Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 15

His sermonibus et his similibus lenitur illa vis ulceris, quam opto mehercules mitigari et aut sanari aut stare et cum ipso senescere. Sed securus de illo sum; de nostro damno agitur, quibus senex egregius eripitur. Nam ipse vitae plenus est, cui adici nihil desiderat sua causa, sed eorum, quibus utilis est.

« Tu as affaire à un homme de cœur ; cherche ailleurs qui tu pourras vaincre. »

Avec ces propos et d’autres semblables, notre ami calme les douleurs d’un ulcère qu’assurément je voudrais voir perdre de sa violence et se guérir, ou rester stationnaire et vieillir avec lui. Mais pour lui je suis bien tranquille ; c’est la perte que nous ferons qui m’inquiète, si ce digne vieillard nous est enlevé. Car lui, il est rassasié de la vie ;

By these words, and words of a like kind, the malignity of the ulcer is quieted down; and I hope indeed that it can be reduced, and either cured or brought to a stop, and grow old along with the patient himself. I am, however, comfortable in my mind regarding him; what we are now discussing is our own loss - the taking-off of a most excellent old man. For he himself has lived a full life, and anything additional may be craved by him, not for his own sake, but for the sake of those who need his services.