第60章

["Weareonlysofarsensibleofpublicevilsastheyrespectourprivateaffairs。"——Livy，xxx。44。]

andthatthehealthfromwhichwefellwassoill，thatitselfrelievestheregretweshouldhaveforit。Itwashealth，butonlyincomparisonwiththesicknessthathassucceededit:wearenotfallenfromanygreatheight;thecorruptionandbrigandagewhichareindignityandofficeseemtometheleastsupportable:wearelessinjuriouslyrifledinawoodthaninaplaceofsecurity。Itwasanuniversaljunctureofparticularmembers，eachcorruptedbyemulationoftheothers，andmostofthemwitholdulcers，thatneitherreceivednorrequiredanycure。

Thisconvulsion，therefore，reallymoreanimatedthanpressedme，bytheassistanceofmyconscience，whichwasnotonlyatpeacewithinitself，butelevated，andIdidnotfindanyreasontocomplainofmyself。Also，asGodneversendsevils，anymorethangoods，absolutelypuretomen，myhealthcontinuedatthattimemorethanusuallygood;and，asIcandonothingwithoutit，therearefewthingsthatIcannotdowithit。

Itaffordedmemeanstorouseupallmyfaculties，andtolaymyhandbeforethewoundthatwouldelse，peradventure，havegonefarther;andI

experienced，inmypatience，thatIhadsomestandagainstfortune，andthatitmustbeagreatshockcouldthrowmeoutofthesaddle。Idonotsaythistoprovokehertogivemeamorevigorouscharge:Iamherhumbleservant，andsubmittoherpleasure:letherbecontent，inGod’sname。AmIsensibleofherassaults？Yes，Iam。But，asthosewhoarepossessedandoppressedwithsorrowsometimessufferthemselves，nevertheless，byintervalstotastealittlepleasure，andaresometimessurprisedwithasmile，sohaveIsomuchpowerovermyself，astomakemyordinaryconditionquietandfreefromdisturbingthoughts;yetI

suffermyself，withal，byfitstobesurprisedwiththestingsofthoseunpleasingimaginationsthatassaultme，whilstIamarmingmyselftodrivethemaway，oratleasttowrestlewiththem。

Butbeholdanotheraggravationoftheevilwhichbefellmeinthetailoftherest:bothwithoutdoorsandwithinIwasassailedwithamostviolentplague，violentincomparisonofallothers;forassoundbodiesaresubjecttomoregrievousmaladies，forasmuchasthey，arenottobeforcedbutbysuch，somyveryhealthfulair，wherenocontagion，howevernear，inthememoryofman，evertookfooting，comingtobecorrupted，producedstrangeeffects:

"Mistasenumetjuvenumdensenturfunera;nullumSaevacaputProserpinafugit;"

["Oldandyoungdieinmixedheaps。CruelProserpineforbearsnone。"——Horace，Od。，i。28，19。]

Ihadtosufferthispleasantcondition，thatthesightofmyhouse，wasfrightfultome;whateverIhadtherewaswithoutguard，andlefttothemercyofanyonewhowishedtotakeit。Imyself，whoamsohospitable，wasinverygreatdistressforaretreatformyfamily;adistractedfamily，frightfulbothtoitsfriendsanditself，andfillingeveryplacewithhorrorwhereitattemptedtosettle，havingtoshiftitsabodesosoonasanyone’sfingerbeganbuttoache;alldiseasesarethenconcludedtobetheplague，andpeopledonotstaytoexaminewhethertheyaresoorno。Andthemischiefon’tisthat，accordingtotherulesofart，ineverydangerthatamancomesnear，hemustundergoaquarantineinfearoftheevil，yourimaginationallthewhiletormentingyouatpleasure，andturningevenyourhealthitselfintoafever。YetallthiswouldhavemuchlessaffectedmehadInotwithalbeencompelledtobesensibleofthesufferingsofothers，andmiserablytoservesixmonthstogetherforaguidetothiscaravan;forIcarrymyownantidoteswithinmyself，whichareresolutionandpatience。Apprehension，whichisparticularlyfearedinthisdisease，doesnotmuchtroubleme;and，ifbeingalone，Ishouldhavebeentaken，ithadbeenalesscheerlessandmoreremotedeparture;’tisakindofdeaththatIdonotthinkoftheworstsort;’tiscommonlyshort，stupid，withoutpain，andconsoledbythepubliccondition;withoutceremony，withoutmourning，withoutacrowd。Butastothepeopleaboutus，thehundredthpartofthemcouldnotbesaved:

"VideasdesertaqueregnaPastorum，etlongesaltuslatequevacantes。"

