PART XIII.

EPICURUS.
So as Pleafure feems not only to be a good, bnt
the very eflence of good, it being that by which any thing is good or delirable .* Pain not only an ill, but the very eflencc of ill, as being that by which any thing is ill or hateful.
For though we fometimes flitm Pleafure, yet it is not the Pleafure itfelf which we Ihun , but fome Pain annexed accidentally to it ; as, if at any time we perfue Pain, it is not the Pain it¬ felf that we perfue, but fome Pleafure accideiitally joined to it.
For, ( to exprefs this more plainly, ) no man flights, hares, or (buns Pleafure as Pleafnre, but becaufe great Pains overtal^ thofe who know not how to follow Pleafure With reafon. Nor is there any who loves, perliies, would incur Pain fimply as Pain, but becaufe fometimes it fo hap¬ pens, as that with Labour and Pain he mull: per- lue fome great Pleafure.
• For to inftance in the leaft things ^ Who a- mongfl: us undertakes any laborious exercife of Body, unlefs that fome Commodity arifc by it ? Who can juftly blame him, who defires to be in that Pleafure which hath no Trouble ? Or him, who fliuns that Pain which procures no Plea¬ fure ? But we accufeand efteem thofe worthy of Contempt, who , bUnded and corrupted with the bland ilhments of prefent Pleafures, forefee not the Troubles that mull enfue. Alike faulty gre they, who deferc their Doties out of foftnefs of Mind, that is, the avoidance of Labour and Pains.
Of tliefe things, the Diftinftion is eafie and ready. For at a free time, when our Eleftion is at liberty, and nothing hinders, but that we may do what pleafeth us moll, alj Pleafure is to be embraced, all Pain to be expelled. But at fome times it often falleth out, that Pleafures are to be rejeded, and Troubles not to be de¬ clined.
Thus,although we efteem all Pleafures a good, and all Pain an ill, yet we affirm not, that we ought at all times to perfue that,or to avoid this ; but that we ought to have regard as to their quantity ,fo alfo to their quality ^ fince it is bet¬ ter for us to undergo fome Pains, that we may thereby enjoy the more abundant Pleafures ■, and it is expedient to abftain from fome Pleafures, left they prove the occafion of our incurring more grievous Pains.
Hereupon this was, as it were, the Fountain, from which, in treating of .Criteries, we dedu¬ ced feveral Canons concerniug Affeftion or Paf- fion, efteeraing Pleafure or Pain the Criterie of Eleiftion and Avoidance. And not without rea¬ fon, forafmuch as we ought to judge of all thefe things , by the commenfuration and choice of things proSting or hurting; fince we fom.etimes ufe a good as an ill j and, on the‘Contrary,fome- times an ill as a good.
Hence therefore, to prefs this further, I fay, that no Pleafure is ill in itfelf, but fome things there are which procure fome pleafures, but withal bring Pains far greater than the Pleafures themfelves. Whereupon 1 add, that if every Pleafure might be fo reduced within itfelf,as that it neither ffiould comprife within it, nor leave behind it any Pain •, every Pleafurc,by this redu- &ion , would be no lefs perfeft and abfolute than the principal works of Nature, aud confe-
quently there would be no difference amongft
Pleafures, but all would be expetible alike.
Moreover, if thofe very thiugs which afford Pleafuie to luxurious Perfons, could free them from the fear of Meteors, and of Death and Pain, aud could inftrutft them what are’ the bounds of defires, I could not find any fault, forafmuch as they would be every way replete with Pleafures, and have nothing grievous or painful that is ill. '
CHAP. III.
That Felicity coyififls generally in Pleafure.
NO W to come to what was propofed. Fe¬ licity feems plainly to confift in Pleafure.
Ih^ is firft to he proved in general, then we muft ffiew, in what Pleafure particularly it con- fifts.
In general, Pleafure feems to be, as the Begin- ning, fo the Epd allb of Happy Life, fince we find it to be the firft good, and convenient to our, and to all animal. Nature ; and is that from which we begin all eledfion and avoidance, and in which at laft we terminate them, ufing’ this affection as a Rule to judge every Good.
That Pleafure is the fii'ft and connatural good or ( as they term it, ) the firft thing fuitablc and convenient to Nature, appeareth , for that every Animal, asfoon ai born, defiretb pleafure, and Cic. dt fim re\oketh in it, as the chief good ; jhunneth pain as its greatefl iU, and to its utmoft ability, repels it.
We fee that * even Hercules himfelf, tormented * L/urt. by a poifonous Shirt, could not with-hold from tears ;
Crying and howling whil’ft thcLocrian Stones,
And high Eubcean Hills, retort his Groans.
TTjus doth every undepraved Animal , its own cic, ibiJl. nature judging incorruptly and entirely.
There needs not therefore any reafoning to prove^ that Pleafure vs to he deftred. Pain to be fhunned ; for this is manifefi to our Sen]}, as that Fire is hot.
Snow white. Honey fweet. VTe need no Arguments to prove this, it is enough th.%t we give Notice ofiif For fince that if we take away from Man all his Senfes , there is nothing remaining, tt is necejfary that what is convenient or contrary to Nature, be judged by Nature herfelf, and that Pleafure be ex¬ petible in itfelf, and Pain in itfelf to be avoided :
For what perceives, or what judgeth, either to per¬ fue or avoid any thing , except Pleafure and fain ?
That Pleafure, as being the firft thing conve¬ nient to Nature, is alio the laft of Expetiblcs,or the end of good thingSjmay be underftood eveii from this, Becaufe it is Pleafure only for whofc fake we fo defire the reft, that itfelf , is not defi- red for the fake of any other, but only for it¬ felf ; for we may defire other things to delight or pleafe ourfelves, but no man ever demanded a Reafon, why we would be delighted and pica- fed ? Certainly no more, than for what caufe we defire to be happy • fince Pleafure and Felicity ought to be reputed,not only in the fame degree; but to be the very fame thing, and,confeqaent- ly, the end, or ultimate and greateft good, on which the reft depend, but itfelf depends on • none. This
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EPICURUS.