Book Twelve

BookTwelve

Allthosethingsatwhichthouwishesttoarrivebyacircuitousroad,thoucansthavenow,ifthoudostnotrefusethemtothyself.Andthismeans,ifthouwilttakenonoticeofallthepast,andtrustthefuturetoprovidence,anddirectthepresentonlyconformablytopietyandjustice.Conformablytopiety,thatthoumayestbecontentwiththelotwhichisassignedtothee,fornaturedesigneditfortheeandtheeforit.Conformablytojustice,thatthoumayestalwaysspeakthetruthfreelyandwithoutdisguise,anddothethingswhichareagreeabletolawandaccordingtotheworthofeach.Andletneitheranotherman-swickednesshinderthee,noropinionnorvoice,noryetthesensationsofthepoorfleshwhichhasgrownaboutthee;forthepassivepartwilllooktothis.Ifthen,whateverthetimemaybewhenthoushaltbeneartothydeparture,neglectingeverythingelsethoushaltrespectonlythyrulingfacultyandthedivinitywithinthee,andifthoushaltbeafraidnotbecausethoumustsometimeceasetolive,butifthoushaltfearnevertohavebeguntoliveaccordingtonature-thenthouwiltbeamanworthyoftheuniversewhichhasproducedthee,andthouwiltceasetobeastrangerinthynativeland,andtowonderatthingswhichhappendailyasiftheyweresomethingunexpected,andtobedependentonthisorthat.

Godseestheminds(rulingprinciples)ofallmenbaredofthematerialvestureandrindandimpurities.Forwithhisintellectualpartalonehetouchestheintelligenceonlywhichhasflowedandbeenderivedfromhimselfintothesebodies.Andifthoualsousestthyselftodothis,thouwiltridthyselfofthymuchtrouble.Forhewhoregardsnotthepoorfleshwhichenvelopshim,surelywillnottroublehimselfbylookingafterraimentanddwellingandfameandsuchlikeexternalsandshow.

Thethingsarethreeofwhichthouartcomposed,alittlebody,alittlebreath(life),intelligence.Ofthesethefirsttwoarethine,sofarasitisthydutytotakecareofthem;butthethirdaloneisproperlythine.Thereforeifthoushaltseparatefromthyself,thatis,fromthyunderstanding,whateverothersdoorsay,andwhateverthouhastdoneorsaidthyself,andwhateverfuturethingstroubletheebecausetheymayhappen,andwhateverinthebodywhichenvelopstheeorinthebreath(life),whichisbynatureassociatedwiththebody,isattachedtotheeindependentofthywill,andwhatevertheexternalcircumfluentvortexwhirlsround,sothattheintellectualpowerexemptfromthethingsoffatecanlivepureandfreebyitself,doingwhatisjustandacceptingwhathappensandsayingthetruth:ifthouwiltseparate,Isay,fromthisrulingfacultythethingswhichareattachedtoitbytheimpressionsofsense,andthethingsoftimetocomeandoftimethatispast,andwiltmakethyselflikeEmpedocles-sphere,

Allround,andinitsjoyousrestreposing;andifthoushaltstrivetoliveonlywhatisreallythylife,thatis,thepresent-thenthouwiltbeabletopassthatportionoflifewhichremainsfortheeuptothetimeofthydeath,freefromperturbations,nobly,andobedienttothyowndaemon(tothegodthatiswithinthee).

Ihaveoftenwonderedhowitisthateverymanloveshimselfmorethanalltherestofmen,butyetsetslessvalueonhisownopinionofhimselfthanontheopinionofothers.Ifthenagodorawiseteachershouldpresenthimselftoamanandbidhimtothinkofnothingandtodesignnothingwhichhewouldnotexpressassoonasheconceivedit,hecouldnotendureitevenforasingleday.Somuchmorerespecthavewetowhatourneighboursshallthinkofusthantowhatweshallthinkofourselves.

Howcanitbethatthegodsafterhavingarrangedallthingswellandbenevolentlyformankind,haveoverlookedthisalone,thatsomemenandverygoodmen,andmenwho,aswemaysay,havehadmostcommunionwiththedivinity,andthroughpiousactsandreligiousobservanceshavebeenmostintimatewiththedivinity,whentheyhaveoncediedshouldneverexistagain,butshouldbecompletelyextinguished?

