the meditations-第29节

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　The　sum　then　of　all；　whatsoever　doth　happen　unto　thee；　whereof　God　is　the　cause；　to　accept　it　contentedly：　whatsoever　thou　doest；　whereof　thou　thyself　art　the　cause；　to　do　it　justly：　　which　will　be；　if　both　in　thy　resolution　and　in　thy　action　thou　have　no　further　end；　than　to　do　good　unto　others；　as　being　that；　which　by　thy　natural　constitution；　as　a　man；　thou　art　bound　unto。

XXX。　　Many　of　those　things　that　trouble　and　straiten　thee；　it　is　in　thy　power　to　cut　off；　as　wholly　depending　from　mere　conceit　and　opinion；　and　then　thou　shalt　have　room　enough。

XXXI。　　To　comprehend　the　whole　world　together　in　thy　mind；　and　the　whole　course　of　this　present　age　to　represent　it　unto　thyself；　and　to　fix　thy　thoughts　upon　the　sudden　change　of　every　particular　object。　　How　short　the　time　is　from　the　generation　of　anything；　unto　the　dissolution　of　the　same；　but　how　immense　and　infinite　both　that　which　was　before　the　generation；　and　that　which　after　the　generation　of　it　shall　be。　All　things　that　thou　seest；　will　soon　be　perished；　and　they　that　see　their　corruptions；　will　soon　vanish　away　themselves。　He　that　dieth　a　hundred　years　old；　and　he　that　dieth　young；　shall　come　all　to　one。

XXXII。　　What　are　their　minds　and　understandings；　and　what　the　things　that　they　apply　themselves　unto：　　what　do　they　love；　and　what　do　they　hate　for？　　Fancy　to　thyself　the　estate　of　their　souls　openly　to　be　seen。　When　they　think　they　hurt　them　shrewdly；　whom　they　speak　ill　of；　and　when　they　think　they　do　them　a　very　good　turn；　whom　they　commend　and　extol：　O　how　full　are　they　then　of　conceit；　and　opinion！

XXXIII。　　Loss　and　corruption；　is　in　very　deed　nothing　else　but　change　and　alteration；　and　that　is　it；　which　the　nature　of　the　universe　doth　most　delight　in；　by　which；　and　according　to　which；　whatsoever　is　done；　is　well　done。　　For　that　was　the　estate　of　worldly　things　from　the　beginning；　and　so　shall　it　ever　be。　Or　wouldest。　　thou　rather　say；　that　all　things　in　the　world　have　gone　ill　from　the　beginning　for　so　many　ages；　and　shall　ever　go　ill？　And　then　among　so　many　deities；　could　no　divine　power　be　found　all　this　while；　that　could　rectify　the　things　of　the　world？　Or　is　the　world；　to　incessant　woes　and　miseries；　for　ever　condemned？

XXXIV。　　How　base　and　putrid；　every　common　matter　is！　　Water；　dust；　and　from　the　mixture　of　these　bones；　and　all　that　loathsome　stuff　that　our　bodies　do　consist　of：　　so　subject　to　be　infected；　and　corrupted。　And　again　those　other　things　that　are　so　much　prized　and　admired；　as　marble　stones；　what　are　they；　but　as　it　were　the　kernels　of　the　earth　？　gold　and　silver；　what　are　they；　but　as　the　more　gross　faeces　of　the　earth？　　Thy　most　royal　apparel；　for　matter；　it　is　but　as　it　were　the　hair　of　a　silly　sheep；　and　for　colour；　the　very　blood　of　a　shell…fish；　of　this　nature　are　all　other　things。　Thy　life　itself；　is　some　such　thing　too；　a　mere　exhalation　of　blood：　　and　it　also；　apt　to　be　changed　into　some　other　common　thing。　　XXXV。　　Will　this　querulousness；　this　murmuring；　this　complaining　and　dissembling　never　be　at　an　end？　　What　then　is　it；　that　troubleth　thee？　　Doth　any　new　thing　happen　unto　thee？　What　doest　thou　so　wonder　at？　　At　the　cause；　or　the　matter？　Behold　either　by　itself；　is　either　of　that　weight　and　moment　indeed？　And　besides　these；　there　is　not　anything。　　But　thy　duty　towards　the　Gods　also；　it　is　time　thou　shouldst　acquit　thyself　of　it　with　more　goodness　and　simplicity。

