The Emperor Marcus Antoninus: His Conversation with Himself/Book 12
BOOK XII.
ALL those Things you Drudge, and Range so much Ground for, you may have at your Ease, unless you are afraid of making your self too Happy. Your Method to do your business, is not to concern your self about the time Past, for that is never to be recover'd; To rest the Future with Providence; And only stick to the Present, and improve that to all the Noble purposes of Piety and Justice. The Pious part will be discharg'd by being contented with your Fate; And why should you not, since Nature made you for each other?[1] And as to the Obligations of Justice, you'l acquit your self here, provided you speak Truth boldly, and above board , and make Law , and the Dignity of Things, your Rule to Act by. When you are not to be check'd in your Progress, by the Misbehaviour, the Ignorance , and impertinent Reports of other People, nor yet by the Sence and Sufferings of your own Carcase. Tho' by the way, 'tis a question whether it suffers or not. [2] To go on; If, since your Life is almost up, you lay aside all other Matters, and only Cultivate your Mind, and pay a Regard to the Governing , and Diviner part of your self : If you are not at all afraid of losing your Life, but of Missing the Ends on't, and not Living as you should do ; Then you'l act suitably to your Extraction , and deserve to have the Deity for your Maker : Then you'l be no longer a stranger in your own Country , nor be surpriz'd at common Accidents ; you'l ne're be anxious about the Future , nor stand to the Courtesy of Events.
II. The Almighty sees through the Soul of every Man as clearly, as if it was not wrapt up in Matter, or had any thing of the Shrow'd and Coarsness of Body about it. And God being a Spirit , Acts only as such, and concerns himself for no other Beings but those of his own Nature. Now if you would learn to do thus, a great deal of Trouble would be sav'd: For he that can overlook his Limbs , and make his Carkass sit loose about him, will hardly disturb himself about the House he dwells in; about his Equipage or Reputation; or any part of the Furniture, and Magnificence of a Figure.
III. You consist of three Parts, your Body, your Breath, [3] and your Mind : The two first are yours to take care of , but the latter is properly your Person. Therefore if you abstract from the Notion of your self that is of your Mind , whatever other People either say, or do , or whatever you may have said or done your self formerly, together with all that which disturbs you under the consideration of its coming to pass hereafter ; If you throw the necessary Motions of your Carcass out of the Definition, and those of the Vortex that whirls about you ; And by this means preserve your Rational Faculties in an Independent state of Innocence , free from Force and Infection; Holding close, and steady to the Virtues of Justice ; Truth, and Acquiescence ; If I say, you keep your Mind separate, and Distinguish'd, from the Objests, of Appetite, and the Appendages of Time, both Past and Future, and make your self like Empedocles's World,
Round as a Ball, and Spinning on your Axis. [4]
And concern your self to live no longer than your Life time, that is the present Moment; [5] If you do all this, you may Move on till Death stops you , with Credit and Satisfaction.
IV. I have often wonder'd how it comes to pass, that every Body should love themselves best, and yet value their Neighbours Opinion about themselves , more than their own. Therefore if any God, or Eminent Instructor in Philosophy , should stand at a Man's Elbow, and Order him to turn his inside outwards, and publish every Thought and Fancy, as fast as as they came into his Head, he'd think it a hard Chapter, and not submit so much as to a Days Discipline. Thus we stand more in awe of Fame, than Conscience , and regard other Peoples Judgments above our own!
V. How comes it about that since the God's have contriv'd all things so well, and so much to the benefit of Mankind , they should overlook this particular: And suffer Men of great Virtue and Merit, who by their Piety and Devotion were as it were the Domesticks of the Powers Above; and kept always a Correspondence with Heaven, that they should suffer such Men, I say, to be finally extinguish'd by Death, and not give them their Being again? Now if the Case stands thus, you may be assur'd had it been proper, the Gods would have ordered it otherwise : For had it been Reasonable, it would have been possible : Nature [6] would certainly have brought it forth, if it had been suitable to her Perfections. Therefore from its not being Matter of Fad, if indeed it is not, you may undoubtedly conclude, it ought not to be so : For don't you perceive that in Reasoning this point, you dispute the Administration of Providence : Now if the Justice and Goodness of the Gods were not extraordinary, this Liberty would not be allow'd ; Neither would you presume so far if you thought otherwise. But if they have these Perfections, they'l never neglect their Affairs , nor Blemish their World with any thing that's Unreasonable, or Unjust.
VI. Accustom your self to Master things of the greatest difficulty, and which you seem to despair of ; For if you observe, the Left-hand, tho' for want of Practice , 'tis insignificant to other Business, yet it holds the Bridle better than the Right, because it has been used to it.
VII. Consider what Death will make of you, both as to Body, and Mind : Recollect the shortness of Life, the Unmeasurable extent of Time both past and Future ; and how slenderly all things are put together.
