Essays and Dialogues

the aged, instead of the solace of Love, will be granted a state of contentment with their existence, similar to that of other animals. They will love life for its own sake, not for any pleasure or profit they derive from it."
Accordingly, Jove r

Thus the life of man, divided betwixt the worship of Truth and Lov

riving themselves of life, because under the sway of Truth they will become as cowardly as miserable. Truth will increase the bitterness of their existence, and at the same time bereave them of sufficient courage to reject

ed the eternity of their joy, to mortals she would expose the immensity of their unhappiness, representing it to them not as a matter of chance, but as an inevitable and perpetual necessity

such sufferings. For it is a characteristic of the unfortunate that they imagine happiness will wait on them as soon as the immediate cause of their present misfortune is removed

He knew that disease and misfortune would operate as a preventive to the committal of those acts of suicide which had formerly been rife; for they would not only make men cowardly and weak, but would help to attach them to life by the hope of an existence free from such sufferings

reduce the vigour of men's minds, to humble their pride, to make them bow the head to necessity, and be more contented with their lot

god hoped that men would be better able to bear the absenc

e happiness they longed for, when occupied and under the discipline of suffering

The gods avenged themselves for their injuries, and punished mortals for their renewed perverseness, by the deluge of Deucalion.