irTi- ^ Trmjlated Jirom the GREEK, fy JohnDigbt, Efq; ^ Introdugtioi*. t WE (hall often hate occalion W make mention of th^ Wife Mmin this: Treatife, and as the Tetm is va^ rioufly accounted for by the Phihfophers^ its, requifiic we fhonld explain the Notion and' Idea they had of it.
The Wife Man- then, is he who adhere* tof7rrttf,and does nothing bntjbiy the di« redion of friidence^ and confcqhently never ads any thing b« what i^ fe-aife-worthj B and EpicurusV Moralsy and fit to be admir'd ^ 'tis the molt perfed Pattern oi the A&ions of our Life^ but the PhiUfofhers have reprefented him in a dific- rent manner, according to the particular Genius of their refpeftive Sefts. 1. Meta. jiriftotU will have him to be a Man that has penetrated into every thing within the Conipafs o£ our Knowledge, that has dif- coverM what was unknown to other Men, who is imnioveablv fixt, as to his Opinion, from the certainty thereof ^ who knows beft how to teach the Truth of his Speculations ^ and who, in fine, prefers the knowledge ot himfelf, of regulating his Life and gover- ning his Paffions, to that which has only in view the Utility and Benefit of others.
The Mind of the Wife Man (fays Ifocrates) &Vght to he in that ferency cjuiet^ and calm State^ that nothing jhou^d he able to ruffle or difiurh \ he mvfi reconcile himfelf to the T'imes^ h^j^fi i^ his A£tionSy and honefi, in his Converfation \ hi mufi bear with the vexatiofu Humors of thofe he frequent Sy mufi fitbjugate his Pajfions^ not he de* jeEitdin Adverfity^nor he in the leafipufft nf when Fortune fmiles: He ought to fofpefsoB thefe Qualifications fo perfeSly as to reduce ^tm into Practice \ without whichy he is unworthy ibi Tttle of WlkMan. Lib. 4. This. extraordinary Man ('according to Sufc. Cicero) is he who knows how to keep his quaft. jMjnd in a juft Moderation, and fuch anuih Ihakeable Firmnefs, as fliall caufea profound Tranquility ^who never gives way to Me- lancholy or Fear i who prefcribes Bounds to hisDefires, and who bel^ds all that hap^.
pens, J ■* mth Comments and Refleiiions.
pens to Mankind, whether vexations or de-* lightfnl, with fb indifferent an Eye, as to be ficitfaer too ranch difturbM, or pleas'd there- at. What can be fuppos'd to appear ex- traordinary to him, who has fo frequently meditated on the vaft Inimenfity of the Uni- verfe, and that of Eternity? Can he meet with one thing in his Studies, or in the (hort fpacc of Time he lives, that can furprize him, whofe Mind isfo continually apply'd, that he fbrefees, expeds, and receives with- out Aftonifhment, whatever befalls him? to whom nothfng is ever new, and who pafles over his Life without Fright or Difquiet, in any place the fickle Wantonnefs of For- tune Ihall appoint him?
Horace (after having told xx^That the Wife Lib. 3; Man ought to be eafy in Mind^ even at the ap- ^^ 3* froach of Death) rcY>rcknts him a, Man unal- terable in his Refblutions, determin'd never to follow the deprav'd Sentiments of the Vulgar,andabovc being fcar'd by the Threats of the Great j and fo much Matter of him- felf, that if the Univerfe was to undergo its laft Diflblution, he'd behold himfelf involved in its Ruins without Fear.
