Moreover, if dignities and power had any natural and proper good in them, they would never be bestowed upon the worst men, for one opposite useth not to accompany another; nature refuseth to have contraries joined. So that, since there is no doubt but that men of the worst sort often enjoy dignities, it is also manifest that they are not naturally good which may follow most naughty men. Which may more worthily be thought of all fortune's gifts which are more plentifully bestowed upon every lewd com panion. Concerning which, I take that also to be worthy consideration, that no man doubteth him to be a valiant man in whom he seeth valour, and it is manifest that he which hath swiftness is swift. So, * Cf. Apollod. ii. 5. 11; Claudian xviii. 159; Virg. Georg. iii. 4.
0 Cf. Cicero, De Off. iii. 99.
H 209 est esse uelocem. Sic musica quidem musicos medicina medicos rhetorice rhetores facit. Agit enim cuiusque rei natura quod proprium est nee 5 contrariarum rerum miscetur effectibus et ultro quae sunt auersa depellit. Atqui nee opes inexpletam restinguere auaritiam queunt nee potestas sui compotem fecerit quern uitiosae libidines insolubilibus adstrictum retinent catenis, et collata improbis dignitas non modo non efficit dignos, sed prodit potius et ostentat indignos. Cur ita prouenit? Gaudetis enim res sese aliter habentes falsis cornpellare nominibus quae facile ipsarum rerum redarguuntur efFectu; itaque nee illae diuitiae nee ilia potentia nee haec dignitas iure appellari potest. Postremo idem de tota concludere fortuna licet in qua nihil expetendum, nihil natiuae bonitatis inesse manifestum est, quae nee se bonis semper adiungit et bonos quibus fuerit adiuncta non efficit.
VI.
Nouimus quantas dederit ruinas Vrbe flammata patribusque caesis Fratre qui quondam ferus interempto Matris effuso maduit cruore Corpus et uisu gelidum pererrans & Ora non tinxit lacrimis, sed esse Censor extincti potuit decoris. Hie tamen sceptro populos regebat Quos uidet condens radios sub undas Phoebus extremo ueniens ab ortu, Quos premunt septem gelidi triones, " Literally, " but could be the critic of her dead beauty." Cf. Suet. Nero 24; Tac. Ann. xiv. 9.
likewise, music maketh musicians, physic physicians, and rhetoric rhetoricians. For the nature of every thing doth that which is proper unto it, and is not mixed with contrary effects but repelleth all opposites. But neither can riches extinguish unsatiable avarice, nor power make him master of himself whom vicious lusts keep chained in strongest fetters. And dignity bestowed upon wicked men doth not only not make them worthy but rather bewrayeth and discovereth their unworthiness. How cometh this to pass? Because in miscalling things that are otherwise, you take a pleasure which is easily refuted by the effect of the things themselves. Wherefore, by right, these things are not to be called riches, this is not to be called power, that is not to be called dignity. Lastly, we may conclude the same of all fortunes in which it is manifest there is nothing to be desired, nothing naturally good, which neither are always bestowed upon good men, nor do make them good whom they are bestowed upon.
VI.
We know what stirs he made Who did the Senate slay and Rome with fire invade, Who did his brother kill, And with his mother's blood his moistened hand did fill; Who looked on that cold face Tearless, and nicely marked her members' several grace.* Yet his dread power controlled Those people whom the sun doth in the east behold, And those who do remain In western lands or dwell under Bootes' wain Quos Notus sicco uiolentus aestu Torret ardentes recoquens harenas. Celsa nurn tandem ualuit potestas 15 Vertere praui rabiem Neronis?
Heu grauem sortem, quotiens iniquus Additur saeuo gladius ueneno! " VII.
Turn ego: " Scis/' inquam, "ipsa minimum nobis ambitionem mortalium rerum fuisse dominatam. Sed materiam gerendis rebus optauimus quo ne uirtus tacita consenesceret." Et ilia: " Atqui hoc unum 5 est quod praestantes quidem natura mentes sed nondum ad extremam manum uirtutum perfectione perductas allicere possit, gloriae scilicet cupido et optimorum in rem publicam fama meritorum; quae quam sit exilis et totius uacua ponderis, sic considera.
