that an architect or a physitian shall respect the course and mysteries of their profession more then a man the proper course and condition of his owne nature Reason to which the gods themselves are bound XXXIII Asia Europe what are they but as corners of the whole world of which the whole Sea is but as one drop the great mount Athos but as a clodde as all present time is but as one point of eternitie All petty things all things that are soone altered soone perished And all things come from one beginning either all severally and particularly deliberated and resolved upon See B. VII N. XLIV by the generall ruler and governour of all or all by necessary consequēce So that the dreadfull hiatus of a gaping Lion and all poyson and all hurtfull things are but as the thorn and the myre the necessary consequences of goodly faire things Think not of these therefore as things contrary to those which thou doest much honour and respect but consider in thy minde the true fountaine of all XXXIV Hee that seeth the things that are now hath seene all that either was ever or ever shall be for all things are of one kinde and all like one unto another Meditate often upon the connexion of all things in the world and upon the mutuall relation that they have one unto another For all things are after a sort folded and involved one within another and by these meanes all agree well together For one thing is consequent unto another by locall motion by naturall conspiration and agreement and by substantiall union or reduction of all substances into One. XXXV Fit and accommodate thy selfe to that estate and to those occurrences which by the destinies have beene annexed unto thee and love those men whom thy fate it is to live with but love them truly An instrument a toole an utensile whatsoever it be if it be fit for the purpose it was made for it is as it should be though he perchance that made and fitted it be out of sight and gone But in things naturall that power which hath framed and fitted them is and abideth within them still for which reason shee ought also the more to be respected and wee are more obliged if wee may live and passe our time according to her purpose and intention to thinke that all is well with us and according to our owne mindes After this manner also and in this respect it is that He that is all in all doth enjoy his happinesse XXXVI What things soever are not within the proper power and jurisdiction of thine owne will either to compasse or avoid if thou shalt propose unto thy selfe any of those things as either good or evill it must needs be that according as thou shalt either fall into that which thou doest thinke evill or misse of that which thou doest thinke good so wilt thou be ready both to complaine of the gods and to hate those men who either shall be so indeed or shall by thee be suspected as the cause either of thy missing of the one or falling into the other And indeed we must needs commit many evills if wee incline to any of these things more or lesse with an opinion of any difference But if we minde and phancie those things only as good and bad which wholly depend of our owne wills there is no more occasion why we should either murmur against the gods or be at enmitie with any man XXXVII Wee all worke to one effect some willingly and with a rationall apprehension of what we doe others without any such knowledge As I thinke Heraclytus in a place speaketh of them that sleepe that even they doe worke in their kinde and doe conferre to the generall operations of the World One man therefore doth cooperate after one sort and another after another sort but even he that doth murmur and to his power doth resist and hinder even he as much as any doth cooperate For of such also did the World stand in need Now doe thou consider among which of these thou wilt ranke thy selfe For as for him who is the Administrator of all See B. VIII N. XXXIII he will make good use of thee whether thou wilt or no and make thee as a part and member of the whole so to cooperate with him that whatsoever thou doest shall turne to the furtherance of his owne counsells and resolutions But be not thou for shame such a part of the whole as that * See the Notes vile and ridiculous verse which Chrysippus in a place doth mention is a part of the Comaedy XXXVIII Doth either the Sunne take upon him to doe that which belongs to the raine or his son Aesculapius that which unto the Earth doth properly belong See B. IV N. 22. B. VII N. 26. last lines How is it with every one of the starres in particular Though they all differ one from another and have their severall charges and functions by themselves doe they not all neverthelesse concurre and cooperate to one end XXXIX If so be that the gods have deliberated in particular of those things that should happen unto me I must stand to their deliberation as discreet wise For that a god should be an imprudent god is a thing hard even to conceive and why should they resolve to do me hurt for what profit either unto them or the universe which they specially take care for could arise frō it But if so be that they have not deliberated of me in particular certainly they have of the whole in generall and those things which in consequence and coherence of this generall deliberation happen unto me in particular I am bound to embrace accept of But if so be that they have not deliberated at all which indeed is very irreligious for any man to beleeve forthen let us neither sacrifice nor pray nor