*' The truly Wife Man (fays Petrarcha) ne- Dial. 2. ** ver boafts of wnat he know^, becaufe 'tis ** diametrically oppofite to Virtue, which he *' ought ftridly to adhere to v for he niuft be ** Wife indeed, and not be fatisfy'd with the ^* Reputation and Charafter of being fo, but ** really be fo: He muft refled on the vaft ** extent of Nature, liiuft examine himfelf ** ftridly, and befcohi with Grief the many B z "Excc ce ^^ Excellencies are wanting to an abfdlute *^and confummate Perfedion in his Attain- " ments, with reference to his Mind and ^' Morals/ *''Tis not enough (continues the faid Au- *^thor) to fpcakwith Applanfe on all the " Sciences V 'tis much more excellent tore- '' coUeflrourfelves, and banilh all Fear, to be '' more exaft in our Conduft, and to endea- ^' vour to attain an interiour Wifdom,. be- " caufe that diffipates at once the falfeOpiJMr *' ons which had feiz'd our Mind, and dif- " perfesthatinfolentTemerity thatpromptt '^ us on to the undertaking of things full of " inevitable Danger, and makes us wifli ne- ver to be neceffitated to give an Experi- ment of our Wifdom, left our Weakncfi " Ihou'd be difcover'd, and our Vanity ap- *' pear ridiculous. DeConf. Lifjtns defines the Wife Man thus, ** He's Hb.i.6j. " a Man ({zys he^ who runs a full Career in ' " the fruitful Plains of Virtue, who gives *' himfelf a full fcope in Knowledge, who " informs himfelf of the true Spring from *' whence Fear proceeds, and fortifies him- ** felf againft all the aflaults of the Paffion&r " Did you ever hear ("continues he) the *' haughty Motto of fome Kings of this Ag«i " Without Pear or Hofe? Tis the true Cha- racier of this mighty Man j and he who ever can eftablifli himfelf in this happy State, is a- bove all crown'd Heads j he's in a perfcd Freedom, Fortune can have no hold of hin, his Conftitution can never fway his Reafon^ he is Subjeft to God alOAd« mth Comments mi RefieSions. 5 The Stoick« fwho are no lefs vain than= the Pharifees among the J^ws) have been ex- travagant in tbe-Drfcription of their Wife' Man i the Qualifications tfiey have beftow'd upon him, have even drain'd their Imigina- tions •, the State they place him in, was the Work of thek Pride and VanityVand his At- tributesare fi> manyWitnefles of their Folly. j This Man^ who had his Exiftehce only in ■ their Brains, is prefumptuous enough todi- ' fpute ExceHency, even With the Deity it . felf. He would perfwade People, that in the vileft Slavery, He is the Only Man that bears the Scepter, that ti^e alone rules the Commonwealth ^ that He is the Only O- rator. Poet, Good Citi2ea,and true Friend j He dares to maintain, that uotwithftanding all the Deformities of Body, He's the onlf beautiful Perfon; that in the greateft di- ftrefs. He's the only Rich Man •, and tho' ex- traded from the Dreggs of the People, He's the only Noble born.
He knew all that the reft of Mankind wa* ignorant of ^ was incapable of Lyi^ig, fixtin his Opinion, out of the infult of th^ Paflions, and without the leaft dread of Torments ^ in Ihort, always of an even Temper, and ever in&llible.
Neverthelefs, as thefe Philofophers re- flcftcd, that the natural Difpofition of Man, caus'd in him fuch Motions, that if very violent and ftrong, were ftil'd Paflions,hard to overcome ^ and that thefe Sallies, pror ceeding from Temper and Conftitution, were infeparablc from Life; they bethought thcmfelves,by certain fallacious Reafonipgs, B 3 to Ite to affign to their Wife Mm Ctho'. a partaker of all the figns of Human Frailty) fuch a ha- bit of Virtue, as ihould diftinguiih him from all.the reft of Mankind •, . They were fbbold as to maintain, that notwithftanding, whoever was addided to the Pleafures of Love, to Luxury, Debau- chery and Anger, were guilty: Yet the Wife Stoick ("altho' paffionately Amorons,in the higheft Tranfports of Anger,and amidfk the grcateft Merriments and Feafting^ was itill innocent, without being fubjed to the Tyranny of the Pa (lions. Can there beany thing more ridiculous than this way of Rea^ foning? Was ther^ ever a^eft, where good Senfe prefided lefs? It has nbip^ithftanding, afforded Great Men; but if it gain'd a Repn- tation among the Greeks and Romans by its formalExteriour,'twas becaufe thofeNationi were pleas'd well enough with the fuperfi- cial part, provided it kept the People attcfl^ tive to the outward Appearance, of a felft Virtue j and at the lame time left to fuc- ceeding Ages the Admiration of a Miracle that had never been. Pe Tr; Senecd^ who is always boafting of the Bx* vi4.C. 7f cellency of his Wife Man, does notfcruplc to own, that all the Labour that way has been mifpent ^ and that 'tis without any Profpeft of Succefs, that we. feek after this Extraordinary Man; he deferving only to be efteem'd fo, who is leaft Vicious. Ep. 24* For, to come to the point; Catoj whom he fcems to look upon as a perfeft Pattern in th^t kind, falls Ihort of this wonderftil Cha^ fad^r?