Butifthisisso,beassuredthatifitoughttohavebeenotherwise,thegodswouldhavedoneit.Forifitwerejust,itwouldalsobepossible;andifitwereaccordingtonature,naturewouldhavehaditso.Butbecauseitisnotso,ifinfactitisnotso,bethouconvincedthatitoughtnottohavebeenso:-forthouseestevenofthyselfthatinthisinquirythouartdisputingwiththediety;andweshouldnotthusdisputewiththegods,unlesstheyweremostexcellentandmostjust;-butifthisisso,theywouldnothaveallowedanythingintheorderingoftheuniversetobeneglectedunjustlyandirrationally.

Practisethyselfeveninthethingswhichthoudespairestofaccomplishing.Foreventhelefthand,whichisineffectualforallotherthingsforwantofpractice,holdsthebridlemorevigorouslythantherighthand;forithasbeenpractisedinthis.

Considerinwhatconditionbothinbodyandsoulamanshouldbewhenheisovertakenbydeath;andconsidertheshortnessoflife,theboundlessabyssoftimepastandfuture,thefeeblenessofallmatter.

Contemplatetheformativeprinciples(forms)ofthingsbareoftheircoverings;thepurposesofactions;considerwhatpainis,whatpleasureis,anddeath,andfame;whoistohimselfthecauseofhisuneasiness;hownomanishinderedbyanother;thateverythingisopinion.

Intheapplicationofthyprinciplesthoumustbelikethepancratiast,notlikethegladiator;forthegladiatorletsfalltheswordwhichheusesandiskilled;buttheotheralwayshashishand,andneedstodonothingelsethanuseit.

Seewhatthingsareinthemselves,dividingthemintomatter,formandpurpose.

WhatapowermanhastodonothingexceptwhatGodwillapprove,andtoacceptallthatGodmaygivehim.

Withrespecttothatwhichhappensconformablytonature,weoughttoblameneithergods,fortheydonothingwrongeithervoluntarilyorinvoluntarily,normen,fortheydonothingwrongexceptinvoluntarily.Consequentlyweshouldblamenobody.

Howridiculousandwhatastrangerheiswhoissurprisedatanythingwhichhappensinlife.

Eitherthereisafatalnecessityandinvincibleorder,orakindProvidence,oraconfusionwithoutapurposeandwithoutadirector(BookIV).Ifthenthereisaninvinciblenecessity,whydostthouresist?ButifthereisaProvidencewhichallowsitselftobepropitiated,makethyselfworthyofthehelpofthedivinity.Butifthereisaconfusionwithoutgovernor,becontentthatinsuchatempestthouhastinthyselfacertainrulingintelligence.Andevenifthetempestcarrytheeaway,letitcarryawaythepoorflesh,thepoorbreath,everythingelse;fortheintelligenceatleastitwillnotcarryaway.

Doesthelightofthelampshinewithoutlosingitssplendouruntilitisextinguished;andshallthetruthwhichisintheeandjusticeandtemperancebeextinguishedbeforethydeath?

Whenamanhaspresentedtheappearanceofhavingdonewrong,say,HowthendoIknowifthisisawrongfulact?Andevenifhehasdonewrong,howdoIknowthathehasnotcondemnedhimself?andsothisisliketearinghisownface.Considerthathe,whowouldnothavethebadmandowrong,islikethemanwhowouldnothavethefig-treetobearjuiceinthefigsandinfantstocryandthehorsetoneigh,andwhateverelsemustofnecessitybe.Forwhatmustamandowhohassuchacharacter?Ifthenthouartirritable,curethisman-sdisposition.

Ifitisnotright,donotdoit:ifitisnottrue,donotsayit.Forletthyeffortsbe-

Ineverythingalwaysobservewhatthethingiswhichproducesfortheeanappearance,andresolveitbydividingitintotheformal,thematerial,thepurpose,andthetimewithinwhichitmustend.

Perceiveatlastthatthouhastintheesomethingbetterandmoredivinethanthethingswhichcausethevariousaffects,andasitwerepulltheebythestrings.Whatistherenowinmymind?Isitfear,orsuspicion,ordesire,oranythingofthekind?

First,donothinginconsiderately,norwithoutapurpose.Second,makethyactsrefertonothingelsethantoasocialend.

