1808.] 
be immediately happy, let us not defer 
our endeavours till the morrow, It is 
‘given only to the immortals to be su- 
premely happy. We must never forget 
that we are only men. Since we cannot 
be so happy as the gods, whom we pro- 
pose as our models, let us be. satisfied 
with being less happy. Because an eye 
so finite as mine cannot pervade the im- 
mensity of space, shall I foolishly close it 
against the objects which surround me? 
These objects will be to me a never-fail- 
ing source of pleasure, if I can enjoy or 
reject them at will. Pain is always an 
evil, pleasure always a good; but there 
is no pleasure pure and unmixed. ‘The 
flowers grow under our feet; but we 
must stoop to gather them. Pleasure as- 
sumes a variety of forms, Itis therefore 
essentialto know the valueof every object, 
under the colour of which it may present 
itself, that we may not be uncertain when 
to gather, or reject it; when to live, or 
when to die. After the health of the 
mind, nothing can be more precious 
than that of the body. If the health 
of the body manifest itself only in par- 
ticular members, the body is not ge- 
nerally healthful; if the mind be carried 
with excess to the exercise of any parti- 
cular virtue, it is not entirely virtuous, 
If we wish to be esteemed by our fellow- 
mortals, we shall delight in fulfilling all 
our duties, as the surest method of. se- 
curing that esteem. We shall not de- 
spise the pleasures of the senses; but we 
shall take care not to confound the vir- 
tuous man with thesensualist. How can 
he be happy, who has deceived himself 
in the choice of life? How can he chuse 
a status, who knows not his own wants? 
_ or be satisfied with it, if he confound the 
wants of nature, the cravings of passion, 
and the allurements of fancy? ? The mind 
must place some ultimate end before it, 
or it will steerat random, Futurity may 
possibly be within our power. All the 
actions of our life, all the suggestions of 
our imagination, should direct us to the 
practice of virtue, the preservation of 
liberty and life, and the contempt of 
death. While we exist, death is nothing ; 
it is nothing, when we exist no more. 
The gods are dreaded only because they 
are rendered similar to men. The im- 
pious man is he who adores the deities of 
the vulgar. If real piety consisted in 
prostrating ourselves before a piece of 
sculptured marble, nothing would be 
more common; but it is uncommon,-be- 
cause it consists in a true Judgment of 
the nature of the gods. What is called 
Moncury Mac., No. 169, 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature—Lucretius. 215 
the law of nature, is only the symbol of 
general utility, To promote this general 
ufility, and to secure the common con- 
currence of mankind, should be our 
great rule of action. As we are not cer- 
tain that crimes will never be discovered, 
it is absurd to commit them; it is playing 
at a game where we are ore likely to 
lose than to win. Friendship is one of 
the greatest blessings of life; decency is 
one of the chief virtues of society. Be 
decent in your manners and your conver- 
sation, because you are not to be num- 
bered among animals; and because you 
live in the tumult of cities, not in the so- 
litude of forests, 
Such is the system of Epicurus, re- 
duced to a brief outline ; and such were 
the doctrines which Lucretius selected as 
the subject of his poem, It was a sub- 
ject the most comprehensive that could 
engage the human mind. It embraced 
the whole scope of natural metaphysics, 
and moral philosophy. To execute it 
with any degree of success, required un- 
common powers, and almost universal 
knowledge. ‘That Lucretius possessed 
these in a very eminent degree, cannot 
be denied. The ardour ef his temper, 
and the boldness of his character, made 
him eagerly embrace doctrines as novel 
as they were inypious; and he has deli- 
vered them with a hardihood of diction 
which infinitely surpassed the deliberate, 
though timid, infidelity of Rpicurus. The 
system itself, which had taken such deep 
root in Greece, was easily transplanted 
to Rome as into a soil equally favour 
able. It flattered the growing scepticism 
of the age, which began to turn with dis- 
gust from the inconsistent theory that had 
so long musguided the world; from those 
absurdities of the ancient mythology, 
which had already incurred the disbelief 
of Socrates and Plato, and had equally 
excited the secret reprobation of the Ro- 
man scholars. But of the Epicurean 
system they approved, only as it denied 
that multiplicity of gods and their subor- 
dinate agents, which obscured and de- 
graded the theology of their country. 
They referred the creation of the world 
to one supreme intelligence, sole, infinite, 
and eternal. They respected the moral 
code of Epicurus; but they rejected his 
doctrine of Atomism, as impious, and 
absurd. Cicero expressly says,* that his 
philosophy was despised by all well-in- 
formed persons. When they beheld the 
magnificent colours, the order, beauty, 
—_- OO ee 
* Cic. de Natura Deerum, 
Ff and 
