Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

—ON MERCY, II. I. 3-n. 2before a gathering of all mankind, that unto it princesand kings might pledge allegiance. What an utterance! Worthy of the universal innocence of mankind,in favour whereof that long past age " should berenewed. Now assuredly it were fitting that men,thrusting out covetousness from which springs everyevil of the heart, should conspire for righteousnessand goodness, that piety and uprightness along ^\-ithhonour and temperance should rise again, and thatvice, ha\"ing misused its long reign, should at lengthgive place to an age of happiness and purity.We are pleased to hope and trust, Caesar, that inlarge measure this ^\ill happen. That kindness ofyour heart will be recounted, ^\^ll be diffused httleby httle throughout the whole body of the empire,and all tilings ^^•ill be moulded into your hkeness.It is from the head that comes the health of thebody ; it is through it that all the parts are livelyand alert or languid and drooping according astheir animating spirit has life or withers. There^\^ll be citizens, there will be alhes worthy of thisgoodness, and uprightness will return to the wholeworld ;your hands will every^vhere be spared.Permit me to linger longer on this point, but notmerely to please your ears ; for that is not my wayI would rather offend with the truth than please byflattery. What then is my reason ? Besides wishingyou to be as familiar as possible with your own gooddeeds and words in order that what is now a naturalimpulse may become a principle, I reflect upon this,that many striking but odious sayings have madetheir entry into human life and are bandied aboutas famous ; as for example, " Let them hate if onlythey fear," * and the Greek verse''similar to it, inVOL. I 2 F 433