"Omnes clari et nobilitati labores fiunt tolerabiles;" ["All labours that are illustrious and famous become supportable." --Cicero, Tusc. Quaes., ii. 26.] and the same wound, the same fatigue, is not, says Xenophon, so intolerable to a general of an army as to a common soldier. Epaminondas took his death much more cheerfully, having been informed that the victory remained to him: "Haec sunt solatia, haec fomenta summorum dolorum;" ["These are sedatives and alleviations to the greatest pains." --Cicero, Tusc. Quaes., ii. 23.] and such like circumstances amuse, divert, and turn our thoughts from the consideration of the thing in itself. Even the arguments of philosophy are always edging and glancing on the matter, so as scarce to rub its crust; the greatest man of the first philosophical school, and superintendent over all the rest, the great Zeno, forms this syllogism against death: "No evil is honourable; but death is honourable; therefore death is no evil"; against drunkenness this: "No one commits his secrets to a drunkard; but every one commits his secrets to a wise man: therefore a wise man is no drunkard." Is this to hit the white? I love to see that these great and leading souls cannot rid themselves of our company: perfect men as they are, they are yet simply men. Revenge is a sweet passion, of great and natural impression; I discern it well enough, though I have no manner of experience of it. From this not long ago to divert a young prince, I did not tell him that he must, to him that had struck him upon the one cheek, turn the other, upon account of charity; nor go about to represent to him the tragical events that poetry attributes to this passion. I left that behind; and I busied myself to make him relish the beauty of a contrary image: and, by representing to him what honour, esteem, and goodwill he would acquire by clemency and good nature, diverted him to ambition. Thus a man is to deal in such cases. If your passion of love be too violent, disperse it, say they, and they say true; for I have often tried it with advantage: break it into several desires, of which let one be regent, if you will, over the rest; but, lest it should tyrannise and domineer over you, weaken and protract, by dividing and diverting it: "Cum morosa vago singultiet inguine vena," ["When you are tormented with fierce desire, satisfy it with the first person that presents herself."--Persius, Sat., vi. 73.] "Conjicito humorem collectum in corpora quaeque," [Lucretius, vi. 1062, to the like effect.] and provide for it in time, lest it prove troublesome to deal with, when it has once seized you: "Si non prima novis conturbes vulnera plagis, Volgivagaque vagus venere ante recentia cures." ["Unless you cure old wounds by new."-Lucretius, iv. 1064.]