ular; general are
wars, plagues, dearths, famine, fires, inundations, unseasonable weather,
epidemical diseases which afflict whole kingdoms, territories, cities; or
peculiar to private men, [3561]as cares, crosses, losses, death of friends,
poverty, want, sickness, orbities, injuries, abuses, &c. Generally all
discontent, [3562]_homines quatimur fortunae, salo_. No condition free,
_quisque suos patimur manes_. Even in the midst of our mirth and jollity,
there is some grudging, some complaint; as [3563]he saith, our whole life
is a glycypicron, a bitter sweet passion, honey and gall mixed together, we
are all miserable and discontent, who can deny it? If all, and that it be a
common calamity, an inevitable necessity, all distressed, then as Cardan
infers, [3564]"who art thou that hopest to go free? Why dost thou not
grieve thou art a mortal man, and not governor of the world?" _Ferre quam
sortem patiuntur omnes, Nemo recuset_, [3565]"If it be common to all, why
should one man be more disquieted than another?" If thou alone wert
distressed, it were indeed more irksome, and less to be endured; but when
the calamity is common, comfort thyself with this, thou hast more fellows,
_Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris_; 'tis not thy sole case, and why
shouldst thou be so impatient? [3566]"Aye, but alas we are more miserable
than others, what shall we do? Besides private miseries, we live in
perpetual fear and danger of common enemies: we have Bellona's whips, and
pitiful outcries, for epithalamiums; for pleasant music, that fearful noise
of ordnance, drums, and warlike trumpets still sounding in our ears;
instead of nuptial torches, we have firing of towns and cities; for
triumphs, lamentations; for joy, tears." [3567]"So it is, and so it was,
and so it ever will be. He that refuseth to see and hear, to suffer this,
is not fit to live in this world, and knows not the common condition of all
men, to whom so long as they live, with a reciprocal course, joys and
sorrows are annexed, and succeed one another." It is inevitable, it may not
be avoided, and why then shouldst thou be so much troubled? _Grave nihil
est homini quod fert necessitas_, as [3568]Tully deems out of an old poet,
"that which is necessary cannot be grievous." If it be so, then comfort
thyself in this, [3569]"that whether thou wilt or no, it must be endured:"
make a virtue of necessity, and conform thyself to undergo it. [3570]_Si
longa est, levis est; si gravis