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The substance of the universe is obedient
and compliant, and the reason which governs

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it has in itself no cause for
doing evil, for it has no malice,

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nor does it do evil to anything, nor is anything harmed by it.

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But all things are made and perfected
according to this reason. Let it

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make no difference to THEE whether thou
art cold or warm, if thou art

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doing thy duty, and whether thou
art drowsy or satisfied with sleep, and

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whether ill spoken or praised, and
whether dying or doing something else. For

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it is one of the acts of
this life, this act by which we

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die. It is sufficient, then
in this act also to do well what

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we have in hand. Look within. Let neither the peculiar quality of anything,

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nor its value escape thee. All
existing things soon change, and they

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will either be reduced to vapor if
indeed all substance is won, or they

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will be dispersed. The reason which
governance knows what its own disposition is,

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and what it does, and on
what material it works. The best way

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of avenging thyself is not to become
like the wrong doer. Take pleasure in

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one thing and rest in it.
In passing from one social act to another

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social act. Thinking of God.
The ruling principle is that which rouses and

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turns itself. And while it makes
itself such as it is and such as

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it wills to be, it also
makes everything which happens to appear itself to

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be such as it wills. In
conformity to the nature of the universe,

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every single thing is accomplished. For
certainly it is not in conformity to any

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other nature that each thing is accomplished, either a nature which externally comprehends this,

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or a nature which is comprehended within
this nature, or a nature external

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and independent of this. The universe
is either a confusion and a mutual involution

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of things and a dispersion, or
it is unity, an order and providence.

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If then it is the former,
Why do I desire to tarry in

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a fortuitous combination of things in such
a disorder? And why do I care

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about anything else than how I shot
at last become earth? And why am

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I disturbed? For the dispersion of
my elements will happen whatever I do.

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But if the other supposition is true, I venerate, and I am firm,

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and I trust in him who governs. When thou hast been compelled by

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circumstances to be disturbed in a manner, quickly return to thyself, and do

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not continue out of tune longer than
the compulsion lasts, For thou wilt have

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more mastery over the harmony by continually
recurring to it. If thou haddest a

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stepmother and a mother at the same
time, thou wouldst be dutiful to thy

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stepmother, that thou wouldst constantly return
to thy mother. Let the court and

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philosophy now be to thee stepmother and
mother return to philosophy frequently, and repose

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in her through whom what thou meetest
with in the court appears to THEE tolerable,

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and thou appearest tolerable in the court. When we have meat before us,

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and such eatables, we receive the
impression that this is the dead body

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of a fish, and this is
the dead body of a bird or of

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a pig, And again that this
fellernion is only a little grape juice,

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and this purple robe some sheep's wool
dyed with the blood of a shellfish.

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Such then are these impressions, and
they reach the things themselves and penetrate them,

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And so we see what kind of
things they are. Just in the

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same way ought we to act all
through life. And where there are things

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which appear most worthy of our approbation, we ought to lay them bare,

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and look at their worthlessness, and
strip them of all the words by which

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they are exalted. For outward show
is a wonderful perverter of the reason.

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And when thou art most sure that
thou art employed about things worth thy pains,

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it is then that it cheats thee
most. Consider then, what Krates

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says of Xenocrates himself. Most of
the things which the multitude admire are referred

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to objects of the most general kind, those which are held together by cohesion

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or natural organization, such as stones, wood, fig trees, vines,

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olives. But those which are admired
by men who are a little more reasonable

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are referred to the things which are
held together by a living principle, as

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flocks herds. Those which are admired
by men who are still more instructed are

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the things which are held together by
a rational soul, not, however,

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a universal soul, or rational so
far as it is a soul skilled in

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some art, or expert in some
other way, or simply rational far as

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it possesses a number of slaves.
But he who values a rational soul,

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a sole, universal, and fitted
for political life, regards nothing else except

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this, and above all things.
He keeps his soul in a condition and

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in an actively conformable to reason and
social life. And he cooperates to this

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end with those who are of the
same kind as himself. Some things are

