The Anatomy of Melancholy

He who lives according to nature cannot be poor, and he who goes beyond it can never have enough: “The whole world is not sufficient.” The entire world cannot satisfy him. “The little that the righteous man has is better than the riches of the ungodly,” Psalm 37:19; and “a poor morsel with quiet is better than abundance with strife,” Proverbs 17:7.

Be content, then; enjoy your life. As Chrysostom advises, do not be angry about what you lack, but give God heartfelt thanks for what you have received.

If a little table Offers humble greens And is full of peace, Do not seek grand And sumptuous dinners Filled with strife.

But to reason the matter out, what do you lack? What do you not have in better measure than a rich man—health, sufficient means, children, security, sleep, friends, freedom, food, clothes, and everything else? Or at least you may have them, since the means are so readily available, easy, and well known. For, as he impressed upon himself:

These are the things that make life happier, My dearest Martial: Wealth acquired by inheritance, not toil; No lawsuits, and so on.

I repeat: you have it, or at least may have it if you choose—and something I am sure he lacks, a cheerful heart.

“Passing a village in the territory of Milan,” says Saint Augustine, “I saw a poor beggar who had apparently filled his belly with food, joking and merry. I sighed and said to some friends with me: how much trouble, madness, pain, and grief we endure and heap upon ourselves to gain that carefree happiness which this poor beggar has reached before us, and which we may never attain! What he has now achieved by begging a few small silver coins—temporary happiness and present peace of heart—I cannot obtain with all my anxious twists and turns, my running here and there.”

“Certainly the beggar was very merry, while I was sad; he was at ease, while I was afraid. If anyone asked me now whether I would rather be merry or remain so anxious and sad, I would answer, ‘Merry.’ If he asked again whether I would rather be as I am or as this beggar was, I would certainly choose to be as I am, still tortured by cares and fears—but from perversity, not from truth.”

What Saint Augustine says of himself here, I may truly say to you: you discontented wretch, you greedy miser, you churl, you ambitious, puffed-up toad! Your troubles come from perversity, not want. Bring your desires to rest: you have enough.

At last put an end to acquiring; the more you have, The less you should fear poverty, and begin To end your toil: use what you longed for, now acquired.

Stop scraping together money, buying this manor, this field, that house, for one child and another. You have enough for yourself and them.

What you seek is here; It is at Ulubrae, if an even mind does not fail you.