Reflection.
This Maxim has afforded Matter ro Efiewrush Enemies to Exercifi their £«v;, but without Rea- fon, fince Injufiicc^ generally fpeaking, is nothing; and that the diftindion between what is Tuft and Unjuft in his Opinion, owes its Rife and Eftabiifh- menttothe Divifion of Wealth: Moreover, i^i- Jtotle ftys, That what was not yet obfirv^dj was in it felf indifferent; but when by a general Confentfach Conditions and Regulations were agreed to, it became a NeceJJitJ to obferve Viw, or undergo the cottfiquent Penalty: And is it not very plain, that the diffe- rence of Places caufes the Variety o( Laws.
It was net reckon'd a Crime, in Perjta^ to mar- ry one's Sifter; 'tis now almoft Univerially e- ftecm'd one. Theft was allow'd of in Sparta, when at the fame Time it was punifliable every where elfe.
There fmmmmatmmtHkim mth Comments sfni R&fle&ms. 145^ mfmmm There are Things that arc Capital in fome Placed chb* Lawful in oehexs::: Thiu. which -ih^e thefirft&£an's Grime, was in iofeif Indiffererit^ %wastiie/ifie«rJt£(iQ0JJhac jrnder'dh/Cr/miM^.: ^ What o\Afbil$Mj€r advwoesiierev'ls 4 Ohfe-' quence of what he before aflbrtedylTfaaiPniitff^ and die other Krtms^ wece£jaBrl!M»iOnly 'by^^tU^ii: £flei9s; neither ia Jn/itftiec isvilrib in Jfelf, Smt dd^ by^whacan^ihdi'kfoneiatoisfid^ the Pear 6£ Puniihnient^\i£ the Crime. bd\Mown^ and-chd Gonfeience is. • rifk'd with KeflMrft, if it 1;>e Md. Eficurut would haVe k,:thac J^V/rir depended en- tirely xm die Benefit Men received by the Obferva- tion thereof, and that the LegiJUMrt 'wt-^tmAb' termining it, had ftill a Regard to the Climate, to theT^ifi^^of the Inhabitants, and their Inciina* tions. tie, therefore, argu'd after this manner: Whoever is gnilty of foch a Crime; Is Ohly fo bf reafon of the Law; and that fame Law does not obtain in another Country, and there, by confer quence it would be poniie. And fuppofe it were, he would then.g6 £uther, and have recourfc to Na- ture, which in the Opinion of iome Philofiphers, fays Plato, does infpire, that whatever we are able to do, is ah Injury. He would, therefore, oiily be afraid that his Crime ihould be detedred: And this Fear, (ays Efictfruf, if there were no other Reafon, ought to l>e fufficient to deter hio^ froo^ It.
No Conclufion can be drawn from this to the Prejudice of our Philofifher, fince in one of his Maxims he has made the Elc^um of the Juft Man, whom, he fays, i$ always Prudent, Magmi- nimous and Wife, and by C!onfequence isQiiiet and Undifturb'd; whereas the Injuft pafles his Life in continual Piforder.
f. » P'^.
Epicukas'j Migrdsj Pl§itmreb, dw' ft pfofe&d Enemy of die Aiom reMUj owns ncverdieiefi, diac Bficmrm did ^cIuk lay in hit Po^wcr ta ^Te a Honour of Vkfe i and uJuiiiate, chat it wardie maftdeficsdiledubg in she Worlds to luttre a peaceable Confcirnce. In inei ^eiwM qnoKt «i Senceflce of fais^ tfaatqiae fldierthrowsalirdiifa'tfae Envkns can aHod||t m» pinft him. fBe;iiif il^iays onr PhUtfiftn doted by the Sfoie^'iMimkjL^o frofefe fa omfthes^ ^km^J^' dkm, fime^bodj wLfir Life mdyfirv^tMfmtgM,JUo* dm^le, kf^fing him coatimuMit^ tlftrt mm £|f% Mltd Ipvejufi aswemmld if bebd»U^im^jmims^m» tt4d di §mr Tim^hts, Max. XXIV.
