BOOK SIX

  THE substance of the universe is obedient and compliant; and the

reason which governs it has in itself no cause for doing evil, for

it has no malice, nor does it do evil to anything, nor is anything

harmed by it. But all things are made and perfected according to

this reason.

  Let it make no difference to thee whether thou art cold or warm,

if thou art doing thy duty; and whether thou art drowsy or satisfied

with sleep; and whether ill-spoken of or praised; and whether dying or

doing something else. For it is one of the acts of life, this act by

which we die: it is sufficient then in this act also to do well what

we have in hand.

  Look within. Let neither the peculiar quality of anything nor its

value escape thee.

  All existing things soon change, and they will either be reduced

to vapour, if indeed all substance is one, or they will be dispersed.

  The reason which governs knows what its own disposition is, and what

it does, and on what material it works.

  The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong

doer.

  Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one

social act to another social act, thinking of God.

  The ruling principle is that which rouses and turns itself, and

while it makes itself such as it is and such as it wills to be, it

also makes everything which happens appear to itself to be such as

it wills.

  In conformity to the nature of the universe every single thing is

accomplished, for certainly it is not in conformity to any other

nature that each thing is accomplished, either a nature which

externally comprehends this, or a nature which is comprehended

within this nature, or a nature external and independent of this.

  The universe is either a confusion, and a mutual involution of

things, and a dispersion; or it is unity and order and providence.

If then it is the former, why do I desire to tarry in a fortuitous

combination of things and such a disorder? And why do I care about

anything else than how I shall at last become earth? And why am I

disturbed, for the dispersion of my elements will happen whatever I

do. But if the other supposition is true, I venerate, and I am firm,

and I trust in him who governs.

  When thou hast been compelled by circumstances to be disturbed in

a manner, quickly return to thyself and do not continue out of tune

longer than the compulsion lasts; for thou wilt have more mastery over

the harmony by continually recurring to it.

  If thou hadst a step-mother and a mother at the same time, thou

wouldst be dutiful to thy step-mother, but still thou wouldst

constantly return to thy mother. Let the court and philosophy now be

to thee step-mother and mother: return to philosophy frequently and

repose in her, through whom what thou meetest with in the court

appears to thee tolerable, and thou appearest tolerable in the court.

  When we have meat before us and such eatables we receive the

impression, that this is the dead body of a fish, and this is the dead

body of a bird or of a pig; and again, that this Falernian is only a

little grape juice, and this purple robe some sheep's wool dyed with

the blood of a shell-fish: such then are these impressions, and they

reach the things themselves and penetrate them, and so we see what

kind of things they are. Just in the same way ought we to act all

through life, and where there are things which appear most worthy of

our approbation, we ought to lay them bare and look at their

worthlessness and strip them of all the words by which they are

exalted. For outward show is a wonderful perverter of the reason,

and when thou art most sure that thou art employed about things

worth thy pains, it is then that it cheats thee most. Consider then

what Crates says of Xenocrates himself.

  Most of the things which the multitude admire are referred to

objects of the most general kind, those which are held together by

cohesion or natural organization, such as stones, wood, fig-trees,

vines, olives. But those which are admired by men who are a little

more reasonable are referred to the things which are held together

by a living principle, as flocks, herds. Those which are admired by

men who are still more instructed are the things which are held

together by a rational soul, not however a universal soul, but

rational so far as it is a soul skilled in some art, or expert in some

other way, or simply rational so far as it possesses a number of

slaves. But he who values rational soul, a soul universal and fitted

for political life, regards nothing else except this; and above all

things he keeps his soul in a condition and in an activity conformable

to reason and social life, and he co-operates to this end with those

who are of the same kind as himself.

  Some things are hurrying into existence, and others are hurrying out

of it; and of that which is coming into existence part is already

extinguished. Motions and changes are continually renewing the

world, just as the uninterrupted course of time is always renewing the

infinite duration of ages. In this flowing stream then, on which there

is no abiding, what is there of the things which hurry by on which a

man would set a high price? It would be just as if a man should fall

in love with one of the sparrows which fly by, but it has already

passed out of sight. Something of this kind is the very life of

every man, like the exhalation of the blood and the respiration of the

air. For such as it is to have once drawn in the air and to have given

it back, which we do every moment, just the same is it with the

whole respiratory power, which thou didst receive at thy birth

yesterday and the day before, to give it back to the element from

which thou didst first draw it.

