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. XXX.

That we ought to be prepared for death, and take courage in it by example of AVFIDI∣VS BASSVS, who being olde both willingly heareth of the same, and speaketh and proueth it with many reasons, that it is not to be feared. By the way some other things.

I Saw that good man Bassus A••fidius broken and wrestling with age, but at this present he is so much surcharged therewith, that it is impossible for him to raise himselfe again; age hath throwne himselfe vpon him with his whole waight. Thou knowest very well, that he hath alwayes had a weake, a drie bodie, which hee hath long time continued; or, to speake more properly, repaired and pieced; but in the end it is all at once defeated. Euen as in a leaking Ship a man stoppeth a leake or two, but when it taketh in water on euery side, there is no more means to auoyde the same, but that it must needes sinke to the bottom: so in a bodie which is olde and crazed, the weakenesse may for a time be relieued and fortifi∣ed, but when the ioynts fall asunder as an olde building, and as the one is repay∣red, the other is loosened, there is no other circumspection to be had, but to thinke how a man may get out of it. Yet our Bassus hath a good courage, for this Philosophie yeeldeth him•• she maketh couragious in all habitudes of the bodie, ioyfull in the presence of death, and not faint, hard in the defiance of life. A good Pilot saileth although his sailes be rent; and if the tempest hath disarm∣ed him, yet maketh he vse of the rest of his rigging to finish his voyage. The like doth our Bassus, and with that minde and countenance beholdeth hee his end, that thou wouldest iudge him to be ouer-firme and resolute, who should in the like sort behold another mans end. This is a great vertue Lucilius, and re∣quireth long time to be learned, to forsake this life with a constant resolution, when that vnauoydable houre of death shall approach vs. All other kindes of death are intermixed with hope: Sicknesses are healed, fire is extinguished, the ruinous house sometimes softly layeth them on the ground, which it should al∣together crush to pieces. He that hath beene swallowed vp with one surge of the Sea, hath beene cast a shoare whole and sound by an opposite billow: the sword which the souldier had aymed to strike, hath beene reuoked by his hand from the very necke of the conquered; but he whom age leadeth vnto death, hath nothing more to hope, onely it is that alone which admitteth no compri∣mise. Men die not more sweetly then after this manner, neyther also in any sort are they longer a dying. Our friend Bassus seemeth so to behaue hims••lfe,

