Seneca's morals abstracted in three parts : I. of benefits, II. of a happy life, anger, and clemency, III. a miscellany of epistles / by Roger L'Estrange.

EPIST. XVIII. We are Iuster to Men, than to God: Of Life, and Death, of Good, and Evil. (Book 18)

IT is without Dispute, that the Loss of a Friend is one of the greatest Tryals of Humane Frailty; and no Man is so much exalted above the sense of that Calamity, as not to be affected with it. And yet if a Man bears it Bravely, they cry, he has no Sense of Piety, or Good Na∣ture in him; if he sink under it, they call him Effeminate: so that he lies both wayes under a Reproach. But, What's the Ground of your Trouble, I beseech you, but that he might have Liv'd Lon∣ger, in respect of his years; and, in effect, that he ought to have done so, in regard of his Usefulness to the World? I cannot but wonder to see, that a Person so Just, and so Temperate in all his Dealings with Men, and in Business, should so exceed∣ingly forget himself in This Point. But you have in Excuse of this Error, the

Failings of the whole VVorld with you for Company. For even those that are the most scrupulously Consciencious to∣ward Men, are yet Unthankful, and In∣jurious to Providence.

It is not the Number of Dayes that makes a Life Long, but the Full Em∣ployment of them, upon the main End, and Purpose of Life; which is, the Per∣fecting of the Mind, in making a Man the Absolute Master of Himself. Ireckon the Matter of Age among External things, the main point is to Live, and Die, with Honor. Every Man that Lives, is upon the way, and must go through with his Journy, without stopping, till he comes at the End: And wheresoe∣ver it ends, if it ends well, it is a Per∣fect Life. There is an Invincible Fate, that attends all Mortals; and, one Gene∣ration is condemn'd to tread upon the Heels of another. Take away from Life, the Power of Death, and 'tis a sla∣very. As Caligula was passing upon the way, an Old man that was a Prisoner, and with a Beard down to his Girdle, made it his request to Caesar, that he might be put to death. Why, sayes

Caesar to him, are you not dead already? So that you see Some Desire it, as well as others Fear it: And why not? When it is one of the Duties of Life, to Dye. And it is one of the Comforts of it too: For the Living are under the Power of Fortune, but she has no Dominion at all over the Dead. How can Life be Pleasant to any Man, that is not pre∣par'd to part with it? Or what Loss can be easier to us, than that which can ne∣ver be Miss'd; or Desir'd again? I was brought by a Defluxion into a hopeless Consumption; and I had it many times in my Thought to Deliver my self from a Miserable Life, by a Violent Death. But the Tenderness I had for an Aged, and Indulgent Father, held my hand; for, thought I to my self, it will be very hard for my Father to be without me, though I could most willingly part with my self. In the Case of a Particular Disease, a Physitian may propound a Remedy; but the onely Remedy for all Diseases, is the Contempt of Death. (Though I know too, that it is the business of a Long Life, to Learn That Lesson.)

Oh! The Happiness of distinguishing Good from Evil, in the Works of Provi∣dence! But, in stead of raising our Thoughts to the Contemplation of Di∣vine Matters, and enquiring into the O∣riginal, the State, and the Appointed Issue of Created Nature; we are dig∣ging of the Earth, and serving of our A∣varice; Neglecting all the good things that are so frankly offer'd us. How great a Folly and Madness is it, for Men that are Dying, and in the hands of Death already, to extend their Hopes, and to carry their Ambition, and Desires to the Grave, Unsatisfy'd? For, whosoever is tainted with those Hydroptick Appe∣tites, can never have enough, either of Mony, or Power. It is a Remarkable thing, that among those that place their Happiness in Sense, they are the most mi∣serable that seem to be happiest. The Riches of Nature are the most precious Treasures. What has any Man to desire more, than to keep himself from Cold, Hunger, and Thirst? It is not the Quan∣tity, but the Opinion, that Governs in this Case; That can never be Little, which

is Enough: Nor does any Man accompt That to be Much, which is too Little. The Benefits of Fortune are so far Comforta∣ble to us, as we enjoy them without lo∣sing the Possession of our selves. Let us Purge our Minds, and follow Nature; we shall otherwise be still either Fear∣ing, or Craving, and Slaves to Accidents. Not that there is any Pleasure in Pover∣ty; but it is a great Felicity for a Man to bring his Mind to be contented even in That State, which Fortune it self can∣not make worse. Methinks our Quar∣rels with Ambition, and Profitable Em∣ployments, are somewhat like those we have with our Mistresses; we do not Hate them, but Wrangle with them. In a word; betwixt those things which are Sought, and Coveted, and yet Com∣plain'd of; and those things which we have Lost, and pretend that we cannot live without, our Misfortunes are purely Voluntary: and we are Servants, not so much by Necessity, as by Choice. No Man can be Happy, that is not Free, and Fearless: And no Man can be so, but he, that by Philosophy has got the bet∣ter of Fortune. In what Place soever

