the meditations-第7节

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grief　and　close　contraction　of　himself；　to　turn　away　from　reason；　but　he　that　sins　through　lust；　being　overcome　by　pleasure；　doth　in　his　very　sin　bewray　a　more　impotent；　and　unmanlike　disposition。　　Well　then　and　like　a　philosopher　doth　he　say；　that　he　of　the　two　is　the　more　to　be　condemned；　that　sins　with　pleasure；　than　he　that　sins　with　grief。　　For　indeed　this　latter　may　seem　first　to　have　been　wronged；　and　so　in　some　manner　through　grief　thereof　to　have　been　forced　to　be　angry；　whereas　he　who　through　lust　doth　commit　anything；　did　of　himself　merely　resolve　upon　that　action。

VIII。　　Whatsoever　thou　dost　affect；　whatsoever　thou　dost　project；　so　do；　and　so　project　all；　as　one　who；　for　aught　thou　knowest；　may　at　this　very　present　depart　out　of　this　life。　And　as　for　death；　if　there　be　any　gods；　it　is　no　grievous　thing　to　leave　the　society　of　men。　　The　gods　will　do　thee　no　hurt；　thou　mayest　be　sure。　　But　if　it　be　so　that　there　be　no　gods；　or　that　they　take　no　care　of　the　world；　why　should　I　desire　to　live　in　a　world　void　of　gods；　and　of　all　divine　providence？　But　gods　there　be　certainly；　and　they　take　care　for　the　world；　and　as　for　those　things　which　be　truly　evil；　as　vice　and。　wickedness；　such　things　they　have　put　in　a　man　s　own　power；　that　he　might　avoid　them　if　he　would：　　and　had　there　been　anything　besides　that　had　been　truly　bad　and　evil；　they　would　have　had　a　care　of　that　also；　that　a　man　might　have　avoided　it。　But　why　should　that　be　thought　to　hurt　and　prejudice　a　man's　life　in　this　world；　which　cannot　any　ways　make　man　himself　the　better；　or　the　worse　in　his　own　person？　　Neither　must　we　think　that　the　nature　of　the　universe　did　either　through　ignorance　pass　these　things；　or　if　not　as　ignorant　of　them；　yet　as　unable　either　to　prevent；　or　better　to　order　and　dispose　them。　It　cannot　be　that　she　through　want　either　of　power　or　skill；　should　have　committed　such　a　thing；　so　as　to　suffer　all　things　both　good　and　bad；　equally　and　promiscuously；　to　happen　unto　all　both　good　and　bad。　　As　for　life　therefore；　and　death；　honour　and　dishonour；　labour　and　pleasure；　riches　and　poverty；　all　these　things　happen　unto　men　indeed；　both　good　and　bad；　equally；　but　as　things　which　of　themselves　are　neither　good　nor　bad；　because　of　themselves；　neither　shameful　nor　praiseworthy。

IX。　　Consider　how　quickly　all　things　are　dissolved　and　resolved：　the　bodies　and　substances　themselves；　into　the　matter　and　substance　of　the　world：　　and　their　memories　into　the　general　age　and　time　of　the　world。　　Consider　the　nature　of　all　worldly　sensible　things；　of　those　especially；　which　either　ensnare　by　pleasure；　or　for　their　irksomeness　are　dreadful；　or　for　their　outward　lustre　and　show　are　in　great　esteem　and　request；　how　vile　and　contemptible；　how　base　and　corruptible；　how　destitute　of　all　true　life　and　being　they　are。

X。　It　is　the　part　of　a　man　endowed　with　a　good　understanding　faculty；　to　consider　what　they　themselves　are　in　very　deed；　from　whose　bare　conceits　and　voices；　honour　and　credit　do　proceed：　as　also　what　it　is　to　die；　and　how　if　a　man　shall　consider　this　by　itself　alone；　to　die；　and　separate　from　it　in　his　mind　all　those　things　which　with　it　usually　represent　themselves　unto　us；　he　can　conceive　of　it　no　otherwise；　than　as　of　a　work　of　nature；　and　he　that　fears　any　work　of　nature；　is　a　very　child。　　Now　death；　it　is　not　only　a　work　of　nature；　but　also　conducing　to　nature。

XI。　　Consider　with　thyself　how　man；　and　by　what　part　of　his；　is　joined　unto　God；　and　how　that　part　of　man　is　affected；　when　it　is　said　to　be　diffused。　　There　is　nothing　more　wretched　than　that　soul；　which　in　a　kind　of　circuit　compasseth　all　things；　searching　（as　he　saith）　even　the　very　depths　of　the　earth；　and　by　all　signs　and　conjectures　prying　into　the　very　thoughts　of　other　men's　souls；　and　yet　of　this；　is　not　sensible；　that　it　is　sufficient　for　a　man　to　apply　himself　wholly；　and　to　confine　all　his　thoughts　and　cares　to　the　tendance　of　that　spirit　which　is　within　him；　and　truly　and　really　to　serve　him。　His　service　doth　consist　in　this；　that　a　man　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。　For　indeed　whatsoever　proceeds　from　the　gods；　deserves　respect　for　their　worth　and　excellency；　and　whatsoever　proceeds　from　men；　as　they　are　our　kinsmen；　should　by　us　be　entertained；　with　love；　always；　sometimes；　as　proceeding　from　their　ignorance；　of　that　which　is　truly　good　and　bad；　（a　blindness　no　less；　than　that　by　which　we　are　not　able　to　discern　between　white　and　black：）　with　a　kind　of　pity　and　compassion　also。