10 Omnem terrae ambitum, sicuti astrologicis demonstrationibus accepisti, ad caeli spatium ptincti constat obtinere rationern, id est ut, si ad caelestis globi magnitudinem conferatur, nihil spatii prorsus habere iudicetur. Huius igitur tarn exiguae in mundo 15 regionis quarta fere portio est, sicut Ptolomaeo probante didicisti, quae nobis cognitis animantibus incolatur. Huic quartae, si quantum maria paludesque premunt quantumque siti uasta regio distenditur cogitatione subtraxeris, uix angustissima inhabitandi 20 hominibus area relinquetur. In hoc igitur minimo puncti quodam puncto circumsaepti atque conclusi de a Claudius Ptolemaeus, mathematician, astronomer, geographer, fl. A.D. 139-161.
CONSOT-AT. PHILOSOPH. II.
And those whose skins are tanned With southern winds, which roast and burn the parched sand.
What? C'ould this glorious might Restrain the furious rage of wicked Nero's spite?
But oh! mishap most bad, Which doth the wicked sword to cruel poison add! " VII.
Then I said: " Thou thyself knowest that the ambition of mortal things hath borne as little sway with me as with any, but I desired matter of action, lest old age should come upon me ere I had done anything." To which she answered: "This is the only thing which is able to entice such minds as, being well qualified by nature, are not yet fully brought to full excellence by the perfecting of virtues, I mean desire of glory, and fame of best deserts towards their commonwealth, which how slender it is, and void of all weight, consider this: thou hast learnt by astronomical demonstrations that the compass of the whole earth compared to the scope of heaven is no bigger than a pin's point, which is as much as to say that, if it be conferred with the greatness of the celestial sphere, it hath no bigness at all. And of this so small a region in the world only the fourth part is known to be inhabited by living creatures known to us, as Ptolemy a proveth. From which fourth part, if thou takest away in imagination the seas, the marsh grounds, and all other desert places, there will scarcely be left any room at all for men to inhabit. Wherefore, enclosed and shut up in this smallest point of that other point, do you think of peruulganda fama, de proferendo nomine cogitatis? Aut quid habeat amplum magnificumque gloria tarn angustis exiguisque limitibus artata? Adde quod 25 hoc ipsum breuis habitacuii saeptum plures incolunt nationes lingua, moribus, totius uitae ratione distantes, ad quas turn difficultate itirierum turn loquendi diuersitate turn commercii insolentia non modo fama hominum singulorum sed ne urbium quidem peruenire 30 queat. Aetate denique Marci Tullii, sicut ipse quodam loco significat, nondum Caucasum montem Romanae rei publicae fama transcenderat, et erat tune adulta Parthis etiam ceterisque id locorum gentibus formidolosa. Videsne igitur quam sit angusta, quam 35 compressa gloria quam dilatare ac propagare laboratis? An ubi Romani nominis transire fama nequit, Romani hominis gloria progredietur? Quid quod diuersarum gentium mores inter se atque instituta discordant, ut quod apud alios laude apud alios supplicio dignum 4 iudicetur. Quo fit ut si quern famae praedicatio delectat, huic in plurimos populos nomen proferre nullo modo conducat. Erit igitur peruagata inter suos gloria quisque contentus et intra unius gentis terminos praeclara ilia famae inmortalitas coartabitur.
45 Sed quam multos clarissimos suis temporibus uiros scriptorum inops deleuit obliuio! Quamquam quid ipsa scripta proficiant, quae cum suis auctoribus premit longior atque obscura uetustas? Vos uero inmortalitatem uobis propagare uidemini, cum futuri 50 famam temporis cogitatis. Quod si aeternitatis infinita spatia pertractes, quid habes quod de nominis a Cf. Somn. Scip. 6. 14 ap. Macr. Comment, ii. 10.
