Bartolomeo Scala, Praefatio in Collectiones Cosmianas, (8)

But how much more humanely and intelligently act those who, having from their earliest youth embraced the brevity of human life in mind and thought, do not, in an effort to excuse their own idleness and lack of care, ‘accuse nature because life is short and age is weak’, as Sallust says. Rather, they think about how they can best compensate for the disadvantages of that brevity with zeal, care, and diligence.

Both antiquity and our own age have seen such people, who became famous in various pursuits. For, as far as this goes, there is not only one way in which the mind can overcome the brevity of life and commend itself to immortality. Philosophers are praised, orators are praised, generals are praised – even the administrators and helmsmen of republics and the moderators of the public have stood forth in the highest glory.

So far is it from being the case that human life is not sufficient to attain singular praise that we have read and heard of many people who have excelled in several or even in all pursuits at the same time, and we have seen some of them become famous. Wasn’t Julius Caesar – the one whose arms all nations feared – the greatest orator and the most elegant writer? Didn’t Cicero – about whose learning and elegance enough could not be said – accomplish things as consul which no general, however outstanding, could have deliberated about more gravely or accomplished more industriously, and for which he could not undeservedly boast of, ‘Rome, fortunate to be born in my consulship’?

Quanto vero humanius prudentiusque hi faciunt qui iam tum ab ineunte aetate brevitatem humanae vitae mente ac cogitatione complexi, non quemadmodum ignaviae socordiaeque suae causas excusantes, naturam, quod aevi sit brevis, quod imbecilla aetas, ut ait Crispus,’ criminentur, cogitant; verum quo pacto magis brevitatis ipsius damna compensare possint, summo studio, cura et diligentia perscrutantur! Quales et prisca et nostra aetas multos vidit,qui alius alia in laude claruere. Non enim una dumtaxat res est in qua possit animus aevi brevitatem superans sese immortalitati commendare. Laudantur enim philosophi, laudantur oratores, laudantur imperatores. Rerum quoque publicarum administratores rectoresque et temperatores populorum summa semper in gloria extiterunt; tantumque abest ut singulis consequendis laudibus humana vita non sufficiat, ut vel in plerisque vel in omnibus simul complures legerimus et audiverimus, [et] viderimus ipsi nonnullos claruisse. C. quidem Caesar, is cuius arma gentes omnes timuerunt, nonne summus orator fuit scriptorque elegantissimus? M. vero Tullius, cuius de doctrina elegantiaque dici non potest satis, nonne consul ea gessit quae nullus quantumvis egregius imperator vel consultasse gravius vel gessisse gnavius potuisset, quibusque, ut solebat, possit neque immerito gloriari, ‘O fortunatam natam me consule Romam’*— quanquam exemplis nobis extraneis non est opus?

Bartolomeo Scala, Praefatio in Collectiones Cosmianas, (5)

Passing over the rest, what do you think is the fruit of memory in old age, or what utility in the recollection of the things you have done in life? Once all of these things are compared to the things that happen in daily life, they understand that one thing is to be chosen and another to be escaped much more readily than do those who, uncultured and inexperienced, make their own judgments of the matter. For we were not born to grasp wisdom with all of its light immediately – it is furnished by our zeal, our diligence, and not in the least by the length of our life.

They say that Democritus was an exceptionally wise man, since after he had reached the age of one hundred and seven (for he lived that many years) understood that he would die, and lamented that he was leaving life just at the moment when he had begun to be wise. Critias, in Plato’s Timaeus says that Solon of Athens was once chastised and mocked by an Egyptian priest because the Greeks were always children, and never had an old man among them. That is to say, their memory was always of the most recent stuff, and there was never any old gray-haired wisdom among them. Is it not right then for people to complain and lay fault at their nature, when they are deprived of such great advantages and profits of life at the very time when they are able and indeed ought to enjoy them the most? What else could be the reason, except that nature feels spite for the human race, and offers herself up as the most unjust author of all of its misfortunes?

