The Best of the Worlds Classics, Restricted to prose | Page 9

pruning with the knife, restrains from running into a forest
of twigs, and spreading too far in all directions.
Accordingly, in the beginning of spring, in those twigs which are left,
there rises up as it were at the joints of the branches that which is called
a bud, from which the nascent grape shows itself, which, increasing in
size by the moisture of the earth and the heat of the sun, is at first very
acid to the taste, and then as it ripens grows sweet, and being clothed
with its large leaves does not want moderate warmth, and yet keeps off
the excessive heat of the sun; than which what can be in fruit on the one
hand more rich, or on the other hand more beautiful in appearance? Of
which not only the advantage, as I said before, but also the cultivation
and the nature itself delight me; the rows of props, the joining of the
heads, the tying up and propagation of vines, and the pruning of some
twigs, and the grafting of others, which I have mentioned. Why should
I allude to irrigations, why to the diggings of the ground, why to the
trenching by which the ground is made much more productive? Why
should I speak of the advantage of manuring? I have treated of it in that
book which I wrote respecting rural affairs, concerning which the
learned Hesiod has not said a single word, tho he has written about the
cultivation of the land. But Homer, who, as appears to me, lived many
ages before, introduces Lærtes soothing the regret which he felt for his
son by tilling the land and manuring it. Nor indeed is rural life
delightful by reason of corn-fields only and meadows and vineyards
and groves, but also for its gardens and orchards; also for the feeding of
cattle, the swarms of bees, and the variety of all kinds of flowers. Nor
do plantings only give me delight, but also graftings, than which
agriculture has invented nothing more ingenious....
Was then their old age to be pitied who amused themselves in the
cultivation of land? In my opinion, indeed, I know not whether any
other can be more happy; and not only in the discharge of duty, because
to the whole race of mankind the cultivation of the land is beneficial;

but also from the amusement, which I have mentioned, and that fulness
and abundance of all things which are connected with the food of men,
and also with the worship of the gods; so that, since some have a desire
for these things, we may again put ourselves on good terms with
pleasure. For the wine-cellar of a good and diligent master is always
well stored; the oil-casks, the pantry also, the whole farmhouse is richly
supplied; it abounds in pigs, kids, lambs, hens, milk, cheese, honey.
Then, too, the countrymen themselves call the garden a second dessert.
And then what gives a greater relish to these things is that kind of
leisure labor, fowling and hunting. Why should I speak of the
greenness of meadows, or the rows of trees, or the handsome
appearance of vineyards and olive grounds? Let me cut the matter short.
Nothing can be either more rich in use or more elegant in appearance
than ground well tilled, to the enjoyment of which old age is so far
from being an obstacle that it is even an invitation and allurement. For
where can that age be better warmed either by basking in the sun or by
the fire, or again be more healthfully refreshed by shades or waters? Let
the young, therefore, keep to themselves their arms, horses, spears,
clubs, tennis-ball, swimmings, and races; to us old men let them leave
out of many amusements the tali and tesseræ; and even in that matter it
may be as they please, since old age can be happy without these
amusements....
What, therefore, should I fear if after death I am sure either not to be
miserable or to be happy? Altho who is so foolish, even if young, as to
be assured that he will live even till the evening? Nay, that period of
life has many more probabilities of death that ours has; young men
more readily fall into diseases, suffer more severely, are cured with
more difficulty, and therefore few arrive at old age. Did not this happen
so we should live better and more wisely, for intelligence, and
reflection, and judgment reside in old men, and if there had been none
of them, no states could exist at all. But I return to the imminence of
death. What charge is that against old age, since you see it to be
common to youth also? I experienced not only in the case