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hurrying into existence, others are hurrying
out of it. And of that which

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is coming into existence, part is
already extinguished. Motions and changes are continually

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renewing the world, such as the
uninterrupted course of time is always renewing,

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the infinite duration of ages in this
flowing stream, then, on which there

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is no abiding, What is there
of the things which hurry by on which

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a man would set a high price. It would be just as if a

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man should fall in love with one
of the sparrows which fly by, but

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it has already passed out of sight. Something of this kind is the very

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life of every man, Like the
exhalation of the blood and the respiration of

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the air, such as it is
to once have drawn in the air and

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to have given it back, which
we do every moment. Just the same

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is it with the whole respiratory power
which thou didst receive at thy birth,

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yesterday and the day before, to
give it back to the elemental from which

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thou didst first draw it. Neither
is transpiration as in plants, a thing

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to be valued, nor respiration as
in domesticated animals and wild beasts. Nor

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the receiving of impressions by the appearances
of things, nor being moved by desires

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as puppets by strings, nor assembling
in herds, nor being nourished by food,

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For this is just like the act
of separating imparting with the useless part

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of the food. What then,
is worth being valued to be received with

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clapping of hands? No neither must
we value the clapping of tongues, for

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the praise which comes from the many
is the clapping of tongues. Suppose then,

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that thou hast given up this worthless
thing called fame. What remains that

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is worth valuing? This, in
my opinion, to move thyself and to

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restrain thyself in conformity to thy proper
constitution, to which end both all employments

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and arts lead. For every art
aims at this, that the thing which

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has been made should be adapted to
the work for which it has been made.

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And both the vine planner who looks
after the vine, and the horse

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breaker, and he who trains the
dog, seeks this end. But the

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education and the teaching of youth aim
at something. And this then is the

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value of the education in the teaching. And if this is well, thou

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wilt not seek anything else. Wilt
thou not cease to value many other things

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too? Then thou wilt neither be
free nor sufficient for thy own happiness,

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nor without passion, For of necessity
must be envious, jealous, and suspicious

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of those who can take away those
things, and plot against those who have

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that which is valued by thee of
necessity. A man must be altogether in

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a state of perturbation who wants any
of these things. And besides he must

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often find fault with the gods.
But to reverence and honor thy own mind

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will make thee content with thyself and
in harmony with society, and agreement with

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the gods, that is, praising
all that they give and have ordered.

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Above below all around are the movements
of the elements. But the motion of

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virtue is in none of these.
It is something more divine and advancing by

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a way hardly observed, it goes
happily on its road. How strangely men

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act. They will not praise those
who are living at the same time and

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living with themselves, but to be
themselves praised by posterity, by those whom

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they have ever seen or will ever
see. This they set much value on.

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But this is very much the same
as if thou shouldst be grieved because

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those who have lived before THEE did
not praise THEE. If a thing is

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difficult to be accomplished by thyself,
do not think that it is impossible for

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man. But if anything is possible
for man and conformable to his nature,

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think that this can be attained by
thyself too. In the gymnastic exercises,

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suppose that a man has torn thee
with his nails, and by dashing against

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thy head, has inflicted a wound. Well, we neither show any signs

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of vexation, nor are we offended, nor do we suspect him afterward as

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a treacherous fellow. And yet we
are on our guard against him, not

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however, as an enemy, Nor
was suspicion what we quietly get out of

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his way? Something like this,
Let their behavior be in all other parts

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of life. Let us overlook many
things in those who are like antagonists in

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the gymnasium. For it is in
our power, as I said, to

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get out of the way, and
to have no suspicion or hatred. If

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a man is able to convince me
and show me that he do not think

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or act right, I will gladly
change. For I seek the truth by

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which no man was ever injured.
But he is injured who abides in his

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error and ignorance. I do my
duty. Other things trouble me not,

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for they are either things without life, or things without reason, or things

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that have rambled and know not the
way. As to the animals, which

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have no reason, and generally all
things and objects, do thou, since

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thou hast reason and they have none, make use of them with a generous

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and liberal spirit. But towards human
beings, as they have reason, behave

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in a social spirit, and on
all occasions call on the gods. And

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do not perplex thyself about the length
of time in which thou shalt do this.

