Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

iv TO HIMSELF 47
All that befalls is as accustomed and familiar 44
as spring rose, or summer fruit ; so it is with
disease, death, slander, intrigue,
joys or vexes fools.
and all else that
Subsequents follow antecedents by bond of 45
inner consequence ; it is no merely numerical
sequence of arbitrary and isolated units, but
a rational interconnexion. And just as things
existent exhibit harmonious co-ordination, so too
things coming into being display not bare succes-
sion but a marvellous internal relationship.
Remember the word of Heraclitus.
" The 46
death of earth the birth of water, the death of
water the birth of air, the death of air fire," and
so conversely. Remember too his "reveller, un-
"
conscious which way his road leads
;
and again,
" men quarrel with their ever-present friend," even
with the reason that disposes the universe ; and
his " To what they meet each day, men still keep
"
strange." And again, We must not act and speak
like men asleep," albeit even then we seem to act
and speak ;
l nor yet " as children from their father's
lips," that is to say, blindly take all for granted.
Suppose some god informed you that to-morrow, 47
1 The same mot is cited again vi. 42.