BOOK TEN

  WILT thou, then, my soul, never be good and simple and one and

naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds thee? Wilt thou

never enjoy an affectionate and contented disposition? Wilt thou never

be full and without a want of any kind, longing for nothing more,

nor desiring anything, either animate or inanimate, for the

enjoyment of pleasures? Nor yet desiring time wherein thou shalt

have longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or society of

men with whom thou mayest live in harmony? But wilt thou be

satisfied with thy present condition, and pleased with all that is

about thee, and wilt thou convince thyself that thou hast everything

and that it comes from the gods, that everything is well for thee, and

will be well whatever shall please them, and whatever they shall

give for the conservation of the perfect living being, the good and

just and beautiful, which generates and holds together all things, and

contains and embraces all things which are dissolved for the

production of other like things? Wilt thou never be such that thou

shalt so dwell in community with gods and men as neither to find fault

with them at all, nor to be condemned by them?

  Observe what thy nature requires, so far as thou art governed by

nature only: then do it and accept it, if thy nature, so far as thou

art a living being, shall not be made worse by it.

  And next thou must observe what thy nature requires so far as thou

art a living being. And all this thou mayest allow thyself, if thy

nature, so far as thou art a rational animal, shall not be made

worse by it. But the rational animal is consequently also a

political (social) animal. Use these rules, then, and trouble

thyself about nothing else.

  Everything which happens either happens in such wise as thou art

formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by nature to

bear it. If, then, it happens to thee in such way as thou art formed

by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it as thou art

formed by nature to bear it. But if it happens in such wise as thou

art not formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will

perish after it has consumed thee. Remember, however, that thou art

formed by nature to bear everything, with respect to which it

depends on thy own opinion to make it endurable and tolerable, by

thinking that it is either thy interest or thy duty to do this.

  If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error.

But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself.

  Whatever may happen to thee, it was prepared for thee from all

eternity; and the implication of causes was from eternity spinning the

thread of thy being, and of that which is incident to it.

  Whether the universe is a concourse of atoms, or nature is a system,

let this first be established, that I am a part of the whole which

is governed by nature; next, I am in a manner intimately related to

the parts which are of the same kind with myself. For remembering

this, inasmuch as I am a part, I shall be discontented with none of

the things which are assigned to me out of the whole; for nothing is

injurious to the part, if it is for the advantage of the whole. For

the whole contains nothing which is not for its advantage; and all

natures indeed have this common principle, but the nature of the

universe has this principle besides, that it cannot be compelled

even by any external cause to generate anything harmful to itself.

By remembering, then, that I am a part of such a whole, I shall be

content with everything that happens. And inasmuch as I am in a manner

intimately related to the parts which are of the same kind with

myself, I shall do nothing unsocial, but I shall rather direct

myself to the things which are of the same kind with myself, and I

shall turn an my efforts to the common interest, and divert them

from the contrary. Now, if these things are done so, life must flow on

happily, just as thou mayest observe that the life of a citizen is

happy, who continues a course of action which is advantageous to his

fellow-citizens, and is content with whatever the state may assign

to him.

