I have heard Albinovanus, (an excellent ftory-teller) (5) fay, that he lived but a few doors from Spurius Papinius, who was one of these night-owls. Sometimes, said he, about the third hour of the night I have heard the twang of whips (i). I ask what is the matter? and I am told, that Papinius is calling his fervants to account. About the fixth hour of the night, I hear a loud bawling: what is this for? I say. Why, Papinius is only exercifing his voice. About the eighth hour of the night, I hear the rattling of wheels; and, when I afk what it means, am told, that Papinius is going to take the air. Towards break of day the whole houfe is in an uproar; the pages are called, and the butlers and the cooks are running up and down; what now? fays I. Papinius is just come out of the bath, and calls for fome broth and mulled wine. What? and did his fuppers exceed the expences of the day? No; for notwithstanding all this he lived very frugally: he spent nothing, but the night. Therefore to fome who called Papinius a fordid and covetous wretch, faid Albinovanus, you may as well call him lychnobius, a lamplighter.

You must not wonder, Lucilius, that you find fo many peculiarities in vice. Vice hath various and innumerable appearances; the feveral kinds of it cannot be comprehended. The obfervance of what is right is fimple and uniform; but wrong is manifold, and puts on whatever shape you please. The fame may be faid of the manners of those who follow Nature: they are always free and easy, and scarce ever know difference: but the depraved, and fuch as turn afide therefrom, not only differ from other mortals, but even among themselves.

any

The principal caufe however of this disease, seems to be the difdain of common life; as they diftinguish themfelves from others by their drefs, by the elegance of their entertainments, and by the smartness of their equipage; fo would they likewife differ from them in the obfervation and difpofal of time. They fcorn to fin in a low and customary manner, who expect infamy for their reward (k). And this is what they all ambitioufly covet; who live, as I may fay, retrograde. But let us, my Lucilius, maintain the life which Nature prescribes, nor ever

decline

decline from it: to thofe who follow her all things are eafy, and readily provided; but to those who are continually thwarting her, life is nothing else but rowing against the ftream.

(a) Lipfius does not recollect this to be faid any where by Cato, but that Cicero makes mention of fuch fots; qui folem, ut aiunt, nec occidentem unquam viderint, nec orientem, &c. who are carried away from their meals, and cram themselves next day, over yesterday's crudities, who boast of never having feen the fun rifing or fetting, and who are beggars, having spent their patrimony. Cic.

de Fin. U. 8.

(b) Jufta fibi faciunt] See Ep. xii. Pincian reads it bufta. They are digging their own graves. (c) Plutarch. Quet. Conviv. 8. 9.

(d) Seneca Frag. in Thyefte,-nulla culminibus meis

Impofita nutat fylva.

Nor on my houfetop nods a sylvan scene.

Sen. Controv. v. 5. Aiunt in fummis culminibus mentita nemora et navigalium piscinarum freta. They have not only groves on the top of their houses but even fishponds.

(e) So Tacitus fpeaking of Petronius-Illi dies per fomnum, nox officiis et oblectamentis vitæ tranfigebatur. He paffed his days in fleep, and his nights in the duties and recreations of life. And Lampridius of Heliogabalus, Trajecit et dierum actus noctibus et nocturnos diebus, eftimans hoc inter inftrumenta luxuriæ; ita ut fero de fomno furgeret, et falutari inciperet, mane autem dormire inceptaret. He transferred the proper actions of the day to night, and of the night to day, looking upon this as an inftance of luxury; fo that he would rife from fleep expecting a falutation, and in the morning fall asleep. So Horace fpeaking of one Tegellius,

Noctes vigilabat ad ipfum

All night he drank, and then all day would fnore,

No mortal from himself could differ more. Duncomb.

(f) Seneca, the father, likewife mentions him, Controv. i. 7. Montanus Julius, qui comes fuit, quique egregius poeta) as an agreeable companion and an excellent poet. He wrote both Heroic Poems and Elegies, according to Ovid. de Pont. 1. 4.

Quique vel imparibus numeris, Montane, vel æquis

Sufficis, et gemino carmine nomen habes.

(g) He is mentioned by Tacitus, 1. 5. as one of the clients of Sejanus.

(b) And also a poet.

Et cædens longi relegit tranfacta dinrni.

Et cædit donec laffis cædentibus, exi,

Intonet horrendum, jam cognitione peractâ. Juv. vi. 484.

Cafts up the day's account, and ftill beats on;

Tir'd out at length, with an outrageous tone

She bids them, in the Devil's name, begone. Dryden.

(*) So Tacitus moft elegantly of Meffalina, the wife of Nero. Nomen tamen matrimonii concupivit, ob magnitudinem infamiæ, cujus apud prodigos, noviffima voluptas eft.

EPISTLE

EPISTLE CXXIII.

On Luxury.