we are; we shall find our selves beset with the Miseries of Humane Nature: Some, Without us; that either Encom∣pass us, Deceive us, or Force us: Others, Within us; that eat up our very Hearts, in the Middle of Solitude. And it is not yet, as we imagine, that Fortune has Long Armes; She meddles with no body, that does not first lay hold upon Her. We should keep a Distance there∣fore, and withdraw into the Knowledge of Nature, and of our Selves. We Un∣derstand the Original of things; the Order of the World, the Circulation of the Seasons, the Courses of the Stars, and that the whole Frame of the Universe (only the Earth excepted) is but a Per∣petual Motion. We know the Causes of Day, and Night; of Light, and of Darkness; but it is at a distance: Let us direct our Thoughts then to That Place, where we shall see all nearer Hand. And, it is not This Hope nei∣ther, that makes a Wise Man Resolute at the Point of Death, because Death lies in his way to Heaven; For, the Soul of a Wise Man is there before-hand: Nay, if there were nothing after Death, to be

either Expected, or Fear'd, he would yet leave this World with as great a Mind, though he were to pass into a State of Annihilation. He that reckons every hour his Last; a Day, or an Age, is all one to him. Fate is doing our Work while we Sleep; Death steales upon us Insensibly; and the more Insensibly, be∣cause it passes under the name of Life. From Childhood we grow up, without perceiving it, to Old Age; and this En∣crease of our Life, duely consider'd, is a Diminution of it. We take Death to be Before us; but it is Behind us; and has already swallow'd up all that is past. Wherefore, make use of the Present; and trust nothing to the Morrow; for De∣lay is just so much time lost. We catch hold of Hopes, and Flatteries, of a little longer Life; as Drowning Men do upon Thorns, or Straws, that either Hurt us, or Deceive us. You will ask, perhaps, what I do my Self, that Preach at this Rate. Truely I do like some ill Hus∣bands, that spend their Estates, and yet keep their Accompts: I run out; but yet I can tell which way it goes. And,

I have the Fate of Ill Husbands too, another way; for every Body Pitties me, and no Body Helps me. The Soul is never in the Right place, so long as it fears to quit the Body. Why should a Man trouble himself to extend Life, which, at Best, is a kind of Punishment; And, at Longest, amounts to very little more, than Nothing? He is Ungrate∣ful, that takes the Period of Pleasure for an Injury; and he is Foolish, that knows no Good, but the Present. Nay, there are some Courses of Life, which a Man ought to quit, though with Life it self: As the Trade of Killing Others, in stead of Learning to Dye, Himself. Life it self is neither Good, nor Evil; but only a Place for Good, and Evil. It is a kind of Trage-Comedy. Let it be well Acted, and no matter whether it be Long, or Short. We are apt to be missed by the Appearances of things; and when they come to us, recommend∣ed in Good Terms, and by Great Ex∣ample, they will impose many times up∣on very Wise Men. The Mind is ne∣ver Right; but when it is at peace

within it self, and Independent upon any thing from Abroad. The Soul is in Heaven, even while it is in the Flesh; if it be purg'd of Natural Corruptions, and taken up with Divine Thoughts: And, whether any body sees us, or takes notice of us, it matters not. Virtue will of it self break forth, though never so much pains be taken to suppress it. And it is all one, whether it be known, or no: But After Ages however will do us Right; when we are Dead, and In∣sensible of the Veneration they allow us. He that is wise, will compute the Conditions of Humanity; and contract the Subject both of his Joyes, and Fears. And it is time well spent, so to Abate of the One, that he may likewise Diminish the Other. By this Practice he will come to understand, how short, how uncertain, and how safe, many of those things are, which we are wont to Fear. When I see a Splendid House, or a glit∣tering Train, I look upon it, as I do upon Courts, which are only the Schools of Avarice, and Ambition; and they are at best but a Pompe, which is more for

Shew, than Possession. Beside that, Great Goods are seldome Long-liv'd; and That is the Fairest Felicity, which is of the shortest Growth.