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. XLVII.

That we ought to behaue our selues, and liue with our seruants familiarly. That the error of his age was, in their pride and contempt: yet that according to each mans dispo∣sition and vertue, that the one and the other are either more freely or seuerely to bee handled.

I Haue willingly vnderstood by those that come from thee, that thou liuest familiarly with thy slaues: this becommeth thy pru∣dence, this is answerable to thy wisdome. Are they thy slaues? nay rather thy companions. Are they thy slaues? nay rather thine humble friends. Are they thy slaues? nay rather thy fel∣low seruants. If thou knowest that Fortune hath as much power ouer the one, as ouer the other. I therefore laugh at those that thinke it an abiect and base thing to sup with their seruants: and why? But for that their ouerweening cu∣stome hath enuironed the supping Lord with a troope of attending seruants. Farre more eateth he, then he digesteth, and with an excessiue greedines loadeth ••ee his distended belly, that with greater labour hee may vomit vp all those things, when with surfet he hath ingested them; but his vnhappy seruants haue scarce leaue to moue their lips, no not to this end, to speake. Each murmure is stilled by the rod, and scarce casuall things escape the whip, a cough, a sneese, a hicket; a great penaltie is threatned, if by any speech a renewed silence be inter∣rupted: the liuelong night stand they fasting, and waite they mute. So com∣meth it to passe, that these speake of their Lord, who in his presence haue no li∣bertie to discourse. But they who had not onely libertie to speake before their Masters, but to conferre with them, whose mouth was not sewed vp, were readie to hazard their heads for their Masters, and turne their imminent perill on their owne neckes. At the banquets they spake, but in their torments they were silent. Furthermore, a prouerb of no lesse arrogancie is published, That as many seruants we haue, so many enemies. We haue them not our enemies, but we make them. In the meane space, I let passe many both cruell and inhu∣mane things: that we abuse them not, as men only, but as beasts. That where∣as we are set at supper, one wipeth away our spittings, and other crouching vn∣der the table, gathereth the reliques of the drunkards: another cutteth vp the deerest fowle, and conueying his cunning ••and thorow their breasts and hinder parts, in certaine conceits of caruing, cut them in peeces: vnhappy he that liueth to this one thing, to cut vp wilde fowle decently. But that he is more misera∣ble, that for voluptuousnesse sake teacheth this, then he that learneth it for ne∣cessitie. Another skinking the wine, attired after woman-like fashion, striueth

with age: he cannot ••lie child-hood, yet is hee drawne backe, and now sweete faced, his haires either shauen or pulled vp by the rootes, in his martiall habite attendeth and watcheth hee all night, which hee diuideth betwixt his Lords drunkennesse and lust, and in the chamber is a man, and at the banquet a boy. Another to whom the censure of the ghuests is permitted, attendeth vnhappie as he is, and expecteth those, whom flattery or the intemperance either of their mouthes or tongues reuoaketh the next day. Ad to these, the Caterers, who haue a certaine and subtill knowledge of their Lords best liking; who know the sauour of that meate, they hold best pleasing to their appetite, what most affe∣cteth their eye, what meate will quicken their loathing stomackes, when hee loatheth in his fulnesse, what he longeth for that very day. With these he can∣not abide to sup, and thinketh it a diminution of his maiestie, to sit down•• at the same table with his seruant. God forbid that of those they should find their ma∣sters. I saw Callistus master attend at his doore, and him excluded amongst many that entered, who had set him a seruile schedule on his brest to be sold, and had brought him forth to saile amongst his most ridiculous and abiect slaues. That very slaue of his did him fauour, who was by him set to saile amongst the most abiect first rancke, fruitlessely prostituted by the Crier, basely made vendible by the master, yea he himselfe thought him vnworthy of his house. The Lord sold Callistus: but how many things did Callistus sell to his master? Wilt thou thinke, that he whom thou termest thy slaue, was borne of the same seed, en∣ioyeth the same aire, equally breatheth, liueth and dieth as thou shalt? Thou mayest see him as noble, as he thee seruile. How many men did Fortune de∣presse in the Marian slaughter, of noble birth, and such as after being thrice Tri∣bunes were in election to be Senators? One of those she made a shepheard, the other the keeper of a Cottage. Contemne not the man of that fortune; into which thou mayest be transferred, whilest thou contemnest. I will not intrude my selfe into a large field of discourse, and dispute of the vse of seruants, in re∣spect of whom wee are most cruell, proud, and contumelious: yet is this the summe of my precept. So liue with thine inferiour, as thou wouldest thy supe∣riour should liue with thee. As o••ten as thou bethinkest thy selfe what power thou hast ouer thy seruant, b••thinke thy s••lfe that so much power thy mast••r hath ouer thee. But I, sayest thou, haue no master, the better thy fortune, hap∣pily thou shalt haue. Knowest thou not in what yeares Hecuba began to serue, in what time Cr••sus, in what time Darius mother, in what time Plat••, in what time Diogenes? Liue with thy seruant kindly and court••ously, vouchsafe him conference, admit him to counsaile, and conuersation with thee. In this place the whole troope of these nice companions will crie out at me: There is no∣thing more base, nothing more abiect then this is. These very same men will I finde kissing the hand of other mens slaues. See you not, that likewise how by this meanes our ancestors withdrew all enuie from the masters, all con••umely from the seruants? They called the master the father of the houshold, the ser∣uants (which as yet continueth amongst the Mimicks) his familiars. They in∣stituted a holy day, wherein not onely the masters feasted with their seruants, but wherein beside that, they permitted them to bear•• honor in their house, and to giue sentence and iudgement, their house to be a little common-weale. What then? Shall I set all my seruants at my table? No more then all my chil∣dren. Thou errest, if thou thinkest that I will reiect some of them•• as destinated to a more seruile office, as that Muliter, and that Cow keeper, I will not mea∣sure them by their offices, but by their manners. Each one giueth himselfe