  Neither is transpiration, as in plants, a thing to be valued, nor

respiration, as in domesticated animals and wild beasts, nor the

receiving of impressions by the appearances of things, nor being moved

by desires as puppets by strings, nor assembling in herds, nor being

nourished by food; for this is just like the act of separating and

parting with the useless part of our food. What then is worth being

valued? To be received with clapping of hands? No. Neither must we

value the clapping of tongues, for the praise which comes from the

many is a clapping of tongues. Suppose then that thou hast given up

this worthless thing called fame, what remains that is worth

valuing? This in my opinion, to move thyself and to restrain thyself

in conformity to thy proper constitution, to which end both all

employments and arts lead. For every art aims at this, that the

thing which has been made should be adapted to the work for which it

has been made; and both the vine-planter who looks after the vine, and

the horse-breaker, and he who trains the dog, seek this end. But the

education and the teaching of youth aim at something. In this then

is the value of the education and the teaching. And if this is well,

thou wilt not seek anything else. Wilt thou not cease to value many

other things too? Then thou wilt be neither free, nor sufficient for

thy own happiness, nor without passion. For of necessity thou must

be envious, jealous, and suspicious of those who can take away those

things, and plot against those who have that which is valued by

thee. Of necessity a man must be altogether in a state of perturbation

who wants any of these things; and besides, he must often find fault

with the gods. But to reverence and honour thy own mind will make thee

content with thyself, and in harmony with society, and in agreement

with the gods, that is, praising all that they give and have ordered.

  Above, below, all around are the movements of the elements. But

the motion of virtue is in none of these: it is something more divine,

and advancing by a way hardly observed it goes happily on its road.

  How strangely men act. They will not praise those who are living

at the same time and living with themselves; but to be themselves

praised by posterity, by those whom they have never seen or ever

will see, this they set much value on. But this is very much the

same as if thou shouldst be grieved because those who have lived

before thee did not praise thee.

  If a thing is difficult to be accomplished by thyself, do not

think that it is impossible for man: but if anything is possible for

man and conformable to his nature, think that this can be attained

by thyself too.

  In the gymnastic exercises suppose that a man has torn thee with his

nails, and by dashing against thy head has inflicted a wound. Well, we

neither show any signs of vexation, nor are we offended, nor do we

suspect him afterwards as a treacherous fellow; and yet we are on

our guard against him, not however as an enemy, nor yet with

suspicion, but we quietly get out of his way. Something like this

let thy behaviour be in all the other parts of life; let us overlook

many things in those who are like antagonists in the gymnasium. For it

is in our power, as I said, to get out of the way, and to have no

suspicion nor hatred.

  If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or

act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no

man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and

ignorance.

  I do my duty: other things trouble me not; for they are either

things without life, or things without reason, or things that have

rambled and know not the way.

  As to the animals which have no reason and generally all things

and objects, do thou, since thou hast reason and they have none,

make use of them with a generous and liberal spirit. But towards human

beings, as they have reason, behave in a social spirit. And on all

occasions call on the gods, and do not perplex thyself about the

length of time in which thou shalt do this; for even three hours so

spent are sufficient.

  Alexander the Macedonian and his groom by death were brought to

the same state; for either they were received among the same seminal

principles of the universe, or they were alike dispersed among the

atoms.

  Consider how many things in the same indivisible time take place

in each of us, things which concern the body and things which

concern the soul: and so thou wilt not wonder if many more things,

or rather all things which come into existence in that which is the

one and all, which we call Cosmos, exist in it at the same time.

  If any man should propose to thee the question, how the name

Antoninus is written, wouldst thou with a straining of the voice utter

each letter? What then if they grow angry, wilt thou be angry too?

Wilt thou not go on with composure and number every letter? just so

then in this life also remember that every duty is made up of

certain parts. These it is thy duty to observe and without being

disturbed or showing anger towards those who are angry with thee to go

on thy way and finish that which is set before thee.

  How cruel it is not to allow men to strive after the things which

appear to them to be suitable to their nature and profitable! And

yet in a manner thou dost not allow them to do this, when thou art

vexed because they do wrong. For they are certainly moved towards

things because they suppose them to be suitable to their nature and

profitable to them.- But it is not so.- Teach them then, and show

them without being angry.

  Death is a cessation of the impressions through the senses, and of

the pulling of the strings which move the appetites, and of the

discursive movements of the thoughts, and of the service to the flesh.

  It is a shame for the soul to be first to give way in this life,

when thy body does not give way.

