第39章

Allthatexceedsasimpledeathappearstomeabsolutecruelty。Ourjusticecannotexpectthathe，whomthefearofdyingbybeingbeheadedorhangedwillnotrestrain，shouldbeanymoreawedbytheimaginationofalanguishingfire，pincers，orthewheel。AndIknownot，inthemeantime，whetherwedonotthrowthemintodespair;forinwhatconditioncanbethesoulofaman，expectingfour—and—twentyhourstogethertobebrokenuponawheel，oraftertheoldway，nailedtoacross？JosephusrelatesthatinthetimeofthewartheRomansmadeinJudaea，happeningtopassbywheretheyhadthreedaysbeforecrucifiedcertainJews，heamongstthemknewthreeofhisownfriends，andobtainedthefavourofhavingthemtakendown，ofwhomtwo，hesays，died;thethirdlivedagreatwhileafter。

Chalcondylas，awriterofgoodcredit，intherecordshehasleftbehindhimofthingsthathappenedinhistime，andnearhim，tellsus，asofthemostexcessivetorment，ofthattheEmperorMohammedveryoftenpractised，ofcuttingoffmeninthemiddlebythediaphragmwithoneblowofascimitar，whenceitfollowedthattheydiedasitweretwodeathsatonce;andboththeonepart，sayshe，andtheother，wereseentostirandstriveagreatwhileafterinverygreattorment。Idonotthinktherewasanygreatsufferinginthismotionthetormentsthatarethemostdreadfultolookonarenotalwaysthegreatesttoendure;andI

findthosethatotherhistoriansrelatetohavebeenpractisedbyhimupontheEpirotlords，aremorehorridandcruel，wheretheywerecondemnedtobeflayedalivepiecemeal，aftersomaliciousamannerthattheycontinuedfifteendaysinthatmisery。

Andtheseothertwo:Croesus，havingcausedagentleman，thefavouriteofhisbrotherPantaleon，tobeseized，carriedhimintoafuller’sshop，wherehecausedhimtobescratchedandcardedwiththecardsandcombsbelongingtothattrade，tillhedied。GeorgeSechel，chiefcommanderofthepeasantsofPoland，whocommittedsomanymischiefsunderthetitleoftheCrusade，beingdefeatedinbattleandtakenbutheVayvodeofTransylvania，wasthreedaysboundnakedupontherackexposedtoallsortsoftormentsthatanyonecouldcontriveagainsthim:duringwhichtimemanyotherprisonerswerekeptfasting;intheend，helivingandlookingon，theymadehisbelovedbrotherLucat，forwhomaloneheentreated，takingonhimselftheblameofalltheirevilactionsdrinkhisblood，andcausedtwentyofhismostfavouredcaptainstofeeduponhim，tearinghisfleshinpieceswiththeirteeth，andswallowingthemorsels。Theremainderofhisbodyandhisbowels，sosoonashewasdead，wereboiled，andothersofhisfollowerscompelledtoeatthem。

CHAPTERXXVIII

ALLTHINGSHAVETHEIRSEASON

SuchascompareCatotheCensorwiththeyoungerCato，whokilledhimself，comparetwobeautifulnatures，muchresemblingoneanother。

Thefirstacquiredhisreputationseveralways，andexcelsinmilitaryexploitsandtheutilityofhispublicemployments;butthevirtueoftheyounger，besidesthatitwereblasphemytocompareanytoitinvigour，wasmuchmorepureandunblemished。ForwhocouldabsolvethatoftheCensorfromenvyandambition，havingdaredtoattackthehonourofScipio，amaningoodnessandallotherexcellentqualitiesinfinitelybeyondhimoranyotherofhistime？

Thatwhichthey，reportofhim，amongstotherthings，thatinhisextremeoldageheputhimselfuponlearningtheGreektonguewithsogreedyanappetite，asiftoquenchalongthirst，doesnotseemtometomakemuchforhishonour;itbeingproperlywhatwecallfallingintosecondchildhood。Allthingshavetheirseasons，evengoodones，andImaysaymyPaternosteroutoftime;astheyaccusedT。QuintusFlaminius，thatbeinggeneralofanarmy，hewasseenprayingapartinthetimeofabattlethathewon。

"Imponitfinemsapiensetrebushonestis。"

["Thewisemanlimitsevenhonestthings。"——Juvenal，vi。444]

Eudemonidas，seeingXenocrateswhenveryold，stillveryintentuponhisschoollectures:"Whenwillthismanbewise，"saidhe，"ifheisyetlearning？"AndPhilopaemen，tothosewhoextolledKingPtolemyforeverydayinuringhispersontotheexerciseofarms:"Itisnot，"saidhe，"commendableinakingofhisagetoexercisehimselfinthesethings;heoughtnowreallytoemploythem。"Theyoungaretomaketheirpreparations，theoldtoenjoythem，saythesages:andthegreatestvicetheyobserveinusisthatourdesiresincessantlygrowyoungagain;wearealwaysre—beginningtolive。

