Socrates　says　that　boys　are　to　cause　themselves　to　be　instructed；　men　to
  exercise　themselves　in　well…doing；　and　old　men　to　retire　from　all　civil
  and　military　employments；　living　at　their　own　discretion；　without　the
  obligation　to　any　office。　There　are　some　complexions　more　proper　for
  these　precepts　of　retirement　than　others。　　Such　as　are　of　a　soft　and　dull
  apprehension；　and　of　a　tender　will　and　affection；　not　readily　to　be
  subdued　or　employed；　whereof　I　am　one；　both　by　natural　condition　and　by
  reflection；　will　sooner　incline　to　this　advice　than　active　and　busy
  souls；　which　embrace：　all；　engage　in　all；　are　hot　upon　everything；　which
  offer；　present；　and　give　themselves　up　to　every　occasion。　　We　are　to　use
  these　accidental　and　extraneous　commodities；　so　far　as　they　are　pleasant
  to　us；　but　by　no　means　to　lay　our　principal　foundation　there；　'tis　no
  true　one；　neither　nature　nor　reason　allows　it　so　to　be。　　Why　therefore
  should　we；　contrary　to　their　laws；　enslave　our　own　contentment　to　the
  power　of　another？　　To　anticipate　also　the　accidents　of　fortune；　to
  deprive　ourselves　of　the　conveniences　we　have　in　our　own　power；　as
  several　have　done　upon　the　account　of　devotion；　and　some　philosophers　by
  reasoning；　to　be　one's　own　servant；　to　lie　hard；　to　put　out　our　own　eyes；
  to　throw　our　wealth　into　the　river；　to　go　in　search　of　grief；　these；　by
  the　misery　of　this　life；　aiming　at　bliss　in　another；　those　by　laying
  themselves　low　to　avoid　the　danger　of　falling：　all　such　are　acts　of　an
  excessive　virtue。　　The　stoutest　and　most　resolute　natures　render　even
  their　seclusion　glorious　and　exemplary：
  〃Tuta　et　parvula　laudo；
  Quum　res　deficiunt；　satis　inter　vilia　fortis
  Verum；　ubi　quid　melius　contingit　et　unctius；　idem
  Hos　sapere　et　solos　aio　bene　vivere；　quorum
  Conspicitur　nitidis　fundata　pecunia　villis。〃
  ＇〃When　means　are　deficient；　I　laud　a　safe　and　humble　condition；
  content　with　little：　but　when　things　grow　better　and　more　easy；　I
  all　the　same　say　that　you　alone　are　wise　and　live　well；　whose
  invested　money　is　visible　in　beautiful　villas。〃
  Horace；　Ep。；　i。　15；　42。＇
  A　great　deal　less　would　serve　my　turn　well　enough。　　'Tis　enough　for　me；
  under　fortune's　favour；　to　prepare　myself　for　her　disgrace；　and；　being　at
  my　ease；　to　represent　to　myself；　as　far　as　my　imagination　can　stretch；
  the　ill　to　come；　as　we　do　at　jousts　and　tiltings；　where　we　counterfeit
  war　in　the　greatest　calm　of　peace。　　I　do　not　think　Arcesilaus　the
  philosopher　the　less　temperate　and　virtuous　for　knowing　that　he　made　use
  of　gold　and　silver　vessels；　when　the　condition　of　his　fortune　allowed　him
  so　to　do；　I　have　indeed　a　better　opinion　of　him　than　if　he　had　denied
  himself　what　he　used　with　liberality　and　moderation。　　I　see　the　utmost
  limits　of　natural　necessity：　and　considering　a　poor　man　begging　at　my
  door；　ofttimes　more　jocund　and　more　healthy　than　I　myself　am；　I　put
  myself　into　his　place；　and　attempt　to　dress　my　mind　after　his　mode；
  and　running；　in　like　manner；　over　other　examples；　though　I　fancy　death；
  poverty；　contempt；　and　sickness　treading　on　my　heels；　I　easily　resolve
  not　to　be　affrighted；　forasmuch　as　a　less　than　I　takes　them　with　so　much
  patience；　and　am　not　willing　to　believe　that　a　less　understanding　can　do
  more　than　a　greater；　or　that　the　effects　of　precept　cannot　arrive　to　as
  great　a　height　as　those　of　custom。　　And　knowing　of　how　uncertain　duration
  these　accidental　conveniences　are；　I　never　forget；　in　the　height　of　all
  my　enjoyments；　to　make　it　my　chiefest　prayer　to　Almighty　God；　that　He
  will　please　to　render　me　content　with　myself　and　the　condition　wherein　I
  am。　　I　see　young　men　very　gay　and　frolic；　who　nevertheless　keep　a　mass　of
  pills　in　their　trunk　at　home；　to　take　when　they've　got　a　cold；　which　they
  fear　so　much　the　less；　because　they　think　they　have　remedy　at　hand。
  Every　one　should　do　in　like　manner；　and；　moreover；　if　they　find
  themselves　subject　to　some　more　violent　disease；　should　furnish
  themselves　with　such　medicines　as　may　numb　and　stupefy　the　part。
  The　employment　a　man　should　choose　for　such　a　life　ought　neither　to　be　a
  laborious　nor　an　unpleasing　one；　otherwise　'tis　to　no　purpose　at　all　to
  be　retired。　　And　this　depends　upon　every　one's　liking　and　humour。　　Mine
  has　no　manner　of　complacency　for　husbandry；　and　such　as　love　it　ought　to
  apply　themselves　to　it　with　moderation：
  ＇〃Endeavour　to　make　circumstances　subject　to　me；
  and　not　me　subject　to　circumstances。〃
  Horace；　Ep。；　i。　i；　19。＇
