Epictetus His 00 Epic

8/21/2019 Epictetus His 00 Epic

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PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARYOF

PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINHRYBY

f/Lfs. AlexandeiT Pfoudfit.I

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HISR^ L S,WITHSIMPLICIUSSCOMMENT.

Made Englilh from the Greek,

George Stanhope, D. D.Dean of Canterbur'y^ and Cha|)lainin Ordinary to His Majesty.The Fourth Edition correded.

With the LIFE of Epictetus,From Monfieur Boilieau.

LONDON:Printed by J^. B. for Richard Sare, nearGray's-Im-Gate in Holborn. MDCCXXI.


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To the Worthily Honoured,

WILLIAM GOREF#v>TEW I JV G,ICounty of Hertford ^ Efq^

SIR,To omit the many trifling Pretences, commonly made uieofupoathefe Occafions, I ihall think this Dedi-cation abundantly juftified, by only al-A 1 k


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Epistle Dedicatory.ledging One thing in its Excufe^ Thatevery Man is by no means duly.preparedto Read, or Relifh, much lefs is everyMan of Quality, a proper Patron forEpiBetus.; So Exquifite a Piece of Morality re-quires, not only a Good Underftand-ing, but a Virtuous and Well-DifpofedMind, a Serious Senfe of the Dignity ofa Reaibning Soulj and a due Care tokeep up its Charader : AiFedions rai-fed above the Sordid Enjoyments of theWorld, and a fix'd Opinion, that theTrouble, ^m^ j$e at about thefe things,ought not toibe* efteemed the Bufineis,but the great Misfortune and Incum-brance of Human Life : A fteddy Go-vernment of the Pailions , arid a Tem-per Even and Eafie, Affable and Oblig-ing. Without thefe Quaiifications, oribme good Advances towards them, aMan's Palate can never ftand to the fol-lowing Reflexions^ and the moft excel-lent Rules of Living would be encertain'dwith Coldneis and Contempt

Whether


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Epistle Dedicatoty.Whether I have done this Author

Reafon in the following Tranilation , isneither poiTible nor proper for Me todetermine: But, though that perfor-mance were allowed to be never fo per-fect; it is yet a very neceifary Ad-vantage, and indeed a Right due bothto Him and my Self, to take Sandu-ary in the Goodneis of a Perfon, whoknows, the better how to Pardon, be-caufe he knows how to Judge ; andwhoie Virtues have already not onlyapproved, but tranfcribed, and by thebeft, the Chriftian, Morality, haveeven Correded and Refined upon allthe moft valuable Parts of this Book.How far this is Your caie , I willnot, I need not take upon me to de-termine all. Sir, that have the Hap-pineis to know you, will do it for me:Permit me only to clofe this Addreis,with my moit fincere Wiihes, that youmay long continue an Ornament toLearning , Religion , and your own Fa-mily 5 a publick BleflGng to your Coun-try and your Friends ^ and that I mayA have


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Epistle Dedicatory.have the honour of being ever ac-knowledg'd in that Number. One Te-ftiinony whereof, will be the acceptingthefe ProftlTions which I am now defi-rous to make to the World, of my being,with all poffible Reiped,

SIR,Lewifliam, Teh.T\7;,.*- Tour mofi Obliged,

and mofl Humble Servant,

GEO. STANHOPE.


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PREFACE,'Do mt give the Reader this Trouble^ out ofany Intent to make an Apology for jhe'W-ing the following Book in Engliih ; forfiire the rendring fuch admirable Infiruc-

tions as dijfufive as it is foffible^ cannot needan Excufi\ Nor do I intend to give him a tedi-ous Account of the erformance itfelf '^ btitjhallonlyfay^ that it hath been my Endeavour toex-frefs the Author's Senfe with all the Eafinefs^and Freedom I could, fo as to decline both theSlavery ofa Literal^ and the Licentioufnefs ofa Loofe and Luxuriant Interpretation.My T^ifign atprefenti is only to make fime ne-cejfary RtflexionsuponthofeTarts of the Stoicalhl)fophy^ which are apt to prejudice Men a-gainfl it., and temptfome 'Perfins, from thefe ex^travagant Syfems of Moral Terfeliiions, tothink: (at leaf to plead in Vindication of theirown ExceJfcsJ that the Generality of Rulespre-fcribed for the Reforming our Manners j areThings too nicely thought^ fiibiime, airy, and im-pra6iicable Speculations.

It is not my 'Turpofe, nor ought it to he anyMan's to vindicate thefe, or any other, Maflersof Heathen Morality^ in every particular Not iofithey advanced, But 1 77iufl beg Leave to put -myA 4 Reader


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PRE Face,Reader in mind, what is the prober Advantageto be made of thefe Errors ; and that fure is, notto run down Morality, as an empty Name (towhich the Stoicks mttft be allowed, in defpight ofall the Aggravations' their Failings are capableof, to have done excellent Service) but to dif-fer in this the Wifdom ofAlmighty God, whoyin the midfl of his moft liberal Endowments ,ne%)er fuffered the greatef Heathens to be with-out fome notable T)efe6i of Judgment, but everdebafed their Knowledge with an Alloy of Ig-norance and Folly ; And that, no doubt, to cre-ate in us a more jufl fteem and Veneration forhis o'^jun Chr'iftian ^hilofophy , to which alonethis ^erfeBion was referved, of Truth with'cut Error, and Light without 'Darknefs.I think it therefore my T>uty, fo far to com'

ply with the ObjeBor in vondemning thefeSchemes of Ethicks , as to floew upon this Oc*cafion , That the ^^rinciples of Religion haveexalted our Virtues , and adjufted the meafuresof them , infinitely better , than any HumanInfiitutions were ever able to do. For, thoughthe Sroicks are moft defervedly admired fortheir Noble Notions in thefe Matters above anyother SeEl, and the brave Attempts they made,to^jvards the reducing Nature to its rimitive'Ftirity and ^erfeSlion ; yet, 1 think it cannotfairly be denied, that, in their TVay of Treat-ing the afQns and Flowers of the Soul, they?mieh, over-Jhot the Mark , and have quite miftaken the Cafe. How far it is pojjible to go,in fubduing the Fafilons abfolutely, I all notnow


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R . F A C .now ^'tfpute ; / take it for granted^ that thegenerality of '^Teople might do a great deal morein it, than they either do, or imagine they cando : And that Sloth, which is the prevailingVice, and the moji fatal ObfiruBion to a goodand hapfy Life , affrights us with many 'iDiffi-culties and T>iJcotiragements , by no means ofNature's, but entirely of our own making. Tetyto deliver ourjelves from thofe inward Commo-tions, which are vifible Occafions of fo muchMifchief, we mufl not frefently pafs rafl)and rigorous Sentence of utter Excifion ufonthem , but try fome gentler and more prudentMethod, hecaiife the fame things are equallycapable of producing a great deal ofgood.

Thefi are indeed the Secret Springs thatmove and aBuate us ; and all the Care incum-bent upon the Governing Tart of the Mind, isto fet them, rights and at a true itch, that foevery Motion, which flows from thence, may beJufl and Regular. They are like the Acid inour Stomachs , that conflantly provokes and re-news our Appetites , and prevents the mofl ne-cejfary Funiiions of Life, from becoming flatand naufeous to us . And accordingly. He, whocontrived, and confequently mufl be beft ac*quainted with our Frame, found them neceffaryto infpire and invigorate this heavy Mafs ; HefaWy that thus to eafe us of all our i^ains, wouldbe to rob us, at the fame time, of all our Tlea-fares ', and for this Reafon he hath made Tro-mifes and Threatmngs , Rewards and ^unifh-ments, the Gayeties and Anxieties ofHeart, fallwhich


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PRE FACE.which are but fi many different ways of workingupon our Taffions^J the moflproper andpowerfulInducements to the befl Religion in the fForld.So that in truths the main^ I mightfay the wholejof our T^uty and Happinefi, confijis^ not in fli-Jling thefe Ajfedtions^ and condemning them toState of utter InaSlivity, but in moderating andregulating them : And no Degree of Love , orHatred efire ^ or Fear^ or Anger y orGriefs or any other fimple , can be toointenfe, when placed upon worthy Objeofs, anddireiied to worthy Ends.Thefame U'lfficulty lies againfl Stoiciim, with

regard to Civil Society^ and the mutual Concernwe feel for one another. For fome Rulesgivenhere, if literally andfiriSilyfoUowedy mayfeemto threaten the T>eflru5lion of all Natural Af-fe5iion and Charity among Men ; which there-fore Chriftianity hath taken into its peculiarCare and 'TroteBion, It reprefents TemporalAffliBions as Chaflifements , and expels w^foouldfeel the Smarts in order to be amended bythe Rod, It remits us for Comfort to higherand better Confiderations , and does not a-mufe us with vain Notions , that thefe Thingsneither touch nor ought to ajfe6i us ; but tellsusy That the more fenfibly they do fo , the moreglorious the Improvement and the Reward iscapable of being made. It infpires Campajjionandgood Nature, and the tenderefl Refentmeutsof other ^-*eople's Misfortunes. It commands noMan to attend the Funeral Obfequies of hisFriend or Dearejl Relation^ with a gay or per-


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PREFACE.fefly compofed Countenance , as knowing verywelly that this Behaviour is Barbarous andBrutiflo ; and that what fime have called hi*lofophy and Conjiancy in fitch Cafes , may feemrather the EffeB of Stupidity , or SuUennefsôr ride ; that this is an imaginary êrfe^lion^which few ever did^ and none ought to attainto : Andy in a word, that the Excefs and Inôrdinacy of our afons is the only Thing blame-'able in them. Againfl which therefore it makesample rovôn ; fiich as offers no Violence tothe Original Softnefs ofHuman Nature y butpreferves all thofe Re]pe6is entire , which weowe to ourfelvesand to one another ; fuch as maybe ufed with a verygood Grace, andfuch as wiUbe mofl effeilualy when rightly applied.

