solute ignorance and oblivion as their asleep and awake, a young man and final and enduring doom. SELECTION VI. decrepit; for these alternately are changed one into another. And as a potter can form the shape of an Fragmentary selections from Plutarch's animal out of his clay and then as Letter of Consolation to Apollonius, and easily deface it, and can repeat this from other kindred writings of his, show-backward and forward as often as ing that to the pious and virtuous Death he pleaseth; so Nature, too, out of is always a blessing; inasmuch as it is the same materials fashioned first a transition to holier companionships and our grandfathers, next our fathers, joys. then us, and in process of time will THE most sovereign remedy engender others, and again others against sorrow is our reason, upon these. and out of this arsenal we may arm 5 For as the flood of our generaourselves with defence against all tion glides on without any interthe casualties of life. For every one mission and will never stop, so in ought to lay down this as a maxim, the other direction the stream of that not only is he himself mortal in our mortality flows eternally on, his nature, but life itself decays, and whether it be called Acheron or things are easily changed into quite Cocytus by the poets. So that the the contrary to what they are; for same cause which first showed us the our bodies are made up of perishing light of the sun carries us down to ingredients. 2 Our fortunes and our passions too are subject to the same mortality; indeed all things in this world are in perpetual flux, "Which no man can avoid with all his care." the lower darkness. 6 And in my mind, the air which encompasseth us seems to be a lively image of the thing; for it brings on the vicissitudes of night and day, life and death, sleeping and waking. 7 Life also has been called a fatal debt, which our fathers contracted and we are bound to pay; which is to be done calmly and without any complaint, when the creditor demands it; and by this means we shall show ourselves men of sedate passions. 3 But what is it after all in death, that is so grievous and troublesome? For I know not how it comes to pass that, when it is so familiar and as it were related to us, it should seem so terrible. How can it be rational to wonder, if that cleaves apart which is divisible; if that melts whose 8 And I believe Nature, knowing nature is liquefaction; if that burns the confusion and shortness of our which is combustible; and so, by a life, hath industriously concealed the parity of reason, if that perisheth end of it from us, this making for which by nature is perishable? our advantage; for if we were sensi4 For when is it that death is not ble of it beforehand, some would in us? As Heraclitus saith, It is the pine away with untimely sorrow, and same thing to be dead and alive, I would die before their death came. Nature saw the woes of this life, and other original than this care of the with what a torrent of cares it is over- body and gratifying its unlawful apflowed,-which if thou didst under- petites; for we fight only to get take to number, thou wouldest grow riches, and these we acquire only to angry with it, and confirm that opin- please the body; so that those who ion which hath a vogue amongst are thus employed have not leisure to some, that death is more desirable be seekers of Wisdom. than life. 9 Neither hath he spoken much amiss who calls sleep the lesser mysteries of death; for sleep is really the first initiation into the mysteries of death. Diogenes, when a little before his death he fell into a slumber, and his physician, rousing him out of it, asked him whether any thing ailed him, wisely answered, Nothing, sir, only one brother anticipates another, -Sleep before Death. 12 "And after all, when we have retrieved an interval of time to seek after truth, the body officiously interrupts us, is so troublesome and importune, that we can by no means discern its nature. Therefore it is evident that, if we will clearly know any thing, we must divest ourselves of the body, and behold things as they are in themselves with the mind itself, that at last we may attain what we so much desire, and what we do profess ourselves the most partial admirers of, which is Wisdom. IO If death be like a journey, neither upon this account is it an evil, but rather the contrary; for 13 "And this we cannot consumcertainly it is the emphasis of happi- mately enjoy till after death, as reaness to be freed from the encum-son teacheth us. For if so be that brances of the flesh and all those we can understand nothing clearly troublesome passions which attend as long as we are clogged with flesh, it, which serve only to darken the un- one of these things must needs be; derstanding, and overspread it with either that we shall never arrive at all the folly that is incident to human that knowledge at all, or only when we die; for then the soul will exist by itself, separate from the body. And whilst we are in this life, we shall make the nearest advances toward it, if we have no more to do with the body than what decency and neces nature. II "The very body," saith Plato, procures us infinite disquiet only to supply its daily necessities with food; but if any diseases are coincident, they hinder our contemplations, and stop us in our researches sity require; if we break off all comafter truth. Besides, it distracts us with irregular desires, fears, and vain amours, setting before us so many fantastic images of things, that the common saying is here most true, that on account of the body we can never become wise. For wars, popular seditions, and shedding of blood by the sword are owing to no merce with it, and keep ourselves pure from its contagion, till God shall give us a final release. And then being pure and freed from all its follies, we shall converse (it is likely) with intelligences as pure as ourselves, with our unaided vision beholding perfect purity, and this is truth itself. For it is not fit that what is pure should be apprehended by do it upon their own account or upon that of the deceased? what is impure." 14 Therefore, if death only trans- 19 If upon their own, (because they ports us to another place, it is not to have lost that pleasure they thought be looked upon as an evil, but rath- they should have enjoyed in them, er as an exceeding good, as Plato or are deprived of that profit they hath demonstrated. The words of expected, or that relief they flattered Socrates to his judges seem to me to themselves they should receive in be spoken even with inspiration: their old age,) then self-love and "To fear death, O Athenians! "is personal interest prescribe the measnothing else than to counterfeit the ures of their sorrow; so that upon being wise, when we are not so. the result they do not love the dead For he that fears death pretends to so much as themselves and their know what he is ignorant of." own interest. 