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Marcus Aurelius >> Meditations
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XLIV. Is this then a thing of that worth, that for it my soul
should suffer, and become worse than it was? as either basely dejected,
or disordinately affected, or confounded within itself, or terrified?
What can there be, that thou shouldest so much esteem?
XLV. Nothing can happen unto thee, which is not incidental unto thee,
as thou art a man. As nothing can happen either to an ox,
a vine, or to a stone, which is not incidental unto them;
unto every one in his own kind. If therefore nothing can
happen unto anything, which is not both usual and natural;
why art thou displeased? Sure the common nature of all
would not bring anything upon any, that were intolerable.
If therefore it be a thing external that causes thy grief,
know, that it is not that properly that doth cause it,
but thine own conceit and opinion concerning the thing:
which thou mayest rid thyself of, when thou wilt.
But if it be somewhat that is amiss in thine own disposition,
that doth grieve thee, mayest thou not rectify thy moral
tenets and opinions. But if it grieve thee, that thou doest
not perform that which seemeth unto thee right and just,
why doest not thou choose rather to perform it than to grieve?
But somewhat that is stronger than thyself doth hinder thee.
Let it not grieve thee then, if it be not thy fault that the thing
is not performed. 'Yea but it is a thing of that nature, as that
thy life is not worth the while, except it may be performed.'
If it be so, upon condition that thou be kindly and lovingly
disposed towards all men, thou mayest be gone. For even then,
as much as at any time, art thou in a very good estate of performance,
when thou doest die in charity with those, that are an obstacle
unto thy performance. XLVI. Remember that thy mind is
of that nature as that it becometh altogether unconquerable,
when once recollected in herself, she seeks no other content
than this, that she cannot be forced: yea though it so fall out,
that it be even against reason itself, that it cloth bandy.
How much less when by the help of reason she is able to judge
of things with discretion? And therefore let thy chief fort and
place of defence be, a mind free from passions. A stronger place,
(whereunto to make his refuge, and so to bccome impregnable)
and better fortified than this, bath no man. He that seeth not
this is unlearned. He that seeth it, and betaketh not himself
to this place of refuge, is unhappy. XLVII. Keep thyself
to the first bare and naked apprehensions of things,
as they present themselves unto thee, and add not unto them.
It is reported unto thee, that such a one speaketh ill of thee.
Well; that he speaketh ill of thee, so much is reported.
But that thou art hurt thereby, is not reported:
that is the addition of opinion, which thou must exclude.
I see that my child is sick. That he is sick, I see,
but that he is in danger of his life also, I see it not.
Thus thou must use to keep thyself to the first motions and
apprehensions of things, as they present themselves outwardly;
and add not unto them from within thyself through
mere conceit and opinion. Or rather add unto them:
hut as one that understandeth the true nature of all things
that happen in the world.
XLVIII. Is the cucumber bitter? set it away.
Brambles are in the way? avoid them. Let this suffice.
Add not presently speaking unto thyself, What serve these
things for in the world? For, this, one that is acquainted
with the mysteries of nature, will laugh at thee for it;
as a carpenter would or a shoemaker, if meeting in either
of their shops with some shavings, or small remnants
of their work, thou shouldest blame them for it.
And yet those men, it is not for want of a place where to
throw them that they keep them in their shops for a while:
but the nature of the universe hath no such out-place;
but herein doth consist the wonder of her art and skill,
that she having once circumscribed herself within some certain
bounds and limits, whatsoever is within her that seems
either corrupted, or old, or unprofitable, she can change it
into herself, and of these very things can make new things;
so that she needeth not to seek elsewhere out of herself either
for a new supply of matter and substance, or for a place where
to throw out whatsoever is irrecoverably putrid and corrupt.
Thus she, as for place, so for matter and art, is herself
sufficient unto herself. XLIX. Not to be slack and negligent;
or loose, and wanton in thy actions; nor contentious,
and troublesome in thy conversation; nor to rove and wander in thy
fancies and imaginations. Not basely to contract thy soul;
nor boisterously to sally out with it, or furiously to launch
out as it were, nor ever to want employment.