XXXVI。　　It　is　all　one　to　see　these　things　for　a　hundred　of　years　together　or　but　for　three　years。

XXXVII。　　If　he　have　sinned；　his　is　the　harm；　not　mine。　But　perchance　he　hath　not。

XXXVIII。　　Either　all　things　by　the　providence　of　reason　happen　unto　every　particular；　as　a　part　of　one　general　body　；　and　then　it　is　against　reason　that　a　part　should　complain　of　anything　that　happens　for　the　good　of　the　whole；　or　if；　according　to　Epicurus；　atoms　be　the　cause　of　all　things　and　that　life　be　nothing　else　but　an　accidentary　confusion　of　things；　and　death　nothing　else；　but　a　mere　dispersion　and　so　of　all　other　things：　what　doest　thou　trouble　thyself　for？

XXXIX。　　Sayest　thou　unto　that　rational　part；　Thou　art　dead；　corruption　hath　taken　hold　on　thee？　　Doth　it　then　also　void　excrements？　Doth　it　like　either　oxen；　or　sheep；　graze　or　feed；　that　it　also　should　be　mortal；　as　well　as　the　body？

XL。　　Either　the　Gods　can　do　nothing　for　us　at　all；　or　they　can　still　and　allay　all　the　distractions　and　distempers　of　thy　mind。　If　they　can　do　nothing；　why　doest　thou　pray？　　If　they　can；　why　wouldst　not　thou　rather　pray；　that　they　will　grant　unto　thee；　that　thou　mayst　neither　fear；　nor　lust　after　any　of　those　worldly　things　which　cause　these　distractions　and　distempers　of　it？　Why　not　rather；　that　thou　mayst　not　at　either　their　absence　or　presence；　be　grieved　and　discontented：　　than　either　that　thou　mayst　obtain　them；　or　that　thou　mayst　avoid　them？　　For　certainly　it　must　needs　be；　that　if　the　Gods　can　help　us　in　anything；　they　may　in　this　kind　also。　But　thou　wilt　say　perchance；　'In　those　things　the　Gods　have　given　me　my　liberty：　　and　it　is　in　mine　own　power　to　do　what　I　will。'　But　if　thou　mayst　use　this　liberty；　rather　to　set　thy　mind　at　true　liberty；　than　wilfully　with　baseness　and　servility　of　mind　to　affect　those　things；　which　either　to　compass　or　to　avoid　is　not　in　thy　power；　wert　not　thou　better？　　And　as　for　the　Gods；　who　hath　told　thee；　that　they　may　not　help　us　up　even　in　those　things　that　they　have　put　in　our　own　power？　whether　it　be　so　or　no；　thou　shalt　soon　perceive；　if　thou　wilt　but　try　thyself　and　pray。　One　prayeth　that　he　may　compass　his　desire；　to　lie　with　such　or　such　a　one；　pray　thou　that　thou　mayst　not　lust　to　lie　with　her。　Another　how　he　may　be　rid　of　such　a　one；　pray　thou　that　thou　mayst　so　patiently　bear　with　him；　as　that　thou　have　no　such　need　to　be　rid　of　him。　　Another；　that　he　may　not　lose　his　child。　Pray　thou　that　thou　mayst　not　fear　to　lose　him。　　To　this　end　and　purpose；　let　all　thy　prayer　be；　and　see　what　will　be　the　event。

