the meditations-第23章

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ely；　as　a　thing　convenient　and　fitting；　not；　as　doing　good　to　thyself；　when　thou　dost　good　unto　others。　　XI。　　Of　things　that　are　external；　happen　what　will　to　that　which　can　suffer　by　external　accidents。　Those　things　that　suffer　let　them　complain　themselves；　if　they　will；　as　for　me；　as　long　as　I　conceive　no　such　thing；　that　that　which　is　happened　is　evil；　I　have　no　hurt；　and　it　is　in　my　power　not　to　conceive　any　such　thing。　　XII。　Whatsoever　any　man　either　doth　or　saith；　thou　must　be　good；　not　for　any　man's　sake；　but　for　thine　own　nature's　sake；　as　if　either　gold；　or　the　emerald；　or　purple；　should　ever　be　saying　to　themselves；　Whatsoever　any　man　either　doth　or　saith；　I　must　still　be　an　emerald；　and　I　must　keep　my　colour。

XIII。　　This　may　ever　be　my　comfort　and　security：　　my　understanding；　that　ruleth　over　all；　will　not　of　itself　bring　trouble　and　vexation　upon　itself。　　This　I　say；　it　will　not　put　itself　in　any　fear；　it　will　not　lead　itself　into　any　concupiscence。　If　it　be　in　the　power　of　any　other　to　compel　it　to　fear；　or　to　grieve；　it　is　free　for　him　to　use　his　power。　But　sure　if　itself　do　not　of　itself；　through　some　false　opinion　or　supposition　incline　itself　to　any　such　disposition；　there　is　no　fear。　　For　as　for　the　body；　why　should　I　make　the　grief　of　my　body；　to　be　the　grief　of　my　mind？　If　that　itself　can　either　fear　or　complain；　let　it。　But　as　for　the　soul；　which　indeed；　can　only　be　truly　sensible　of　either　fear　or　grief；　to　which　only　it　belongs　according　to　its　different　imaginations　and　opinions；　to　admit　of　either　of　these；　or　of　their　contraries；　thou　mayst　look　to　that　thyself；　that　it　suffer　nothing。　Induce　her　not　to　any　such　opinion　or　persuasion。　The　understanding　is　of　itself　sufficient　unto　itself；　and　needs　not　（if　itself　doth　not　bring　itself　to　need）　any　other　thing　besides　itself；　and　by　consequent　as　it　needs　nothing；　so　neither　can　it　be　troubled　or　hindered　by　anything；　if　itself　doth　not　trouble　and　hinder　itself。

XIV。　　What　is　rv&nfLovia；　or　happiness：　　but　a7~o~　&d~wv；　or；　a　good　da~rnon；　or　spirit？　　What　then　dost　thou　do　here；　O　opinion？　By　the　Gods　I　adjure　thee；　that　thou　get　thee　gone；　as　thou　earnest：　for　I　need　thee　not。　　Thou　earnest　indeed　unto　me　according　to　thy　ancient　wonted　manner。　　It　is　that；　that　all　men　have　ever　been　subject　unto。　That　thou　camest　therefore　I　am　not　angry　with　thee；　only　begone；　now　that　I　have　found　thee　what　thou　art。

XV。　　Is　any　man　so　foolish　as　to　fear　change；　to　which　all　things　that　once　were　not　owe　their　being？　　And　what　is　it；　that　is　more　pleasing　and　more　familiar　to　the　nature　of　the　universe？　How　couldst　thou　thyself　use　thy　ordinary　hot　baths；　should　not　the　wood　that　heateth　them　first　be　changed？　　How　couldst　thou　receive　any　nourishment　from　those　things　that　thou　hast　eaten；　if　they　should　not　be　changed？　　Can　anything　else　almost　（that　is　useful　and　profitable）　be　brought　to　pass　without　change？　How　then　dost　not　thou　perceive；　that　for　thee　also；　by　death；　to　come　to　change；　is　a　thing　of　the　very　same　nature；　and　as　necessary　for　the　nature　of　the　universe？

