ee from discontent, neither Metellus, Crassus, nor
Polycrates, for he died a violent death, and so did Cato; and how much evil
doth Lactantius and Theodoret speak of Socrates, a weak man, and so of the
rest. There is no content in this life, but as [1775]he said, "All is
vanity and vexation of spirit;" lame and imperfect. Hadst thou Sampson's
hair, Milo's strength, Scanderbeg's arm, Solomon's wisdom, Absalom's
beauty, Croesus' wealth, _Pasetis obulum_, Caesar's valour, Alexander's
spirit, Tully's or Demosthenes' eloquence, Gyges' ring, Perseus' Pegasus,
and Gorgon's head, Nestor's years to come, all this would not make thee
absolute; give thee content, and true happiness in this life, or so
continue it. Even in the midst of all our mirth, jollity, and laughter, is
sorrow and grief, or if there be true happiness amongst us, 'tis but for a
time,

[1776] "Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne:"

"A handsome woman with a fish's tail,"

a fair morning turns to a lowering afternoon. Brutus and Cassius, once
renowned, both eminently happy, yet you shall scarce find two (saith
Paterculus) _quos fortuna maturius destiturit_, whom fortune sooner
forsook. Hannibal, a conqueror all his life, met with his match, and was
subdued at last, _Occurrit forti, qui mage fortis erit._ One is brought in
triumph, as Caesar into Rome, Alcibiades into Athens, _coronis aureis
donatus_, crowned, honoured, admired; by-and-by his statues demolished, he
hissed out, massacred, &c. [1777]Magnus Gonsalva, that famous Spaniard, was
of the prince and people at first honoured, approved; forthwith confined
and banished. _Admirandas actiones; graves plerunque sequuntur invidiae, et
acres calumniae_: 'tis Polybius his observation, grievous enmities, and
bitter calumnies, commonly follow renowned actions. One is born rich, dies
a beggar; sound today, sick tomorrow; now in most flourishing estate,
fortunate and happy, by-and-by deprived of his goods by foreign enemies,
robbed by thieves, spoiled, captivated, impoverished, as they of
[1778]"Rabbah put under iron saws, and under iron harrows, and under axes
of iron, and cast into the tile kiln,"

[1779] "Quid me felicem toties jactastis amici,
Qui cecidit, stabili non erat ille gradu."

He that erst marched like Xerxes with innumerable armies, as rich as
Croesus, now shifts for himself in a poor cock-boat, is bound in iron
chains, with Bajazet the Turk, and a footstool with Aurelian, for a