BookTwelve
Allthosethingsatwhichthouwishesttoarrivebyacircuitousroad,thoucansthavenow,ifthoudostnotrefusethemtothyself.Andthismeans,ifthouwilttakenonoticeofallthepast,andtrustthefuturetoprovidence,anddirectthepresentonlyconformablytopietyandjustice.Conformablytopiety,thatthoumayestbecontentwiththelotwhichisassignedtothee,fornaturedesigneditfortheeandtheeforit.Conformablytojustice,thatthoumayestalwaysspeakthetruthfreelyandwithoutdisguise,anddothethingswhichareagreeabletolawandaccordingtotheworthofeach.Andletneitheranotherman-swickednesshinderthee,noropinionnorvoice,noryetthesensationsofthepoorfleshwhichhasgrownaboutthee;forthepassivepartwilllooktothis.Ifthen,whateverthetimemaybewhenthoushaltbeneartothydeparture,neglectingeverythingelsethoushaltrespectonlythyrulingfacultyandthedivinitywithinthee,andifthoushaltbeafraidnotbecausethoumustsometimeceasetolive,butifthoushaltfearnevertohavebeguntoliveaccordingtonature-thenthouwiltbeamanworthyoftheuniversewhichhasproducedthee,andthouwiltceasetobeastrangerinthynativeland,andtowonderatthingswhichhappendailyasiftheyweresomethingunexpected,andtobedependentonthisorthat.
Godseestheminds(rulingprinciples)ofallmenbaredofthematerialvestureandrindandimpurities.Forwithhisintellectualpartalonehetouchestheintelligenceonlywhichhasflowedandbeenderivedfromhimselfintothesebodies.Andifthoualsousestthyselftodothis,thouwiltridthyselfofthymuchtrouble.Forhewhoregardsnotthepoorfleshwhichenvelopshim,surelywillnottroublehimselfbylookingafterraimentanddwellingandfameandsuchlikeexternalsandshow.
Thethingsarethreeofwhichthouartcomposed,alittlebody,alittlebreath(life),intelligence.Ofthesethefirsttwoarethine,sofarasitisthydutytotakecareofthem;butthethirdaloneisproperlythine.Thereforeifthoushaltseparatefromthyself,thatis,fromthyunderstanding,whateverothersdoorsay,andwhateverthouhastdoneorsaidthyself,andwhateverfuturethingstroubletheebecausetheymayhappen,andwhateverinthebodywhichenvelopstheeorinthebreath(life),whichisbynatureassociatedwiththebody,isattachedtotheeindependentofthywill,andwhatevertheexternalcircumfluentvortexwhirlsround,sothattheintellectualpowerexemptfromthethingsoffatecanlivepureandfreebyitself,doingwhatisjustandacceptingwhathappensandsayingthetruth:ifthouwiltseparate,Isay,fromthisrulingfacultythethingswhichareattachedtoitbytheimpressionsofsense,andthethingsoftimetocomeandoftimethatispast,andwiltmakethyselflikeEmpedocles-sphere,
Allround,andinitsjoyousrestreposing;andifthoushaltstrivetoliveonlywhatisreallythylife,thatis,thepresent-thenthouwiltbeabletopassthatportionoflifewhichremainsfortheeuptothetimeofthydeath,freefromperturbations,nobly,andobedienttothyowndaemon(tothegodthatiswithinthee).
Ihaveoftenwonderedhowitisthateverymanloveshimselfmorethanalltherestofmen,butyetsetslessvalueonhisownopinionofhimselfthanontheopinionofothers.Ifthenagodorawiseteachershouldpresenthimselftoamanandbidhimtothinkofnothingandtodesignnothingwhichhewouldnotexpressassoonasheconceivedit,hecouldnotendureitevenforasingleday.Somuchmorerespecthavewetowhatourneighboursshallthinkofusthantowhatweshallthinkofourselves.
Howcanitbethatthegodsafterhavingarrangedallthingswellandbenevolentlyformankind,haveoverlookedthisalone,thatsomemenandverygoodmen,andmenwho,aswemaysay,havehadmostcommunionwiththedivinity,andthroughpiousactsandreligiousobservanceshavebeenmostintimatewiththedivinity,whentheyhaveoncediedshouldneverexistagain,butshouldbecompletelyextinguished?
