Lucius Annaeus Seneca→Lucilius Junior|c. 65 AD|Seneca the Younger|From Rome|To Sicily|AI-assisted
I am indeed anxious that your friend be moulded
and trained, according t o your desire. But he has been taken in
a very hardened state, or rather (and this is a more difficult problem),
in a very soft state, broken down by bad and inveterate habits.
I should like to give you an illustration
from my own handicraft. "It is not every vine that admits the grafting
process; if it be old and decayed, or if it be weak and slender, the vine
either will not receive the cutting, or will not nourish it and make it
a part of itself, nor will it accommodate itself to the qualities and nature
of the grafted part. Hence we usually cut off the vine above ground,
so that if we do not get results at first, we may try a second venture,
and on a second trial graft it below the ground. Now this person,
concerning whom you have sent me your message in writing, has no strength;
for be has pampered his vices. He has at one and the same time become
flabby and hardened. He cannot receive
reason , nor can he nourish it. "But," you say, "he desires reason
of his own free will." Don't believe him. Of course I do not mean
that he is lying to you; for he really thinks that he desires it.
Luxury has merely upset his stomach; he will soon become reconciled to
it again. "But he says that he is put out with his former way of living."
Very likely. Who is not? Men love and hate their vices at the
same time. It will be the proper season to pass judgment on him when he
has given us a
<Ep3-281>
[1] Cupio mehercules amicum tuum formari ut desideras etinstitui, sed valde durus capitur; immo, quod est molestius, valde mollis capitur et consuetudine mala ac diutina fractus. Volo tibi ex nostro artificio exemplum referre. [2] Non quaelibet insitionem vitis patitur: si vetus et exesa est, si infirma gracilisque, aut non recipiet surculum aut non alet nec adplicabit sibi nec in qualitatem eius naturamque transibit. Itaque solemus supra terram praecidere ut, si non respondit, temptari possit secunda fortuna et iterum repetita infra terram inseratur. [3] Hic de quo scribis et mandas non habet vires: indulsit vitiis. Simul et emarcuit et induruit; non potest recipere rationem, non potest nutrire. 'At cupit ipse.' Noli credere. Non dico illum mentiri tibi: putat se cupere. Stomachum illi fecit luxuria: cito cum illa redibit in gratiam. [4] 'Sed dicit se offendi vita sua.' Non negaverim; quis enim non offenditur? Homines vitia sua et amant simul et oderunt. Tunc itaque de illo feremus sententiam cum fidem nobis fecerit invisam iam sibi esse luxuriam: nunc illis male convenit. Vale.
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I am indeed anxious that your friend be moulded and trained, according t o your desire. But he has been taken in a very hardened state, or rather (and this is a more difficult problem), in a very soft state, broken down by bad and inveterate habits. I should like to give you an illustration from my own handicraft. "It is not every vine that admits the grafting process; if it be old and decayed, or if it be weak and slender, the vine either will not receive the cutting, or will not nourish it and make it a part of itself, nor will it accommodate itself to the qualities and nature of the grafted part. Hence we usually cut off the vine above ground, so that if we do not get results at first, we may try a second venture, and on a second trial graft it below the ground. Now this person, concerning whom you have sent me your message in writing, has no strength; for be has pampered his vices. He has at one and the same time become flabby and hardened. He cannot receive reason , nor can he nourish it. "But," you say, "he desires reason of his own free will." Don't believe him. Of course I do not mean that he is lying to you; for he really thinks that he desires it. Luxury has merely upset his stomach; he will soon become reconciled to it again. "But he says that he is put out with his former way of living." Very likely. Who is not? Men love and hate their vices at the same time. It will be the proper season to pass judgment on him when he has given us a <Ep3-281>
Latin / Greek Original
[1] Cupio mehercules amicum tuum formari ut desideras etinstitui, sed valde durus capitur; immo, quod est molestius, valde mollis capitur et consuetudine mala ac diutina fractus. Volo tibi ex nostro artificio exemplum referre. [2] Non quaelibet insitionem vitis patitur: si vetus et exesa est, si infirma gracilisque, aut non recipiet surculum aut non alet nec adplicabit sibi nec in qualitatem eius naturamque transibit. Itaque solemus supra terram praecidere ut, si non respondit, temptari possit secunda fortuna et iterum repetita infra terram inseratur. [3] Hic de quo scribis et mandas non habet vires: indulsit vitiis. Simul et emarcuit et induruit; non potest recipere rationem, non potest nutrire. 'At cupit ipse.' Noli credere. Non dico illum mentiri tibi: putat se cupere. Stomachum illi fecit luxuria: cito cum illa redibit in gratiam. [4] 'Sed dicit se offendi vita sua.' Non negaverim; quis enim non offenditur? Homines vitia sua et amant simul et oderunt. Tunc itaque de illo feremus sententiam cum fidem nobis fecerit invisam iam sibi esse luxuriam: nunc illis male convenit. Vale.