L. 'They kill me, they cut- my flesh; they persecute my person
with curses.' What then? May not thy mind for all this
continue pure, prudent, temperate, just? As a fountain of sweet
and clear water, though she be cursed by some stander by,
yet do her springs nevertheless still run as sweet and clear
as before; yea though either dirt or dung be thrown in,
yet is it no sooner thrown, than dispersed, and she cleared.
She cannot be dyed or infected by it. What then must I do, that I
may have within myself an overflowing fountain, and not a well?
Beget thyself by continual pains and endeavours to true liberty
with charity, and true simplicity and modesty.
LI. He that knoweth not what the world is, knoweth not where
he himself is. And he that knoweth not what the world was
made for, cannot possibly know either what are the qualities,
or what is the nature of the world. Now he that in either of
these is to seek, for what he himself was made is ignorant also.
What then dost thou think of that man, who proposeth unto himself,
as a matter of great moment, the noise and applause of men,
who both where they are, and what they are themselves,
are altogether ignorant? Dost thou desire to be commended of that man,
who thrice in one hour perchance, doth himself curse himself?
Dost thou desire to please him, who pleaseth not himself? or dost
thou think that he pleaseth himself, who doth use to repent
himself almost of everything that he doth?
LII. Not only now henceforth to have a common.
breath, or to hold correspondency of breath, with that air,
that compasseth us about; but to have a common mind, or to hold
correspondency of mind also with that rational substance,
which compasseth all things. For, that also is of itself,
and of its own nature (if a man can but draw it in as he should)
everywhere diffused; and passeth through all things, no less
than the air doth, if a man can but suck it in.
LIII. Wickedness in general doth not hurt the world.
Particular wickedness doth not hurt any other: only unto him
it is hurtful, whosoever he be that offends, unto whom in great
favour and mercy it is granted, that whensoever he himself shall
but first desire it, he may be presently delivered of it.
Unto my free-will my neighbour's free-will, whoever he be,
(as his life, or his bode), is altogether indifferent.
For though we are all made one for another, yet have our
minds and understandings each of them their own proper
and limited jurisdiction. For else another man's wickedness
might be my evil which God would not have, that it
might not be in another man's power to make me unhappy:
which nothing now can do but mine own wickedness.
LIV. The sun seemeth to be shed abroad. And indeed it is diffused but
not effused. For that diffusion of it is a [-r~Jo-tc] or an extension.
For therefore are the beams of it called [~i-~m'~] from the word
[~KTEIVEO-Oa,,] to be stretched out and extended. Now what a
sunbeam is, thou mayest know if thou observe the light of the sun,
when through some narrow hole it pierceth into some room that is dark.
For it is always in a direct line. And as by any solid body,
that it meets with in the way that is not penetrable by air,
it is divided and abrupted, and yet neither slides off, or falls down,
but stayeth there nevertheless: such must the diffusion in the mind be;
not an effusion, but an extension. What obstacles and impediments
soever she meeteth within her way, she must not violently, and by way
of an impetuous onset light upon them; neither must she fall down;
but she must stand, and give light unto that which doth admit of it.
For as for that which doth not, it is its own fault and loss,
if it bereave itself of her light.
LV. He that feareth death, either feareth that he shall have
no sense at all, or that his senses will not be the same.
Whereas, he should rather comfort himself, that either no sense
at all, and so no sense of evil; or if any sense, then another life,
and so no death properly. LVI. All men are made one for another:
either then teach them better, or bear with them.
LVII. The motion of the mind is not as the motion of a dart.
For the mind when it is wary and cautelous, and by way of diligent
circumspection turneth herself many ways, may then as well
be said to go straight on to the object, as when it useth
no such circumspection. LVIII. To pierce and penetrate into
the estate of every one's understanding that thou hast to do with:
as also to make the estate of thine own open, and penetrable
to any other.
THE NINTH BOOK
I. He that is unjust, is also impious. For the nature
of the universe, having made all reasonable creatures one
for another, to the end that they should do one another good;
more or less according to the several persons and occasions
but in nowise hurt one another: it is manifest that he that
doth transgress against this her will, is guilty of impiety
towards the most ancient and venerable of all the deities.
For the nature of the universe, is the nature the common parent
of all, and therefore piously to be observed of all things
that are, and that which now is, to whatsoever first was,
and gave it its being, hath relation of blood and kindred.
