(4) Lipfius doubts whether this was Cornelius Coffus, who was conful under Auguftus, ann. 752, or his fon, conful under Tiberius, ann. 778-most probably the latter.

(1) Extende in plures dies illum ebrii habitum. MS. In fome copies the word dies is wanting, in others it is written in plures vires.

(m) Facinore intellecto mori voluit, certè debuit. Muret. al. mori voluit. Certè eruit omne vitium ebrietas-al. certè delituit. And indeed Alexander is faid to have kept himself many days within, after this fact, difcovering hereby how much he was ashamed of it. See Quint. Curt.

(2) Herculeanus fcyphus] Plutarch, in his Life of Alexander informs us, that, at an entertainment given by Medius, Alexander drank all that night and the next day to fuch excefs, as put "him into a fever, which feized him, not as fome write, after he had drank off Hercules' bowl; nor was he taken with a fudden pain in his back, as if he had been stricken with a lance; (for "these are the inventions of fome authors, who thought it became them to make the conclufion of "fo great an action as tragical as they could.) Ariftobulus tells us that in the rage of his fever "and a violent thirst, he took a draught of wine, upon which he fell into a frenzy, and died, æt. 32. The large glaffes were called Herculean, from the ufe of them, by Hercules the Baotian, always ufed as the finifhing glas after fupper. Και τον σκύφον εἶχον ἀεὶ ἐπιδειπνιον τον Ηρακλειο". Nicet. (0) Hi funt, quorum laudari audis-inter vina Victorias. Sidon. Apoll. 1. 5. 7. Vid. Not. ubi, D. Ambrofius, ibi unufquifque pugnas enarrat fuas, ibi fortia facta prædicet, narrat trophæa. Et, Polycrat. 1. 8. c. 6. Sine menfura bibitur ad menfuram, is cæteris prævalet, qui aut gulâ, aut dolo, ftravit aut vicit compotatores.

(p) Violatur-fanitas mentis] al. Vallatur. MS. Villatur, vilatur, bellatur, bullatur, unde Pincian, belluatur, i. e. in belluæ naturam tranfit, is made a beaft. Lipfius, fellatur, aut biliatur. Gronov. libatur, i. e. vexatur, carpitur, vel vexatur, ut mentem vexare mariti. Juv. 6. 610.

(9) Plato (in Cicerone) Ewxpaτns iv Tais Evaxiais, x. T, λ. Socrates was not fond of drinking at an entertainment, and when obliged by the company, he was generally too strong for them, so that none can fay, they ever faw Socrates drunk.

Not but that, if a wife man should be overtaken, as it was by chance, not by intention, Lipfius thinks it excufable.

EPISTLE LXXXIV.

On Reading, and the Study of Wisdom.

I THINK, Lucilius, that the little excurfions I make in my chariot by way of exercise, are of great service to me, both with regard to my health and ftudies. You plainly see wherein they are beneficial to my

health, forasmuch as the love of learning and conftant application there

to, would make me fluggish and careless of my body, I am hereby roused by the help of others: and I will now fhew you wherein they are of service to the studious mind. I abftain not entirely from reading. For reading is abfolutely neceffary. First, that I may not reft only upon my own opinion; and then, that having learned what others have been in search after, I may the better judge of fuch things as have already been, or may yet be discover'd. Reading nourisheth the fancy and wit of man; and even refresheth him when fatigued with ftudy, and yet, still it may be study. For we ought not to be always reading, nor always writing: the one will weary and exhaust the strength: I mean continual writing: and the other diffolve and diffipate it. They are to be used alternately (a), and the one moderated with the other; that whatever hath been collected from reading, may be digefted and reduced into form by writing. We ought, as they say, to imitate the bees who fly about (b) and cull fuch flowers as are most proper for making honey; and then they deposit their several charges in proper order, and distribute them throughout the comb, as our Virgil faithLiquentia mella

G. i. 164.

Stipant, et dulci diftendunt nectare cellas. Some purge the heavn'ly nectar, fome condenfe, And fome the liquid in void cells difpenfe. Lauderdale. It is not certain whether they extract any liquid from the flowers, which liquid immediately becomes honey; or whether by a certain mixture and peculiarity of their breath, they change what they have gather'd into this tasteful fubftance. For fome think, they have not the skill themselves to make honey, but only gather it; as in the Indies pure honey is found in the leaves of certain reeds (c), which honey is made of the dew of that climate; or of the fweet and fatty moisture of the reed itfelf: and that in fome of our herbs is found the like substance, not altogether fo manifest and notable, but fuch as an infect, made for this purpofe, is wont to fearch after, and collect together. Others think that by their mixing and difpofing of fuch matter as they have gather'd from the tendereft of plants and flowers, not without a fort of leaven, if I may call it fo, which blends things together of a different nature, it receives this quality.

