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The Praise of Folly 59 Deceipts—But I’m got into as endless a work as numbring the Sands—For what offences Mankind have deserv’d these things, or what angry God compell’d ’em to be born into such miseries, is not my present business. Yet he that shall diligently examine it with himself, would he not, think ye, approve the example of the Milesian Virgins, and kill himself ? But who are they that for no other reason but that they were weary of life, have hastned their own Fate? were they not the next Neighbours to Wisdom? amongst whom, to say nothing of Diogenes, Xenocrates, Cato, Cassius, Brutus, that Wise Man Chiron, being offer’d Immortality, chose rather to dye than be troubled with the same thing always. And now I think ye see what would become of the World if all men should be wise; to wit ’twere necessary we got another kind of Clay and some better Potter. But I, partly through ignorance, partly unadvisedness, and sometimes through forgetfulness of evil, do now and then so sprinkle pleasure with the hopes of good, and sweeten men up in their greatest misfortunes, that they are not willing to leave this life, even