J*-* JU_-^ tpith Comments and Refleilio»s.
rafter: For Truth, that difcoversia us the Weaktiefs of our Compofition, triumphs there, in fpight of all his haughty i&xprel^ [ions. Since the Affairs of Human Kind-^ fays ' this Maftcrpiece of Wifdom, are totally de- ^pair^d ofy let^sfecure Cato. This Great Man^ :ontinues Seneca^ jlahVd himfelf mortally ^ and ■ Chirurgeons having drefs'd his Wovndsy he ^vund his ftrengrb decay by the great lofs of Blood'f yet remained Jtill fo incens'^d againjt Caefar, that (as if enraged againjt himfelf) he laid violent hands upon his Wounds ^ and forf^d' \)isSoul to take its flighty in Contempt of all his' Power.
Would not aiiy-body imagin, when Senecd fpeaks after this manner, that all was loft by the Death of Cato^ and that he was to have no lefs a Tomb, than the Ruins of the Uniyerfe?
Let us examin this Eloginm; this Roman certainly was not fuch as the Stoicks repre- fent their Wife Man. What fignify'd it to the reft of Mankind, whether Cafar or PofSr fey remain'd Mafter of the World? The (e- parate Intcreft of fome particular Perfons were only concerned in thofe great Commo- tions^ and if Cato's Party had conquered, his Vanity might have led him to believe, that all Nations were going to enjoy a profound Tranquillity, and that Soul that hun-y'dit lelf out of this World, to fhun Subjeftion, would in all likelihood have been reconcird to Life, if it might have Ruled: If he faced Death without Fear, 'twas becaufc the Dread he had of being a Speftator of Cafar's B 4 Trimm^ mmgu Triumph^em'dtohim to have fomething mitaiore terrible than Death it felf^ and that the Hatred and Envy he bore to this il- luftrious Conqueror, prefented to the Mind of this haughty Stoick, fomething frightful, even in Cc/kr's known and experienc'd Cle* mency.
Can there be any thing more extravagant than Seneca s faying, that Cato having Jpip- ported and upheld the Univerfe, for a long time, he pould not furvive its Ruin? Wh^n at the fame time America^ valtly more large than the Roman Empire, did not fo mucli as know the Romans by Name*, and£fc/»^ dreads ed nothing from the Attempt of their Arms. But Man (fays Petrarcha) is aft to rate hiyj> felf above his Condition '^ and as allhisWifdom is kut Folly before God^ ^tis no ftrange thitig^it Jhould be accompanied with Vanity. ., Pride j which had its birth even in Heaven itTelf, had fo poflelt this Great Man's Mind, that he feems to be elated without any. Caur tion •, and his End bears a proportion to his Temerity: For the true Wife Man ought to be endu'd with Humility, and not prcfumc too much on his own Knowledge ^ always fubmitting it to Reafon, and ever preferving for the Great Being of all Beings, th^t Reli- gious Fear and Veneration, that is the be- ginning of true Wifdom- But as we have run over the feveral Opi- nions of Philofophers, concerning the Wife Man, kt us perufe yihzt Eficurus^ and hjs Followers, have left us on that Head.
M AX.
tvith Comments and Reflections.
Max. I.
THE Wife Man may be injur'd fome* times thro' Hatred, Envy, or Con- tempt, without difturbing the Calm and Tranquillity of his Mind i becaufc in all fhofe Tryals he's fupported by the StrengtJi of Reafon.