extending your fame and enlarging your name? But what great or heroical matter can that glory have, which is pent up in so small and narrow bounds? Besides that the little compass of this small habitation is inhabited by many nations, different in language, fashions, and conversation, to which by reason of the difficulties in travelling, the diversity of speech, and the scarcity of traffic, not only the Fame of particular men but even of cities can hardly come. Finally, in the age of Marcus Tullius, as he himself writeth,a the fame of the Roman Commonwealth had not passed the mountain Caucasus, and yet it was then in the most flourishing estate, fearful even to the Parthians and to the rest of the nations about. Seest thou therefore how strait and narrow that glory is which you labour to enlarge and increase? Where the fame of the Roman name could not pass, can the glory of a Roman man penetrate? Moreover, the customs and laws of diverse nations do so much differ the one from the other, that the same thing which some commend as laudable, others condemn as deserving punishment. So that if a man be delighted with the praise of fame, it is no way convenient for him to be named in many countries. Wherefore, every man must be content with that glory which he may have at home, and that noble immortality of fame must be comprehended within the compass of one nation.
Now, how many, most famous while they lived, are altogether forgotten for want of writers! Though what do writings themselves avail which perish, as well as their authors, by continuance and obscurity of time? But you imagine that you make yourselves immortal when you cast your eyes upon future fame. Whereas, if thou weighest attentively the infinite spaces of eternity, what cause hast thou tui diuturnitate laeteris? Vnius etenim mora mo> menti, si decem milibus conferatur annis, quoniam utrumque spatium definitum est, minimam, licet, 65 habet tamen aliquam portionem. At hie ipse numerus annorum eiusque quamlibet multiplex ad interminabilem diuturnitatem ne comparari quidem potest. Etenim finitis ad se inuicem fuerit quaedam, infiniti uero atque finiti nulla umquam poterit esse 60 collatio. Ita fit ut quamlibet prolixi temporis fama, si cum inexhausta aeternitate cogitetur, non parua sed plane nulla esse uideatur. Vos autem nisi ad populares auras inanesque rumores recte facere nescitis et relicta conscientiae uirtutisque praestantia 65 de alienis praemia sermunculis postulatis. Accipe in huiusmodi arrogantiae leuitate quam festiue aliquis inluserit. Nam cum quidam adortus esset hommern contumeliis, qui non ad uerae uirtutis usum sed ad superbam gloriam falsum sibi philosophi nomen 70 induerat, adiecissetque iam se sciturum, an ille philosophus esset, si quidem illatas iniurias leniter patienterque tolerasset, ille patientiam paulisper adsumpsit acceptaque contumelia uelut insultans: ' Iam tan dem,' inquit, ' intellegis me esse philosophum? ' 75 Turn ille nimium mordaciter: ' Intellexeram,' inquit, ' si tacuisses.' Quid autem est quod ad praecipuos uiros, de his enim sermo est, qui uirtute gloriam petunt, quid, inquam, est quod ad hos de fama post resolutum morte suprema corpus attineat? Nam si, 80 quod nostrae rationes credi uetant, toti moriuntur homines, nulla est omnino gloria, cum is cuius ea esse dicitur non exstet omnino. Sin uero bene sibi mens conscia terreno carcere resoluta caelum libera - CONSOLAT. PHILOSOPH. II.
to rejoice at the prolonging of thy name? For if we compare the stay of one moment with ten thousand years, since both be limited, they have some propor tion, though it be but very small. But this number of years, how oft so ever it be multiplied, is no way comparable to endless eternity. For limited things may in some sort be compared among themselves, but that which is infinite admitteth no comparison at all with the limited. So that the fame of never so long time, if it be compared with everlasting eternity, seemeth not little but none at all. But without popular blasts and vain rumours you know not IIOAV to do well, and, rejecting the excellency of a good conscience and of virtue, you choose to be rewarded with others' tattling. Hear how pleasantly one jested at this vain and contemptible arrogancy. For having assaulted with reproachful speeches a certain fellow who had falsely taken upon him the name of a philo sopher, not for the use of virtue but for vainglory, and having added that now he would know whether he were a philosopher or no by his gentle and patient bearing of injuries, the other took all patiently for a while, and having borne his contumely, as it were, ti'iumphing, said: ' Dost thou now at length think me a philosopher? ' To which he bitingly replied: c I would have thought thee one if thou hadst holden thy peace.' But what have excellent men (for of these I speak) who seek for glory by virtue, what have we, I say, to expect for these by fame after final death hath dissolved the body? For if, contrary to our belief, men wholly perish, there is no glory at all, since he to whom it is said to belong is nowhere extant. But if a guiltless mind freed from earthly imprisonment goeth forthwith to heaven, will she not despise all earthly traffic who, H2 21?
petit, nonne orane terrenum negotium spernat quae 85 se caelo fruens terrenis gaudet exemptam?