Considerthatbeforelongthouwiltbenobodyandnowhere,norwillanyofthethingsexistwhichthounowseest,noranyofthosewhoarenowliving.Forallthingsareformedbynaturetochangeandbeturnedandtoperishinorderthatotherthingsincontinuoussuccessionmayexist.

Considerthateverythingisopinion,andopinionisinthypower.Takeawaythen,whenthouchoosest,thyopinion,andlikeamariner,whohasdoubledthepromontory,thouwiltfindcalm,everythingstable,andawavelessbay.

Anyoneactivitywhateveritmaybe,whenithasceasedatitspropertime,suffersnoevilbecauseithasceased;norhewhohasdonethisact,doeshesufferanyevilforthisreasonthattheacthasceased.Inlikemannerthenthewholewhichconsistsofalltheacts,whichisourlife,ifitceaseatitspropertime,suffersnoevilforthisreasonthatithasceased;norhewhohasterminatedthisseriesatthepropertime,hashebeenilldealtwith.Butthepropertimeandthelimitnaturefixes,sometimesasinoldagethepeculiarnatureofman,butalwaystheuniversalnature,bythechangeofwhosepartsthewholeuniversecontinueseveryoungandperfect.Andeverythingwhichisusefultotheuniversalisalwaysgoodandinseason.Thereforetheterminationoflifeforeverymanisnoevil,becauseneitherisitshameful,sinceitisbothindependentofthewillandnotopposedtothegeneralinterest,butitisgood,sinceitisseasonableandprofitabletoandcongruentwiththeuniversal.Forthustooheismovedbythedeitywhoismovedinthesamemannerwiththedeityandmovedtowardsthesamethingsinhismind.

Thesethreeprinciplesthoumusthaveinreadiness.Inthethingswhichthoudoestdonothingeitherinconsideratelyorotherwisethanasjusticeherselfwouldact;butwithrespecttowhatmayhappentotheefromwithout,considerthatithappenseitherbychanceoraccordingtoProvidence,andthoumustneitherblamechancenoraccuseProvidence.Second,considerwhateverybeingisfromtheseedtothetimeofitsreceivingasoul,andfromthereceptionofasoultothegivingbackofthesame,andofwhatthingseverybeingiscompoundedandintowhatthingsitisresolved.Third,ifthoushouldstsuddenlyberaisedupabovetheearth,andshouldstlookdownonhumanthings,andobservethevarietyofthemhowgreatitis,andatthesametimealsoshouldstseeataglancehowgreatisthenumberofbeingswhodwellaroundintheairandtheaether,considerthatasoftenasthoushouldstberaisedup,thouwouldstseethesamethings,samenessofformandshortnessofduration.Arethesethingstobeproudof?

Castawayopinion:thouartsaved.Whothenhinderstheefromcastingitaway?

Whenthouarttroubledaboutanything,thouhastforgottenthis,thatallthingshappenaccordingtotheuniversalnature;andforgottenthis,thataman-swrongfulactisnothingtothee;andfurtherthouhastforgottenthis,thateverythingwhichhappens,alwayshappenedsoandwillhappenso,andnowhappenssoeverywhere;forgottenthistoo,howcloseisthekinshipbetweenamanandthewholehumanrace,foritisacommunity,notofalittlebloodorseed,butofintelligence.Andthouhastforgottenthistoo,thateveryman-sintelligenceisagod,andisaneffluxofthedeity;andforgottenthis,thatnothingisaman-sown,butthathischildandhisbodyandhisverysoulcamefromthedeity;forgottenthis,thateverythingisopinion;andlastlythouhastforgottenthateverymanlivesthepresenttimeonly,andlosesonlythis.

Constantlybringtothyrecollectionthosewhohavecomplainedgreatlyaboutanything,thosewhohavebeenmostconspicuousbythegreatestfameormisfortunesorenmitiesorfortunesofanykind:thenthinkwherearetheyallnow?Smokeandashandatale,ornotevenatale.Andlettherebepresenttothymindalsoeverythingofthissort,howFabiusCatullinuslivedinthecountry,andLuciusLupusinhisgardens,andStertiniusatBaiae,andTiberiusatCapreaeandVeliusRufus(orRufusatVelia);andinfinethinkoftheeagerpursuitofanythingconjoinedwithpride;andhowworthlesseverythingisafterwhichmenviolentlystrain;andhowmuchmorephilosophicalitisforamanintheopportunitiespresentedtohimtoshow

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