all things the prostitute are comprehended: therefore a wise man is a Baud. In like manner they forbid him to buy, for they say no man buyeth his owne, but all things appertaine vnto a wise man, a wise man there∣fore buyeth nothing. In like manner restraine they him from borrowing any thing, because no man payeth interest for his owne money. Innumerable are the things they contend and cauill about, whereas notwithstanding they fully conceiue what is spoken by vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vnder this name Wise-man, he intends to sig∣nifie thorow the whole body of this discourse, the same which it sig∣nifieth in the booke of Pro∣••er••es and Ec∣clesiastes, and Wisedome, where this word wisdom signifieth vertue or ius••ice; and the name of Wise man is in this sense a ver∣tuous or iust mā.
• * 1.2

  In what manner a man may giue vnto a w••se man.