  The parts of the whole, everything, I mean, which is naturally

comprehended in the universe, must of necessity perish; but let this

be understood in this sense, that they must undergo change. But if

this is naturally both an evil and a necessity for the parts, the

whole would not continue to exist in a good condition, the parts being

subject to change and constituted so as to perish in various ways. For

whether did nature herself design to do evil to the things which are

parts of herself, and to make them subject to evil and of necessity

fall into evil, or have such results happened without her knowing

it? Both these suppositions, indeed, are incredible. But if a man

should even drop the term Nature (as an efficient power), and should

speak of these things as natural, even then it would be ridiculous

to affirm at the same time that the parts of the whole are in their

nature subject to change, and at the same time to be surprised or

vexed as if something were happening contrary to nature, particularly

as the dissolution of things is into those things of which each thing

is composed. For there is either a dispersion of the elements out of

which everything has been compounded, or a change from the solid to

the earthy and from the airy to the aerial, so that these parts are

taken back into the universal reason, whether this at certain periods

is consumed by fire or renewed by eternal changes. And do not imagine

that the solid and the airy part belong to thee from the time of

generation. For all this received its accretion only yesterday and

the day before, as one may say, from the food and the air which is

inspired. This, then, which has received the accretion, changes, not

that which thy mother brought forth. But suppose that this which thy

mother brought forth implicates thee very much with that other part,

which has the peculiar quality of change, this is nothing in fact in

the way of objection to what is said.

  When thou hast assumed these names, good, modest, true, rational,

a man of equanimity, and magnanimous, take care that thou dost not

change these names; and if thou shouldst lose them, quickly return

to them. And remember that the term Rational was intended to signify a

discriminating attention to every several thing and freedom from

negligence; and that Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the

things which are assigned to thee by the common nature; and that

Magnanimity is the elevation of the intelligent part above the

pleasurable or painful sensations of the flesh, and above that poor

thing called fame, and death, and all such things. If, then, thou

maintainest thyself in the possession of these names, without desiring

to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person and

wilt enter on another life. For to continue to be such as thou hast

hitherto been, and to be tom in pieces and defiled in such a life,

is the character of a very stupid man and one overfond of his life,

and like those half-devoured fighters with wild beasts, who though

covered with wounds and gore, still intreat to be kept to the

following day, though they will be exposed in the same state to the

same claws and bites. Therefore fix thyself in the possession of these

few names: and if thou art able to abide in them, abide as if thou

wast removed to certain islands of the Happy. But if thou shalt

perceive that thou fallest out of them and dost not maintain thy hold,

go courageously into some nook where thou shalt maintain them, or even

depart at once from life, not in passion, but with simplicity and

freedom and modesty, after doing this one laudable thing at least in

thy life, to have gone out of it thus. In order, however, to the

remembrance of these names, it will greatly help thee, if thou

rememberest the gods, and that they wish not to be flattered, but wish

all reasonable beings to be made like themselves; and if thou

rememberest that what does the work of a fig-tree is a fig-tree, and

that what does the work of a dog is a dog, and that what does the work

of a bee is a bee, and that what does the work of a man is a man.

  Mimi, war, astonishment, torpor, slavery, will daily wipe out

those holy principles of thine. How many things without studying

nature dost thou imagine, and how many dost thou neglect? But it is

thy duty so to look on and so to do everything, that at the same

time the power of dealing with circumstances is perfected, and the

contemplative faculty is exercised, and the confidence which comes

from the knowledge of each several thing is maintained without showing

it, but yet not concealed. For when wilt thou enjoy simplicity, when

gravity, and when the knowledge of every several thing, both what it

is in substance, and what place it has in the universe, and how long

it is formed to exist and of what things it is compounded, and to whom

it can belong, and who are able both to give it and take it away?

  A spider is proud when it has caught a fly, and another when he

has caught a poor hare, and another when he has taken a little fish in

a net, and another when he has taken wild boars, and another when he

has taken bears, and another when he has taken Sarmatians. Are not

these robbers, if thou examinest their opinions?

  Acquire the contemplative way of seeing how all things change into

one another, and constantly attend to it, and exercise thyself about

this part of philosophy. For nothing is so much adapted to produce

magnanimity. Such a man has put off the body, and as he sees that he

must, no one knows how soon, go away from among men and leave

everything here, he gives himself up entirely to just doing in all his

actions, and in everything else that happens he resigns himself to the

universal nature. But as to what any man shall say or think about

him or do against him, he never even thinks of it, being himself

contented with these two things, with acting justly in what he now

does, and being satisfied with what is now assigned to him; and he

lays aside all distracting and busy pursuits, and desires nothing else

than to accomplish the straight course through the law, and by

accomplishing the straight course to follow God.