  Take care that thou art not made into a Caesar, that thou art not

dyed with this dye; for such things happen. Keep thyself then

simple, good, pure, serious, free from affectation, a friend of

justice, a worshipper of the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous in

all proper acts. Strive to continue to be such as philosophy wished to

make thee. Reverence the gods, and help men. Short is life. There is

only one fruit of this terrene life, a pious disposition and social

acts. Do everything as a disciple of Antoninus. Remember his constancy

in every act which was conformable to reason, and his evenness in

all things, and his piety, and the serenity of his countenance, and

his sweetness, and his disregard of empty fame, and his efforts to

understand things; and how he would never let anything pass without

having first most carefully examined it and clearly understood it; and

how he bore with those who blamed him unjustly without blaming them in

return; how he did nothing in a hurry; and how he listened not to

calumnies, and how exact an examiner of manners and actions he was;

and not given to reproach people, nor timid, nor suspicious, nor a

sophist; and with how little he was satisfied, such as lodging, bed,

dress, food, servants; and how laborious and patient; and how he was

able on account of his sparing diet to hold out to the evening, not

even requiring to relieve himself by any evacuations except at the

usual hour; and his firmness and uniformity in his friendships; and

how he tolerated freedom of speech in those who opposed his

opinions; and the pleasure that he had when any man showed him

anything better; and how religious he was without superstition.

Imitate all this that thou mayest have as good a conscience, when

thy last hour comes, as he had.

  Return to thy sober senses and call thyself back; and when thou hast

roused thyself from sleep and hast perceived that they were only

dreams which troubled thee, now in thy waking hours look at these (the

things about thee) as thou didst look at those (the dreams).

  I consist of a little body and a soul. Now to this little body all

things are indifferent, for it is not able to perceive differences.

But to the understanding those things only are indifferent, which

are not the works of its own activity. But whatever things are the

works of its own activity, all these are in its power. And of these

however only those which are done with reference to the present; for

as to the future and the past activities of the mind, even these are

for the present indifferent.

  Neither the labour which the hand does nor that of the foot is

contrary to nature, so long as the foot does the foot's work and the

hand the hand's. So then neither to a man as a man is his labour

contrary to nature, so long as it does the things of a man. But if the

labour is not contrary to his nature, neither is it an evil to him.

  How many pleasures have been enjoyed by robbers, patricides,

tyrants.

  Dost thou not see how the handicraftsmen accommodate themselves up

to a certain point to those who are not skilled in their

craft- nevertheless they cling to the reason (the principles) of

their art and do not endure to depart from it? Is it not strange if

the architect and the physician shall have more respect to the

reason (the principles) of their own arts than man to his own

reason, which is common to him and the gods?

  Asia, Europe are corners of the universe: all the sea a drop in

the universe; Athos a little clod of the universe: all the present

time is a point in eternity. All things are little, changeable,

perishable. All things come from thence, from that universal ruling

power either directly proceeding or by way of sequence. And

accordingly the lion's gaping jaws, and that which is poisonous, and

every harmful thing, as a thorn, as mud, are after-products of the

grand and beautiful. Do not then imagine that they are of another kind

from that which thou dost venerate, but form a just opinion of the

source of all.

  He who has seen present things has seen all, both everything which

has taken place from all eternity and everything which will be for

time without end; for all things are of one kin and of one form.

  Frequently consider the connexion of all things in the universe

and their relation to one another. For in a manner all things are

implicated with one another, and all in this way are friendly to one

another; for one thing comes in order after another, and this is by

virtue of the active movement and mutual conspiration and the unity of

the substance.

  Adapt thyself to the things with which thy lot has been cast: and

the men among whom thou hast received thy portion, love them, but do

it truly, sincerely.

  Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for which it has

been made, is well, and yet he who made it is not there. But in the

things which are held together by nature there is within and there

abides in them the power which made them; wherefore the more is it fit

to reverence this power, and to think, that, if thou dost live and act

according to its will, everything in thee is in conformity to

intelligence. And thus also in the universe the things which belong to

it are in conformity to intelligence.

  Whatever of the things which are not within thy power thou shalt

suppose to be good for thee or evil, it must of necessity be that,

if such a bad thing befall thee or the loss of such a good thing, thou

wilt blame the gods, and hate men too, those who are the cause of

the misfortune or the loss, or those who are suspected of being likely

to be the cause; and indeed we do much injustice, because we make a

difference between these things. But if we judge only those things

which are in our power to be good or bad, there remains no reason

either for finding fault with God or standing in a hostile attitude to

man.

  We are all working together to one end, some with knowledge and

design, and others without knowing what they do; as men also when they

are asleep, of whom it is Heraclitus, I think, who says that they

are labourers and co-operators in the things which take place in the

universe. But men co-operate after different fashions: and even

those co-operate abundantly, who find fault with what happens and

those who try to oppose it and to hinder it; for the universe had need

even of such men as these. It remains then for thee to understand

among what kind of workmen thou placest thyself; for he who rules

all things will certainly make a right use of thee, and he will

receive thee among some part of the co-operators and of those whose

labours conduce to one end. But be not thou such a part as the mean

and ridiculous verse in the play, which Chrysippus speaks of.