XLI。　　'In　my　sickness'　（saith　Epicurus　of　himself：）　'my　discourses　were　not　concerning　the　nature　of　my　disease；　neither　was　that；　to　them　that　came　to　visit　me；　the　subject　of　my　talk；　but　in　the　consideration　and　contemplation　of　that；　which　was　of　especial　weight　and　moment；　was　all　my　time　bestowed　and　spent；　and　among　others　in　this　very　thing；　how　my　mind；　by　a　natural　and　unavoidable　sympathy　partaking　in　some　sort　with　the　present　indisposition　of　my　body；　might　nevertheless　keep　herself　free　from　trouble；　and　in　present　possession　of　her　own　proper　happiness。　　Neither　did　I　leave　the　ordering　of　my　body　to　the　physicians　altogether　to　do　with　me　what　they　would；　as　though　I　expected　any　great　matter　from　them；　or　as　though　I　thought　it　a　matter　of　such　great　consequence；　by　their　means　to　recover　my　health：　　for　my　present　estate；　methought；　liked　me　very　well；　and　gave　me　good　content。'　Whether　therefore　in　sickness　（if　thou　chance　to　sicken）　or　in　what　other　kind　of　extremity　soever；　endeavour　thou　also　to　be　in　thy　mind　so　affected；　as　he　doth　report　of　himself：　not　to　depart　from　thy　philosophy　for　anything　that　can　befall　thee；　nor　to　give　ear　to　the　discourses　of　silly　people；　and　mere　naturalists。　　XLII。　　It　is　common　to　all　trades　and　professions　to　mind　and　intend　that　only；　which　now　they　are　about；　and　the　instrument　whereby　they　work。

XLIII。　　When　at　any　time　thou　art　offended　with　any　one's　impudency；　put　presently　this　question　to　thyself：　　'What？　　Is　it　then　possible；　that　there　should　not　be　any　impudent　men　in　the　world！　Certainly　it　is　not　possible。'　　Desire　not　then　that　which　is　impossible。　　For　this　one；　（thou　must　think）　whosoever　he　be；　is　one　of　those　impudent　ones；　that　the　world　cannot　be　without。　So　of　the　subtile　and　crafty；　so　of　the　perfidious；　so　of　every　one　that　offendeth；　must　thou　ever　be　ready　to　reason　with　thyself。　For　whilst　in　general　thou　dost　thus　reason　with　thyself；　that　the　kind　of　them　must　needs　be　in　the　world；　thou　wilt　be　the　better　able　to　use　meekness　towards　every　particular。　This　also　thou　shalt　find　of　very　good　use；　upon　every　such　occasion；　presently　to　consider　with　thyself；　what　proper　virtue　nature　hath　furnished　man　with；　against　such　a　vice；　or　to　encounter　with　a　disposition　vicious　in　this　kind。　As　for　example；　against　the　unthankful；　it　hath　given　goodness　and　meekness；　as　an　antidote；　and　so　against　another　vicious　in　another　kind　some　other　peculiar　faculty。　　And　generally；　is　it　not　in　thy　power　to　instruct　him　better；　that　is　in　an　error？　For　whosoever　sinneth；　doth　in　that　decline　from　his　purposed　end；　and　is　certainly　deceived；　And　again；　what　art　thou　the　worse　for　his　sin？　　For　thou　shalt　not　find　that　any　one　of　these；　against　whom　thou　art　incensed；　hath　in　very　deed　done　anything　whereby　thy　mind　（the　only　true　subject　of　thy　hurt　and　evil）　can　be　made　worse　than　it　was。　　And　what　a　matter　of　either　grief　or　wonder　is　this；　if　he　that　is　unlearned；　do　the　deeds　of　one　that　is　unlearned？　　Should　not　thou　rather　blame　thyself；　who；　when　upon　very　good　grounds　of　reason；　thou　mightst　have　thought　it　very　probable；　that　such　a　thing　would　by　such　a　one　be　committed；　didst　not　only　not　foresee　it；　but　moreover　dost　wonder　at　it；　that　such　a　thing　should　be