226 History of Nature. [BooK VII. 



each one. But what if the Day, flattered with a white Stone, 

 have in it the Beginning of some Misfortune ? How many a 

 Man hath entered upon Empires, which have turned to their 

 Affliction ? How many have lost their Goods, and at last 

 have been brought to utter Ruin ? Certainly these are good 

 Things if a Man could enjoy them fully for one Hour. But 

 thus stands the Case, that one Day is the Judge of another, 

 and the last Day judgeth all ; and therefore there is no 

 trust to be placed in them. To say nothing of this : that our 

 good Fortunes are not equal to our bad even in Number ; 

 nor is any one Joy to be weighed against the least of our 

 Sorrows. Alas for our empty and imprudent Diligence ! 

 We reckon our Days by Number, whereas we should esti- 

 mate them by Weight. 



CHAPTER XLT. 

 Of the highest Happiness. 



LAMPIDO, a Lacedaemonian Lady, is the only Woman that 

 ever was known to have been the Daughter of a King, a 

 King's Wife, and the Mother of a King. Also, Pherenice 

 alone was the Daughter, Sister, and Mother of them that won 

 the Victory at the Olympian Games. In one Family of the 

 Curiones there were three Orators, one after another, by 

 descent from Father to Son. The Family of the Fabii alone 

 afforded three Presidents of the Senate in succession, who 

 were M. Fabius Ambustus, Fabius Rullianus the Son, and 

 Q. Fabius Gurges the Nephew. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

 Examples of Change of Fortune. 



WE have innumerable other examples of the variety of 

 Fortune : for what great Joys did she ever give, but such as 

 sprung from some Evil ? Or what great Calamities that 

 have not followed upon the highest Joys? 