Butifthisisso,beassuredthatifitoughttohavebeenotherwise,thegodswouldhavedoneit.Forifitwerejust,itwouldalsobepossible;andifitwereaccordingtonature,naturewouldhavehaditso.Butbecauseitisnotso,ifinfactitisnotso,bethouconvincedthatitoughtnottohavebeenso:-forthouseestevenofthyselfthatinthisinquirythouartdisputingwiththediety;andweshouldnotthusdisputewiththegods,unlesstheyweremostexcellentandmostjust;-butifthisisso,theywouldnothaveallowedanythingintheorderingoftheuniversetobeneglectedunjustlyandirrationally.
Practisethyselfeveninthethingswhichthoudespairestofaccomplishing.Foreventhelefthand,whichisineffectualforallotherthingsforwantofpractice,holdsthebridlemorevigorouslythantherighthand;forithasbeenpractisedinthis.
Considerinwhatconditionbothinbodyandsoulamanshouldbewhenheisovertakenbydeath;andconsidertheshortnessoflife,theboundlessabyssoftimepastandfuture,thefeeblenessofallmatter.
Contemplatetheformativeprinciples(forms)ofthingsbareoftheircoverings;thepurposesofactions;considerwhatpainis,whatpleasureis,anddeath,andfame;whoistohimselfthecauseofhisuneasiness;hownomanishinderedbyanother;thateverythingisopinion.
Intheapplicationofthyprinciplesthoumustbelikethepancratiast,notlikethegladiator;forthegladiatorletsfalltheswordwhichheusesandiskilled;buttheotheralwayshashishand,andneedstodonothingelsethanuseit.
Seewhatthingsareinthemselves,dividingthemintomatter,formandpurpose.
WhatapowermanhastodonothingexceptwhatGodwillapprove,andtoacceptallthatGodmaygivehim.
Withrespecttothatwhichhappensconformablytonature,weoughttoblameneithergods,fortheydonothingwrongeithervoluntarilyorinvoluntarily,normen,fortheydonothingwrongexceptinvoluntarily.Consequentlyweshouldblamenobody.
Howridiculousandwhatastrangerheiswhoissurprisedatanythingwhichhappensinlife.
Eitherthereisafatalnecessityandinvincibleorder,orakindProvidence,oraconfusionwithoutapurposeandwithoutadirector(BookIV).Ifthenthereisaninvinciblenecessity,whydostthouresist?ButifthereisaProvidencewhichallowsitselftobepropitiated,makethyselfworthyofthehelpofthedivinity.Butifthereisaconfusionwithoutgovernor,becontentthatinsuchatempestthouhastinthyselfacertainrulingintelligence.Andevenifthetempestcarrytheeaway,letitcarryawaythepoorflesh,thepoorbreath,everythingelse;fortheintelligenceatleastitwillnotcarryaway.
Doesthelightofthelampshinewithoutlosingitssplendouruntilitisextinguished;andshallthetruthwhichisintheeandjusticeandtemperancebeextinguishedbeforethydeath?
Whenamanhaspresentedtheappearanceofhavingdonewrong,say,HowthendoIknowifthisisawrongfulact?Andevenifhehasdonewrong,howdoIknowthathehasnotcondemnedhimself?andsothisisliketearinghisownface.Considerthathe,whowouldnothavethebadmandowrong,islikethemanwhowouldnothavethefig-treetobearjuiceinthefigsandinfantstocryandthehorsetoneigh,andwhateverelsemustofnecessitybe.Forwhatmustamandowhohassuchacharacter?Ifthenthouartirritable,curethisman-sdisposition.
Ifitisnotright,donotdoit:ifitisnottrue,donotsayit.Forletthyeffortsbe-
Ineverythingalwaysobservewhatthethingiswhichproducesfortheeanappearance,andresolveitbydividingitintotheformal,thematerial,thepurpose,andthetimewithinwhichitmustend.
Perceiveatlastthatthouhastintheesomethingbetterandmoredivinethanthethingswhichcausethevariousaffects,andasitwerepulltheebythestrings.Whatistherenowinmymind?Isitfear,orsuspicion,ordesire,oranythingofthekind?
First,donothinginconsiderately,norwithoutapurpose.Second,makethyactsrefertonothingelsethantoasocialend.