This Cenfure is no more, than what appearedto Me highly feafonable and expedient , to con-vtnce the mofl partial Admirers of HeathenT^hilofophyy that^ wherein foever thofe Syfiemsof Morality differ from the Chriflian, they aremanifpjily ijjferionr to them. In other 'Toints^we can/carce give them greater Commendation^than they really d'.ftrve : And among them alfÎ know none, that challenges more Efleem, tEanthis Book, The hifrpMions are fo wife , theAlltifwns fo livelyy the Exhortations fo movingând the Arguments fo ftrongy that they may wellbe allowed y not only to convince cur Retifonybut to'excite our gj-eatefl Admiration. The Ap^plication is fo enfe y by a little Change of hi-lofophy into Rtligiony and the 'Flnrality cfDi^vine Beings into the one only True Gcd^ that'


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PREFACE.any cofifidering Chr'ift'ian may herefind a Schemeofwhat Him/elfought to be. And., except fomeparticular Subtleties in the Firft ^ Thirteenth^Thirty Fourth and Thirty Eighth Chapters^(which I mention here particularly-, that thewore unlearned Readers may , if they fleafeyfafs them over, without fuffering themfelves tobe prejudiced againft, the reft of the Book) theArguments areJo plain andfubftantialy as to re-commend themfelves to the Senfe , and to fuitthe Capacity , of every Common Man. But itmuft be remembred again , what is the properBenefit offiich Writings : and That, no doubt.,muft be , to let us fee , what a Reproach the^erfeBion of thefe Ancients is to us at thisDay. And I heartily wifl? , that the prefentTreatife may have its due Influence upon everyOne who fhall perufe it ; by provoking Men toa Holy Emulation , and a generous T>ifdain ,that EpiiStetas his Troficient floould out-do anyrofeJfor of the Goffel^ who walks by a clearerLight., and excels in every Advantage of Good-ne/sy except fuch as he wilfully denies to him-felf^ thofe of Confideration, and Refolution^and an aliive Zeal.

G. S.


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THEJ 4 SL JL JLy

F

I C U S,FROM THE

Frencl Colle6tions of Boileau.INTRODUCTION.HILE my^ were employed ahoutmaking good the Promife^ which my Readerwillfind in the f.rfl Page of this Edition^ itwas my Fortune to light upon the following

account i)/Epibetus in French. Which^ by comparingwith the Original authors, from whom the feveral Paf-fages are taken^ I obferved to be coUeBed with ftich Fi-delity^ as might reafonably excufe any farther Pains ofmi::::^ than that of Iranfiating it into our own TOngue.1 b^yve therefore only added a marginal Note or two^ andgiven the Narration as I found it. 'The greatefl partwill approve itfelf Authentick^ becaufe gathered fromthofe very Difcourfes of this Philofopher^ which Arrianhath ^preferved for us j and with regard to them^ theReferences her are much more exadl^ than in Mr. Boi-leau, or any other Author I have met with upon thisSubjel, THE


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a The life ofTHE Time of Epi6ietus his Birth feems to havebeen near the End of Nero's Reign, the Placeot it Hierapolis^ a City in Phrygia. The other Cir-cumftances relating to it, are uncertain : For we haveno farther Knowledge of either his Father or Mo-ther, but that they were both without queilion, ofvery mean Condition. ^A.Gellius^ and Su'idas tell us,that he was Slave to Epaphrodttus^ a Freemiin of iV>-r


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I C S. iiithoufand Crowns left > to which Epaphroditus re-plied, not by way of Raillery, as any other Manwould have done upon fo extravagant a Complaint,but with great ferioufnefs, and an appearance of Con-cern, that he was really ailoniihed at his Patience,in forbearing fo long to make his cafe known.

*^ Under the Dominion of this coxcombly Mailerit was, that EpiStetus pafied the firft part of his Life.At what time, or by what means, he obtained his Li-berty, we have no pofitive Account : But thus muchwe are afliired of, that upon an Edii: of Dcmitianyfor baniihing all Philofophers from Rome and Jtaly^ hewithdrew to NicopoUs^ a City of Epirus, called bythe Moderns Prcvefa. And his being included underthat Prohibition, in the Quality of a Philofopher, isa manifeft Proof that he was a Freeman. For in-deed, it is not to be imagined, that a Perfon, whofcMerit had recommended him to the particular Fa-vour and Eileem of the Emperours of his time,ihould be fuffered to continue in Slavery. It hathbeen generally thought, that after this Retreat, henever returned any more to Rome , but pafied theremainder of his Life at NicopoUs : And this Opi-nion is grounded upon Arrian's taking exprefs no-tice in leveral parrs of his Colledions, that thofeDifcourfes, of which his Book confills, were madeand delivered at NicopoHs ^ . Bur, notwithilandingthis conjecture be fupported by the Authority ofSaJmafius^ I am apt lliU to fulpeoi, that it wantsConfirmation. And in this fuCpicion Spartian ^ bearsme our, who, in the Life of yldrian^ tells us, thatEmperour was very intimate with, and bore a par-ticular Refpet to Epi^etus, Now it will by no

d ^.G


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iv The LIFE OFmeans enter into my Head, how this regard Ihouldbe fo remarkable, and that familiarity fo itriftly keptup, if EpiEletus his conftant refidence, from the timeof Domiiian's Edift, had been in a place fo remote,ss the City of Nicopolis.

It does not certainly appear, whether he were everliiarriedj but as I have not Authority fufHcienr fpi?-affirming, fo neither do think there is enough foi:'-denying it. For Arrian^ in feveral PaiTages, takes no-tice of />i


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EPICTETUS.one old Woman, no Hoiilhold-StufF, but an earthenLamp, to the Light oF which we owe thoie beauti-ful, thofe Divine Thoughts, of which Arr'ian hathpreferved fome noble Remains : And by all thefe Cir-cumftances, we may make a judgment how poor thisPhilofopher was.

come now to give an account of his Opinions,and his Virtues. Among which his peculiar and dar-ling one feems to have been Modefty. This was moileminent in his ov/n praftice, as well as in his recom-mendation to othei?. Hence he ufed to fay, ^ thatthere is no need of adorning a man's Houfe with richHangings or Paintings , ^ for the moft gracefulFurniture is Temperance and Modefty \ Thefe arcthe lafting Ornaments, and will never be the worfefor wearing. He was fo perfe6l]y mortified to all Am-bition and Vain-glory, that if any Philofopher evermade Humility the conilant Principle of all his Ani-ons, this was certainly the Man. For, as no Man ofhis age did ib much good, fo nobody fure was fo veryinduitriousto conceal the good he did. This gave oc-cafion to thofe Rules, which we meet with in the fol-lowing Manual , ^ If you have fo far maftered your Appptite, as to have brought your Body to coarfe Fare, and to be well contented with mere Necef- faries, do not glory m your abilemious way of living. And if you drink nothing but Water, proclaim not*' your own Sobriety upon every Occafion. Or if you would inure yourfelf to'hardfliip,do it for your own'' Benefit, not to attraft the Admiration of the Peo-

ple. Let vain-glorious Fools made their Trials aspublick as they can j but know, that all affixati-ons of this kind are utterly unworthy the Charadcrof a Philofopher.

' Stib, Serm. 38. Mrrmn. Lib, IV. Cap. 8.' Ch. LXX. Ano-


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VI The L I F ofAnother inftance how free he was from Vanity,

is this 5 thiit, although no Perfon whatfoever ofhis time was better quahfied for becoming an Au-thor j yet he was fo infeniible of any Excellencethat way, fo perfectly untouched with an inclinationpredominant ufually in the moil exalted Minds, as toleave nothing of his own compofition behind him.And, had nolArrian tranfmittcd to Poilerity the Ma-xims taken from his Mailer's Mouth, we have fomereafon to doubt, whether the very Name of Ep6ietushad not been loil to the World.

It was his Judgment, ^ that a true Philofopher wasobliged to dillinguifli himfelf, not fo much by whathe fpokc, as by what he did : And this gave himoccafion to fay, that the greater part of them, whomade profeffion of this Science, were only Philofo-phers in Word, but not in Fa6l. One day, meetingwith a certain Perfon, who was angry at being pi-tied, EpiSletus reprefented to him, how very unjuilthat Anger was, iince his very being out of humourupon fuch an occailon was an evident proof, that hiscafe was fo Avretched as to call for Pity. Anothertime, upon meeting a Man of moil profligate Life,and infamous Character, who yet had the confidenceto fet up for Learning and Philofophy, he accolledhim thus. fenlclcfs Creature, what is it thou wouldeft be at ? Hail thou been careful to fee , that thy Vcfl'el be fweetand clean, before thou put any Liquor into it ? For if that be not feafoned, whatever is poured into it, will turn four as Vine- gar, rank as Urine, or if you can think of any thing yet more offenfive and corrupt than either.yi. Gelims^ who cites the paflage, gives it this Com-

n> sylrrian. Lib. II. C;tp. ip. Lib^ III. Cap. 12. ir a'ubi faffun. ^ mn. Lib IV. Cap. 6. ^i Gdl. Lib. XVII. Cap. 19.

mendation


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I C S.mendation, that nothing could be more weighty, no-thing more truej meaning, that, when moralPrinciples, or any fort of ufeful Knowledge, are infu-fed into a Soul deprefled, and polluted with viciousHabits > this, like a foul VeiTel, gives them fuch atinfture, that they prefently become good for no-fhing, and turn all to corruption.

But there was in Efiêtus one Quality, fo muchthe more valuable, becaufe Philofophersarebutfeldomfamous for it j which is, that he was a very great Lo-ver of Neatnefs} and faid himfelf, upon occafions,that he had much rather fee one of his Scholars cometo him well drefled and curled, and had more hopesof fuch a one's improvement, than of one, whoieHîr was matted and greaiie, and his Habit ilovenly.He did indeed ihare with the mofl celebrated Philofo-phers of old, in that common misfortune of an illPerfon. A weaknefs and lamenefs in his Body he fuf-fered under, by means of a Humour that fell into hisLeg. This he acknowledges very frankly in an Epi-gram compofed upon himfelf, and quoted by ^ A* Gellius,

yilthough by Birth a Slave, in Body lameÎn Fortune poor, yet dear to Heaven I am,

^ Flanudes in his Anthology mufl: needs be miftaken inattributing this Epigram to Leonidas, becaufe, as Sal-mafias hath rightly obferved, he was a Poet of notelong before Epi5letus his time. But then Salmafiushimfelf will not allow this to be compofed by Epi'

^rrian. Dijfert. Lib. Cap- II.9 ^. Gell. Lib. IL Cap. 8. Salmiif, in />', Smpt. p. 3. t

i êtus


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viii The LIFE of6ietus neither, but thinks that fome half-witted Pe-dant firil made, and then inferted, it into the Textof A. Gellius. The only Argument alJedged for thisOpinion, is, that this Epigram is nor to be found in anyantient Manufcript of yf. Gellius. But admitting thisto be fo; if the conjefture be true, we muft fay thatthe fame Pedant foifted it into ^ Macrobius too : Forhe alfo quotes it Epi6ietus his own, in the firit Book6 his Saturnalia. 1 own however, there is one rea-fon which inclines me to fufpcft his being the Authorof it, which is the inconfiilence that appears to me,for a Man of Epicietus his fingular Modetly and Hu-mility, to fpeak fo advantagiouily of himielf ^

