A man deposits seed in a womb and goes away, and then another cause
takes it and labors on it and makes a child. What a thing from
such a material? Again, the child passes food down through the throat,
and then another cause takes it and makes perception and motion, and in fine
life, and strength and other things. How many and how strange I observe
then, the things which are produced in such a hidden way, and see
the power, just as we see the power which carries things downwards and upwards,
not with the eyes, but still no less plainly, constantly, consider
how all things such as they now are in time past also were, and
consider that they will be the same again, And place before thy eyes entire
dramas and stages of the same form, whatever thou hast learned from thy experience
or from older history. For example, the whole court of Hadrian, and
the whole court of Antoninus, and the whole court of Philip Alexander crisis,
for all those were such dramas as we see now, only with different actors.
Imagine every man who is grieved at anything or discontented to be like a
pig which is sacrificed in kicks and screams like this pig. Also is he
who, on his bed, in silence, laments the bonds in which we
are held. And consider that only to the rational animal is it given to
follow voluntarily what happens. But simply to follow is a necessity imposed on all,
severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest pause and ask thyself if
death is a dreadful thing, because it deprives thee of this When thou art
offended at any man's fault, forthwith turned to thyself and reflecting what like manner
thou dost eer thyself? For example, what in thinking that money is a
good thing, or pleasure, or a bit of reputation and the like.
For by attending to this thou wilt quickly forget thy anger. If this consideration
also is added, that the man is compelled, for what else could he
do? Or if thou art able to take away from him the compulsion.
When thou hast seen Saturn the Socratic, think of either Eutychies or Hymen,
And when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of u ti Kan or Sylvanus.
And when thou hast seen Alciphron, think of Tropiophorus, And when thou hast
seen Xenophon, think of Crito or Severus, And when thou hast looked on
thyself, think of any other Caesar. And in the case of everyone,
do in like manner. Then let this thought be in thy mind. Where
then are those men nowhere or nobody knows where? For thus continuously thou will
look at human things as smoke and nothing at all, especially if thou reflectest
at the same time that what has once changed will never exist again in the
infinite duration of time. But thou, in what a brief space of time
is thy existence? And why art thou not content to pass through this short
time in an orderly way? What matter and opportunity for thy activity art thou
avoiding? For what else are all these things except exercises? For the reason,
when it is viewed carefully and by examination into their nature, the things
which happen in life persevere then until thou shalt have. And it made these
things thy own, as the stomach, which is strengthened, makes all things
its own, as the blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that
is thrown into it. Let it not be in any man's power to say
truly of THEE that thou art not simple, or that thou art not good?
But let him be a liar, whoever shall think anything of this kind
about THEE. And this is altogether in thy power. For who is he
that shall hinder THEE from being good and simple? Do thou only determine to
live no longer unless thou shalt be such, For neither does reason allow THEE
to live if thou art not such. What is that which, as to
this material our life, can be done or said in the way most conformable
to reason. For whatever this may be, it is in thy power to
do it or to say it. And do not make excuses that thou art
hindered. Thou wilt not cease to lament till thy mind is in such a
condition that what luxury is to those who enjoy pleasure, such shall be to
THEE. In the matter which is subjected and presented to THEE the doing of
the things which are conformable to man's constitution. For a man ought to consider
as an enjoyment everything which it is in his power to do, according to
his own nature, And it is in his power everywhere. Now it is
not given to a cylinder to move everywhere by its own motion, nor yet
to water, nor to fire, nor to anything else which is governed by
nature or an irrational soul. For the things which check them and stand in
the way are many. But intelligence and new reason are able to go through
everything that opposes them, and in such manner as they are formed by nature,
and as they choose place before thy eyes this facility with which the reason
will be carried through all things as fire, upwards as a stone, downwards
as a cylinder down an inclined surface, and seek for nothing further, For
all other obstacles either affect the body only, which is a dead thing,
or except through opinion, in the yielding of the reason itself, they do
not crush nor do any harm of any kind. For if they did,
he who felt it would immediately become bad. Now, in the case of
all things which have a certain constitution, whatever harm may happen to any of
them, that which is so affected becomes consequently worse. But in the like
case a man becomes both better, if one may say so, and more
worthy of praise, by making a right use of these accidents. And finally,
remember that nothing harms him who is really a citizen which does not harm
the state. Nor yet does anything harm the state which does not harm law
order. And of these things, which are called misfortunes, not one harms
law. What then does not harm law, does not harm either state or
citizen. To him who is penetrated by true principles, even the briefest precept
is sufficient in any common precept to remind him that he should be free from
grief and fear. For example, leaves some the wind scatters on the ground,
so is the race of men. Leaves also are thy children, and
leaves to two are they who cry out as if they were worthy of credit,
and bestow their praise, or on the contrary, curse, or secretly
blame and sneer. And leaves in like manner are those who shall receive and
transmit a man's fame to after times. For all such things as these are
produced in the season of spring, as the poet says, then the wind
casts them down. Then the forest produces other leaves in their places. But
a brief existence is common to all things. And yet thou avoidest and pursuest
all things as if they would be eternal. A little time, and thou
shalt close thy eyes and him who has attended thee to thy grave, another
soon will lament. The healthy eye ought to see all visible things, and
not to say I wish for green things, for this is the condition of
a diseased eye. And the healthy hearing and smelling ought to be ready to
perceive all that can be heard and smelled. And the healthy stomach ought to
be with respect to all food, just as the mill with respect to all
things which it is formed to grind. And accordingly, the healthy understanding ought
to be prepared for everything which happens. But that which says, let my
dear children live, and let all men praise whatever I may do, is
an eye which seeks for green things, or teeth which seek for soft things.
There is no man so fortunate that there shall not be by him when
he is dying. Some who are pleased with what is going to happen,
suppose that he was a good and wise man. Will there not be at
last someone to say to himself, let us at last breathe freely being relieved
from this schoolmaster. It is true that he was harsh to none of us,
But I perceive that he tacitly condemns us. This is what is said
of a good man. But in our own case, how many other things
are therefore, which there are many who wish to get rid of us.
Thou wilt consider this then, when thou art dying, and thou wilt depart
more contentedly by reflecting. Thus, I am going away from such a life
in which even my associates, in behalf of whom I have striven so much,
prayed and cared themselves, wished me to depart, hoping perchance to get
some little advantage by it. Why then, should a man cling to a
longer stay here. Do not, however, for this reason, go away
less kindly disposed to them, but preserving thy own character and friendly and benevolent
and mild. And on the other hand, not as if thou wast torn
away, but as when a man dies a quiet death, the poor soul
is easily separated from the body. Such also ought thy departure from men to
be. For Nature united thee to them and associated thee. But does she
now dissolve the union? Well, I am separated as from kinsmen, not
however, dragged resisting, but without compulsion, For this too is one of
the things according to nature. Accustom thyself as much as possible, on the
occasion of anything being done by any person, to inquire with thyself, for
what object is this man doing this? But begin with thyself and examine thyself.
First, Remember that this which pulls the strings is the thing which is
hidden within. This is the power of persuasion, This is life. This,
if one may so say, is man. In contemplating thyself, Never
include the vessel which surrounds thee, and these instruments which are attached about it,
For they are like to enact differing only in this that they grow to
the body. For indeed, there is no more use in these parts without
the cause which moves and checks them, than in the weaver's shuttle, when
the writer's pen and the driver's whip