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. XIII.

WHy,* 1.1 saiest thou, dost thou prosecute so earnestly these follies, wher∣by thou shalt neyther become more l••arned, nor more b••tter? Thou tellest me how snowes are made, where it concerneth thee far more to let vs vnderstand why snowes are not to be bought. Thou willest me to pleade against dissolution: this is a daily and a fruitlesse brawle; yet let vs chide at it: although she be like to get the vpper hand, yet let her ouercome vs fighting and striuing against her. What then? Thinkest thou that this inspection of nature auaileth nothing to that which thou intendest? When we aske how snow is made, and say that by nature it is like vnto frost, that it containeth in it selfe more ayr•• then water; thinkest thou not that they are reproached hereby, because they buy not true water, but a far more baser thing? But let vs rather inquire how snowes are made, then how they are kept, because not contenting our selues to poure out our olde wine••, and to dispose them according to their sauours and age, we haue found out the inuention how to keepe snow, and to the end it might ouercome Summer, and defence it selfe against the heat of the yeare, by the coldnesse of the place, what haue we attained by this diligence? Forsooth this, to buy water that costeth vs nothing. It grieueth vs that we cannot buy the winde and the Sunne; or for that the ayre commeth so easily to present himselfe to a rich and more delicate sort, who could be contented to buy the same. O how impatiently endure wee that nature, the mother of all hath left nothing common to all. This which she would haue flow and lie open to all men; this which she hath made publike, to the end that all men might drinke therof to entertaine life, that which she hath largely and happily dispensed for all, to serue the common vse of men, of sauage beasts, of birds and all other liuing creatures, that are the most idle, that hath d••••••solution (ingenuous in her owne mischiefe) drawne vnto a price; so is noth•••••• pleasing vnto her except it cost deere. This was the onely thing that equalled the rich with the common sort, in which onely they could not exceed the poo∣rest. For him was this deuised (whose riches are troublesome to himselfe) to feed his dissolution euen in water. I will tell you whence it came to passe that no running water seemed cold enough for vs. As long as the stomacke is sound and capable of conuenient nourishment, and is filled but not ouerpressed, it is content with naturall supplies, it feeleth not the heate of the time, but his in∣ward distemper; when as continuall drunkennesse encampeth in his bowels, and the noble parts are inflamed by a cholericke humour that seizeth the sto∣macke, men seeke necessarily for somewhat that may temper that heate which

waxeth more violently by those waters that are poured on it, and the remedy increaseth the sicknesse. And therefore not in Summer onely, but in the depth of winter they drinke water for this cause. What is the cause hereof but an e∣uill 〈…〉〈…〉 intrailes rotted and spoyled by excesse, to which no intermissi∣on hath bin granted, to concoct & digest that which they had th••ust into them; but some haue heaped on their dinners those nightly banquets, which haue la∣sted till the next day morning, gourmandize and drunkennesse plunging as it were into a gulfe, mens stomacks charged with abundance and diuersities of wines and meates. Besides this, intemperance that hath no intermission, hauing greedily deuoured all that which was presented vnto him, becomes mad, and inflameth it selfe alwayes in a new desire to follow his traine. Although therfore they garnish their chambers with Tapestrie and other ornaments, and with huge fires conquer the vehemency of the colde, yet notwithstanding their sto∣mackes cloyed and weakened by their proper heate, seeketh some sollace to re∣fresh themselues. For ••uen as we cast colde water vpon their faces that faint and are in a ••wound, to the end we may reuiue them,* 1.2 so the entrailes of these disso∣lute men, wholly stupified with so much excesse, feele nothing, except you a∣wake them with these extreame colde drinkes. Hence commeth it that they content not themselues with snow, but steepe their yce in store of fresh water, as if the thickenesse thereof gaue them some more certaine refreshing. And this yee is not taken from that which groweth aboue, but to the end it may haue more force, and a more vehement colde, they draw it and digge it out of the deeper places. Therefore is it, that these delicacies haue more prises then one, and there is traffique both of water and yce, according to the diuersities of the seasons of the yeare, to the great dishonour of the buyers and the sellers. The Lacedemonians banished Perfumers out of their Citie, and commanded them suddenly to depart out of their confines, because they wasted their oyle. What would they haue done if they had seene the shops and store-houses for snow, and so many horses appointed to carrie water, whose colour and sauour they alter by the meanes of the straw wherein they keepe it? But good gods, how easie a thing is it to extinguish wholsome thirst? But what can dull and dead jawes, stupified with burning meates, feele? Euen as nothing is colde enough for them,* 1.3 so nothing is hot enough: but they thrust downe the scalding mor∣sels, speedily drowned in their sawce, halfe smoaking into their stomacks, to the end they may extinguish them with snowie potions. Thou shalt see certaine leane fellowes, armed against the colde vp to the chin, pale and ill disposed, that not onely swallow downe, but also eate snow, casting great morsels of the same into their cups, fearing least in forbearing their drinke a little, it should waxe warme. Thinkest thou that this is thirst? It is a feuor, yea, so malignant that it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neyther discouered in touching the pulse, nor by the colour that appeareth in the face. But intemperance an inuincible euill, of soft and fluid becomming hard and stupid burneth the heart it selfe. Knowest thou not that all things loose their force by custome? Therefore this snow, in which at this day you that are delicate, are as it were plunged, by vse and continuall seruitude of the stomacke hath gotten this priuiledge, that it obtaineth the place of water. Seek out now some other thing that is more colde, for an ordinary and accustomed freshnesse and coolenesse is as much to you as nothing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the res••lution of this question: ••e en••ereth into censure against the Epicures of this world, who abuse snow.
• * 1.2

  A pleasant and fit comparison, to shew the mi∣series of the dis∣solute.
• * 1.3

  A liuely descrip∣tion of belly∣gods, and how great was Sene∣caes admired hatred against all excesse.