But whatever become of the Compofer, the Mat-ter of the Dillich is inconteftable. It being certain,that EpiSleius was very ill ufed by Fortune ; but howniggardly foever She was to him. Providence madehim good amends, by the liberal endowments of hisMind. And it looks as if Fortune were permitted,to make War upon him, on purpofe to add to theGlory of his Triumphs : For I will venture to affirm,that the Condition and Hardihip of a Slave, as wellas the Infirmities of his Body, were neceflary to re-commend bis Virtue, and let it off in a brighter luftreto all Poikrity.The meannefs of his Fortune had no influence up-on the greatnefs of his Soul 5 nor could he ever bebroug'-t to a fervile Flattery of Peifons in the moilexalted Station, but dealt with them very plainly,when hefaw occaiion. Speaking of Princes and Ty-rants, the Power they boall: of over their Infeiiours,and the Submiffions they expcd upon that account,

s A/4cr


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EPICTETUS. ixhe expreiTes himfelf to this purpofc. Thefe Great People arc much in the wrong, when they value themfelves upon the deference and fervices, paid*' them by thofe under their Jurifdidion. Do they think all this Court is made to them for their own fakes? Nothing lefs. Each Man that makes ir, hath a regard to his particular Intereft j and, when fuch addrciles ceafe to be for the Interell: of their*' Subjeils, the Prince .quickly finds himfelf neglected^' and defpifed. We take care of fuch, as we do of^' Beailsof burden, as we feed and rub down our Hor-'' ksy that they may be capable of doing us better Service. We adore them, as the Men of Rome*' facrifice to D.ifeafcs j if the Fever have Altars, it is^' from the fear of being hurt by it. And in another' place } '^ Why all thefe Terrours ? fays he, What*' is it that they can do to us, which we fhould be fo*' much afraid of? The woril their Malice can inflict^ upon us is Death. And, mult we not of neceffity die, fome time, and fome way or other? If we can--'' not avoid going out of the World, what mighty^' matter it is how we go ? Nay, is not that theilior- teiland eafieftway, which Violence and Rage fends us out by ? Was any Tyrant ever fo cruel to his bit- tcreil Enemy, as to be killing him fix Months together? And why then is not fuch a Death rather'' to be chofen, than a Hedick Fever, which often^ times is whole years before it has difpatchcd us?^ Obferve, what freedom he takes with thofe, whofanfy themfelves free, becaufe they were nobly de-fcendcd. You think, fays he, becaufe you have been twice Conful, your Father was a Senator, and you are the Emperor's Favourite, that your'^ Quality makes You more free, than others of a

^. Lib. I. Cap. 19.' ^rrian. Lib, II. Cap. 6.* ^rrian. Lib. IV. Cap. i. *

meanev


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The L F of*' meaner Birth and Fortune. Alas you arc more a*' Slave, than the dcfpifed Man, who was bornfoj and His Condition is more at large than yours. He may be fometimes ill ufed by a barbarous Mailer, but' you are perpetually plagued and harrafled, by as many Malters, as you have ungoverned Pailions.*' The difference is, that he is a Slave in Hemp and Hair-cloth, and you in Silk and TiiTue. y If He*' be wanting in his Duty, he undergoes the laih j but if You negleot yours, you are punifht according to'' your Qiiality, and becaufe you are Noble and Ca- fafs Favourite, you have the privilege to have your Head taken off. A worthy privilege indeed?

So little Referve did Epidletus ufe to thofe abovehim, when it was neceffary to ihevv them to them-felves, and convince them of the vanity of thofe Prero-gatives they were fo caulefsly proud of j Whereas intruth, they contributed nothing, either to their Vir-tue or then* Happmefs. Contentednefs gave him trueLiberty under the moft calamitous Circumilances 5And, without any flourifh upon the matter, it maybetruly faid, that no Man ever carried the pomt of Con-itancy, to fo high a degree of Perftftion.

While he was yet a Slave to Epaphroditusy this Bruteof a Mailer one day took a Frolick to wrench hisLeg, Epi^etus obferving him delight with fo barba-rous a Pleafure, and that he continued it with grea-ter Violence, faid, with a fmile, and free from anyappearance of Pailion, If you go on^ you will certainlybreak my Leg. In ihort he did fo, and then all thereturn he made was this, Did I not tell you Sir^ thatyou would break my Leg? ^ Celfus tranfported with

Lib. m. Cap. 26.' Set Oiig. conr. CelC Lib. VII. P-,^. 368. Edit. Cantabr, ifijg.

whtrt Cclfus frnendito ^reftrihe confiancy of Epittetus, nbove that 0/ Jelus Clirift.


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I C S.the admiration of Philofophy, extols this Patience Cofar above any other inilance of it ever fecn in theWorld, that he runs his Argument up to a moil ex-travagant and blafphemous Impiety. If, thro' the In-juries of time and neglect, we had not loil that Bookwhich Jrrian compofcd of the Life and Death of thisexcellent Perfon j I make no doubt, but we fliouldfeeagreat many other like Examples of his Conllancy.For it cannot reafonably be fuppofed, but he, whocould with fo much calmnefs fupport the breaking ofa Leg, had exerciled his Patience upon ieveral othervery trying occafions.

^ Himleif hath told us, of whatufeit istoaccuilomone's fclf to bear the fmallell accidents with evennefs ofTemper. ^' If your Oyl, fays he, be fpilt, or your Wine ilolen, refled: prefently, that by fuch flight Loilts as thefc, the Virtue and Habit of Conilan- cy is purchafed. ^ Accordingly, having purchafedan Iron Lamp, which he accounted a very coiUy pieceof Furniture, as he fat one day deep in thought, itwas ftolen out of his Hut. When he looked about,and miffed it, he faid with a fraile, I fhall cheat*' this Rogue next time, for when he comes to Ileal^' another Lamp he ihall find only an earthen one.This is not indeed an inilance equal to that of his bro-ken Leg, but yet it well deferves our mention: Bcrcaufe m matters of greater moment, Vain-glory, orfome other Paflion is apt to Hep in j but in thofewhich are trivial, a Man is under no temptation ro dif-guife, and therefore muft be fuppofed to proceed according to the true and natural difpofition of his mind.

In Him the Habit of Suffering was fo mafterly thatno Man ever had learned that Art more perfeotly.He needed no partakers in his Affliolions, to fofteii

, Enchirid. Chap.XVII.^ b. I. Cap. 18.. (hern 5


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xii The L I F Fthem 5 but had all the Guard within himfelf. Nayhe thought it a fign of a very corrupt Nature, for aMnn to folace himfelf, from others fharing in his Mi-feries -, as if what any one felt were abated or increa-fed in proportion as his Neighbours fek more or lefs.And he would expofethe ridiculous folly of thofe whoaggravated their own Alisfortunes, by the confidera-tion of their being fingular. What, fays he, in cafe** you were condemned to be beheaded, muil all mankind be fentenccd 10 the fame Punilhment, merely for the fake of givmg you that fantalbcal Com- fort that other People fuffcr as well as You ?

And, as Epidletus his praftice advanced him far a-bove other Philofophers, fo did the correotnefs of hisNotions likewife, concerning this Virtue of Refo-lucion. For he diilinguiihed very rightly betweenCourage, and Foolhardmefs j between enduring andcourtmg Sufferings and Danger. Headvifed no Manto chufe a rough way, if he had it in his Power totake a fmooth onej nor to climb Rocks and Precipi-ces, when Providence allowed him to travel this Jour-ney of Life upon even ground. He was not like thatfturdy Philofopher, who would rather fuffer a Car-riage to drive over his Body, than turn out of theway to avoid it. When Epaphrodiius broke his Leg,he bore it patiently, but he could, have been verywell fatisfied, to have found him better natured. Hethought it as much a Reproach, to run into Danger,as to run away from it j and, though Honour obligeMen to encounter it when it afiaults them, yet heacknowledged no fuch high-flown Punotilio, asihouldrender it commendable to prefer it before Safety, andmake It their own A6t and Deed.When Reafon and Duty lead us on, then he ad-mits of no changing a right courfe, upon the account

^rrian. Lib. I. Cap. i.* ^,, Lib. 1. C.ip. I.

' ' ~ of


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EPICTETUS. xmof any hazards or inconveniences, which may attendour pci fevering in it. Tofuch occafions, we muft ap-ply whac he fays of the advantage fuch tryals are to^ocd Men. ^ Had Hercules fate at home by the Fire-'* fide, and paiTed his Life in effeminate eafe and indul- gence, he had never been Hercules. ^ They were the Lion, the Hydra, the Boar, and all thofe Mon- fters he fo laborioufly defeated, which exercifed his Gallantry. What honour had he acquired, if his Virtue had not been thus dangeroully employ'd ? What benefit had Mankind reap'd from fo great a** Soul, he had declined the occaiions of exerting*' it ? This plainly ihews, that he did not think thofeMonfters defirable things, but only maintained thecombating with, and quelling of them, to have beenan occafion fordifcovering what kind of Perfon //(?ri--les was and for perpetuating his Glory in the World,

Epiiletus had been very juil to the Reputation ofHchidius^ for his undaunted fteadinefs in this Virtue.s This Senator thought it became him to make a motion, V\Ahich the Emperor, Senate, and People, all confpired together to obilruct j but ftill ihac univerlal Combination was not able to difcourage hira, from profecuring his purpofe, and aobing ac-** cording to the diftates of his own Reafonand Con-*' fcience. Vefpafian was extremely defirous to gee fomeihing paifed in the Houfc, which he forefaw Hehidius would be fure to oppofe. He therefore,*' knowing his Humour, fent a meilage to defire, he would not come to the Houfe that day. Hehidius his** return was, that it was in the Emperour's Power to*' deprive him of his Senatorfliip, but ib long as he continued a Member of that Body, he could not dif-

..yfrrian. Li'o. . Cap. 16.f Lib. I. CHp. 6.8 y^-irrian. Lib. 1, Cap. 2.

penfc


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Xiv The L J F E of penfe with himfelf from attending the Bufineis of his Pofl:. Well, fays Vefpafian^ am content you' fliould be there, provided yoa will be fure not to fpeak in the debates thatiliall arife to day. I engage to be filent, faid he, provided my Voice and Opini- on be not asked. Nay, but if you are there, you

*' mufi: be advifed with, faid FefpafiaWy And if I be,** reply'd Hehidius, I muit give my Advice freely, and according to what I conceive moil: reafonable and juil. Bat do it at your Peril, find Fefpafian, for be aflured, if you are againil what I propofe, your Head ihallpay for it. Sir, (rerurned Helvidi-*' us) did I ever tell you I was immortal.'* You will** do Your part, and ihall endeavour to do Mme. It** maybe Your Bufincfs to lentence me to die, and it mull be Mineto die bravely and chearfully. if you** will pleafe to order, 1 ihall take care to fuhmit.He had alio a very particular regard for Jgrippinus ;becaufe one day being told of an Accufation prefer-red againft him ^before the Senace, he only reply'd,^ *Tis very well, but what of the Clock is it?And when they told him it was about five, Well*' then; faid he, let us go to the Bath, it is time to be moving. In his return, he was met by one,who brought him News, that the Caufq was givenagainft him., Well, fiid he, what have they fen- tenc'd me to, to Death ? No replied the other, to Baniihment only. Whereupon, Jgrippinus'an'iwcx'ed without any Concern, Come then, we will fup to Night at jiricia,

EpiEietus had alfo a particular Refpe6b for Pyrrho^becaufe he looked upon Life and Death as thingsindifferent. He valued him more efpecially , forthe fmartnefs of a Repartee, to one who had a

^ Stnbûi, Ârrian. Li'o. I. Cap. I.^ ^Lnle ViUaê not far /rem Rome.


