Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 9

Ire obviam cadentibus cupimus. Gaudemus, si quid invasimus, invadendique aliquos spes vana delusit; vilem praedam magno aliquo incommodo luimus aut destituti fallimur. Secedamus itaque ab istis ludis et demus raptoribus locum; illi spectent bona ista pendentia et ipsi magis pendeant.

On voudrait les saisir au vol ; on triomphe si l’on a pris et si l’
espoir de prendre est déçu chez d’autres, et ce vil butin on l’expie par quelque grande disgrâce ou par les mécomptes de la possession. Éloignons-nous donc de ces jeux funestes, cédons la place aux hommes de proie : que l’attente des vains appâts qui pendent sur leurs têtes les tienne eux-mêmes plus vainement suspendus.

We are keen to intercept them as they fall down. We rejoice if we have laid hold of anything; and some have been mocked by the idle hope of laying hold; we have either paid a high price for worthless plunder with some disadvantage to ourselves, or else have been defrauded and are left in the lurch. Let us therefore withdraw from a game like this, and give way to the greedy rabble; let them gaze after such “goods,” which hang suspended above them, and be themselves still more in suspense.