pain: he imagines the first
and the last to be the same, and makes no difference betwixt pleasure and
a cessation of pain. The last mistake he falls into in common with some
others; which is this: that as virtue is the most desirable thing, and as
philosophy has been investigated with a view to the attainment of it, he
has separated the chief good from virtue. But he commends virtue, and that
frequently; and indeed C. Gracchus, when he had made the largest
distributions of the public money, and had exhausted the treasury,
nevertheless spoke much of defending the treasury. What signifies what men
say, when we see what they do? That Piso, who was surnamed Frugal, had
always harangued against the law that was proposed for distributing the
corn, but when it had passed, though a man of consular dignity, he came to
receive the corn. Gracchus observed Piso standing in the court, and asked
him, in the hearing of the people, how it was consistent for him to take
corn by a law he had himself opposed? "It was," said he, "against your
distributing my goods to every man as you thought proper; but, as you do
so, I claim my share." Did not this grave and wise man sufficiently show
that the public revenue was dissipated by the Sempronian law? Read
Gracchus's speeches, and you will pronounce him the advocate of the
treasury. Epicurus denies that any one can live pleasantly who does not
lead a life of virtue; he denies that fortune has any power over a wise
man: he prefers a spare diet to great plenty, and maintains that a wise
man is always happy. All these things become a philosopher to say, but
they are not consistent with pleasure. But the reply is, that he doth not
mean _that_ pleasure: let him mean any pleasure, it must be such a one as
makes no part of virtue. But suppose we are mistaken as to his pleasure,
are we so too as to his pain? I maintain therefore the impropriety of
language which that man uses when talking of virtue, who would measure
every great evil by pain?

XXI. And indeed the Epicureans, those best of men, for there is no order
of men more innocent, complain, that I take great pains to inveigh against
Epicurus. We are rivals, I suppose, for some honour or distinction. I
place the chief good in the mind, he in the body; I in virtue, he in
pleasure; and the Epicureans are up in arms, and implore the assistance of
their neighbours, and many are ready to fly to their aid. But, as for my
part, I declare that I am very in