Meditations by Marcus Aurelius | Audiobook with Text

0:04 meditations by Marcus Aurelius read by Mark Cassidy introduction Marcus Aurelius antoninus was born on April 26 ad 121 his real name was M anus verus and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa second king of Rome thus the most religious of Emperors came of the blood of the most I of early Kings his father anus verus had held high office in Rome and his grandfather of the same name had been Thrice Consul both his parents died young but Marcus held them in loving remembrance on his father's death Marcus was adopted

0:49 by his grandfather the Consular anus Veris and there was deep love between these two on the very first page of his book Marcus gratefully declared how of his grandfather he had learned to be gentle and meek and to refrain from all anger and passion the emperor hadrien divined the fine character of the lad whom he used to call not verus but verissimo more truthful than his own name he Advanced Marcus to equestrian rank when six years of age and at the age of eight made him a member of the ancient Salan priesthood the boy's Aunt Ana Galeria Fatina was married to antonina Pious afterwards Emperor hence it came about that antoninus having no son adopted Marcus

1:37 changing his name to that which he is known by and betrothed him to his daughter Fatina his education was conducted with all care the ablest teachers were engaged for him and he was trained in the strict doctrine of the stoic philosophy which was his great Delight he was taught to dress plainly and to live simply to avoid all softness and luxury his body was trained to Hardy Hood by wrestling hunting and outdoor games and though his Constitution was weak he showed great personal courage to encounter the fiercest BS at the same time he was kept from the extravagances of his day the great excitement in Rome was The Strife of the factions as they were called in the circus the racing

2:23 drivers used to adopt one of four colors red blue white or green and their partisans showed an eagerness in supporting them which nothing could surpass Riot and Corruption went in the train of the racing chariots and from all these things Marcus held severely aloof in 140 Marcus was raised to the consulship and in 145 his betral was consummated by marriage two years later FAA brought him a daughter and soon after the tribunate and other Imperial honors were conferred upon him antonus died in 161 and Marcus assumed the Imperial State he had once Associated himself with lcus kodus whom

3:09 antoninus had adopted as a younger son at the same time with Marcus giving him the name of Lucius arelius verus henceforth the two are colleagues in the Empire the junior being trained as it were to succeed no sooner was Marcus settled upon the throne than Wars broke out on all sides in the East Voli sees III of partha began a long meditated Revolt by destroying a whole Roman legion and invading Syria 162 vys was sent off in hot haste to quell this rising and he fulfilled his trust by plunging into drunkenness and debauchery while the war was left to his officers soon after Marcus had to face a more serious danger at home in the

3:56 Coalition of several powerful tribes on the Northern Frontier Chief among those were the Marco mani or Marchman the quadi mentioned in this book the Sans the katti the jazzus in Rome itself there was pestilence and starvation the one brought from the east by varys's Legions the other caused by floods which had destroyed vast quantities of grain after all had been done possible to allay famine and to supply pressing needs Marcus being forced even to sell the Imperial jewels to find money both Emperors set forth to a struggle which was to continue more or less during the rest of Marcus's Reign during these wars in 169 varus died we have no means of following the

4:43 campaigns in detail but this much is certain that in the end the Romans succeeded in crushing the Barbarian tribes and effecting a settlement which made the Empire more secure Marcus was himself commanderin-chief and victory was due no less to his own ability than to his wisdom in choice of lieutenants shown conspicuously in the case of pertina there were several important battles fought in these campaigns and one of them has become celebrated for the legend of the Thundering Legion in a battle against the quadi in 174 the day seemed to be going in favor of the foe when on a sudden arose a great storm of thunder and rain the lightning struck The Barbarians with Terror and they

5:28 turned to route in later days this storm was said to have been sent in answer to the prayers of a legion which contain many Christians and the name thundering Legion should be given to it on this account the title of thundering Legion is known at an earlier date so this part of the story at least cannot be true but the aid of the storm is acknowledged by one of the scenes carved on antonin's column at Rome which commemorates these wars the settlement made after these troubles might have been more satisfactory but for an unexpected rising in the East avidius cassus an able Captain who had won Renown in the parthan wars was at this time chief governor of the Eastern provinces by whatever means induced he had conceived

6:14 the project of proclaiming himself Emperor as soon as Marcus who was then in feeble Health should die and a report having been conveyed to him that Marcus was dead cassus did as he had planned Marcus on hearing the news immediately patched up a piece and returned home to meet this new Peril the emperor's great grief was that he must needs engage in the horrors of civil Strife he praised the qualities of cassus and expressed a heartfelt wish that cassus might not be driven to do himself a hurt before he should have the opportunity to Grant a free pardon but before he could come to the East News had come to casassus that the emperor still lived his followers fell away from him and he was assassinated Marcus now went to the East

7:00 and while there the murderers brought the head of casassus to him but the emperor indignantly refused their gift nor would he admit the men to his presence on this journey his wife FAA died at his return the emperor celebrated a Triumph 176 immediately afterwards he repaired to Germany and took up once more the burden of War his operations were followed by complete success but the Troubles of late years have been too much for his constit stitution at no time robust and on March 17 180 he died in panania the good Emperor was not spared domestic troubles FAA had borne him several children of whom he was passionately fond their innocent faces

