the meditations-第38节

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of　the　universe；　and　that　him　only　it　concerns；　who　is　in　fault；　and　moreover；　that　what　is　now　done；　is　that　which　from　ever　hath　been　done　in　the　world；　and　will　ever　be　done；　and　is　now　done　everywhere：　how　nearly　all　men　are　allied　one　to　another　by　a　kindred　not　of　blood；　nor　of　seed；　but　of　the　same　mind。　　Thou　hast　also　forgotten　that　every　man's　mind　partakes　of　the　Deity；　and　issueth　from　thence；　and　that　no　man　can　properly　call　anything　his　own；　no　not　his　son；　nor　his　body；　nor　his　life；　for　that　they　all　proceod　from　that　One　who　is　the　giver　of　all　things：　that　all　things　are　but　opinion；　that　no　man　lives　properly；　but　that　very　instant　of　time　which　is　now　present。　And　therefore　that　no　man　whensoever　he　dieth　can　properly　be　said　to　lose　any　more；　than　an　instant　of　time。

XX。　　Let　thy　thoughts　ever　run　upon　them；　who　once　for　some　one　thing　or　other；　were　moved　with　extraordinary　indignation；　who　were　once　in　the　highest　pitch　of　either　honour；　or　calamity；　or　mutual　hatred　and　enmity；　or　of　any　other　fortune　or　condition　whatsoever。　　Then　consider　what's　now　become　of　all　those　things。　　All　is　turned　to　smoke；　all　to　ashes；　and　a　mere　fable；　and　perchance　not　so　much　as　a　fable。　As　also　whatsoever　is　of　this　nature；　as　Fabius　Catulinus　in　the　field；　Lucius　Lupus；　and　Stertinius；　at　Baiae　Tiberius　at　Caprem：　and　Velius　Rufus；　and　all　such　examples　of　vehement　prosecution　in　worldly　matters；　let　these　also　run　in　thy　mind　at　the　same　time；　and　how　vile　every　object　of　such　earnest　and　vehement　prosecution　is；　and　how　much　more　agreeable　to　true　philosophy　it　is；　for　a　man　to　carry　himself　in　every　matter　that　offers　itself；　justly；　and　moderately；　as　one　that　followeth　the　Gods　with　all　simplicity。　　For；　for　a　man　to　be　proud　and　high　conceited；　that　he　is　not　proud　and　high　conceited；　is　of　all　kind　of　pride　and　presumption；　the　most　intolerable。

XXI。　　To　them　that　ask　thee；　Where　hast　thou　seen　the　Gods；　or　how　knowest　thou　certainly　that　there　be　Gods；　that　thou　art　so　devout　in　their　worship？　　I　answer　first　of　all；　that　even　to　the　very　eye；　they　are　in　some　manner　visible　and　apparent。　　Secondly；　neither　have　I　ever　seen　mine　own　soul；　and　yet　I　respect　and　honour　it。　　So　then　for　the　Gods；　by　the　daily　experience　that　I　have　of　their　power　and　providence　towards　myself　and　others；　I　know　certainly　that　they　are；　and　therefore　worship　them。

XXII。　　Herein　doth　consist　happiness　of　life；　for　a　man　to　know　thoroughly　the　true　nature　of　everything；　what　is　the　matter；　and　what　is　the　form　of　it：　　with　all　his　heart　and　soul；　ever　to　do　that　which　is　just；　and　to　speak　the　truth。　What　then　remaineth　but　to　enjoy　thy　life　in　a　course　and　coherence　of　good　actions；　one　upon　another　immediately　succeeding；　and　never　interrupted；　though　for　never　so　little　a　while？

