the meditations-第20节

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Ill。　　That　which　most　men　would　think　themselves　most　happy　for；　and　would　prefer　before　all　things；　if　the　Gods　would　grant　it　unto　them　after　their　deaths；　thou　mayst　whilst　thou　livest　grant　unto　thyself；　to　live　again。　　See　the　things　of　the　world　again；　as　thou　hast　already　seen　them。　　For　what　is　it　else　to　live　again？　Public　shows　and　solemnities　with　much　pomp　and　vanity；　stage　plays；　flocks　and　herds；　conflicts　and　con　tentions：　a　bone　thrown　to　a　company　of　hungry　curs；　a　bait　for　greedy　fishes；　the　painfulness；　and　continual　burden…bearing　of　wretched　ants；　the　running　to　and　fro　of　terrified　mice：　little　puppets　drawn　up　and　down　with　wires　and　nerves：　these　be　the　objects　of　the　world。　　among　all　these　thou　must　stand　steadfast；　meekly　affected；　and　free　from　all　manner　of　indignation；　with　this　right　ratiocination　and　apprehension；　that　as　the　worth　is　of　those　things　which　a　man　doth　affect；　so　is　in　very　deed　every　man's　worth　more　or　less。

IV。　　Word　after　word；　every　one　by　itself；　must　the　things　that　are　spoken　be　conceived　and　understood；　and　so　the　things　that　are　done；　purpose　after　purpose；　every　one　by　itself　likewise。　And　as　in　matter　of　purposes　and　actions；　we　must　presently　see　what　is　the　proper　use　and　relation　of　every　one；　so　of　words　must　we　be　as　ready；　to　consider　of　every　one　what　is　the　true　meaning；　and　signification　of　it　according　to　truth　and　nature；　however　it　be　taken　in　common　use。

V。　Is　my　reason；　and　understanding　sufficient　for　this；　or　no？　If　it　be　sufficient；　without　any　private　applause；　or　public　ostentation　as　of　an　instrument；　which　by　nature　I　am　provided　of；　I　will　make　use　of　it　for　the　work　in　hand；　as　of　an　instrument；　which　by　nature　I　am　provided　of。　　if　it　be　not；　and　that　otherwise　it　belong　not　unto　me　particularly　as　a　private　duty；　I　will　either　give　it　over；　and　leave　it　to　some　other　that　can　better　effect　it：　or　I　will　endeavour　it；　but　with　the　help　of　some　other；　who　with　the　joint　help　of　my　reason；　is　able　to　bring　somewhat　to　pass；　that　will　now　be　seasonable　and　useful　for　the　common　good。　For　whatsoever　I　do　either　by　myself；　or　with　some　other；　the　only　thing　that　I　must　intend；　is；　that　it　be　good　and　expedient　for　the　public。　For　as　for　praise；　consider　how　many　who　once　were　much　commended；　are　now　already　quite　forgotten；　yea　they　that　commended　them；　how　even　they　themselves　are　long　since　dead　and　gone。　Be　not　therefore　ashamed；　whensoever　thou　must　use　the　help　of　others。　For　whatsoever　it　be　that　lieth　upon　thee　to　effect；　thou　must　propose　it　unto　thyself；　as　the　scaling　of　walls　is　unto　a　soldier。　And　what　if　thou　through　either　lameness　or　some　other　impediment　art　not　able　to　reach　unto　the　top　of　the　battlements　alone；　which　with　the　help　of　another　thou　mayst；　wilt　thou　therefore　give　it　over；　or　go　about　it　with　less　courage　and　alacrity。　because　thou　canst　not　effect　it　all　alone？

