the meditations-第9节

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　nothing　better　than　to　withdraw　thyself　（to　use　Socrates　his　words）　from　all　sensuality；　and　submit　thyself　unto　the　gods；　and　to　have　care　of　all　men　in　general：　if　thou　shalt　find　that　all　other　things　in　comparison　of　this；　are　but　vile；　and　of　little　moment；　then　give　not　way　to　any　other　thing；　which　being　once　though　but　affected　and　inclined　unto；　it　will　no　more　be　in　thy　power　without　all　distraction　as　thou　oughtest　to　prefer　and　to　pursue　after　that　good；　which　is　thine　own　and　thy　proper　good。　　For　it　is　not　lawful；　that　anything　that　is　of　another　and　inferior　kind　and　nature；　be　it　what　it　will；　as　either　popular　applause；　or　honour；　or　riches；　or　pleasures；　should　be　suffered　to　confront　and　contest　as　it　were；　with　that　which　is　rational；　and　operatively　good。　　For　all　these　things；　if　once　though　but　for　a　while；　they　begin　to　please；　they　presently　prevail；　and　pervert　a　man's　mind；　or　turn　a　man　from　the　right　way。　Do　thou　therefore　I　say　absolutely　and　freely　make　choice　of　that　which　is　best；　and　stick　unto　it。　　Now；　that　they　say　is　best；　which　is　most　profitable。　　If　they　mean　profitable　to　man　as　he　is　a　rational　man；　stand　thou　to　it；　and　maintain　it；　but　if　they　mean　profitable；　as　he　is　a　creature；　only　reject　it；　and　from　this　thy　tenet　and　conclusion　keep　off　carefully　all　plausible　shows　and　colours　of　external　appearance；　that　thou　mayest　be　able　to　discern　things　rightly。　　VIII。　　Never　esteem　of　anything　as　profitable；　which　shall　ever　constrain　thee　either　to　break　thy　faith；　or　to　lose　thy　modesty；　to　hate　any　man；　to　suspect；　to　curse；　to　dissemble；　to　lust　after　anything；　that　requireth　the　secret　of　walls　or　veils。　But　he　that　preferreth　before　all　things　his　rational　part　and　spirit；　and　the　sacred　mysteries　of　virtue　which　issueth　from　it；　he　shall　never　lament　and　exclaim；　never　sigh；　he　shall　never　want　either　solitude　or　company：　　and　which　is　chiefest　of　all；　he　shall　live　without　either　desire　or　fear。　　And　as　for　life；　whether　for　a　long　or　short　time　he　shall　enjoy　his　soul　thus　compassed　about　with　a　body；　he　is　altogether　indifferent。　For　if　even　now　he　were　to　depart；　he　is　as　ready　for　it；　as　for　any　other　action；　which　may　be　performed　with　modesty　and　decency。　For　all　his　life　long；　this　is　his　only　care；　that　his　mind　may　always　be　occupied　in　such　intentions　and　objects；　as　are　proper　to　a　rational　sociable　creature。

IX。　　In　the　mind　that　is　once　truly　disciplined　and　purged；　thou　canst　not　find　anything；　either　foul　or　impure；　or　as　it　were　festered：　nothing　that　is　either　servile；　or　affected：　　no　partial　tie；　no　malicious　averseness；　nothing　obnoxious；　nothing　concealed。　The　life　of　such　an　one；　death　can　never　surprise　as　imperfect；　as　of　an　actor；　that　should　die　before　he　had　ended；　or　the　play　itself　were　at　an　end；　a　man　might　speak。

X。　Use　thine　opinative　faculty　with　all　honour　and　respect；　for　in　her　indeed　is　all：　　that　thy　opinion　do　not　beget　in　thy　understanding　anything　contrary　to　either　nature；　or　the　proper　constitution　of　a　rational　creature。　The　end　and　object　of　a　rational　constitution　is；　to　do　nothing　rashly；　to　be　kindly　affected　towards　men；　and　in　all　things　willingly　to　submit　unto　the　gods。　Casting　therefore　all　other　things　aside；　keep　thyself　to　these　few；　and　remember　withal　that　no　man　properly　can　be　said　to　live　more　than　that　which　is　now　present；　which　is　but　a　moment　of　time。　Whatsoever　is　besides　either　is　already　past；　or　uncertain。　The　time　therefore　that　any　man　doth　live；　is　but　a　little；　and　the　place　where　he　liveth；　is　but　a　very　little　corner　of　the　earth；　and　the　greatest　fame　that　can　remain　of　a　man　after　his　death；　even　that　is　but　little；　and　that　too；　such　as　it　is　whilst　it　is；　is　by　the　succession　of　silly　mortal　men　preserved；　who　likewise　shall　shortly　die；　and　even　whiles　they　live　know　not　what　in　very　deed　they　themselves　are：　and　much　less　can　know　one；　who　long　before　is　dead　and　gone。

XI。　　To　these　ever…present　helps　and　mementoes；　let　one　more　be　added；　ever　to　make　a　particular　description　and　delineation　as　it　were　of　every　object　that　presents　itself　to　thy　mind；　that　thou　mayest　wholly　and　throughly　contemplate　it；　in　its　own　proper　nature；　bare　and　naked；　wholly；　and　severally；　divided　into　its　several　parts　and　quarters：　　and　then　by　thyself　in　thy　mind；　to　call　both　it；　and　those　things　of　which　it　doth　consist；　and　in　which　it　shall　be　resolved；　by　their　own　proper　true　names；　and　appellations。　For　there　is　nothing　so　effectual　to　beget　true　magnanimity；　as　to　be　able　truly　and　methodically　to　examine　and　consider　all　things　that　happen　in　this　life；　and　so　to　penetrate　into　their　natures；　that　at　the　same　time；　this　also　may　concur　in　our　apprehensions：　what　is　the　true　use　of　it？　and　what　is　the　true　nature　of　this　universe；　to　which　it　is　useful？　how　much　in　regard　of　the　universe　may　it　be　esteemed？　how　much　in　regard　of　man；　a　citizen　of　the　supreme　city；　of　which　all　other　cities　in　the　world　are　as　it　were　but　houses　and　families？