Reflection, Thq higheft Degree of Wifclom is to pofle(s an undifturb'd and peaceable Mind, which is certainly the Efiedof Renedion on our felves,and a fufficient Knowledge in Nature; the one eradicates our Paffions, and the other having difTipaced the Fears that Difquiet us, perfects and coRfummatcs our Happinefs. When we are once thus prepar*d,wbar can in the leaft Moleft or be Uneafy to us? For the true Wife Man beholds, as it were from a Fortrefi^ all the Spi^t and Malice of Man, and looks upoq it as the Bffeft of their Temper and Conftitutioo, or ni-nattire, and is pleas'd to find himfelf above their Power by the Force of his Reafon, and tb^ Virtuous Habit he has contraded. He k hrvulimk- lie, fays Seneca ^ not that he ifecure from outragim V/Vf» ^ h reafm they cartt alter ii Mind.
Thus we find Thrdfeus, (whofe Virtue was his Crime) not in the ledt alarmed at Nero^s AngerL Phoeim was drawn in a Cart through the high Strtei of Athens to the Amphitheatre, there to receive Sentence of Death, without the lead (hock to his Inward Trahcjuillity: And Themifieehs not being able to Mrfwade BuriUaJes, the jithenian Gepeira^ to give Batde to J^jcfxtheKmg of?rr^4; andttia^ General i(betfigprovokM by his rdtcratedlntreati^ lo EpicurusV Morals^ not to let flip fo favourable an Opportunity of con- quering;) having lifted his Cane at him, this famous Grecian ferenely bid him ftrike; fo he did,but to com- ply with his Jlequeft: Man*s Patience^ fays Solomon^ M a Tefiimmial cf hi H^fdom; ^ti gtoriam to befi indifferent to ill Vfage^ m not to be the leaft mov^i thereat.
M A X. II.
THE Acquifition of Wifdom is fo folid a Good in it felf, that it can never be loft. » Reflection, Tis a Maxim the Stoickf have carry^d {b fiur,dilt their Pride, or rather their Folly, could not ftrain it higher, Seneca chofe rather to maintain, clut there were certain honourable Vices,than to acknowledge that C4^9, who was his Idol, had degeneraxed 6om the Charafter of a Wife Man, when he became a ,. fiird Drinker. Epi $0. It had been more for his pufpoC? to have aflencd the infallibility of his ^ife Man with the Reafons he ufes in one of his Epiftles. 'Tir, &ys this Philoibir pber, an inward Sentiment that vtork^sPffmerfidfy in itt^ m to make m naturally adhere to Virtus^ and fy from Vice; tind we ought to apply ourfehes with the uttnoft diligence afid labour ^ to root out thofi evil ie^ elinations which are in us^by reafin that the Acftdfiriem of good ones f is a I afting and permanent Good. Ar that Virtue that Wifiom inj^tres, can never befoul'* tf. '*7h eafy^ continues he, to fuppart tUe Ttufb^ kf the I{efle3ion we may makSf That the Pdjpms that Tyran' ^^^m With Comments xni Reflexions. 1 1 -^ 4* Tyrannise mtft ever us, are net born witbm; and Ji toeing introdiii at Strang^s. they m^- be imijhtr e^ maJff room far more excellent Habi/s, which i(fafim fixes in m^ at in their Center.