as if he should suruiue himselfe; so great constancie and wisedome sheweth he in this his decadence: for he speaketh much of death, and doth it the more care∣fully, that if there be eyther incommoditie or feare in this businesse, it is the fault of him that dyeth, not of death; and that there is no more euill in the same, then after the same: and as mad is he, who feareth that which he is to suf∣fer, as he that feareth that which he is not to feele. Can any man thinke that these should come to passe, that a man should feele death, by which we feele nothing? Therefore, saith he, death is not onely out of euill, but out of the feare of all euill. I know very well that such discourses haue beene often had, and must oftentimes be made: but it neuer profited mee so much to reade or heare them; when they that saw the same neere themselues, were farr•• from danger of those things, which they said should not be feared. But this man had very much credite and authoritie with me, speaking thus of death, whom I saw in himselfe addressed to die. I will freely speake that which I thinke, that he giueth a better testimonie of his vertue and constant minde, that approacheth the con••ines of death, then he that is in death it selfe, for that it is which giueth heart to the most fearefull, and animateth against that which is ineuitable. So the fearefull and dismayed Fencer during the combate, willingly presenteth his throate vnto his enemie, and if the sword slip aside, himselfe addresseth and gui∣deth it with his owne hand. But despise her ••hat giueth vs leisure to see her ap∣proach, and is vpon the point to lay hands on vs, there needeth more settled and maturely established constancie, which cannot be but in him that is perfectly wise. I therefore attentiuely lent eare vnto him, and more willingly heard him how hee sentenced of death, and discoursed on the nature thereof, as one that had eyed her very nigh. More trust and credite, as I thinke, should he haue with thee that were newly reuiued from death, and that being experien∣ced in the same, should shew ••hee that there w••re no euill in death. What per∣turbation the accesse of death bringeth, they can best tell thee that haue more neerely obserued her, that haue both seene her comming, and entertained her being come. Amongst these thou mayest number Bassus, who vnwilling and loth to haue vs deceiued, telleth vs that it is as foolish a thing to feare death, as to feare olde age: for euen as age followeth youth, so death followeth age. He would not liue that will not die: for life is giuen with an exception of death, to feare which is as much more foolish, then if a man should feare doubtful things, and attend certaine. Death hath a necessitie equall and inuincible, who can complaine that he is in that estate which no man is not in? for the first part of equitie is equalitie. But now it is a vaine matter to pleade natures cause, which would that our condition should be no other then her owne. She resolueth that which she hath compounded, and whatsoeuer she h••th resolued, that com∣poundeth she againe. Now if it be any mans chance to be gently carried away by age, and not suddenly pulled out of life, but drawne away by minutes, hath he not cause to praise the gods, for sending him after sacietie, a necessarie repose to humanitie, and agreeable vnto his wearinesse. Thou seest some men wishing death, yea with ••arre greater z••••le, then they were accustomed to demand life. I cannot very well tell which of these giues vs more heart, eyther they which demand, or else they which attend death without trouble or ••ediousnesse, be∣cause rage and sudden indignation may be cause of this first affection, whereas this last can be no other thing, then a tranquilitie which proceedeth ••rom dis∣course and iudgement. Some man may precipitate himselfe into death through despite and choler, but no man entertaineth her with contentment when shee

commeth, but he that is formed by long custome and continuance. I confesse that I haue more often visited this good man, and my great friend, to see if I might alwayes finde him the same, and whether the constancie of his mind de∣cayed not through the feeblen••sse of bodie: but contrariwise, I haue alwayes found that it encreased in him, euen as we see the ioy more manifest in those, who after they haue been long time tired to gaine the prize of a course, approch the place where the palme is proposed. Hee said (conforming himselfe to the precepts of Epicurus) that first of all he should haue no paine in that last gaspe; or if he had, that he comforted himselfe in this, that it should not be long, because there is no griefe which is long, that is, great: and put the case vpon the same point of the diuision of soule and bodie, if there should fall out any torment; he comforted himselfe with this assurance, that at leastwise after this griefe, there could neuer any more succeed, and that he knew very well, that the soule and life of an old man stucke but a little within his lippes, and with a little breath would be easily seuered. The fire that hath sufficient matter to feed vpon, is extinguished by water, and sometimes by raine; that fire that wanteth fuell, di∣eth of it selfe. I very willingly giue ••are to these things, my Lucilius, not as no∣uelties, but such as presently henceforth I must make proofe of. What then? haue I not seene very m••ny that haue abridged the course of their life? I haue seene them, but I esteeme them farre more, which come vnto death without hatred of life, and which draw her not on, but entertaine her. Furthermore he said, that this trembling and feare which wee haue, when wee beleeue that death is neere vnto vs, is forged by our selues, and we trauell to ti••e our selues. For to whom is she not assistant in all places, and at all times? But let vs consider, saith he, when any occasion of death seemeth to approach vs, how many other causes there bee that are more neere, which are not feared at all. Wee should feare death at the hands of our enemie, and in the meane while cruditie, or a cathar cutteth vs short. If we would distinguish the causes of our feare, wee shall finde that they are other then they seeme to be. We feare not the stroake of death, but the thought. For we are not further off her at one time then wee are at another. So if death be to be feared, it is alwayes to be feared, for what time is exempted from death? But I had need to feare, lest thou hate so long E∣pistles worse then death. I will therefore make an end. But thinke thou alwaies on death, that thou mayest neuer feare her.