XII。　　What　is　this；　that　now　my　fancy　is　set　upon　？　of　what　things　doth　it　consist？　how　long　can　it　last？　which　of　all　the　virtues　is　the　proper　virtue　for　this　present　use？　as　whether　meekness；　fortitude；　truth；　faith；　sincerity；　contentation；　or　any　of　the　rest？　Of　everything　therefore　thou　must　use　thyself　to　say；　This　immediately　comes　from　God；　this　by　that　fatal　connection；　and　concatenation　of　things；　or　（which　almost　comes　to　one）　by　some　coincidental　casualty。　And　as　for　this；　it　proceeds　from　my　neighbour；　my　kinsman；　my　fellow：　through　his　ignorance　indeed；　because　he　knows　not　what　is　truly　natural　unto　him：　　but　I　know　it；　and　therefore　carry　myself　towards　him　according　to　the　natural　law　of　fellowship；　that　is　kindly；　and　justly。　As　for　those　things　that　of　themselves　are　altogether　indifferent；　as　in　my　best　judgment　I　conceive　everything　to　deserve　more　or　less；　so　I　carry　myself　towards　it。

XIII。　　If　thou　shalt　intend　that　which　is　present；　following　the　rule　of　right　and　reason　carefully；　solidly；　meekly；　and　shalt　not　intermix　any　other　businesses；　but　shall　study　this　only　to　preserve　thy　spirit　impolluted；　and　pure；　and　shall　cleave　unto　him　without　either　hope　or　fear　of　anything；　in　all　things　that　thou　shalt　either　do　or　speak；　contenting　thyself　with　heroical　truth；　thou　shalt　live　happily；　and　from　this；　there　is　no　man　that　can　hinder　thee。

XIV。　　As　physicians　and　chirurgeons　have　always　their　instruments　ready　at　hand　for　all　sudden　cures；　so　have　thou　always　thy　dogmata　in　a　readiness　for　the　knowledge　of　things；　both　divine　and　human：　and　whatsoever　thou　dost；　even　in　the　smallest　things　that　thou　dost；　thou　must　ever　remember　that　mutual　relation；　and　connection　that　is　between　these　two　things　divine；　and　things　human。　For　without　relation　unto　God；　thou　shalt　never　speed　in　any　worldly　actions；　nor　on　the　other　side　in　any　divine；　without　some　respect　had　to　things　human。

XV。　　Be　not　deceived；　for　thou　shalt　never　live　to　read　thy　moral　commentaries；　nor　the　acts　of　the　famous　Romans　and　Grecians；　nor　those　excerpta　from　several　books；　all　which　thou　hadst　provided　and　laid　up　for　thyself　against　thine　old　age。　Hasten　therefore　to　an　end；　and　giving　over　all　vain　hopes；　help　thyself　in　time　if　thou　carest　for　thyself；　as　thou　oughtest　to　do。　　XVI。　　To　steal；　to　sow；　to　buy；　to　be　at　rest；　to　see　what　is　to　be　done　（which　is　not　seen　by　the　eyes；　but　by　another　kind　of　sight：）　　what　these　words　mean；　and　how　many　ways　to　be　understood；　they　do　not　understand。　The　body；　the　soul；　the　understanding。　　As　the　senses　naturally　belong　to　the　body；　and　the　desires　and　affections　to　the　soul；　so　do　the　dogmata　to　the　understanding。

XVII。　　To　be　capable　of　fancies　and　imaginations；　is　common　to　man　and　beast。　　To　be　violently　drawn　and　moved　by　the　lusts　and　desires　of　the　soul；　is　proper　to　wild　beasts　and　monsters；　such　as　Phalaris　and　Nero　were。　　To　follow　reason　for　ordinary　duties　and　actions　is　common　to　them　also；　who　believe　not　that　there　be　any　gods；　and　for　their　advantage　would　make　no　conscience　to　betray　their　own　country；　and　who　when　once　the　doors　be　shut　upon　them；　dare　do　anything。　If　therefore　all　things　else　be　common　to　these　likewise；　it　follows；　that　for　a　man　to　like　and　embrace　all　things　that　happen　and　are　destinated　unto　him；　and　not　to　trouble　and　molest　that　spirit　which　is　seated　in　the　temple　of　his　own　breast；　with　a　multitude　of　vain　fancies　and　imaginations；　but　to　keep　him　propitious　and　to　obey　him　as　a　god；　never　either　speaking　anything　contrary　to　truth；　or　doing　anything　contrary　to　justice；　is　the　only　true　property　of　a　good　man。　And　such　a　one；　though　no　man　should　believe　that　he　liveth　as　he　doth；　either　sincerely　and　conscionably；　or　cheerful　and　contentedly；　yet　is　he　neither　with　any　man　at　all　angry　for　it；　nor　diverted　by　it　from　the　way　that　leadeth　to　the　end　of　his　life；　through　which　a　man　must　pass　pure；　ever　ready　to　depart；　and　willing　of　himself　without　any　compulsion　to　fit　and　accommodate　himself　to　his　proper　lot　and　portion。


THE　FOURTH　BOOK

I。　That　inward　mistress　part　of　man　if　it　be　in　its　own　true　natural　temper；　is　towards　all　worldly　chances　and　events　ever