As long as Alexander followed the Precq>cs of Ariflotle, all that he did was worthy Admiradon; the Beauty of hisSenciments, is dilcovcrable iache Letter he writes to Darim: ** *Tis needlefs for yoa ** (fays he) to make Acknowledgments to me, tor I '* didnotufe Sis^igambis^znd the other Princefies,a& ** ter the Generous m^ner as I did, to gain Thanks or Praiie $ and much lefs through any Doubts or Sufpicion I had of the Events of War, or out any Defire I had to make a Peace; My Mode- *^ ratioa was the Etk£t of true Honour, and a Spc^ ** cimen of the greatncfs of my Soul, which is the ** chief Spring in all my Adions. Bus the Minute he ftifles theie (}omaiendable Inclinations, and chat he is deaf to the CounfeU of WifdcHnybe ceales to be; that Conqueror, vnho had been adn^ir'd by his Enemy ^ JFor his Magnanimity and Pride ha- ving overcoitti^ bis Moderatioo^; he compels the Ammonian Oracle tof acknoiiyledj^ him for the Son <^. Jufiter. And, as Eficternsyttf well obfery<i8|^ The vain Opinions of dbe Mitid are fo dangerous^ that it was neceilacy this Gireac Monarch ihouUl be defperately Wounded, to oblige him to own he was not the Son of a God« Was not Parmenii^s Aiifwer worthy Obfervation^ and ought it not to have made him fenfible of his Error? ** 1 Congratulate you Prince, (fays he) that <« your Binh has been own'd by the Oracle, but I ^* can't help pitying thofe who are to live under ^ the Subjedion of a King who is more than ^?*Man.
His Vanity was offended at this Liberty, and ^flbrded him fome Satisfadion in the Death of the moft faithful of his Friends; his Debauchery made ^im forget that be ow'd his Life to Clytys, and made " " him vn IX EpigurusV Morals^ kim Icill him unworthily for telling him the Trath; it carry'd him {6 far, that he wr^^d his Revenge on P^m*s Palace, and caused thofe Illuftrious Mo- numents of the Perjian Kings to be burnt, after he had given Teftimonials ^ that he had Clemeriqr icnough to have pardoned his Enemy. To be Ihort, after he had refignM himielf up to the Violence or his Conftitution and Temper, he became fo im« moderate in Mirth, and {o dejeded in Grief, that be would have courted Death, to be rid of his Pain; tbo' he had fo often ii^ulted it in the Field, and had recourfe to Aftrologers, to make him eafy in his Mind, in reference to his End.
This was an EtkA of Humane We^Juiefs, Di- ftruft intermixed it felf whenever he would come to a. Refolution. All Ages have afforded us Exam- ples of this Truth: And^afcer the fall c£ the Great and Wife Sohmon, ^o is that prefumpcuons Mor- tal, that dare Flatter himfelf fo far, as to think htH endow'd with that Conftancy of Mind, that no Accident whatever can work upon, when all Mte muft allow it to be a Supernatural Gift?
Neverthelefi this Maxim of Eficurut is admira- ble; Can any thing create in us a Stronger Defire CO poflefs a Good, than the Thought that *tis of pe^tetual duration? And if it (hould happen chac after having attained to this high Pitch ot Perfbfti- on, of which this famous Grecian ipeaks, and that through Frailty onelhould fall from the exaA pra- cStice thereof, the very Fall it felf would have this Ad vantage, with it, by a due Repentance, as to make us more fenfible of our weaknefi, and excite us to fomething ftill more perfed.
Max.
ipith Comments and KtfteSions. 13 Max. in.
THE Wife Manprofenes the Excell^nqp of his Profemon, when he abandons Truth^nd entertains any thing that borders npon the Fable, for as Philofpphy is nothing clfe than ^ due Enquiry after Truth, Fidion proves an ObftadC;to the Succefs we ought to be bleit with, from the kno>/v ledge of it.
Reflection.
Reflection.
Sficuruf here gives a Noble Idea of bis Send- ments: He requires, that -his Wife Man fhouldbe entirely devoted to Truth, and chat, with all the Realbn imaginable; fince (he may properly be fiud CO be the moft agreeable Kourilhment of the Mind» ^dy according to Plato^ the moft eflennal Delight fhereof; and which he ever ought to have in view., 'Tis by her means that we reduce our Specula- tions into Pra(^ce, and that we learn to live undi- fturbedly in the greateft Confiifipn of the World: in fine/tis Ihe that (by the knowledffeibe gives us of things) baoilhes our Paflions, ax%d all our Fears* Since Knowledge is then; {o ufefu], is not Epicurut mightily in. the icight, when he re^uiresythat Fi&ion ihould no ways.intermingle with it,by reafon it ob- ftruiSs and hinders die true'^ibovery thereof.,A Lye» however ingenious it may be fiippps'd,ougJli^ never to come out of the Mouth of a rhilpfpher, . who in FUtoh Opinion can never approve of fudi CbimeriaU Notions. • 1 ' 1 'I ■ * » ~« ■ » Max* ** •<• 14 EpicurusV Mardlsy M A X. IV.
