treatises on friendship and old age-第19节

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entertainment；　not　of　residence。

Oh　glorious　day　when　I　shall　set　out　to　join　that　heavenly　conclave
and　company　of　souls；　and　depart　from　the　turmoil　and　impurities
of　this　world！　For　I　shall　not　go　to　join　only　those　whom　I　have
before　mentioned；　but　also　my　son　Cato；　than　whom　no　better　man
was　ever　born；　nor　one　more　conspicuous　for　piety。　His　body　was
burnt　by　me；　though　mine　ought；　on　the　contrary；　to　have　been
burnt　by　him；　but　his　spirit；　not　abandoning；　but　ever　looking　back
upon　me；　has　certainly　gone　whither　he　saw　that　I　too　must　come。　I
was　thought　to　bear　that　loss　heroically；　not　that　I　really　bore　it
without　distress；　but　I　found　my　own　consolation　in　the　thought
that　the　parting　and　separation　between　us　was　not　to　be　for　long。

It　is　by　these　means；　my　dear　Scipio；…for　you　said　that　you　and
Laelius　were　wont　to　express　surprise　on　this　point；　…that　my　old
age　sits　lightly　on　me；　and　is　not　only　not　oppressive　but　even
delightful。　But　if　I　am　wrong　in　thinking　the　human　soul　immortal；
I　am　glad　to　be　wrong；　nor　will　I　allow　the　mistake　which　gives　me
so　much　pleasure　to　be　wrested　from　me　as　long　as　I　live。　But　if
when　dead；　as　some　insignificant　philosophers　think；　I　am　to　be
without　sensation；　I　am　not　afraid　of　dead　philosophers　deriding
my　errors。　Again；　if　we　are　not　to　be　immortal；　it　is　nevertheless
what　a　man　must　wish…to　have　his　life　end　at　its　proper　time。　For
nature　puts　a　limit　to　living　as　to　everything　else。　Now；　old　age　is
as　it　were　the　playing　out　of　the　drama；　the　full　fatigue　of　which
we　should　shun；　especially　when　we　also　feel　that　we　have　had
more　than　enough　of　it。

This　is　all　I　had　to　say　on　old　age。　　I　pray　that　you　may　arrive　at　it；
that　you　may　put　my　words　to　a　practical　test。







End