She is also called truth and is the first cause of all truths.
He therefore that willingly and wittingly doth lie,
is impious in that he doth receive, and so commit injustice:
but he that against his will, in that he disagreeth from the nature
of the universe, and in that striving with the nature of the world
he doth in his particular, violate the general order of the world.
For he doth no better than strive and war against it,
who contrary to his own nature applieth himself to that which
is contrary to truth. For nature had before furnished him
with instincts and opportunities sufficient for the attainment
of it ; which he having hitherto neglected, is not now able
to discern that which is false from that which is true.
He also that pursues after pleasures, as that which is truly
good and flies from pains, as that which is truly evil:
is impious. For such a one must of necessity oftentimes accuse
that common nature, as distributing many things both unto the evil,
and unto the good, not according to the deserts of either:
as unto the bad oftentimes pleasures, and the causes of pleasures;
so unto the good, pains, and the occasions of pains. Again, he that
feareth pains and crosses in this world, feareth some of those
things which some time or other must needs happen in the world.
And that we have already showed to be impious. And he that
pursueth after pleasures, will not spare, to compass his desires,
to do that which is unjust, and that is manifestly impious.
Now those things which unto nature are equally indifferent
(for she had not created both, both pain and pleasure,
if both had not been unto her equally indifferent):
they that will live according to nature, must in those things
(as being of the same mind and disposition that she is)
be as equally indifferent. Whosoever therefore in either matter
of pleasure and pain; death and life; honour and dishonour,
(which things nature in the administration of the world,
indifferently doth make use of), is not as indifferent,
it is apparent that he is impious. When I say that common
nature doth indifferently make use of them, my meaning is,
that they happen indifferently in the ordinary course of things,
which by a necessary consequence, whether as principal
or accessory, come to pass in the world, according to that first
and ancient deliberation of Providence, by which she from
some certain beginning, did resolve upon the creation of such
a world, conceiving then in her womb as it were some certain
rational generative seeds and faculties of things future,
whether subjects, changes, successions; both such and such,
and just so many.
II. It were indeed more happy and comfortable, for a man to
depart out of this world, having lived all his life long clear
from all falsehood, dissimulation, voluptuousness, and pride.
But if this cannot be, yet it is some comfort for a man joyfully
to depart as weary, and out of love with those; rather than to
desire to live, and to continue long in those wicked courses.
Hath not yet experience taught thee to fly from the plague?
For a far greater plague is the corruption of the mind,
than any certain change and distemper of the common air can be.
This is a plague of creatures, as they are living creatures;
but that of men as they are men or reasonable. III. Thou must
not in matter of death carry thyself scornfully, but as one
that is well pleased with it, as being one of those things
that nature hath appointed. For what thou dost conceive
of these, of a boy to become a young man, to wax old, to grow,
to ripen, to get teeth, or a beard, or grey hairs to beget,
to bear, or to be delivered; or what other action soever it be,
that is natural unto man according to the several seasons
of his life; such a thing is it also to he dissolved.
It is therefore the part of a wise man, in matter of death,
not in any wise to carry himself either violently, or proudly
but patiently to wait for it, as one of nature's operations:
that with the same mind as now thou dost expect when that which yet is
but an embryo in thy wife's belly shall come forth, thou mayst expect
also when thy soul shall fall off from that outward coat or skin:
wherein as a child in the belly it lieth involved and shut up.
But thou desirest a more popular, and though not so direct
and philosophical, yet a very powerful and penetrative
recipe against the fear of death, nothing can make they more
willing to part with thy life, than if thou shalt consider,
both what the subjects themselves are that thou shalt part with,
and what manner of disposition thou shalt no more have to do with.
True it is, that. offended with them thou must not be by no means,
but take care of them, and meekly bear with them However,
this thou mayst remember, that whensoever it happens that
thou depart, it shall not be from men that held the same
opinions that thou dost. For that indeed, (if it were so)
is the only thing that might make thee averse from death,
and willing to continue here, if it were thy hap to live
with men that had obtained the same belief that thou hast.