respect our oaths neither let us any more use any of those things which we perswaded of the presence and secret conversation of the gods among us daily use and practise but I say if so bee that they have not indeed either in generall or particular deliberated of any of those things that happen unto us in this world yet God be thanked that of those things that concerne my selfe it is lawfull for me to deliberate my selfe all my deliberatiō is but concerning that which may be to me most profitable Now that unto every one is most profitable which is according to his owne constitution and Nature And my Nature is to be rationall in all my actions and as a good and naturall member of a citty and common wealth towards my fellow members ever to be sociably and kindly disposed and affected My City and Country as I am Antoninus is Rome as a man the whole world Those things therefore that are expedient and profitable to those Cities are the onely things that are good expedient for me XL. Whatsoever in any kind
from paines as that which is truely evill is impious For such a one must of necessity oftentimes accuse that common Nature as distributing many things both unto the evill unto the good not according to the deserts of either as unto the bad oftentimes pleasures and the causes of pleasures So unto the good paines and the occasions of paines Againe he that feareth paines and crosses in the world feareth some of those things which sometime or other must needes happen in the world And that wee have already shewed to be impious And hee that pursueth after pleasures will not spare to compasse his desires to doe that which is unjust and that is manifestly impious Now those things which unto Nature are equally indifferent for she had not created both both paine and pleasure if both had not beene unto her equally indifferent they that will live according to Nature must in those things as being of the same minde and disposition that shee is be as equally indifferent Whosoever therefore in either matter of pleasure and paine death and life honour and dishonour which things Nature in the administration of the world indifferently doth make use of is not as indifferent it is apparent that hee is impious When I say that common Nature doth indifferently make use of them my meaning is that in the ordinary course of things which by a necessary consequence according to that first and ancient deliberation of Providence by which shee from some certaine beginning did resolve upon the creation of such a World conceiving then in her wombe as it were some certaine rational generative seedes faculties of things future whether subjects changes successions both such and such and just so many whether as principall or accessorie come to passe in the world they happen indifferently II. It were indeed more happy and comfortable for a man to depart out of this World having lived all his life long cleare from all falshood dissimulation voluptuousnesse and pride But if this cannot be yet is it some comfort for a man joyfully to depart as weary and out of love with those rather then to desire to live and to continue long in these wicked courses Hath not yet experience taught thee to flye from the plague For a farre greater plague is the corruption of the minde then any certaine change and distemper of the common aire can be This is a plague of creatures as they are living creatures but that of men as they are men or reasonable III. Thou must not in matter of death carry thy selfe scornfully but as one that is well pleased with it as being one of those things that Nature hath appointed For what thou dost conceive of these of a boy to become a young man to waxe old to grow to ripen to get teeth or a beard or gray haires to beget to beare or to be delivered or what other action soever it be that is naturall unto man according to the severall seasons of his life such a thing is it also to be dissolved It is therefore the part of a wise man in matter of death See note upon B. XI N. 3. not in any wise to carry himselfe either violently or proudly but patiently to wayte for it as one of Natures operations that with the same minde as now thou doest expect when that which yet is but an Embryo in thy Wifes belly shall come forth thou mayst expect also when thy soule shall fall off from that outward coat or skinne wherein as a childe in the belly it lieth involved and shut up But if thou desirest a more popular and though not so direct and philosophicall yet a very powerfull and penetratiue receipt against the feare of death Nothing can make thee more willing to part with thy life then if thou shalt consider both what the subjects thēselves are that thou shalt part with and what manner of dispositions thou shalt no more haue to doe with True it is that offended with them thou must not be by no meanes but take care of them and meekely beare with them However this thou mayest remember that whensoever it happens that thou depart it shall not be from men that held the same opinions that thou doest For that indeede if it were so is the onely thing that might make thee averse from death and willing to continue here if it were thy hap to live with men that had obtained the same beliefe that thou hast But now what a toyle it is for thee to live with men of different opinions thou seest so that thou hast rather occasion to say Hasten I thee pray O Death least I also in time forget my selfe IV. He that sinneth sinneth unto himselfe Hee that is unjust hurts