THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 5 



at ease ; and lured on by the pleasure of this bait, 

 when he was in vigour, and his game fortunate, he 

 would provide for as many days as he could, both for 

 himself and his children, that were too young to seek 

 out for themselves. Then he cast about, how by 

 sowing of grain, and by pasture of the tamer catde, to 

 provide for the whole year. After this, dividing the 

 lands necessary for these uses, first among children, and 

 then among servants, he reserved to himself a proportion 

 of their gain, either in the native stock, or something 

 equivalent, which brought in the use of money ; and 

 where this once came in none was to be satisfied, 

 without having enough for himself and his family, and 

 all his and their posterity for ever ; so that I know 

 a certain lord who professes to value no lease, though 

 for an hundred or a thousand years, nor any estate or 

 possession of land, that is not for ever and ever. 



From such small beginnings have grown such vast 

 and extravagant designs of poor mortal men : yet none 

 could ever answer the naked Indian, why one man 

 should take pains, and run hazards by sea and land 

 all his life, that his children might be safe and lazy 

 all theirs : and the precept of taking no care for to- 

 morrow, though never minded as impracticable in the 

 world, seems but to reduce mankind to their natural 