TIRED, Lucilius, with a difagreeable rather than a long journey, I came to my house at Alba late at night. I found nothing ready, but myfelf. I ftretched therefore my wearinefs on the couch; and began to reflect with myself; that nothing is grievous, but what may be endured with patience; nothing intolerable, but what we make fo by difcontent. My baker has got no bread; but the porter has got fome; as likewife the farmers and the ploughmen. Yes, coarfe bread! Stay a little, and you will think it fine enough; hunger will foon render it as foft and delicate, as what is made of the finest wheat-flower. We fhould not eat therefore 'till this incites us. Well then I will wait, and not eat before I can get white bread, or can relish brown.

It is very neceffary to accuftom ourselves to live upon a little. Many difficulties, both with regard to time and place, intervene, and hinder the rich and great themfelves from their ufual repaft (a): no one can have at all times what he pleafes: but it is always in a man's power to have no mind to that which he knows he cannot have, and chearfully to make ufe of what he has. A great part of liberty confifts in an orderly good-tempered appetite, that can brook a delay, and even contumely. You cannot imagine what great pleasure I take in finding that my wearinefs can cure itself: I want not unction nor a bath: I afk no other remedy but that of time: for, what labour hath contracted, rest will foon difperfe; and a fupper at fuch a time, whatever it may be, will be more delicious than a public feast in the capitol (b).

I have fometimes made trial of my mind, by way of furprize; as it is then more fincerely and truly made. For when the mind is prepared and hath enjoined itself patience, it will not fo easily appear how strong

and firm it is. Thofe are the fureft proofs of it that are made extempore: when it looks upon an inconvenience, not only with an equal, but with a pleasant eye; falls not into a paffion, nor is litigious: when it supplies itself, with what might have been expected, only by not defiring it; and thinks that fomewhat indeed is wanting to habit and custom, but nothing abfolutely to itself. There are many things, which we knew not to be fuperfluous before we wanted them; for we ufed them, not because we had need of them, but because we had them. And how many things do we feek to get, only because others have them, and efpecially fome of our acquaintance?

It must be reckoned among the caufes of our evils that we live by example. Neither are we governed by reason, but led away by cuftom. If fuch a thing is done but by few, we regard it not; nor think of following them therein; but when it becomes the fashion, we cannot but follow it; as if it were the more fit because more frequent; and error, when 'tis become public, ufurps the place of right. Men cannot travel now but with a troop of Numidian horse (c), or a string of running footmen, before them. It is thought fcandalous to have no one to clear the way; and not to fhew by a great duft they raife, that a gentleman is coming. All have now their mules to carry their glaffes, made of crystal and tranfparent pebble, cut by the hands of the greatest artists. All have the faces of their minions mafked, left the fun or the cold should hurt their tender fkin. It is thought a fhame there should be any among this tribe, whofe face is not fo fair as to need no paint (d).

Now these are the men, Lucilius, with whom we must avoid all conference. Thefe are they who teach vice, and propagate it from one to another. They have been thought the worst of men who only carry tales from one to another; but thefe men carry vices. Indeed the converfation of fuch men is exceedingly hurtful; for though it may not affect us at firft, yet it will leave certain feeds in the mind, which, even when we have hook off thefe our companions, will abide with us, to our great detriment. As when we have heard a concert of

mufic, we carry away the modulation and fweetness of an air, that engages our thoughts, nor will fuffer us to give attention to any thing more ferious; fo the voice of flatterers, and of fuch as commend vice, ftays longer with us than the time we give it hearing; nor is it an eafy matter to shake off from the fond mind the pleafing found: it purfues us; will not forfake us; and at times will interfere do what we can. We must shut our ears therefore to frivolous difcourfe; and indeed to the first attack of fuch men; for, when once they have made a beginning, and find free admiffion, they foon grow bolder, and at length come to the following language:

"Virtue, Philofophy, and Justice! what are they but mere empty "founds! Our only happiness confifts in good living! to do every

66

66

Our only

thing we please; and to enjoy one's patrimony. This is to live; "this is to remember that we are mortal: the day fleets from us, and "life irrecoverably paffeth away (e). Why should we fcruple to em"brace every delight, and to treat life with thofe pleasures it cannot always enjoy; but now can, and even demands them? What avails "it to stretch our frugality even beyond the grave? and now to deny "ourselves those things which death will foon deprive us of? What 66 a poor wretch art thou, who haft no miftrefs? and no minion for a "mistress to envy! How ridiculous is it to walk the ftreets fober, "and to fup fo early and frugally as if you were to make a diary for the approbation of a father! This is not to live for yourself, but for "another! What madness is it for a man to follicit for his heir and "to deny himself every thing, that the profpect of a large legacy, or 66 an inheritance may make your friend your enemy! For, the more "he is to receive, the fooner will he defire, and rejoice in your death. "Value not a rush those severe and fupercilious cenfurers of other "men's lives, and enemies to their own; thofe public pedagogues, "who would fain govern the world! Despise them we say, and make

no fcruple to prefer mirth, and good living, to the empty name of

"a good man.".

Such