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I C S. XVmind to banter him upon this Subjeft. If living and dying be indifFerenc in your efteem, why then, fays he, do not you ihew it by dying? For this very reafon , replied Pyrrho^ becaufe they are both indifferent, that I know no reafon for preferring either.

In fliort, EpiSlctus made all Philofophy to confiil inContinence and Patience, for which reaibn he had al-ways thufe two words in his Mouth, Bear and Forbear :Words, which in Grfi /^ have a pe(?uliar Elegance, therebeing but the difference of a fingle Letter betweenthem. He frequently expreffed his admiration oi Ly-curgus the Laceilcemon'ian\ Bravery, to a Man who hadput out one of his Eyes. The People delivered thisOffender up to his Mercy, to be punifhed as he faw fit.ViWiLycurgus^ initead of revenging the Injury, inilriid:-ed him in Virtue, and after he had modelled him intoa good Man, . he brought upon the publick Theatrethe Perfon fuppofed to have long before been put todeath, and to the ailonifliment of all the People, toldthem, '' That the Malefador , whom they had delivered into his hands full of Treachery and Wicked-*' nefs, he now reftorcd to them, with all the Quali- fications of Juftice and true Goodnefs.

^Epi^etus would frequently extol the Gallantryand invincible Courage of Lateranus ^ who, whencondemned by Nero to be beheaded, Ifretched ouchis Neck to receive the Blow 5 and, when the Exe-cutioner gave the ftroke too feeble for the Buiinefs,difpofed himfelf a fecond time, and laid his Neckfairer for the fecond llroke. The fame Perfon,having been before examined by Epaphroditus ^ con-cerning the Confpiracy of which he Hood accufcd,made this refolute Anlwer, If I had any thing to difcover, I would tell it to thy Maiter, and not

^ ^rrian Lib. 1. Cap. I.


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xvi The LIFE of to thee. Thefe PaOages 1 the rather mention

,

becaufe Epicletus ^ being a Perfon who made fo niceiind fo juil a Judgment of Men and Actions, it is muchfor the Honour of Their Memory, whofe behaviourmerited his Approbation > and the greateil Men needno more, for ellabUiliing their Reputation with con-iidering Perfons among all Poilerity.He all alongprofeifed the Stoical Philofophy, whichwas of all others, the moil fevere and exalted 5 andno Man of all the Alitients, was more expert, at re-ducing the rigour of their Maxims and Precepts intoPraolice. For, though he was one of the lait, whoformally applied himfelf to the Rules of this Se6t, 'yet was he one of the greateil Ornaments of it. Heconform'd himfelf, in his Difcourfeand Behaviour, tothe manner of Socrates^ and Zeno^ and Diogenes. Andupon undertaking any thing of moment, ufed in thefirll place to confider, what one of thofe Worthiesv/ould have done upon a like occafion. Whenever hereproved any Perfon for his Vices, or inilruftcd himin Virtue, it was hisconilant Cuilom, to quote fomeof thefe Philofophers for Examples. In lliort, hereverenced them, as Perfons of an extraordinary Cha-radrer, far above the common ilandard j but above ail,he was an admirer of Socrates^ and formed his Styleupon the Model he had fet him. The Comparifons hemade ufe of in all his Difcourfes, were fo familiar, foapt, fo juil in every Circumilance, that eveiy Bodywas infcnfibiy won over by them. He did not afFe(3:elegance and politenefs in fpeakmg, but was contencwith making himfelf mtelligiblc, and delivering foundand good Senfe, in perfpicuous and iigniticant Terms.In this too he copied after Socrates^ as indeed hedid throughout, making him his univerfal Pattern,for all his Aftions, and all his Inilru6tions.

' yArrian,

Though


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I C S.Though he bore a particular regard to Pyrrho

himlelf, yet was he a moil irreconcileablc Enemy tothe ridiculous Scepticifm of the Se6t that went underhis Name : He asked one of his Followers upon oc-cafion, who pretended there could be no fuch thingas Certainty, and, that Men were continually impofedupon by the Report of their Senfes, ^ Who amongthem was ever fo groily deceived, as to go to the Mill,when they intended to go to the Bagnio? And oftenhe ufed to fay, That, were he a Servant to one of thefe Scepticks, he ihould take delight in plaguing*' him. For when fuch ii Mafter commanded him to pour Oyl into his Bath, he would pour Brine upon his Head} when he called for a Julep, he would bring him Vinegar} and ifheiliould pretend, fays he, to be angry at this preverienefs , 1 would either oblige him to acknowledge, that that Vinegar was his Julep, or conltrain him to renounce his own fantaltical Principles.

Fancy and Fortune, the Two things, by whichMankind are governed, Avere what he waged War.againft, all his Life long. For the Former, he ob-ferved, that all the moil important Events of humaneLife, all the Revolutions that make the greateilNoife in Story, were at the bottom, nothing butFancy and Humour . What is the whole Iliad of*' Horner^ but a Succeflion of moil unreafonable Hu-*' mours ? Paris took a Fancy to carry oiF Menelaus his Wife, and Helena to go away with him. Now, if her Husband had been ib prudent, as to account'' the lofs of fuch a Wife, rather a Deliverance than an AfHiclion , the whole Jeil had been fpoiled. We had had neither Iliad nor Odyjfes. But upon his

^rrian. Lib. 1. Cap. 27. ^Arrtan. Lib. 11. Cnp. 20.* ^rnan, Lib. I. Cap. i8.

^' being


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xviii The LI FE of being as extravagantly hiimorrome as the reli, fol- lowed Wars and Tumults, the Slaughter of infi- nite innocent Men, and the utter fubvcrfion of feveral antient Cities. And this in good truth, is the general way of the World. The Latter he ufedto compare to a Woman of Quality, who proltirutesherfelf to Servants. The Life, which Men lead in dependence upon Fortune, he would rc-** femble to a Torrent, foul and rapid, whofe ftream is*' dangerous to pafs, fierce in its Courfe, and yet runs quickly off. On the other hand, a Mmd devoted to Virtue he compared to a perpetual unexhauiled Spring, whofe Waters are clear and Smooth, de- iightful to the Eye and Taile, fweet and whole- fomc, free from all manner of fully or corruption.In agreement with thefe Notions, his vigour in theftudy of Virtue was fuch , that no Man ever afpired-more eagerly after perfeotion.He had entirely renounced all the Delightswhich gratifie the Senfes, to devote himfelf fole-ly to the nobler Satisfadions of the Soul. Whenhe was any time at an Entertainment, his Carewas not fo much to regale his Body, as his Mind:as being duly feniible, that whatever is beitowedupon the Body, perifhes quickly, and turns to noaccount , but whatever is beftowed upon the Mind,is a lafting Advantage, and can never be loif.This Coniideration moved him to prefer inwardPeace and Tranquillity, before the gveateil Advan-tages in the World j for, as it would be no Com-fort to a Man to be drowned in a Veilel , thoughnever fo beautiful, or laden with the richeft Trea-lures ; fo that Man makes a very ill Choice forhimfelf, vho, for the fake of Wealth and Magni-hcence , is content to be opprefs'd with Cares and

StsLxus. Serm. 1.Dif-


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I C S. xijc > - -U

Difquiets, and purchafts any degree of Grandeur,or what the millakcn World calls Happinefs, atthe expenfe of his own Eafe and Liberty. Tqthis pLirpoie he would lometimes argue as follows.** A Man born in Perfia , would never be uneafie that he did not dwell in Greece. All that Na-' ture fuggefts upon this occaiion , being only a*' deilre to live happily in one's own native Coun- try 1 . When a Man therefore is born in mean and low Circumilances, why fhould he torture himfelf with ambitious Thoughts, and eagerly afpire after Gieatnels and Abundance ? Why does*' he not rather employ his Care, about making that Condition eafie to him, which Providence** at iirft had placed him in ? Is it not much more deilrable, to ileep in a hard Bed, ihort and narrow, with good Health j than to be iick in Damask or Velvet, and tofs about upon Down ? And the preference is manifeftly due to a Mind perfeftly compofcd , and caiie with a moderate Fortune, when compared with the highcil Elevation of world-** ly Greatnefl'es , foured by Vexation and perpetual Anxiety of Heart, i We are infinitely in the wrong ( would he often fay ) to charge our Mifery upon our Poverty > no, 'tis our Ambition or our*' Difcontent, that makes us truly miferable. And** had we the whole Earth at command, the pofleilion*' even of this could not let us at eafe from our fears and melancholy. That murt, and can be the Work of Reafononly i therefore the Man, who cultivates his Mind well, and provides againil this Evil, by ftocking it with found Principles, is fiitisfied from himfelf, and never complauis of Poverty, or For- tune *. Thus I have given you a fhorc fample ofEpidetus his manner of arguing upon thefe occafions.

Stobntts, Ssrm. J 8.. ^rrian. Lib. II. Cap. i6.* Stobsus. He


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XX The L I F E ofHe would by no means bear with thofe, who in-

duftrioufly fought for fome colourable pretence, eitherto cover, or to give countenance to what they didamiis. '^ Such, he ufed to fay, were like the wanton Wives of Rome^ who, the better to conceal their own Shame, ufed to make P/iZ/i?'s Books of hisCom-*' monweakh, the conilant Subjeft of their Commen-*^ dation and Difcourfe, merely, becaufe he there is a-*' gainit Women being confined to one, as now they are. But in this Point too, they put a very partial'' and malicious Conilruotion upon that Philofopher's*' Words, without attending to his true meaning and defign. For it was no part of his Intent, that a Woman ihould firil contract herfelf to one Man, and then proftitute herfelf to all the Sex > but the Marriage now in ufe he thought fit to be abolifhed,** only, that way might be made for Engagements of another kind.

This Principle appeared no lefs in the Prailice,than it did in the Doftrineand Difcourfes, -us. For, when he was fenliBle at any time of havingfailed or done amifs, his Sincerity never was folicitousto find out an Excufe for it. Nay, he upon no occa-fion exprefied greater Satisfaction , than in having hisFaults or Defefts roundly told him. Rufus one/* Day happened to reproach him in terms immode-*' rately fevere, for having over-looked a fallacy in a Syllogifm, Epitletus xo m\ug-aiQ his Fury, made anfwer, Why fo rougii and hot, Sir? 1 have not fet** Fire to the Capitol. Slave, ^ replied Rufus ^ doll: thou think no Fault deferves reproof, but burning the Capitol ? Thou hail been guilty of the woril this Cafe could bear . Epicletus was fo far from re-fenting this fmartnefs amifs, that he fmiled at the Witof it, acknowledged the Jultice of the Argument, andtook delight in telling the Story publickiy.

