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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 Man¬
kind 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 Immor¬
tality, 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