Nothing to Look Forward To

Augustine, Letters 213.1 (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, vol. 57, p. 373; tr. Peter Brown): In this life, we are all bound to die; and for everyone, his last day is always uncertain. Yet, as babies, we can look forward to being boys; and, as boys, to youth; as youths, to being grown up, and, as young men, to reaching our prime, and, in our prime, to growing old. Whether this will happen is uncertain; but there is always something to look forward to. But an old man has no further stage of life before him. omnes in hac vita mortales sumus, et dies huius vitae ultimus, omni homini est semper incertus: verumtamen in infantia speratur pueritia; et in pueritia speratur adolescentia; et in adolescentia speratur iuventus; et in iuventute speratur gravitas; et in gravitate speratur senectus: utrum contingat incertum est; est tamen quod speretur. senectus autem aliam aetatem quam speret, non habet: incertum est etiam ipsa senectus quamdiu sit homini; illud tamen certum est,…