' ^4taan. Lib. 1. Cap. 7, Another


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EPICTETUS. XXIAnother time, one who had formerly Jived in great

Plenty, but was then reduced to extremity of want,came to him with a Requeft, that he would recom-mend him to the People. EpSletus^ very ready to dohim that piece of Service, endited a Letter in his be-half, full of kind and tender Exprcilions, reprefentedhis Misfortune in complaints moving, that thehardeil Hearts rauft needs have been foftned by them jwhich when the Party concerned had perufed , hegave it back again, telling him, That he made that*' Addrefs in hopes of receiving fome Relief, and not with a defign to be taught how to bemoan himfelf, for of that he had no need, as not thinking, that his Sufferings were any real Evil . This difdainful An-fwer pleafed EpiSietus fo exceedingly , that he neverforgot it afterwards.But above all, Epi5letus was a Perfon of moft nice:Honour in the matter of Friendihip. The Readerneed only be put in mind, ^ that he was a Stoick^to convince himfelf, that he did not proceed upona Principle of Intereil in this point. ^ '' He Would not allow Men to confult the Oracle for Advice, when the Defence of a Friend was under confideration : Being fatisfied, that this was a Caufe^ in which they were bound to engage , though'' with the hazard of their very Lives. As he was once maintaining, y that the Wife Man only was** capable of making a true Friend, and loving fin- cerely j a certain Perfon in the Company made** anfwer, that he was none of the Wife , and yet he** loved his Son with a moil true and tender AiFec- tion notwithilanding. You do but imagine fo^ replied EpiSletus^ but I will convince you oi' your miftake, Have you never feen a couple of Whelps

KArrisn. Lib. I. Cap. 9. * Lib. II. Cap. 7.^' EpUict. Enchind. Cap. 39.* .Jirrinn^ Lib, IL Cap. 12.


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xxii The L I F E of playing together ? One would think chefe Jittle*' Dogs were infinitely fond of one another j and yet do but cail a piece of Meat before them , and this Experiment will foon ihew you, how far they'' are from the love you fanfy. Juil thus is the Cafe between you and your Son. Throw in a Bone of Contention, a bit of Land, or any fuch trifling Ad- vantage, and fee, whether he will not wiih your Death in order to get into poficifioni and, whether*' you will not hate him mortally in a very little while upon this account. Were not Eteodes and Polynices** Children by the fame Father and Mother ? Were not they brought up all along together ? Had not ten thoufand folemn Proteilations of the moft invio- lable Friendihip pafled on both fides? And yet, when a Kingdom fell to them , which is the Piece of Meat that makes Dogs worry one another, were*' not all their former Promifes and Profeilions as ab-*' folutely forgotten, as if they had never been? Did*' not their brotherly AfVeolion vanifh in a moment ? And did not thefe two Perfons do their utmoil, with a moft favage Cruelty to deilroy and murder one another ?

=^ Memlaus entertained Paris with great Hofpita- lity, and fo particular a Kindnefs, that any Man, who had feen how dear thefe two were, while under the fame Roof, would have pafled for a perfeot Infidel, if he had fo much as feemed to doubt, whether they were true and eternal Friends. But here again , another Bone of Contention , a fine Lady, was caft between themj and this gave rife to one of the longeft and moft Bloody Wars, that*' hath ever been recorded in Story. So vain a thing it is, to conclude Perfons Friends indeed, whofe Paflions are irregular, whofe Minds are unftable,

^nmn, Lit, U, Cap, 22>^ and


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EPICTETUS. and who, long as they are enamour'd with the things of this World, cannot poffibly be fixed, and firm to any Profcffions or Principles whatfoever.

^ A Gentleman, of the firft Qtiality coming one day to vifit him, after fome Difcourfe about other Affairs, Epi5ietus happened to enquire, whether he were married, and how he lik'd that State 5 the o- ther anfwered, that he was indeed a married Man,*' but extremely unhappy in being fo. How fo ? fays Epiuletus^ for I prefume all People that marry, doit'' with a Profpe6l of bettering their Condition. True, fays the Noble-man, but it is my misfortune, never to enjoy one quiet hour, for my extreme fondnefs and folicitude for my Children. I had a little Daughter fick lately, and my tendernefs was fo great, that 1 was forced to quit the Houfe and run' away from the poor Girl. And do you reckon that an Ar- gument of Affeftion? i'^ys Epiileius ; methinks one would be glad to have their worft Enemies ihew their Concern, juil: as you do yours for your deareil Friends. The very truth is, it was not Love, that drove you from your Child ; but fome other difor- der of mind, like that of a certain Racer at Romcy who, when his Horfe was upon full fpeed wrapped himfelf up in his Cloak, for eagernefs at the Sports and, when he had won his Prize, without knowing his good Fortune, was fain to be difmounted, and rcfreihed with Spirits and Cordials, to recover'' him to his Senfes. Confider of this inftance a little, and then you will come to judge rightly of that, which you mifcallExcefsof Love for others.

^ Some Perfons had alledged the neceifity of en-deavouring to be rich ; upon a pretence, tJiat Po-verty incapacitates a Man for being ferviceable tohis Friends. Alas faid Epi^tetus^ how infinitely

^rrian, Lib. I, Cap. ii.^. pjff. Enchirid. Cap. 31.

% you


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xxiv The LIFE of*' you deceive yourfelves Do you think, that there is no way of being uferul to one's Friends, but only*' by lending him LMoney ? No fuch matter. I allow*' Men to take all lawful and honeil methods of get- ting Wealth ; that, when they have it, they may*' be in a Condition of Relieving their Friends^ jn want. But then take care, that you ufc no me-*' thods, but fuch as are fair and decent. And if, as the World now goes, you can inftruft me in any fuch way of growing and being Rich, I engage to employ my utmoft endeavours to be fo my felf. But if you expeotfrom me, that lihould purchafe things not really good, at the expence, and with the cer-*' tain Lofs of others, which are really fo j there I muft defire to be excufed. And you are doubtlefs*' unreafonable and unjuft to the laft degree, in re- quiring me to fubmit to fuch hard Conditions j and** much in the wrong, if you do not prefer the good'* Qualities of the Mind, before the Advantages of Fortune} a good Man before a wealthy one j a*' Man capable of being a faithful Friend, before a** rich unfaithful pretender to Friendihip . This wasan Anfwer truly worthy a Philofopher.

But that, which feems to be the peculiar Glory andCommendation of Epi^letus, is, that of all the anci-ent Philofophers, he feems to have made the neareftapproaches to the trueChrirtian Morality, and to haveentertain'dmorejuft and becoming Notions, concern-ing the Nature and Providence of God, than any whowere enlightened by the Gofpel. His Dootrines werein truth , fo very agreeable to ours j ^ that St. ^w-guflin, notwithilanaing his violent prejudice againftthe generality of the Heathen Sages, thought him-felf in Juilice bound to make one exception at leart,and to fpeak of this Author with a great deal of Re-

Le Chit, Dei,fped.


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I C S. XXVfpeft. Nay, far bath he proceeded in this Point,as to make no difficulty of honouring him, with theChara6ler of a very AVife and exceeding good Man.And reafon good there was, '^ v^hy Epi^etus fhould betreated in a manner different from the reft j when werefleot, how clearly he was convinced of, and hownobly he argues for, the Immortality of the Soul i theUnity and Perfeftions of God j the Wifdom andGoodnefs of Providence j and, which can be faid ofnone befides, when Humility was fo truely his Cha-raoler, that neither his Morals, nor his Praolice, havethe leaft tincture of Vanity in them.

Another Excellence peculiar to himfelf, is, that headmitted all the Severity of the Stoicks, without tak-ing in any of their Sournefs. He hath nothing of theInfolence fo ufual with that Scot, of making their Ro-mantick Wife Men in a manner equal vi'ich God. Herejected their Chimerical and impraoficablePerleftions jand thought a Philofopher never more truly fo, thanwhen moil modeft. So that he reformed Stc-icifm aswell as proieiJed it, and elponfedno Principles fo in:)pli-cittly, as not to leave himlelf a Liberty of departingfrom them, or altering thcni for the better, as he h\voccafion. If then St. Jerome did not grudge a Phi-lofopher of that Scdf, the honour ot being numbredamong the Saints, What place ihall we allow Epi^te-tus? Who, beiides that he vindicates the Immortalityof the Soul, as ilrenuoully as Seneca^ or ever a Stoickof them allj hath the advantage over his Brethren,^ in declaring openly againft that moft impious andAnti-chriftian Maxim, maintained by the leil of thisProfeflion, iyiz.) a Man may lawfully die by hisown hands.

^ I am fenfible, Wolfius thinks him as deep in here,d Mrrian. Lib. I. Cap. 9. Lib. II. Cap. 14. Sr aibi,* ^rrian. Lib. I. Cap. 9.5 ^rrian. Lib, I. Cap. 9. & 24.

as


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xxvi TheLIFEofas the reft , but this feems to be only from a wrongInterpretation of that PaiTage, 'That when a Man is'weary of playing his part, he may he comforted with re-membring that the Door is open. But the meaning ofthe Door being open, is not, that we may go out whenwe pleafe ; but, that our term of Life is fo ihorr,that it cannot be long before we are called out. Thatthis was his true Intention is evident from anotherPaiHige, where he expofes the folly of being full ofCare for to morrow, s If you have any Suficnance(fays he) you will he fupported ; if not, you will makeyour exit } the Doer flands always open. The Phrafehere is the fame, and let Epi^letus be his own Expo-iitor, who two or three Lines before hath this re-markable Sentence. Let us wait God's leifure to de-liver us from enraged Tyrants : When he gives thegnal, then march out to him. And again, How ridi-culous is it to fuppofe, that a Man ought not rather to becut in Pieces, than defert thePofl his General hathfixedhim in j and to imagine ourfelves at Liberty to quit thePofl God hath fet us in, whenever we pleafe ?h But to return. The unblemiihed Probity,remarkable throughout his whole Converfation, wasthe very thing, which recommended him to the par-ticular Favour and Efteem of all thegreateft Men ofthe x'^ge, in which he lived. He contrated a par-ticular intimacy with Favorinus, and Herod the So-phift, who are two very eminent Perfons in Anti-quity } as we find by Philoflratus in his Lives. ' Spar-tian, as I obferved before, ranks him among the Em-perour Adrian\ moft confiderable Friends. * Thcmi-flius, in his Oration to the Emperour Jovinian, fays,that he received feveral marks of Honour, and par-

R ^rrian. Lib. I. Cup. 5. ^.Gtll. Lib. XVII. Cap. ip. Lib. 1. Cap. 2,' Span, in^^dr. * Thtrmfi. 0,M. iz. ad Jew, Lib. I. Set. 7.

