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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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58 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

attainable. Nay<br />

<strong>to</strong> the S<strong>to</strong>ics themselves such<br />

attainment seems precarious ; and every act <strong>of</strong><br />

intellectual assent is fallible ; for where is the<br />

infallible man ? Pass <strong>to</strong> the material world ; how<br />

transi<strong>to</strong>ry, how worthless it all is, lying<br />

at the<br />

disposal <strong>of</strong> the rake, the harlot or the robber !<br />

Or take the characters <strong>of</strong> those with whom you<br />

consort ;<br />

<strong>to</strong> bear with even the most gentle-minded<br />

is hard work, nay hard enough <strong>to</strong> put up even<br />

with oneself. In all this darkness and filth, in<br />

this incessant flux <strong>of</strong> being and <strong>of</strong> time, <strong>of</strong> motion<br />

and things moved, I can imagine nothing that<br />

deserves high prizing or intent pursuit. On<br />

the contrary, one must take comfort <strong>to</strong> oneself,<br />

while awaiting natural dissolution and not chafing<br />

at the delay, and find refreshment solely in<br />

these thoughts first, nothing will happen <strong>to</strong> me,<br />

that is not in accord with Nature : secondly, I<br />

need do nothing contrary <strong>to</strong> the god and deity<br />

within me ; for that no man can compel me <strong>to</strong><br />

transgress.<br />

11 What use am I now making <strong>of</strong> my soul ? that<br />

is the question. Put it <strong>to</strong> yourself at every turn<br />

and ask How goes it with that part <strong>of</strong> me,<br />

known as the governing Inner Self? Whose soul

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