Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/200

178 morrow-sun, who made least account thereof on the even; but riches also, glory, authority and rule doth most rejoice their hearts who least feared the contrary: for the vehement and ardent desire that a man hath to any of these things, doth imprint likewise an exceeding fear of foregoing and losing the same, and thereby maketh the delight of enjoying them to be feeble and nothing firm and constant; even as the blaze and flame of the fire which is blown and driven to and fro with the wind. But the man who is so much assisted with reason, that he is able without fear and trembling to say unto fortune: or thus:

. Welcome to me, if good thou bringest ought, And if thou fail, I will take little thought;

Or thus:

Well mayst thou take from me some joy of mind, But little grief thou shalt me leave behind:

hath this benefit by his confidence and resolution: that as he taketh most joy of his good fortunes when they are present, so he never feareth the loss of them, as if it were a calamity insupportable. And herein we may as well imitate as admire the disposition and affection of Anaxagoras, who when he heard the news of his son's death, I know full well (quoth he) when I begot him that die he must: and after his example, whensoever any infortunity happeneth, to be ready with these and such-like speeches: I know that riches were not permanent, but transitory and for a day: I never thought other, but that they who conferred these dignities upon me both might and could deprive me of them: I wist that I had a good wife and virtuous dame, but withal a woman and no more: I was not ignorant that my friend was a man, (that is to say) a living creature by nature mutable, as Plato used to say.

And verily, such preparations and dispositions of our affections as these, if peradventure there shall befall unto us anything against our intent and mind, but not contrary to our expectation, as they will never admit such passionate words as these (I never thought it would have fallen out so, I was in great hope of other matters, and little looked I for this), so they shall be able to rid us of all sudden pantings and leapings of the heart, of unquiet and disorderly beating of the pulses, and soon stay and settle the furious and troublesome motions of impatience. Carneades was wont in time of greatest prosperity to put men in mind of a change; for that the thing which happeneth