, ought first to determine what manner of living is
most eligible; for while this remains uncertain it will also be equally
uncertain what government is best: for, provided no unexpected accidents
interfere, it is highly probable, that those who enjoy the best
government will live the most happily according to their circumstances;
he ought, therefore, first to know what manner of life is most desirable
for all; and afterwards whether this life is the same to the man and
the citizen, or different. As I imagine that I have already sufficiently
shown what sort of life is best in my popular discourses on that
subject, I think I may very properly repeat the same here; as most
certainly no one ever called in question the propriety of one of the
divisions; namely, that as what is good, relative to man, may be divided
into three sorts, what is external, what appertains to the body, and
what to the soul, it is evident that all these must conspire to make
a man happy: for no one would say that a man was happy who had no
fortitude, no temperance, no justice, no prudence; but was afraid of the
flies that flew round him: nor would abstain from the meanest theft if
he was either hungry or dry, or would murder his dearest friend for
a farthing; and also was in every particular as wanting in his
understanding as an infant or an idiot. These truths are so evident that
all must agree to them; though some may dispute about the quantity and
the degree: for they may think, that a very little virtue is sufficient
for happiness; but for riches, property, power, honour, and all such
things, they endeavour to increase them without bounds: but to such we
reply, that it is easy to prove from what experience teaches us in these
cases, that these external goods produce not virtue, but virtue them.
As to a happy life, whether it is to be found in pleasure or virtue or
both, certain it is, that those whose morals are most pure, and whose
understandings are best cultivated, will enjoy more of it, although
their fortune is but moderate than those do who own an exuberance of
wealth, are deficient in those; and this utility any one who reflects
may easily convince himself of; for whatsoever is external has its
boundary, as a machine, and whatsoever is useful in its excess is either
necessarily hurtful, or at best useless to the possessor; but every good
quality of the soul the higher it is in degree, so much the more useful
it is, if it is permitted on thi