IT is impoiEble, that be Wbo has rio- lated (though never fo privately) the Laws Eftablifli'd, to prevent eithef dnr doing or receiving Hurt, Ihould be fore his Crime will not come to light \ for al- though he has not been deteded in a diou* fand Occafions, he a;iay with Rfalbn fear be ihall be before he dies.
RE.
with Comments and RefUBions. 151 Reflection, EfieUrus, who knew perfedly well the Cqi^ rupQon of Maokiiid, wa$ ie&fible, chat the firft Obftacle to the Comniffion of Crimes, is the, Pumflunent that enffiej^; ^nd that when Men a*. baodonM themfelve^ tg £yil Courfes, 'twas ftilL with hopes it (ho^ld not be known: But that -is Folly, as our Pbilcjifim' excellently obferves; jfqr the Criminal is pemcuted by the Knowledge he himielf has of it, U carries bis Vntajinefs along with him jpherc'^vuLhe^ gdcs, and fooncr or User he is dijcwei'd^ The Truth is known at the long run: Children in the Cradle have call'd for the Punifhment of the Guilty j nay, the very Elements have fome- times tum'd Informers of Crimes. -The Mur- therefs of ihicm were difcover*d by Cranes: That Ijric'Pott having been afla/Iinated in a "Wood, call'd thofe Birds, which chanc'd to fly by when the Faft was committing, to be Witnefles of his Death; fbme time after, one of the Murtherers ftanding in one of the public Places of the Town, and {ieeing fome Cranes fly by, calls to his Com- panions, and bids *em behold the Inftruments of lbicus*s Vengeance: The Magiftrate being in* formed of this Saying, caus'd 'em to be appw^' hended and punifliM, they all confeiltng the V^f being put upon the Rack.
L4 Th« EpicuRUs'i Mords^ The Pains of the Mind, the Tortures of a di- fkurb'd Confcience, far exceed thofe of the moft cruel Torments the Body can undergo 5 the Truth whereof has been often confirmed by Criminals, who have voluntarily delivered themielves up to Juftjce^ preferring public Pnnifhment to thor in- 'ward DiiquieL But if it were poffible for a Man to be ft har- denM in Vice, as to have mcr Remorfe nor Con- cern after the commifSon of it,* and that his Po- wer wasfuch in this World, a^ iet him abeye the fear ofPunifliment, tho* his Crimes were ktewii, how will heanfwer it to the Almighty, whofe- Knowledge nothing can efcape, and who leaves nothing unpunilhM, either here or hereafter? Ffis criminal Ohftinacy will then be chang'd into De- foair, his Power utterly abolilhM, and EtemiCy it felf ihall not be able to find an End to his Tormems.
Max. XXV.
WHatever Experience teaches us to be ufefiil and beneficial in refe- rence to the Community, ought to be e- ftecm'd Juft, provided that it be fo con- trived, that every one may find an Advan-: tage in it j from whence 'tis manifeft, that vvhoever makes a Law by which no Benefit accrues in the profecution thereof, does that which is Unjuft in its JSIature.
REmth Comments MiRefieEtionsi ^i| it It 4t Re f l e c t I o Nk ** Our Anceftors, fays Cicero^ had no other View in their making of Laws, than the pnW lie Good; and if it h^ppen'd that upon Ex« perience thereof they were fund detrimental^ they immediately abrogated them. Laws were not made, becaufe they were Juft in themfelves; but on the fcore of the Utility the Public received from the obfervance of *em. So that it plainly appears, that the Legijlator ought to' confider a great many things, when he prefcribes Laws; They may be good on certain Occafions, and bad on others; not but at the fame time, it is of ill confequence to make fuddcn Changes; for the People being us'd to the Laws already, eftablifli'd, all Innovation is fufpe(9^dby 'emJ *Twas for this Reafon that T^eucus faid, That they who ofierVi to make new Laws, ought to propofe *em with a Rope about their Nedc, to this? end, that in cafe the Legipanve Aflembly.' found any Advantage in the Change, they might go off dear; but if, on the contrary, the Com^ monweaUb received any Prejudice thereby, every body might lay their Hand to the Rope, thic he might perifli immediately.