Ourstudiesanddesiresshouldsometimebesensibleofage;yetwehaveonefootinthegraveandstillourappetitesandpursuitsspringeverydayanewwithinus:

"TusecandamarmoraLocassubipsumfunus，et，sepulcriImmemor，struisdomos。"

["Youagainstthetimeofdeathhavemarblecutforuse，and，forgetfulofthetomb，buildhouses。"——Horace，Od。，ii。18，17。]

Thelongestofmydesignsisnotofaboveayear’sextent;Ithinkofnothingnowbutending;ridmyselfofallnewhopesandenterprises;takemylastleaveofeveryplaceIdepartfrom，andeverydaydispossessmyselfofwhatIhave。

"Olimjamnecperitquicquammihi，necacquiritur……

plussuperestviaticiquamviae。"

["HenceforwardIwillneitherlose，norexpecttoget:Ihavemorewherewithtodefraymyjourney，thanIhavewaytogo。"（Or）:

"Hithertonothingofmehasbeenlostorgained;moreremainstopaythewaythanthereisway。"——Seneca，Ep。，77。（Thesenseseemstobethatsofarhehadmethisexpenses，butthatforthefuturehewaslikelytohavemorethanherequired。）]

"Vixi，et，quemdederatcursumfortuna，peregi。"

["IhavelivedandfinishedthecareerFortuneplacedbeforeme。"

——AEneid，iv。653。]

’TisindeedtheonlycomfortIfindinmyoldage，thatitmortifiesinmeseveralcaresanddesireswherewithmylifehasbeendisturbed;thecarehowtheworldgoes，thecareofriches，ofgrandeur，ofknowledge，ofhealth，ofmyself。Therearemenwhoarelearningtospeakatatimewhentheyshouldlearntobesilentforever。Amanmayalwaysstudy，buthemustnotalwaysgotoschoolwhatacontemptiblethingisanoldAbecedarian！——[Seneca，Ep。36]

"Diversosdiversajuvant;nonomnibusannisOmniaconveniunt。"

["Variousthingsdelightvariousmen;allthingsarenotforallages。"——Gall。，Eleg。，i。104。]

Ifwemuststudy，letusstudywhatissuitabletoourpresentcondition，thatwemayanswerashedid，whobeingaskedtowhatendhestudiedinhisdecrepitage，"thatImaygooutbetter，"saidhe，"andatgreaterease。"SuchastudywasthatoftheyoungerCato，feelinghisendapproach，andwhichhemetwithinPlato’sDiscourseoftheEternityoftheSoul:not，aswearetobelieve，thathewasnotlongbeforefurnishedwithallsortsofprovisionforsuchadeparture;forofassurance，anestablishedwillandinstruction，hehadmorethanPlatohadinallhiswritings;hisknowledgeandcouragewereinthisrespectabovephilosophy;heappliedhimselftothisstudy，notfortheserviceofhisdeath;but，asamanwhosesleepswereneverdisturbedintheimportanceofsuchadeliberation，healso，withoutchoiceorchange，continuedhisstudieswiththeotheraccustomaryactionsofhislife。

Thenightthathewasdeniedthepraetorshiphespentinplay;thatwhereinhewastodiehespentinreading。Thelosseitheroflifeorofofficewasallonetohim。

CHAPTERXXIX

OFVIRTUE

Ifindbyexperience，thatthereisagooddealtobesaidbetwixttheflightsandemotionsofthesouloraresoluteandconstanthabit;andverywellperceivethatthereisnothingwemaynotdo，nay，eventothesurpassingtheDivinityitself，saysacertainperson，forasmuchasitismoretorenderaman’sselfimpassiblebyhisownstudyandindustry，thantobesobyhisnaturalcondition;andeventobeabletoconjointoman’simbecilityandfrailtyaGod—likeresolutionandassurance;butitisbyfitsandstarts;andinthelivesofthoseheroesoftimespasttherearesometimesmiraculousimpulses，andthatseeminfinitelytoexceedournaturalforce;buttheyareindeedonlyimpulses:and’tishardtobelieve，thatthesesoelevatedqualitiesinamancansothoroughlytinctandimbuethesoulthattheyshouldbecomeordinary，and，asitwere，naturalinhim。Itaccidentallyhappenseventous，whoarebutabortivebirthsofmen，sometimestolaunchoursouls，whenrousedbythediscoursesorexamplesofothers，muchbeyondtheirordinarystretch;but’tisakindofpassionwhichpushesandagitatesthem，andinsomesortravishesthemfromthemselves:but，thisperturbationonceovercome，weseethattheyinsensiblyflagandslackenofthemselves，ifnottothelowestdegree，atleastsoastobenomorethesame;insomuchasthatuponeverytrivialoccasion，thelosingofabird，orthebreaking，ofaglass，wesufferourselvestobemovedlittlelessthanoneofthecommonpeople。Iamofopinion，thatorder，moderation，andconstancyexcepted，allthingsaretobedonebyamanthatisveryimperfectanddefectiveingeneral。Thereforeitis，saytheSages，thattomakearightjudgmentofaman，youarechieflytopryintohiscommonactions，andsurprisehiminhiseverydayhabit。