7:46 may still be seen in many a sculpture Gallery recalling with odd effect the dreamy countenance of their father but they died one by one and when Marcus came to his own end only one of his sons still lived the weak and worthless Commodus on his father's death Commodus who succeeded him undid the work of many campaigns by a hasty and unwise peace and his reign of 12 Years proved him to be a ferocious and bloodthirsty Tyrant Scandal has made free with the name of Fatina herself who is Accused not only of unfaithfulness but of intriguing with casassus and egging him on to his fatal Rebellion it must be admitted that these charges rest on no sure evidence and the emperor at all events loved her dearly

8:32 nor ever felt the slightest qual of Suspicion as a soldier we have seen that marus was both capable and successful as an administrator he was prudent and conscientious although steeped in the teachings of philosophy he did not attempt to remodel the world on any preconceived plan he trod the path beaten by his predecessors seeking only to do his duty as well as he could and to keep out corruption he did some unwise things things it is true to create a comper and Empire as he did with Varys was a dangerous Innovation which could only succeed if one of the two effaced himself and under Diocesan this very precedent caused the Roman Empire to split into halves he ER in his civil Administration by too much

9:18 centralizing but the strong point of his Reign was the administration of justice Marcus sought bylaws to protect the weak to make the lot of the slaves less hard to stand in place of father to the fatherless charitable foundations were endowed for rearing and educating poor children the provinces were protected against oppression and public help was given to cities or districts which might be visited by Calamity the great blot on his name and one hard indeed to explain is his treatment of the Christians in his Reign just in at Rome became a martyr to his faith and polycarp at smyrner and we know of many outbreaks of aism in the provinces which caused the death of the faithful it is no excuse to

10:05 plead that he knew nothing about the atrocities done in his name it was his duty to know and if he did not he would have been the first to confess that he had failed in his duty but from his own tone in speaking of the Christians it is clear he knew them only from column and we hear of no measures taken even to secure that they should have a fair Hearing in this respect traum was better than he to a thoughtful mind such a religion as that of Rome would give small satisfaction its Legends were often childish or impossible its teaching had little to do with morality the Roman religion was in fact of the nature of a bargain men paid certain sacrifices and rights and the gods granted their favor irrespective of

10:50 right or wrong in this case all devout Souls were thrown back upon philosophy as they had been though to a less extent in Greece there were under the early Empire two rival schools which practically divided the field between them stoicism and epicureanism the ideal set before each was nominally much the same the stoics aspired to apatha the repression of all emotion and the epicureans to ataraxia freedom from all disturbance yet in the upshot the one has become a synonym of stubborn endurance the other for unbridled license with epicurian ISM we have nothing to do now but it will be worthwhile to sketch the history and tenets of the stoic

11:36 sect Zeno the founder of stoicism was born in Cyprus at some date unknown but his life may be said roughly to be between the years 350 and 250 BC Cyprus has been from time IM Memorial a meeting place of the East and West and although we cannot Grant any importance to a possible strain of Phoenician blood in him for the the Phoenicians were no philosophers yet it is quite likely that through Asia Minor he may have come in touch with the Far East he studied under the cynic crates but he did not neglect other philosophical systems after many years study he opened his own School in a colonade in Athens called The Painted porch or stower which gave the stoics their name next to Zeno the school of

12:24 the porch owes most to CPUs 280 to 207 BC who organized stoicism into a system of him it was said but for chopus there had been no porch the St stoics regarded speculation as a means to an end and that end was as Zeno put it to live consistently or as it was later explained to live in Conformity with nature this conforming of the life to Nature was the stoic idea of virtue this dictum might easily be taken to mean that virtue consists in yielding to each natural imp impulse but that was very far from the stoic meaning in order to live in accord with nature it is necessary to know what nature is and to this end a three-fold division of

13:10 philosophy is made into physics dealing with the universe and its laws the problems of divine government and teleology logic which trains the mind to discern true from false and ethics which applies the knowledge thus gained and tested to practical life the stoic system of physics physics was materialism with an infusion of pantheism in contradiction to Plato's view that the ideas or prototypes of phenomena alone really exist the stoics held that material objects alone existed but imminent in the material Universe was a spiritual Force which acted through them manifesting itself under many forms as fire ether Spirit Soul reason the ruling principle the universe then is God of

13:58 whom the popular God gods and manifestations while Legends and myths are allegorical the soul of man is thus an emanation from the godhead into whom it will eventually be reabsorbed the Divine ruling principle makes all things work together for good but for the good of the whole the highest good of man is consciously to work with God for the common good and this is the sense in which the stoic tried to live in accord with nature in the individual it is virtue alone which enables him to do this as Pro evidence rules the universe so virtue in the soul must rule man in Logic the stoic system is noteworthy for their Theory as to the test of Truth the Criterion they compared the newborn soul to a sheet of paper ready for writing

14:45 upon this the senses write their Impressions and by experience of a number of these the soul unconsciously conceives General Notions or anticipations when the impression was such as to be irresistible it was called one that holds fast or as they explained it one proceeding from truth ideas and inferences artificially produced by deduction or the like were tested by this holding perception of the ethical application I have already spoken the highest good was The Virtuous life virtue alone is happiness and vice is unhappiness carrying this Theory to its extreme the stoics said that there could be no gradations between virtue and vice though of course each has its special