Max^ icA EpicaK.as'x Mardlsy Max. XXVI.
IF a Law is made tomedmes without any ]>iTieflt Utility, provided tiiat it after* wards proves Beneficial to the RepoUic, it fliall ftill be eftecniM Jnft; but more parti- cQlarly by thofe who make a general eftir mate of Things, and who take no delight to cofiyfoand Matters by a frivoloos 0i&oifflf* Reflection, A State, in die making of Laws^ flioqld chiefly confiderdieir Vtiliij^: l£ywever, it may happen ibmecimes, diat chey may not anfwer AcIjigiM' fori Deiign alcogedicr, yet fbrall diftc, diey fliaU hcfmft, ^ they are BeneficiMl: For example The Prince ordains tfaac Com be tranfported into For rei|^ Coontriesi it may prove euhef Ufefnlor Prqodicial; diere is Utility in ii; if by that means Money is broaeht into the Kingdom | on the other fide it is pemiciouSyif a Famine iscans'd thereby: But that (hall not hinder • this Law, from being thought Juft, during the Utility thereof.
Max.
■ ' ». I Max. xxvn; I ■ • HE Who (by the Cbunfel 6f Prmkncc) ihall tindertake t6 feeK Support in thofe ThiAgs that are foreiga to us., Ihall find their AqquUition, eafie aijd adyanta^- ppus ^ |)ut he. fliaU not trifle away his Tig^ [a the fearcb of thdie chat are dm{)offibte4 nay^ he ihall ncgleCt agrtatmany of iCbofb that are ^ttainabl^y andabfototely rejedsti thofe Wfcbfe tH>ircffion is nt^t ttfecefiary.
RtFtECilTOK.
RtFtECilTOK.
Akhough this Pai&ge be corrupted in the Greek, and that all the Tranflators have found^ it intricate, neverthelefe the Senfe I give it feems probable enough; becaufe Epicurus hzs faid here- tofore. That 'tis in vain a Man feeks for Safety in Things that are not ufeful to him, and which can never contribute any wife to his Tranquility j and that admitting he were ihelter'd from Fear, EnVy, and the Malice of Men, that would not be fufficient to make him Happy, if he be pot cur'dofhis groundlefs Fright, and has notfiip- preft his Paflions.
Qur Philofifher means then, That he who go- vern^ himfetf according to the Rules of Prudence, may feek to ftrengthen himfelf againft the Power of Men, as being necefTary for him fo to do: Thus we fee Pericks the Athenian General, pof- (efs'd himfelf of the Goyernmenti that by the ^" ~ *^~ ' means ^»» means thereof he might be aUe to oppoCe his E- oemieSy Cimot and Tbmeidides: But as he had leam'd the Precepts of Wifiiom under:(em and Xtm^Atciy he did not become the TTtant of hii Counrry, neizlitr ma he dated on the (core of nine Victories he bad obtained; and nocwithftaod- ing he had rais'd himfelf above the reft» he does not for that iwenre from the RoliS of Jnftice*? «r Eficurus iays afcem^anis^ That the lame ^rf- dence mikes osfenfible thete ve ibme things aUb- hitely unattainable, and therefore wt oogfit toliy afide all Thooghts about *em: There are a great imany others tbusit the Wfi Mm ought to demoe^ dKMi^ he might compafe the Xcqdfidoii of 'cm, tfi:{. Honours, Riches, Statues,.aiid.the liioe; but there are ibme again, that hegogluitntirdy to reje(3:, as being fuperfluons, and bnfie hinifiBlf only with thofe that are unavoidably nectary, which are only thofe that Nature ends for its Prefervation and the Happinefi of Life.
