large/7215/moralia1_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/morals1_13_plutarch_64kb_91
large/7215/moralia1_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/morals1_13_plutarch_64kb
English
7215
The relish of their former banquets is grown insipid, and delight hath left no piquant impression upon their palates ; by this means they break as it were the con  tinuity of life, and destroy the union of present things to the past ; and dividing yesterday from to day and to day from to morrow, they utterly efface all events, as if they had never been. THE RELISH OF THEIR FORMER BANQUETS HAS GROWN INSIPID AND DELIGHT HATH LEFT NO PIQUANT IMPRESSION UPON THEIR PALATES BY THIS MEANS THEY BREAK AS IT WERE THE CONTINUITY OF LIFE AND DESTROY THE UNION OF PRESENT THINGS TO THE PAST AND DIVIDING YESTERDAY FROM TO DAY AND TO DAY FROM TO MORROW THEY UTTERLY EFFACE ALL EVENTS AS IF THEY HAD NEVER BEEN
recesses of the mind, the variety of our passions is an abundant demonstration. The fool doth not discern, and consequently cannot mind, the good that is obvious to him, for his thoughts are stdl intent upon the future ; but the prudent man retrieves things that were lost out of their oblivion, by strength of recollec- tion renders them perspicuous, and enjoys them as if they were present. Happiness having only a few coy minutes to be courted in, the man that hath no intellect neglects * Ilesiod, Works and Days, 25. t See II. XXIV. 527. OF THE TKANQUILLITY OF THE MIXD. 157 this o]iportunity, and so it slides away from his sense and no more belongs to him. But like him that is painted in hell twisting a rope, and who lets the ass that is by him devour all the laborious textures as fast as he makes them, so most men have such a lethargy of forgetfulness upon them, that they lose the remembrance of all great actions, and no more call to mind their pleasant intervals of leisure and repose. IN HIS OWN BOSOM AND THE VESSELS WHICH CONTAIN GOOD AND EVIL ARE NOT PLACED AT JUPITER'S THRESHOLD BUT IN THE RECESSES OF THE MIND THE VARIETY OF OUR PASSIONS IS AN ABUNDANT DEMONSTRATION THE FOOL DOTH NOT DISCERN AND CONSEQUENTLY CANNOT MIND THE GOOD THAT IS OBVIOUS TO HIM FOR HIS THOUGHTS ARE STILL INTENT UPON THE FUTURE BUT THE PRUDENT MAN RETRIEVES THINGS THAT WERE LOST OUT OF THEIR OBLIVION BY STRENGTH OF RECOLLECTION RENDERS THEM PERSPICUOUS AND ENJOYS THEM AS IF THEY WERE PRESENT HAPPINESS HAVING ONLY A FEW COY MINUTES TO BE COURTED IN THE MAN THAT HATH NO INTELLECT NEGLECTS THIS OPPORTUNITY AND SO IT SLIDES AWAY FROM HIS SENSE AND NO MORE BELONGS TO HIM BUT LIKE HIM THAT IS PAINTED IN HELL TWISTING A ROPE AND WHO LETS THE ASS THAT IS BY HIM DEVOUR ALL THE LABORIOUS TEXTURES AS FAST AS HE MAKES HIM SO MOST MEN HAVE SUCH A LETHARGY OF FORGETFULNESS UPON THEM THAT THEY LOSE THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALL GREAT ACTIONS AND NO MORE CALL TO MIND THEIR PLEASANT INTERVALS OF LEISURE AND REPOSE
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