manners, casualtie assigneth him ministeries. Let some of them sup with thee, because they are worthy, some that they may be worthy. For if any thing bee seruile in them by reason of their sordid cōuersation, their liuing & conuersing with those that are better nurtured will shake it off. Thou art not, my Lucilius, onely to seeke thy friend in the Market-place, and in the Court, if thou diligent∣ly attend, thou shalt finde him in thy house also. Oftentimes a good matter cea∣seth without the work-man; trie and make experiment. Euen as he is a foole, who hauing a horse to buy, looketh not on him, but on his furniture and bit; so is he most fond, that esteemeth a man, either by his garment, or by his con∣dition, which is wrapped about vs after the manner of a garment. Is hee a ser∣uant? But happily a free man in minde. Is he a seruant? Shall this hurt him? Shew one that is not. One serueth his lust, another his auarice, another ambi∣tion, another feare. I will shew you a man that hath beene Consul, seruing an old woman. I will let yov see a rich man seruing a poore maid: I will shew you the noblest yong men, the very bond-slaues of Players. There is no seruitude more foule, then that which is voluntarie. For which cause, thou hast no rea∣son that these disdainfull fellowes should deterre thee from shewing thy selfe affable to thy seruants, and not proudly superiour. Let them rather honour thee, then feare thee. Will any man say that I call seruants to libertie, and cast downe masters from their dignitie, in that I say they should rather honor their master then feare him? Is it so, saith he, shall they wholly honor thee as clients and sauiours? He that saith thus, forgetteth that that is very small to masters, which is enough for God, who is worshipped and loued. Loue cannot be ming∣led with feare. I therefore thinke, that thou doest most vprightly; if thou wilt not be feared by thy ••eruants, that thou vsest the chastisement of words. Such as are dumbe are admonished by stripes: euery thing that offendeth vs, hurteth vs not. But daintinesse compelleth vs to outrage, so that whatsoeuer is not an∣swerable to our will, prouoketh vs to wrath. Wee put vpon vs the mindes of Kings, for they also forgetfull of their own strength, and other mens imbecilitie are so incensed, so wrathfull, as if they had receiued an iniurie, from the perill of which thing, the greatnesse of their fortune secureth them most; neither are they ignorant hereof, but they take occasion of hurting by seeking it; they re∣ceiued an iniurie, that they might doe wrong. I will not detaine thee longer, for thou hast no need of exhortation. Good manners haue this amongst other things, they ple••se themselues and remaine. Malice is light, and is often chan∣ged, not to the better, but to another thing.