Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 7

Quis tamen umquam hoc sibi optavit? Quaedam vota aperta et professa sunt, cum particulatim fiunt, quaedam latent, cum uno voto multa conprensa sunt. Tamquam opto mihi vitam honestam. Vita autem honesta actionibus variis constat; in hac est Reguli arca, Catonis scissum manu sua vulnus, Rutili exilium, calix venenatus, qui Socraten transtulit e carcere in caelum. Ita cum optavi mihi vitam honestam, et haec optavi, sine quibus interdum honesta non potest esse.

« Mais qui formera jamais un pareil souhait ? » Il y a des vœux clairs et déterminés, ceux qui se font pour une chose spéciale ; il y en a d’implicites, quand un seul en embrasse plusieurs. Par exemple, je souhaite une vie honorable : cette vie honorable se compose d’actes variés ; elle comprend le tonneau de Régulus, la blessure qu’élargit Caton de sa propre main, l’exil de Rutilius, la coupe empoisonnée qui fit monter Socrate du cachot dans les cieux. Ainsi, en souhaitant une vie honorable, j’ai du même coup souhaité les épreuves sans lesquelles parfois elle est impossible.

“But,” you say, “who ever desired such a thing for himself?” Some prayers are open and outspoken, when the requests are offered specifically; other prayers are indirectly expressed, when they include many requests under one title. For example, I desire a life of honour. Now a life of honour includes various kinds of conduct; it may include the chest in which Regulus was confined, or the wound of Cato which was torn open by Cato’s own hand, or the exile of Rutilius, or the cup of poison which removed Socrates from gaol to heaven. Accordingly, in praying for a life of honour, I have prayed also for those things without which, on some occasions, life cannot be honourable