BOOK EIGHT

  THIS reflection also tends to the removal of the desire of empty

fame, that it is no longer in thy power to have lived the whole of thy

life, or at least thy life from thy youth upwards, like a philosopher;

but both to many others and to thyself it is plain that thou art far

from philosophy. Thou hast fallen into disorder then, so that it is no

longer easy for thee to get the reputation of a philosopher; and thy

plan of life also opposes it. If then thou hast truly seen where the

matter lies, throw away the thought, How thou shalt seem to others,

and be content if thou shalt live the rest of thy life in such wise as

thy nature wills. Observe then what it wills, and let nothing else

distract thee; for thou hast had experience of many wanderings without

having found happiness anywhere, not in syllogisms, nor in wealth, nor

in reputation, nor in enjoyment, nor anywhere. Where is it then? In

doing what man's nature requires. How then shall a man do this? If

he has principles from which come his affects and his acts. What

principles? Those which relate to good and bad: the belief that

there is nothing good for man, which does not make him just,

temperate, manly, free; and that there is nothing bad, which does

not do the contrary to what has been mentioned.

  On the occasion of every act ask thyself, How is this with respect

to me? Shall I repent of it? A little time and I am dead, and all is

gone. What more do I seek, if what I am now doing is work of an

intelligent living being, and a social being, and one who is under the

same law with God?

  Alexander and Gaius and Pompeius, what are they in comparison with

Diogenes and Heraclitus and Socrates? For they were acquainted with

things, and their causes (forms), and their matter, and the ruling

principles of these men were the same. But as to the others, how many

things had they to care for, and to how many things were they slaves?

  Consider that men will do the same things nevertheless, even

though thou shouldst burst.

  This is the chief thing: Be not perturbed, for all things are

according to the nature of the universal; and in a little time thou

wilt be nobody and nowhere, like Hadrian and Augustus. In the next

place having fixed thy eyes steadily on thy business look at it, and

at the same time remembering that it is thy duty to be a good man, and

what man's nature demands, do that without turning aside; and speak as

it seems to thee most just, only let it be with a good disposition and

with modesty and without hypocrisy.

  The nature of the universal has this work to do, to remove to that

place the things which are in this, to change them, to take them

away hence, and to carry them there. All things are change, yet we

need not fear anything new. All things are familiar to us; but the

distribution of them still remains the same.

  Every nature is contented with itself when it goes on its way

well; and a rational nature goes on its way well, when in its thoughts

it assents to nothing false or uncertain, and when it directs its

movements to social acts only, and when it confines its desires and

aversions to the things which are in its power, and when it is

satisfied with everything that is assigned to it by the common nature.

For of this common nature every particular nature is a part, as the

nature of the leaf is a part of the nature of the plant; except that

in the plant the nature of the leaf is part of a nature which has

not perception or reason, and is subject to be impeded; but the nature

of man is part of a nature which is not subject to impediments, and is

intelligent and just, since it gives to everything in equal portions

and according to its worth, times, substance, cause (form),

activity, and incident. But examine, not to discover that any one

thing compared with any other single thing is equal in all respects,

but by taking all the parts together of one thing and comparing them

with all the parts together of another.

  Thou hast not leisure or ability to read. But thou hast leisure or

ability to check arrogance: thou hast leisure to be superior to

pleasure and pain: thou hast leisure to be superior to love of fame,

and not to be vexed at stupid and ungrateful people, nay even to

care for them.

  Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court life or

with thy own.

  Repentance is a kind of self-reproof for having neglected

something useful; but that which is good must be something useful, and

the perfect good man should look after it. But no such man would

ever repent of having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure then is

neither good nor useful.

  This thing, what is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is

its substance and material? And what its causal nature (or form)?

And what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?

  When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is

according to thy constitution and according to human nature to perform

social acts, but sleeping is common also to irrational animals. But

that which is according to each individual's nature is also more

peculiarly its own, and more suitable to its nature, and indeed also

more agreeable.

  Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every

impression on the soul, apply to it the principles of Physic, of

Ethic, and of Dialectic.

  Whatever man thou meetest with, immediately say to thyself: What

opinions has this man about good and bad? For if with respect to

pleasure and pain and the causes of each, and with respect to fame and

ignominy, death and life, he has such and such opinions, it will

seem nothing wonderful or strange to me, if he does such and such

things; and I shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.

  Remember that as it is a shame to be surprised if the fig-tree

produces figs, so it is to be surprised if the world produces such and

such things of which it is productive; and for the physician and the

helmsman it is a shame to be surprised, if a man has a fever, or if

the wind is unfavourable.

  Remember that to change thy opinion and to follow him who corrects

thy error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in thy

error. For it is thy own, the activity which is exerted according to

thy own movement and judgement, and indeed according to thy own

understanding too.

  If a thing is in thy own power, why dost thou do it? But if it is in

the power of another, whom dost thou blame? The atoms (chance) or

the gods? Both are foolish. Thou must blame nobody. For if thou canst,

correct that which is the cause; but if thou canst not do this,

correct at least the thing itself; but if thou canst not do even this,

of what use is it to thee to find fault? For nothing should be done

without a purpose.

  That which has died falls not out of the universe. If it stays here,

it also changes here, and is dissolved into its proper parts, which

are elements of the universe and of thyself. And these too change, and

they murmur not.

  Everything exists for some end, a horse, a vine. Why dost thou

wonder? Even the sun will say, I am for some purpose, and the rest

of the gods will say the same. For what purpose then art thou? to

enjoy pleasure? See if common sense allows this.

  Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the

beginning and the continuance, just like the man who throws up a ball.

What good is it then for the ball to be thrown up, or harm for it to

come down, or even to have fallen? And what good is it to the bubble

while it holds together, or what harm when it is burst? The same may

be said of a light also.

  Turn it (the body) inside out, and see what kind of thing it is; and

when it has grown old, what kind of thing it becomes, and when it is

diseased.

  Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and the rememberer

and the remembered: and all this in a nook of this part of the

world; and not even here do all agree, no, not any one with himself:

and the whole earth too is a point.

  Attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an

opinion or an act or a word.

  Thou sufferest this justly: for thou choosest rather to become

good to-morrow than to be good to-day.

  Am I doing anything? I do it with reference to the good of

mankind. Does anything happen to me? I receive it and refer it to

the gods, and the source of all things, from which all that happens is

derived.

  Such as bathing appears to thee- oil, sweat, dirt, filthy water,

all things disgusting- so is every part of life and everything.

  Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla died. Secunda saw Maximus

die, and then Secunda died. Epitynchanus saw Diotimus die, and

Epitynchanus died. Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus

died. Such is everything. Celer saw Hadrian die, and then Celer

died. And those sharp-witted men, either seers or men inflated with

pride, where are they? For instance the sharp-witted men, Charax and

Demetrius the Platonist and Eudaemon, and any one else like them.

All ephemeral, dead long ago. Some indeed have not been remembered

even for a short time, and others have become the heroes of fables,

and again others have disappeared even from fables. Remember this

then, that this little compound, thyself, must either be dissolved, or

thy poor breath must be extinguished, or be removed and placed

elsewhere.

  It is satisfaction to a man to do the proper works of a man. Now

it is a proper work of a man to be benevolent to his own kind, to

despise the movements of the senses, to form a just judgement of

plausible appearances, and to take a survey of the nature of the

universe and of the things which happen in it.

  There are three relations between thee and other things: the one

to the body which surrounds thee; the second to the divine cause

from which all things come to all; and the third to those who live

with thee.

  Pain is either an evil to the body- then let the body say what it

thinks of it- or to the soul; but it is in the power of the soul to

maintain its own serenity and tranquility, and not to think that

pain is an evil. For every judgement and movement and desire and

aversion is within, and no evil ascends so high.

