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The Tusculan Disputations, Tr. by a Gentleman
The Tusculan Disputations Tr by a Gentleman Author:Marcus Tullius Cicero General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1758 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: THE Tusculan Disputations O F Marcus Tullius Cicero. ' BOOK I. On the Contempt of Death I. A S I am, at length, entirely, or to a JlV. great degree, freed from the fatigue of defending clients, and the duties of a fenator, I have recourfeagain, BRUTUs, principally on your advice, to thofe ftudies which., were never out of my mindj but neglected at times, and which after a long interval I bave reaflum'd : And lince the reafon and precepts of all arts which relate toliyfng well, depend on the ftudy of wifdopn which is call'd philofophy, I have thought of illuftrating this in the Latin tongue, not, becaufe philofophy, could not be under- B floodftood in the Greek language, or by Greek mafters, but it was always my opinion, that we have been more happy at inventing than the Greeks, or that we have improved on whatever we have received from them, which they have thought worthy their care and pains: For with regard to manners and ceconomy, family and home affairs; We certainly now manage them with more elegance, and better than they; but our Anceftors have, beyond all dTfpute, form'dtbe republic on better laws and cuftoms. Whatmalll fay of our military affairs? in which, as our anceftors excell'd them much in valour, fo more in difcipline: As to thofe things which are attained not by ftudy, but nature, nor Greece, nor any nation, is comparable with them; for with whom was there that gravity, that fteadinefs, that greatnefs of foul, probity, faith ? luch diftinguifhed virtue of every kind, as to equal them with ours ? Greece excell'd us in learning, and all kinds of litterature, and it was eafy to ...« less