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For even three hours so spent are
sufficient. Alexander the Macedonian and his

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groom by death were brought to the
same state, for either they were received

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among the same seminable principles of the
universe, or they were alike dispersed among

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the atoms. Consider how many things
in the same indivisible time take place in

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each of us, things which concern
the body and things which concern the soul.

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And so thou will not wonder if
many more things, or rather all

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things which come into existence in that
which is the one in all, which

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we call cosmos, exist in it. At the same time, if any

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man should propose to leave the question
how the name Antoninus is written, wouldst

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thou, with the straining of the
voice, utter each letter? What?

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Then, if they grow angry?
Wilt thou grow angry too? Wilt thou

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not go on with composure and number
every letter? Just so? Then is

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this life? Also? Remember that
every duty is made up of certain parts.

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These, it is thy duty to
observe, and, without being disturbed

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or showing anger towards those who are
angry with THEE, to go on thy

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way and finish that which is set
before thee. How cool it is not

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to allow men to strive after the
things which appear to them to be suitable

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to thy nature and profitable. Yet
in a manner dost not allow them to

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do this when thou art vexed,
because they do wrong. For they are

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certainly moved towards the things which they
suppose them to be suitable to their nature

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and profitable to them. But it
is not so. Teach them then,

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and show them without being angry.
Death is the cessation of the impression through

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the senses, and of the pulling
of the strings which move the appetites,

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and of the discursive movements of the
thoughts, and of the service to the

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flesh. It is a shame for
the soul to be the first to give

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way in this life when thy body
does not give way. Take care that

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thou art not made into a caesar, that thou art not died with this

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die for such things happen. Keep
thyself, then, simple, good,

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pure, serious, free from affectation, a friend of justice, a worshiper

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of the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous, and all proper acts.

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Strive to continue to be such as
philosophy wished to make thee reverence the gods

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and help men. Short is life. There is only one fruit in this

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turene life, a pious disposition and
social acts. Do everything as a disciple

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of Antoninus. Remember his constancy in
every act which was conformable to reason,

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and his evenness in all things,
and his piety and the serenity of his

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countenance and his sweetness, and his
disregard of empty fame, and his efforts

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to understand things, and how he
would never let anything pass without having first

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most carefably examined it and clearly understood
it, And how he bore with those

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who blamed him unjustly without blaming them
in return, and how we did nothing

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in a hurry, and how we
listened not to calumnies, and how exact

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an examiner of manners and actions he
was, and not given to reproach people,

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nor timid, nor suspicious, nor
a sophist, And with how little

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he was satisfied, such as lodging, bed dress, food servants, and

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how laborious and patient, and how
he was able, on account of his

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sparing diet, to hold out to
the evening without even requiring to relieve himself

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by any evacuations except at the usual
hour, And with his firmness and uniformity

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in his friendships, and how we
tolerated freedom of speech and those who opposed

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his opinions, and the pleasure that
he had when any man showed him anything

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better, and how religious he was
without superstition. Imitate all this, that

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thou mayst have as good as conscious
when thy last hour comes, as he

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had, return to thy sober senses, and call thyself back when thou hast

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roused thyself from sleep, and hast
perceived that they were only dreams which troubled

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thee. Now in they waking hours, look at these the things about thee,

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as thou didst look at those the
dreams. I consist of a little

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body and soul. Now to this
little body all things are indifferent. For

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it is not able to perceive differences, but to the understanding those things only

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are indifferent, which are not the
works of its own activity. But whatever

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things are the works of its own
activity, all these things are in its

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power. And of these, however, only those which are done with reference

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to the present. For as to
the future and the past activities of the

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mind, even these are for the
present indifferent. Neither the labor which the

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hand does, nor that of the
foot, is contrary to nature. So

