clination, and commits the Fault with a Gust.
XI. Manage all your Actions and Thoughts in such a Manner as if you were just going to step into the Grave; And what great matter is the Business of Dying; if the Gods are in being you can suffer nothing, for they'll do you no Harm : And if they are not, or take no Care of us Mortals; why then I must tell you, that a World without either Gods, or Providence, is not worth a Mans while to live in. But there's no need of this Supposition; The Being of the Gods, and their Concern in Human Affairs is beyond Dispute: And as an Instance of this, They have put it in his Power not to fall into any Calamity properly so called.[1] And if other Misfortunes ( as we count them, ) had been really Evils, they would have provided against them too, and furnish'd them with Capacity to avoid them. And here I would gladly know how that which can't make the Man worse, should make his Life so? To speak clearly, I can never be perswaded that the First Cause can be charg'd with the want of Power, Skill, or Inclination; to take Care of these Matters. Or that Nature should commit such an Error as to suffer things really Good, and Evil to happen promiscuously to Good, and
- ↑ The Emperour means that no Man is under a Necessity of committing and immoral Action.