Pyrrho，hewhoerectedsopleasantaknowledgeuponignorance，endeavoured，asalltherestwhowerereallyphilosophersdid，tomakehislifecorrespondwithhisdoctrine。Andbecausehemaintainedtheimbecilityofhumanjudgmenttobesoextremeastobeincapableofanychoiceorinclination，andwouldhaveitperpetuallywaveringandsuspended，consideringandreceivingallthingsasindifferent，’tissaid，thathealwayscomfortedhimselfafterthesamemannerandcountenance:ifhehadbegunadiscourse，hewouldalwaysendwhathehadtosay，thoughthepersonhewasspeakingtohadgoneaway:ifhewalked，heneverstoppedforanyimpedimentthatstoodinhisway，beingpreservedfromprecipices，collisionwithcarts，andotherlikeaccidents，bythecareofhisfriends:for，tofearortoavoidanything，hadbeentoshockhisownpropositions，whichdeprivedthesensesthemselvesofallelectionandcertainty。Sometimeshesufferedincisionandcauterieswithsogreatconstancyasnevertobeseensomuchastowince。’Tissomethingtobringthesoultotheseimaginations;’tismoretojointheeffects，andyetnotimpossible;buttoconjointhemwithsuchperseveranceandconstancyastomakethemhabitual，iscertainly，inattemptssoremotefromthecommonusage，almostincredibletobedone。Thereforeitwas，thatbeingsometimetakeninhishousesharplyscoldingwithhissister，andbeingreproachedthathethereintransgressedhisownrulesofindifference:"What！"saidhe，"mustthisbitofawomanalsoserveforatestimonytomyrules？"Anothertime，beingseentodefendhimselfagainstadog:"Itis，"saidhe，"veryhardtotallytoputoffman;andwemustendeavourandforceourselvestoresistandencounterthings，firstbyeffects，butatleastbyreasonandargument。"

Aboutsevenoreightyearssince，ahusbandmanyetliving，buttwoleaguesfrommyhouse，havinglongbeentormentedwithhiswife’sjealousy，comingonedayhomefromhiswork，andshewelcominghimwithheraccustomedrailing，enteredintosogreatfurythatwithasicklehehadyetinhishand，hetotallycutoffallthosepartsthatshewasjealousofandthrewtheminherface。And，’tissaidthatayounggentlemanofournation，briskandamorous，havingbyhisperseveranceatlastmollifiedtheheartofafairmistress，enraged，thatuponthepointoffruitionhefoundhimselfunabletoperform，andthat，"NecviriliterInerssenilepenisextulitcaput。"

[（The19thor20thcenturytranslatorsleavethisphraseuntranslatedandwithnoexplanation。D。W。）

——Tibullus，Priap。Carm。，84。]

assoonaseverhecamehomehedeprivedhimselfoftherebelliousmember，andsentittohismistress，acruelandbloodyvictimfortheexpiationofhisoffence。Ifthishadbeendoneuponmatureconsideration，andupontheaccountofreligion，asthepriestsofCybeledid，whatshouldwesayofsohighanaction？

Afewdayssince，atBergerac，fiveleaguesfrommyhouse，uptheriverDordogne，awomanhavingovernightbeenbeatenandabusedbyherhusband，acholericill—conditionedfellow，resolvedtoescapefromhisill—usageatthepriceofherlife;andgoingsosoonasshewasupthenextmorningtovisitherneighbours，asshewaswonttodo，andhavingletsomewordsfallinrecommendationofheraffairs，shetookasisterofhersbythehand，andledhertothebridge;whitherbeingcome，andhavingtakenleaveofher，injestasitwere，withoutanymannerofalterationinhercountenance，shethrewherselfheadlongfromthetopintotheriver，andwastheredrowned。Thatwhichisthemostremarkableinthisis，thatthisresolutionwasawholenightforminginherhead。

ItisquiteanotherthingwiththeIndianwomenforitbeingthecustomthereforthementoha