himselfe in that he makes himselfe worse then he was before Not he onely that committeth but he also that omitteth some thing is oftentimes unjust V. If my present apprehension of the object be right and my present action charitable and this towards whatsoever doth proceed from God be my present disposition to be well pleased with it it sufficeth VI. To wipe away phancie to use deliberation to quench concupiscence to keepe the minde free to her selfe VII Of all unreasonable creatures there is but one unreasonable soule and of all that are reasonable but one reasonable Soule divided betwixt them all As of all earthly things there is but one Earth and but one light that we see by and but one ayre that we breath in as many as either breath or see Now whatsoever partakes of some common thing naturally affects enclines unto that whereof it is part being of one kinde and nature with it Whatsoever is Earthly presseth downwards to the common Earth Whatsoever is liquid would flow together And whatsoever is ayrie would be together likewise So that without some obstacle and some kinde of violence they cannot well be kept asunder Whatsoever is fiery doth not onely by reason of the Elementarie fire tend upwards but here also is so ready to joyne and to burne together that whatsoever doth want sufficient moisture to make resistance is easily set on fire Whatsoever therefore is partaker of that reasonable common Nature naturally doth as much and more long after his owne kinde For by how much in its owne nature it excells all other things by so much more is it desirous to be joyned and united unto that which is of its owne nature As for unreasonable creatures then they had not long beene but presently begun among them swarmes and flocks and broods of young ones and a kinde of mutuall love and affection For though but unreasonable yet a kinde of soule these had and therefore was that naturall desire of union more strong and intense in them as in creatures of a more excellent nature then either in plants or stones or trees But among reasonable creatures begunne common-wealths friendships families publick meetings and even in their warres conventions and truces Now among them
unto the soule but stand without still and quiet and that it is from the opinion only which is within that all the tumult and all the trouble doth proceed The next that all these things which now thou seest shall within a very little while be changed and bee no more and ever call to minde how many changes and alterations in the world thou thy selfe hast already been an eye witnesse of in thy time This world is meere change and this life opinion IV. if to understand and to be reasonable be common unto all men then is that reason for which we are termed reasonable common unto all If reason in generall then is that reason also which prescribeth what is to be done and what not common unto all If that then Law If Law then are we fellow Citizens If so then are wee partners in some one common weale If so then the world is as it were a Citie For which other common weale is it that all men can be said to be members of From this common Citie it is that Understanding Reason and Law is derived unto us for from whence else For as that which in me is earthly I have from some common earth and that which is moist from some other Element is imparted as my breath and life hath its proper fountaine and that likewise which is dry and fiery in me for there is nothing which doth not proceed from something as also there is nothing that can be reduced unto meere nothing so also is there some common beginning from whence my understanding hath proceeded V. As generation is so also death a secret of Natures wisedome a mixture of Elements resolved into the same Elements againe a thing surely which no man ought to be ashamed of in the series of other fatall events and consequences to which a rationall creature is subject unto not improper or incongruous nor contrary to the naturall and proper constitution of man himselfe VI. Such and such things from such and such causes must of necessity proceed Hee that would not have such things to happen is as he that would have the fig-tree grow without any sappe or moisture See B. VI N. LI. B. VIII N XIII In summe remember this that within a very little while both thou and he shall both be dead and after a little while more not so much as your names and memories shall be remaining VII Let opinion be taken away and no man will thinke himselfe wronged If no man shall think himselfe wronged then is there no more any such thing as wrong That which makes not man himselfe the worse cannot make his life the worse neither can it hurt him either inwardly or outwardly It was expedient in nature that it should be so and therefore necessary VIII Whatsoever doth happen in the world doth happen justly and so if thou dost well take heed thou shalt finde it I say not only in right order by a series of inevitable consequences but according to Justice and as it were by way of equall distribution according to the true worth of every thing Continue then to take notice of it as thou hast begunne and whatsoever thou doest doe it not without this proviso that it be a thing of that nature that a good man as the word good is properly taken may doe it This observe carefully in every action IX Conceit no such things as he that wrongeth thee conceiveth or would have thee to conceive but looke into the matter it selfe and see what it is in very truth X. These