  Wipe out thy imaginations by often saying to thyself: now it is in

my power to let no badness be in this soul, nor desire nor any

perturbation at all; but looking at all things I see what is their

nature, and I use each according to its value.- Remember this power

which thou hast from nature.

  Speak both in the senate and to every man, whoever he may be,

appropriately, not with any affectation: use plain discourse.

  Augustus' court, wife, daughter, descendants, ancestors, sister,

Agrippa, kinsmen, intimates, friends, Areius, Maecenas, physicians and

sacrificing priests- the whole court is dead. Then turn to the rest,

not considering the death of a single man, but of a whole race, as

of the Pompeii; and that which is inscribed on the tombs- The last of

his race. Then consider what trouble those before them have had that

they might leave a successor; and then, that of necessity some one

must be the last. Again here consider the death of a whole race.

  It is thy duty to order thy life well in every single act; and if

every act does its duty, as far as is possible, be content; and no one

is able to hinder thee so that each act shall not do its duty.- But

something external will stand in the way.- Nothing will stand in the

way of thy acting justly and soberly and considerately.- But perhaps

some other active power will be hindered.- Well, but by acquiescing

in the hindrance and by being content to transfer thy efforts to

that which is allowed, another opportunity of action is immediately

put before thee in place of that which was hindered, and one which

will adapt itself to this ordering of which we are speaking.

  Receive wealth or prosperity without arrogance; and be ready to

let it go.

  If thou didst ever see a hand cut off, or a foot, or a head, lying

anywhere apart from the rest of the body, such does a man make

himself, as far as he can, who is not content with what happens, and

separates himself from others, or does anything unsocial. Suppose that

thou hast detached thyself from the natural unity- for thou wast made

by nature a part, but now thou hast cut thyself off- yet here there

is this beautiful provision, that it is in thy power again to unite

thyself. God has allowed this to no other part, after it has been

separated and cut asunder, to come together again. But consider the

kindness by which he has distinguished man, for he has put it in his

power not to be separated at all from the universal; and when he has

been separated, he has allowed him to return and to be united and to

resume his place as a part.

  As the nature of the universal has given to every rational being all

the other powers that it has, so we have received from it this power

also. For as the universal nature converts and fixes in its

predestined place everything which stands in the way and opposes it,

and makes such things a part of itself, so also the rational animal is

able to make every hindrance its own material, and to use it for

such purposes as it may have designed.

  Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not

thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou

mayest expect to befall thee: but on every occasion ask thyself,

What is there in this which is intolerable and past bearing? For

thou wilt be ashamed to confess. In the next place remember that

neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present.

But this is reduced to a very little, if thou only circumscribest

it, and chidest thy mind, if it is unable to hold out against even

this.

  Does Panthea or Pergamus now sit by the tomb of Verus? Does Chaurias

or Diotimus sit by the tomb of Hadrian? That would be ridiculous.

Well, suppose they did sit there, would the dead be conscious of it?

And if the dead were conscious, would they be pleased? And if they

were pleased, would that make them immortal? Was it not in the order

of destiny that these persons too should first become old women and

old men and then die? What then would those do after these were

dead? All this is foul smell and blood in a bag.

  If thou canst see sharp, look and judge wisely, says the

philosopher.

  In the constitution of the rational animal I see no virtue which

is opposed to justice; but I see a virtue which is opposed to love

of pleasure, and that is temperance.

  If thou takest away thy opinion about that which appears to give

thee pain, thou thyself standest in perfect security.- Who is this

self?- The reason.- But I am not reason.- Be it so. Let then the

reason itself not trouble itself. But if any other part of thee

suffers, let it have its own opinion about itself.

  Hindrance to the perceptions of sense is an evil to the animal

nature. Hindrance to the movements (desires) is equally an evil to the

animal nature. And something else also is equally an impediment and an

evil to the constitution of plants. So then that which is a