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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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ix TO HIMSELF 137<br />

fancy their censure hurting, or their plaudits doing<br />

any good !<br />

Loss is another word l<br />

for change ; and change 35<br />

is the joy <strong>of</strong> Nature. By Nature all things are<br />

ordered well,<br />

all were <strong>of</strong> the same form from the<br />

beginning, all will be like <strong>to</strong> everlasting. Why<br />

then say that all things have been, that all things<br />

ever will be evil, that among all the gods no<br />

power has ever been devised <strong>to</strong> set them right,<br />

but that the world is doomed <strong>to</strong> labour under<br />

interminable ills ?<br />

Decay is in the material substance <strong>of</strong> all things 36<br />

water, dust, bones, and stench ! What<br />

is<br />

marble but knobs <strong>of</strong> earth ? gold or silver but<br />

sediment ? raiment but tags <strong>of</strong> hair ? purple but<br />

shell -fish blood? and so on throughout. Yes<br />

even the pneumatic current is in the same case,<br />

ever changing from this <strong>to</strong> that.<br />

Enough <strong>of</strong> moans, and murmurs, and monkey- 37<br />

chatter! Why perturb yourself ? There is nothing<br />

is it ? Look<br />

new, <strong>to</strong> excite you so. The cause,<br />

the cause then in the face. Or the material sub-<br />

stance ? Then look that in the face. Cause, or<br />

1 The word-play <strong>of</strong> the original airo[3o\rj, fj-erajSoX-rj cannot be<br />

reproduced.

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