the meditations-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　things　that　are　commonly　said　to　happen　by　fortune；　even　those　must　be　conceived　to　have　dependence　from　nature；　or　from　that　first　and　general　connection；　and　concatenation　of　all　those　things；　which　more　apparently　by　the　divine　providence　are　administered　and　brought　to　pass。　　All　things　flow　from　thence：　and　whatsoever　it　is　that　is；　is　both　necessary；　and　conducing　to　the　whole　（part　of　which　thou　art）；　and　whatsoever　it　is　that　is　requisite　and　necessary　for　the　preservation　of　the　general；　must　of　necessity　for　every　particular　nature；　be　good　and　behoveful。　And　as　for　the　whole；　it　is　preserved；　as　by　the　perpetual　mutation　and　conversion　of　the　simple　elements　one　into　another；　so　also　by　the　mutation；　and　alteration　of　things　mixed　and　compounded。　Let　these　things　suffice　thee；　let　them　be　always　unto　thee；　as　thy　general　rules　and　precepts。　　As　for　thy　thirst　after　books；　away　with　it　with　all　speed；　that　thou　die　not　murmuring　and　complaining；　but　truly　meek　and　well　satisfied；　and　from　thy　heart　thankful　unto　the　gods。

THE　SECOND　BOOK

I。　Remember　how　long　thou　hast　already　put　off　these　things；　and　how　often　a　certain　day　and　hour　as　it　were；　having　been　set　unto　thee　by　the　gods；　thou　hast　neglected　it。　　It　is　high　time　for　thee　to　understand　the　true　nature　both　of　the　world；　whereof　thou　art　a　part；　and　of　that　Lord　and　Governor　of　the　world；　from　whom；　as　a　channel　from　the　spring；　thou　thyself　didst　flow：　and　that　there　is　but　a　certain　limit　of　time　appointed　unto　thee；　which　if　thou　shalt　not　make　use　of　to　calm　and　allay　the　many　distempers　of　thy　soul；　it　will　pass　away　and　thou　with　it；　and　never　after　return。

II。　　Let　it　be　thy　earnest　and　incessant　care　as　a　Roman　and　a　man　to　perform　whatsoever　it　is　that　thou　art　about；　with　true　and　unfeigned　gravity；　natural　affection；　freedom　and　justice：　and　as　for　all　other　cares；　and　imaginations；　how　thou　mayest　ease　thy　mind　of　them。　　Which　thou　shalt　do；　if　thou　shalt　go　about　every　action　as　thy　last　action；　free　from　all　vanity；　all　passionate　and　wilful　aberration　from　reason；　and　from　all　hypocrisy；　and　self…love；　and　dislike　of　those　things；　which　by　the　fates　or　appointment　of　God　have　happened　unto　thee。　Thou　seest　that　those　things；　which　for　a　man　to　hold　on　in　a　prosperous　course；　and　to　live　a　divine　life；　are　requisite　and　necessary；　are　not　many；　for　the　gods　will　require　no　more　of　any　man；　that　shall　but　keep　and　observe　these　things。

III。　　Do；　soul；　do；　abuse　and　contemn　thyself；　yet　a　while　and　the　time　for　thee　to　respect　thyself；　will　be　at　an　end。　Every　man's　happiness　depends　from　himself；　but　behold　thy　life　is　almost　at　an　end；　whiles　affording　thyself　no　respect；　thou　dost　make　thy　happiness　to　consist　in　the　souls；　and　conceits　of　other　men。　IV　Why　should　any　of　these　things　that　happen　externally；　so　much　distract　thee？　　Give　thyself　leisure　to　learn　some　good　thing；　and　cease　roving　and　wandering　to　and　fro。　Thou　must　also　take　heed　of　another　kind　of　wandering；　for　they　are　idle　in　their　actions；　who　toil　and　labour　in　this　life；　and　have　no　certain　scope　to　which　to　direct　all　their　motions；　and　desires。　　V。　For　not　observing　the　state　of　another　man's　soul；　scarce　was　ever　any　man　known　to　be　unhappy。　tell　whosoever　they　be　that　intend　not；　and　guide　not　by　reason　and　discretion　the　motions　of　their　own　souls；　they　must　of　necessity　be　unhappy。

