Book 7
12
And before Epicurus, Sophocles, the tragic poet, in his Antigone, had uttered these sentiments respecting pleasure— For when a man contemns and ceases thus To seek for pleasure, I do not esteem That such an one doth live; I only deem him A breathing corpse:—he may, indeed, perhaps Have store of wealth within his joyless house; He may keep up a kingly pomp and state; But if these things be not with joy attended, They are mere smoke and shadow, and contribute, No, not one jot, to make life enviable. And Philetærus says, in his Huntress,— For what, I pray you, should a mortal do, But seek for all appliances and means. To make his life from day to day pass happily? This should be all our object and our aim, Reflecting on the chance of human life. And never let us think about to-morrow, Whether it will arrive at all or not. It is a foolish trouble to lay up Money which may become stale and useless. And the same poet says, in his Œnopion,— But every man who lives but sparingly, Having sufficient means, I call and think Of all men the most truly miserable. For when you're dead, you cannot then eat eels; No wedding feasts are cook'd in Pluto's realms.
