the meditations-第24节

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VII。　　Thou　hast　no　time　nor　opportunity　to　read。　　What　then？　Hast　thou　not　time　and　opportunity　to　exercise　thyself；　not　to　wrong　thyself；　to　strive　against　all　carnal　pleasures　and　pains；　and　to　aet　the　upper　hand　of　them；　to　contemn　honour　and　vainglory；　and　not　only；　not　to　be　angry　with　them；　whom　towards　thee　thou　doest　find　unsensible　and　unthankful；　but　also　to　have　a　care　of　them　still；　and　of　their　welfare？　　VIII。　　Forbear　henceforth　to　complain　of　the　trouble　of　a　courtly　life；　either　in　public　before　others；　or　in　private　by　thyself。

IX。　　Repentance　is　an　inward　and　self…reprehension　for　the　neglect　or　omission　of　somewhat　that　was　profitable。　　Now　whatsoever　is　good；　is　also　profltable；　and　it　is　the　part　of　an　honest　virtuous　man　to　set　by　it；　and　to　make　reckoning　of　it　accordingly。　But　never　did　any　honest　virtuous　man　repent　of　the　neglect　or　omission　of　any　carnal　pleasure　：　no　carnal　pleasure　then　is　either　good　or　profitable。

X。　This；　what　is　it　in　itself；　and　by　itself；　according　to　its　proper　constitution？　　What　is　the　substance　of　it？　　What　is　the　matter；　or　proper　use　？　　What　is　the　form　or　efflcient　cause？　What　is　it　for　in　this　world；　and　how　long　will　it　abide？　Thus　must　thou　examine　all　things；　that　present　themselves　unto　thee。


XI。　　When　thou　art　hard　to　he　stirred　up　and　awaked　out　of　thy　sleep；　admonish　thyself　and　call　to　mind；　that；　to　perform　actions　tending　to　the　common　good　is　that　which　thine　own　proper　constitution；　and　that　which　the　nature　of　man　do　require。　＇3ut　to　sleep；　is　common　to　unreasonable　creatures　also。　And　what　more　proper　and　natural；　yea　what　more　kind　and　pleasing；　than　that　which　is　according　to　nature？

XII。　　As　every　fancy　and　imagination　presents　itself　unto　thee；　consider　（if　it　be　possible）　the　true　nature；　and　the　proper　qualities　of　it；　and　reason　with　thyself　about　it。

XIII。　　At　thy　first　encounter　with　any　one；　say　presently　to　thyself：　This　man；　what　are　his　opinions　concerning　that　which　is　good　or　evil？　as　concerning　pain；　pleasure；　and　the　causes　of　both；　concerning　honour；　and　dishonour；　concerning　life　and　death？　thus　and　thus。　　Now　if　it　be　no　wonder　that　a　man　should　have　such　and　such　opinions；　how　can　it　be　a　wonder　that　he　should　do　such　and　such　things　？　　I　will　remember　then；　that　he　cannot　but　do　as　he　doth；　holding　those　opinions　that　he　doth。　Remember；　that　as　it　is　a　shame　for　any　man　to　wonder　that　a　fig　tree　should　bear　figs；　so　also　to　wonder　that　the　world　should　bear　anything；　whatsoever　it　is　which　in　the　ordinary　course　of　nature　it　may　bear。　To　a　physician　also　and　to　a　pilot　it　is　a　shame　either　for　the　one　to　wonder；　that　such　and　such　a　one　should　have　an　ague；　or　for　the　other；　that　the　winds　should　prove　Contrary。

XIV。　　Remember；　that　to　change　thy　mind　upon　occasion；　and　to　follow　him　that　is　able　to　rectify　thee；　is　equally　ingenuous；　as　to　find　out　at　the　first；　what　is　right　and　just；　without　help。　For　of　thee　nothing　is　required；　ti；　is　beyond　the　extent　of　thine　own　deliberation　and　jun。　　merit；　arid　of　thine　own　understanding。