15:31 manifestations moreover nothing is good but virtue and nothing but Vice is bad those outside things which are commonly called good or bad such as health and sickness wealth and poverty Pleasure and Pain are to him indifferent all these things are merely the sphere in which virtue may act the ideal wise man is sufficient unto himself in all things and knowing these truths he will be happy even when stretched upon the rack it is probable that no stoic claimed for himself that he was this wise man but that each strove after it as an ideal much as the Christian strives after a likeness to Christ the exaggeration in this statement was however so obvious that the later stoics were driven to make a

16:17 further subdivision of things indifferent into what is preferable and what is undesirable they also held that for him who had not attained to the perfect wisdom certain actions were proper these were neither virtuous nor vicious but like the indifferent things held a middle place two points in the stoic system deserve special mention one is a careful distinction between things which are in our power and things which are not desire and dislike opinion and affection are within the power of the will whereas health wealth honor and other such are generally not so the stoic was called upon to control his desires and affections and to guide his opinion to bring his whole being under the sway of

17:02 the will or leading principle just as the universe is guided and governed by Divine Providence this is a special application of the favorite Greek virtue of moderation and has also its parallel in Christian ethics the second point is a strong insistence on the unity of the universe and on man's Duty as part of a great whole public Spirit was the most Splendid political virtue of the ancient world and it is here made Cosmopolitan it is again instructive to note that Christian sages insisted on the same thing Christians are taught that they are members of a worldwide Brotherhood where is neither Greek nor Hebrew Bond nor free and that they live their lives as fellow workers with God such is the system which underlies

17:50 the meditations of Marcus Aurelius some knowledge of it is necessary to the right understanding of the book but for us the chief interest lies elsewhere where we do not come to Marcus aelius for a treaties on stoicism he is no head of a school to lay down a body of Doctrine for students he does not even contemplate that others should read what he writes his philosophy is not an eager intellectual inquiry but more what we should call religious feeling the uncompromising stiffness of Zeno or cipus is softened and transformed by passing through a nature reverent and tolerant gentle and free from guile the Grim res which made life possible to the stoic Sage becomes in him almost a mood of aspiration his book records the

18:37 innermost thoughts of his heart set down to ease it with such moral maxims and Reflections as may help him to Bear the burden of Duty and the countless annoyances of a busy life it is instructive to compare the meditations with another famous book The imitation of Christ there is the same ideal of self-control in both it should be a man's task says the imitation to overcome himself and every day to be stronger than himself in withstanding of the passions standeth very peace of heart let us set the axe to the root that we being purged of our passions may have a Peaceable mind to this end there must be continual self-examination if thou may not

19:22 continually gather thyself together namely sometimes do it at least once a day the morning or the evening in the morning purpose in the evening discuss the manner what thou Hast been this day in word work and thought but while the Roman's temper is a modest self-reliance the Christian aims at a more passive mood humbleness and meekness and Reliance on the presence and personal friendship of God the Roman scrutinizes his faults with severity but without the self-contempt which makes the Christian vile in his own sight the Christian like the Roman bids study to withdraw thine heart from the love of things visible but it is not the busy life of Duty he has in mind so

20:08 much as the contempt of all worldly things and The Cutting away of all lower delectations both rate men's praise or blame at their real worthlessness let not thy peace says the Christian be in the mouths of men but it is to God's censure the Christian appeals the to his own soul the petty annoyances of Injustice or unkindness are looked on by each with the same magnanimity why doth a little thing said or done against thee make thee sorry it is no new thing it is not the first nor shall it be the last if thou live long at best suffer patiently if thou can not suffer joyously the Christian should sorrow more for other men's malice than

20:55 for our own wrongs but the Roman is inclined to wash his hands of the offender study to be patient in suffering and bearing other men's defaults and all manner infirmities says the Christian but the Roman would never have thought to add if all men were perfect what have we then to suffer of other men for God the virtue of suffering in itself is an idea which does not meet us in the meditations both alike realize that man is one of a great community no man is sufficient to himself says the Christian we must bear together help together Comfort together but while he sees a chief importance in Zeal in exalted emotion that is and avoidance of lukewarmness the Roman thought mainly of the duty to be done as

21:41 well as might be and less of the feeling which should go with the doing of it to the Saint as to the emperor the world is a poor thing at best verily it is a misery to live upon the Earth says the Christian few and evil are the days of man's life which passeth away suddenly as a shadow but there is one great difference between the two books we are considering the imitation is addressed to others the meditations by the writer to himself we learn nothing from the imitation of the author's own life except in so far as he may be assumed to have practiced his own preachings the meditations reflect Mood by mood the mind of him who wrote them in their intimacy and frankness lies their great charm these notes are not

22:27 sermons they're not even confessions there is always an air of self-consciousness in confessions in such Revelations there is always a danger of unctuousness or a vulgarity for the best of men St Augustine is not always clear of offense and John bunan himself exaggerates venial padillos into heena sins but Marcus celius is neither vulgar nor unctuous he extenuates nothing but nothing sets down in Malice he never poses before an audience he may not be profan he is always sincere and it is a lofty and Serene Soul which is here disclosed before us vulgar vices seem to have no temptation for him this is not one tied and bound with chains which he strives

