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	<title>WIST Quotations</title>
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		<title>Horace -- Satires [Saturae, Sermones], Book 1, #  1 &#8220;Qui fit, Mæcenas,&#8221; l. 117ff (1.1.117-119) (35 BC) [tr. Conington (1874)]</title>
		<link>https://wist.info/horace/14007/</link>
		<comments>https://wist.info/horace/14007/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:12:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Horace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blessings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Hence comes it that the man is rarely seen Who owns that his a happy life has been, And, thankful for past blessings, with good will Retires, like one who has enjoyed his fill. &#160; [Inde fit ut raro, qui se vixisse beatum dicat et exacto contentus tempore vita cedat uti conviva satur, reperire queamus.] [&#8230;]]]></description>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hence comes it that the man is rarely seen<br />
Who owns that his a happy life has been,<br />
And, thankful for past blessings, with good will<br />
Retires, like one who has enjoyed his fill.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<em>[Inde fit ut raro, qui se vixisse beatum<br />
dicat et exacto contentus tempore vita<br />
cedat uti conviva satur, reperire queamus.]</em></p>
<br><b>Horace</b> (65–8 BC) Roman poet, satirist, soldier, politician [Quintus Horatius Flaccus]<br><i>Satires [Saturae, Sermones]</i>, Book 1, #  1 <i>&#8220;Qui fit, Mæcenas,&#8221;</i> l. 117ff (1.1.117-119) (35 BC) [tr. Conington (1874)] 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Satires,_Epistles_%26_Art_of_Poetry_of_Horace/Sat1-1#:~:text=Hence%20comes%20it%20that%20the%20man%20is%20rarely%20seen%0AWho%20owns%20that%20his%20a%20happy%20life%20has%20been%2C%0AAnd%2C%20thankful%20for%20past%20blessings%2C%20with%20good%20will%0ARetires%2C%20like%20one%20who%20has%20enjoyed%20his%20fill." target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