XXIII。　　There　is　but　one　light　of　the　sun；　though　it　be　intercepted　by　walls　and　mountains；　and　other　thousand　objects。　There　is　but　one　common　substance　of　the　whole　world；　though　it　be　concluded　and　restrained　into　several　different　bodies；　in　number　infinite。　　There　is　but　one　common　soul；　though　divided　into　innumerable　particular　essences　and　natures。　　So　is　there　but　one　common　intellectual　soul；　though　it　seem　to　be　divided。　And　as　for　all　other　parts　of　those　generals　which　we　have　mentioned；　as　either　sensitive　souls　or　subjects；　these　of　themselves　（as　naturally　irrational）　have　no　common　mutual　reference　one　unto　another；　though　many　of　them　contain　a　mind；　or　reasonable　faculty　in　them；　whereby　they　are　ruled　and　governed。　But　of　every　reasonable　mind；　this　the　particular　nature；　that　it　hath　reference　to　whatsoever　is　of　her　own　kind；　and　desireth　to　be　united：　　neither　can　this　common　affection；　or　mutual　unity　and　correspondency；　be　here　intercepted　or　divided；　or　confined　to　particulars　as　those　other　common　things　are。

XXIV。　　What　doest　thou　desire？　　To　live　long。　　What？　　To　enjoy　the　operations　of　a　sensitive　soul；　or　of　the　appetitive　faculty？　or　wouldst　thou　grow；　and　then　decrease　again？　Wouldst　thou　long　be　able　to　talk；　to　think　and　reason　with　thyself？　Which　of　all　these　seems　unto　thee　a　worthy　object　of　thy　desire？　Now　if　of　all　these　thou　doest　find　that　they　be　but　little　worth　in　themselves；　proceed　on　unto　the　last；　which　is；　in　all　things　to　follow　God　and　reason。　　But　for　a　man　to　grieve　that　by　death　he　shall　be　deprived　of　any　of　these　things；　is　both　against　God　and　reason。

XXV。　　What　a　small　portion　of　vast　and　infinite　eternity　it　is；　that　is　allowed　unto　every　one　of　us；　and　how　soon　it　vanisheth　into　the　general　age　of　the　world：　　of　the　common　substance；　and　of　the　common　soul　also　what　a　small　portion　is　allotted　unto　us：　　and　in　what　a　little　clod　of　the　whole　earth　（as　it　were）　it　is　that　thou　doest　crawl。　After　thou　shalt　rightly　have　considered　these　things　with　thyself；　fancy　not　anything　else　in　the　world　any　more　to　be　of　any　weight　and　moment　but　this；　to　do　that　only　which　thine　own　nature　doth　require；　and　to　conform　thyself　to　that　which　the　common　nature　doth　afford。

XXVI。　　What　is　the　present　estate　of　my　understanding？　For　herein　lieth　all　indeed。　　As　for　all　other　things；　they　are　without　the　compass　of　mine　own　will：　　and　if　without　the　compass　of　my　will；　then　are　they　as　dead　things　unto　me；　and　as　it　were　mere　smoke。

XXVII。　　To　stir　up　a　man　to　the　contempt　of　death　this　among　other　things；　is　of　good　power　and　efficacy；　that　even　they　who　esteemed　pleasure　to　be　happiness；　and　pain　misery；　did　nevertheless　many　of　them　contemn　death　as　much　as　any。　And　can　death　be　terrible　to　him；　to　whom　that　only　seems　good；　which　in　the　ordinary　course　of　nature　is　seasonable？　to　him；　to　whom；　whether　his　actions　be　many　or　few；　so　they　be　all　good；　is　all　one；　and　who　whether　he　behold　the　things　of　the　world　being　always　the　same　either　for　many　years；　or　for　few　years　only；　is　altogether　indifferent？　　O　man！　as　a　citizen　thou　hast　lived；　and　conversed　in　this　great　city　the　world。　Whether　just　for　so　many　years；　or　no；　what　is　it　unto　thee？　Thou　hast　lived　（thou　mayest　be　sure）　as　long　as　the　laws　and　orders　of　the　city　required；　which　may　be　the　common　comfort　of　all。　Why　then　should　it　be　grievous　unto　thee；　if　（not　a　tyrant；　nor　an　unjust　judge；　but）　the　same　nature　that　brought　thee　in；　doth　now　send　thee　out　of　the　world？　　As　if　the　praetor　should　fairly　dismiss　him　from　the　stage；　whom　he　had　taken　in　to　act　a　while。　　Oh；　but　the　play　is　not　yet　at　an　end；　there　are　but　three　acts　yet　acted　of　it？　　Thou　hast　well　said：　for　in　matter　of　life；　three　acts　is　the　whole　play。　Now　to　set　a　certain　time　to　every　man's　acting；　belongs　unto　him　only；　who　as　first　he　was　of　thy　composition；　so　is　now　the　cause　of　thy　dissolution。　　As　for　thyself；　thou　hast　to　do　with　neither。　　Go　thy　ways　then　well　pleased　and　contented：　for　so　is　He　that　dismisseth　thee。

