Meditations. Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

XXV. When any shall either impeach thee with false accusations, or

       XXVI. Up and down, from one age to another, go the ordinary things of

       XXVII. Within a while the earth shall cover us all, and then she herself

       XXVIII. And these your professed politicians, the only true practical

       XXIX. From some high place as it were to look down, and to behold

       XXX. Many of those things that trouble and straiten thee, it is in thy

       XXXI. To comprehend the whole world together in thy mind, and the whole

       XXXII. What are their minds and understandings; and what the things that

       XXXIII. Loss and corruption, is in very deed nothing else but change and

       XXXIV. How base and putrid, every common matter is! Water, dust, and

       XXXV. Will this querulousness, this murmuring, this complaining and

       XXXVI. It is all one to see these things for a hundred of years together

       XXXVII. If he have sinned, his is the harm, not mine. But perchance he

       XXXVIII. Either all things by the providence of reason happen unto every

       XXXIX. Sayest thou unto that rational part, Thou art dead; corruption

       XL. Either the Gods can do nothing for us at all, or they can still and

       XLI. 'In my sickness' (saith Epicurus of himself:) 'my discourses were

       XLII. It is common to all trades and professions to mind and intend that

       XLIII. When at any time thou art offended with any one's impudency, put

       THE TENTH BOOK

       I. O my soul, the time I trust will be, when thou shalt be good, simple,

       II. As one who is altogether governed by nature, let it be thy care to

       III. Whatsoever doth happen unto thee, thou art naturally by thy natural

       IV. Him that offends, to teach with love and meek ness, and to show him

       V. Whatsoever it be that happens unto thee, it is that which from all

       VI. Either with Epicurus, we must fondly imagine the atoms to be the

       VII. All parts of the world, (all things I mean that are contained

       VIII. Now that thou hast taken these names upon thee of good, modest,

       IX. Toys and fooleries at home, wars abroad: sometimes terror, sometimes

       X. As the spider, when it hath caught the fly that it hunted after, is

       XI. To find out, and set to thyself some certain way and method of

       XII. He hath got loose from the bonds of his body, and perceiving that

       XIII. What use is there of suspicion at all? or, why should thoughts

       XIV. What is that that is slow, and yet quick? merry, and yet grave? He

       XV. In the morning as soon as thou art awaked, when thy judgment, before

       XVI. Give what thou wilt, and take away what thou wilt, saith he that is

       XVII. So live as indifferent to the world and all worldly objects, as

       XVIII. Make it not any longer a matter of dispute or discourse, what are

       XIX. Ever to represent unto thyself; and to set before thee, both the

       XX. Consider them through all actions and occupations, of their lives:

       XXI. That is best for every one, that the common nature of all doth send

       XXII. The earth, saith the poet, doth often long after the rain. So is

       XXIII. Either thou dost Continue in this kind of life and that is it,

       XXIV Let it always appear and be manifest unto thee that solitariness,

       XXV. He that runs away from his master is a fugitive. But the law is

       XXVI. From man is the seed, that once cast into the womb man hath no

       XXVII. Ever to mind and consider with thyself; how all things that now

       XXVIII. As a pig that cries and flings when his throat is cut, fancy to

       XXIX. Whatsoever it is that thou goest about, consider of it by thyself,

       XXX. When thou art offended with any man's transgression, presently

       XXXI. When thou seest Satyro, think of Socraticus and Eutyches, or

       XXXII. What a subject, and what a course of life is it, that thou doest

       XXXIII. Let it not be in any man's power, to say truly of thee, that

       XXXIV. As he that is bitten by a mad dog, is afraid of everything almost

       XXXV. A good eye must be good to see whatsoever is to be seen, and not

       XXXVI. There is not any man that is so happy in his death, but that some

       XXXVII. Use thyself; as often, as thou seest any man do anything,

       XXXVIII. Remember, that that which sets a man at work, and hath power

       THE ELEVENTH BOOK

       I. The natural properties, and privileges of a reasonable soul are: That

       II. A pleasant song or dance; the Pancratiast's exercise, sports that

       III. That soul which is ever ready, even now presently (if need be) from

       IV. Have I done anything charitably? then am I benefited by it. See

       V. Tragedies were at first brought in and instituted, to put men in mind

       VI. How clearly doth it appear unto thee, that no other course of thy

       VII. A branch cut off from the continuity of that which was next unto

       VIII. To grow together like fellow branches in matter of good

       IX. It is not possible that any nature should be inferior unto art,

       X. The things themselves (which either to get or to avoid thou art put

       XI. Then is the soul as Empedocles doth liken it, like unto a sphere or

       XII. Will any contemn me? let him look to that, upon what grounds he

       XIII. They contemn one another, and yet they seek to please one another:

       XIV. How rotten and insincere is he, that saith, I am resolved to carry

       XV. To live happily is an inward power of the soul, when she is affected

       XVI. Of everything thou must consider from whence it came, of what

       XVII. Four several dispositions or