23:12 to break the faults he detects in himself are often such as most men would have no eyes to see to serve the Divine Spirit which is implanted within him a man must 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 or as he says elsewhere unspotted by Pleasure undaunted by pain unwavering courtesy and consideration are his aims whatsoever any man either doth or saith thou must be good doth any man offend it is against himself that he doth offend why should it trouble Thee the offender needs pity not wrath though

23:58 those who must needs be corrected should be treated with tact and gentleness and one must be always ready to learn better the best kind of Revenge is not to become like unto them there are so many hints of offense forgiven that we may believe the notes followed sharp on the facts perhaps he has fallen short of his aim and thus seeks to call his principles to mind and to strengthen himself for the future that these sayings Are Not Mere talk is plain from the story of aidus cassus who would have usurped his Imperial Throne thus the emperor Faithfully carries out his own principle that evil must be overcome with good for each fault in others nature says he has

24:43 given us a counteracting virtue as for example against the unthankful it hath given goodness and meekness as an antidote one so gentle towards a foe was sure to be a good friend and indeed his pages are full of generous gratitude to those who had served him in his first book he sets down to account all the debts due to his kins folk and teachers to his grandfather he owed his own Gentle Spirit to his father shamefastness and courage he learned of his mother to be religious and bountiful and single-minded rusticus did not work in vain if he showed his pupil that his life needed amending appolloni taught him Simplicity reasonableness gratitude a love of true Liber Liberty so the list

25:29 runs on everyone he had dealings with seems to have given him something good a sure proof of the goodness of his nature which thought no evil if his was that honest and True Heart which is the Christian ideal this is the more wonderful in that he lacked the faith which makes Christians strong he could say it is true either there is a God and then all is well or if all things go by chance and Fortune yet mayest thou use thine own Providence in those things that concern thee properly and then art thou well or again we must needs grant that there is a nature that doth govern the universe but his own part in the scheme of things is so small that he does not hope for any personal happiness beyond what a Serene soul may

26:15 win in this Mortal life oh my soul the time I trust will be when thou shalt be good simple more open and visible Than That Body by which it is enclosed but this is said of the car contentment with human lot which he hopes to attain not of a time when the tramel of the body shall be cast off for the rest the world in its Fame and wealth all is Vanity the gods May perhaps have a particular care for him but they ESP Special Care is for the Universe At Large this much should suffice his gods are better than the stoic Gods who sit aloof from all human things untroubled and uncaring but his personal hope is hardly stronger on the this point he says little though there

27:00 are many Illusions to death as The Natural end doubtless he expected his soul one day to be absorbed into the Universal Soul since nothing comes out of nothing and nothing can be annihilated his mood is one of strenuous weariness he does his duty as a good soldier waiting for the sound of the trumpet which shall sound The Retreat he is not that cheerful confidence which led Socrates through a life no less noble to a death which was to bring him into the company of gods he had worshiped and Men whom he had revered but although Marcus Aurelius may have held intellectually that his soul was destined to be absorbed and to lose consciousness of itself there were times when he felt as all who hold it must

27:45 sometimes feel how unsatisfying is such a Creed then he gropes blindly after something less empty in vain thou Hast taken ship he says Thou Hast sailed Thou Art come to land go out if to another life there also shalt thou find Gods who are everywhere there is more in this than the Assumption of a rival theory for argument sake if worldly things be but as a dream the thought is not far off that there may be an Awakening to what is real when he speaks of death as a necessary change and points out that nothing useful and profitable can be brought about without change did he perhaps think of the change change in a corn of wheat which is not quickened

28:30 except it die Nature's marvelous power of recreating out of corruption is surely not confined to bodily things many of his thoughts sound like far off Echoes of St Paul and it is strange indeed that this most Christian of Emperors has nothing good to say of the Christians to him they are only sectaries violently and passionately set upon opposition profound as philosophy these meditations certainly are not not but Marcus Aurelius was too sincere not to see the essence of such things as came within his experience ancient religions were for the most part concerned with outward things do the necessary rights and you propitiate the gods and these rights were often trivial sometimes

29:15 violated right feeling or even morality even when the gods stood on the side of righteousness they were concerned with the act more than with the intent but Marcus Aurelius knows that what the heart is full of the man will do such as thy thoughts and ordinary cogitations are he says such will thy mind be in time and every page of the book shows us that he knew thought was sure to issue in act he drills his soul as it were in right principles that when the time comes it may be guided by them to wait until the emergency is to be too late he sees also the true essence of Happiness if happiness did consist in pleasure how came notorious robbers

30:02 impure abominable livers parasites and tyrants in so large a measure to have their part of Pleasures he who had all the world's Pleasures at command can write thus a happy lot and portion is good inclinations of the Soul good desires good actions by the irony of Fate this man so gentle and good so desirous of quiet Joys and a mind free from care was set at the head of the Roman Empire when great dangers threatened from east and west for several years he himself commanded his armies in Chief en Camp before the quar he dates the first book of his meditations and shows how he could retire within himself amid the coarse clanger of arms the pomps and