THE I'yifc Man is not to beformM out of all Difpofitions andConftitutions; nay, every Nation da's not afford this ex- traordinary Man.
Reflection i, nris moft certain, chat many Things are reqoi* fite CO the forming a iVtfe Mam m moft have receivM fix)m Nature the neccflary Difpofitions for this State, which feems to raife him fomewhat a- bove his Condition; and thefe Difpofitions are fo different, that they are rarely found in the iame Perfon.
His Moderation, his Docility, and his Vivacity ought to have ihewn themfelves from his Infancy} he ought naturally to have a clear Conception. Is it probable, that the Knowledge of any thine can charm us very much, if the difcovcry of it be ib very intricate and laborious?
Thefe Qpalifications would yet be ufdefi, if he were not modeft and eafy in his Converfatjoa, if he ^ere not fteady in his Sentiments, and werenot endowed with a happy Memory; without dut ab- folutely-neceflkry Faculty, how great foe*er his 'U- dination might be for Learning, he would ffiUI re- main Ignorant. Tis an excellent Temper mtift give the finiihing Stroke to thefe different Thitlgs: A morofe and vexatious one foments evillnclina' dons: And can any thing keep us at a greater di-' ftance from Truth (which is the chief aim of tbc Philofopher) than the Irregularity ofhisMindadB Morals? Thefe Reafonings (which we have ta-* ken from Plato) fufEciently demonftrate the firft Part of this Maxim j let us make fome RcBedion ondieiecond.
RE.
f—r mth Comments ani RefleSlions. 1 5 Reflection 2.
Nocwichftanding the Greekj were in full pofl<£». fioa of all the Sciences, which mighc ferve for foine Excuie to their exceffive Vanity, yet I can hardly dunk it reafbnable to confine the ff^fe Man to Greece alone $ as if no other Country could aflford £6 precious a Produd:.
3ftiftin was not fo prepoftft in their Favour. *Ti akogether Jiirfria^ing (fays he) t$ obferve how bounti'^ fiU Nature has been to the Scythians; for what thi Naiim ceuld net find in the Precepts of her Philofi^ fbers, mr in the man^ Wife Men it had yielded, has heenfttMlfd by Nature only; infinmcb, that hem t elite feeder f dnd Learned the Greeks wercytheyfeem te he outdone (in their Morals) bj theft Barbarians: So trite it i. That the Ignorance office was more be^ neficial to the one, than the Knowledge of Virtue was frcfitable to the other.
However, Thales having thank'd Fortune that he was bom among Reafbnable Beings, and was a Man 9 thinks himielf obliged to thank heralfo, that he was a Native of Greece.
Seneca makes Epicurus diftinguifli three forts of HyiMcn: Thofe ofthefirft Rank were fuchas our Philofopfaer; whofe excellent Difpofition and natural Qjialifications, have (without any help^ traced the Seeps offPifdom. The fecond not being fo richly endowed by Nature, were able to do no- thing of themfelves $ they have (like Metrodem) ftood in need of a Guide; t)ut then they havt eza&iy followed the Rule prefcrib*d 'em.,The laft, fuch as HermacuSf were of another kind; they not only ftood in need of one to help and affift Vm, bui to watch and obferve all their Motions, and (bmecimes to ufe Violence to their Mind and Tem- per.
Sentcd ; ■ -c '* ^- Seneca giving his Opinioh of theie twolaft kinds of Ifyh Men^ agrees itith Eficurus^ that Metrodo* rus was by much the more Fortunate, not to find in himfelf any Obftacle to his Defign; but tbatHemu- an bad moft reafon to be latisfy'd with his £ndeji- vours, fince not having received from Nature thole Parts which are requifite for this Study, he bad made a (hift to overcome his evil Diljpofinons, and forcM *em to give way to other excellent Q!iali<^ ties; by whole means he, in a manner, compel'd. PPlJdom to rank him among herFoilowers.