VI。　　Let　not　things　future　trouble　thee。　　For　if　necessity　so　require　that　they　come　to　pass；　thou　shalt　（whensoever　that　is）　be　provided　for　them　with　the　same　reason；　by　which　whatsoever　is　now　present；　is　made　both　tolerable　and　acceptable　unto　thee。　All　things　are　linked　and　knitted　together；　and　the　knot　is　sacred；　neither　is　there　anything　in　the　world；　that　is　not　kind　and　natural　in　regard　of　any　other　thing；　or；　that　hath　not　some　kind　of　reference　and　natural　correspondence　with　whatsoever　is　in　the　world　besides。　For　all　things　are　ranked　together；　and　by　that　decency　of　its　due　place　and　order　that　each　particular　doth　observe；　they　all　concur　together　to　the　making　of　one　and　the　same　＇〃Kosmos〃　ed＇　or　world：　as　if　you　said；　a　comely　piece；　or　an　orderly　composition。　For　all　things　throughout；　there　is　but　one　and　the　same　order；　and　through　all　things；　one　and　the　same　God；　the　same　substance　and　the　same　law。　　There　is　one　common　reason；　and　one　common　truth；　that　belongs　unto　all　reasonable　creatures；　for　neither　is　there　save　one　perfection　of　all　creatures　that　are　of　the　same　kind；　and　partakers　of　the　same　reason。

VII。　　Whatsoever　is　material；　doth　soon　vanish　away　into　the　common　substance　of　the　whole；　and　whatsoever　is　formal；　or；　whatsoever　doth　animate　that　which　is　material；　is　soon　resumed　into　the　common　reason　of　the　whole；　and　the　fame　and　memory　of　anything；　is　soon　swallowed　up　by　the　general　age　and　duration　of　the　whole。

VIII。　　To　a　reasonable　creature；　the　same　action　is　both　according　to　nature；　and　according　to　reason。　　IX。　　Straight　of　itself；　not　made　straight。

X。　As　several　members　in　one　body　united；　so　are　reasonable　creatures　in　a　body　divided　and　dispersed；　all　made　and　prepared　for　one　common　operation。　　And　this　thou　shalt　apprehend　the　better；　if　thou　shalt　use　thyself　often　to　say　to　thyself；　I　am　meloz；　or　a　member　of　the　mass　and　body　of　reasonable　substances。　But　if　thou　shalt　say　I　am　meroz；　or　a　part；　thou　dost　not　yet　love　men　from　thy　heart。　　The　joy　that　thou　takest　in　the　exercise　of　bounty；　is　not　yet　grounded　upon　a　due　ratiocination　and　right　apprehension　of　the　nature　of　things。　Thou　dost　exercise　it　as　yet　upon　this　ground　barely；　as　a　thing　convenient　and　fitting；　not；　as　doing　good　to　thyself；　when　thou　dost　good　unto　others。　　XI。　　Of　things　that　are　external；　happen　what　will　to　that　which　can　suffer　by　external　accidents。　Those　things　that　suffer　let　them　complain　themselves；　if　they　will；　as　for　me；　as　long　as　I　conceive　no　such　thing；　that　that　which　is　happened　is　evil；　I　have　no　hurt；　and　it　is　in　my　power　not　to　conceive　any　such　thing。　　XII。　Whatsoever　any　man　either　doth　or　saith；　thou　must　be　good；　not　for　any　man's　sake；　but　for　thine　own　nature's　sake；　as　if　either　gold；　or　the　emerald；　or　purple；　should　ever　be　saying　to　themselves；　Whatsoever　any　man　either　doth　or　saith；　I　must　still　be　an　emerald；　and　I　must　keep　my　colour。

