Page:Ten Tragedies of Seneca (1902).djvu/235

Lines 435-473] voluntary recipient of misfortune and so far perverts his natural tendencies, he richly deserves to be deprived of the good things of this world, and which, if he had them, he would be utterly unable to enjoy! But thou rather, as thou shouldst, be mindful of thy vigorous youth, relax the severity toward thyself—brighten up, and pass thy nights in exhilarating amusements, if necessary, let Bacchus assist thy endeavours in shaking of dull care! Enjoy thy life, thou art young—time flies in its nimble course, now is the time for an assailable mind, now is the time that Venus should be a welcome goddess to amorous youth, let thy heart leap at the very thought! Why shouldst thou lie at nights, with no desirable bed-fellow? Throw aside sadness from thy youthful nature, now fasten upon the enjoyments of lite! Throw aside the reins, with which thou hast restrained thyself, prevent the last days of thy life from slipping away from thee—a beneficent Deity has very wisely prescribed the various duties of mankind, and he has so planned his programme that life should pass through well-defined stages! Joy becomes youth—a thoughtful brow befits old age; why shouldst thou curb thy nature as thou dost, and blot out thy stage of youth, the stage through which thou art now passing? The, growing com will afford a plentiful return to the husband-man for his labor, and each tender shoot will increase till it becomes a luxuriant blade, and contributes its individual share towards producing an abundant harvest! And the sapling will eventually look down upon the forest with its lofty branches—the tree, which no greedy hand has attempted to fell, or rob of its umbrageous investiture—a man's mind—when it is well regulated, is much more calculated to lead on towards a glorious goal, if seasonable liberty gives scope to generous impulses—Savage and ignorant of the pleasures of life, and of exclusively sylvestrian ideas, thou art passing thy cheerless youth, foregoing the pleasures of love! Dost, thou think that this way of passing a life was ordained for man? that he should simply put up with every hardship and privation—that he should do nothing but break in horses for running races and to wage cruel wars in honor of sanguinary Mars? No—the chief parent of the universe has provided against such a contingency! When he said that the hand of Death was so eager to take away what he had made, in order that he might replace the losses by producing fresh offsprings, "Come on," he said, "let love go forth amongst human affairs, and play its part," and it is that (Love) which fills up the vacancies, and replenishes the races, when they are becoming exhausted! The unattractive earth would remain in an uncultivated condition—the blue sea would rest