two rules thou must have alwayes in a readinesse First doe nothing at all but what Reason proceeding from that Regall and supreme part shall for the good and benefit of men suggest unto thee And secondly if any man that is present shall be able to rectifie thee or to turne thee from some erroneous perswasion that thou be alwayes ready to change thy minde and this change to proceed not from any respect of any pleasure or credit thereon depending but alwayes from some probable appearant ground of Justice or of some publick good thereby to be farthered or from some other such inducement XI Hast thou reason I have Why then makest thou not use of it For if thy reason doe her part what more canst thou require XII As a part hitherto thou hast had a particular subsistence and now shalt thou vanish away into the common substance of Him who first begot thee or rather thou shall be resumed againe into that original rational substance out of which all others have issued and are propagated Many small peeces of frankincense are set upon the same alter one drops first and is consumed another after and it comes all to one XIII Within tenne dayes if so happen thou shalt be esteemed a god of them who now if thou shalt returne to the Dogmata and to the honoring of Reason will esteeme of thee no better then of a meere brute and of an ape XIV Not as though thou hadst thousands of yeares to live Death hangs over thee whilest yet thou livest whilest thou maiest be good XV. How much time and leisure doth he gaine who is not curious to know what his neighbour hath said or hath done or hath attempted but only what he doth himselfe that it may be Just and holy or to expresse it in Agathos words Not to looke about upon the evill conditions of others but to runne on straight in the line without any loose and extravagant agitation XVI Hee who is greedy of credit and reputation after his death doth not consider that they themselves by whom he is remembred shall soone after every one of them be dead And they likewise that succeed those untill at last all memorie which hitherto by the succession of men admiring and soone after dying hath had its course bee quite extinct But suppose that both they that shall remember thee and thy memory with them should be immortall what is that to thee I will not say to thee after thou art dead but even to thee living what is thy praise But only for a secret and politick consideration which wee call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Dispensation For as for that that it is the gift of nature what soever is commended in thee what might bee objected from thence let that now that wee are upon another consideration be omitted as unseasonable That which is faire and goodly whatsoever it be and in what respect soever it be that it is faire and goodly it is so of it selfe and terminates in it selfe not admitting praise as a part or member that therefore which is praised is not thereby made either better or worse This I understand even of those things that are commonly called faire and good as those which are commended either for the matter it selfe or for curious workmanship As for that which is truly good what can it stand in need of more then either Law or Truth or more then
a meere dissolution and unbinding of the manifold intricacies and intanglements of the confused atomes or some such dispersion of the simple and incorruptible Elements †††With meates and drinkes and divers charmes they seeke to divert the chanell that they might not die Yet must we needs endure that blast of winde that commeth from above though we bewaile our toile and misery XXVIII He hath a stronger body and is a better wrastler then I What then Is he more bountifull is he more modest Doth he beare all adverse chances with more equanimitie Or with his neighbours offences with more meeknesse and gentlenesse then I XXIX Where the matter may be effected agreeably to that Reason which both unto the gods and men is common there can be no just cause of griefe or sorrow For where the fruit and benefit of an action well begunne and prosecuted according to the proper constitution of man may be reaped and obtained or is sure and certaine it is against reason that any dammage should there be suspected In all places and at all times it is in thy power religiously to embrace whatsoever by Gods appointment is happened unto thee and justly to converse with those men whom thou hast to doe with and accurately to examine every phancie that presents it selfe that nothing may slippe and steale in before thou hast rightly apprehended the true Nature of it XXX Looke not about upon other mens mindes and understandings but looke right on forwards whither Nature both that of the Vniverse in those things that happen unto thee and thine in particular in those things that are done by thee doth leade and direct thee Now every one is bound to doe that which is consequent and agreeable to that end which by his true naturall constitution hee was ordained unto As for all other things they are ordained for the use of reasonable creatures as in all things wee see that that which is worse and inferiour is made for that which is better Reasonable creatures they are ordained one for another That therefore which is chiefe in every mans constitution is that he intend the common good The second is that he yeeld not to any lusts and motions of the flesh For it is the part and priviledge of the reasonable and intellective facultie that she can so