VII.
Quicumque solam mente praecipiti petit Summumque credit gloriam, Late patentes aetheris cernat plagas Artumque terrarum situm. 5 Breuem replere non ualentis ambitum Pudebit aucti nominis. Quid o superbi col la mortali iugo Frustra leuare gestiunt? Licet remotos fama per populos means IQ DifFusa linguas explicet Et magna titulis fulgeat claris domus, Mors spernit altam gloriam, Inuoluit humile pariter et celsum caput Aequatque summis infima. 15 Vbi nunc fidelis ossa Fabricii maneiit, Quid Brutus aut rigidus Cato? Signat superstes fama tenuis pauculis Inane nomen litteris. Sed quod decora nouimus uocabula, 20 Num scire coiisumptos datur?
lacetis ergo prorsus ignorabiles Nee fama notos efficit. Quod si putatis longius uitam trahi Mortalis aura nominis, 25 Cum sera uobis rapiet hoc etiam dies, 1a.m. uos secunda mors manet.
0 Caius Luscinus Fabricius, Consul 282 B.C., opponent of Pyrrhus; Lucius lunius Brutus, Consul 509 B.C., founder of enjoying heaven, rejoiceth to see herself exempted from earthly affairs?
VII.
I He that to honour only seeks to mount And that his chiefest end doth count, I Let him behold the largeness of the skies And on the strait earth cast his eyes; He will despise the glory of his name, Which cannot fill so small a frame. Why do proud men scorn that their necks should bear That yoke which every man must wear? Though fame through many nations fly along And should be blazed by every tongue, And houses shine with our forefathers' stories, Yet Death contemns these stately glories, And, summoning both rich and poor to die, Makes the low equal with the high. Who knows where faithful Fabrice' bones are pressed, Where Brutus and strict Cato rest? « A slender fame consigns their titles vain In some few letters to remain. Because their famous names in books we read, Come we by them to know the dead? You dying, then, remembered are by none, Nor any fame can make you known. But if you think that life outstrippeth death, Your names borne up with mortal breath, When length of time takes this away likewise, A second death shall you surprise.
the Republic; Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato maior). Consul 195 B.C., great-grandfather of M. Porcius Cato (Uticensis).
Sed ne me inexorabile contra fortunam gerere bellum putes, est aliquando cum de hominibus ilia, fallax ilia nihil, bene mereatur, turn scilicet cum se aperit, cum frontem detegit moresque profitetur. 5 Nondum forte quid loquar intellegis. Mirum est quod dicere gestio, eoque senteiitiam uerbis explicare uix queo. Etenim plus hominibus reor aduersam quam prosperam prodesse fortunam. Ilia enim semper specie felicitatis cum uidetur blanda, 10 mentitur; haec semper uera est, cum se instabilem mutatione demonstrat. Ilia fallit, haec instruit, ilia mendacium specie bonorum mentes fruentium ligat, haec cognitione fragilis felicitatis absoluit. Itaque illam uideas uentosam, fluentem suique semper 15 ignaram, hanc sobriam succinctamque et ipsius aduersitatis exercitatione prudentem. Postremo felix a uero bono deuios blanditiis trahit, aduersa plerumque ad uera bona reduces unco retrahit. An hoc inter minima aestimandum putas quod amicorum 20 tibi fidelium mentes haec aspera, haec horribilis fortuna detexit, haec tibi certos sodalium uultus ambiguosque secreuit, discedens suos abstulit, tuos reliquit? Quanti hoc integer, ut uidebaris tibi a Literally, " pulleth them back with a hook."