30:47 glories which he despised were all his what to most men is an ambition or a dream to him was a round of weary tasks which nothing but the stern sense of Duty could carry him through and he did his work well his wars were slow and tedious but successful with a statesman's wisdom he foresaw the danger to Ram of the Barbarian hordes from the north and took measures to meet it as it was his settlement gave two centuries of respite to the Roman Empire had he fulfilled the plan of pushing the Imperial Frontiers to the Elba which seems to have been in his mind much more might have been accomplished but death cut short his designs truly a rare opportunity was

31:32 given to Marcus Aurelius of showing what the mind can do in despite of circumstances most peaceful of Warriors magnificent Monarch whose ideal was quiet happiness in home life bent to obscurity yet born to Greatness the loving father of children who died young or turned out hateful his life was one Paradox that nothing might lack it was in Camp before the face of the enemy that he passed away way and went to his own place the following is a list of the chief English translations of Marcus aelius one by Merrick kobon 1634 two Jeremy klier 1701 three James Thompson

32:17 1747 four R Graves 1792 five H mccormac 1844 six George long 1862 7 GH renle 1898 and 8 J Jackson 1906 renan's marel in his history of the origins of Christianity which appeared in 1882 is the most vital and original book to be had relating to the time of Marcus Aurelius pus Marius the epicurian forms another outside commentary which is of service in the imaginative attempt to create again the

33:04 period the first book one of my grandfather varus I have learned to be gentle and meek and to refrain from all anger and passion from the fame and memory of him that begot me I have learned both shamefastness and manlike behavior of my mother I have learned to be religious and bountiful and to forbear not only to do but to intend any evil to contemp myself with a spare diet and to fly all such success as is incidental to great wealth of my great-grandfather both to frequent public schools and auditories and to get me good and able teachers at home and that I ought not to think much if upon

33:51 such occasions I were at excessive charges two of him that brought me up not to be fondly addicted to either of the two great factions of the courses in the circus called prasini and benetti nor in the amphitheater partially to favor any of the Gladiators or fencers as either the palari or the secut Tores moreover to endure labor nor to need many things when I have anything to do to do it myself rather than by others not to meddle with many business businesses and not easily to admit of any slander three of diogenous not to busy myself

34:37 about vain things and not easily to believe those things which are commonly spoken by suches take upon them to work wonders and by Sorcerers or prestigitator77 game nor to be mad after such things not to be offended with other men's Liberty of speech and to apply myself unto philosophy him also I must thank that ever I heard first bakus then tasis and marcianas and that I did write dialogues in my youth and that I took liking to the philosophers little couch and skins and such other things which by the

35:22 Grecian discipline are proper to those who profess philosophy four to rusticus I am beholding that I first entered into the conceit that my life wanted some redress and cure and then that I did not fall into the ambition of ordinary sophists either to write tracts concerning the common theorems or to exalt men unto virtue and the study of philosophy by public orations as also that I never by way of ostentation did affect to show myself an active able man for any kind of bodily exercises and that I gave over the study of rhetoric and poetry and of elegant neat language that I did not use to walk

36:09 about the house in my long robe nor to do any such things moreover I learned of him to write letters without any affectation or curiosity such as that was which by him was written to my mother from sinuessa and to be easy and ready to be reconciled and well well pleased again with them that had offended me as soon as any of them would be content to seek unto me again to read with diligence not to rest satisfied with a light and superficial knowledge nor quickly to Ascent to things commonly spoken of whom also I must think that ever I lighted upon Epictetus his hyom nemata or moral commentaries and common factions which also he gave me of his

36:54 own five from from abalonus True Liberty and unvaried steadfastness and not to regard anything at all though never so little but right and reason and always whether in the sharpest pains or after the loss of a child or in Long diseases to be still the same man who also was a present and visible example unto me that it was possible for the same man to be both vehement and remiss a man not subject to be vexed and offended with the incapacity of his Scholars and auditors in his lectures and expositions and a true pattern of a man who of all his good gifts and faculties least esteemed in himself that his excellent skill and ability to teach and persuade others the

37:40 common theorems and maxims of the stoic philosophy of him also I learned how to receive favors and kindnesses as commonly they are accounted from friends so that I might not become obnoxious unto them for them nor more yielding Upon a occasion than in right I ought and yet so that I should not pass them neither as an unsensible and unthankful man six of sexus mildness and the pattern of a family governed with paternal affection and a purpose to live according to Nature to be grave without affectation to observe carefully the several dispositions of my friends not to be offended with idiots nor unseasonably to set upon those that are

38:27 carried with the vulgar opinions with the theorems and tenets of philosophers his conversation being an example how a man might accommodate himself to all men and companies so that though his company was sweeter and more pleasing than any flatterers cogging and faing yet was it at the same time most respected and reverenced who also had a proper happiness and faculty rationally and methodically to find out and set in order all necessary determinations and instructions for a man's life a man without ever the least appearance of anger or any other passion able at the same time most exactly to observe the stoic apathia or a passionateness and yet to be most tenderhearted ever of

39:14 good credit and yet almost without any noise or rumor very learned and yet making little show seven from Alexander the Garian to be unreprovable myself and not reproachfully to reprehend any man for a barbarism or a solic ISM or any false pronunciation but dexterously by way of answer or testimony or confirmation of the same matter taking no notice of the word to utter it as it should have been spoken or by some other such close and indirect admonition handsomely and civy to tell him of it eight of fronto to how much envy and fraud and