XV。　　If　it　were　thine　act　and　in　thine　own　power；　wi：　wouldcst　thou　do　it　？　　If　it　were　not；　whom　dost　tin　accuse？　the　atoms；　or　the　Gods？　　For　to　do　either；　the　part　of　a　mad　man。　Thou　must　therefore　blame　nobody；　but　if　it　be　in　thy　power；　redress　what　is　amiss；　if　it　be　not；　to　what　end　is　it　to　complain？　For　nothing　should　be　done　but　to　some　certain　end。

XVI。　　Whatsoever　dieth　and　falleth；　however　and　wheresoever　it　die　and　fall；　it　cannot　fall　out　of　the　world。　　here　it　have　its　abode　and　change；　here　also　shall　it　have　its　dissolution　into　its　proper　elements。　The　same　are　the　world's　elements；　and　the　elements　of　which　thou　dost　consist。　　And　they　when　they　are　changed；　they　murmur　not；　why　shouldest　thou？

XVII。　　Whatsoever　is；　was　made　for　something：　　as　a　horse；　a　vine。　Why　wonderest　thou？　　The　sun　itself　will　say　of　itself；　I　was　made　for　something；　and　so　hath　every　god　its　proper　function。　What　then　were　then　made　for？　to　disport　and　delight　thyself？　See　how　even　common　sense　and　reason　cannot　brook　it。

XVIII。　　Nature　hath　its　end　as　well　in　the　end　and　final　consummation　of　anything　that　is；　as　in　the　begin…nine　and　continuation　of　it。

XIX。　　As　one　that　tosseth　up　a　ball。　　And　what　is　a。　ball　the　better；　if　the　motion　of　it　be　upwards；　or　the　worse　if　it　be　downwards；　or　if　it　chance　to　fall　upon　the　ground？　So　for　the　bubble；　if　it　continue；　what　it　the　better？　and　if　it　dissolve；　what　is　it　the　worse　And　so　is　it　of　a　candle　too。　And　so　must　thou　reason　with　thyself；　both　in　matter　of　fame；　and　in　matter　of　death。　　For　as　for　the　body　itself；　（the　subject　of　death）　wouldest　thou　know　the　vileness　of　it　？　Turn　it　about　that　thou　mayest　behold　it　the　worst　sides　upwards　as　well；　as　in　its　more　ordinary　pleasant　shape；　how　doth　it　look；　when　it　is　old　and　withered？　when　sick　and　pained？　when　in　the　act　of　lust；　and　fornication？　　And　as　for　fame。　　This　life　is　short。　Both　he　that　praiseth；　and　he　that　is　praised；　he　that　remembers；　and　he　that　is　remembered；　will　soon　be　dust　and　ashes。　Besides；　it　is　but　in　one　corner　of　this　part　of　the　world　that　thou　art　praised；　and　yet　in　this　corner；　thou　hast　not　the　joint　praises　of　all　men；　no　nor　scarce　of　any　one　constantly。　And　yet　the　whole　earth　itself；　what　is　it　but　as　one　point；　in　regard　of　the　whole　world？

XX。　　That　which　must　be　the　subject　of　thy　consideration；　is　either　the　matter　itself；　or　the　dogma；　or　the　operation；　or　the　true　sense　and　signification。

XXI。　　Most　justly　have　these　things　happened　unto　thee：　why　dost　not　thou　amend？　　O　but　thou　hadst　rather　become　good　to…morrow；　than　to　be　so　to…day。　XXII。　　Shall　I　do　it？　I　will；　so　the　end　of　my　action　be　to　do　good　unto　men。　Doth　anything　by　way　of　cross　or　adversity　happen　unto　me？　I　accept　it；　with　reference　unto　the　Gods；　and　their　providence；　the　fountain　of　all　things；　from　which　whatsoever　comes　to　pass；　doth　hang　and　depend。