Lib. XI. Seft. 34 36, Sec.


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I C S,ticular Rcfpeol:, from iht Jntonines. And ac-cordingly Marcus AurcJius^ in his Book of Medita-tions, eig iouj'nv^ or Soliloquies, mentions him morethan once, Avith fo great regard as to fet him uponthe fame level wirh the Socrates's^ the Zeno's^ and theChryfippus's. In fliort, his Reputation was fo great> ih^ii Lucian^ who calls him a wonderful Man, ralliesan ignorant Fellow, for purchafing Epi6ieius his Ear-then Lamp at three thoufand Drachms, upon a vainimagination, that iludying by the Light of this Lamp,would infpire him with the Wifdom of its formerMailer. Whatever he faid carried fuch Force, andmet with fo general Acceptance and Refpeot, that nobody could ftand out againft his Arguments. ^ He- rod the Sophiil, met one day with a pert young Blade, who pretended himfelf Profeflbrof the Sto-*' ick Philofophy j and talked and fwaggered at fo in- folent a rate, as if he thought all xhcGreeks and La-*' tiyis to be mere Ignoramus's incomparifon of himfelf. Alter having heard patiently all he had to fay, the*' way Herod took to reprove and put him out of coun-*^ tenance, was to fend for ArriarCs Colleolion of Epi- Etetus his Difcourfcs, and turn him to that Chapter ^ in the Second Book, where he fpeaksof thofe con- ceited People, who talk much, and fanfy themfelves Philofophers, becaufe they can do it fluently. This fo confounded that forward young Gentleman, that he had not one Word to fay for himfelf. We mayjudge from this inilance, of what Authority Epi6ietusand his Do6lrines were, at that time in the World.Of all his Scholars, Arrian is the only one, whoieName hath been tranfmitted with Reputation to Po-fterity j and He is fuch a one, as fufficiently demon-ftratcsthe Excellence of his Mafter, though we ihouldfuppofe, that he alone had been of his forming. For

'' Dialogues adverf. InioS. msfltes Libros ementem,I w4.GW/Lib. 1. Cap. 2. Cap. ip.D ^ fhis


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xxviii The LIFE ofthis is the very Perfon, who was afterwards advan-ced to be the Freceptov oi' Jntomne , '^ furnamed thePious, and diftingnifhed by the Title of Xenophonthe Younger \ becaufe, like that Philofopher, he com-mitted to writing the Diftates dcHvered by his Ma-iler in his Life time : and piibhihed them in one Vo-lume, under the Name of Epicletus his Difcourfes orDi'ertations', which at prefent we have in four Books.After this he compofed a little Book, called his Enchi-ridion, which is a ihort Compendium of all Epi5letuihis Philofophical Principles j and hath ever been ac-knowledged, for one of the moil valuable and beauti-ful Pieces of ancient A4orality. He likewife wrote a-iiother large Book of the Life and Death of Epiêtus,which is now unfortunately lofb. Marcus Jurcliusmentions a Traot, called the Commentaries of /?i-êtus, which he had read with great application,But thefe probably are the lame with thofe Difcour^

yî mentioned before. For îrrian in his Preface tothofe Books, gives them the Title of xjzjvivjv.y.oDoi. Pro-bably this double Title might proceed from the dif-ferent form, under which they were publiihed, in twofeveral Copies, during ArriarC?, own Life. 1 am alfoapt to believe, that thefe Difiertations were formerlylarger, than we now enjoy them ; and poilibly, ^ theremight not be four only, but five or fix Books of them.Thus much is certain , that A. Gellius ^ cites a Paf-fage out of the fifth, and that Stobûs relates feveral,as of the fame Author, which no where occur in hisWritings extant at this day. It is not unlikely, thatArrian, in a fecond Edition, might think fit to leaveout fome things publiihed in a former > and that heplight new cail the Work , by reducing fix Books

Gtneb. in Chron. ^. Cell Lib. XVIl. Cap. ip, Simpi in Jovin.De Jeipfo, :.[ . ^rri-in. Prtf. ^/i. Cellius.^ Some fay XII. of thefe called , and VUI. entituled Aallcu. Set

Jlolften. de Vn. & Script. Porphyiii, fag. z, dir, Cantabr. 1655.' ^ ^, Gell. Lib. XIX, Cap. i, '

^ '


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EPICTETUS. xxixinto four. But however that be, I can by no meanscredit Suidas his Account, when he tells us, that //-eietus was himfelf a great Writer ; for this is very hardfor any Man to conceive, who hath read Arrian atall, and is acquainted with Epiietus his Manner, andPrinciples.

^ There are befides, fome Anfwers pretended to bemade by him to Queilions put by Adrian the Empe-rourj but any Man, who gives himfelf the trouble ofreading them, will eafily difcover the Forgery, andthat they cannot belong to thisPhilofopher. ^Wolfiusindeed did once put us in hopes, of feeing fome Let-ters, written by this Great Man publifhed, which, hehad been informed, were in the Library at Florence,But in all probability, the Perfon who communicatedtliis piece of News to him, was not rightly informedhimfelf j and we are like to wait a great while, beforeour Eyes are gratified with the fight of that Curiofity.

We have no account that can be depended upon,either of what Diilemper, or about what time, Epi-rictus ^. Suidas indeed affirms, that he died whenMarcus Aurelius was Emperor j but I am very apeto fufpect the Truth of this Afl^jtion. ^ SalmafiuSyw ô hath enlarged upon this matter, is of Opinioathat Suidas is miilskenj and produces feveral Rea-fons for thinking fo, which 1 ihall confider in thisplace.

I. y The Firft is, that the fame Author tells us,Epiêtiis was Slave to Epaphroditus ^ a Captain ofNero's Life-Guard. Now from the Death of Nero^to the beginning of Marcus Aurelius his Reign, thereintervened no iefs than Ninety Four Years. That

s thereat, ad Cakem Elr. Wolf.* In Pi-Af. diiAlrercac. Adr. S,uid. in Epiilet.^ Salmaf. in Annot. ad LîS et, 5c iwf/, -, 2.

which


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^xx The LIFE ofwhich adds more to the improbability of this account,is , that we muft fuppofe Epi^letus Tome Years old ,before he was capable either of doing Epaphroditusnny Service , or of removing from Hierapolis to Rome.So that according to this Computation, EpiUetus maybe prefumed to have reached a Hundred and FifteenYears, or thereabouts, which is not very eafy to be-lieve. This Conjefture carries fomewhat of Argu-ment in it, though it be not abfolutely conclufivejbecaufe, as Lipfius ^ hath obferved judicioufly enough,'tis poiible he might not be taken into Epaphroditus,his Family, 'till after Nero's Death. But then, inanfwer to this Solution, it may be replied, that ^Epa-phroditus^ being diftinguiihed by that Title of Cap-tain of Nero's Guard, it is more credible, that Ne-ro was living at the time when Epiletus belongedto him, and that he ferved him whilft in that Qua-lity.

2. ^ The fecond Argument is, that Marcus Au-relius does not reckon this Philolophcr, among thePerfons with whom he had any Converfation, butonly fp^aks of reading fome Difcourfes of his, whichJunius Ruflicus had communicated to him. Thisto me feems to carry lefs Strength than the former.For, befides that EpiSletus iiad retired to Nicopolislong before that time, we may allow his Death to

L'/;/ . Manuduft. z^ Stole, Pbilof. V'.h. I.* / cunnot but obfcrvchere grofs miflakf in the Preface to Berkelius'i Edition ofEnchiiid. ruiV/j Wclfius bis Notes printed at Lugd. i/Amft. J670. vjhere

this Epaphroditus is taken for the Ferjon of that Name, ColoiT. 4. 18. -whobrought that Chy.nh'' s Chanty to St. Paul at Rome. 'Tis true, that Chapter men-Ttens Saintsof Oyai's Hoiifiiold, vcr. 2J. But the Chara&er given of Ep'lActUShis Majier, vjiU not incline us to believe him one of them, ^nd though it be highlyprebablt , that Epiiietus had fome krioxuiedge of the Chriftian DoHrinc , (as in-deed the Philofophers, ixilio -write after the publication of the Gofpet, do, by their -wayaf arguing fo much wore rtfined than their Predecejfors, feem all to have had , ) yetwe have little ground to imagine, that a Perfonof fuch infamous finalities, fuih tnfo-lence, and barbarity, and meannefs of Spirit, ; f/jij Epaphroditus, either inflruiteihim in it, or ever imbibed it lieartityhimfelf,

*> Salmaf, ib. Marc, ^ntsnin. LiU> I. Cap. 7.


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I C S. xxxihave happened, much about the beginning of thisEmperor's Reign. tJ^/Wî affirms no more, than thathe lived till the time of Marcus JureUus. And hemight very well be fuppofcd to live till the begin-ning of his Reign, without implying any neceffity ofthis Emperor's feeing his Difcourfes, till after the Au-thor was dead.

5. ^ The Third Reafon is, in my Judgment, oflittle or no Conlideration. EpUetus his Lamp wasfold in Luciayi's time, and from thence it is inferred,

^that EpiStefus was dead , before that Sale was made.But this is no confequence at all. For we have allthe Reafon in the World to believe, that Luc'ian out-lived Marcus Aurelius. And fo this Lamp being foldwhile Luc'ian was vet alive, is no bar to Epiêtus hisbeing alive in ^ Marcus his Reign. Nay, it mightvery' well happen, that the Lamp might be fold inEpiêtfis his own life-time; and, if this be admitted,that Circumftance will create us no Difficulty at all.