["Youwouldseeshepherds’hauntsdeserted，andfarandwideemptypastures。"——Virgil，Georg。，iii。476。]

Inthisplacemylargestrevenueismanual:whatanhundredmenploughedforme，layalongtimefallow。

Butthen，whatexampleofresolutiondidwenotseeinthesimplicityofallthispeople？Generally，everyonerenouncedallcareoflife;thegrapes，theprincipalwealthofthecountry，remaineduntoucheduponthevines;everymanindifferentlypreparedforandexpecteddeath，eitherto—nightorto—morrow，withacountenanceandvoicesofarfromfear，asiftheyhadcometotermswiththisnecessity，andthatitwasanuniversalandinevitablesentence。’Tisalwayssuch;buthowslenderholdhastheresolutionofdying？Thedistanceanddifferenceofafewhours，thesoleconsiderationofcompany，rendersitsapprehensionvarioustous。Observethesepeople;byreasonthattheydieinthesamemonth，children，youngpeople，andold，theyarenolongerastonishedatit;theynolongerlament。Isawsomewhowereafraidofstayingbehind，asinadreadfulsolitude;andIdidnotcommonlyobserveanyothersolicitudeamongstthemthanthatofsepulture;theyweretroubledtoseethedeadbodiesscatteredaboutthefields，atthemercyofthewildbeaststhatpresentlyflockedthither。Howdifferingarethefanciesofmen;theNeorites，anationsubjectedbyAlexander，threwthebodiesoftheirdeadintothedeepestandlessfrequentedpartoftheirwoods，onpurposetohavethemthereeaten;theonlysepulturereputedhappyamongstthem。Some，whowereyetinhealth，dugtheirowngraves;otherslaidthemselvesdowninthemwhilstalive;andalabourerofmine，indying，withhishandsandfeetpulledtheearthuponhim。Wasnotthistonestleandsettlehimselftosleepatgreaterease？AbraveryinsomesortlikethatoftheRomansoldierswho，afterthebattleofCannae，werefoundwiththeirheadsthrustintoholesintheearth，whichtheyhadmade，andinsuffocatingthemselves，withtheirownhandspulledtheearthabouttheirears。Inshort，awholeprovincewas，bythecommonusage，atoncebroughttoacoursenothinginferiorinundauntednesstothemoststudiedandpremeditatedresolution。

Mostoftheinstructionsofsciencetoencourageushereinhaveinthemmoreofshowthanofforce，andmoreofornamentthanofeffect。WehaveabandonedNature，andwillteachherwhattodo;teachherwhosohappilyandsosecurelyconductedus;andinthemeantime，fromthefootstepsofherinstruction，andthatlittlewhich，bythebenefitofignorance，remainsofherimageimprintedinthelifeofthisrusticroutofunpolishedmen，scienceisconstrainedeverydaytoborrowpatternsforherdisciplesofconstancy，tranquillity，andinnocence。Itisprettytoseethatthesepersons，fullofsomuchfineknowledge，havetoimitatethisfoolishsimplicity，andthisintheprimaryactionsofvirtue;andthatourwisdommustlearnevenfrombeaststhemostprofitableinstructionsinthegreatestandmostnecessaryconcernsofourlife;

as，howwearetoliveanddie，manageourproperty，loveandbringupourchildren，maintainjustice:asingulartestimonyofhumaninfirmity;

andthatthisreasonwesohandleatourpleasure，findingevermoresomediversityandnovelty，leavesinusnoapparenttraceofnature。Menhavedonewithnatureasperfumerswithoils;theyhavesophisticatedherwithsomanyargumentationsandfar—fetcheddiscourses，thatsheisbecomevariableandparticulartoeach，andhaslostherproper，constant，anduniversalface;sothatwemustseektestimonyfrombeasts，notsubjecttofavour，corruption，ordiversityofopinions。Itis，indeed，truethateventhesethemselvesdonotalwaysgoexactlyinthepathofnature，butwhereintheyswerve，itissolittlethatyoumayalwaysseethetrack;ashorsesthatareledmakemanyboundsandcurvets，but’tisalwaysatthelengthofthehalter，andstillfollowhimthatleadsthem;andasayounghawktakesitsflight，butstillundertherestraintofitstether:

"Exsilia，torments，bells，morbos，naufragiameditare……

utnullosismalotiro。"

["Tomeditateuponbanishments，tortures，wars，diseases，andshipwrecks，thatthoumayestnotbeanoviceinanydisaster。"

——Seneca，Ep。，91，107。]

Whatgoodwillthiscuriositydous，toanticipatealltheinconveniencesofhumannature，andtoprepareourselveswithsomuchtroubleagainstthingswhich，peradventure，willneverbefallus？

