And there are many people who approve of moderate meals, as Alexis tells us in his Woman in Love—
But I am content with what is necessary,And in his Liar he says—
And hate superfluous things; for in excess
There is not pleasure, but extravagance.
I hate excess; for those who practise itAnd in his Foster Brothers he says—
Have only more expense, but not more pleasure.
How sweet all kinds of moderation are!And Ariston the philosopher, in the second book of his Amatory Similitudes, says that Polemo, the Academic philosopher, used to exhort those who were going to a supper, to consider how they might make their party pleasant, not only for the present evening, but also for the morrow. And Timotheus, the son of Conon, being once taken by Plato from [p. 661] a very sumptuous and princely entertainment to one held at the Academy, and being there feasted in a simple and scholar- like manner, said that those who supped with Plato would be well the next day also. But Hegesander, in his Commentaries, says that on the next day Timotheus, meting with Plato, said, “You, O Plato, sup well, more with reference to the next day than to the present one!” But Pyrrho the Elean, when on one occasion one of his acquaintances received him with a very sumptuous entertainment, as he himself relates, said, “I will for the future not come to you if you receive me in this manner; that I may avoid being grieved by seeing you go to a great expense for which there is no necessity, and that you, too, may not come to distress by being overwhelmed by such expenses; for it is much better for us to delight one another by our mutual companionship and conversation, than by the great variety of dishes which we set before one another, of which our servants consume the greater part.”
I now am going away, not empty, but
In a most comfortable state,—for wise
Mnesitheus tells us that 'tis always right'
T' avoid extravagance in everything.