Considerthatbeforelongthouwiltbenobodyandnowhere,norwillanyofthethingsexistwhichthounowseest,noranyofthosewhoarenowliving.Forallthingsareformedbynaturetochangeandbeturnedandtoperishinorderthatotherthingsincontinuoussuccessionmayexist.
Considerthateverythingisopinion,andopinionisinthypower.Takeawaythen,whenthouchoosest,thyopinion,andlikeamariner,whohasdoubledthepromontory,thouwiltfindcalm,everythingstable,andawavelessbay.
Anyoneactivitywhateveritmaybe,whenithasceasedatitspropertime,suffersnoevilbecauseithasceased;norhewhohasdonethisact,doeshesufferanyevilforthisreasonthattheacthasceased.Inlikemannerthenthewholewhichconsistsofalltheacts,whichisourlife,ifitceaseatitspropertime,suffersnoevilforthisreasonthatithasceased;norhewhohasterminatedthisseriesatthepropertime,hashebeenilldealtwith.Butthepropertimeandthelimitnaturefixes,sometimesasinoldagethepeculiarnatureofman,butalwaystheuniversalnature,bythechangeofwhosepartsthewholeuniversecontinueseveryoungandperfect.Andeverythingwhichisusefultotheuniversalisalwaysgoodandinseason.Thereforetheterminationoflifeforeverymanisnoevil,becauseneitherisitshameful,sinceitisbothindependentofthewillandnotopposedtothegeneralinterest,butitisgood,sinceitisseasonableandprofitabletoandcongruentwiththeuniversal.Forthustooheismovedbythedeitywhoismovedinthesamemannerwiththedeityandmovedtowardsthesamethingsinhismind.
Thesethreeprinciplesthoumusthaveinreadiness.Inthethingswhichthoudoestdonothingeitherinconsideratelyorotherwisethanasjusticeherselfwouldact;butwithrespecttowhatmayhappentotheefromwithout,considerthatithappenseitherbychanceoraccordingtoProvidence,andthoumustneitherblamechancenoraccuseProvidence.Second,considerwhateverybeingisfromtheseedtothetimeofitsreceivingasoul,andfromthereceptionofasoultothegivingbackofthesame,andofwhatthingseverybeingiscompoundedandintowhatthingsitisresolved.Third,ifthoushouldstsuddenlyberaisedupabovetheearth,andshouldstlookdownonhumanthings,andobservethevarietyofthemhowgreatitis,andatthesametimealsoshouldstseeataglancehowgreatisthenumberofbeingswhodwellaroundintheairandtheaether,considerthatasoftenasthoushouldstberaisedup,thouwouldstseethesamethings,samenessofformandshortnessofduration.Arethesethingstobeproudof?
Castawayopinion:thouartsaved.Whothenhinderstheefromcastingitaway?
Whenthouarttroubledaboutanything,thouhastforgottenthis,thatallthingshappenaccordingtotheuniversalnature;andforgottenthis,thataman-swrongfulactisnothingtothee;andfurtherthouhastforgottenthis,thateverythingwhichhappens,alwayshappenedsoandwillhappenso,andnowhappenssoeverywhere;forgottenthistoo,howcloseisthekinshipbetweenamanandthewholehumanrace,foritisacommunity,notofalittlebloodorseed,butofintelligence.Andthouhastforgottenthistoo,thateveryman-sintelligenceisagod,andisaneffluxofthedeity;andforgottenthis,thatnothingisaman-sown,butthathischildandhisbodyandhisverysoulcamefromthedeity;forgottenthis,thateverythingisopinion;andlastlythouhastforgottenthateverymanlivesthepresenttimeonly,andlosesonlythis.
Constantlybringtothyrecollectionthosewhohavecomplainedgreatlyaboutanything,thosewhohavebeenmostconspicuousbythegreatestfameormisfortunesorenmitiesorfortunesofanykind:thenthinkwherearetheyallnow?Smokeandashandatale,ornotevenatale.Andlettherebepresenttothymindalsoeverythingofthissort,howFabiusCatullinuslivedinthecountry,andLuciusLupusinhisgardens,andStertiniusatBaiae,andTiberiusatCapreaeandVeliusRufus(orRufusatVelia);andinfinethinkoftheeagerpursuitofanythingconjoinedwithpride;andhowworthlesseverythingisafterwhichmenviolentlystrain;andhowmuchmorephilosophicalitisforamanintheopportunitiespresentedtohimtoshow
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