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. IX.

* 1.1LEt vs trauell ouer what countries soeuer wee will, and wee shall finde no Country in this world that is not accessible by a man. On what soeuer side wee addresse our eyes towardes heauen; these things that are diuine are separated from those that are humane by equall distance: so then prouided that mine eyes bee not hinde∣red from beholding the heauens, as long as it shall bee lawfull for mee to be∣holde the Sunne and Moone, and to consider neerely the other celestiall bo∣dies, their risings, settings and distances: Search out the causes why the one haue more swifter motions then the other; behold so many shining starres by night, the one fixed, the other shaping a short course, and retiring into their Spheares, some appearing sodainely, others blemishing the eye with their spa∣tious clearenesse, as if they would fall; others flying with a long tract, and great light. As long as I shall behold these things, and exercise my selfe amidst these celestiall troupes, as much as is lawfull for a mortall man, and if I haue alwaies my mind lifted vp on high in contemplation of those things that concerne the same, what care I vpon what ground I tread? But this land wherein thou liuest is not fertile, neither beareth it shadowie trees it is not watered by the currents of great and nauigable riuers, it bringeth forth nothing that other Countries might seeke after; scarsly is it able to sustaine the inhabitants: no precious stone is cut here, no veines of golde or siluer are digged out of it. Base is that mind that taketh pleasure in terrestriall things; to those things must hee be addressed which euery way appeare equally, and euery where shine equally, and this is he to thinke, that the goods of this world through the false opinion that men haue conceiued of their firmity, doe but obscure and hinder the true goods. The more they enlarge the walkes and porches of their houses, the more high they raise their turrets, the more larger they extend their streetes, the more deeper they digge their caues and summer retreats, the more higher they rayse the roofes and ••eelings of their dining Chambers, the more they hide the heauens from themselues. An accident hath driuen thee into a certain Country, where in ••••eade of a Pallace thou hast but a little Cabbin, truely thou hast but a weake minde, and such as i•• comforted with base delights, if therefore thou endure this patiently, because thou knowest Romulus his cottage. Rather say thus, whatsoeuer the house bee, it is bigge enough to entertaine vertues. Then will it bee more faire then all the Temples when iustice shall bee scene there, when continency, when prudence, piety, the meanes how to discharge him∣selfe of his duety, and the knowledge of diuine and humane things. No place is too straight that entertaineth this troupe of so great vertues, no banishment is grieuous, wherin a man may march in such cōpany•• Brutus in that booke which hee wrote of vertue, saith; That hee saw Marcellus that was ba••ished into Miti∣lene, and as farre as humane nature permitted, liuing most blessedly, neuer more desi∣rous of the knowledge of good letters then at that time: hee therefore added, that hee in departing from him, rather thought that hee went into banishment, who was to re∣turne backe againe without him, then that hee left him an exile. O farre more hap∣py Marcellus at that time when hee approued his banishment to Brutus, then when he iustified his Consulat to the people of Rome. How great a man was he, who brought to passe that, that man should seeme abanished man in his own iudgement, in departing from him that was an exile. The same Brutus sayth,

that C••s••r passing along by Mitele••e, would not onely enter into the same, be∣cause he•• could not endure to behold a deformed man. The Senate by mu∣tuall supplica••ion obtained Marcellus re••ocation, so pensiu•• and sad were they, that a man would haue said at that time, that euery one of them had Bru∣tus soule, and besought not for Marcellus but for themselues, for feare least be∣ing without him, it should proue a true banishment, yet more attained he that day when Brutus was sorry to leaue him an exile, and Caesar to see him: for by this meanes he had a testimony from them both. Brutus was sorry to returne without Marcellus, Caesar was ashamed; doest thou doubt that this so worthie a man did not encourage himselfe to endure his banishment with a quiet mind in these or such like words? It is no misery for thee that, thou wantest thy Country: so hast thou informed thy selfe with good letters,* 1.2 that thou knowest that euery place is a Wisemans Country. And what shall wee say of him that hath banished thee? hath hee not beene out of his Country for the space of ten whole yeeres? Vndoubtedly it was to the end to encrease the Romane Empire, yet was he absent so long. And now behold A∣frica draweth him vnto her, being replenished with the alarums of a threatning war. Spaine recalleth him that repaireth the broken and dispersed troupes of Pompey, per∣fidious AEgypt calles him forth, and in conclusion the whole world which is intent vpon this occasion of the shaken Empire. Wh••ther shall he march first, against what par∣ty shall hee first oppose himselfe. His victory shall driue him thorow all the countries in the world. Let all Nations reuerence and serue him, as for thy selfe finish thy dayes with this content, that tho•• art much esteemed by Brutus. Constantly therefore did Marcellus endure his exile, neither did the change of place any waies change his mind, although he were pressed with pouerty, wherein there is no euill, as that man knoweth very well, when auarice and dissolution (which ouerturne all things,) haue not as yet ouerturned his vnderstanding. For how little is it, that is necessary for a mans entertainement? hath a vertuous man need of this or that? For mine owne part I finde that I am dispossessed of many incumbran∣ces, and not of my goods. The desires of those things whereof the body stan∣deth in need are short, hee demandeth no more but a couering to defence him against the colde, and mea••e and drinke to extinguish his hunger and thirst. All that a man desireth besides these, serueth but to entertaine excesse, and hath no true vse. It is not necessary to ••ound all depthes, nor to murther so many beastes to fill the belly, nor to goe and fish for Oysters in forraine and vnknown seas: The Gods and Goddesses may destroy those men, whose dissolution hath exceeded the bounds of the Romane Empire so much enuied. They will haue the fowle of their ambitious Kitchens taken and brought from beyond the ••loud Phasis, which is in the further part of Asia, and are not ashamed to send for their dainties from the Parthians: from whome as yet wee haue not de∣manded recompence for the wrongs they haue done vs. They bring from all places that which they know is proper to enkindle these gluttons appetites: that which these decayed stomackes will hardly disgest, bei••g glutted with too ma∣ny dainties, is brought from the farthest Ocean: they vomit to the end they may eate, they eate to the end they may vomit: they take not time to disgest those dainty morsels which they search through the whole world. If a man dis∣pise these delicacies, what wrong doth hee to pouerty? if a man desire them, pouerty likewise profiteth him. Some there are that are not healed but against their wils, and if a poore man being depriued of these dainties, ceaseth not to wish for them, yet vndoubtedly when hee cannot•• hee is like to him that will not. Catus Caesar whom Nature as I thinke brought into this world to shew

what great vices might doe in a great and worldly prosp••ritie, spent at one only supper the summe of two hundreth and fiftie thousand crownes, and being herein assisted by the wits of his best belly-gods, yet scarcely found he how he might consume in that one repast all the reuenue of three Prouinces. O mise∣rable men whose pallats are not pleased but with precious dainties, which are made precious, not by reason of their excellent sauour or any sweetnesse they yeeld the taste, but by reason of their raritie and cunning in dressing. Other∣wise if they would awaken themselues neuer so little what neede they so many arts to entertaine their bellies? what neede they such traffiques, such desola∣tion of woods, such fishing of Seas and Riuers? Nature hath furnished in all places sufficient meat for our bodies. But these Countries and places like blinde men they passe ouer, and trauell through all Nations, and saile all Seas, and when as they may satisfie their hunger with a little, they prouoke the same with much.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other notable consideration in exile is, that the whole worlde is a mans country
• * 1.2

  Notable consi∣derations to pa∣cifi•• the fury of exile, worthily set downe vnder the person of, Marcellus.