^is moft certain, that any Country may mo*. duce Men in whom (hall be fbimd all PhuohjUi^ quifits: and to fpeak in the Style of our Philofo^. pher, the Atom's may in their Motions, Concouift;- and Agitations, take at laft fuch Situations as formed the Principles of the Sages of ancient Greece^ and all the other great Penonages, who wishotic any snanner of afliftance, have attained to Wiidom.
There is not that Nation or People, however barbarous and unpoliKht, but has lafibrded ibine Great Men, of whom they fbll preferve and fheW- fome Monuments. And altho' the famous Cmifiifim never perhaps fo much as heard of the Greek^s^ and lb confequently could not have the help 6[ their Learning, yet he is neverthelefs the Socrates of Cti ^ na^ where his Memory is in fuch efteem, that there are Temples built in his Honour, which the Tat'^ tars (who have ufurp^d that vaft Empire) hiiv6 ttfe* iervM to this Day. And Eficums^who was ofthe &T§t Rank, would have attaint the fame Periedd- on he arrived to. By means of his natural Diipo& tion, in what Coimtry or CliHiate ibevto he had been horn.
If I iiiighc be permitted (without being thought {)reitmipruous) to add fomething to the Maxim of this lUuftrious Greel(, I Ihouid think, that befides the Temper of Body and Climate, the Knowledge of the Age he lives in, might juftly be efteem'd temifit towards the formation of a Wife Man.
The Sages of the Philofophers have perform'd fuch Atftions heretofore, as have been the Admira- tion of Mankind, and which in our Days would be cenfur^dy as A£ts of Temerity, if not meer FolUcs.
Suppoie the Stoic's Wife Man (hould now (being Cloath d only with Raggs and Tatters, and almcft a Skelleton v^ith Hunger and Famine) declare in our ptiblick places,that he alone abounds in Wealth, that he is the only Beautiful Perfon, and that 'tis his poper Right to Command and Govern, would he Bot be a Laughing-ftock to the whole World? he would be fo far mm being lookt upon as one of the Ancients Wife Men, that he would be reckoned no better than an errant Fool.
iMmmmMm Max. V.
THE Wife Man takes care topreferve the inexplicable Bleffiug of an nndi- , fturb'd and quiet Mind, even amidft the Groans and Gamplaints that exceft of Paia extorts from* him* C RE.
Reflection.
Wifdom is nothing elfe but the Knowledge of Things, and this Knowledg is the Eflfed ofSfecuU- tion and J^flcEtim: But our Penetration would ftill be ufele(s, if we had not found out the Art of redu- cing our Meditations into Pradtice; iafoaiuch chftt the Wife Man having difcover'd the Secrets of Njip ture, and having ftrain^d his Mind (b fiur as to prj into the minuteft and moft abftrufe things he ai laft found out th« Caufe of all the Misfortunes d Mankind, fought.for a Remedy thereunto, 9 concluded it coniifted -in the fteadinels of his MkuL So that his Kcfolution being unlhakeable, by help of his Reafon,he makes Indolency the Sum 01 all the Pleafures of Life, flighting his Vexation^ and keeping always entire that Tranquillity d Mind which conftitutes his Happinefs.
By thefe Means he is ever arm^d acainft the m Cruel Accidents that can befall him,lo as never u furpriz'd^and if Excefs of Torment and Pain exton any outward Expreflions fromhim,bisMindl always prepared, is infenfible to the Attack, xi made Anaxarcbus^ when the Executioners ¥ t pounding him in a Mortar, bid 'em take Cour, for they were demolilhing the Prifon of his Sow.
Eficurtnh Wife Man is not infenfible to Tortures and Pains, but he endures 'em without weaknefij ^Tis then an unjuft Charge from Ciaro^ Seneu^ and feveral others,^ in their Writings, that our Philo- fopher, (hould boaft, that being Hiut into Pbalari\ Bull, he would cry out in the urmoft Heat d Fire, It do's not afie& me, I feel nothing but p fure. But as they were famous Steicks, and an inward Efteem for Eficurut^ which diey did no dare to difcover, they labour'd all they amid »ake it appear, that thefe two Se&M praposM mmm mth Ctmments and kefieffio^s. 1 9 tune fend, tho' they argu'd differendy as to the Comparing thereof.