But lest thou shouldst think that I am at im placable war with Fortune, there is a time when this thy goddess ceasing to deceive deserveth of men, to wit, when she declareth herself, when she discovereth her face and showeth herself in her own colours. Perhaps thou understandest not yet what I say. I would utter a wonderful thing, insomuch as I can scarcely explicate my mind in words. For I think that Fortune, when she is opposite, is more profitable to men than when she is favourable. For in prosperity, by a show of happiness and seeming to caress, she is ever false, but in adversity when she showeth herself inconstant by changing, she is ever true. In that she deceiveth, in this she instructeth; in that she imprisoneth the minds of men with falsely seeming goods, which they enjoy, in this she setteth them at liberty by discovering the un certainty of them. Wherefore, in that thou shalt alway see her puffed up, and wavering, and blinded with a self-conceit of herself, in this thou shalt find her sober, settled, and, with the very exercise of adversity, wise. Finally, prosperity with her flatterings withdraweth men from true goodness, adversity recalleth and reclaimeth them many times by force a to true happiness. Dost thou esteem it a small benefit that this rough and harsh Fortune hath made known unto thee the minds of thy faithful friends? She hath severed thy assured from thy doubtful friends; prosperity at her departure took away with her those which were hers, and left thee thine. How dearly wouldst thou have bought this before thy fall, and when thou seemedst to thyself fortunatus, eniisses! Nunc et amissas opes querere; 25 quod pretiosissimum diuitiarum genus est amicos inuenisti.
Quod mundus stabili fide Concordes uariat uices, Quod pugnantia semina Foedus perpetuum tenent, U Quod Phoebus roseum diem Curru proueliit aureo, Vt quas duxerit Hesperos Phoebe noctibus imperet, Vt fluctus auidum mare 10 Certo fine coerceat, Ne terris liceat uagis Latos tendere terminos, Hanc rerum seriem ligat Terras ac pelagus regens 15 Et caelo imperitans amor.
Hie si frena remiserit, Quidquid nunc amat inuicern Bellum contiiiuo geret Et quam nunc socia fide 20 Pulchris motibus incitant, Certent soluere machinam.
Hie sancto populos quoque lunctos foedere continet, Hie et coniugii sacrum 25 Castis nectit amoribus, Hie fidis etiam sua Dictat iura sodalibus.
O felix hominum genus, Si uestros animos amor 30 Quo caelum regitur regat."
fortunate! Now thou dost even lament thy lost riches; thou hast found friends, the most precious treasure in the world.
That this fair world in settled course her several forms should vary, That a perpetual law should tame the fighting seeds of things, That Phoebus should the rosy day in his bright chariot carry, That Phoebe should govern the nights which Hesperus forth brings, That to the floods of greedy seas are certain bounds assigned, Which them, lest they usurp too much upon the earth, debar, Love ruling heaven, and earth, and seas, them in this course doth bind.
And if it once let loose their reins, their friend ship turns to war, Tearing the world whose ordered form their quiet motions bear. By it all holy laws are made and marriage rites are tied, By it is faithful friendship joined. How happy mortals were, If that pure love did guide their minds, which heavenly spheres doth guide 1 " ANICII MANLII SEVERINI BOETHIT PHILOSOPHIAE CON- SOLATIONTS LIBER SECVNDVS EXPLICIT INCIPIT LIBER III.
I.
I AM cantum ilia finiuerat, cum me audiendi auidum stupentemque arrectis adhuc auribus carminis mulcedo defixerat. Itaque paulo post: " O," inquam, " summum lassorum solamen animorum quam tu me 5 uel sententiarum pondere uel canendi etiam iucunditate refouisti! Adeo ut iam me post haec inparem fortunae ictibus esse non arbitrer. Itaque remedia quae paulo acriora esse dicebas, non modo non perhorresco, sed audiendi auidus uehementer efflagito." 10 Turn ilia • " Sensi/' inquit, " cum uerba nostra tacitus attentusque rapiebas, eumque tuae mentis habitum uel exspectaui uel, quod est uerius, ipsa perfeci. Talia sunt quippe quae restant, ut degustata quidem mordeant, interius autem recepta dulcescant. Sed THE THIRD BOOK OF I.