bound her selfe as that neither the sensitive nor the appetitive faculties may not any wayes prevaile upon her For both these are brutish And therefore over both she challengeth masterie and cannot any waies indure if in her right temper to be subject unto either And this indeed most justly For by nature shee was ordained to command all in the body The third thing proper to man by his constitution is to avoid all rashnesse and precipitancie and not to be subject to error To these things then let the mind apply her selfe and goe straight on without any distraction about other things and shee hath her end and by consequent her happinesse XXXI As one who had lived and were now to die by right whatsoever is yet remaining bestow that wholly as a gracious overplus upon a vertuous life G◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See pref Love and affect that onely whatsoever it be that happeneth and is by the Fates appointed unto thee For what can be more reasonable And as any thing doth happen unto thee by way of crosse or calamity call to mind presently and set before thine eyes the examples of some other men to whom the selfe same thing did once happen likewise Well what did they They grieved they wondred they complained And where are they now All dead and gone Wilt thou also be like one of them Or rather leaving to men of the world whose life both in regard of themselves and them that they converse with is nothing but meere mutabilitie or men of as fickle minds as fickle bodyes ever changing and soone changed themselves their owne fickle dispositions let it be thine onely care and study how to make a right use of all such accidents For there is good use to be made of them and they will prove fit matter for thee to worke upon if it shall bee both thy care and thy desire that whatsoever thou doest thou thy selfe mayst like and approve thy selfe for it And both these see that thou remember well according as the diversity of the matter of the action that thou art about shall require Looke within within is the fountaine of all good Such a fountaine where springing waters can never faile so thou digge still deeper and deeper XXXII Thou must use thy selfe also to keepe thy body fixed and steady free from all loose fluctuant either motion or posture And as upon thy face and lookes thy minde hath easily power over them to keepe them to that which is grave and decent so let it challenge the same power over the whole body also But so observe all things in this kinde as that it be without any manner of affectation XXXIII The art of true living in this world is more like a wrastlers then a dancers practise For in this they both agree to teach a man whatsoever falls upon him that he may be ready for it and that nothing may cast him downe XXXIV Thou must continually ponder consider with thy selfe what manner of men they bee and for their mindes and understandings what is their present estate whose good word and testimonie thou doest desire For then neither wilt thou see cause to complaine of them that offend against their wills or finde any want of their applause See B. VIII N. 13. if once thou doest but penetrate into the true force and ground both of their opinions and of their desires No soule saith he is willingly bereaved of the Truth and by consequent neither of justice or temperance or kindnesse and mildnesse nor of any thing that is of the same kinde It is most needfull that thou shouldest alwayes remember this For so shalt thou be farre more gentle and moderate towards all men XXXV What paine soever thou art in let this presently come to thy minde that it is not a thing whereof thou needest to be ashamed neither is it a thing whereby thy understanding that hath the government of all can be made worse For neither in regard of the substance of it nor in regard of the end of it which is to intend the common good can it alter and corrupt it This also of Epicurus maist thou in most paines finde some helpe of that it is neither intolerable nor eternall so thou keepe thy selfe to the true bounds and limits of reason and give not way to opinion This also thou must consider that many things there be which oftentimes unsensibly trouble vexe thee as not armed against them with patience because they goe not ordinarily under the name of paines which in very deed are of the same nature as paine as to slumber unquietly to suffer heat to want appetite
shell fish of this nature are all other things Thy life it selfe is some such thing too a meere exhalation of blood and it also apt to be changed into some other common thing XXXV Will this querulousnesse this murmuring this complaining and dissembling never bee at an end What then is it that troubleth thee Doth any new thing happen unto thee What doest thou so wonder at At the Cause or the matter Behold either by it selfe is either of that weight and moment indeede And besides these there is not any thing But thy duty towards the Gods also it is time that thou shouldest acquit thy selfe of it with more goodnesse and simplicity XXXVI It is all one to see these things for a hundred of yeares together or but for three yeares XXXVII If he have sinned his is the harme not mine But perchance he hath not XXXVIII Either all things by the providence of Reason happen unto every particular as a part of one generall body and then it is against reason that a part should complaine of any thing that happens for the good of the Whole or if according to Epicurus Atomes be the