XII。　　If　thou　shouldst　live　three　thousand；　or　as　many　as　ten　thousands　of　years；　yet　remember　this；　that　man　can　part　with　no　life　properly；　save　with　that　little　part　of　life；　which　he　now　lives：　　and　that　which　he　lives；　is　no　other；　than　that　which　at　every　instant　he　parts　with。　　That　then　which　is　longest　of　duration；　and　that　which　is　shortest；　come　both　to　one　effect。　　For　although　in　regard　of　that　which　is　already　past　there　may　be　some　inequality；　yet　that　time　which　is　now　present　and　in　being；　is　equal　unto　all　men。　And　that　being　it　which　we　part　with　whensoever　we　die；　it　doth　manifestly　appear；　that　it　can　be　but　a　moment　of　time；　that　we　then　part　with。　　For　as　for　that　which　is　either　past　or　to　come；　a　man　cannot　be　said　properly　to　part　with　it。　For　how　should　a　man　part　with　that　which　he　hath　not？　These　two　things　therefore　thou　must　remember。　First；　that　all　things　in　the　world　from　all　eternity；　by　a　perpetual　revolution　of　the　same　times　and　things　ever　continued　and　renewed；　are　of　one　kind　and　nature；　so　that　whether　for　a　hundred　or　two　hundred　years　only；　or　for　an　infinite　space　of　time；　a　man　see　those　things　which　are　still　the　same；　it　can　be　no　matter　of　great　moment。　And　secondly；　that　that　life　which　any　the　longest　liver；　or　the　shortest　liver　parts　with；　is　for　length　and　duration　the　very　same；　for　that　only　which　is　present；　is　that；　which　either　of　them　can　lose；　as　being　that　only　which　they　have；　for　that　which　he　hath　not；　no　man　can　truly　be　said　to　lose。

XIII。　　Remember　that　all　is　but　opinion　and　conceit；　for　those　things　are　plain　and　apparent；　which　were　spoken　unto　Monimus　the　Cynic；　and　as　plain　and　apparent　is　the　use　that　may　be　made　of　those　things；　if　that　which　is　true　and　serious　in　them；　be　received　as　well　as　that　which　is　sweet　and　pleasing。

XIV。　　A　man's　soul　doth　wrong　and　disrespect　itself　first　and　especially；　when　as　much　as　in　itself　lies　it　becomes　an　aposteme；　and　as　it　were　an　excrescency　of　the　world；　for　to　be　grieved　and　displeased　with　anything　that　happens　in　the　world；　is　direct　apostacy　from　the　nature　of　the　universe；　part　of　which；　all　particular　natures　of　the　world；　are。　Secondly；　when　she　either　is　averse　from　any　man；　or　led　by　contrary　desires　or　affections；　tending　to　his　hurt　and　prejudice；　such　as　are　the　souls　of　them　that　are　angry。　Thirdly；　when　she　is　overcome　by　any　pleasure　or　pain。　Fourthly；　when　she　doth　dissemble；　and　covertly　and　falsely　either　doth　or　saith　anything。　　Fifthly；　when　she　doth　either　affect　or　endeavour　anything　to　no　certain　end；　but　rashly　and　without　due　ratiocination　and　consideration；　how　consequent　or　inconsequent　it　is　to　the　common　end。　　For　even　the　least　things　ought　not　to　be　done；　without　relation　unto　the　end；　and　the　end　of　the　reasonable　creatures　is；　to　follow　and　obey　him；　who　is　the　reason　as　it　were；　and　the　law　of　this　great　city；　and　ancient　commonwealth。　　XV。　　The　time　of　a　man's　life　is　as　a　point；　the　substance　of　it　ever　flowing；　the　sense　obscure；　and　the　whole　composition　of　the　body　tending　to　corruption。　His　soul　is　restless；　fortune　uncertain；　and　fame　doubtful；　to　be　brief；　as　a　stream　so　are　all　things　belonging　to　the　body；　as　a　dream；　or　as　a　smoke；　so　are　all　that　belong　unto　the　soul。　　Our　life　is　a　warfare；　and　a　mere　pilgrimage。　Fame　after　life　is　no　better　than　oblivion。　　What　is　it　then　that　will　adhere　and　follow？　　Only　one　thing；　philosophy。　And　philosophy　doth　consist　in　this；　for　a　man　to　preserve　that　spirit　which　is　within　him；　from　all　manner　of　contumelies　and　injuries；　and　above　all　pains　or　pleasures；　never　to　do　anything　either　rashly；　or　feignedly；　or　hypocritically：　wholly　to　depend　from　himself　and　his　own　proper　actions：　all　things　that　happen　unto　him　to　embrace　contentedly；　as　coming　from　Him　from　whom　he　himself　also　came；　and　above　all　things；　with　all　meekness　and　a　calm　cheerfulness；　to　expect　death；　as　being　nothing　else　but　the　resolution　of　those　elements；　of　which　every　creature　is　composed。　And　if　the　elements　themselves　suffer　nothing　by　this　their　perpetual　conversion　of　one　into　another；　that　dissolution；　and　alteration；　which　is　so　common　unto　all；　why　should　it　be　feared　by　any？　　Is　not　this　according　to　nature？　But　nothing　that　is　according　to　nature　can　be　evil。　whilst　I　was　at　Carnuntzim。

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THE　THIRD　BOOK

I。　A　man　must　not　only　consider　how　daily　his　life　wasteth　and　decreaseth；　but　this　also；　that　if　he　live　long；　he　cannot　be　certain；　whether　his　understanding　shall　continue　so　able　and　sufficient；　for　either　discreet　consideration；　in　matter　of