APPENDIX

CORRESPONDENCE　OF　M。　AURELIUS　ANTONINUS　AND　M。　CORNELIUS　FRONTO'

M。　CORNELIUS　FRONTO（1）　was　a　Roman　by　descent；　but　of　provincial　birth；　being　native　to　Cirta；　in　Numidia。　　Thence　he　migrated　to　Rome　in　the　reign　of　Hadrian；　and　became　the　most　famous　rhetorician　of　his　day。　As　a　pleader　and　orator　he　was　counted　by　his　contemporaries　hardly　inferior　to　Tully　himself；　and　as　a　teacher　his　aid　was　sought　for　the　noblest　youths　of　Rome。　　To　him　was　entrusted　the　education　of　M。

Aurelius　and　of　his　colleague　L。　Verus　in　their　boyhood；　and　he　was　rewarded　for　his　efforts　by　a　seat　in　the　Senate　and　the　consular　rank　（A。D。　143）。　　By　the　exercise　of　his　profession　he　became　wealthy；　and　if　he　speaks　of　his　means　as　not　great；（2）　he　must　be　comparing　his　wealth　with　the　grandees　of　Rome；　not　with　the　ordinary　citizen。

Before　the　present　century　nothing　was　known　of　the　works　of　Fronto；　except　a　grammatical　treatise；　but　in　1815　Cardinal　Mai　published　a　number　of　letters　and

some　short　essays　of　Fronto；　which　he　had　discovered　in　a　palimpsest　at　Milan。　　Other　parts　of　the　same　MS。　　he　found　later　in　the　Vatican；　the　whole　being　collected　（1）　References　are　made　to　the　edition　of　Naber；　Leipzig　（Trübner）；　1867。

（2）　Ad　Verum　imp。　　Aur。　　Caes。；　ii；　7。

and　edited　in　the　year　1823。　　We　now　possess　parts　of　his　correspondence　with　Antoninus　Pius；　with　M。　Aurelius；　with　L。　Verus；　and　with　certain　of　his　friends；　and　also　several　rhetorical　and　historical　fragments。　Though　none　of　the　more　ambitious　works　of　Fronto　have　survived；　there　are　enough　to　give　proof　of　his　powers。　Never　was　a　great　literary　reputation　less　deserved。　It　would　be　bard　to　conceive　of　anything　more　vapid　than　the　style　and　conception　of　these　letters；　clearly　the　man　was　a　pedant　without　imagination　or　taste。　　Such　indeed　was　the　age　he　lived　in；　and　it　is　no　marvel　that　he　was　like　to　his　age。　But　there　must　have　been　more　in　him　than　mere　pedantry；　there　was　indeed　a　heart　in　the　man；　which　Marcus　found；　arid　he　found　also　a　tongue　which　could　speak　the　truth。　Fronto's　letters　are　by　no　means　free　from　exaggeration　and　laudation；　but　they　do　not　show　that　loathsome　flattery　which　filled　the　Roman　court。　　He　really　admires　what　he　praises；　and　his　way　of　saying　so　is　not　unlike　what　often　passes　for　criticism　at　the　present　day。　　He　is　not　afraid　to　re