40:02 hypocrisy the state of a tyrannous King is subject unto and how they who are commonly called aerds I.E nobly born are in some sort incapable or void of natural affection nine of Alexander the platonic not often nor without great necessity to say or to write to any man in a letter I am not at leisure nor in this manner still to put off those duties which we owe to our friends and acquaintances to everyone in his kind under pretense of urgent Affairs 10 of catulus not to contem any friend's expostulation though unjust but to

40:47 strive to reduce him to his former disposition freely and heartily to speak well of all my masters upon any occasion as it is reported of domitius and Athen aotus and to love my children with true affection 11 from my brother seus to be kind and loving to all them of my house and family by whom also I came to the knowledge of Thia and helvidius and Kato and Dio and Brutus he it was also that did put me in the first conceit and desire of an equal Commonwealth administered by Justice and equality and of a kingdom wherein should be regarded nothing more than the good and Welfare of the subjects of him also to observe a

41:33 constant tenor not interrupted with any other cares and distractions in the study and esteem of philosophy to be bountiful and liberal in the largest measure always to hope the best and to be confident that my friends love me in whom I moreover observed open dealing towards Those whom he reproved at any time and that his friends might without all doubt or much observation know what he would or would not so open and plain was he 12 from cloudious maximus in all things to Endeavor to have power of myself and in nothing to be carried about to be cheerful and courageous in all sudden chances and accidents as in sicknesses to love mildness and moderation and

42:19 gravity and to do my business whatsoever it be thoroughly and without querulousness whatsoever he said all men believed him that as he spake so he thought and whatsoever he did that he did it with a good intent his manner was never to wonder at anything never to be in haste and yet never slow nor to be perplexed or dejected or at any time unseemly or excessively to laugh nor to be angry or suspicious but ever ready to do good and to forgive and to speak truth and all this as one that seemed rather of himself to have been straightened right than ever to have been rectified or addressed neither was there any man that ever thought himself undervalued by him or that could find in

43:06 his heart to think himself a better man than he he would also be very pleasant and gracious 13 in my father I observed his meekness his constancy without wavering in those things which after a due examination and deliberation he had determined how free from all vanity he carried himself in matter of honor and dignity as they are esteemed his laboriousness and assiduity his Readiness to hear any man that had ought to say tending to any common good how generally and impartially he would give every man his due his skill and knowledge when rigor or extremity or when remissness or moderation was in season how he did abstain from all

43:52 unchaste love of youths his moderate condescending to other men's occasions as an ordinary man neither absolutely requiring of his friends that they should wait upon him at his ordinary meals nor that they should of necessity accompany him in his journeys and that whensoever any business upon some necessary occasions was to be put off and omitted before it could be ended he was ever found when he went about it again the same man that he was before his accurate examination of things in consultations and patient hearing of others he would not hastily give over the search of the matter as one easy to be satisfied with sudden Notions and apprehensions his care to preserve his

44:38 friends how neither at any time he would carry himself towards them with disdainful neglect and grow weary of them nor yet at any time be madly fond of them his contented mind in all things his cheerful countenance his care to foresee things a far off and to take order for the least without any noise or clamor moreover how all acclamations and flattery were repressed by him how carefully he observed all things necessary to the government and kept an account of the common expenses and how patiently he did abide that he was reprehended by some for this his strict and rigid kind of dealing how he was neither a superstitious worshipper of the Gods nor an ambitious pleaser of men

45:24 or studious of popular Applause but sober in all things and everywhere observant of that which was fitting no aeor of Novelties in those things which conduced to his ease and convenience plenty whereof his fortune did afford him without pride and bragging yet with all freedom and liberty so that as he did freely enjoy them without any anxiety or affectation when they were present so when absent he found no want of them moreover that he was never commended by any man as either a learned acute man or an obsequious officious man or a fine oror but as a ripe mature man a perfect sound man one that could not endure to be flattered able to govern both himself and others moreover how

46:12 much he did honor all true philosophers without upbring those that were not so his sociableness his gracious and delightful conversation but never unto satiety his care of his body within bounds and measure not as one that desired to live long or over studious of neatness and elegancy and yet not as one that did not regard it so that through his own care and Providence he seldom needed any inward physic or outward applications but especially how ingeniously he would yield to any that had obtained any peculiar faculty as either eloquence or the knowledge of the laws or of ancient Customs or the like and how he concurred with them in his best care and endeavor that every one of

46:57 them might in His Kind for that wherein he excelled be regarded and esteemed and although he did all things carefully after the ancient customs of his forefathers yet even of this was he not desirous that men should take notice that he did imitate ancient Customs again how he was not easily moved and tossed up and down but loved to be constant both in the same places and businesses and how after his great fits of headache he would return fresh and vigorous to his wanted Affairs again that Secrets he neither had many nor often and such only as concerned public matters his discretion and moderation in exhibiting of the public sites and shows for the pleasure and pastime of the people in public

47:43 buildings conju and the like in all these things having a respect unto men only as men and to the equity of the things themselves and not unto the glory that might follow never won't to use the BS that are unseasonable hours no builder ever curious or solicitous either about his meat or about the workmanship or color of his clothes or about anything that belonged to external beauty in all his conversation far from all inhumanity all boldness and incivility all greediness and impetuosity never doing anything with such earnestness and intention that a man could say of him that he did sweat about it but contrarywise all things distinctly as at leisure without without trouble orderly soundly and agreeably a