VIII. Let it be your Method to contemplate Spirits, apart from their Bodies, for these are no better then the Shell they are shut up in : Mind the Aim, and the End of Peoples Actions: Examine the value of Fame, the Force of Pain, the Ascendant of Pleasure, [7] and see what Death amounts to : Consider upon what account a Man grows troublesome to himself, [8] that no Body can be hindered by Another : And that Opinion is the Main Thing, which does good or harm in the World.
IX. We must manage the Precepts of Philosophy like those that Wrastle, and Box in the Circus, and not like a Gladiator: For your Fencer if he drops his Sword, is Hewn down immediately ; But the other that makes Weapons of his Limbs, has them always about him, and has nothing to do but to keep his Hands and Feet stirring.
X. Be not satisfied with a superficial View, but penetrate the Nature and Quality of Things; And to this purpose you must divide them into Matter and Form, [9] and enquire into the End they were made for.
XI. What a mighty privilege is a Man born to, since 'tis in his power not to do any thing but what God Almighty approves, and to be satisfied with all the Distributions of Providence.
XII. When things follow from the Course, and Constitution of Nature, we ought not to murmur at it : Not against the Gods, for they have neither Ill-will nor Impotence, and by consequence can do nothing Amiss ; nor yet against Men, for their Misbehaviour is all involuntary, [10] therefore we must complain of no Body.
XIII. How unacquainted is that Man with the World, and how ridiculous does he appear, that makes a wonder of any thing he meets with here ?
XIV. Either the Order of Things are fixt by irrevocable Fate, or Providence may be work'd into Compassion, or else the World Flotes at Random without any Steerage. Now if Nature lies under an immovable Necessity , to what purpose should you struggle against it ? If the favour of Providence is to be gain'd, qualifie your self for the Divine Assistance : But if Chance, and Confusion carry it, and no body fits at the Helm; be you contented and Ride out the Storm patiently, for you have a Governour within you, [11] tho' the World has none : And if the Waves run too high, let them roll off your Carkass, and your Fortune, but there's no Necessity your Mind should be driven with them.
XV. A Lamp unless you put it out, holds it Light, and shines without interruption : And can you find in your heart to see your Honesty sink in the Socket , to out-last your Sobriety , and let your Virtue be extinguish'd before you ?
XVI. When you fancy any one has Tranfgress'd, say this to your self. How do I know 'tis a Fault ? And granting it is, it may be his Conscience has corrected him. And if so, he has given himself a sowr Box on the Ear : Besides, you are to remember, that to wish an ill Man should not do Amiss, is just as wise as it would be to desire an unripe Fig should not tast of the Tree; that Children should not squaul in the Cradle, nor Horses Neigh, nor a great many other Things Act according to the necessity of their Condition. Pray, how would you have a Man of such an unfortunate Disposition behave himself? If you believe the Case may be remedied, and are such a Doctor at his Disease, do so much as cure him.
XVII. If 'tis not Decent never do it, if 'tis not true, never speak it; let this always be your Rule.
XVIII. Look always nicely into whatever makes an Impression upon your Mind; Distinguish it into Matter and Form, find out the purpose and design for which it was contriv'd, and the period of Time too, beyond which 'tis unlikely to continue.
XIX. Consider, for 'tis high time, that you have something more Divine in you than the Mechanism of Passion, than the Wires and Tackling of a Poppet. What then is my Soul made of? Is it Fear , or Jealousie? or Lust? Or any thing of this Coarse Nature ? Certainly no.
XX. Take Care never to do any thing without Thought, and Design, nor for any other End neither but what may be serviceable to the Interest of Socitey. [12]
XXI. Consider that in a little time you'l neither have Place, nor Being, that your Contemporaries will have the same Fate, and the present Scene of Nature be shut up: For all things change of Course, and Wither, and drop in pieces, that new ones may be made out of them.
XXII. Thoughts are in a great Measure Masters of Things, and which is more, 'tis in your own Power to think as you please: Therefore don't suffer Opinion, to cheat you any longer. Disingage from the Tyranny of Fancy ; and then as if you doubled some dangerous Cape, you'l have nothing but a steady Course, a smooth Sea, and a Land-lock'd Bay to receive you.