Ut enim cetera omittam, quis, putas, est senilis memoriae fructus, quaeve rerum in vita gestarum recordationis utilitas, quibus cum his quae in dies accidunt collatis, hoc quidem deligendum, illud vero fugiendum esse multo hercle noverunt facilius quam qui rudes adhuc rerum atque inexperti iudicant? Neque enim ita nati sumus ut statim cum luce ipsa sapientiam nanciscamur; sed ea studio ac diligentia nostra nee minus vitae diuturnitate comparatur. Democritum virum egregie sapientem ferunt, cum expletis septem supra centum (tot enim vixit) annis, mori se intelligeret, dolere dixisse quod tunc egrederetur e vita quando sapere incepisset.” Et Critias in Timeo Platonis refert Atheniensem Solonem aliquando et reprehensum et irrisum ab Aegyptio sacerdote extitisse, quod pueri semper essent Graeci, neque quisquam esset apud illos senex. Novella enim semper esset memoria, neque ulla apud eos unquam cana sapientia. Cur igitur non iure querantur homines naturamque accusent suam, qui tot tantisque utilitatibus vitaeque commodis tunc maxime morte priventur quando his uti commo- dissime potuerunt et iure debuerunt? Quid enim aliud videtur causae’^ fuisse nisi invidisse naturam generi hominum fortunarumque ipsius inquis- simam se auctorem praebuisse?

Petrarch, de Otio et Solitudine (6):

But the divine Augustus Caesar, who enjoyed more power than anyone else in the world, was unable to pursue this one thing which seems like a mere trifle to most people. To be sure, he often wished for the sweetness of leisure: whatever he was thinking or talking about would end in leisure; this was the consolation of his labors, this was the reward for his past deeds, this was the hope of time to come, the mass of all his riches and the power over all the world looked dirty in comparison to leisure. Then, finally, worn out by the abundance of all the things which can happen to the most fortunate person, he took his breath in the name of leisure alone. Seneca mentions this, and his ‘Certain Letter to the Senate’ attests to it as well.

With what pleasure should we think that he would have arrived at that leisure on which he had so sweetly bent his mind’s eye! But from the highest peak of fortune, on which the master of the world had sat, the descent to that low and simple desire seemed to steep to his mind as he chanced to think about it. And so, he stuck deliberating about it, and never made the descent until he died. For that reason (granted, among those who enjoyed leisure no place lay open to him then), because nevertheless nothing provides clearer testimony to how great the happiness of leisure is than this does: Caesar was not to be overlooked when this question was being debated – Caesar who, when he had it in his power to give anything, asked that nothing be given to him but leisure, and when he was in charge of everything, saw nothing more beautiful than his throne, except for leisure.

at vero divus Augustus Cesar, quo nemo mortalium ampliori usus est potestate, hoc unum quod multis perexiguum videretur consequi non potuit. Otii nempe dulcedinem semper optavit: quicquid cogitabat, quicquid loquebatur in otium desinebat; hoc solamen presentium laborum, hec preteritorum merces, hec venturi temporis spes erat, omnis illi divitiarum suarum cumulus et totius orbis imperium in comparationem otii sordebat; denique in summa omnium que fortunatissimo homini contingere possunt bonorum copia defessus, in solo otii nomine respirabat. ⟨2⟩ Cuius rei et Anneus Seneca meminit et “quedam” eius “ad senatum” testatur “epystola”. ⟨3⟩ Quanta cum voluptate igitur eo perventurum fuisse credimus quo tam dulciter oculos mentis intenderat! Sed ab eminentissimo fortune culmine, cui rerum dominus insederat, ad illud humile modestumque desiderium preruptus forte cogitanti animo descensus videbatur; itaque deliberans herebat, nec unquam nisi moriens descendit. ⟨4⟩ Quocirca, licet inter otio fruentes nullus huic pateret locus, quia tamen quanta sit otii felicitas nullo clarius teste cognoscitur, non fuit cum de hoc ageretur pretermittendus Cesar, qui, cum omnia dare posset, nil sibi dari preter otium poscebat, cum omnibus preesset, nil solio suo pulcrius preter otium videbat.