48:30 man might have applied that to him which is recorded of Socrates that he knew how to want and to enjoy those things in the want whereof most men show themselves weak and in the fruition intemperate but to hold out firm and constant and to keep within the compass of true moderation and sobriety in either estate is proper to a man who has a perfect and Invincible Soul such as he showed himself in the sickness of of Maximus 14 from the gods I received that I had good grandfathers and parents a good sister good Masters good domestics loving Kinsmen almost all that I have and that I never through haste and rashness transgressed against any of them notwithstanding that my disposition

49:16 was such as that such a thing if occasion had been might very well have been committed by me but that it was the mercy of the Gods to prevent such a concurring of matters and occasions as might make me to incur this blame that I was not long brought up by the concubine of my father that I preserved the flower of my youth that I took not upon me to be a man before my time but rather put it off longer than I needed that I lived under the government of my Lord and father who would take away from me all pride of vain glory and reduce me to that conceit and opinion that it was not impossible for a prince to live in the court without a troop of guards and followers extraordinary apparel such and such torches and statues and other like particulars of

50:03 state and magnificence but that a man May reduce and contract himself almost to the state of a private man and yet for all that not to become the more base and remiss in those public matters and Affairs wherein power and authority is requisite that I have had such a brother who by his own example might stir me up to think of myself and by his respect and love delight and please me that I have got ingenuous children and that they were not born distorted nor with any other natural deformity that I was no great proficient in the study of rhetoric and poetry and of other faculties which per chance I might have dwelt upon if I had found myself to go on in them with success that I did by

50:49 times prefer those by whom I was brought up to such places and dignities which they seemed unto me most to desire and that I did not put them off with hope and expectation that since that they were yet but young I would do the same Hereafter that I ever knew appollonia and rusticus and Maximus that I have had occasion often and effectually to consider and meditate with myself concerning that life which is according to Nature what the nature and manner of it is so that as for the gods and such suggestions helps and Inspirations as might be expected from them nothing did hinder but that I might have begun long before to live according to Nature or that even now that I was not yet partaker and in possession of that life

51:37 that I myself in that I did not observe those inward motions and suggestions yay and almost plain and apparent instructions and admonitions of the Gods was the only cause of it that my body in such a life hath been able to hold out so long that I never had to do with benedictor and the otus yay and afterwards when I fell into some fits of love I was soon cured that having been often displeased with rusticus I never did him anything for which afterwards I had occasion to repent that it being so that my mother was to die young yet she lived with me all her latter years that as often as I had a purpose to help and sucker any that either were poor or fallen into some present necessity I

52:22 never was answered by my officers that there was not ready money enough to do it and that I myself never had occasion to require the like Sucker from any other that I have such a wife so obedient so loving so ingenuous that I had choice of fit and able men to whom I might commit the bringing up of my children that by dreams I have received help as for other things so in particular how I might stay my casting of blood and cure my dizziness as that also that happened to thee in car as unto Crees when he prayed by the seashore and when I did first apply myself to philosophy that I did not fall into the hands of some sophists or spent my time either in reading the manifold

53:08 volumes of ordinary philosophers nor in practicing myself in the solution of arguments and fallacies nor dwelt upon the studies of the meteors and other natural Curiosities all these things without the assistance of the Gods and Fortune could not have been 15 in the country of the quadi at granua these be times in the morning say to thyself this day I shalt have to do with an idle curious man with an unthankful man a a crafty false or an envious man an unsociable uncharitable man all these ill qualities have happened unto them through ignorance of that which is truly good and truly bad but I that understand the nature of that

53:55 which is good that it only is to be desired and of that which is bad that it only is truly odious and shameful who know more over that this transgressor whosoever he be is My Kinsman not by the same blood and Seed but by participation of the same reason and of the same Divine particle how can I either be hurt by any of those since it is not in their power to make me incur anything that is truly reproachful or angry and Ill affected towards him who by nature is so near unto me for we are all born to be fellow workers as the feet the hands and the eyelids as the rose of the upper and under teeth for such therefore to be in opposition is against nature and what is

54:41 it to chafe at and to be averse from but to be in opposition 16 whatsoever I am is either flesh or life or that which we commonly call the mistress and overruling part of man reason away with thy books suffer not thy mind anymore to be distracted and carried to and fro for it will not be but as even now ready to die think little of thy Flesh Blood bones and a skin a pretty piece of knit and twisted work consisting of nerves veins and arteries think no more of it than so and as for thy life consider what it is a wind not one constant wind neither but every moment of an hour let out and

55:26 sucked in again the third is thy ruling part and here consider Thou Art an old man suffer not that excellent part to be brought in subjection and to become slavish suffer it not to be drawn up and down with unreasonable and unsociable lusts and motions as it were with wires and nerves suffer it not anymore either to repine at anything now present or to fear and fly anything to come which the destiny hath appointed thee 17 whatsoever proceeds from the gods immediately that any man will grant totally depends from their Divine Providence as for those things that are commonly said to happen by Fortune even those must be conceived to have