T MAX.
1 \ • • THofe who have been fortunate enotfgh to live with Men of the fame Temper and Opiniofly have found a Security in their Society: This reciprocal bifpofition of Humour and Mind, has prpv'd a fure Pledge of their Union, and has made the Sum of their Felicity. They have had fo ftriO: a Friend fhip for one-another, that they were ready, without any Reludancy, to lay their Lives down for each other, if either of 'em was fentenc'd to die.
Ref lection.
Ref lection.
This PalTage is altogether faulty in the Greeta^ nevehhelefi, I flatter my felf I have hit upon BficW rw's Thought in my Tranflation. This Philojofher having fhew*d, that the difference of Tempers and ConftitutionSy was the Cauie of the difference of the Minids, and that by Reafon Civil Society was composed of Men diffefrently incIinM, fomef being Prudent, others Rafh, fome Choleric and Furious; others again Peaceable and Timorous, and fome likewife Ambitious and Afpiring; and a great many other different Characters, which made it impoffible to exped: fo perfedl an Union amongft 'em, that nothing ihould be able to ruffle or difturb their mutual Qjiiet. It became neceflary that certain Laws ihould be agreed up* on, that might reftrain and curb the Violence and Ambiuon of the Haughty and Turbulent, and fecure to the Mild and Gentle, Safety and Tranquility. s Hcg He, cherefcM^ extok the Happineis of thofe who, dtber by Nature, or by the Precepts of Wifdom, have fouad themielves d]Q>05*d to an hmmoniom Symfntfy i and who have obfervM that certain Medium that could fix their Tenqpets^uid unite their Mincb» by which means liiej finfiS outthe Secret of living peaceably and Miecablj.
They have always been cautions of oflfendioi <me-another, have mllow'd the Rules pttfiarib*! h^ Prudence and Juftice ^ they have mewn an Indulgence for their Faults, have lovM on&-ano- cher with Sincerity, and have eAeqn*d it an He** toicAA to die for diofe of their Sociery.
The End of Epicukus's Morals.
A N ESSAY ON Epcuruis Morak Written by Monf. St. Ewemmt; And made Engliih by Mr. Johnfon.
/.
i6i ■Mi A N ESSAY In Vindication of P I GU R^u Si AND HIS Doc TRINE; By Monfieiir St. EVrcmoht.
• *". • ' I )UR Modern Philofophers ate very induftrious toleffen the Reputati- on of EpicurM^ they explode his Ddrine, not oiily as unworthy of a Philo- pher, but as daingerous to the State ^ ima- aing that a Man muft nedefTarily be vici- s as fbon as he becomes one of his Difci- Bs. They take all Occafions to brand hi^ pinions asop|)ofite to good Manners, and id his Name with Infamy and Reprroach; Jt fome among the Stoicki whp were his eateft Enemies have not iifed him thus iJgl^ly 5 their Praifes agree not with the jdcrn AfiJcrfions; they have attacked^ M h\xt i62 Monfieur St. Evremont's but not vilified hira, and the Writings they have left us, ftill fpeak in feveral Paflages, the great Veneration and Efteem they had for him.
From whence then proceeds this to migb- ' ty Difference^ and why are we no longer j of Opinion with the Philofophers of Old? ' The reafon is plain, we do not ad like them, we make no enquiry, we do not fift Matters, we only adhere to what is told us, without iriCrufting our felves in the true i Nature of Things: We efteem thofe belt j which have the greateft Number of Appro- vers, and do not follow Reafon, bat the Refemblance of it. We hug our Errours, ^ becaufe they are juftified by thofe of other Men, we had rather believe than pdge, and are fo unjuft that we defend againft Reafon the fpurious Opinions which have been handed down to us. Through this Infirmity hath Epicurus fallen under a gene- ral Averfion, and ignorant Men who know not his worth, have endeavoured to ftrikc him out of the Lift of Philofophers -, they have condemned him unknown, andbanifli- ed him unheard, they never enquired into the Merits of his Caufe, and feem to be afraid of his making his Defence, left they fnould become Converts to the Superiour Excellence of his Divine Precepts.
