Meditations. Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

thou must always have in mind: What is the nature

       VII. Theophrastus, where he compares sin with sin (as after a vulgar

       VIII. Whatsoever thou dost affect, whatsoever thou dost project, so do,

       IX. Consider how quickly all things are dissolved and resolved: the

       X. It is the part of a man endowed with a good understanding faculty, to

       XI. Consider with thyself how man, and by what part of his, is joined

       XII. If thou shouldst live three thousand, or as many as ten thousands

       XIII. Remember that all is but opinion and conceit, for those things

       XIV. A man's soul doth wrong and disrespect itself first and especially,

       XV. The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever

       THE THIRD BOOK

       I. A man must not only consider how daily his life wasteth and

       II. This also thou must observe, that whatsoever it is that naturally

       III. Hippocrates having cured many sicknesses, fell sick himself and

       IV. Spend not the remnant of thy days in thoughts and fancies concerning

       V. Do nothing against thy will, nor contrary to the community, nor

       VI. To be cheerful, and to stand in no need, either of other men's help

       VII. If thou shalt find anything in this mortal life better than

       VIII. Never esteem of anything as profitable, which shall ever constrain

       IX. In the mind that is once truly disciplined and purged, thou canst

       X. Use thine opinative faculty with all honour and respect, for in

       XI. To these ever-present helps and mementoes, let one more be added,

       XII. What is this, that now my fancy is set upon? of what things doth

       XIII. If thou shalt intend that which is present, following the rule of

       XIV. As physicians and chirurgeons have always their instruments ready

       XV. Be not deceived; for thou shalt never live to read thy moral

       XVI. To steal, to sow, to buy, to be at rest, to see what is to be done

       XVII. To be capable of fancies and imaginations, is common to man and

       THE FOURTH BOOK

       I. That inward mistress part of man if it be in its own true natural

       II. Let nothing be done rashly, and at random, but all things according

       III. They seek for themselves private retiring

       IV. If to understand and to be reasonable be common unto all men, then

       V. As generation is, so also death, a secret of nature's wisdom: a

       VI. Such and such things, from such and such causes, must of necessity

       VII. Let opinion be taken away, and no man will think himself wronged.

       VIII. Whatsoever doth happen in the world, doth happen justly, and so if

       IX. Conceit no such things, as he that wrongeth thee conceiveth,

       X. These two rules, thou must have always in a readiness. First, do

       XI. Hast thou reason? I have. Why then makest thou not use of it? For if

       XII. As a part hitherto thou hast had a particular subsistence: and now

       XIII. Within ten days, if so happen, thou shalt be esteemed a god of

       XIV. Not as though thou hadst thousands of years to live. Death hangs

       XV. Now much time and leisure doth he gain, who is not curious to know

       XVI. He who is greedy of credit and reputation after his death, doth

       XVII. If so be that the souls remain after death (say they that will not

       XVIII. Not to wander out of the way, but upon every motion and desire,

       XIX. Whatsoever is expedient unto thee, O World, is expedient unto me;

       XX. They will say commonly, Meddle not with many things, if thou wilt

       XXI. Try also how a good man's life; (of one, who is well pleased with

       XXII. Either this world is a kosmoz or comely piece, because all

       XXIII. A black or malign disposition, an effeminate disposition; an

       XXIV. He is a true fugitive, that flies from reason, by which men are

       XXV. There is, who without so much as a coat; and there is, who without

       XXVI. What art and profession soever thou hast learned, endeavour to

       XXVII. Consider in my mind, for example's sake, the times of Vespasian:

       XXVIII. Those words which once were common and ordinary, are now become

       XXIX. Whatsoever is now present, and from day to day hath its existence;

       XXX. Thou art now ready to die, and yet hast thou not attained to

       XXXI. Behold and observe, what is the state of their rational part; and

       XXXII. In another man's mind and understanding thy evil Cannot subsist,

       XXXIII. Ever consider and think upon the world as being but one living

       XXXIV. What art thou, that better and divine part excepted, but as

       XXXV. To suffer change can be no hurt; as no benefit it is, by change to

       XXXVI. Whatsoever doth happen in the world, is, in the course of nature,

       XXXVII. Let that of Heraclitus never be out of thy mind, that the death

       XXXVIII. Even as if any of the gods should tell thee, Thou shalt

       XXXIX. Let it be thy perpetual meditation, how many physicians who

       XL. Thou must be like a promontory of the sea, against which though

       XLI. Oh, wretched I, to whom this mischance is happened! nay, happy I,