(<a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0062%3Abook%3D1%3Apoem%3D1#:~:text=inde%20fit%2C%20ut%20raro%2C%20qui%20se%20vixisse%20beatum%0Adicat%20et%20exacto%20contentus%20tempore%20vita%0Acedat%20uti%20conviva%20satur%2C%20reperire%20queamus.">Source (Latin)</a>). Other translations:<br><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">This is it why very selde we fynde<br>
A man so cloyed with the worlde as he that new hathe dynde<br>
Is with his meate and that thers none which in their extreame dayes<br>
Will parte from lyfe as full from feast to goe theyr homewarde wayes<br>
[tr. <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A03670.0001.001/1:9.1?rgn=div2;view=fulltext#:~:text=this%20is%20it,theyr%20homewarde%20wayes">Drant</a> (1567)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>And hence it comes, we seldome find a man<br>
That sayes <i>He has liv'd happily,</i> and can<br>
Like a <i>well-feasted-guest</i> depart at last<br>
Contented with that part of 's life that past.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=eebo;c=eebo;idno=a44478.0001.001;node=A44478.0001.001:7;seq=1;rgn=div1;view=text#:~:text=And%20hence%20it,life%20that%20past.">A. B.</a>; ed. Brome (1666)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Hence 'tis scarce any thinks his state is blest,<br>
Nor when Death calls like a contented Guest<br>
Will rise from Life, and lay him down to rest.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=eebo;c=eebo;idno=a44471.0001.001;node=A44471.0001.001:7;seq=1;rgn=div1;view=text#:~:text=Hence%20%27tis%20searce,down%20to%20rest">Creech</a> (1684)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>From hence, how few, like sated guests, depart <br>
From life's full banquet with a cheerful heart!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresepistlesi00hora/page/10/mode/2up?q=%22From+hence%2C+how+few%22">Francis</a> (1747)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Hence few are found, who dying can declare<br>
That theirs was comfort unalloy'd with care;<br>
Or, rising from life's banquet, quit their seat,<br>
Like cheerful guests, contented with the treat.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Epodes_Satires_and_Epistles_of_Horac/TPgDAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22hence%20few%20are%20found%22">Howes</a> (1845)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Hence it is, that we rarely find a man who can say he has lived happy, and content with his past life, can retire from the world like a satisfied guest.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0063#:~:text=Hence%20it%20is%2C%20that%20we%20rarely%20find%20a%20man%20who%20can%20say%20he%20has%20lived%20happy%2C%20and%20content%20with%20his%20past%20life%2C%20can%20retire%20from%20the%20world%20like%20a%20satisfied%20guest.">Smart/Buckley</a> (1853)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>And so it is that seldom can we find a man<br>
to say he has lived happily, and to quit life <br>
as sated guests can quit the feast, well pleased <br>
with all the time he spent in it.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresofhoracei00hora/page/10/mode/2up?q=%22seldom+can+we+find%22">Millington</a> (1870)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Thus it comes that seldom can we find one who says he has had a happy life, and who, when his time is sped, will quit life in contentment, like a guest who has had his fill.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresepistlesa00horauoft/page/12/mode/2up?q=%22thus+it+comes+that%22">Fairclough</a> (Loeb) (1926)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">So it is <br>
That you rarely find someone who admits to having been happy<br>
With the time allotted him, who admits that he has lived well<br>
And lived right and is ready to leave, like one who gets up<br>
From a banquet.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresanndepist0000hora/page/38/mode/2up?q=%22so+it+is%22">Palmer Bovie</a> (1959)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>That's why we rarely find anyone who admits he's led<br>
a happy life and is prepared to leave it, pleased<br>
with the time he spent, like a guest after a good dinner.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/horacessatiresep0000hora/page/2/mode/2up?q=%22that%27s+why+we+rarely+find%22">Fuchs</a> (1977)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">And therefore it’s hard <br>
To find a man so happy with his life <br>
That he’s ready to leave what he’s thoroughly enjoyed, <br>
Like a guest who’s had all he could want.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/essentialhoraceo0000hora/page/132/mode/2up?q=%22and+therefore+it%27s%22">Raffel</a> (1983)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">Hence it happens<br>
that rarely can we find anyone who<br>
admits having lived happily and now,<br>
content with how he hasa spent his years,<br>
retires from the banquet like a satiated guest.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/completeodessati0000hora/page/194/mode/2up?q=%22rarely+can+we+find%22">Alexander</a> (1999)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>No wonder it’s rare that one of them will claim <br>
a happy life or, when that life’s sped past him, <br>
resign like a thankful guest who’s eaten well.<br>
[tr.. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresofhorace0000hora_r9g5/page/4/mode/2up?q=%22no+wonder+it%27s+rare%22">Matthews</a> (2002)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>So it is that we can rarely find a man who says <br>
he has lived a happy life and who, when his time is up, <br>
contentedly leaves the world like a guest who has had his fill.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/satiresofhoracep00hora/page/6/mode/2up?q=%22so+it+is+that+we%22">Rudd</a> (2005 ed.)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>So we can rarely find a man who claims to have lived<br>
A happy life, who when his time is done is content<br>
To go, like a guest at the banquet who is well sated.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/HoraceSatiresBkISatI.php#anchor_Toc98155352:~:text=So%20we%20can,is%20well%20sated.">Kline</a> (2015)]</blockquote><br>
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		<title>Adams, John -- Letter (1776-07-03, p.m.) to Abigail Adams</title>
		<link>https://wist.info/adams-john/5205/</link>
		<comments>https://wist.info/adams-john/5205/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:05:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adams, John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Declaration of Independence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ends and means]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[no regrets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pay the price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prophecy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[struggle]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. &#8212; Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. [&#8230;]]]></description>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. &#8212; Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.</p>
<br><b>John Adams</b> (1735–1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797–1801)<br>Letter (1776-07-03, p.m.) to Abigail Adams 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-02-02-0016#:~:text=I%20am%20well,We%20shall%20not" target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

In the original draft, the ending lines read: "And that Posterity will tryumph altho you and I may rue it which I trust in God We shall not."<br><br>

Early printings of this letter (and that of <a href="/adams-john/78463/">the morning</a>) changed the recipient to an unnamed male friend. They were used by some (given the date on them and references elsewhere in them) to argue that Independence Day should be celebrated on July 2nd; others published versions with the dates modified to align with a July 4th date for the holiday. The record was not clarified until Charles Francis Adams (grandson of John and Abigail) published a record of his grandparents' correspondence in 1876.<br><br>

For the record, Independence was voted on and approved by the Continental Congress on 1776-07-02, and the final text of the Declaration of Independence approved and signed on 1776-07-04. Adams was writing on the day in-between.


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