XXIII. Every Operation that ceases in due time, suffers nothing by breaking off: Neither does the Agent receive any harm upon this Score. Thus Life, which is nothing but a Series, and Continuation, of Action, comes to no Damages, by having a seasonable Period put to it : Neither does he that lays this Motion asleep, sustain any Loss, provided 'tis done at a proper Juncture. Now Nature assigns the Term, and sets out the Bounds of Life; sometimes this Period is fix'd by particular Nature, or force of Constitution, as it happens when a Man dies of Old Age ; but let it come late, or early, Common Nature [13] has certainly a Hand in't. And thus the Parts of Nature changing from one Form to another; preserve the World in perpetual Youth, and Vigour. Now that is always as it should be, both as to Time, and Quality, which makes for the Service of the Universe. [14] From hence it follows that bare Dying can be no real Evil, seeing there's nothing of Baseness or Moral Turpitude in't: For 'tis both Involuntary with respect to our selves, and serviceable to the general Interest. Therefore there can be nothing of Scandal in it. Nay, 'tis certainly a Good Thing, since 'tis suitable, and seasonable for the Universe. And thus a Man that goes off smoothly, is as it were carried out of the World by Inspiration : For he that follows the Deity with his Motions, and with his Will too, seems actuated by a Divine Impression.
XXIV. Let these three Hints lie ready for Service. First, As to your own Actions, let nothing be done rashly, nor to no Purpose, nor indeed in any other manner than Justice her self would have order'd it: And as for Casualties, and the State of your Fortune; consider that they are the blind Distributions of Chance, or else the Appointment of Providence. Now either to murmur against Chance, or Impeach Providence, is extreamly absurd. Secondly, consider what a slight thing Man is from his Conception, to his Birth or Animation ; [15] And from his first Breath to his last ; in the Parts of his Composition, and in the State of his Dissolution. Thirdly, Consider, that if you could shoot your self at Pleasure into the Sky, and thence take a View of Humane Affairs, you would perceive a strange medley of Humour, and Condition : And discover at the same time, the Air, and Ether too, plentifully stock'd with Inhabitants.[16] And that if you mounted never so often, you'd have the old Prospect; Alass! Things are generally of the same Complexion, and of the same short Continuance too, and yet how strangely we are Conceited of them.
XXV. Discharge Opinion, [17] and you are safe; And pray who can hinder you from doing it?
XXVI. When you are uneasy upon any Account, you seem to forget that all Things fall out according to the Good Pleasure of Providence, and that another Man's Fault, is no Concern of yours; that what you reckon Grievances, is nothing but the Old Way of the World, and will come over again, when you are dead, and gone, and are now to be met with in a thousand Places: You have forgotten that all Mankind are of Kin; for tho' they may be unallied in Flesh and Blood, their Understandings are all of the same Family; You don't remember that every Man's Soul is a Portion of the Deity, and derived from thence; that we have nothing properly our own, but that our Children, our Bodies, and our Breath, are all borrow'd from Heaven, that Opinion governs all, and things are only as you think them; and that 'tis not possible for any Body to live, or lose, any more than the Present Moment. All this you seem to have forgotten.
XXVII. Reflect frequently upon those that have formerly been mightily disturb'd with Accidents of any kind, that have carried their Animosities, and Feuds to the most flaming Excess; that have made the most Glorious Figure, or met with the greatest Misfortune; and then ask your self, where are they all now? They are vanish'd like a little Smoak; they'r shrunk within the compass of an Urn and are nothing but Ashes, and Romance, [18] and it may be have not so much as the last imaginary Advantage neither. Recollect likewise, all that Humour, and Odness, that some People affect, to appear as Fabius Catullinus did at his Country Seat, as Lucius Lupus, and Stertinius did at Baiæ, to Act the Fancy of Vertius Rufus, or the Liberties of Tiberius at Capreæ; thus People dote upon Figure, and Singularity, tho' 'tis sometimes in Lewdness: [19] But granting 'tis somewhat better, the Prize is Insignificant, and the Play not worth the Candle: 'Tis much more becoming a Philosopher to stand clear of Affectation; to be Honest, and Regular upon all occasions, and to follow chearfully wherever the Gods lead on: As for Pretence, and Hypocrisy, 'tis all Stuff; For nothing is more Scandalous than a Man that is Proud of his Humility.
XXVIII. To those that ask me the reason of my being so earnest in Religious Worship; did I ever fee any of the Gods? Or which way am I convinc'd of the certainty of their Existence? In the first place, I answer, that the Gods are not Invisible:[20] But granting they were, the Objection would signify nothing; For I never had a sight of my own Soul, and yet I have a great value for't; because 'tis discoverable by its Operations. And thus by my constant Experience of the Power of the Gods, I have a Proof of their Being, and a reason for my Veneration.
XXIX. The best Provision for a happy Life, is to dissect every Thing, view it on all Sides, and Divide it into Matter and Form. To practise Honesty in good earnest, and speak Truth from the very Soul of you: And when you have done this, live easy and chearful; And crowd one Good Action so close to another, that there may not be the least Empty, or Insignificant space between them.
