treatises on friendship and old age-第21章

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should　have　been　likely　to　undertake　such　heavy　labours　by　day
and　night；　at　home　and　abroad；　if　I　had　been　destined　to　have　the
same　limit　to　my　glory　as　to　my　life？　Had　it　not　been　much　better
to　pass　an　age　of　ease　and　repose　without　any　labour　or　exertion？　
But　my　soul；　I　know　not　how；　refusing　to　be　kept　down；　ever　fixed
its　eyes　upon　future　ages；　as　though　from　a　conviction　that　it　would
begin　to　live　only　when　it　had　left　the　body。　But　had　it　not　been　the
case　that　souls　were　immortal；　it　would　not　have　been　the　souls　of
all　the　best　men　that　made　the　greatest　efforts　after　an　immortality
of　fame。

Again；　is　there　not　the　fact　that　the　wisest　man　ever　dies　with　the
greatest　cheerfulness；　the　most　unwise　with　the　least？　Don't　you
think　that　the　soul　which　has　the　clearer　and　longer　sight　sees　that
it　is　starting　for　better　things；　while　the　soul　whose　vision　is
dimmer　does　not　see　it？　　For　my　part；　I　am　transported　with　the
desire　to　see　your　fathers；　who　were　the　object　of　my　reverence
and　affection。　　Nor　is　it　only　those　whom　I　knew　that　I　long　to　see；
it　is　those　also　of　whom　I　have　been　told　and　have　read；　whom　I
have　myself　recorded　in　my　history。　When　I　am　setting　out　for　that；
there　is　certainly　no　one　who　will　find　it　easy　to　draw　me　back；　or
boil　me　up　again　like　second　Pelios。　　Nay；　if　some　god　should
grant　me　to　renew　my　childhood　from　my　present　age　and　once
more　to　be　crying　in　my　cradle；　I　would　firmly　refuse；　nor　should　I
in　truth　be　willing；　after　having；　as　it　were；　run　the　full　course；　to
be　recalled　from　the　winning…crease　to　the　barriers。　For　what
blessing　has　life　to　offer？　Should　we　not　rather　say　what　labour？
But　granting　that　it　has；　at　any　rate　it　has　after　all　a　limit　either　to
enjoyment　or　to　existence。　I　don't　wish　to　depreciate　life；　as　many
men　and　good　philosophers　have　often　done；　nor　do　I　regret　having
lived；　for　I　have　done　so　in　a　way　that　lets　me　think　that　I　was　not
born　in　vain。　But　I　quit　life　as　I　would

ON　OLD　AGE
77

an　inn；　not　as　I　would　a　home。　For　nature　has　given　us　a　place　of
entertainment；　not　of　residence。

Oh　glorious　day　when　I　shall　set　out　to　join　that　heavenly　conclave
and　company　of　souls；　and　depart　from　the　turmoil　and　impurities
of　this　world！　For　I　shall　not　go　to　join　only　those　whom　I　have
before　mentioned；　but　also　my　son　Cato；　than　whom　no　better　man
was　ever　born；　nor　one　more　conspicuous　for　piety。　His　body　was
burnt　by　me；　though　mine　ought；　on　the　contrary；　to　have　been
burnt　by　him；　but　his　spirit；　not　abandoning；　but　ever　looking　back
upon　me；　has　certainly　gone　whither　he　saw　that　I　too　must　come。　I
was　thought　to　bear　that　loss　heroically；　not　that　I　really　bore　it
without　distress；　but　I　found　my　own　consolation　in　the　thought
that　the　parting　and　separation　between　us　was　not　to　be　for　long。

It　is　by　these　means；　my　dear　Scipio；…for　you　said　that　you　and
Laelius　were　wont　to　express　surprise　on　this　point；　…that　my　old
age　sits　lightly　on　me；　and　is　not　only　not　oppressive　but　even
delightful。　But　if　I　am　wrong　in　thinking　the　human　soul　immortal；
I　am　glad　to　be　wrong；　nor　will　I　allow　the　mistake　which　gives　me
so　much　pleasure　to　be　wrested　from　me　as　long　as　I　live。　But　if
when　dead；　as　some　insignificant　philosophers　think；　I　am　to　be
without　sensation；　I　am　not　afraid　of　dead　philosophers　deriding
my　errors。　Again；　if　we　are　not　to　be　immortal；　it　is　nevertheless
what　a　man　must　wish…to　have　his　life　end　at　its　proper　time。　For
nature　puts　a　limit　to　living　as　to　everything　else。　Now；　old　age　is
as　it　were　the　playing　out　of　the　drama；　the　full　fatigue　of　which
we　should　shun；　especially　when　we　also　feel　that　we　have　had
more　than　enough　of　it。

This　is　all　I　had　to　say　on　old　age。　　I　pray　that　you　may　arrive　at　it；
that　you　may　put　my　words　to　a　practical　test。







End