The Art of Manliness - Manvotionals - Brett McKay [38]
Continue to act thus, my dear Lucilius—set yourself free for your own sake; gather and save your time, which ’til lately has been forced from you, or filched away, or has merely slipped from your hands. Make yourself believe the truth of my words—that certain moments are torn from us, that some are gently removed, and that others glide beyond our reach. The most disgraceful kind of loss, however, is that due to carelessness. Furthermore, if you will pay close heed to the problem, you will find that the largest portion of our life passes while we are doing ill, a goodly share while we are doing nothing, and the whole while we are doing that which is not to the purpose. What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily? For we are mistaken when we look forward to death; the major portion of death has already passed. Whatever years be behind us are in death’s hands.
Therefore, Lucilius, do as you write me that you are doing: hold every hour in your grasp. Lay hold of to-day’s task, and you will not need to depend so much upon to-morrow’s. While we are postponing, life speeds by. Nothing, Lucilius, is ours, except time. We were entrusted by nature with the ownership of this single thing, so fleeting and slippery that anyone who will can oust us from possession. What fools these mortals be! They allow the cheapest and most useless things, which can easily be replaced, to be charged in the reckoning, after they have acquired them; but they never regard themselves as in debt when they have received some of that precious commodity—time! And yet time is the one loan which even a grateful recipient cannot repay.
“Nihil sine labor.” (“Nothing without labor.”) —Latin maxim
Ben Franklin’s Maxims on Industry
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
God helps them that help themselves.
At the working man’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.
For industry pays debts, while despair increaseth them.
By diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the cable.
Little strokes fell great oaks.
Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.
Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease.
Many, without labor, would live by their wits only, but they break for want of stock.
Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.
Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright.
There will be sleeping enough in the grave.
Lost time is never found again.
Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him.
Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting.
Plough deep, while sluggards sleep.
Handle your tools without mittens; the cat in gloves catches no mice.
Constant dropping wears away stones.
A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees.
“The chiefest action for a man of great spirit is never to be out of action … the soul was never put into the body to stand still.” —John Webster
The Choice of Hercules
FROM THE MEMORABILIA
By Xenophon, c. 371 B.C.
Xenophon (430–354 B.C. ) was an ancient Greek historian and student of the philosopher Socrates. His Memorabilia is a collection of Socratic dialogues which purports to record the defense Socrates made for himself during his trial before the Athenians. While arguing against indolence and for the beneficial effects of labor, Socrates cites a story told by the Sophist Prodicus: The Choice of Hercules.
This story was popular throughout the eighteenth century; John Adams used it to guide his life and wished to make an illustration