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.

EPIST. XIX.

That publique affaires are to be omitted and cast off, and priuacie to be affected: but pri∣••acie and not solitude, and detestation of conuersation. He counselleth to for••ake the Court and the pompe thereof, both which are attended with tumults and troubles. A clause of the same Masters. See with whom thou communicatest at the table.

I Am heartily glad as oftentimes as I receiue thy letters, for they fill me with much good hope: for now they promise not, but as∣sure me in thy behalfe. Doe therefore in such sort, I pray and beseech thee, as thy letters doe import: for what better thing can I intreat at my friends hand, then that for which I should im∣plore God in his behalfe? Withdraw thy selfe, if thou mayest•• from these busie affaires; or if thou canst not forcibly deliuer thy selfe, we haue ouer-long beene prodigall of time, let vs begin now in our age to play the good husbands. Is this distastfull to thee? We haue liued in the stormie Ocean, let vs die in a quiet harbor. Yet would I not aduise thee to affect a singularitie and name by thy re∣tirement, which neyther thou oughtest to boast of or to conceale. For neuer will I so much condemne the ••urie of mankinde, that to the end thou mayest a∣••oyde the same, I would haue thee locke thy selfe vp in an hermitage, and burie the affaires of this world in euerlasting forgetfulnesse. Behaue thy selfe in such sort, that r••treat of thine be apparent but not eminent; and then shal they who haue libertie to liue according to their own good liking, perceiue whether they ought wholly to hide themselues or no. For thine owne part thou mayest not. The vigor of thy wit, the elegancy of thy writings, thy many great and famous alliances haue brought thee forth into the face of the world. Thou art alrea∣die so farre engaged in the knowledge of men, that though ••hou wert confined in the furthermost corner of the world, yet would thy former actions discouer

themselues. Thou canst not be concealed, there will be alwayes some lus••re of thy former light, which will attend thee, whithersoeuer thou retirest thy selfe. Canst thou settle thy selfe in repose without the hate of any man, without de∣sire or agon••e of minde? For what shalt thou leaue which thou mayest imagine to haue forsaken vnwillingly? What thy clients? But of th••se no one affecteth thee, but gapeth for somewhat from thee•• Shall it be thy friends? In times past men affected friendships now hunt th••y af••er profits•• Art thou afraid that the older sort, being abandoned by thee, should chaunge their willes? Consider in counterpoize of all this that a thing so pretious as is libertie, cannot be purcha∣sed but very deerly. Finally, bethink thy selfe, whether thou hadst rather lose either those things that belong vnto thee, or thy self. Would to God thou hadst beene so happie as to waxe olde aft••r the manner of thine a••ncestors; and for∣tune had not made thee so eminent as she hath done; a sudden felicitie, thy prouince and procreation, and whatsoeuer is promised by these haue transpor∣ted thee very farre from the sight of a contented life. And greater things be∣sides these shall sease thee hereafter, and the one shall b••g••t the other. What shall be the end? Thinkest thou thy contents and honours shall be so affluent, that nothing shall remaine for thee to desire? That time shall neuer happen. That which we say to be the order and vniting of causes which tie destinie, the same likewise say we to be of coueteousnes; the one taketh his beginning from the end of the other. Into that life art thou demised which shall neyther ••nd thy miserie nor seruitude. Pull thy neeke therefore out from the yoake•• it is better to cut it in pieces all at once, then to suffer it perp••tually to be restrained. If thou withdraw thy selfe to a priuate life, all things will be lesser, but they will fill thee the more; but now diuers things, and heaped one vpon another, satis∣fie thee not. But whether haddest thou rather to hau•• ••••curitie in want, or hunger in abundance? Felicitie is both couetous, and expos••d to others greedi∣nesse. As long as nothing shall suffi••e thee, thou shalt not giue contentment to others, How sayest thou, shall I escap•• this? By any meanes whatsoeuer. Be∣thinke thy selfe, how many things thou hast rashly attempted for mon••y, how many things thou hast laboriously vndertaken for honor•• somthing also is to be attempted for thy quiet sake, or in this solicitude of pro••iniation•• and afterwards of ciuill offices, thou must wax•• old in trauell, and be alwayes tossed with new wa••es, which thou canst not auoyde by any modesti•• o•• quiet of life. For what a••ayleth thee to be willing to settle thy quiet, if thy fortune will not? What a••∣so if thou permit the same to encrease? the better the successe is, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••he feare increaseth. I will recount vnto thee in this place the saying of M••••••nas•• who spake truth amidst the tortures of his dignitie, and ••auours in the Court of AV••VSTVS: For Highnes it selfe thundereth at the highes••. If you enquire of me in what booke he said it: it was in that which was intituled Prometheus. ••his would he say that feare and amaze possesseth the highest. Is there therefore a••••nie power of that esteem that thy speech should be so disordred? The man was ingenious, and such as was to giue a great example of Romane eloquence, if fe∣licitie had not enfeebled him, nay rather geld••d him. This ••nd attendeth if thou restraine not thy selfe presently, and shorten thy say••es•• except (which he to lately affected) thou beare for the land. I could be quit with thee for this sentence of Mecaenas, but I feare me thou wilt not recoin•••• it for good payment in this sort, but wilt cauill (if I know thee well) and ac••••pt of my paym••nt in the coyne I hold currant. Howsoeuer the matter be I will borrow from E••••••CVRVS: Thou art (saith he) to take care with whom thou e••te•••• and drinkest before

thy meate, then what thou eatest and drinkest: for a plentifull and fleshie feast without a friend, is the life of a Lion or a Wolfe. This shall not happen to thee, except thou retire thy selfe, & separate thee from the multitude; otherwise thou shalt haue at thy table, not thy friends, but such as thy remembrancer hath chosen a∣mongst the multitude of thy saluters. But he deceiueth himselfe that searcheth a friend in the base court, and approueth him in the banquet. A man much oc∣cupied and besieged by his goods, hath no one greater mischiefe, then that hee thinketh them to be his friends whom he loueth not, that beleeueth that his benefits are powerfull enough to get him friends, wheras some the more they owe a man, the more they hate him. A little debt maketh a man a debtor, a great an enemie? What therefore, doe not benefits beget friendships? They doe, if a man might make choyse of those that should receiue them, if they were well imployed, and not rashly cast away. Therfore whilst thou beginnest to be thine owne man, in the mean while vse this counsel of the wise-men, that thou think it to be more pertinent to the matter, to regard who receiueth then what.