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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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1 84 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

24 Three maxims <strong>to</strong> fall back upon.<br />

I. In action, do nothing at random, or at<br />

variance with the ways <strong>of</strong> justice : all outward<br />

circumstance, remember, is either chance or pro-<br />

vidence ; you cannot quarrel with chance, and you<br />

cannot arraign providence.<br />

II. Think what everything is from the sem-<br />

inal germ <strong>to</strong> its quickening with soul, and from<br />

soul-quickening <strong>to</strong> the yielding up <strong>of</strong> soul ; think<br />

<strong>of</strong> what it is compounded and in<strong>to</strong> what it is<br />

dissolved.<br />

in. Supposing that translated <strong>to</strong> some higher<br />

region you could look down upon<br />

the world <strong>of</strong><br />

man, and discern its manifold variety, and em-<br />

brace within your vision his vast environment <strong>of</strong><br />

things in air and things in heaven, remember that,<br />

however <strong>of</strong>ten so translated, you will see always<br />

the same sights, all uniform, all transi<strong>to</strong>ry. What<br />

food is here for pride ?<br />

25 Reject the view and straightway, you are<br />

whole. Who hinders the rejection ?<br />

26 Impatience at anything means that you forget<br />

That all things follow the law <strong>of</strong> Nature ; that<br />

'<br />

the fault lies at another's door that ; everything<br />

which happens, ever did, ever will, ever does in

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