4. ^ The Fourth is, that A. Gellius^ who wrote un-der Antoninus Pius , or at leaft in the very beginningof Marcus Aurelius^ fays Epi5ietus^ that the Memoryof that Philofopher was ftill frefh at Rome. But Sal-mafius hath not produced that Paflage entire, for^.Gellius does not fpeak there of his Memory in gene-ral, but of every body's remembring, that he had beena Slave J which alters the cafe very much.

f . ^ The lail Reafon alledged by Salmafius is takenfrom that Expreffion of Gellius , 1 haiie heard Favori-nus fay ; And iince Favorinus died under Adrian , Sal-mafius concludes it impofiiblc, for Epi5letus not to havedied before the Reign of Marcus Aurelius. Now thisReafon is not convincing; becaufe Fa'uorinus mightvery well inform A. Gellius^ what Epiêius had faidupon fome certain occailons; though EplEletus himlelf

' Dialog, adverf. lndoi. multos Ltbros ementem,* Satmaf. pag. 3. Satmaf. ibid. p. 2. & p. 3. ^, Gdl. Lib. 11. Cap. 18,


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The LIFE ofwere ilill alive. But ftill it muft be confeiTed, thereis fome Ground for urging it. For A. Gellius^ whowrote his Book under Antoninus Pius^ the Predeceilbrto Marcus Aurelms, when mentioning Epi^etus^ doesit in thefe terms > Epioletus wouldfay^ That 'venerableold Man ufed to fay^ Such a one hath told me^ that E-pidetus was wont to fay^ and the like. Now this is amanner of fpeaking, very unufual and odd , when thePerfon fpoken of is yet in being. And I am indeed therather inclined to embrace the Opinion Salmaftus con-tends for, becaufe it feems to me highly probable thatEpidletus was dead, before the compofing of Arrian'sBook, in which he colkols his Difcourfes. And if fo,I fee no poffibility, how Suidas his account of his liv-ing down to Marcus Aurelius his time ihou d ftandgood. For it is evident, that Book was publiih'd,when A. Gellius wiot^his Nobles Attic


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I C S. xxxiiitill after Nero's Death , the difficulty grows yet moreupon us. For at that rate, he could not be aboveEighteen or Nineteen at moil, when he left Rome^in obedience to the Emperour's prohibition. Butthis is never to be reconciled with ji. GeWus his ac-count , who fpeaks of him , as a Perfon of great Re-pute at that time, and conftrained to withdraw toNkopolis^ in the Qi^iality of a Philofopher concernedin the Ediol. We can hardly allow him this Cha-rafter at lefs than Thirty Years old } and, accor-ding to that calculation, to bring him down as faras Marcus AureUus his Reign, will ask a Hundred andEight or Nine Years. And yet fo many we cannotafford him neither j when it is remembred, that Lu'cian^ ^^ who was his contemporary, makes no men-tion of him, in that Dialogue, concerning Perfonsivho lived to a great Age. I acknowledge , that Eufc'hius takes notice of a fecond Edi6t agamil the Philo-fophcrs, not publifhed till the Fifteenth of Domitian >but, befides that he (lands fingle in this Point, andis not ilrengthened by the Teilimony of any otherChronologer or Hiilorian, Scaligcr in his Animad-verftons hath obferved expreilly , that the Decreemeant by A. Gellius ( which is plainly that under de-bate at prefent) was publiiTied in the Eighth Yearof Domitian. This Argument is of fo great weightwith me, that it would quite bear down all that Sui-das hath faid , were it not, that I find my felf llill infome fufpenfe, from a paiTage in 'Themiftius '^ -, whopofitively affirms, that the Two Antonines ihewcdEpidtetus particular Marks of their Favour and E-ileem. But this Ohjcilion too may be taken off, byreplying, that Orators, in their Speeches, do not al-ways tye themfelves up to the fame Rules of-cfs, which are ilriolly required of a Faithful Hillo-

^ LiiriAn. in Dialog, cui T'xinlvisMAcrabii.\ Urat. ad joviji.

rian


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xxxiv The LIFE OF, &c.rianj Or elfe by faying, th-ar, Marcus Jurelius m\ghiexprefs an Honour for Epiiletus ^ in the time ofJldrian^ and Antoninus Pius^ and before he came to beEmperour himftlf : Or lailly, that this Veneration waspaid to his Charafter and Memory , after the Perfonwasdead. And this we plainly find done, in the Bookshe hath left us, where Epiclctus is mentioned upon fe-veral occafions, with a more than ordinary Refpeft.Upon the whole Matter, the Difficulties on bothfides of the Queftion arefuch, that I will not takeupon me to determine either way > but Ihall fatifiemy felf, with thus laying before my Reader what .may be faid for, and again il, this Relation o^ Sui-das. And yet, if I may be admitted to interpofe myown private Opinion, this, I confefs, inclines ratherto Salmafius^ and I am apt to think Epidictus wasdead, before Marcus Aurelius began to Reign. For,befides that Suidas is not always in the right 5 we havean Inilance in the Perfon before us, where he is ma-nifeilly in the Wrong} That, I mean, in which heaffirms Epitietus himfelf to have been a great Writer ofBooks. And he, who hath miftaken in this Point,may be prefumed to have miftaken, in the calcu-lation of his Age too. But whenever he died, 'tiscertain his lofs was much lamented by all the Men ofNote then alive i and his Memory will be valuable andglorious, among all fucceeding Ages of the World.And thus I have given the Reader what fcattered Re-mains I could gather up concerning him 5 which Ihope will be the more kindly received , becaufe it isthe firil: attempt of the kind that I know of, fincethatLife written by Arrim hath been loil.

A C R O-


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CHRONOLOGICALTAB LEFor making a probable Conjedureof the

time when EpiBeius died : accordingto the foregoing Account.

N. B. The vulgar Tears of Chrift are two lefithan thefe, and this Account begins 54.

TearsTears of Tears of fromNero.ome. Chriil.806 i^ I807 i7808 5-8 38op fP 4810 60811 61 6812 6z 7l'^ ^l 8814 64 9l'^ ^r8i5 66 II817


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yiClironological Table.Tears 'Tears of Tears of /? o;Rome. Cliiift.Nero.

8ip 69 14 Gii/^^5 O/^o, VitelUus.82.0 70 If821 71 1(5 Fl. Vefpaftan.822 7^ 17^5 73 18 Helvidius. Arr. Lib. I.824 74 IP Cap. 2.^^ 7r 20825 7^r/


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A Chronological TABLE.Tears ofChrift.. fromNero.102, 47103 48104 4P105- fo106 fi107 fi108 f3109 r4IIO S ;III s^IIZ 7iM fS114 fPI If 60116 61117 6z118


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A Chronological TABLE.

88f8868878888po8918pz8p38P4Spf8p(58P78p8%99poopoipoi903P04pofpo6907po8poppiopllpil915

158MP14014114^144146147148149IfO

ii4Iffif3P49S9697p8PP100lOI101105104ICfio5107108

Antoninus Pius, to whomjirrian was Preceptor,Lucian wrote before

and about this time ; diedat the beginning of Com-modus's Reign.

Epiietush Death.

Mareus Aurellus,

EPIC'


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{ -

ICTETUSHISENCHIRIDION,WITHSIMPLICIUS

HISCOMMENTARY.IF the Reader be curious to know Ep'i'i^etus's Charaiier,he may find it at large in an Account of his Life andDeath J written by Arrian , who alfo compiledthe Difcoiirfes of EpiBe'tus^ and digefted them into

feveral diftinft Trads. The fame Arrian coxnpo^tathis very Book too, which goes by the Nameof Enchiridion^being a ColleiSion out of EpiSietus's Difcourfes, of fuchRemarks and Rules, as he thought moil feafonable and ne^ceflary, and inoft likely to afFeft Mens Minds. thusmuch Arrian himfelf declares^ in his Epiftle Dedicatory to^ Mejfalinus \ to whom he addrefied this Book, as being botha particular Friend of his, and an exceeding Admirer ofEpiiletus. (Though the fame Things indeed, and delivered

The Reader will find all that is material, not only in ^rrM, but o-thcrs who have given an account of Epitletm, prefixed to this Edition, fo fatas occurs atpiefcnttb the Memory and Obfervation of thcTranllacor.

Mejfalinui.] So Satma/tm pioves it ouglit to bctcad, and not Muf^Hienut,Sec his Note on the Place.

X 10


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Epictetus's Moralsin almoft the fanie Expreffions, lie fcattered up and down inthofe Writings of Arrian, which are called Epioletus^s Dif-courfes.)The principal Defign of this Book ( if Men would butfufFer themfelves to be wrought upon by it, and would re-duce what they read into Pradice) is, To fet our Souls asFree, as when their Great Father and Creator firft gave themto us ; to difengage them from all thofe ilavilh Fears, andconfounding Troubles, and other Corruptions of HumanNature, which are wont to fubdue and tyrannize overthem.

It is cdXita^n Enchiridion, or Manual, becaufe allPerfons,who are defirous to live as they ought, ihould be perfeft inthis Book, and have it always ready at hand: A Book of asconftant and neceiTary ufe, as the Sword ( which commonlywent by this Name , and from whence the Metaphor feemsto be taken) is to a Soldier.The Difcourfes are lively and moving; and All, but theStupid and Sotiifh muft needs be aiFeiled with them : Andj

tho' not at all equally, yet all in fome degree: and it is tobe hoped, they \Vill be fo aiFefied, as to be made fenfible oftheir own Failings, and Infirmities ; and awakened into fe-fious Thoughts and Endeavours of Reformation. In ihort,The Man, that can read thefe Reflexions, without any Im-preflion or Concern at all , is loft to all the Methods ofAmendment in this World , and can only be made wiferby the c Fiery Difcipline of the Next.The Inftrudionshe gives, are built upon Human Nature :and on the Foundation of them all is Man, confidered as aRational Soul, making ufe of the Body, as its InftrumentofOperation. Upon this Account, he allows all thofe inno-cent Pleafures, which Nature requires, and fuch as are ne-ceiTary to keep up aSuccefllon of Mankind in the World;

'The Fiery Difcipline of the Next.] This Expreifion proceeds upon ann of the Pjthagoraans and Flatonifis, which fuppofed Men (like Metals) tebeieiined from their Drofs and their paft Offences to be puniflied, by fevc-ral forts of Tortures after Death; but thefe to be in the Nature of Cor-xeolions, as well as Funilhments. From them the Dofirine of Purgatoiyfeems to have been derived j and indeed many other Erroneous Opinionsamong Chriftians, were either the Remains, or the Improvement, of fomefond Conceits and odd Expreffions among the eld Fhilofophets. This iiplain in the Gwe/ict and Valminian H


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with SiMPLicius's Comment. 3and fo he does likewife, the Enjoyment of fuch otherThings, as the Condition of the prefent Life makes defirabletons: But then it is conftantly with this Referve; that theReafoning Faculty preferveits own Liberty, fo as not to beenilavedto the Body, or any of its fenfual Inclinations ; butbe conftantly raifing itfelf up above thefe, and afpiring tothe Enjoyment of its own proper Happinefs. So that w^emay take the Advantage of all the World calls good, whichcan anyway conduce to our True Happinefs, provided it bedone with due Temper, and Moderation. But, as for fuchas are wholly inconfiftent with that True Happinefs, we areabfolutely forbidden the having any thing at all to do withthem.One very remarkable Excellency thefe Writings have, is.That they render all, who govern themfelves by them, trulyhappy at prefent; and do not content themfelves, with turn-ing Men over to a long Payment, by diftant Promifes oftheir Virtues being rewarded in a future State. Not butthat there moft certainly (hall be fuch a State, and fuch Re-wards : For it is impoiiible, that that Being, which fervesitfelf of the Body, and of its Appetites and Affedions, as fomany Inflruments to aS by, ihould not have a diftinft Na-ture of its own ; a Nature that continues entire, after thefeare loffanddeftroyed ; andconfequently, it muft needs havea Perfedtion of its own too, peculiar and agreeable to itsEflence and Nature. Now, though we ihould fuppofe theSoul to be mortal, and that It and the Body periih both to-gether; yet he that lives according to thefe Diredions, willbe fure to find his Account in them; for he cannot fail ofbeing a truly happy Man, becaufe he attains to the PerfeSionof his Nature, and the Enjoyment of that Good, which isaccommodated to a Rational Soul. And thus the Body ofa Man, which is confeifedly mortal, enjoys its own properHappinefs, and can ask nothing farther, when it attains toall that Vigor and Perfedion, of which the Nature of a Bo-dy is capable.The Difcourfes themfelves are ihort and fententious ; muchafter the manner of thofe Precepts, which the Pythagoreanscall their Memorandums or Moral InflHutions: Though amongthefe indeed, there is fome fort of Method and Connexion,and a mutual Relation almoft all through; as will appearhereafter , when we come to confider them particularly.And thefe Obfervations and Maxims, though they be put

3 into


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Epictetus's Moralsintodiftjnd Chapters, are all yet upon one Subjed, and be-long to the fame Science ; viz. That uf amending the Life ofMa. They are all direSed to one and the fame End ; whichis, To rouze anc} invigorate the Reafonable Soul , that itmay maintain its own Dignity, and exert all its Powers iniuch Operations, as are agreeable to uncorrupt Nature.

