What is badness? It is that which thou hast often seen. And on the
occasion of everything which happens keep this in mind, that it is that
which thou hast often seen. Everywhere up and down thou wilt find the
same things, with which the old histories are filled, those of the
middle ages and those of our own day; with which cities and houses are
filled now. There is nothing new: all things are both familiar and
short-lived.
2. How can our principles become dead, unless the impressions [thoughts]
which correspond to them are extinguished? But it is in thy power
continuously to fan these thoughts into a flame. I can have that opinion
about anything which I ought to have. If I can, why am I disturbed? The
things which are external to my mind have no relation at all to my
mind.--Let this be the state of thy affects, and thou standest erect. To
recover thy life is in thy power. Look at things again as thou didst use
to look at them; for in this consists the recovery of thy life.
3. The idle business of show, plays on the stage, flocks of sheep,
herds, exercises with spears, a bone cast to little dogs, a bit of bread
into fishponds, laborings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings about
of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings--[all alike]. It is
thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humor and not a
proud air; to understand however that every man is worth just so much as
the things are worth about which he busies himself.
4. In discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement
thou must observe what is doing. And in the one thou shouldst see
immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully what
is the thing signified.
5. Is my understanding sufficient for this or not? If it is sufficient,
I use it for the work as an instrument given by the universal nature.
But if it is not sufficient, then either I retire from the work and give
way to him who is able to do it better, unless there be some reason why
I ought not to do so; or I do it as well as I can, taking to help me the
man who with the aid of my ruling principle can do what is now fit and
useful for the general good. For what-soever either by myself or with
another I can do, ought to be directed to this only, to that which is
useful and well suited to society.
6. How many after being celebrated by fame have been given up to
oblivion; and how many who have celebrated the fame of others have long
been dead.
7. Be not ashamed to be helped; for it is thy business to do thy duty
like a soldier in the assault on a town. How then, if being lame thou
canst not mount up on the battlements alone, but with the help of
another it is possible?
8. Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it
shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou
usest for present things.
9. All things are implicated with one another, and the bond is holy; and
there is hardly anything unconnected with any other thing. For things
have been co-ordinated, and they combine to form the same universe
[order]. For there is one universe made up of all things, and one god
who pervades all things, and one substance,[A] and one law, [one] common
reason in all intelligent animals, and one truth; if indeed there is
also one perfection for all animals which are of the same stock and
participate in the reason.
[A] "One substance," p. 42, note 1.
10. Everything material soon disappears in the substance of the whole;
and everything formal [causal] is very soon taken back into the
universal reason; and the memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed
in time.
11. To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and
according to reason.