Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 10

Otium, inquis, Seneca, commendas mihi? Ad Epicureas voces delaberis. Otium tibi commendo, in quo maiora agas et pulchriora quam quae reliquisti; pulsare superbas potentiorum fores, digerere in litteram senes orbos, plurimum in foro posse invidiosa potentia ac brevis est et, si verum aestimes, sordida.

J’aime mieux que ma retraite excite ta compassion que ton envie.

« La retraite ! diras-tu ; toi, Sénèque, tu me la conseilles ! Tu te laisses aller aux phrases d’Épicure ! » Oui, je te prêche le repos ; mais un repos où tu fasses de plus grandes et de plus
belles choses que celles que tu quitteras.

Then you say: “Is it retirement, Seneca, that you are recommending to me? You will soon be falling back upon the maxims of Epicurus!" I do recommend retirement to you, but only that you may use it for greater and more beautiful activities than those which you have resigned; to knock at the haughty doors of the influential, to make alphabetical lists of childless old men, to wield the highest authority in public life, - this kind of power exposes you to hatred, is short-lived, and, if you rate it at its true value, is tawdry.