Cause of all things and that life be nothing else but an accidentarie confusion of things and death nothing else but a meere Dispersion and so of all other things what doest thou trouble thy selfe for XXXIX Sayest thou unto that Rationall part Thou art dead corruption hath taken hold on thee Doth it then also voide excrements Doth it like either Oxen or sheepe graze or feede that it also should be mort all as well as the body XL. Either the Gods can doe nothing for vs at all or they can still and alay all the distractions and distempers of thy minde If they can doe nothing why doest thou pray If they can why wouldst not thou rather pray that they will grant unto thee that thou mayst neither feare nor lust after any of those worldly things which cause these distractions and distempers of it Why not rather that thou mayst not at either their absence or presence bee grieved and discontented then either that thou mayst obtaine them or that thou maist avoyde them For certainly it must needs be that if the Gods can help us in any thing they may in this kinde also But thou wilt say perchance In those things the Gods have given me my liberty and it is in mine owne power to doe what I will But if thou mayest use this liberty rather to set thy minde at true liberty then wilfully with basenesse and servility of minde to affect those things which either to compasse or to avoyde is not in thy power wert not thou better And as for the Gods who hath told thee that they may not helpe vs up even in those things that they have put in our owne power Whether it be so or no thou shalt soone perceive if thou wilt but try thy selfe and pray One prayeth that he may compasse his desire to lye with such or such a one pray thou that thou mayest not lust to lye with her Another how hee may be rid of such a one pray thou that thou mayest so patiently beare with him as that thou have no such neede to be rid of him Another that hee may not lose his child Pray thou that thou mayst not feare to lose him To this end and purpose let all thy prayer be and see what will be the event XLI In my sicknesse sayeth Epicurus of himselfe my discourses were not concerning the nature of my discase neither was that to them that came to visite mee the subject of my talke but in the consideration and contemplation of that which was of especiall weight and moment was all my time bestowed and spent and among others in this very thing how my minde by a naturall and unavoydable sympathie partaking in some sort with the present indisposition of my body might neverthelesse keepe herselfe free from trouble and in present possession of her owne proper happinesse Neither did I leave the ordering of my body to Physicians altogether to doe with me what they would as though I expected any great matter from them Or as though I thought it a matter of such great consequence by their meanes to recover my health for my present estate me thought liked me very well and gave me good content Whether therefore in sicknesse if thou chance to sicken or in what other kinde of extremity soever endeavour thou also to be in thy minde so affected as hee doth report of himselfe not to depart from thy philosophie for any thing that can befall thee nor to give eare to the discourses of silly people and meere naturalists XLII It is common to all trades and professions to minde and intend that only which now they are about and the instrument whereby they worke XLIII When at any time thou art offended with any ones impudencie put presently this question to thy selfe What Is it then possible that there should not be any impudent men in the world Certainly it is not possible Desire not then that which is impossible For this one thou must thinke whosoever he be is one of those impudent ones that the world cannot be without So of the subtle and craftie so of the perfidious so of every one that offendeth must thou ever bee ready to reason with thy selfe For whilest in generall thou doest thus reason with thy selfe that the kinde of them must needs be in the world thou wilt be the better able to use meeknesse towards every particular This also thou shalt find of very good use upon every such occasion presently to consider with thy selfe what proper vertue nature hath furnished man with against such a vice or to encounter with a disposition vicious in this kinde As for example against the unthankfull it hath given goodnesse and meeknesse as an antidote and so against another vicious in another kinde some other peculiar facultie And generally is it not in thy power to instruct him better that is in an error For whosoever sinneth doth in that decline from his purposed end and is certainly deceived And againe what art thou the worse for his sinne For thou shalt not finde that any one of these against whom thou art incensed hath in very deed done any thing whereby thy minde the only true subject of thy hurt and evill can be made worse then it was And what a matter of either griefe or wonder is this if he that is unlearned doe the deeds of one that is unlearned Should not thou rather blame thy self who when upō very good grounds of reason thou mightst have thought it very probable that such a thing would by such a one be committed didst not onely not foresee it but moreover doest wonder at it that such a thing should be But then especially when thou doest finde fault with either an unthankfull or a false man must thou reflect upon thy selfe For without all question thou thy selfe art much