What likelihood is there that E^/ctf rw, who main- tain'dythat the Seniles could not be deceived, ihould infiniiate, that one of his own ibould reprefent that to him as Pleafurable, which in reality was full Pain and Torture? Nay, would it not have ridiculouSyin the midft of Groans and Lamen- Q » to affed to uphold, that he feit nothing I t ifure; and fo give the Lye to what he had iumieu eftabUth'd as abfolutely infallible?
He always taught, that Pain was Pain, and that the Wife Man could not oppofe its EfFeds, and that it was enough if he underwent with Patience thofe Torments, which without this Effort would e difturb'd the Tranquillity of his Mind, V/hen he (aid of Pbalartif's Bull,It do*s not affect nor concern me; *twas as much as to iay. That he hi found out a Way, by the Strength of his Rea- I yto overcome what caufes Defpair in the greateft i of Mankind, and that, that IndifFerency was peculiar Prerogative of the Wife Man.
jfhis is (ufficient to fhew,that he could never be Ity of faying he found Pleafure in the Raging ms of Fire; lOf in the Epiftle he writ a few hours ore his D^eath, he fincerely owns the Cruel Tornts he endured; and yet at the fame time de-^ ciaceis that Pay, in which his Oiftemper feem'd to fummons all its Strength, in order to his Diflblu- tion, to be the happieft, as well as lafl of his Life. H^ finds a fecret oansi^<^ion in the Reflection be makes op his many excellent Difcoveries, and is delichted with the Memory of 'em; thefe Thoughts put him above the power of Pain, which he knew would foon have ao End with his I^ife, and fo ^otded him a double Felicity.
C 2 Max, rfM Max. VL THE Wife Man alone is qualify'd fc perfeft Friendfhip j for tne prefena his Triends does not augment it, and t\ abfencc does not in the leaft impair it > knows how to prcferve it, even after tl Death.
Reflect Id If. f There is aothing more generally us'd, thar Terms of Friend, and Friendfhip. We have v derfulEx'ampleS^tranfmittedtous from formers of rhe Prodigious Eflfe^ thereof, but *cis a time' finCe thefe excellent Rarities are vani(h*d j One may fay at prefent, that Friendfhip is a t Vifion, an imaginary Nodon,that is aeftroy'< the firfl diftaft; ^4s for that Reafon that our Pi fopher maihtains,That none but the Wife MUt. duly acquit himfelf of the Duties of Friendfhit f-eafon that the fa(me things ttiat cbmpofe the F fopher, form the perfect Friend.
Friends ought to have an equ^ Moderation Docility, 'tis the main fuppon of the Commer the Mind, *tis a Charming as well as NeCe Means for a reciprocal Communic^ation of Thoughts, and •tis what makes 'em reCciVe 'Pleafure the Council they give each other.
A Friend ought to know how to diftinguilh i things which are really Valuable and Good, thofe that are not; and be endowed with th cel&ry Difpoiicions that eaufe this Amicable i ivith Comments and Reflections. 2 1 pathy^ which is call'd Friendfhip, His Convcrfa- rion ought robeeafy, his Behaviour without Pride; he muft not be fickle in his Sentiments, and his Me- mory (hould be perfedl:, that no Obligations may flip out; which are the very Bond of Friendfhip, but above ill^Sincerity muft be the Bafis of all thefe QjiaUficatioas.
This allowed, the Maxim of our Philoippher has nothing in it that^s prefumptuous, for nothing but »the Sage can be capable of the True Sentiments of Friendihip; he^s always exadt in what he promifes, he does not ftand in need of the prefence of his Friend to remind him of hisDuty;Abfence can make no impreflion upon him to forget it, he preferves the Idea of it^ even after De^th, and his Friend that ceafes to be, lives ftill in his Memory.