XVI。　　Through　the　substance　of　the　universe；　as　through　a　torrent　pass　all　particular　bodies；　being　all　of　the　same　nature；　and　all　joint　workers　with　the　universe　itself　as　in　one　of　our　bodies　so　many　members　among　themselves。　　How　many　such　as　Chrysippus；　how　many　such　as　Socrates；　how　many　such　as　Epictetus；　hath　the　age　of　the　world　long　since　swallowed　up　and　devoured？　Let　this；　be　it　either　men　or　businesses；　that　thou　hast　occasion　to　think　of；　to　the　end　that　thy　thoughts　be　not　distracted　and　thy　mind　too　earnestly　set　upon　anything；　upon　every　such　occasion　presently　come　to　thy　mind。　Of　all　my　thoughts　and　cares；　one　only　thing　shall　be　the　object；　that　I　myself　do　nothing　which　to　the　proper　constitution　of　man；　（either　in　regard　of　the　thing　itself；　or　in　regard　of　the　manner；　or　of　the　time　of　doing；）　is　contrary。　　The　time　when　thou　shalt　have　forgotten　all　things；　is　at　hand。　　And　that　time　also　is　at　hand；　when　thou　thyself　shalt　be　forgotten　by　all。　Whilst　thou　art；　apply　thyself　to　that　especially　which　unto　man　as　he　is　a　mart；　is　most　proper　and　agreeable；　and　that　is；　for　a　man　even　to　love　them　that　transgress　against　him。　This　shall　be；　if　at　the　same　time　that　any　such　thing　doth　happen；　thou　call　to　mind；　that　they　are　thy　kinsmen；　that　it　is　through　ignorance　and　against　their　wills　that　they　sin；　and　that　within　a　very　short　while　after；　both　thou　and　he　shall　be　no　more。　But　above　all　things；　that　he　hath　not　done　thee　any　hurt；　for　that　by　him　thy　mind　and　understanding　is　not　made　worse　or　more　vile　than　it　was　before。　　XVII。　　The　nature　of　the　universe；　of　the　common　substance　of　all　things　as　it　were　of　so　much　wax　hath　now　perchance　formed　a　horse；　and　then；　destroying　that　figure；　hath　new　tempered　and　fashioned　the　matter　of　it　into　the　form　and　substance　of　a　tree：　　then　that　again　into　the　form　and　substance　of　a　man：　　and　then　that　again　into　some　other。　Now　every　one　of　these　doth　subsist　but　for　a　very　little　while。　As　for　dissolution；　if　it　be　no　grievous　thing　to　the　chest　or　trunk；　to　be　joined　together；　why　should　it　be　more　grievous　to　be　put　asunder？

XVIII。　　An　angry　countenance　is　much　against　nature；　and　it　is　oftentimes　the　proper　countenance　of　them　that　are　at　the　point　of　death。　　But　were　it　so；　that　all　anger　and　passion　were　so　thoroughly　quenched　in　thee；　that　it　were　altogether　impossible　to　kindle　it　any　more；　yet　herein　must　not　thou　rest　satisfied；　but　further　endeavour　by　good　consequence　of　true　ratiocination；　perfectly　to　conceive　and　understand；　that　all　anger　and　passion　is　against　reason。　　For　if　thou　shalt　not　be　sensible　of　thine　innocence；　if　that　also　shall　be　gone　from　thee；　the　comfort　of　a　good　conscience；　that　thou　doest　all　things　according　to　reason：　　what　shouldest　thou　live　any　longer　for？　All　things　that　now　thou　seest；　are　but　for　a　moment。　That　nature；　by　which　all　things　in　the　world　are　administered；　will　soon　bring　change　and　alteration　upon　them；　and　then　of　their　substances　make　other　things　like　unto　them　：　and　then　soon　after　others　again　of　the　matter　and　substance　of　these：　that　so　by　these　means；　the　world　may　still　appear　fresh　and　new。　　XIX。　　Whensoever　any　man　doth　trespass　against　other；　presently　consider　with　thyself　what　it　was　that　he　did　suppose　to　be　good；　what　to　be　evil；　when　he　did　trespass。　For　this　when　thou　knowest；　thou　wilt　pity　him　thou　wilt　have　no　occasion　either　to　wonder；　or　to　be　angry。　For　either　thou　thyself　dust　yet　live　in　that　error　and　ignorance；　as　that　thou　dust　suppose　either　that　very　thing　that　he　doth；　or　some　other　like　worldly　thing；　to　be　good；　and　so　thou　art　bound　to　pardon　him　if　he　have　done　that　which　thou　in　the　like　case　wouldst　have　done　thyself。　Or　if　so　be　that　thou　dost　not　any　more　suppose　the　same　things　to　be　good　or　evil；　that　he　doth；　how　canst　thou　but　be　gentle　unto　him　that　is　in　an　error？

XX。　　Fancy　not　to　thyself　things　future；　as　though　they　were　present　but　of　those　that　are　present；　take　some　aside；　that　thou　takest　most　benefit　of；　and　consider　of　them　particularly；　how　wonderfully　thou　wouldst　want　them；　if　they　were　not　present。　But　take　heed　withal；　lest　that　whilst　thou　dust　settle　thy　contentment　in　things　present；　thou　grow　in　time　so　to　overprize　them；　as　that　the　want　of　them　（whensoever　it　shall　so　fall　out）　should　be　a　trouble　and　a　vexation　unto　thee。　　Wind　up　thyself　into　thyself。　Such　is　the　nature　of　thy　reasonable　commanding　part；　as　that　if　it　exercise　justice；　and　have　by　that　means　tranquillity　within　itself；　it　doth　rest　fully　satisfied　with　itself　without　any　other　thing。

XXI。　　Wipe　off　all　opinion　stay　the　force　and　violence　of　unreasonable　lusts　and　affections：　　circumscribe　the　present　time　examine　whatsoever　it　be　that　is　happened；　either　to　thyself　or　to　another：　　divide　all　present　objects；　either　in　that　which　is　formal　or　material　think　of　the　last　hour。　That　which　thy　neighbour　bath　committed；　where　the　guilt　of　it　lieth；　there　let　it　rest。　　Examine　in　order　whatsoever　is　spoken。　Let　thy　mind　penetrate　both　into　the　effects；　and　into　the　causes。　Rejoice　thyself　with　true　simplicity；　and　modesty；　a