  What need is there of suspicious fear, since it is in thy power to

inquire what ought to be done? And if thou seest clear, go by this way

content, without turning back: but if thou dost not see clear, stop

and take the best advisers. But if any other things oppose thee, go on

according to thy powers with due consideration, keeping to that

which appears to be just. For it is best to reach this object, and

if thou dost fail, let thy failure be in attempting this. He who

follows reason in all things is both tranquil and active at the same

time, and also cheerful and collected.

  Inquire of thyself as soon as thou wakest from sleep, whether it

will make any difference to thee, if another does what is just and

right. It will make no difference.

  Thou hast not forgotten, I suppose, that those who assume arrogant

airs in bestowing their praise or blame on others, are such as they

are at bed and at board, and thou hast not forgotten what they do, and

what they avoid and what they pursue, and how they steal and how

they rob, not with hands and feet, but with their most valuable

part, by means of which there is produced, when a man chooses,

fidelity, modesty, truth, law, a good daemon (happiness)?

  To her who gives and takes back all, to nature, the man who is

instructed and modest says, Give what thou wilt; take back what thou

wilt. And he says this not proudly, but obediently and well pleased

with her.

  Short is the little which remains to thee of life. Live as on a

mountain. For it makes no difference whether a man lives there or

here, if he lives everywhere in the world as in a state (political

community). Let men see, let them know a real man who lives

according to nature. If they cannot endure him, let them kill him. For

that is better than to live thus as men do.

  No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to

be, but be such.

  Constantly contemplate the whole of time and the whole of substance,

and consider that all individual things as to substance are a grain of

a fig, and as to time, the turning of a gimlet.

  Look at everything that exists, and observe that it is already in

dissolution and in change, and as it were putrefaction or

dispersion, or that everything is so constituted by nature as to die.

  Consider what men are when they are eating, sleeping, generating,

easing themselves and so forth. Then what kind of men they are when

they are imperious and arrogant, or angry and scolding from their

elevated place. But a short time ago to how many they were slaves

and for what things; and after a little time consider in what a

condition they will be.

  That is for the good of each thing, which the universal nature

brings to each. And it is for its good at the time when nature

brings it.

  "The earth loves the shower"; and "the solemn aether loves": and the

universe loves to make whatever is about to be. I say then to the

universe, that I love as thou lovest. And is not this too said, that

"this or that loves (is wont) to be produced"?

  Either thou livest here and hast already accustomed thyself to it,

or thou art going away, and this was thy own will; or thou art dying

and hast discharged thy duty. But besides these things there is

nothing. Be of good cheer, then.

  Let this always be plain to thee, that this piece of land is like

any other; and that all things here are the same with things on top of

a mountain, or on the sea-shore, or wherever thou choosest to be.

For thou wilt find just what Plato says, Dwelling within the walls

of a city as in a shepherd's fold on a mountain.

  What is my ruling faculty now to me? And of what nature am I now

making it? And for what purpose am I now using it? Is it void of

understanding? Is it loosed and rent asunder from social life? Is it

melted into and mixed with the poor flesh so as to move together

with it?

  He who flies from his master is a runaway; but the law is master,

and he who breaks the law is a runaway. And he also who is grieved

or angry or afraid, is dissatisfied because something has been or is

or shall be of the things which are appointed by him who rules all

things, and he is Law, and assigns to every man what is fit. He then

who fears or is grieved or is angry is a runaway.

  A man deposits seed in a womb and goes away, and then another

cause takes it, and labours on it and makes a child. What a thing from

such a material! Again, the child passes food down through the throat,

and then another cause takes it and makes perception and motion, and

in fine life and strength and other things; how many and how strange I

Observe then the things which are produced in such a hidden way, and

see the power just as we see the power which carries things

downwards and upwards, not with the eyes, but still no less plainly.

  Constantly consider how all things such as they now are, in time

past also were; and consider that they will be the same again. And

place before thy eyes entire dramas and stages of the same form,