Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers
128 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK wait for it as one of nature's operations. Just as now you wait for the offspring to issue from your wife's womb, so expect the hour when your atom of soul will slip its mortal case. If your heart asks for some simple and effective reassurance, the best solace against death is correct appreciation of the material things from which you are to part, and of the moral natures with which your soul will then cease to inter- mingle. Far be it from you to take offence at them ; nay rather, care for them and deal gently with them ; yet remember, that you are parting with men whose principles are not your principles. The one thing, if any, which could hold you back and chain you still to life, would be companionship with kindred spirits. As it is, amid the besetting worry and jangle of life, you cry, ' Come quickly, death, for fear I too forget myself!' 4 He who sins, sins against himself; he who does wrong, wrongs himself, making himself evil. 5 Wrong comes often of not doing doing. 6 Certitude in present view, present act, present as well as unselfishness in contentment with all that
ix TO HIMSELF 129 overtakes you from without have these, and it suffices you. Efface impression ; stay impulse ; quench in- 7 clination ; be master of your Inner Self. The soul distributed among the irrational 8 animals is one, and so too is the soul instinct with mind, that is portioned out among the rational ; just as earth is one in all things earthy, and the light one by which we see, and the air one which we breathe, even all that have sight and breath of life. Things that share a common element feel the 9 impulse of kind towards kind. The earthy ever gravitates towards earth, the aqueous seeks its own level, and so too the aerial ; nothing short of force can dispart them. Fire ascends attracted by the elemental fire ; so ready is it always to combine for ignition, that every solid, in propor- tion to its dryness, readily ignites, the infusion of that which hinders ignition being smaller. So too everything which participates in the common mind-nature feels the like impulse towards kind ; nay more so for the higher the nature, the readier the impulse to combination and fusion with its counterpart. For observe ; among the K
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128 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />
wait for it as one <strong>of</strong> nature's operations. Just<br />
as now you wait for the <strong>of</strong>fspring <strong>to</strong> issue from<br />
your wife's womb, so expect the hour when<br />
your a<strong>to</strong>m <strong>of</strong> soul will slip its mortal case. If<br />
your heart asks for some simple and effective<br />
reassurance, the best solace against<br />
death is<br />
correct appreciation <strong>of</strong> the material things from<br />
which you are <strong>to</strong> part, and <strong>of</strong> the moral natures<br />
with which your soul will then cease <strong>to</strong> inter-<br />
mingle. Far be it from you <strong>to</strong> take <strong>of</strong>fence at<br />
them ; nay rather, care for them and deal<br />
gently with them ; yet remember, that you are<br />
parting with men whose principles are not your<br />
principles. The one thing, if any, which could<br />
hold you back and chain you still <strong>to</strong> life, would<br />
be companionship with kindred spirits. As it is,<br />
amid the besetting worry and jangle <strong>of</strong> life, you<br />
cry, ' Come quickly, death, for fear I <strong>to</strong>o forget<br />
myself!'<br />
4 He who sins, sins against himself; he who<br />
does wrong, wrongs himself, making himself evil.<br />
5 Wrong comes <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>of</strong> not doing<br />
doing.<br />
6 Certitude in present view,<br />
present act, present<br />
as well as<br />
unselfishness in<br />
contentment with all that
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