the meditations-第3节

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an；　like　the　Roman；　bids　'study　to　withdraw　thine　heart　from　the　love　of　things　visible'；　but　it　is　not　the　busy　life　of　duty　he　has　in　mind　so　much　as　the　contempt　of　all　worldly　things；　and　the　'cutting　away　of　all　lower　delectations。'　Both　rate　men's　praise　or　blame　at　their　real　worthlessness；　'Let　not　thy　peace；'　says　the　Christian；　'be　in　the　mouths　of　men。'　　But　it　is　to　God's　censure　the　Christian　appeals；　the　Roman　to　his　own　soul。　　The　petty　annoyances　of　injustice　or　unkindness　are　looked　on　by　each　with　the　same　magnanimity。　'Why　doth　a　little　thing　said　or　done　against　thee　make　thee　sorry？　It　is　no　new　thing；　it　is　not　the　first；　nor　shall　it　be　the　last；　if　thou　live　long。　　At　best　suffer　patiently；　if　thou　canst　not　suffer　joyously。'　　The　Christian　should　sorrow　more　for　other　men's　malice　than　for　our　own　wrongs；　but　the　Roman　is　inclined　to　wash　his　hands　of　the　offender。　'Study　to　be　patient　in　suffering　and　bearing　other　men's　defaults　and　all　manner　infirmities；'　says　the　Christian；　but　the　Roman　would　never　have　thought　to　add；　'If　all　men　were　perfect；　what　had　we　then　to　suffer　of　other　men　for　God？'　　The　virtue　of　suffering　in　itself　is　an　idea　which　does　not　meet　us　in　the　Meditations。　Both　alike　realise　that　man　is　one　of　a　great　community。　'No　man　is　sufficient　to　himself；'　says　the　Christian；　'we　must　bear　together；　help　together；　comfort　together。'　But　while　he　sees　a　chief　importance　in　zeal；　in　exalted　emotion　that　is；　and　avoidance　of　lukewarmness；　the　Roman　thought　mainly　of　the　duty　to　be　done　as　well　as　might　be；　and　less　of　the　feeling　which　should　go　with　the　doing　of　it。　To　the　saint　as　to　the　emperor；　the　world　is　a　poor　thing　at　best。　'Verily　it　is　a　misery　to　live　upon　the　earth；'　says　the　Christian；　few　and　evil　are　the　days　of　man's　life；　which　passeth　away　suddenly　as　a　shadow。

But　there　is　one　great　difference　between　the　two　books　we　are　considering。　　The　Imitation　is　addressed　to　others；　the　Meditations　by　the　writer　to　himself。　　We　learn　nothing　from　the　Imitation　of　the　author's　own　life；　except　in　so　far　as　he　may　be　assumed　to　have　practised　his　own　preachings；　the　Meditations　reflect　mood　by　mood　the　mind　of　him　who　wrote　them。　In　their　intimacy　and　frankness　lies　their　great　charm。　These　notes　are　not　sermons；　they　are　not　even　confessions。　There　is　always　an　air　of　self…consciousness　in　confessions；　in　such　revelations　there　is　always　a　danger　of　unctuousness　or　of　vulgarity　for　the　best　of　men。　St。　Augus…tine　is　not　always　clear　of　offence；　and　John　Bunyan　himself　exaggerates　venial　peccadilloes　into　heinous　sins。　But　Marcus　Aurelius　is　neither　vulgar　nor　unctuous；　he　extenuates　nothing；　but　nothing　sets　down　in　malice。　He　never　poses　before　an　audience；　he　may　not　be　profound；　he　is　always　sincere。　　And　it　is　a　lofty　and　serene　soul　which　is　here　disclosed　before　us。　　Vulgar　vices　seem　to　have　no　temptation　for　him；　this　is　not　one　tied　and　bound　with　chains　which　he　strives　to　break。　　The　faults　he　detects　in　himself　are　often　such　as　most　men　would　have　no　eyes　to　see。　To　serve　the　divine　spirit　which　is　implanted　within　him；　a　man　must　'keep　himself　pure　from　all　violent　passion　and　evil　affection；　from　all　rashness　and　vanity；　and　from　all　manner　of　discontent；　either　in　regard　of　the　gods　or　men'：　or；　as　he　says　elsewhere；　'unspotted　by　pleasure；　undaunted　by　pain。'　Unwavering　courtesy　and　consideration　are　his　aims。　'Whatsoever　any　man　either　doth　or　saith；　thou　must　be　good；'　'doth　any　man　offend？　　It　is　against　himself　that　he　doth　offend：　why　should　it　trouble　thee？'　　The　offender　needs　pity；　not　wrath；　those　who　must　needs　be　corrected；　should　be　treated　with　tact　and　gentleness；　and　one　must　be　always　ready　to　learn　better。　'The　best　kind　of　revenge　is；　not　to　become　like　unto　them。'　There　are　so　many　hints　of　offence　forgiven；　that　we　may　believe　the　notes　followed　sharp　on　the　facts。　Perhaps　he　has　fallen　short　of　his　aim；　and　thus　seeks　to　call　his　principles　to　mind；　and　to　strengthen　himself　for　the　future。　That　these　sayings　are　not　mere　talk　is　plain　from　the　story　of　Avidius　Cassius；　who　would　have　usurped　his　imperial　throne。　Thus　the　emperor　faithfully　carries　out　his　own　principle；　that　evil　must　be　overcome　with　good。　　For　each　fault　in　others；　Nature　（says　he）　has　given　us　a　counteracting　virtue；　'as；　for　example；　against　the　unthankful；　it　hath　given　goodness　and　meekness；　as　an　antidote。'