THOUGH she had ended her verse, yet the sweetness of it made me remain astonished, attentive., and desirous to hear her longer. Wherefore, after a while, I said: " O most effectual refreshment of wearied minds, how have I been comforted with thy weighty sentences and pleasing music! Insomuch that I begin to think myself not unable to encounter the assaults of Fortune. Wherefore, I am not now afraid, but rather earnestly desire to know those remedies, which before thou toldest me were too sharp." To which she answered: " I perceived as much as thou sayest, when I saw thee hearken to my speeches with so great silence and attention, and I expected this disposition of thy mind, or rather more truly caused it myself. For the remedies which remain are of that sort that they are bitter to the taste, but being inwardly received wax sweet.
BOETH11 15 quod tu te audiendi cupidum dicis, quanto ardore flagrares, si quonam te ducere aggrediamur agnosceres! " " Quonam? " inquam. " Ad ueram," inquit, " felicitatem, quam tuus quoque somniat animus, sed occupato ad imagines uisu ipsam illam 20 non potest intueri." Turn ego: " Fac obsecro et quae ilia uera sit, sine cunctatione demonstra." " Faciam," inquit ilia, " tui causa libenter. Sed quae tibi causa notior est, earn prius designare uerbis atque informare conabor ut ea perspecta cum in 25 contrariam partem flexeris oculos, uerae beatitudinis speciem possis agnoscere.
I.
Qui serere ingenuum uolet agrum, Liberat arua prius fruticibus, Falce rubos filicemque resecat, VTt noua fruge grauis Ceres eat.
6 Dulcior est apium mage labor, Si malus ora prius sapor edat. Gratius astra nitent ubi Notus Desinit imbriferos dare sonos. Lucifer ut tenebras pepulerit 10 Pulchra dies roseos agit equos.
Tu quoque falsa tuens bona prius Incipe colla iugo retrahere. Vera dehinc animum subierint."
II.
Turn defixo paululum uisu et uelut in augustam And whereas thou sayest that thou art desirous to hear; how much would this desire increase if thou knewest whither we go about to bring thee! " "Whither?" quoth I. " To^ true felicity.," quoth she, "which thy mind also dreameth of, but thy siglit is so dimmed with phantasies that thou canst not behold it as it is." Then I beseeched her to explicate without delay wherein true happiness consisteth. To which she answered: " I will willingly do so for thy sake, but first I will endeavour to declare in words and to give shape to that which is better known unto thee, that, having thoroughly understood it, by reflecting of the contrary thou mayest discover the type of perfect blessedness.
I.
I.
He that a fruitful field will sow, Doth first the ground from bushes free, All fern and briars likewise mow, That he his harvest great may see. Honey seems sweeter to our taste, If cloyed with noisome food it be. Stars clearer shine when Notus' blast Hath ceased the rainy storms to breed. When Lucifer hath night defaced, The day's bright horses then succeed. So thou, whom seeming goods do feed. First shake off yokes which so thee press That Truth may then thy mind possess."
II.
Then, for a while looking steadfastly upon the ground, and, as it were, retiring herself to the most suae mentis sedem recepta sic coepit: " Omnis mortalium cura quam multiplicium studiorum labor exercet, diuerso quidem calle procedit, sed ad unum 5 tamen beatitudinis finem nititur peruenire. Id autem est bonum quo quis adepto nihil ulterius desiderare queat. Quod quidem est omnium summum bonorum cunctaque intra se bona continens, cui si quid aforet summum esse non posset, quoniam relinqueretur 10 extrinsecus quod posset optari. Liquet igitur esse beatitudinem statum bonorum omnium congregatione perfectum. Hunc, uti diximus, diuerso tramite mortales omnes conantur adipisci. Est enim mentibus hominum ueri boni naturaliter inserta cupiditas, 15 sed ad falsa deuius error abducit. Quorum quidem alii summum bonum esse nihilo indigere credentes ut diuitiis affluant elaborant; alii uero bonum quod sit dignissimum ueneratione iudicantes adeptis honoribus reuerendi ciuibus suis esse nituntur. Sunt 20 qui summum bonum in summa potentia esse constituant; hi uel regnare ipsi uolunt uel regnantibus adhaerere conantur. At quibus optimum quiddam claritas uidetur, hi uel belli uel pacis artibus gloriosum nomen propagare festinant. Plurimi uero boni fruc- 25 turn gaudio laetitiaque metiuntur; hi felicissimum putant uoluptate diffluere. Sunt etiam qui horum fines causasque alterutro permutent, ut