The familiar epistles of M.T. Cicero Englished and conferred with the: French Italian and other translations

Cicero to Ti••iu••. Epist. 16.

THough no man is lesse able to com∣fort you, then my selfe; hau••ng ••aken your troubles so to hart, that I my selfe neede consolation. Neuerthe∣lesse my griefe being not altogether so implacable as yours: and seeing you in so terrible an agonie: I thought it an office correspondent to our amitie, and to the loue I beare yo••, no longer to defer writing to you, but to administer you some phisicke, which may at least diminish your griefe, though not abso∣lutelie cu••e it. And that consolation is ordinarie, and well knowne to euery one, of vvhich vvee ought continually to reason, and debate: that vvee beare in minde, that vve are men borne vnder this lavv, that our life must lie open to all the blowes of Fortune. To which

Law, we must not seeke to oppose our selues, in refusing that condition of life, wherein we were borne; rather with patience support those accidents, which humane wisedome cannot preuent: comforting our selues in calling to minde, that nothing happens to vs, that hath not befallen manie others. And though this may yeeld thee cōfort, yet I'le propound a thing to thee, that shall bee of greater force, then this or any o∣ther consolations, which haue bin euer practised, or written by the wise••t m••n. I say therefore that considering the mi∣serable e••tate of our cittie, and the wic∣kednesse of these times, you will per∣ceiue, that they are truely happie, who haue had no children: and th••y lesse vn∣happie, who haue now lost them, then if they had lost them, when the Com∣mon-wealth flourished. It's true, that if thy great losse grieueth thee, in re∣spect of the damage receiued; I see no course to diuert absolutely your griefe. But if naturall affection moue thee, to lament their miseries, that are dead: not to alledge now, what I haue often read, and heard vpon this argument: that there is no euill in death, after which if the soule liueth, it may ra••her be ter∣med an immortalitie then a death: and if it die together with the bodie, we must not suppose that there is any mise∣rie, because no sense: leauing I say, this

part aside, I will onely intimate vnto you one reason, which is very true: That such a danger is approaching to the Common-wealth, that euerie man should be glad to auoid with death. For what receptacle, shall honestie, bounty, vertue, laudable customes, good Arts, and finally libertie it selfe, and safetie, now finde? Questionlesse there is ne∣uer a young man or childe, of whose death I haue heard, in this, of all others, most cruell, and pestiferous yeare, which seemes not to me by the gift of the eternall Gods, to haue beene re∣leased from these miseries, and from this so bad a condition of life? So that if I could beate into your minde this o∣pinion; that they whom you haue lost met with no euill, it would in a great part diminish your afflictions. For so you should come to retaine onely that griefe, which you feele not for their death, but for your owne losse. And surely it befits not the grauitie, and wisdome, which since your childhood, you haue alwaies manifested, to de∣spaire for the losse of them, that feele nothing. Remember how you haue liued hitherto, with so great moderati∣on of minde, as it is necessarie for you to perseuere in the same constancie. And by wisedome and discourse, we must anticipate that in our selues, that at length time will bring vs: which by

the remedie of yeares, healeth euerie greene wound. For if there were neuer so base a woman, which in the losse of children, did not at last cease lamen∣ting: surely we are bound to draw that from our prudence, which continuance of daies will bring vs; and not to ex∣pect the medicine of time, which rea∣son first propounds vnto vs. If these letters take effect, I shall thinke that I haue obtain'd my greatest desire: If they worke nothing at all, yet shall I iudge, that I haue done the office, of that friend, which I haue euer beene, and promise during life to be vnto you. Farewell.