The Book of Seneca 1 · Handed down at Rome, from his letters and essays
Much of what Seneca said accords with the axioms. Much of what he did did not. Chapter 5 is his own account of it. This book keeps what does not accord, and does not cover it over.
1.1Lucilius, you ask why I am always saying there is not much time. I will answer you.
1.2Men say life is short. Life is not short. We make it short.
1.3Let a man take a foot of your land and you will go to law over it.
1.4Let a man take a day of your life and you do not even ask.
1.5You guard your money; whoever borrows it must sign for it.
1.6You do not guard your days; whoever asks for them gets them.
1.7Only on the last day does a man suddenly want to live.
1.8Then he says: give me ten more years.
1.9But what did he do with the sixty he had? He cannot say.
1.10Not because he forgot. Those days never happened. (cf. The Covenant 1.3)
1.11Sit down and count: in this whole life, how many days were lived for yourself?
1.12Not for a patron, not for a guest, not for next year.
1.13That number, and no other, is your age.
1.14The rest of the years you were present, but you did not live.