登陆注册
5362600000191

第191章

I cannot allow of the way in which we settle for ourselves the duration of our life. I see that the sages contract it very much in comparison of the common opinion: "what," said the younger Cato to those who would stay his hand from killing himself, "am I now of an age to be reproached that I go out of the world too soon?" And yet he was but eight-and-forty years old. He thought that to be a mature and advanced age, considering how few arrive unto it. And such as, soothing their thoughts with I know not what course of nature, promise to themselves some years beyond it, could they be privileged from the infinite number of accidents to which we are by a natural subjection exposed, they might have some reason so to do. What am idle conceit is it to expect to die of a decay of strength, which is the effect of extremest age, and to propose to ourselves no shorter lease of life than that, considering it is a kind of death of all others the most rare and very seldom seen? We call that only a natural death; as if it were contrary to nature to see a man break his neck with a fall, be drowned in shipwreck, be snatched away with a pleurisy or the plague, and as if our ordinary condition did not expose us to these inconveniences. Let us no longer flatter ourselves with these fine words; we ought rather, peradventure, to call that natural which is general, common, and universal.

To die of old age is a death rare, extraordinary, and singular, and, therefore, so much less natural than the others; 'tis the last and extremest sort of dying: and the more remote, the less to be hoped for.

It is, indeed, the bourn beyond which we are not to pass, and which the law of nature has set as a limit, not to be exceeded; but it is, withal, a privilege she is rarely seen to give us to last till then. 'Tis a lease she only signs by particular favour, and it may be to one only in the space of two or three ages, and then with a pass to boot, to carry him through all the traverses and difficulties she has strewed in the way of this long career. And therefore my opinion is, that when once forty years we should consider it as an age to which very few arrive. For seeing that men do not usually proceed so far, it is a sign that we are pretty well advanced; and since we have exceeded the ordinary bounds, which is the just measure of life, we ought not to expect to go much further; having escaped so many precipices of death, whereinto we have seen so many other men fall, we should acknowledge that so extraordinary a fortune as that which has hitherto rescued us from those eminent perils, and kept us alive beyond the ordinary term of living, is not like to continue long.

'Tis a fault in our very laws to maintain this error: these say that a man is not capable of managing his own estate till he be five-and-twenty years old, whereas he will have much ado to manage his life so long.

同类推荐
  • 要修科仪戒律钞

    要修科仪戒律钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Samuel Butler-A Sketch

    Samuel Butler-A Sketch

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Story of a Pioneer

    The Story of a Pioneer

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Is Shakespeare Dead

    Is Shakespeare Dead

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 赠别

    赠别

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 缘起缘尽缘终尽

    缘起缘尽缘终尽

    身负邪剑灵的狐妖玉婉儿与天山弟子夏子明相恋,可却因为两人身处不同的门派而无法在一起,而天山也为了称霸仙界而攻打九离,而夏子明和玉婉儿也因此相对........
  • 太子爷的意外婚约(大结局)

    太子爷的意外婚约(大结局)

    【简介】杜心诺怎么也没有想到,17岁那年父母竟然说她有未婚夫,而且还是一个邪道太子爷!更离谱的是,那个男人竟然让她当天晚上就跟她走!他当她是卖给他的奴隶啊,不过就是找他借点钱罢了……再说,她可不打算真的和一个“非正道”的男人结婚。可是那个男人还是没放过她,在离开酒店后,她只能一个人默默地哭……她只知道他叫雷御风,其他就什么都不知道了。为什么自己的高中生涯竟然是这样的呢?雷御风不打算放过这个本来就属于他的女人,更何况他还是付了钱的。本想用一百万就打发了她,他可不会去完成什么可笑的婚约。但是命运似乎在和他作对,竟然让他再次遇见她,而且是在那样的情况下……————————————————红袖,我回来了。不知道读者还有几个人认识我呢?不认识没关系,请大家关注这文,记得收藏就好。
  • 最后一个大魔头

    最后一个大魔头

    群号:欢迎加入:234909134希望大家能踊跃加入我若成魔天下无佛、我若成妖,妖中为尊!魔,不是冷酷无情,魔,不是恨天恨地!魔!是一种对世间一切不满的控诉!魔,当行天下不敢为之事!魔,当行天下不敢做之事!!魔,当行天下不敢当之事!!!请不要认为这是一本小说,因为它是文明和修炼的结合!
  • 一剑荡九天

    一剑荡九天

    洪荒破碎,天道九分。九天之下,蕴育了九种文明和九大修炼体系。黄天之下多为古武,苍天之中尽是修真!又有十二大星空圣使,各自掌握着一种逆天神通!且看主角如何从一个毫无修为的普通人,到一步步的将九天,尽数踩在脚下。
  • 十往生阿弥陀佛国经附十往生经真伪决疑

    十往生阿弥陀佛国经附十往生经真伪决疑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 漫游仙世记

    漫游仙世记

    某地有逆天法宝现世?辛和:不要看我啊我就一路过的,真的!捡了两块石头,滚了。哪个限制人数的秘境名额要开啦,师傅给她争到一个名额?辛和:哦我不要去秘境!离宗出走了。发现了能口说人话,能探宝能护主的各类可收做灵宠的妖兽?辛和:哇好厉害!再见!把妖兽用来垫屁股的一块破木头一捞,溜了。众人:……很多年后,全修仙界都知道了,天玄宗有一名修士,不爱法宝,亦不收灵宠,就喜欢到修仙界各地去收破烂。辛和:冤枉啊!这明明是用来……天机不可泄露,就不告诉你,哼!一句话的正经简介:辛和最大的金手指就是她自己。排雷:1不是废灵根。2不是重生文,不是穿越文。3无感情戏男主。新手开坑,希望大家能收藏,投票支持。
  • 诸天万劫系统

    诸天万劫系统

    穿越诸天,化身为劫!逆天之人,吾必诛之!“唉,时至今日我才看穿,不是你该死,而是,我想让你死!”多年后,叶慕朝阳站在天劫殿中,看着诸天亿万生灵,瞅哪个不顺眼,一指点过去,那人便五雷轰顶魂飞魄散!(本书十分‘严谨’,如有雷同,纯属巧合!!!)
  • 星际速递

    星际速递

    吴擎是一名没学历没技术没背景的快递员,原本以为这一辈子都要干快递员这份工作的他,意外来到未来,成了一艘星舰的一员,可还没来得及感受未来科技的神奇,星际海盗来了,自己也差点没了命。没有一点技能的吴擎还算有点B数,干起了自己的老本行:送快递。送物送人送机器,只要给钱,没有吴擎不送的。星际速递,使命必达!
  • 小人物崛起

    小人物崛起

    被人陷害臭名远扬,被逼回老家种田,却因祸得福获传承,且看李小宁如何一路逆袭,成就绝世医仙。
  • 呵旁观者文

    呵旁观者文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。