3- 14. e nncnt) ofttjeZibíue 2ftttílute1 Chap. 8. all Ages ' His Philofopby was not a powerful Antidote againff the Contagionof the Court. What juft excufe Vid. Tacit. can there be ofhis Cruelty to his Wife, in cutting her lib. tg Veins, that the might die with him ; from avain-glori Puna,n e i in ous defire toeternize their Reputation ? And whereas a- quo na; igatis, along the wholeChorus ofVertues, he in a fpecial man- ia cao bellatis' nor exalts Magnanimity in the contempt of earthly in quo regna difponitis, fur- things,anddetermines that the neceffities of Nature are rum ingen` a the duff 'maturesof Riches and Delights, and all other t94;,- inquo- rumpoffefiïo- things which the irregular Appetites of men purfue ; fo newanimus that one would think him anAngel in flefh, converting admitt i:ur. s'e nec.Lib. tonar. - below to inftru& the world how to be happy : yet the tiuæf}. dflorians ofthofe times taxhim for infatiable Avarice, that in a little timeby unworthy arts heraked up an in- credible Sum ofMoney. Suppofing it a Calumny that he forgedmany Wills to feize upon the effates belong- ing to others, what excufe can there be for his excef- five Ufury, his forcing the Britain toborrowa Million ofSefierces, and calling for it in,fo much to their preju- dice,as was likely to have caufed their RebellionsWhat for his fumptuous Palaces,and Gardens ofPleafure,ex- ceeding theLuxury of.11Íero ? And all thefe pofíeff by aman who had no Son to inherit, a Philofopher, a Sto- ick,thegreat eommender of bleffed Poverty. All the Apology hemakes, is, that a Wife man that is himfelf, Non amat Divitiasfed mavult, non in animum illas fedin domino inducer, non refpicit pofeffayfed continet. Agree- ing with Ariflippus a Philofophizing Animal, who being reproved for his intanglement in bruitifh love with a fa- Diog, I;aeit. mous Harlot, replyed ; Ipofefs her, not the me. The only difference is in the matter oftheir Affehions, the one was Riches, the other Pleafure. By thefe inttances we may judg of thereff ofthe Philofophers : Although a Vein of Gold appear in their Writings, yet their Lives were full ofDrofs,_ The belt of them are charged to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=