the love of pleasure:  and Plato sets down a middle path of life betwixt the two.  But against such affections as wholly carry me away from myself and fix me elsewhere, against those, I say, I oppose myself with my utmost power.  ’Tis my opinion that a man should lend himself to others, and only give himself to himself.  Were my will easy to lend itself out and to be swayed, I should not stick there; I am too tender both by nature and use: 

“Fugax rerum, securaque in otia natus.”

["Avoiding affairs and born to secure ease.” 
—­Ovid, De Trist., iii. 2, 9.]

Hot and obstinate disputes, wherein my adversary would at last have the better, the issue that would render my heat and obstinacy disgraceful would peradventure vex me to the last degree.  Should I set myself to it at the rate that others do, my soul would never have the force to bear the emotion and alarms of those who grasp at so much; it would immediately be disordered by this inward agitation.  If, sometimes, I have been put upon the management of other men’s affairs, I have promised to take them in hand, but not into my lungs and liver; to take them upon me, not to incorporate them; to take pains, yes:  to be impassioned about it, by no means; I have a care of them, but I will not sit upon them.  I have enough to do to order and govern the domestic throng of those that I have in my own veins and bowels, without introducing a crowd of other men’s affairs; and am sufficiently concerned about my own proper and natural business, without meddling with the concerns of others.  Such as know how much they owe to themselves, and how many offices they are bound to of their own, find that nature has cut them out work enough of their own to keep them from being idle.  “Thou hast business enough at home:  look to that.”

Men let themselves out to hire; their faculties are not for themselves, but for those to whom they have enslaved themselves; ’tis their tenants occupy them, not themselves.  This common humour pleases not me.  We must be thrifty of the liberty of our souls, and never let it out but upon just occasions, which are very few, if we judge aright.  Do but observe such as have accustomed themselves to be at every one’s call:  they do it indifferently upon all, as well little as great, occasions; in that which nothing concerns them; as much as in what imports them most.  They thrust themselves in indifferently wherever there is work to do and obligation, and are without life when not in tumultuous bustle: 

“In negotiis sunt, negotii cause,”

     ["They are in business for business’ sake.”—­Seneca, Ep., 22.]