the fruit
of blessedness, not only by death, but also by affliction and torments,
how can present happiness make men happy, the loss of which causeth not
misery?

[108] _i.e._ sensitive.

IV.

Quisquis uolet perennem
Cautus ponere sedem
Stabilisque nec sonori
Sterni flatibus Euri
Et fluctibus minantem 5
Curat spernere pontum,
Montis cacumen alti,
Bibulas uitet harenas.
Illud proteruus Auster
Totis uiribus urget, 10
Hae pendulum solutae
Pondus ferre recusant.
Fugiens periculosam
Sortem sedis amoenae
Humili domum memento 15
Certus figere saxo.
Quamuis tonet ruinis
Miscens aequora uentus,
Tu conditus quieti
Felix robore ualli 20
Duces serenus aeuum
Ridens aetheris iras.

IV.

Who with an heedful care
Will an eternal seat prepare,
Which cannot be down cast
By force of windy blast,
And will the floods despise,
When threatening billows do arise,
He not on hills must stand,
Nor on the dangerous sinking sand.
For there the winds will threat,
And him with furious tempests beat,
And here the ground too weak
Will with the heavy burden break.[109]
Fly then the dangerous case
Of an untried delightful place,
And thy poor house bestow
In stony places firm and low.
For though the winds do sound,
And waves of troubled seas confound:
Yet thou to rest disposed
In thy safe lowly vale inclosed,
Mayst live a quiet age,
Scorning the air's distempered rage.

[109] Literally, "These shifting sands refuse to bear the weight laid
upon them."

V.

Sed quoniam rationum iam in te mearum fomenta descendunt, paulo
ualidioribus utendum puto. Age enim si iam caduca et momentaria fortunae
dona non essent, quid in eis est quod aut uestrum umquam fieri queat aut
non perspectum consideratumque uilescat? Diuitiaene uel uestra uel sui
natura pretiosae sunt? Quid earum potius, aurumne an uis congesta pecuniae?
Atqui haec effundendo magis quam coaceruando melius nitent, si quidem
auaritia semper odiosos, claros largitas facit. Quod si manere apud quemque
non potest quod transfertur in alterum, tunc est pretiosa pecunia cum
translata in alios largiendi usu desinit possideri. At eadem si apud unum
quanta est ubique gentium con