VI。　　These　things　thou　must　always　have　in　mind：　　What　is　the　nature　of　the　universe；　and　what　is　minein　particular：　　This　unto　that　what　relation　it　hath：　　what　kind　of　part；　of　what　kind　of　universe　it　is：　And　that　there　is　nobody　that　can　hinder　thee；　but　that　thou　mayest　always　both　do　and　speak　those　things　which　are　agreeable　to　that　nature；　whereof　thou　art　a　part。　　VII。　　Theophrastus；　where　he　compares　sin　with　sin　（as　after　a　vulgar　sense　such　things　I　grant　may　be　compared：）　says　well　and　like　a　philosopher；　that　those　sins　are　greater　which　are　committed　through　lust；　than　those　which　are　committed　through　anger。　For　he　that　is　angry　seems　with　a　kind　of　grief　and　close　contraction　of　himself；　to　turn　away　from　reason；　but　he　that　sins　through　lust；　being　overcome　by　pleasure；　doth　in　his　very　sin　bewray　a　more　impotent；　and　unmanlike　disposition。　　Well　then　and　like　a　philosopher　doth　he　say；　that　he　of　the　two　is　the　more　to　be　condemned；　that　sins　with　pleasure；　than　he　that　sins　with　grief。　　For　indeed　this　latter　may　seem　first　to　have　been　wronged；　and　so　in　some　manner　through　grief　thereof　to　have　been　forced　to　be　angry；　whereas　he　who　through　lust　doth　commit　anything；　did　of　himself　merely　resolve　upon　that　action。

VIII。　　Whatsoever　thou　dost　affect；　whatsoever　thou　dost　project；　so　do；　and　so　project　all；　as　one　who；　for　aught　thou　knowest；　may　at　this　very　present　depart　out　of　this　life。　And　as　for　death；　if　there　be　any　gods；　it　is　no　grievous　thing　to　leave　the　society　of　men。　　The　gods　will　do　thee　no　hurt；　thou　mayest　be　sure。　　But　if　it　be　so　that　there　be　no　gods；　or　that　they　take　no　care　of　the　world；　why　should　I　desire　to　live　in　a　world　void　of　gods；　and　of　all　divine　providence？　But　gods　there　be　certainly；　and　they　take　care　for　the　world；　and　as　for　those　things　which　be　truly　evil；　as　vice　and。　wickedness；　such　things　they　have　put　in　a　man　s　own　power；　that　he　might　avoid　them　if　he　would：　　and　had　there　been　anything　besides　that　had　been　truly　bad　and　evil；　they　would　have　had　a　care　of　that　also；　that　a　man　might　have　avoided　it。　But　why　should　that　be　thought　to　hurt　and　prejudice　a　man's　life　in　this　world；　which　cannot　any　ways　make　man　himself　the　better；　or　the　worse　in　his　own　person？　　Neither　must　we　think　that　the　nature　of　the　universe　did　either　through　ignorance　pass　these　things；　or　if　not　as　ignorant　of　them；　yet　as　unable　either　to　prevent；　or　better　to　order　and　dispose　them。　It　cannot　be　that　she　through　want　either　of　power　or　skill；　should　have　committed　such　a　thing；　so　as　to　suffer　all　things　both　good　and　bad；　equally　and　promiscuously；　to　happen　unto　all　both　good　and　bad。　　As　for　life　therefore；　and　death；　honour　and　dishonour；　labour　and　pleasure；　riches　and　poverty；　all　these　things　happen　unto　men　indeed；　both　good　and　bad；　equally；　but　as　things　which　of　themselves　are　neither　good　nor　bad；　because　of　themselves；　neither　shameful　nor　praiseworthy。

IX。　　Consider　how　quickly　all　things　are　dissolved　and　resolved：　the　bodies　and　substances　themselves；　into　the　matter　and　substance　of　the　world：　　and　their　memories　into　the　general　age　and　time　of　the　world。　　Consider　the　nature　of　all　worldly　sensible　things；　of　those　especially；　which　either　ensnare　by　pleasure；　or　for　their　irksomeness　are　dreadful；　or　for　their　outward　lustre　and　show　are　in　great　esteem　and　request；　how　vile　and　contemptible；　how　base　and　corruptible；　how　destitute　of　all　true　life　and　being　they　are。