XIII。　　This　may　ever　be　my　comfort　and　security：　　my　understanding；　that　ruleth　over　all；　will　not　of　itself　bring　trouble　and　vexation　upon　itself。　　This　I　say；　it　will　not　put　itself　in　any　fear；　it　will　not　lead　itself　into　any　concupiscence。　If　it　be　in　the　power　of　any　other　to　compel　it　to　fear；　or　to　grieve；　it　is　free　for　him　to　use　his　power。　But　sure　if　itself　do　not　of　itself；　through　some　false　opinion　or　supposition　incline　itself　to　any　such　disposition；　there　is　no　fear。　　For　as　for　the　body；　why　should　I　make　the　grief　of　my　body；　to　be　the　grief　of　my　mind？　If　that　itself　can　either　fear　or　complain；　let　it。　But　as　for　the　soul；　which　indeed；　can　only　be　truly　sensible　of　either　fear　or　grief；　to　which　only　it　belongs　according　to　its　different　imaginations　and　opinions；　to　admit　of　either　of　these；　or　of　their　contraries；　thou　mayst　look　to　that　thyself；　that　it　suffer　nothing。　Induce　her　not　to　any　such　opinion　or　persuasion。　The　understanding　is　of　itself　sufficient　unto　itself；　and　needs　not　（if　itself　doth　not　bring　itself　to　need）　any　other　thing　besides　itself；　and　by　consequent　as　it　needs　nothing；　so　neither　can　it　be　troubled　or　hindered　by　anything；　if　itself　doth　not　trouble　and　hinder　itself。

XIV。　　What　is　rv&nfLovia；　or　happiness：　　but　a7~o~　&d~wv；　or；　a　good　da~rnon；　or　spirit？　　What　then　dost　thou　do　here；　O　opinion？　By　the　Gods　I　adjure　thee；　that　thou　get　thee　gone；　as　thou　earnest：　for　I　need　thee　not。　　Thou　earnest　indeed　unto　me　according　to　thy　ancient　wonted　manner。　　It　is　that；　that　all　men　have　ever　been　subject　unto。　That　thou　camest　therefore　I　am　not　angry　with　thee；　only　begone；　now　that　I　have　found　thee　what　thou　art。

XV。　　Is　any　man　so　foolish　as　to　fear　change；　to　which　all　things　that　once　were　not　owe　their　being？　　And　what　is　it；　that　is　more　pleasing　and　more　familiar　to　the　nature　of　the　universe？　How　couldst　thou　thyself　use　thy　ordinary　hot　baths；　should　not　the　wood　that　heateth　them　first　be　changed？　　How　couldst　thou　receive　any　nourishment　from　those　things　that　thou　hast　eaten；　if　they　should　not　be　changed？　　Can　anything　else　almost　（that　is　useful　and　profitable）　be　brought　to　pass　without　change？　How　then　dost　not　thou　perceive；　that　for　thee　also；　by　death；　to　come　to　change；　is　a　thing　of　the　very　same　nature；　and　as　necessary　for　the　nature　of　the　universe？

XVI。　　Through　the　substance　of　the　universe；　as　through　a　torrent　pass　all　particular　bodies；　being　all　of　the　same　nature；　and　all　joint　workers　with　the　universe　itself　as　in　one　of　our　bodies　so　many　members　among　themselves。　　How　many　such　as　Chrysippus；　how　many　such　as　Socrates；　how　many　such　as　Epictetus；　hath　the　age　of　the　world　long　since　swallowed　up　and　devoured？　Let　this；　be　it　either　men　or　businesses；　that　thou　hast　occasion　to　think　of；　to　the　end　that　thy　thoughts　be　not　distracted　and　thy　mind　too　earnestly　set　upon　anything；　upon　every　such　occasion　presently　come　to　thy　mind。　Of　all　my　thoughts　and　cares；　one　only　thing　shall　be　the　object；　that　I　myself　do　nothing　which　to　the　proper　constitution　of　man；　（either　in　regard　of　the　thing　itself；　or　in　regard　of　the　manner；　or　of　the　time　of　doing；）　is　contrary。　　The　time　when　thou　shalt　have　forgotten　all　things；　is　at　hand。　　And　that　time　also　is　at　hand；　when　thou　thyself　shalt　be　forgotten　by　all。　Whilst　thou　art；　apply　thyself　to　that　especially　which