"Parempassistristitiamfacit，patiposse;"

["Ittroublesmenasmuchthattheymaypossiblysuffer，asiftheyreallydidsuffer。"——Idem，ibid。，74。]

notonlytheblow，butthewindoftheblowstrikesus:or，likephreneticpeople——forcertainlyitisaphrensy——togoimmediatelyandwhipyourself，becauseitmaysofalloutthatFortunemayonedaymakeyouundergoit;andtoputonyourfurredgownatMidsummer，becauseyouwillstandinneedofitatChristmas！Throwyourselves，saythey，intotheexperienceofalltheevils，themostextremeevilsthatcanpossiblybefallyou，andsobeassuredofthem。Onthecontrary，themosteasyandmostnaturalwaywouldbetobanisheventhethoughtsofthem;theywillnotcomesoonenough;theirtruebeingwillnotcontinuewithuslongenough;ourmindmustlengthenandextendthem;wemustincorporatetheminusbeforehand，andthereentertainthem，asiftheywouldnototherwisesufficientlypressuponoursenses。"Weshallfindthemheavyenoughwhentheycome，"saysoneofourmasters，ofnoneofthetendersects，butofthemostsevere;"inthemeantime，favourthyself;believewhatpleasestheebest;whatgoodwillitdotheetoanticipatethyillfortune，tolosethepresentforfearofthefuture:andtomakethyselfmiserablenow，becausethouarttobesointime？"Thesearehiswords。

Science，indeed，doesusonegoodofficeininstructingusexactlyastothedimensionsofevils，"Curisacuensmortaliacorda！"

["Probingmortalheartswithcares。"——Virgil，Georg。，i。23。]

’Twerepitythatanypartoftheirgreatnessshouldescapeoursenseandknowledge。

’Tiscertainthatforthemostpartthepreparationfordeathhasadministeredmoretormentthanthethingitself。Itwasofoldtrulysaid，andbyaveryjudiciousauthor:

"Minusafficitsensusfatigatio，quamcogitatio。"

["Sufferingitselflessafflictsthesensesthantheapprehensionofsuffering。"——Quintilian，Inst。Orat。，i。12。]

Thesentimentofpresentdeathsometimes，ofitself，animatesuswithapromptresolutionnottoavoidathingthatisutterlyinevitable:manygladiatorshavebeenseenintheoldentime，who，afterhavingfoughttimorouslyandill，havecourageouslyentertaineddeath，offeringtheirthroatstotheenemies’swordandbiddingthemdespatch。Thesightoffuturedeathrequiresacouragethatisslow，andconsequentlyhardtobegot。Ifyouknownothowtodie，nevertroubleyourself;naturewill，atthetime，fullyandsufficientlyinstructyou:shewillexactlydothatbusinessforyou;takeyounocare——

"Incertamfrustra，mortales，funerishoram，Quaeritisetquasitmorsadituravia……

Poenaminorcertamsubitoperferreruinam;

Quodtimeas，graviussustinuissediu。"

["Mortals，invainyouseektoknowtheuncertainhourofdeath，andbywhatchannelitwillcomeuponyou。"——Propertius，ii。27，1。

"’Tislesspainfultoundergosuddendestruction;’tishardtobearthatwhichyoulongfear。"——Incert。Auct。]

Wetroublelifebythecareofdeath，anddeathbythecareoflife:theonetorments，theotherfrightsus。Itisnotagainstdeaththatweprepare，thatistoomomentaryathing;aquarterofanhour’ssuffering，withoutconsequenceandwithoutdamage，doesnotdeserveespecialprecepts:tosaythetruth，weprepareourselvesagainstthepreparationsofdeath。Philosophyordainsthatweshouldalwayshavedeathbeforeoureyes，toseeandconsideritbeforethetime，andthengivesusrulesandprecautionstoprovidethatthisforesightandthoughtdousnoharm;

justsodophysicians，whothrowusintodiseases，totheendtheymayhavewhereontoemploytheirdrugsandtheirart。Ifwehavenotknownhowtolive，’tisinjusticetoteachushowtodie，andmaketheenddifformfromalltherest;ifwehaveknownhowtolivefirmlyandquietly，weshallknowhowtodiesotoo。Theymayboastasmuchastheyplease:

"Totaphilosophorumvitacommentatiomortisest;"

["Thewholelifeofphilosophersisthemeditationofdeath。"

——Cicero，Tusc。Quaes。，ii。30。]

butIfancythat，thoughitbetheend，itisnottheaimoflife;’tisitsend，itsextremity