TheExpreiTionsare perfpicuous $nd eafy; tut yet it maynot be amifs, a little to explain and enlarge upon them : andthat, as well for the Writers own f^ke, who by this meanswill be more fenfibly affected, and carried to a clofer anddeeper Confidcration of the Truths contained in them ; asfor the Readers Benefit, who, perhaps, not being very con-verfant in fuch kind of Writings, will be led into a moreperfeiSt Underftanding of them, by thefe Explanatiqns.Now the firii Thing to be cleared upon this Occafion is,What fort of Perfons thefe Inftrudions were deiigned for;and What Virtues efpecially, they are capable of cultivat-ing, in the Men that iubmit to be direded by them.And fif ft, it is plain, they are not proper for the Man ofconfummate Virtue, who hath abfolutely purged away alliche Dregs of Human Nature : for he (fo far as this mortalState will admit of fuch Perfetion) makes it hisBufinefs tpdived himfelf of FleOi and Senfe, and all the Appetites andPafHonsthat attend and ferve the Body ; andis entirely taken?ip with the Improvement of his own mind. Much lefscan they fujt the Circumftances of a fpeculative Virtue ,which is a Degree ftill higher than the former. For fuch aPerfon is exalted even above the rational Lite, and attainsto a fort of God like Contemplation. They are adaptedthen more peculiarly, to an inferiour Rank, who lead theirLives according to the Didates of Reafon, and look uponthe Body as an Inllrumentpf Adiion, contrived for the Ufeof the Soul : Men, who do not confound thefe two, nor;iiake Either a part of the Other; nor the Body and Soulboth, as equally conftituent parts of Humane Nature. Forhe that fuppofes the Man, ftridly fpeaking, to confill asmuch of Body as Soul, hath a Vulgar Notion of Ihings;is deprcft and funk down into Matter ; hath no more Pre-tenhons to Reafon than a Brute; and fcarce delerves theName of Man. He that would anfwer that Charader irigood earneft, andaifert the Dignity and Prerogative of a Na-ture, by which God hath diiiinguiihed him from Beads, mullfake care to preferve his Soul, as Nature requires h Ihould{je^ in a State of Superiority ever the Body ; fo as to ufe6 and


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with S L I c I s's Commenr. 5-and manage it, not as a part of the fame common Nature>but as an Initrumenr, wholly at its Government and Dif-pofal. And fuch a Perfon as this, is the proper Obje6t ofthofe Moral and Political Virtues, which the followingDifcourfes are intended to excite Men to.

That the Real ElTence of a Man is his Rational Soul, So-crates hath undertaken to demonftrate, in that Dialoguewhich/^ gives us, between Him and his beloved Alcibia^des. And Epideius, proceeding upon this Foundation, di-reSs his Scholars, what fort of PraQices and Converfationare proper to make a Man, thus framed by Nature, perfeol.For as the Body gathers Strength by Exercife, and by fre-quently repeating fuch Motions as are natural to it ; fo theSoul too, by exerting its Power=, and the Pralice of fuchthings as are agreeable to Nature, confirms itfelf in Habits,and (trengthens its own natural Conftitution.

1 would not have the Reader take it ill, to be detained alittle longer from the following Difcourfes, only whilft Iprefent him with fo neceifary an Introdudion to them, asthe explaining a little this Notion, which JE^/ii/e/^j all alongtakes for a granted Truth, viz. That the Real Eece of theMan is his RatioKal Soul^ which makes ufe of the Body, as its In^firument of Adton. For EpiStetns fets before us the Ope-rations, peculiar to fuch a Perfon, and becoming his Cha-rader; and then he makes it his Buiinefs to excite all hisScholars to get a perfed Knowledge, and to employ them-felves in theconitant Pradlice, of them: That by fuch dailyExercife we may, as I faid, give the finiihing Stroke to Na-ture, and be as perfeft, as our Condition is capable of being.This is the Ground Epioletus goes upon ; which he does notat all attempt to prove, but takes it, as I faid, for a Fun-damental Truth, fufficiently plain, and acknowledged be-fore.But the Method, in which Socrates proceeds, is this; Hemakes ufe of clear and familiar Examples, and tells us.That a Man in Cutting (for inftance) ufes his Knife, andheufes his Hand too: Then, inferring from hence, that theThing ufed, confidered as an Inftrument, isditferent fromthat which employs it; he concludes, that it is the Man,which employs the Body as an Indrument. Now in truth it isthe Rational Soul, and nothing elfe, that employs this Bo-dy, in the Exercife of Arts, and Trades, and all maOuerof Operations. From hence again he draws this farther In-fcsence: viz. That which employs the Body, hath the Go-

4 vernmeat


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Epictetus's Moralsvernment and Difpofal of what it fo employs. And thenhe forms his Argument into this DisjunQive Syllogifm, Ei-ther the Soul alone, or the Body alone, or Both together,muft needs be the Man. Now if the Man have the com-mand of the Body, and the Body cannot command nor dif-pofe of itfelf, then it is evident, that the Body alone cannot betheMan. It is evident again, that Body and Soul togethercannot be the Man, for the very fame reafon : For if theMan have the Government of the Body, and the Body itfelfhave no part of that Government; then it is plain, this pre-rogative does not extend to Soul and Body both, and there-fore Both cannot be the Man. But, in ftiort, if the Bodyin its own Nature be void of all Life and Motion, and ifit be the Soul, which animates and moves it, (as we fee inHandycraft Trades, the Workman is the Principle of Mo-tion, and the Tools have none, but what they derive fromhim,) then it follows, that the Body is to the Soul, what aTool is to the Artificer: And confequently, that the Soul,being the Original of all Operation, is truly and properly theMan.So then. Whoever would make the Man his Care, mufl:confultthe advantage and improvement ofthe Soul, and pur-ine the Huppinefs peculiar to this : for he that beftows hispains upon the Body, does not (it feems) advance himfelf,and his own Good, (properly fpeaking) but only that of hisInftrument. Much more extravagant and abfurd is it then,to lay himfelf out upon Riches, or any External Advantagesof that kind; becaufe, in fo doing, hepurfues a very foreignInterefl, one much more diftant than the former : For he nei-ther makes theMan, nor the Man's Inftrument, the ObjeSof his Care; but all terminates in thofe things, which makfor the Convenience of this Inftrument only.

BfiBeti


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with SiMPLicius's Comment.

EpiBeti Enchiridion.CHAP. I.

L L things whatfoever may be divided into twoSorts', thofe that are, and thofe that are not,within our own Power : Of the Former fort are our

Opinions and Notions of Things j ^Our AfFedions,our Defires, and our Averfions. And in ihort, all ourAnions of every kind are in our own Power.

COMMENT.HE calls thofe Things ifi our oivn power, vjhich. we outfelves are Mailers of, and which depend purely uponour own difpofal and Choice ; as we commonly fay, anything is a Man's own, which he is not beholden to anybodyelfefor, fo as that it fi-iould fall within the compafsof a Se-cond Perfon, to grant or deny it, to permit or debar, or anyway hinder him in the Enjoyment of it. Now fuchare theMotions and Operations of the Soul ; They are born andbred within us, and owing folely to our own Judgment,and our own Choice; for indeed, it is not poffible for anything without us to determine our Choice. The ObjeSi of ourChoice, 'tis confeft, is very often fomething without us ;but x\\tAd of it, and the Motions toward it, are entirelyour own, and within us. Such, for inftance, are the par-

^^jfei'.rom] This is the moft convenient Rendring I could think of, fortheGreeI> i^uzi ; which though the Latin Impetus may do right to, yet Iqueftion wherher any Englifli Word will fully exptefs it : If any, this of


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8 Epi cTETus's MoralstiGular Opinions we entertain, and the Judgments we makeot Things; as that Riches, or Death, or the like, are thingsin their own Nature, Good, or Evil, or Indifferent. And,though we are often induced to take up this or that particularOpinion upon Truft, and from the Credit we give, to what wehear orher People fay of it ; yet is not their Authority, Oftheir Perfuilion, of fuch abfolute efficacy, as that the Opi-nion ihould not llill be our own. For at this rate, we (houldmake our felves as fenflefs Creatures as Parrots, who whenthey call for a Cup of Sack, know not what they fay. Ifwe be allowed then to think at all, the Opinion muft be ourown Al and D.-ed; occalion'd, 'tis true, fometirnes bythings without us, and recommended and conveyed to usby the Inftrutlions and Arguments of others; but not infu-fed fo Mechanically, as that we Ihould be purely pafllve iothe cafe.Thus again; The Objeft, which moves ourAffeiSion, is

without Us, but the Aftedion itfelf is excited, and arifes,within us. For there is a great difference obfervable, be-tween the Internal Motion of the Mind, and the ExternalMotive or Inducement to it. This Motion is not like thatof Men thiuli forward by another, forcibly and againit theirWills ; bur fuch a one, as when we move our own Bodies,by our own Strength, and of our own Accord.The Cafe is the lame with ourDefires; by which the Souldoes (as it wer


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with Simp LI c lys's Comment. 9mediate Caufes of thofe Defires and Averfions in the S< ul.

But after all, the Brutiih Inclinations, fuch particularly asAnger and Senfual Appetite, are fo much of a piece withthe Body, fo clofely and manifeftly interwoven with theBlood and Animal Spirits, that they feem to row fromthe particular Complexions and Conilitutions of Men. Sothat thefemuftof neceffity derive their Motion from an Ex-ternal Caufe in great meafure, and cannot he perltQiy attheir own difpofal, nor under the abiblute maftery of thePerfons thus deiiring, ^fr'i. though They are begun too, andproceed Originally, from within. Not only fo, but theRational Soul itfelf, when fubdued by the Body, and thebrutiih impulfes of Senfe, does in a great degree degenerateinto Machine^ is viole

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Epictetus His 00 Epic