X。　It　is　the　part　of　a　man　endowed　with　a　good　understanding　faculty；　to　consider　what　they　themselves　are　in　very　deed；　from　whose　bare　conceits　and　voices；　honour　and　credit　do　proceed：　as　also　what　it　is　to　die；　and　how　if　a　man　shall　consider　this　by　itself　alone；　to　die；　and　separate　from　it　in　his　mind　all　those　things　which　with　it　usually　represent　themselves　unto　us；　he　can　conceive　of　it　no　otherwise；　than　as　of　a　work　of　nature；　and　he　that　fears　any　work　of　nature；　is　a　very　child。　　Now　death；　it　is　not　only　a　work　of　nature；　but　also　conducing　to　nature。

XI。　　Consider　with　thyself　how　man；　and　by　what　part　of　his；　is　joined　unto　God；　and　how　that　part　of　man　is　affected；　when　it　is　said　to　be　diffused。　　There　is　nothing　more　wretched　than　that　soul；　which　in　a　kind　of　circuit　compasseth　all　things；　searching　（as　he　saith）　even　the　very　depths　of　the　earth；　and　by　all　signs　and　conjectures　prying　into　the　very　thoughts　of　other　men's　souls；　and　yet　of　this；　is　not　sensible；　that　it　is　sufficient　for　a　man　to　apply　himself　wholly；　and　to　confine　all　his　thoughts　and　cares　to　the　tendance　of　that　spirit　which　is　within　him；　and　truly　and　really　to　serve　him。　His　service　doth　consist　in　this；　that　a　man　keep　himself　pure　from　all　violent　passion　and　evil　affection；　from　all　rashness　and　vanity；　and　from　all　manner　of　discontent；　either　in　regard　of　the　gods　or　men。　For　indeed　whatsoever　proceeds　from　the　gods；　deserves　respect　for　their　worth　and　excellency；　and　whatsoever　proceeds　from　men；　as　they　are　our　kinsmen；　should　by　us　be　entertained；　with　love；　always；　sometimes；　as　proceeding　from　their　ignorance；　of　that　which　is　truly　good　and　bad；　（a　blindness　no　less；　than　that　by　which　we　are　not　able　to　discern　between　white　and　black：）　with　a　kind　of　pity　and　compassion　also。

XII。　　If　thou　shouldst　live　three　thousand；　or　as　many　as　ten　thousands　of　years；　yet　remember　this；　that　man　can　part　with　no　life　properly；　save　with　that　little　part　of　life；　which　he　now　lives：　　and　that　which　he　lives；　is　no　other；　than　that　which　at　every　instant　he　parts　with。　　That　then　which　is　longest　of　duration；　and　that　which　is　shortest；　come　both　to　one　effect。　　For　although　in　regard　of　that　which　is　already　past　there　may　be　some　inequality；　yet　that　time　which　is　now　present　and　in　being；　is　equal　unto　all　men。　And　that　being　it　which　we　part　with　whensoever　we　die；　it　doth　manifestly　appear；　that　it　can　be　but　a　moment　of　time；　that　we　then　part　with。　　For　as　for　that　which　is　either　past　or　to　come；　a　man　cannot　be　said　properly　to　part　with　it。　For　how　should　a　man　part　with　that　which　he　hath　not？　These　two　things　therefore　thou　must　remember。　First；　that　all　things　in　the　world　from　all　eternity；　by　a　perpetual　revolution　of　the　same　times　and　things　ever　continued　and　renewed；　are　of　one　kind　and　nature；　so　that　whether　for　a　hundred　or　two　hundred　years　only；　or　for　an　infinite　space　of　time；　a　man　see　those　things　which　are　still　the　same；　it　can　be　no　matter　of　great　moment。　And　secondly；　that　that　life　which　any　the　longest　liver；　or　the　shortest　liver　parts　with；　is　for　length　and　duration　the　very　same；　for　that　only　which　is　present；　is　that；　which　either　of　them　can　lose；　as　being　that　only　which　they　have；　for　that　which　he　hath　not；　no　man　can　truly　be　said　to　lose。

XIII。　　Remember　that　all　is　but　opinion　and　conceit；　f