Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/303

Rh need were: God bless me (quoth he), my good friend, talk no more of that, I pray you, I am free from those matters long since, and by the benefit of mine old age, I have escaped the servitude of such violent and furious mistresses. And verily it is a good and gracious gift, that our lusts and appetites should end together with our strength and ability, especially in those delights and pleasures which, as Alcæus saith, neither man nor woman can well avoid. But this is not to be found in avarice and desire of riches; for she, like a curst, sharp, and shrewd quean, forceth indeed a man to get and gather, but she forbiddeth him withal to use and enjoy the same; she stirreth up and provoketh his lust, but she denieth him all pleasure. I remember that in old time Stratonicus taxed and mocked the Rhodians for their wasteful and superfluous expenses in this manner: They build sumptuously (quoth he), as if they were immortal and should never die; but they fare at their boards as though they had but a small while to live. But these covetous misers gather wealth together like mighty magnificoes, but they spend like beggarly mechanicals; they endure the pain and travail of getting, and taste no pleasure of the enjoying.

Demades the orator came one day to visit Phocion, and found him at dinner; but seeing but a little meat before him upon the table, and the same nothing fine and dainty, but coarse and simple: I marvel (quoth he), O Phocion, how you can take up with so short a dinner and so small a pittance, considering the pains you do endure in managing the affairs of state and commonwealth. As for Demades, he dealt indeed with government, and was a great man in the city with the people, but it was all for his belly, and to furnish a plentiful board, insomuch as, supposing that the city of Athens could not yield him revenue and provision sufficient for to maintain his excessive gormandise, he laid for cates and victuals out of Macedon, whereupon Antipater, when he saw him an old man with a wrinkled and withered face, said pleasantly: That he had nothing left now but his paunch and his tongue, much like unto a sheep, or some other beast killed for sacrifice when all is eaten besides. But thou, most unhappy and wretched miser, who would not make a wonder at thee, considering that thou canst lead so base and beggarly a life, without society of men or courtesy to thy neighbours, not giving ought to any person, shewing no kindness to thy friends, no bounty nor magnificence to the commonwealth, yet still doth afflict thy poor self, lie awake all the night long, toil and moil like a drudge and hireling