  Husbandry　is　otherwise　a　very　servile　employment；　as　Sallust　calls　it；
  though　some　parts　of　it　are　more　excusable　than　the　rest；　as　the　care　of
  gardens；　which　Xenophon　attributes　to　Cyrus；　and　a　mean　may　be　found　out
  betwixt　the　sordid　and　low　application；　so　full　of　perpetual　solicitude；
  which　is　seen　in　men　who　make　it　their　entire　business　and　study；　and　the
  stupid　and　extreme　negligence；　letting　all　things　go　at　random　which　we
  see　in　others
  〃Democriti　pecus　edit　agellos
  Cultaque；　dum　peregre　est　animus　sine　corpore　velox。〃
  ＇〃Democritus'　cattle　eat　his　corn　and　spoil　his　fields；　whilst　his
  soaring　mind　ranges　abroad　without　the　body。〃
  Horace；　Ep。；　i；　12；　12。＇
  But　let　us　hear　what　advice　the　younger　Pliny　gives　his　friend　Caninius
  Rufus　upon　the　subject　of　solitude：　〃I　advise　thee；　in　the　full　and
  plentiful　retirement　wherein　thou　art；　to　leave　to　thy　hinds　the　care　of
  thy　husbandry；　and　to　addict　thyself　to　the　study　of　letters；　to　extract
  from　thence　something　that　may　be　entirely　and　absolutely　thine　own。〃　　By
  which　he　means　reputation；　like　Cicero；　who　says　that　he　would　employ　his
  solitude　and　retirement　from　public　affairs　to　acquire　by　his　writings　an
  immortal　life。
  〃Usque　adeone
  Scire　tuum；　nihil　est；　nisi　to　scire　hoc；　sciat　alter？
  ＇〃Is　all　that　thy　learning　nothing；　unless　another　knows
  that　thou　knowest？〃Persius；　Sat。；　i。　23。＇
  It　appears　to　be　reason；　when　a　man　talks　of　retiring　from　the　world；
  that　he　should　look　quite　out　of　＇for＇　himself。　　These　do　it　but　by
  halves：　they　design　well　enough　for　themselves　when　they　shall　be　no　more
  in　it；　but　still　they　pretend　to　extract　the　fruits　of　that　design　from
  the　world；　when　absent　from　it；　by　a　ridiculous　contradiction。
  The　imagination　of　those　who　seek　solitude　upon　the　account　of　devotion；
  filling　their　hopes　and　courage　with　certainty　of　divine　promises　in　the
  other　life；　is　much　more　rationally　founded。　　They　propose　to　themselves
  God；　an　infinite　object　in　goodness　and　power；　the　soul　has　there
  wherewithal；　at　full　liberty；　to　satiate　her　desires：　afflictions　and
  sufferings　turn　to　their　advantage；　being　undergone　for　the　acquisition
  of　eternal　health　and　joy；　death　is　to　be　wished　and　longed　for；　where　it
  is　the　passage　to　so　perfect　a　condition；　the　asperity　of　the　rules　they
  impose　upon　themselves　is　immediately　softened　by　custom；　and　all　their
  carnal　appetites　baffled　and　subdued；　by　refusing　to　humour　and　feed
  them；　these　being　only　supported　by　use　and　exercise。　　This　sole　end　of
  another　happily　immortal　life　is　that　which　really　merits　that　we　should
  abandon　the　pleasures　and　conveniences　of　this；　and　he　who　can　really　and
  constantly　inflame　his　soul　with　the　ardour　of　this　vivid　faith　and　hope；
  erects　for　himself　in　solitude　a　more　voluptuous　and　delicious　life　than
  any　other　sort　of　existence。
  Neither　the　end；　then；　nor　the　means　of　this　advice　pleases　me；　for　we
  often　fall　out　of　the　frying…pan　into　the　fire。　＇or：　we　always　relapse
  ill　from　fever　into　fever。＇　　This　　book…employment　is　as　painful　as　any
  other；　and　as　great　an　enemy　to　health；　which　ought　to　be　the　first　thing
  considered；　neither　ought　a　man　to　be　allured　with　the　pleasure　of　it；
  which　is　the　same　that　destroys　the　frugal；　the　avaricious；　the
  voluptuous；　and　the　ambitious　man。
  ＇〃This　plodding　occupation　of　bookes　is　as　painfull　as　any　other；
  and　as　great　an　enemie　vnto　health；　which　ought　principally　to　be
  considered。　　And　a　man　should　not　suffer　him　selfe　to　be　inveagled
  by　the　pleasure　he　takes　in　them。〃Florio；　edit。　1613；　p。　122。＇
  The　sages　give　us　caution　enough　to　beware　the　treachery　of　our　desires；
  and　to　distinguish　true　and　entire　pleasures　from　such　as　are　mixed　and
  complicated　with　greater　pain。　　For　the　most　of　our　pleasures；　say　they；
  wheedle　and　caress　only　to　strangle　us；　like　those　thieves　the　Egyptians
  called　Philistae；　if　the　headache　should　come　before　drunkenness；　we
  should　have　a　care　of　drinking　too　much；　but　pleasure；　to　deceive　us；
  marches　before　and　conceals　her　train。　　Books　are　pleasant；　but　if；　by
  being　over…studious；　we　impair　our　health　and　spoil　our　goodhumour；　the
  best　pieces　we　have；　let　us　give　it　over；　I；　for　my　part；　am　one　of　those
  who　think；　that　no　fruit　derived　from　them　can　recompense　so　great　a
  loss。　　As　men　who　have　long　felt　themselves　weakened　by　indisposition；
  give　themselves　up　at　last　to　the　mercy　of　medicine　and　submit　to　certain
  rules　of　living；　which　they　are　for　the　future　never　to　transgress；　so　he
  who　retire