Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/407

THE EPICUREAN. 403 and sometimes makes what of itself is bitter to be sweet. Sp. We see that daily in those who are in love, who take a pleasure in watching and waiting all a cold winter's night at their mistress's door. He. Well, then, consider with yourself, if human love have such a power, which bulls and dogs have as well as we, how much more prevalent will that heavenly love be that proceeds from the spirit of Christ, the power of which is so great that it can render death amiable, than which there is nothing in the world more terrible]

Sp. I cannot tell what others feel within themselves, but I think that they want a great many pleasures that adhere to true piety. He. What pleasures do they go without 1 Sp. They do not get riches, attain honours, junket, dance, sing, perfume themselves, laugh and play. He. You should not have mentioned riches and honours in this case, for they do not make a life pleasant, but rather full of cares and anxiety. Let us consider the other things, which are what they hunt after that have a desire to live a pleasant life. Do you not see every day drunkards, fools, and madmen laughing and dancing 1 Sp. I do so. He. Do you think that they live pleasantly? Sp. I would wish that pleasure to those I hate. He. Why so? Sp. Because their mind is out of order. He. Then had you rather fast and study than live after that manner 1 Sp. Nay, I had rather dig. He. There is no difference between a rich man and a drunken man, saving that sleep will cure a drunken man, but doctors cannot cure a covetous man. A natural fool differs from a brute only in the form of his body; but they are less miserable whom nature has made brutes, than they that have made themselves so by their beastly lusts. Sp. I confess that. He. Do you think that they are sober or in their right mind who, for the sake of delusions and shadows of pleasure, neglect the true pleasures of the mind, and bring upon themselves real torments? Sp. They do not seem to be so. He. Such persons are not drunk with wine, but with love, with anger, with avarice, with ambition and other filthy lusts, which is a drunkenness more dangerous than to be drunk with wine. Cyrus, in the comedy, after he had slept away his debauch spoke sober things, but a mind drunk with vicious lust, how hardly does that come to itself? How many years does love, anger, hatred, lust, luxury, and ambition torment the mind? How many do we see that never wake out of the sleep of drunkenness, ambition, avarice, lust, and luxury, and repent of them even from their youth to decrepit old age ? Sp. I know a great many such as those. He. You have granted likewise that persons should not take false pleasures for true ones. Sp. I have so, and I shall not eat my words. He. That is no true pleasure that does not spring from true causes. Sp. I own that.

He. Then they are no true pleasures that mankind generally pursue, right or wrong. Sp. I do not think they are. He. If they were true pleasures they would only happen to good men, and render them happy whose share they fall to. But as to pleasure, can that be thought to be true that proceeds not from true good, but from the false shadows of good ? Sp. By no means. He. But pleasure is that which makes us live sweetly. Sp. It does so. He. Well, then, none lives truly pleasantly but he that lives piously i. e., that enjoys true good. It is only piety that gains the favour of God, the fountain of