But not to digrefs farther from the business in hand, I fay, we ought to imitate bees: and whatever things we have extracted from different books, firft, to separate them; for being diftinct they are the more eafily remember'd; and then to apply ourselves with the utmost care and ftrength of mind, to transform thefe various dainties into one dish; that even if it should appear from whence it was taken, it may yet appear a very different thing to that from whence it was taken. This is what we daily fee perform'd by nature in our bodies, without any affistance from us. The aliments which we receive into the ftomach, fo long as they retain their own qualities, and float intire therein, are a load to it; but being digefted and changed from what they were, they pafs into our substance and blood. We must do the fame, by thofe things, with which we nourish and strengthen the intellectual faculties: we must not keep them intire, as we received them; for fo they will not be ours, but we muft digeft them, or else they will only be a charge upon the memory, without improving the understanding. We must fincerely give our affent to them, and make them our own: that one certain thing may be made of many; as from feveral figures arifeth one certain number; and one fingle computation includes many lefs and different fums.

And this likewife is what the mind must do; it must conceal as much as poffible the helps it hath been oblig'd to; and only make fhew of what it hath done itself. Should there ftill remain the refemblance of fome one, whom admiration hath fixed deeper in your mind, and made fo ftrong an impreffion, that you cannot eafily quit it: I would have it to be fuch a refemblance as is that of a fon, rather than that of a stupid and lifeless image. And what then? you will fay: will it not be known, whose style you imitate; whofe arguments, whofe fentiments? perhaps not; if you follow fome great man; who in his compofitions hath not distinguish'd what he hath taken from others, by any particular mark, fo as to exhibit a fameness (d).

Do you not obferve that a choir confifts of many voices? yet from All arifeth but one harmonious found. One voice is treble, another base,

bafe, another the mean or tenour; the voices of women are joined to thofe of men: and the flutes and other inftruments are likewise added: yet the tone of no voice or inftrument is heard in particular, but they are all happily blended in one: I am speaking of fuch a choir, or musical performance, as was known to the antient lovers of Mufic. At the reprefentation of a play we have as many fingers as in the Theatres formerly they had spectators (e). And yet when every avenue is filled with fingers, and the whole pit is furrounded with clarinets, and from above in the galleries is heard the found of the organs, and other wind inftruments; even from fuch diffonant tones arifeth harmony. Thus, I fay, I would have it with our minds; there fhould be many arts, many precepts, the examples of many ages, all lodged therein, and yet all confpiring together to constitute one form, or manner of life. But how is this to be done? why, by care and the steady pursuit of rational principles. If we do nothing but what our reafon directs; if we attend to the dictates of this alone; fhe will fay to us; leave those things which you now fo greedily purfue; give up riches,-which either endanger, or are a burthen to their owners; renounce the trifling pleasures both of the body and mind; they ferve to no other purpofe but to lull you into softness and effeminacy: forfake ambition; 'tis a quality, light, inconftant, full of pride and vanity; it knows not where to rest; and is alike troubled in following as in preceding others: it labours under two forts of envy: and you know how wretched a man must be who is both envied himself and envieth others. Behold those palaces of the great! How are their doors pefter'd with the squabbling throng of Leveé-Hunters! what affronts must you submit to, before you gain admittance? and how many more when you have crouded in? pass therefore regardless, by the steps, and lofty terrace (f) that leads to the rich man's door; in such their court-yards, you will not only be raised aloft, but ftand on flippery ground,

Hither then chufe to direct your courfe; even to the house of wisdom aiming, at the same time, to enjoy both the most quiet fituation and the moft noble. Whatever things feem excellent, in worldly affairs, though they are really small and of no account, but in comparison with the

moft

moft vile and abject, yet to attain them is ftill a difficult and arduous task. The way to the fummit of dignity is rough and craggy. But would you climb the Hill of Wisdom, to which I invite you, and to which fortune fsubmits with all her treasures, you fhall fee all thofe things, which are in highest estimation lie beneath you, nor fhall you complain of having reach'd the top, but by a smooth and easy path.

(a) See Ep. 15.

ANNOTATIONS,

(b) See the following as tranfcribed by Macrob. Saturnal. 1.

&c.

(c) Strabo 1. 15. It is faid they extract honey from the reeds, where they have no bees. But this is to be understood of what we call, by the ARABIC name, faccharum, sugar.

Quique bibunt tenera dulces ab arundine fuccos. Luc. 3. 237.

Who quaff rich juices from the luscious cane.

(d) See Sir John Hawkins on Mufic, vol. iv. p. 272. le) In comeffationibus noftris] In our feafts. But Lipfius thinks it ftretching the point a little too far, to say, that in their feasts they had more fingers, than the ancient theatres had spectators. He therefore reads it as here tranflated, in comiffionibus noftris fc. ludorum. Lipf. Epift. Qu. iii. g At tuba comiffos medio canit aggere ludos.-Virg. iii. 113.

The trumpet's clangor then the feaft proclaims;

And all prepare for the appointed games. Dryden.

.9.

() Magno aggestu suspensa vestibula]-aggeftu (Spoliorum fc. quæ poftibus affigi folent.) Lipf. But Gronovius more rightly understands it of the structure itself.

Virtue alone fufficient to make Life happy. *

I HAVE hitherto spared you, Lucilius, and not troubled

you, with fuch points as feem'd knotty and difficult; contenting myself with only giving you a taste (a) of the arguments, alledg'd by the Stoics to prove, that virtue alone is fufficient to procure an happy life. But now you re