In the whole
catalogue of the Roman and German Emperors, reckoning from
Augustus to William I, only six have attained eighty years.
Gordian, Valerian, Anastasius, and Justinian were octogenarians,
Tiberius was eighty-eight at his death, and Augustus Caesar was
eighty-six. Frederick the Great, in spite of his turbulent life,
attained a rare age for a king, seventy-six. William I seems to
be the only other exception.
Of 300 Popes who may be counted, no more than five attained the
age of eighty. Their mode of life, though conducive to longevity
in the minor offices of the Church, seems to be overbalanced by
the cares of the Pontificate.
Personal Habits.--According to Hufeland and other authorities on
longevity, sobriety, regular habits, labor in the open air,
exercise short of fatigue, calmness of mind, moderate
intellectual power, and a family life are among the chief aids to
longevity. For this reason we find the extraordinary instances of
longevity among those people who amidst bodily labor and in the
open air lead a simple life, agreeable to nature. Such are
farmers, gardeners, hunters, soldiers, and sailors. In these
situations man may still maintain the age of one hundred and
fifty or even one hundred and sixty.
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