qui diuitias ob potentiam uoluptatesque desiderant uel qui potentiam seu pecuniae causa seu proferendi nominis 30 appetunt. In his igitur ceterisque talibus humanorum actuum uotorumque uersatur intentio, ueluti nobilitas fauorque popularis quae uidentur quandam claritudin em comparare, uxor ac liberi quae iucunditatis gratia secret seat of her soul, she began in this manner: " All men's thoughts, which are turmoiled with manifold cares, take indeed divers courses, but yet endeavour to attain the same end of happiness, which is that good which, being once obtained, nothing can be further desired. Which is the chiefest of all goods, and containeth in itself whatsoever is good, and if it wanted anything it could riot be the chiefest, because there would something remain besides it which might be wished for. Wherefore, it is mani fest that blessedness is an estate replenished with all that is good. This, as we said, all men endeavour to obtain by divers ways. For there is naturally ingrafted in men's minds an earnest desire of that which is truly good; but deceitful error withdraweth it to that which falsely seemeth such. So that some, esteeming it their greatest good to want nothing, labour by all means to abound with riches; others, deeming that to be good which is most deserving of honour, hunt after preferments, to be respected by their fellow-citizens. Others think it the greatest felicity to have great power and authority, and these will either reign themselves or at least procure to be great with princes. But they who think fame better than all these, make all speed possible to spread their names far and near, by achieving some worthy enterprise either in war or peace. Many measure good by joy and mirth, and their chiefest care is how they may abound with pleasure. Some interchange the ends and means of these things one with the other, wanting now riches for the sake of power and pleasure, now power for the sake of wealth and fame. At these and such other do men's actions and desires aim, as nobility and popularity, which make men esteemed; wife and petuntur; amicorum uero quod sanctissimum quidem 35 genus est, non in fortuna sed in uirtute numeratur, reliquum uero uel potentiae causa uel delectationis assumitur. lam uero corporis bona promptum est ut ad superiora referantur. Robur enim magnitudoque uidetur praestare ualentiam, pulchritudo atque 40 uelocitas celebritatem, salubritas uoluptatem; quibus omnibus solam beatitudinem desiderari liquet. Nam quod quisque prae ceteris petit, id summum esse iudicat bonum. Sed summum bonum beatitudinem esse definiuimus; quare beatum esse iudicat statum 45 quern prae ceteris quisque desiderat.
Habes igitur ante oculos propositam fere formam felicitatis humanae — opes, honores, potentiam, gloriam, uoluptates. Quae quidem sola considerans Epicurus consequenter sibi summum bonum uolup- 50 tatem esse constituit, quod cetera omnia iucunditatem animo uideantur afferre. Sed ad hominum studia reuertor, quorum animus etsi caligante memoria tameri bonum suum repetit, sed uelut ebrius domum quo tramite reuertatur ignorat. Num enim uidentur 55 errare hi qui nihilo indigere nituntur? Atqui non est aliud quod aeque perficere beatitudinem possit quam copiosus bonorum omnium status nee alieni egens sed sibi ipse sufficiens. Num uero labuntur hi qui quod sit optimum, id etiam reuerentiae cultu 60 dignissimum putent? Minime. Neque enim uile quiddam contemnendumque est quod adipisci omnium fere mortalium laborat intentio. An in bonis non est numeranda potentia? Quid igitur? Num imbecillum ac sine uiribus aestimandum est, quod omnibus rebus 65 constat esse praestantius? An claritudo nihili pendenda est? Sed sequestrari nequit quin omne quod excellentissimum sit id etiam uideatur esse clarissimum. Nam non esse anxiam tristemque children, which bring pleasure and delight. But friendship, that most sacred tiling, is rather to be attributed to yirtug_tlian_io fortune. Other things for the most part are desired either for power or pleasure. And it is an easy matter to reduce all corporal goods to the former heads. For strength and greatness give ability; beauty and swiftness, fame; and health yieldeth pleasure. By all which we manifestly seek for nothing else but happiness. For that which every man seeketh most after, is by him esteemed his greatest good. Which is all one with happiness. Wherefore he esteemeth that estate happy which he preferreth before all other.