Diss.
_Passage in Bacon_ (Vol. viii., p. 141.).--In the Notes on Bacon's Essay
II. "On Death," there appears the following:
"In the passage of Juvenal, the words are 'Qui spatium vitae,' and not
'Qui finem vitae,' as quoted by Lord Bacon. Length of days is meant."
His lordship's memory and _ear_ too certainly misled him with respect to
the _wording_, but he has correctly given us the _sense_. Juvenal has been
arguing (l. iv. Sat. x.) on the vanity of earthly blessings, so called, in
quite a philosophic way; it is hardly possible to suppose him closing his
sermon with--
"Fortem posce animum, mortis terrore carentem,
Qui spatium vitae extremum inter munera ponat
Naturae, qui ferre queat quoscumque labores,
Nesciat irasci, cupiat nihil, et potiores
Herculis aerumnas credat, saevosque labores,
Et Venere, et coenis, et plume Sardanapali."
if by _spatium_ he meant "length;" but how apt and beautiful in Lord
Bacon's sense! A note on the passage in the Var. Ed. of 1684 has "Qui sciat
_mortem_ munus aliquod naturae esse."