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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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66 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

apportions everywhere according <strong>to</strong> worth, and<br />

combines the dominants in mutual accord.<br />

31 What <strong>of</strong> your past behaviour <strong>to</strong> the gods, <strong>to</strong><br />

your parents, brothers, wife, children, teachers,<br />

tu<strong>to</strong>rs, friends, intimates, household? Can you,<br />

in respect <strong>of</strong> all, say<br />

I wrought no 1<br />

froward deed, said no rude word.<br />

Yet recollect all that you have gone through, and<br />

all you have found strength <strong>to</strong> bear : remember<br />

that the s<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>of</strong> your life is fully <strong>to</strong>ld and its<br />

service accomplished ; recollect how many sights<br />

<strong>of</strong> beauty you have seen ; how many pleasures<br />

and pains foregone ; how many<br />

ambitions disre-<br />

garded ; and how <strong>of</strong>ten you have shown grace <strong>to</strong><br />

the graceless.<br />

32 How is it that souls untrained and ignorant<br />

confound the trained and wise? The answer is,<br />

What soul is trained and wise ? That only which<br />

knows the beginning and the end, and the reason<br />

diffused through all being, which through all<br />

eternity administers the universe in periodic<br />

cycles.<br />

33 A little while and you<br />

will be ashes or a<br />

skele<strong>to</strong>n, a name or not so much as a name ; and<br />

1<br />

Homer, Od. iv. 690.

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