But now, what a toil it is for thee to live with men of
different opinions, thou seest: so that thou hast rather occasion
to say, Hasten, I thee pray, O Death; lest I also in time
forget myself. IV. He that sinneth, sinneth unto himself.
He that is unjust, hurts himself, in that he makes himself
worse than he was before. Not he only that committeth,
but he also that omitteth something, is oftentimes unjust.
V. If my present apprehension of the object be right,
and my present action charitable, and this, towards whatsoever
doth proceed from God, be my present disposition, to be well
pleased with it, it sufficeth. VI. To wipe away fancy,
to use deliberation, to quench concupiscence, to keep the mind
free to herself. VII. Of all unreasonable creatures, there is
but one unreasonable soul; and of all that are reasonable,
but one reasonable soul, divided betwixt them all.
As of all earthly things there is but one earth, and but one
light that we see by; and but one air that we breathe in,
as many as either breathe or see. Now whatsoever partakes
of some common thing, naturally affects and inclines unto
that whereof it is part, being of one kind and nature with it.
Whatsoever is earthly, presseth downwards to the common earth.
Whatsoever is liquid, would flow together. And whatsoever is airy,
would be together likewise. So that without some obstacle,
and some kind of violence, they cannot well be kept asunder.
Whatsoever is fiery, doth not only by reason of the elementary
fire tend upwards; but here also is so ready to join,
and to burn together, that whatsoever doth want sufficient
moisture to make resistance, is easily set on fire.
Whatsoever therefore is partaker of that reasonable common nature,
naturally doth as much and more long after his own kind.
For by how much in its own nature it excels all other things,
by so much more is it desirous to be joined and united unto that,
which is of its own nature. As for unreasonable creatures then,
they had not long been, but presently begun among them swarms,
and flocks, and broods of young ones, and a kind of mutual
love and affection. For though but unreasonable, yet a kind
of soul these had, and therefore was that natural desire
of union more strong and intense in them, as in creatures
of a more excellent nature, than either in plants,
or stones, or trees. But among reasonable creatures,
begun commonwealths, friendships, families, public meetings,
and even in their wars, conventions, and truces.
Now among them that were yet of a more excellent nature,
as the stars and planets, though by their nature far distant
one from another, yet even among them began some mutual
correspondency and unity. So proper is it to excellency
in a high degree to affect unity, as that even in things
so far distant, it could operate unto a mutual sympathy.
But now behold, what is now come to pass. Those creatures that
are reasonable, are now the only creatures that have forgotten
their natural affection and inclination of one towards another.
Among them alone of all other things that are of one kind,
there is not to be found a general disposition to flow together.
But though they fly from nature, yet are they stopt in their course,
and apprehended. Do they what they can, nature doth prevail.
And so shalt thou confess, if thou dost observe it. For sooner
mayst thou find a thing earthly, where no earthly thing is,
than find a man that naturally can live by himself alone.
VIII. Man, God, the world, every one in their kind, bear some fruits.
All things have their proper time to bear. Though by custom,
the word itself is in a manner become proper unto the vine,
and the like, yet is it so nevertheless, as we have said.
As for reason, that beareth both common fruit for the use
of others; and peculiar, which itself doth enjoy.
Reason is of a dif-fusive nature, what itself is in itself,
it begets in others, and so doth multiply.
IX. Either teach them better if it be in thy power;
or if it be not, remember that for this use, to bear with
them patiently, was mildness and goodness granted unto thee.
The Gods themselves are good unto such; yea and in some things,
(as in matter of health, of wealth, of honour,) are content often
to further their endeavours: so good and gracious are they.
And mightest thou not be so too? or, tell me, what doth hinder thee?
X. Labour not as one to whom it is appointed to be wretched,
nor as one that either would be pitied, or admired;
but let this be thine only care and desire; so always and in
all things to prosecute or to forbear, as the law of charity,
or mutual society doth require. XI. This day I did come
out of all my trouble. Nay I have cast out all my trouble;
it should rather be for that which troubled thee, whatsoever it was,
was not without anywhere that thou shouldest come out of it,
but within in thine own opinions, from whence it must be cast out,
before thou canst truly and constantly be at ease.
XII. All those things, for matter of experience are usual and ordinary;
for their continuance but for a day; and for their matter, most base
and filthy. As they were in the days of those whom we have buried,
so are they now also, and no otherwise.