The firft and only reafonable pretence that Men had to flight his Doftrine was, the Lives ot fome Vicious Wretches, who abufing the Name of this Great Man, gave their Vices the Infcription of his Vertne; and * and thus fathering their Defefts upon tWt Principles of his Phiiofopy, leflTened the Reputation of his Seft. Multitudes flock'd to Places where they underftood that Plea- furewas commended, but the Misfortune was, they neither apprehended that Plea- fure, nor undA-ftood the Praifes bellowed upon it; they retted fatisfied with the Name in general, not doubting, under the Authority of fo great a Man, to fcreen their Debaucheries and Palliate the Lewdnefs of their Lives \ fo that, inftead of Profiting in his School, and correfting their loofe Incli- nations, by the Good Inftrudions and Ver- tuous Example of that Philofopher, they even loft that which could only be left them the (hame of Tripping, and proceeded fb far as to extol Aftions at which they blu(h- ed before, ^nd to Glory in thofe Vices which they had. formerly concealed. In fhort, following the bent of their own Vi^ cious Appetites, they publickly, without Shame indulged themfelves in the Pleafure they brought along with them, and not in that which their Great Mailer inculcated into them. However, the World judg- ing by Appearances, and feeing Perfons who ftyled themfelves Philofophers thus ex- tremely diflblute, that they made aPublick profedion of their Failings, and cited £/?/- curm to countenance their Impurity, Lazi** nefs. Gluttony and Drunkennefs,^ made no difficulty to pronounce this Piiilofophers Doftrine moft pernicious and fcandalous; and to compare his Difciples to the vileft M a Animal » I ■ ■ ^ 1 64 Monfteur St. EvremontV Animal in Nature; Eftcuri degregt Parcimh was a Sarcaftick Expreffion of a Poet, re- fleding upon the Followers of Eficvrmj and reprefenting them as Perfons wallowing like Swine in all manner of fenfbality, aiid more than beaftly Pleafures. The Zeal of our Philofophcrs Adverfari^ hath fo con- founded his Opinion, with the Errors of his Difciples, that it is highly Criminal, with the generality of Mankind, to attempt his Vindication-, though the greateft of his Enemies fix no greater Crime upon him than what he hath in common, with the reft* of the Philofophers: Nay, even Chri^ ftianity it felf, fufFers under the like Mis- fortune, and is difgraced by the fcandalons IJves of bafe pretending Hypocritical Pro- feflbrs.
Thus unreafonably do ignorant Pretend- ers treat Epcvrm^ and fet his Morals in a very bad Light, but the Wifer and more judicious fort, who (feparating themfelves from that Multitude, which hath cvier been an Enemy to Wifemen \ and which, upoa a groundlefs Opinion, condemned the Di- vine Socrates^ though approved of by the Gods ) have taken a nearer and more pcr- feft View of our Philofophers Life and Do- drine, not giving Credit to cotnmon Fame, or taking things upon Truft, but fearching to the bottom, have upon the refult of their Inquiry, given large and honourable Tefti- monies of his exalted Vertue and fablime Precepts. They have fully proval his Plca- fure to be as fevere as the Stoicks Vertue^ that Findicstioff of EV I CXJKVS. 165 that though his Tide be (oft and delicate, his Precepts are difficult; and that to bp debauched like EfkurM^ a Man muft be as ibber as Zcno.
