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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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78 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

unvarying equability, his holiness, his serenity <strong>of</strong><br />

look, his affability, his .dislike <strong>of</strong> ostentation, his<br />

keenness for certitude about the facts ; how he<br />

would never drop a subject, till he saw in<strong>to</strong> it<br />

thoroughly and unders<strong>to</strong>od clearly ; how he bore<br />

unjust reproaches without a word ; how he was<br />

never in a hurry ; how he gave no ear <strong>to</strong> slander ;<br />

how accurately he scrutinised character and<br />

action ;<br />

never carping, or craven, or suspicious, or<br />

pedantic ; how frugal were his requirements, in<br />

house and bed and dress and food and service ;<br />

how industrious he was and how long-suffering ;<br />

how, thanks <strong>to</strong> his abstemious living, he could<br />

restrain himself till evening, without even re-<br />

lieving his physical needs at the usual hour.<br />

Remember his constancy and evenness in friend-<br />

ship, his forbearance <strong>to</strong> outspoken opposition,<br />

his cheerful acceptance <strong>of</strong> correction ; and how<br />

god-fearing he was, though without superstition.<br />

Remember all this, that so your last hour may<br />

find you with a conscience clear as his.<br />

31 Recall your true, your sober self: shake <strong>of</strong>f<br />

the slumber and realise that they were dreams<br />

that troubled you. Now wide awake once more,<br />

look on it all as a dream.

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