XIII. The things themselves that affect us, they stand without doors,
neither knowing anything themselves nor able to utter anything unto others
concerning themselves. What then is it, that passeth verdict on them?
The understanding XIV. As virtue and wickedness consist not in passion,
but in action; so neither doth the true good or evil of a reasonable
charitable man consist in passion, but in operation and action.
XV. To the stone that is cast up, when it comes down it is no hurt
unto it; as neither benefit, when it doth ascend.
XVI. Sift their minds and understandings, and behold what men they be,
whom thou dost stand in fear of what they shall judge of thee,
what they themselves judge of themselves.
XVII. All things that are in the world, are always in the estate
of alteration. Thou also art in a perpetual change, yea and under
corruption too, in some part: and so is the whole world.
XVIII. it is not thine, but another man's sin. Why should it
trouble thee? Let him look to it, whose sin it is.
XIX. Of an operation and of a purpose there is an ending, or of an
action and of a purpose we say commonly, that it is at an end:
from opinion also there is an absolute cessation, which is
as it were the death of it. In all this there is no hurt.
Apply this now to a man's age, as first, a child; then a youth,
then a young man, then an old man; every change from one age to another
is a kind of death And all this while here no matter of grief yet.
Pass now unto that life first, that which thou livedst under
thy grandfather, then under thy mother, then under thy father.
And thus when through the whole course of thy life hitherto
thou hast found and observed many alterations, many changes,
many kinds of endings and cessations, put this question to thyself
What matter of grief or sorrow dost thou find in any of these?
Or what doest thou suffer through any of these? If in none of these,
then neither in the ending and consummation of thy whole life,
which is also but a cessation and change.
XX. As occasion shall require, either to thine own understanding,
or to that of the universe, or to his, whom thou hast
now to do with, let thy refuge be with all speed.
To thine own, that it resolve upon nothing against justice.
To that of the universe, that thou mayest remember,
part of whom thou art. Of his, that thou mayest consider.
whether in the estate of ignorance, or of knowledge.
And then also must thou call to mind, that he is thy kinsman.
XXI. As thou thyself, whoever thou art, were made for the perfection
and consummation, being a member of it, of a common society; so must
every action of thine tend to the perfection and consummation of a life
that is truly sociable. What action soever of thine therefore that
either immediately or afar off, hath not reference to the common good,
that is an exorbitant and disorderly action; yea it is seditious;
as one among the people who from such and such a consent and unity,
should factiously divide and separate himself.
XXII. Children's anger, mere babels; wretched souls bearing
up dead bodies, that they may not have their fall so soon:
even as it is in that common dirge song. XXIII. Go to the quality
of the cause from which the effect doth proceed. Behold it
by itself bare and naked, separated from all that is material.
Then consider the utmost bounds of time that that cause,
thus and thus qualified, can subsist and abide.
XXIV. Infinite are the troubles and miseries, that thou hast already been
put to, by reason of this only, because that for all happiness it did
not suffice thee, or, that thou didst not account it sufficient happiness,
that thy understanding did operate according to its natural constitution.
XXV. When any shall either impeach thee with false accusations,
or hatefully reproach thee, or shall use any such carriage
towards thee, get thee presently to their minds and understandings,
and look in them, and behold what manner of men they be.
Thou shalt see, that there is no such occasion why it
should trouble thee, what such as they are think of thee.
Yet must thou love them still, for by nature they are thy friends.
And the Gods themselves, in those things that they seek from them
as matters of great moment, are well content, all manner of ways,
as by dreams and oracles, to help them as well as others.
XXVI. Up and down, from one age to another, go the ordinary things
of the world; being still the same. And either of everything
in particular before it come to pass, the mind of the universe
doth consider with itself and deliberate: and if so, then submit
for shame unto the determination of such an excellent understanding:
or once for all it did resolve upon all things in general;
and since that whatsoever happens, happens by a necessary consequence,
and all things indivisibly in a manner and inseparably hold one
of another. In sum, either there is a God, and then all is well;
or if all things go by chance and fortune, yet mayest thou use
thine own providence in those things that concern thee properly;
and then art thou well.
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