XXIII。　　By　one　action　judge　of　the　rest：　　this　bathing　which　usually　takes　up　so　much　of　our　time；　what　is　it？　　Oil；　sweat；　filth；　or　the　sordes　of　the　body：　　an　excre…mentitious　viscosity；　the　excrements　of　oil　and　other　ointments　used　about　the　body；　and　mixed　with　the　sordes　of　the　body：　　all　base　and　loathsome。　And　such　almost　is　every　part　of　our　life；　and　every　worldly　object。　　XXIV。　　Lucilla　buried　Verus；　then　was　Lucilla　herself　buried　by　others。　　So　Secunda　Maximus；　then　Secunda　herself。　So　Epitynchanus；　Diotimus；　then　Epitynchanus　himself。　So　Antoninus　Pius；　Faustina　his　wife；　then　Antoninus　himself。　This　is　the　course　of　the　world。　　First　Celer；　Adrianus；　then　Adrianus　himself。　　And　those　austere　ones；　those　that　foretold　other　men's　deaths；　those　that　were　so　proud　and　stately；　where　are　they　now？　　Those　austere　ones　I　mean；　such　as　were　Charax；　and　Demetrius　the　Platonic；　and　Eudaemon；　and　others　like　unto　those。　　They　were　all　but　for　one　day；　all　dead　and　gone　long　since。　　Some　of　them　no　sooner　dead；　than　forgotten。　　Others　soon　turned　into　fables。　　Of　others；　even　that　which　was　fabulous；　is　now　long　since　forgotten。　This　thereafter　thou　must　remember；　that　whatsoever　thou　art　compounded　of；　shall　soon　be　dispersed；　and　that　thy　life　and　breath；　or　thy　soul；　shall　either　he　no　more　or　shall　ranslated；　and　appointed　to　some　certain　place　and　station。　　XXV。　　The　true　joy　of　a　man；　is　to　do　that　which　properly　belongs　unto　a　man。　That　which　is　most　proper　unto　a　man；　is；　first；　to　he　kindly　affected　towards　them　that　are　of　the　same　kind　and　nature　as　he　is　himself　to　contemn　all　sensual　motions　and　appetites；　to　discern　rightly　all　plausible　fancies　and　imaginations；　to　contemplate　the　nature　of　the　universe；　both　it；　and　things　that　are　done　in　it。　In　which　kind　of　con　templation　three　several　relations　are　to　be　observed　The　first；　to　the　apparent　secondary　cause。　The　Second　to　the　first　original　cause；　God；　from　whom　originally　proceeds　whatsoever　doth　happen　in　the　world。　The　third　and　last；　to　them　that　we　live　and　converse　with：　what　use　may　be　made　of　it；　to　their　use　and　benefit　XXVI。　If　pain　be　an　evil；　either　it　is　in　regard　of　the　body；　（and　that　cannot　be；　because　the　body　of　itself　is　altogether　insensible：）　or　in　regard　of　the　soul　But　it　is　in　the　power　of　the　soul；　to　preserve　her　own　peace　and　tranquillity；　and　not　to　suppose　that　pain　is　evil。　　For　all　judgment　and　deliberation；　all　prosecution；　or　aversation　is　from　within；　whither　the　sense　of　evil　（except　it　be　let　in　by　opinion）　cannot　penetrate。

XXVII。　　Wipe　off　all　idle　fancies；　and　say　unto　thyselF　incessantly；　Now　if　I　will；　it　is　in　my　power　to　keep　out　of　this　my　soul　all　wickedness；　all　lust；　and　concupiscences；　all　trouble　and　confusion。　　But　on　the　contrary　to　behold　and　consider　all　things　according　to　their　true　nature；　and　to　carry　myself　towards　everything　according　to　its　true　worth。　Remember　then　this　thy　power　that　nature　hath　given　thee。

XXVIII。　　Whether　thou　speak　in　the　Senate　or　whether　thou　speak　to　any　particular；　let　thy　speech　In　always　grave　and　modest。　But　thou　must　not　openly　and　vulgarly　observe　that　sound　and　exact　form　of　speaking；　concerning　that　which　is　truly　good　and　truly　civil；　the　vanity　of　t