within such or such a time, which was limited, according to the mettle of their indignation, to a shorter or a longer respite, that they might therein have better leisure to put their affairs in order, and sometimes depriving them of the means of doing it by the shortness of the time; and if the condemned seemed unwilling to submit to the order, they had people ready at hand to execute it, either by cutting the veins of the arms and legs, or by compelling them by force to swallow a draught of poison. But persons of honour would not stay this necessity, but made use of their own physicians and surgeons for the purpose. Seneca with a calm and steady countenance heard the charge, and presently called for paper to write his will, which being by the captain denied, he turned himself towards his friends, saying to them: "Since I cannot leave you any other acknowledgment of the obligation I have to you, I leave you at least the best thing I have, namely, the image of my life and manners, which I entreat you to keep in memory of me; that so doing you may acquire the glory of sincere and real friends." And therewithal, one while appeasing the sorrow he saw them in with gentle words, and presently raising his voice to reprove them: "What," said he, are become of all our brave philosophical precepts? what are become of all the provisions we have so many years laid up against the accidents of fortune? Was Nero's cruelty unknown to us? What could we expect from him, who murdered his mother and brother, but that he should put his tutor to death, who had taught and bred him?” After having spoken these words in general, he turned himself towards his wife, and embracing her fast in his arms, as, her heart and strength failing her, she was ready to sink down with grief, he begged of her for his sake to bear this event with a little more patience, telling her that now the hour was come wherein he was to show, not by argument and discourse, but by effect, the fruit he had acquired by his studies; and that he really embraced his death, not only without grief, but moreover with exceeding joy: "wherefore,

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my dearest," said he, "do not dishonour it with thy tears, that it may not seem as if thou lovest thyself more than my reputation; moderate thy grief, and comfort thyself in the knowledge thou hast had of me and of my actions, leading the remainder of thy life in the same virtuous manner thou hast hitherto done." To which Paulina, having a little recovered her spirits, and warmed her magnanimity with the heat of a most generous affection, replied: "No, Seneca, I am not a woman to suffer you to go alone in such a necessity: I will not have you to think that the virtuous examples of your life have not yet taught me how to die; and when can I ever better, or more becomingly, do it, or more to my own desire, than with you? and therefore assure yourself I will go along with you." Then Seneca, taking this noble and generous resolution of his wife in good part, and also willing to free himself from the fear of leaving her exposed to the mercy and cruelty of his enemies after his death: "I have, Paulina," said he, "sufficiently instructed thee in what would serve thee happily to live; but thou more covetest, I see, the honour of dying; in truth, I will not grudge it thee; the constancy and resolution in our common end are the same, but the beauty and glory of thy part is much greater." Which being said, the surgeons at the same time opened the veins of both their arms; but those of Seneca being more shrunk up, as well with age as abstinence, making his blood to flow more slowly, he moreover commanded them to open the veins of his thighs; and lest the torments he endured might intimidate his wife's heart, and also to free himself from the affliction of seeing her in so sad a condition, after having taken a very affectionate leave of her, he entreated she would suffer them to carry her into her chamber, which they accordingly did. But all these incisions being not yet enough to make him die, he commanded Statius Anneus, his physician, to give him a draught of poison, which had not much better effect; for, by reason of the weakness and coldness of his limbs, it could not arrive to his heart; wherefore

they were forced to superadd a very hot bath, and then feeling his end approach, whilst he had breath, he continued excellent discourses upon the subject of his present condition, which the secretaries wrote down so long as they could hear his voice; and his last words were long after in high honour and esteem among men (it was a great loss to us that they were not reserved down to our times). Then, feeling the last pangs of death, with the bloody water of the bath he sprinkled his head, saying, "This water I dedicate to Jupiter the Deliverer." Nero, being presently advertised of all this, fearing lest the death of Paulina, who was one of the best descended ladies of Rome, and against whom he had no particular unkindness, should turn to his reproach, he sent back orders in all haste to bind up her wounds, which his people did without her knowledge; she being already half dead, and without any manner of sense. Thus, though she lived, contrary to her own design, it was very honourably, and according to her own virtue, her pale complexion ever after manifesting how much life was run from her veins.1