One　so　gentle　towards　a　foe　was　sure　to　be　a　good　friend；　and　indeed　his　pages　are　full　of　generous　gratitude　to　those　who　had　served　him。　In　his　First　Book　he　sets　down　to　account　all　the　debts　due　to　his　kinsfolk　and　teachers。　　To　his　grandfather　he　owed　his　own　gentle　spirit；　to　his　father　shamefastness　and　courage；　he　learnt　of　his　mother　to　be　religious　and　bountiful　and　single…minded。　Rusticus　did　not　work　in　vain；　if　he　showed　his　pupil　that　his　life　needed　amending。　　Apollonius　taught　him　simplicity；　reasonableness；　gratitude；　a　love　of　true　liberty。　So　the　list　runs　on；　every　one　he　had　dealings　with　seems　to　have　given　him　something　good；　a　sure　proof　of　the　goodness　of　his　nature；　which　thought　no　evil。

If　his　was　that　honest　and　true　heart　which　is　the　Christian　ideal；　this　is　the　more　wonderful　in　that　he　lacked　the　faith　which　makes　Christians　strong。　　He　could　say；　it　is　true；　'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。'　　Or　again；　'We　must　needs　grant　that　there　is　a　nature　that　doth　govern　the　universe。'　　But　his　own　part　in　the　scheme　of　things　is　so　small；　that　he　does　not　hope　for　any　personal　happiness　beyond　what　a　serene　soul　may　win　in　this　mortal　life。　'0　my　soul；　the　time　I　trust　will　be；　when　thou　shalt　be　good；　simple；　more　open　and　visible；　than　that　body　by　which　it　is　enclosed；'　but　this　is　said　of　the　calm　contentment　with　human　lot　which　he　hopes　to　attain；　not　of　a　time　when　the　trammels　of　the　body　shall　be　cast　off。　For　the　rest；　the　world　and　its　fame　and　wealth；　'all　is　vanity。'　The　gods　may　perhaps　have　a　particular　care　for　him；　but　their　especial　care　is　for　the　universe　at　large：　　thus　much　should　suffice。　　His　gods　are　better　than　the　Stoic　gods；　who　sit　aloof　from　all　human　things；　untroubled　and　uncaring；　but　his　personal　hope　is　hardly　stronger。　On　this　point　he　says　little；　though　there　are　many　allusions　to　death　as　the　natural　end；　doubtless　he　expected　his　soul　one　day　to　be　absorbed　into　the　universal　soul；　since　nothing　comes　out　of　nothing；　and　nothing　can　be　annihilated。　　His　mood　is　one　of　strenuous　weariness；　he　does　his　duty　as　a　good　soldier；　waiting　for　the　sound　of　the　trumpet　which　shall　sound　the　retreat；　he　has　not　that　cheerful　confidence　which　led　Socrates　through　a　life　no　less　noble；　to　a　death　which　was　to　bring　him　into　the　company　of　gods　he　had　worshipped　and　men　whom　he　had　revered。

But　although　Marcus　Aurelius　may　have　held　intellectually　that　his　soul　was　destined　to　be　absorbed；　and　to　lose　consciousness　of　itself；　there　were　times　when　he　felt；　as　all　who　hold　it　must　sometimes　feel；　how　unsatisfying　is　such　a　creed。　Then　he　gropes　blindly　after　something　less　empty　and　vain。　'Thou　hast　taken　ship；'　he　says；　'thou　hast　sailed；　thou　art　come　to　land；　go　out；　if　to　another　life；　there　also　shalt　thou　find　gods；　who　are　everywhere。'　　There　is　more　in　this　than　the　assumption　of　a　rival　theory　for　argument's　sake。　If　worldly　things　'be　but　as　a　dream；　the　thought　is　not　far　off　that　there　may　be　an　awakening　to　what　is　real。　When　he　speaks　of　death　as　a　necessary　change；　and　points　out　that　nothing　useful　and　profitable　can　be　brought　about　without　change；　did　he　perhaps　think　of　the　change　in　a　corn　of　wheat；　which　is　not　quickened　except　it　die？　　Nature's　marvellous　power　of　recreating　out　of　Corruption　is　surely　not　confined　to　bodily　things。　Many　of　his　thoughts　sound　like　far…off　echoes　of　St。　Paul；　and　it　is　strange　indeed　that　this　most　Christian　of　emperors　has　nothing　good　to　say　of　the　Christians。　To　him　they　are　only　sectaries　'violently　and　passionately　set　upon　opposition。

Profound　as　philosophy　these　Meditations　certainly　are　not；　but　Marcus　Aurelius　was　too　sincere　not　to　see　the　essence　of　such　things　as　came　within　his　experience。　　Ancient　religions　were　for　the　most　part　concerned　with　outward　things。　Do　the　necessary　rites；　and　you　propitiate　the　gods；　and　these　rites　were　often　trivial；　sometimes　violated　right　feeling　or　even　morality。　Even　when　the　gods　stood　on　the　side　of　righteousness；　they　were　concerned　with　the　act　more　than　with　the　intent。　But　Marcus　Aurelius　knows　that　what　the　heart　is　full　of；　the　man　will　do。　　'Such　as　thy　thoughts　and　ordinary　cogitations　are；'　he　says；　'such　will　thy　mind　be　in　time。'　　And　every　page　of　the　book　shows　us　that　he　knew　thought　was　sure　to　issue　in　act。　He　drills　his　soul；　as　it　were；　in　right　principles；　that　when　the　time　comes；　it　may　be　guided　by　them。　　To　wait　until　the　emergency　is　to　be　too　late。　　He　sees　also　the　true　essence　of　happiness。　'If　happiness　did　consist　in　pleasure；　how　came　notorious　robbers；　impure　abominable　livers；　parricides；　and　tyrants；　in　so　l