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long as the foot does the foot's
work in the hands. So then neither

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to a man, as a man
is as labor contrary to nature, as

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long as he does the things of
a man. But if the labor is

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not contrary to his nature, neither
is it an evil to him? How

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many pleasures have been enjoyed by robbers, patricides, tyrants. Didst thou not

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see how the handicraftsmen accommodate themselves up
to a certain point to those which are

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not skilled in their craft. Nevertheless, they cling to the reason, the

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principles of their art, and do
not endure to depart from it. Is

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it not strange if the architect and
the physicians shall have more respect to the

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reason the principles of their own arts, than man to his own reason,

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which is common to him. In
the gods, Asia Europe are corners of

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the universe. All the sea a
drop in the universe, Athos a little

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clod in the universe. All the
present time is a point in eternity.

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All things are little changeable, perishable. All things come from, thence,

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from that universal ruling power, either
directly proceeding or by way of sequence.

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And accordingly, the lions gaping jaws, and that which is poisonous, and

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every harmful thing as a thorn as
mud are after products of the grand and

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beautiful. Do not imagine then,
that they are of another kind from that

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which thou dost venerate, but form
a just opinion of the source of all.

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He who has seen present things,
has seen all, both everything which

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has taken place from all eternity,
and everything which will be for time without

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end. For all things are of
one kin and of one form. Frequently

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consider the connection of all things in
the universe in their relation to one another.

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For in a manner, all things
are implicated with one another, and

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all in this way are friendly to
one And for one thing comes in order

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after another, and this is by
virtue of the active movement and mutual composition

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and the unity of the substance.
Adapt thyself to the things with which thy

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lot has been cast, and the
men among whom thou hast received thy portion,

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love them. But do it truly. Every instrument to vessel, if

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it does that for which it has
been made, is well. And yet

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he who made it is not there. But in all things which are held

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together by nature, there is within, and there abides in them the power

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which made them. Wherefore, the
more it is fit to reverence this power,

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and to think that if thou dost
live and act according to its will,

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everything in THEE is in conformity to
intelligence, and thus also in the

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universe the things which belong to it
are in conformity to intelligence. Whatever of

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the things which are not within thy
power without shalt supposed to be good for

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THEE or evil. It must of
necessity be that if such a bad thing

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befall THEE, or the loss of
such a good thing, that will blame

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the gods and hate men too,
those who are the cause of the misfortune

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or the loss, or those who
are suspected of being likely to be the

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cause. And indeed we do much
injustice because we make a difference between those

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things, because we do not regard
these things as indifferent. But if we

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judge only those things which are in
our power to be good or bad,

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there remains no reason either for finding
fault with God or standing in a hostile

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attitude to man. We are all
working together to one end, some with

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knowledge and design, and others without
knowing what they do as men also when

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they are asleep, of whom it
is Heraclius I think, who says that

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there are laborers and cooperators in the
things which take place in the universe.

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But men cooperate after different fashion,
and even those cooperate abundantly who find fault

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with what happens, and those who
try to oppose it and to hinder it.

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For the universe has need even of
such men as these. It remains

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then for THEE to understand among what
kind of workmen thou placest thyself. For

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he who rules all things will certainly
make a right use of THEE, and

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he will receive THEE among some part
of the cooperators and of those whose labors

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conduce to one end. But be
not thou such a part as the mean

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and ridiculous verse in the play which
Pricippus speaks of. Does the sun undertake

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to do the work of the rain, or Aesculapius the work of the fruit

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bearer? And how is it with
respect to each of the stars? Are

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they not different? And yet they
work together to the same end. If

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the gods have determined about me and
about the things which must happen to me,

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they have determined well. For it
is not easy even to imagine a

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deity without forethought. And as to
doing me harm, why should they have

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any desire towards that for what advantage
would result to them from this, or

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to the whole, which is the
special object of their providence. But if

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they have not determined about me individually, they have certainly determined about the whole

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at least, and the things which
happen by a way of sequence in this

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general arrangement I ought to accept with
pleasure and to be content with them.

