i 4 THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 



or with less circumstance, that a man, to be wise, 

 should not be a man ; and this perhaps might have been 

 easy enough to believe, but nothing so hard as the other. 

 The Epicureans were more intelligible in their notion, 

 and fortunate in their expressions, when they placed 

 a man's happiness in the tranquillity of mind, and 

 indolence of body ; for while we are composed of 

 both, I doubt both must have a share in the good or 

 ill we feel. As men of several languages say the same 

 things in very different words ; so in several ages, 

 countries, constitutions of laws and religion, the same 

 thing seems to be meant by very different expressions : 

 what is called by the Stoics, apathy, or dispassion ; by 

 the Sceptics, indisturbance ; by the Molinists, quietism ; 

 by common men, peace of conscience ; seems all to 

 mean but great tranquillity of mind, though it be made 

 to proceed from so diverse causes, as human wisdom, 

 innocence of life, or resignation to the will of God. 

 An old usurer had the same notion, when he said, No 

 man could have peace of conscience, that run out of his 

 estate ; not comprehending what else was meant by that 

 phrase, besides true quiet and content of mind ; which, 

 however expressed, is, I suppose, meant by all, to be 

 the best account that can be given of the happiness of 

 man, since no man can pretend to be happy without it. 



