THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 61 



For my own part, as the country life, and this part 

 of it more particularly, were the inclination of my 

 youth itself, so they are the pleasure of my age ; and 

 I can truly say, that among many great employments 

 that have fallen to my share, I have never asked or 

 sought for any one of them, but often endeavoured to 

 escape from them, into the ease and freedom of a 

 private scene, where a man may go his own way and 

 his own pace, in the common paths or circles of life. 



Inter cuncta leges et percunctabere doctos 

 Qua ratione queas traducere leniter aevum, 

 Quid curas minuat, quid te tibi reddat amicum, 

 Quid pure tranquillet, honos an dulce lucelium, 

 An secretum iter, et fallentis semita vitas. 



But above all, the learned read and ask 

 By what means you may gently pass your age, 

 What lessens care, what makes thee thine own friend, 

 What truly calms the mind ; honour, or wealth, 

 Or else a private path of stealing life ? 



These are questions that a man ought at least to ask 

 himself, whether he asks others or no, and to choose 

 his course of life rather by his own humour and 

 temper, than by common accidents, or advice of 

 friends ; at least if the Spanish proverb be true, That 

 a fool inotus more in his otvn house, than a ivise man in 

 another's. 