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But if they determine about nothing,
which it is wicked to believe, or

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if we do believe it, let
us neither sacrifice, nor pray, nor

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swear by them, nor do anything
else which we do, as if the

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gods were present and lived with us. But if, however, the gods

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determine about none of the things which
concern us, I am able to determine

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about myself, And I can acquire
about that which is useful, and that

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is useful to every man, which
is conformable to his own constitution and nature.

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But my nature is rational and social. My city and country, as

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far as I am man, Toninus
is Rome. But so far as I

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am a man, it is the
world. The things, then, which

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are useful to these cities, are
alone and useful to me. Whatever happens

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to every man, this is for
the interest of the universal. This might

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be sufficient. But further thou wilt
observe this also is a general truth,

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if thou dost observe that whatever is
profitable to any man is profitable also to

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other men. But let the word
profitable be taken here in the common sense,

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as said of things of the middle
kind, neither good nor bad,

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as it happens to thee in the
amphitheater. In such places that the continual

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sight of the same things and the
uniformity make the spectacle wearisome, so it

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is in the whole of life.
For all things above below are the same,

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and from the same. How long, then think continually that all kinds

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of men, and all kinds of
pursuits, and of all nations are dead,

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so that thy thoughts come down even
to Philistian and Phoebus on Organian.

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Now turn thy thoughts to the other
kinds of men. To that place,

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then we must remove, where there
are so many great orators, so many

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noble philosophers, Heraclitus, Pythagrius,
Socrates, so many heroes of former days,

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and so many generals after them in
tyrants. Besides these, Eudoxus,

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Hipparchus, Archimedes, and other men
of acute natural talents, great minds,

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lovers of labor, versatile, confident
mockers, even of the perishable and ephemable

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life of man as Manipus, and
such as are like him. As to

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all these, consider that they have
long been in the dust. What harm,

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then, is this to them?
And what to those whose names are

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altogether unknown? Thing here is worth
a great deal to pass thy life in

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truth and justice, with a benevolent
disposition, even to liars and unjust men.

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Thou art not dissatisfied, I suppose, because thou weighest only so many

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leader, and not three hundred.
Be not dissatisfied, then that thou must

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live only so many years, and
not more. For as thou art satisfied

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with the amount of substance which has
been assigned to thee, so be content

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with the time. Let us try
to persuade them, but act even against

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their will, when the principles of
justice lead that way. If however,

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any man using forest stands in thy
way, betake thyself to contentment and tranquility,

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and at the same time employ the
hinderance towards the exercise of some other

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virtue. And remember that thy attempt
was with a reservation that thou didst not

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desire to do impossibilities? What then, didst thou desire some such effort as

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this? But thou attainest thy object
if the things to which thou wist move

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are accomplished. He who loves fame
considers another man's activity to be his own

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good, and he who loves pleasure
his own sensations. But he who has

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understanding considers his own acts to be
his own good. It is in our

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power to have no opinion about a
thing, and not to be disturbed in

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our soul, for things themselves have
no natural power to form our judgments.

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Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what
is said by another, And as much

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as it is possible, be in
the speaker's mind, that which is not

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good for the swarm, neither is
a good for the bee. If sailors

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abuse the helmsmen or the sick the
doctor, would they listen to anybody else?

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And how could the helmsman secure the
safety of those in the ship,

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or the doctor health of those whom
he attends. How Many, together with

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whom I came into the world,
are already gone out of it To the

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jaundiced honey tastes bitter, and to
those bitten by mad dogs water causes fear,

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and to little children the ball is
a fine thing. Why then,

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am I angry? Dost thou think
that a false opinion has less power than

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the bile in the jaundiced or the
poison in him who is bitten by a

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00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:41.920
mad dog. No man will hinder
thee from living. According to the reason

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of thy nature, nothing will happen
to thee country to the reason of the

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universal nature. What kind of people
are those who men wish to please?

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And for what objects? And by
what kinds of acts? How soon time

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will cover all things, and how
many it is covered already