And certainly it is very ridiculous and inconfiftent to fuppofe, that our Philofo- pher fliould poDp^gateLewdnefs, or inftruft his Dildples in the Praftice of Vice; if we confider that his Friends and chief Follow* ers were Rulers in the Grecian Cities; that his Reverence for the Gods, Love to his Country, Piety t^ his Parent*, Libera- lity to his Countrymien, and gentlehefs to his Slaves, were fo remarkably Eminent i that his Ccmntry, to reward fuch exempla- ry Virtue, ereficd Statues iix his Honour* His Modefty kept him from engaging in Affairs of State; and his Temperance was fo great, that his ordinary Diet was faothing but Bread and Waten However, This Great Man apprehend- ing that the Title he beftowed upon his Doftrine, might be made ufe of to counte- nance the fenfual Inclinations of ibme, and others thereby induced to calumniate his Pleafure j as if he had forefeen the unjuft Cenfure of fucccding Ages, and the Vicious Lives of his pretended Followers, hath pre- vented the World with a fufficicnt Juftifica- tion of his Pleafure, and fully explained the fame to be fober and (evere. Ht banilhed from his Garden, where he Philofophi^'d with his Friends, all fuch as al)ufed the. Name of Pleafure, and confidered Vice as the foveraign Good of Man, and Tranquil- M 3 wty lity of Life. For Proof whereof, I will produce you one of his Letters written to Meneuus; wherein he fpeaks thus, Notwithfianding that we ajfert Pleafwre to he the end of Man-, we do not fnean vile and infor moHs Pleafure s fuch as proceeds from Tdfie and Gluttony: This is an unlikely Opinion ofPerftms that are Ignorant ofy or opfoje our Treceps\ they wrefi them to an ill fenfe^ and we fefara^ our [elves from their Company* Thus you fee, how careful he was to de- fend himfelf againit Ignorance and Mifcon- ftruftion, which he forefew were the only two things capable to prejudice the World againft him. His Life, though Innocent, Sober and Difcreet, hath not, however, been free from Inveftives and Detraftion, which have been fufficiently anfwercd and refuted, by learned and judicious Writers, who have taken the Pains to write our Phi*. lofophers Life> in which they have not failed, with clearnefs of Judgment and found Reafbn, to vindicate his Reputation againft the trifling Cavils of weak and par- tial Enemies. But, as it is not my Defign to entertain you with a Detail of his Afti- ons, but to defend his Pleafure s I fhall refer you to Diogenes LaertiusGafendus^and others, for the relation of his Life-, and Philofophife with you awhile upon the Nature of that which hath fo many Enemies; and enquire whether it be fuch as will exclude thofe who defend and follow it out of the Rank of Good Jind Wife Men.
Eficurtu placeth the Felicity of Man in Pleafure, and eftcenieth that ^-ife happieft whici^ VindicAsion (?/ EPICURUS. 167 I which is atteaded with an indolence of Bo' dy, and tranquillity of Mind. And where-) in can aWiftman better place his Ha ppi-- nefs than in a Serene and undiflurb'd Mind/ All the Motions of our Soul center in Plea- fiire, and thofe who condemn it mull con- fequently condemn Nature, and accufe her 3f Faults in ^11 her Works \ for this wife Mother hath mingled Delight with all our ^ftions, and by an admirable piece of Wif- lorn hath fb ordered it, that as thofe Things vhich are moft neceflary^re the meaneft, io :hey are moft pleafing \ and certainly had he not found out this innocent Slight, th€ A^orld had periflied long ago, and Man vho is the nobleft part thereof, neglefting lis own Prefervation, bad left it a Prey to Vild Beafts. Who would trouble himfelf th eating, did not Pleafurc as well as ne- eflity invite him to it? Who would endure hat Sleep Ihould benura his Senfes, take rom him theufe of Reafon, and make him xchange Life with the image of Death 5, id not the fweetnefs of her Poppies allure ira, and make the remedy as charming as : is fhamefiil? So neceflary is Pleafure to s, that the Indigence of our Nature con- ributes to it.