XXX. The Light of the Sun is but one and the same, tho' tis divided by the Interposition of Walls, and Mountaints, and Abundance of other Opace Bodies. There's but one common Matter for Corporiety, tho' 'tis parcell'd out among Bodies of different Qualities: There is but one sensitive Soul neither, notwithstanding it has peculiar Conveyances, runs in innumerable Chanels, and supplies a vast number of Animals distinct from each other. And lastly, the Rational Soul tho' it seems to be split into Distinction, is but one and the same. [21] Now excepting this last, the Parts of the other Species of Form [22] and Matter, tho' without Apprehension, or any common Affection to tie them to each other, are yet upheld by an Intelligent Being, and by that Faculty which pushes things of the same Nature, to the same Place: But Humane Understandings have a peculiar Disposition to Correspondence; they stick together by Inclination, and nothing can extinguish such Sociable Thoughts in them.
XXXI. What is it you hanker after. Is it bare Existence? Or Sensation? Or Motion? Or Strength, that you may lose it again in Decay? What? Is it the Privilege of Speech, or the Power of Thinking in general? Is any of this Furniture big enough for Desire? If all these Things are Trifles upon the Matter, proceed to something that's worth your while; and that is to be govern'd by Reason and the Deity. And yet you can't be said to value these last mention'd Privileges rightly neither, if you are disturb'd because Death must take them from you. [23]
XXXII. What a small part of unmeasurable Time, falls to the share of a single Mortal, and how soon is every one swallow'd up in Eternity? what a handful of the Universal Matter goes to the making a Humane Body, and what a very little of the Universal Soul too, [24] to raise it into an Animal? And on what a narrow Clod with respect to the whole Earth, do you crawl upon? Consider all this, and reckon nothing Great, unless it be to Act in Conformity to your own Reason, and to suffer as the Almighty shall appoint you.
XXXIII. The great Business of a Man, is to improve his Mind, and govern his Manners; this is minding the main Chance. As for all other Projects, and Pursuits, whether in our Power to compass or not, they are no better than Trifling, and Amusement.
XXXIV. We can't have a more lively and promising Notion, to set us above the fear of Death; than to consider that it has been dispis'd even by that Sect, [25] who made Pleasure, and Pain, the Standard of Good, and Evil.
XXXV. He that likes no Time so well as that fixt by Providence, he that's indifferent whether he has room for a long Progress in Reason, and Regularity or not, [26] or whether he has a few or a great many Years to view the World in; a Person thus qualified will never be afraid of dying.
XXXVI. Heark ye Friend; you have been a Burgher of this Great City; [27] what's matter tho' you have lived in't but a few Years; if you have observ'd the Laws of the Corporation, the length or shortness of the Time, makes no difference. Where's the Hardship then, if Providence that planted you here, orders your Removal? You can't say you are sent off by a Tyrannical, and Unrighteous Sentence; No, you quit the Stage as fairly as a Player does that has his Discharge from the Master of the Revels : But I have only gone through three Acts, and not held out to the End of the Fifth. You say well; but in Life three Acts make the Play entire. He that appoints the Entertainment is the best Judge of the length on't; and as he ordered the opening of the first Scene, so now he gives the sign for shutting up the last: You are neither accountable for one or to'ther; Therefore retire in good Humour, for He by whom you are dismiss'd means you no harm.
The End of the Twelve Books of the
Emperour Antoninus.
- ↑ See Book 5. Sect. 8.
- ↑ See Book 7. Sect. 16, 68.
- ↑ See Book 2. Sect. 2.
- ↑ Turning upon your Reason.
- ↑ See Book 2. 14.
- ↑ God.
- ↑ See Book 7. 33. Book 5, 26.
- ↑ See Book 9. 26.
- ↑ See Book 2. Sect. 12. Book 4. 21. Book 7. 29
- ↑ See Book 7 Sect. 63, 64.
- ↑ Your Reason.
- ↑ That is of Mankind in general.
- ↑ God.
- ↑ See Book 4. Sect. 23. Book 5. Sect. 8.
- ↑ The Stoicks believ'd a Humane Fœtus not Animated till the time of Birth. Tertull. de Anim.
- ↑ 'Twas the Opinion of the Platonists and Stoicks, that the Air, and Sky was inhabited by Spirits, suitable to give the respective Regions.
- ↑ Opinion is a Common, but false Notion of Things.
- ↑ See Book 8. Sect. 25.
- ↑ That of Tiberius was such.
- ↑ The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, were Gods in the Opinion of the Stoicks.
- ↑ The Stoicks held the Rational Soul a part of the Deity.
- ↑ By Form, in Rational Creatures, the Emperour seems to mean the Mind, in Animals the Sensitive Soul, in Vegetables, and Inanimate Things the Principle of Union which supports them in their Distinction, and tacks their Being together. Dacier.
- ↑ See Book 9. Sect. 1. Book 10. Sect. 28.
- ↑ The Emperour means the Sensitive or Vital Soul as the Stoicks call'd it.
- ↑ The Epicureans.
- ↑ See Book 11. Sect. 1.
- ↑ The World.