20 But if they lament upon the account of the deceased, that is a grief easily to be shaken off, if they only consider that by their very death they will be out of the sphere of any evil that can reach them; and believe the wise and ancient saying, that we should always augment what is good, and extenuate the evil. 15 In general, every one should meditate seriously with himself, and have the concurrence of other men's opinions with his own, that it is not the longest life which is the best, but that which is the most virtuous. 16 But such exclamations as this, "The young man ought not to be taken off so abruptly in the vigor of his years," are very frivolous, and proceed from a great weakness of mind; for who is it that can say what a thing ought to be? This is that which is called happy and grateful to God. And for this reason it is that poets celebrate those who have died before they have become old, and propose them for examples, be excellently well prepared for as the most excellent men, and of events of this nature, for he saith divine extraction. 17 But things have been, are, and will be done, which somebody or other will say ought not to be done. However, we do not come into this life to be dogmatical and prescribe to it; but we must obey the dictates of God, who governs the world, and submit to the establishments of Fate and Providence. 21 But, it is objected, the calamity was sudden, and I did not expect it. But thou oughtest to have done it, and considered the vanity and uncertainty of human affairs, that thy enemies might not have come suddenly upon thee and taken thee unawares. 22 Theseus in Euripides seems to thus: This wholesome precept from the wise I learn, Either on death or else on banishment. Foresight of evils doth employ my mind, 23 It is for the sake of these things that we condole with those who lose 18 But when they mourn over friends by untimely death, because those who die so untimely, do they they were frustrated of their hopes; but in the meanwhile we are ignorant and rational sort of life; and not that a sudden death doth not at all associate ourselves with those who differ from any other, considering the will be companions in grief, and by condition of human nature. flattering our tears will only excite them the more; but rather with those who will diminish our grief by solemn and generous consolation. 24 For as when a journey is enjoined into a remote country, and there is a necessity for every one to undertake it, and none hath liberty to refuse, though some go before and others follow, yet all must arrive at the same stage at last; so when we all lie under an obligation of discharging the same debt, it is not they are departed this life, and if, material whether we pay sooner or later. 28 Now if the sayings of the wise men and poets of old are true, as there is probability to think, that honors and high seats of dignity are conferred upon the righteous after as it is said, a particular region is appointed for their souls to dwell in, you ought to cherish very fair hopes that your son stands num tants. 25 And who knows but that the Deity, with a fatherly providence and out of tenderness to mankind, bered amongst those blest inhabiforeseeing what would happen, hath taken some purposely out of this life by an untimely death? So we should think that nothing has befallen them which they should have sought to shun,-" For nought that cometh by necessity is hard.” 29 Of the state of the pious after death, Pindar discourseth after this manner : There the sun shines with an unsullied light, 26 Therefore it becomes men well educated to consider that those who have paid their debt to mortality have only gone before us a little And proceeding further, in another time; that the longest life is but lamentation he spake thus concernas a point in respect of eternity, ing the soul: Which to each man impartially doth fall. It doth decide the dull contentious strife, and that many who have indulged Just we that distribution may call, Death doth its efforts on the body spend ; Immortal as the Gods from whence it came. 30 These are the things which I have heard and think to be true; and I draw this rational inference from them, that death in my opinion is nothing else but the separation of 27 Since, then, the time of our pilgrimage in this life is but short, we ought not to consume ourselves with sordid grief, and so render ourselves unhappy by afflicting our minds and tormenting our bodies. But we two things nearly united, which are should endeavor after a more manly soul and body. ROMAN SCRIPTURES.-GENERAL SELECTIONS. SELECTION I. The one God universal; who is wise 6 Either God has power or He has no power. If He has no power, ruler, merciful friend, inspirer of all wis- why do you pray? If He has power, dom and virtue in men. why not pray never to be anxious about events, rather than that any AMID all the conflict of opinions, event may take place? there sounds through all the world one consenting law and idea: that there is One God, the King and Father of All. 2 I do not blame the variety of representations; only let men understand there is but One Divine Nature. Let them love One, and keep One in their thoughts. 3 The entire universe is overruled by the power of God. By His nature, reason, energy, mind, divinity, or some other word of clearer signification, all things are governed and directed. And He has been peculiarly beneficent to man, whom He has endowed with reason and thought superior to other creatures. 7 How can the Almighty and Merciful Friend, who is always with us, take delight in sacrifices? Let us purge our mind, and lead virtuous and honest lives. 8 His pleasure is not in the magnificence of temples, but in the piety and devotion of consecrated hearts. Let us be sure not to admit any evil intentions into our hearts, that we may lift up pure hands to Heaven, and ask nothing by which another may lose. 9 He who knows himself must be conscious that he is inspired by a divine principle. He will look upon his rational part as a resemblance to some divinity within him; and he 4 And since nothing exists better will be careful that his sentiments than reason, and reason is the com- and behavior should be worthy of mon property of God and man, there this inestimable gift of God. exists a certain primeval, rational 10 There exists not any man, in communion between the divine any nation, who may not improve nature and the human. in virtue, if he adopts his own true nature as his guide. When I say nature, I mean nature in its genuine purity; not when it has been corrupted by evil customs. 5 Rain, O God, rain down on the ploughed fields and on the plains! Truly, we ought not to pray at all, or we ought to pray in this noble and simple fashion. II Man is born for justice. Law |