Pleafure is fo interwoven in our Nature, hat fhe ftands not in need of an Advocate, nd fo prevalent are the Charms of her leauty, that when (he appears, all Oppoli-. ion fells before her •, and when abfent, fhe J the Objeft of our Defires. The Stoicks ainly endeavour to enflave the Body to the M 4 Tyranny / 1 68 Monfieur St. EvremontV ' Tyranny of the Soul. The Feripateticks wrangle much about what they do not un- ■ derftand, and are great Lovers of Vl^ealth; the Academicks are Proud, Ccfaceited and Vainglorious Pretenders to Univerfil Kn6w- ledgc and Wifdom, but it hEficwrus alone that hath found out that Soverai^n gbod, which is. the Complement of an happy Life, and thoje only that follow his Steps are Rich, Powerful and Wife, and at once en- joy whatever is defireable.
The true Felicity of Life, and the Go- vernment of our Paffions (from the pijfor- der of which none can abfolutely and at all times defend them'felves^ hath been the Subjeft upon which Philofophers have' chief- ly employed their Studies,and is that part of IMoral Philofophy which hath Keen oftnelE enquired into ^ yet no one Point oiF the whole Body of Philofophy hath been treat«| of with greater Oftcntation, and to lefi la-» tisfaftion. Some have taken great Pains to defcribe the Paffions to us, and to dilJpover their Caufes and Effefts, but never idftraa- ed us how to regulate and govern them, j very careful they were to let us know our Difeafe, but unskillful or negligent in ap-. plying Remedies toCure the fame. Others of lefs Judgment but greater Zeal, have confounded them with Vices, and made no. difference between the Motions of the Sen-, fitive Appetite, and the Mifgovernment of the Will, fo that according to them., a Man cannot be paffionate' without bein| Criminal. Their Difcourfes which lhoul( •have liave been Inflxudions to Vertue, were on* ly fo many Inycftives againft Vice, and hur- ried hy a miftaken Zeal, they made the Di- ftemper greater than it was, and the Cure left Prafticabk: Others again* vainly puft lip with Pride, have pretended to ftifle Paf- lion, and to raiie Man to the Condition of Angels. They hare not feared to debafe their Gods that they might exalt their Wifeman, and have often times made him happier than their Jupiter. They have gi- ven him the upper Hand of Fortune and Deftiny, and make his Happinefs to depend entirely upon his own Free Will; Pain and Pleafure they reprefent as imaginary Di- ftradions, tli:it Paflions are the Sicknefs of the Souf, and that a Man mult renounce bis Liberty if he obey fuch infolent Mafters. Thus they have framed aWifeman only in idea, and whilft they h^ve endeavoured to make him equal or fiiperiour to the Gods, they have made him leB than Man. ' Thus did thefe vain Pretenders to Wif- dom bufie themfelves in a blind and eager purfuit after Happinefs; but the more haft, they made in a wrong way, the more La-^ bor and Pains they took to be further from: their Journies end. And though Wifdom* and Happinefs was the fble aim and drift of ■ every one of them j yet they all took a dif- ferent way to attain the defired End •, and notwithftanding, amongft fuch different O* pinions, one only could be in the rights each of them jgretended to be that only one which couW 5^ve accefs to Vertue, and|ws.
lyo Monfieur St. EvremontV its Followers into the right way, pafling by the reft as leading them aftray and befide the Mark. In this, however, they unani- moufly agreed to explode the DoSrine of Epicurus^ and to reprefent his Plcafure as Voluptnoufnefs, his Philofopy as Vanity, and his Precepts fuch as plunged Men into an manner of Diflblutenefs, but upon a due enquiry into the matter, we fhall evidently find that thefe their heavy Cenfures of Epi- curus^ proceeded more from Pride and Ig- Biorance, than from Knowledge and found Judgment.
