BOOK FOUR

  THAT which rules within, when it is according to nature, is so

affected with respect to the events which happen, that it always

easily adapts itself to that which is and is presented to it. For it

requires no definite material, but it moves towards its purpose, under

certain conditions however; and it makes a material for itself out of

that which opposes it, as fire lays hold of what falls into it, by

which a small light would have been extinguished: but when the fire is

strong, it soon appropriates to itself the matter which is heaped on

it, and consumes it, and rises higher by means of this very material.

  Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according

to the perfect principles of art.

  Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores,

and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very

much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men,

for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into

thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from

trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he

has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is

immediately in perfect tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility is

nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then

give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself; and let thy

principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou shalt

recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely,

and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to

which thou returnest. For with what art thou discontented? With the

badness of men? Recall to thy mind this conclusion, that rational

animals exist for one another, and that to endure is a part of

justice, and that men do wrong involuntarily; and consider how many

already, after mutual enmity, suspicion, hatred, and fighting, have

been stretched dead, reduced to ashes; and be quiet at last.- But

perhaps thou art dissatisfied with that which is assigned to thee

out of the universe.- Recall to thy recollection this alternative;

either there is providence or atoms, fortuitous concurrence of things;

or remember the arguments by which it has been proved that the world

is a kind of political community, and be quiet at last.- But perhaps

corporeal things will still fasten upon thee.- Consider then further

that the mind mingles not with the breath, whether moving gently or

violently, when it has once drawn itself apart and discovered its

own power, and think also of all that thou hast heard and assented

to about pain and pleasure, and be quiet at last.- But perhaps the

desire of the thing called fame will torment thee.- See how soon

everything is forgotten, and look at the chaos of infinite time on

each side of the present, and the emptiness of applause, and the

changeableness and want of judgement in those who pretend to give

praise, and the narrowness of the space within which it is

circumscribed, and be quiet at last. For the whole earth is a point,

and how small a nook in it is this thy dwelling, and how few are there

in it, and what kind of people are they who will praise thee.

  This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory

of thy own, and above all do not distract or strain thyself, but be

free, and look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen,

as a mortal. But among the things readiest to thy hand to which thou

shalt turn, let there be these, which are two. One is that things do

not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable; but

our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within. The

other is that all these things, which thou seest, change immediately

and will no longer be; and constantly bear in mind how many of these

changes thou hast already witnessed. The universe is transformation:

life is opinion.

  If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of

which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is

the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this

is so, there is a common law also; if this is so, we are

fellow-citizens; if this is so, we are members of some political

community; if this is so, the world is in a manner a state. For of

what other common political community will any one say that the

whole human race are members? And from thence, from this common

political community comes also our very intellectual faculty and

reasoning faculty and our capacity for law; or whence do they come?

For as my earthly part is a portion given to me from certain earth,

and that which is watery from another element, and that which is hot

and fiery from some peculiar source (for nothing comes out of that

which is nothing, as nothing also returns to non-existence), so also

the intellectual part comes from some source.

  Death is such as generation is, a mystery of nature; a composition

out of the same elements, and a decomposition into the same; and

altogether not a thing of which any man should be ashamed, for it is

not contrary to the nature of a reasonable animal, and not contrary to

the reason of our constitution.

  It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, it

is a matter of necessity; and if a man will not have it so, he will

not allow the fig-tree to have juice. But by all means bear this in

mind, that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead; and

soon not even your names will be left behind.

  Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint,

"I have been harmed." Take away the complaint, "I have been harmed,"

and the harm is taken away.

  That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make

his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from

within.

  The nature of that which is universally useful has been compelled to

do this.

  Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if

thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say

only with respect to the continuity of the series of things, but

with respect to what is just, and as if it were done by one who

assigns to each thing its value. Observe then as thou hast begun;

and whatever thou doest, do it in conjunction with this, the being

good, and in the sense in which a man is properly understood to be

good. Keep to this in every action.

  Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong,

or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in

truth.

  A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one, to

do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty

may suggest for the use of men; the other, to change thy opinion, if

there is any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from any

opinion. But this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain

persuasion, as of what is just or of common advantage, and the like,

not because it appears pleasant or brings reputation.

  Hast thou reason? I have.- Why then dost not thou use it? For if

this does its own work, what else dost thou wish?

  Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which

produced thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal

principle by transmutation.

  Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before,

another falls after; but it makes no difference.

  Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now a

beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the

worship of reason.

  Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death

hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

  How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his

neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself,

that it may be just and pure; or as Agathon says, look not round at

the depraved morals of others, but run straight along the line without

deviating from it.

  He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider

that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very

soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole

remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted

through men who foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those

who will remember are even immortal, and that the remembrance will

be immortal, what then is this to thee? And I say not what is it to

the dead, but what is it to the living? What is praise except indeed

so far as it has a certain utility? For thou now rejectest

unseasonably the gift of nature, clinging to something else...

  Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and

terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither

worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm

this also of the things which are called beautiful by the vulgar,

for example, material things and works of art. That which is really

beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law, not more than

truth, not more than benevolence or modesty. Which of these things

is beautiful because it is praised, or spoiled by being blamed? Is

such a thing as an emerald made worse than it was, if it is not

praised? Or gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a

shrub?

  If souls continue to exist, how does the air contain them from

eternity?- But how does the earth contain the bodies of those who

have been buried from time so remote? For as here the mutation of

these bodies after a certain continuance, whatever it may be, and

their dissolution make room for other dead bodies; so the souls

which are removed into the air after subsisting for some time are

transmuted and diffused, and assume a fiery nature by being received

into the seminal intelligence of the universe, and in this way make

room for the fresh souls which come to dwell there. And this is the

answer which a man might give on the hypothesis of souls continuing to

exist. But we must not only think of the number of bodies which are

thus buried, but also of the number of animals which are daily eaten

by us and the other animals. For what a number is consumed, and thus

in a manner buried in the bodies of those who feed on them! And

nevertheless this earth receives them by reason of the changes of

these bodies into blood, and the transformations into the aerial or

the fiery element.

  What is the investigation into the truth in this matter? The

division into that which is material and that which is the cause of

form, the formal.

  Do not be whirled about, but in every movement have respect to

justice, and on the occasion of every impression maintain the

faculty of comprehension or understanding.

  Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O

Universe. Nothing for me is too early nor too late, which is in due

time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O

Nature: from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee

all things return. The poet says, Dear city of Cecrops; and wilt not

thou say, Dear city of Zeus?

  Occupy thyself with few things, says the philosopher, if thou

wouldst be tranquil.- But consider if it would not be better to say,

Do what is necessary, and whatever the reason of the animal which is

naturally social requires, and as it requires. For this brings not

only the tranquility which comes from doing well, but also that

which comes from doing few things. For the greatest part of what we

say and do being unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have

more leisure and less uneasiness. Accordingly on every occasion a

man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things? Now a

man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also,

unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after.

  Try how the life of the good man suits thee, the life of him who

is satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his

own just acts and benevolent disposition.

  Hast thou seen those things? Look also at these. Do not disturb

thyself. Make thyself all simplicity. Does any one do wrong? It is

to himself that he does the wrong. Has anything happened to thee?

Well; out of the universe from the beginning everything which

happens has been apportioned and spun out to thee. In a word, thy life

is short. Thou must turn to profit the present by the aid of reason

and justice. Be sober in thy relaxation.

  Either it is a well-arranged universe or a chaos huddled together,

but still a universe. But can a certain order subsist in thee, and

disorder in the All? And this too when all things are so separated and

diffused and sympathetic.

  A black character, a womanish character, a stubborn character,

bestial, childish, animal, stupid, counterfeit, scurrilous,

fraudulent, tyrannical.

  If he is a stranger to the universe who does not know what is in it,

no less is he a stranger who does not know what is going on in it.

He is a runaway, who flies from social reason; he is blind, who

shuts the eyes of the understanding; he is poor, who has need of

another, and has not from himself all things which are useful for

life. He is an abscess on the universe who withdraws and separates

himself from the reason of our common nature through being

displeased with the things which happen, for the same nature

produces this, and has produced thee too: he is a piece rent asunder

from the state, who tears his own soul from that of reasonable

animals, which is one.

  The one is a philosopher without a tunic, and the other without a

book: here is another half naked: Bread I have not, he says, and I

abide by reason.- And I do not get the means of living out of my

learning, and I abide by my reason.

  Love the art, poor as it may be, which thou hast learned, and be

content with it; and pass through the rest of life like one who has

intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has, making

thyself neither the tyrant nor the slave of any man.

  Consider, for example, the times of Vespasian. Thou wilt see all

these things, people marrying, bringing up children, sick, dying,

warring, feasting, trafficking, cultivating the ground, flattering,

obstinately arrogant, suspecting, plotting, wishing for some to die,

grumbling about the present, loving, heaping up treasure, desiring

counsulship, kingly power. Well then, that life of these people no

longer exists at all. Again, remove to the times of Trajan. Again, all

is the same. Their life too is gone. In like manner view also the

other epochs of time and of whole nations, and see how many after

great efforts soon fell and were resolved into the elements. But

chiefly thou shouldst think of those whom thou hast thyself known

distracting themselves about idle things, neglecting to do what was in

accordance with their proper constitution, and to hold firmly to

this and to be content with it. And herein it is necessary to remember

that the attention given to everything has its proper value and

proportion. For thus thou wilt not be dissatisfied, if thou appliest

thyself to smaller matters no further than is fit.

  The words which were formerly familiar are now antiquated: so also

the names of those who were famed of old, are now in a manner

antiquated, Camillus, Caeso, Volesus, Leonnatus, and a little after

also Scipio and Cato, then Augustus,