18 THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 



friend, both of his prince and his country, the best 

 governor of Rome, the happiest and ablest negotiator, 

 the best judge of learning and virtue, the choicest in 

 his friends, and thereby the happiest in his con- 

 versation that has been known in story ; and I think, 

 to his conduct in civil, and Agrippa's in military 

 affairs, may be truly ascribed all the fortunes and 

 greatness of Augustus, so much celebrated in the 

 world. 



For Lucretius, Virgil and Horace, they deserve in 

 my opinion the honour of the greatest philosophers, as 

 well as the best poets of their nation or age. The 

 two first, besides what looks like something more than 

 human in their poetry, were very great naturalists, and 

 admirable in their morals : and Horace, besides the 

 sweetness and elegancy of his lyrics, appears in the 

 rest of his writings so great a master of life, and of 

 true sense in the conduct of it, that I know none 

 beyond him. It was no mean strain of his philosophy, 

 to refuse being secretary to Augustus, when so great 

 an emperor so much desired it. But all the different 

 sects of philosophers seem to have agreed in the 

 opinion of a wise man's abstaining from public affairs, 

 which is thought the meaning of Pythagoras's precept, 

 to abstain from beans, by which the affairs or public 