have recourse to

subject of their

These are my three very true stories, which I find as entertaining and as tragic as any of those we The writers of make of our own heads, wherewith to entertain tragedy must the common people; and I wonder they who history for the undertake such matters do not rather cull out plays. ten thousand very fine stories, which are to be found in very good authors, that would save them the trouble of invention, and be more useful and diverting; and he who would make a collection of them would need to add nothing of his own but the connection only, as it were the solder of another metal; and by this means embody a great many true events of all sorts, disposing and diversifying them according as the beauty of the work should require, after the same manner almost as Ovid has made up his Metamorphoses, of the infinite number of various fables.2

1 Tacitus, Annal. xv. 64.

2 In the edition of 1588 Montaigne added-" or as Ariosto has arranged in succession so many different fables;" but

he afterwards omitted this passage, probably because he has here in view only serious relations, whereas those of Ariosto are mostly comic.

Seneca's great affection to his wife.

In this last couple this is moreover worthy of consideration, that Paulina voluntarily offered to lose her life for the love of her husband, and that her husband had formerly also forborne to die for the love of her. According to our notions, there is no just counterpoise in this exchange; but, according to his stoical humour, I should say he thought he had done as much for her in prolonging his life upon her account as if he had died for her. In one of his letters to Lucilius,1 after he has given him to understand that, being seized with a fever at Rome, he presently took coach to go to a house he had in the country, contrary to his wife's opinion, who would by all means persuade him to stay; and that he told her, "That the ague he was seized with was not a fever of the body, but the place," he goes on thus: "She let me go," says he, "giving me a strict charge of my health. Now I, who know that her life is involved in mine, begin to make much of myself, that I may preserve her; and I lose the privilege my age has given me, of being more constant and resolute in many things, when I call to mind that in this old fellow there is a young girl who is interested in his health. And since I cannot persuade her to love me more courageously, she makes me more solicitously to love myself; for we must allow something to honest affections; and sometimes, though occasions importune us to the contrary, we must call back life, even though it be with torment; we must hold the soul fast in our teeth, since the rule of living amongst good men is not so long as they please, but as long as they ought. He that loves not his wife or his friend so well as to prolong his life for them, but will obstinately die, is too delicate and too effeminate; the soul must impose this upon itself when the utility of our friends so requires; we must sometimes lend ourselves to our friends, and when we would die for ourselves must break that resolution for them. 'Tis a testimony of grandeur and courage to return to life for the consideration of another, as many excel1 Ep. 104.

lent persons have done; and 'tis a mark of singular good nature to preserve old age (of which the greatest convenience is the indifferency as to its duration, and a more stout and disdainful use of life), when a man perceives that this office is pleasing, agreeable, and useful to some person by whom we are very much beloved. And a man reaps by it a very pleasing reward; for what can be more delightful to be so dear to his wife, as upon her account to become dear to himself. Thus has my Paulina loaded me not only with her own fears, but my own; it has not been sufficient to consider how resolutely I could die, but I have also considered how irresolutely she would bear my death. I am enforced to live, and sometimes to live is magnanimity." These are his own words, excellent as they everywhere are.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

OF THE MOST EXCELLENT MEN.

SHOULD I be asked my opinion and choice of all the men who have come to my knowledge, I should make answer that, methinks, I find three more excellent than all the rest.

One of them Homer; not that Aristotle or Varro, for example, were not perhaps as learned as he; nor that possibly Virgil was not equal to him in his own art; which I leave to be determined by such as know them both, and are best able to judge. I who, for my part, understand but one of them, can only say this, according to my poor talent, that I do not believe the muses themselves could go beyond the Roman :— Tale facit carmen docta testudine, quale