56:11 dependence from nature or from that first and general connection and concatenation of all those things which more apparently by the Divine Providence are administered and brought to pass all things flow from then and what whatsoever it is that is is both necessary and conducing to the whole part of which Thou Art and whatsoever it is that is requisite and necessary for the preservation of the general must of necessity for every particular nature be good and beh hopeful and as for the whole it is preserved as by the Perpetual mutation and conversion of the simple elements one into the other so also by the mutation and alteration of things mixed and compounded let these

56:57 things suffice theee let them be always unto thee as thy general rules and precepts as for thy thirst after books away with it with all speed that thou die not murmuring and complaining but truly Meek and well satisfied and from thy heart thankful unto the gods the second book one remember how how long thou Hast already put off these things and how often a certain day and hour as it were having been set unto thee by the gods thou Hast neglected it it is high time for thee to understand the true nature both of the world whereof thou art a part and of that Lord and governor of

57:44 the world from whom as a channel from the spring thou thyself D flow and that there is but a certain limit of time appointed unto thee which if Thou shalt not make use of to calm and under lay the many distempers of thy Soul it will pass away and thou with it and never after return two Let It Be Thy Earnest and incessant care as a Roman and a man to perform whatsoever it is that thou art about with true and unfeigned gravity natural affection freedom and Justice and as for all other cares and imaginations how thou mayest ease thy mind of them which thou th shalt do if Thou shalt go about every action as thy Last Action free

58:30 from all vanity all passionate and willful aberration from reason and from all hypocrisy and self-love and dislike of those things which by the fates or appointment of God have happened unto thee thou seest that those things which for a man to hold on in a prosperous course and to live a Divine Life are requisite and necessary are not many for the gods will require no more of any man that shall but keep and observe these things three do Soul do abuse and contemn thyself yet a while and the time for thee to respect thyself will be at an end Every Man's happiness depends from himself but Behold thy life is almost at

59:16 an end whils affording thyself no respect thou dust make thy happiness to consist in the souls and conceits of other men four why should any of these things that happen externally so much distract thee give thyself Leisure to learn some good thing and cease rovering and wandering to and fro thou must also take heed of another kind of wandering for they are idle in their actions who toil and labor in this life and have no certain scope to which to direct all their motions and desires five for not observing the state of another man's Soul scarce was ever any man known to be unhappy tell whosoever

1:00:01 they be that intend not and guide not by reason and discretion the Motions of their own Souls they must of necessity be unhappy six these things thou must always have in mind what is the nature of the universe and what is mine in particular this unto that what relation it hath what kind of part of what kind of Universe it is and that there is nobody that can hinder thee but that thou mayest always both do and speak those things which are agreeable to that nature whereof Thou Art aart seven theopus where he Compares sin with sin as after a vulgar sense such things I grant may be compared says well and

1:00:49 like a philosopher that those sins are greater which are committed through lust than those which are committed through anger for he that is angry seems with a kind of 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 beray a more impotent and un manlike 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

1:01:37 action eight whatsoever thou Dost effect whatsoever thou Dost project so do and so project all as one who for all 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

1:02:23 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 hurl and Prejudice a man's life in this world which cannot anyways 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 yet is 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

1:03:10 promiscuously to happen unto all both good and bad as for life therefore and death honor and dishonor labor and pleasure riches and poverty all these things happen unto men indeed both good and bad equally but as things which of them eles are neither good nor bad because of themselves neither shameful nor praiseworthy nine 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 in snare by Pleasure or for their irksomeness are Dreadful or for their outward luster and

1:03:57 show are in great esteem and request how vile and contemptible how base and corruptable how destitute of all true life and being they are 10 it is the part of a man endowed with a good understanding faculty to consider what they themselves are in very Deed from those whose be conceits and voices honor and credit to 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

1:04:43 a very child now death it is not only a work of nature but also conducing to Nature 11 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

1:05:30 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 proceed 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

1:06:16 also 12 if thou should live 3,000 or as many as 10 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 passed 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

1:07:01 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 100 or 200 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

1:07:46 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 13 remember that all is but opinion and conceit for those things are plain and apparent which was spoken unto monus 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 14 a man's Soul doth wrong and

1:08:32 disrespect itself first and especially when as much as in itself lies it becomes an ostomy and as it were an excen of the world for to be grieved and displeased with anything that happens in the world is direct apostasy 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

1:09:20 affect or Endeavor 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 15 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

1:10:05 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 thing philosophy and philosophy doth consist in this for a man to preserve that Spirit which is within him from all manner of contes and injuries and above all pains or Pleasures never to do anything either rashly or feignedly or hypocritically holy to depend from himself and his own proper actions all things that happen unto him to embrace

1:10:50 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 nothing that is according to Nature can be evil whilst I was at carum the third

1:11:36 book one a man must not only consider how daily his life wasteth and decreases but this also that if he live long he cannot be certain whether his understanding shall continue so able and sufficient for either discret consideration in matter of businesses or for contemplation it being the thing where on true knowledge of things both Divine and human doth depend for if once he shall begin to dote his respiration nutrition his imaginative and appetitive and other natural faculties may still continue the same he shall find no want of them but how to make that right use of himself that he should how to observe exactly in

1:12:22 all things that which is right and just how to redress and rectify all wrong or sudden apprehensions and imaginations and even of this particular whether he should live any longer or no to consider duly for all such things

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