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. V.

WE are first borne vnder a good condition,* 1.1 except wee forsake the same. Nature hath so disposed things, that to liue well, we haue no neede of great necessaries: euery man may make himselfe blessed. These externall things are but slight matters, and haue no great effect either in prosperitie or in aduersitie, neither doe the one of these raise a wiseman, neither doth the other depresse him. For hee hath alwaies endeuoured that his greatest goods should consist in himselfe, and the complement of his contents should bee resident in his heart. What then? say I that I am a wise man? no: for if I could freely speake it, I would not only denie that I was miserable, but contrariwise I would maintaine it boldly, that I was the most fortunate of all men, and would repute my selfe to be most neare∣ly

lodged by the Gods. For the present, which is sufficient, to mitigate all my miseri••s I haue wholly dedicated my selfe to wise-men, and being scarce able e∣nough to assure and counsaile my selfe, I haue retired my selfe into another mans Campe, that is to say, amongst those who easily both defence themselues and their owne fortunes. They haue commanded me alwayes to stand addres∣sed, as if I were enioyned to stand Sentinell, and to foresee all the assaults and attempts of fortune long before they assaile me. To them is fortune tedious whom she assaileth suddainly, and easily repulse they her, who continually ex∣pect her. The enemies charge most in••tantly defeateth those whom they sud∣denly set vpon: but they that before the battell haue prepared themselues for a future warre, being well arranged and in a readinesse, do easily sustaine the first assault,* 1.2 which commonly is the most dangerous. I neuer gaue credite to for∣tune, although she seemed to claime a truce at my hands: and as touching all those things which with a liberall hand she hath bestowed vpon me, such as are siluer, honours, and great credite, I haue put them in that place where she may fetch them, without eyther my discontent or preiudice. There was a great di∣stance betwixt her and me, and therefore hath she carried them away from me, and not pulled them out of my ••ands. No man hath aduersitie ouerthrowne, but him whom prosperitie hath deceiued. They that haue loued her presents as if they had beene perpetuall and properly theirs, who would haue them∣selues respected by reason of the trifles; discomfort themselues incontinently, when these false and fraile delights abandon their ••eeble and childish vnder∣standings,* 1.3 who know not what true pleasure is. But he that is not puffed vp with prosperitie, neyther restrained by aduersitie, hath an inuincible heart at all times, and an approued constancie in eyther fortune; for he knoweth well in his felicitie, that he can make head against mishap. I haue therefore alwayes had this opinion in those things which all men wish for, that there is no true goodnesse in them; nay more, I haue alwayes found that they were vaine and outwardly smoothed with a deceiueable glosse, but inwardly hauing nothing that is answerable to their exteriour resemblance. For in those things which we call euils I find nothing so terrible and hard as the common opinion threat∣neth. The word it selfe by a certaine perswasion and consent, is now-a-dayes more distas••efull vnto the eares, and afflicteth those that heare the same, as if it were some heauy and execrable thing, for so will the people haue it: but men of wisedome doe for the most part disanull the ordinances of the people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  He entereth into the consideratiō of the former point, which con∣cerneth himselfe, and sheweth that he is not mi∣serable. First, nature hath taught vs to bee contented with a little.
• * 1.2

  Secondly, no∣thing h••th be∣fa••ne him that he hath not fore••ee••e, be∣ca••••e he neuer giue c••ed••te to w••r••d••y p••ospe∣ri••ie.
• * 1.3

  Thir••ly, the goods of this world are not truely goods, and the euils are but apparantly euill.