  Does the sun undertake to do the work of the rain, or Aesculapius

the work of the Fruit-bearer (the earth)? And how is it with respect

to each of the stars, are they not different and yet they work

together to the same end?

  If the gods have determined about me and about the things which must

happen to me, they have determined well, for it is not easy even to

imagine a deity without forethought; and as to doing me harm, why

should they have any desire towards that? For what advantage would

result to them from this or to the whole, which is the special

object of their providence? But if they have not determined about me

individually, they have certainly determined about the whole at least,

and the things which happen by way of sequence in this general

arrangement I ought to accept with pleasure and to be content with

them. But if they determine about nothing- which it is wicked to

believe, or if we do believe it, let us neither sacrifice nor pray nor

swear by them nor do anything else which we do as if the gods were

present and lived with us- but if however the gods determine about

none of the things which concern us, I am able to determine about

myself, and I can inquire about that which is useful; and that is

useful to every man which is conformable to his own constitution and

nature. But my nature is rational and social; and my city and country,

so far as I am Antoninus, is Rome, but so far as I am a man, it is

the world. The things then which are useful to these cities are alone

useful to me. Whatever happens to every man, this is for the interest

of the universal: this might be sufficient. But further thou wilt

observe this also as a general truth, if thou dost observe, that

whatever is profitable to any man is profitable also to other men. But

let the word profitable be taken here in the common sense as said of

things of the middle kind, neither good nor bad.

  As it happens to thee in the amphitheatre and such places, that

the continual sight of the same things and the uniformity make the

spectacle wearisome, so it is in the whole of life; for all things

above, below, are the same and from the same. How long then?

  Think continually that all kinds of men and of all kinds of pursuits

and of all nations are dead, so that thy thoughts come down even to

Philistion and Phoebus and Origanion. Now turn thy thoughts to the

other kinds of men. To that place then we must remove, where there are

so many great orators, and so many noble philosophers, Heraclitus,

Pythagoras, Socrates; so many heroes of former days, and so many

generals after them, and tyrants; besides these, Eudoxus,

Hipparchus, Archimedes, and other men of acute natural talents,

great minds, lovers of labour, versatile, confident, mockers even of

the perishable and ephemeral life of man, as Menippus and such as

are like him. As to all these consider that they have long been in the

dust. What harm then is this to them; and what to those whose names

are altogether unknown? One thing here is worth a great deal, to

pass thy life in truth and justice, with a benevolent disposition even

to liars and unjust men.

  When thou wishest to delight thyself, think of the virtues of

those who live with thee; for instance, the activity of one, and the

modesty of another, and the liberality of a third, and some other good

quality of a fourth. For nothing delights so much as the examples of

the virtues, when they are exhibited in the morals of those who live

with us and present themselves in abundance, as far as is possible.

Wherefore we must keep them before us.

  Thou art not dissatisfied, I suppose, because thou weighest only

so many litrae and not three hundred. Be not dissatisfied then that

thou must live only so many years and not more; for as thou art

satisfied with the amount of substance which has been assigned to

thee, so be content with the time.

  Let us try to persuade them (men). But act even against their

will, when the principles of justice lead that way. If however any man

by using force stands in thy way, betake thyself to contentment and

tranquility, and at the same time employ the hindrance towards the

exercise of some other virtue; and remember that thy attempt was

with a reservation, that thou didst not desire to do

impossibilities. What then didst thou desire?- Some such effort as

this.- But thou attainest thy object, if the things to which thou

wast moved are accomplished.

  He who loves fame considers another man's activity to be his own

good; and he who loves pleasure, his own sensations; but he who has

understanding, considers his own acts to be his own good.

  It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be

disturbed in our soul; for things themselves have no natural power

to form our judgements.

  Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and

as much as it is possible, be in the speaker's mind.

  That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the

bee.

  If sailors abused the helmsman or the sick the doctor, would they

listen to anybody else; or how could the helmsman secure the safety of

those in the ship or the doctor the health of those whom he attends?

  How many together with whom I came into the world are already gone

out of it.

  To the jaundiced honey tastes bitter, and to those bitten by mad

dogs water causes fear; and to little children the ball is a fine

thing. Why then am I angry? Dost thou think that a false opinion has

less power than the bile in the jaundiced or the poison in him who

is bitten by a mad dog?

  No man will hinder thee from living according to the reason of thy

own nature: nothing will happen to thee contrary to the reason of

the universal nature.

  What kind of people are those whom men wish to please, and for

what objects, and by what kind of acts? How soon will time cover all

things, and how many it has covered already.