The Stoicks and all other Philofbphers agree with Epicurus in this; that the true Felicity of Lite is to be free from Perturba- tions, to underftand our Duty towards God and Man to enjoy the Prefent, without any anxious Dependance upon the future, not to amufe our felves either with Hopes or Fears, to curb and reftrain our unruly Ap- petites, to reft fatisfied with what we have, which is abundantly fufficient; For he that is content wants nothing. He that can look Death in the Face and bid it Wel- come, open his Door to Poverty, and bridle his Appetites, he is the Man ("they all a- gree) whom Providence hath eftablilhed in the PofTeflion of confummate Happinels. The difference between them is this, the Stoicks and the other Philofophers deny the Faffions, and rank them among things which are not in rerum Natura h Epicurus on the other Hand aflerts them to be neceflary to the Soul, tliat they are Seeds of Vertue, and O^ifc Vindication of EPICURUS. 171 and that Joy muft perfea that Felicity which defire nath begun. Their Happinefi is purely Speculative, but that of Eficurus is praftical.
But as there is no Beauty without Ibnie Moles, no Chryftal without fome Specks j neither is Eficurus without his Imperfedions, which ( tho' it is not my Defign to juftific , are ) however, ealily pardonable if we con- fider the dark time he lived in, when there was Icarce any Religion but fbttifh Idola- try, more Gods than Nations, and no other Light by which to fteer his Courfe, than the dim Lamp of Nature. He feems ra- ther to be honoured for copiing fo near to ' the Knowledge of the true Goo, than con* demned for coming no nearer •, rather to b* admired for having fuch agreeable Concept tions of Ibme of the Divine Attributes^ ^ than reproached for not comprehending them all, efpecially if we compare his No- tions relating to the Gods, with thole of ^the Elder Grecian Philofophers and Poets, as well as the common and received Opi- nions of thofe Days. ^ Who can blame our Philofbpher, who ^ fway'd by the higheft Reafon, trac'd Na- ture in her Primitive Innocence, and not l^only taught but praftic'd Vcrtue to fuch a* ; Excellence, as few in thele days, to oW I Shame be it fpoken, tho' we enjoy the glo- f rious Sunlhine of the Gofpel, can equal f ► The Bounds Nature hath prelcrib'd, arcf* thofe of Juftice and Equity v Avarice camc= ^not from Nature, Ihe hath concealed Gold m 172 Manpeut St. Evuemont'j in the lowed: Bowels of the Earthy aad we have torn it from thence, Katare was not theCanfe of Ambition, which tormeatsusi flie brought us into the World, and with Equality fends us out of it i wc onJly;difier from one another in as much as wetormpt ter. We all equally enjoy Liberty, and the Sun \ Servitude was introduced by Vio- lence, and the firft Kings were Tyrants. Is it Nature, think you^ which indtes to Luxury? The Poets, themfelves, who have foifted Defers into the very Heavens, to icreen their own Follies with CelelUal Ex- amples^ and made Jufher Wicked that they might be fo themfelves, durit not own fuch a Thought. In their Defcription of the Golden Age, they tell you, that Acorm were then Mens Food, that Rivers quench- ed their Thirft, that they dwelt in Caves, that they had no Cloaths to defend them againft the Injuries of the Weather, and that they followed Nature in all their Ani- ons. I readily grant, that there never was fuch a Conftitution of Human AfHiirs ^ and that Mankind was never reducM to fuch a Level with Brutes: The Poets have indeed carried the FiQiion too far, but their D^ \ fignwas to inftrud us \ that Excels proceed- 1 edi not from Nature; (he doth not Prompt| or Encourage us to it *, Experience plainly: teacheth, that the Neceffities of Natnrej may be plentifully fatisfied with Sender and I eafily provided Fare. Hear how the is- • comparable Mn CowUy^ our Englifh PmUn \ exprefles himfelf on tfie occafion..