the　times　of　Trajan。　　There　likewise　thou　seest　the　very　self…same　things；　and　that　age　also　is　now　over　and　ended。　In　the　like　manner　consider　other　periods；　both　of　times　and　of　whole　nations；　and　see　how　many　men；　after　they　had　with　all　their　might　and　main　intended　and　prosecuted　some　one　worldly　thing　or　other　did　soon　after　drop　away；　and　were　resolved　into　the　elements。　But　especially　thou　must　call　to　mind　them；　whom　thou　thyself　in　thy　lifetime　hast　known　much　distracted　about　vain　things；　and　in　the　meantime　neglecting　to　do　that；　and　closely　and　unseparably　（as　fully　satisfied　with　it）　to　adhere　unto　it；　which　their　own　proper　constitution　did　require。　　And　here　thou　must　remember；　that　thy　carriage　in　every　business　must　be　according　to　the　worth　and　due　proportion　of　it；　for　so　shalt　thou　not　easily　be　tired　out　and　vexed；　if　thou　shalt　not　dwell　upon　small　matters　longer　than　is　fitting。
  XXVIII。　　Those　words　which　once　were　common　and　ordinary；　are　now　become　obscure　and　obsolete；　and　so　the　names　of　men　once　commonly　known　and　famous；　are　now　become　in　a　manner　obscure　and　obsolete　names。　　Camillus；　Cieso；　Volesius；　Leonnatus；　not　long　after；　Scipio；　Cato；　then　Augustus；　then　Adrianus；　then　Antoninus　Pius：　　all　these　in　a　short　time　will　be　out　of　date；　and；　as　things　of　another　world　as　it　were；　become　fabulous。　And　this　I　say　of　them；　who　once　shined　as　the　wonders　of　their　ages；　for　as　for　the　rest；　no　sooner　are　they　expired；　than　with　them　all　their　fame　and　memory。　　And　what　is　it　then　that　shall　always　be　remembered？　all　is　vanity。　　What　is　it　that　we　must　bestow　our　care　and　diligence　upon？　even　upon　this　only：　that　our　minds　and　wills　be　just；　that　our　actions　be　charitable；　that　our　speech　be　never　deceitful；　or　that　our　understanding　be　not　subject　to　error；　that　our　inclination　be　always　set　to　embrace　whatsoever　shall　happen　unto　us；　as　necessary；　as　usual；　as　ordinary；　as　flowing　from　such　a　beginning；　and　such　a　fountain；　from　which　both　thou　thyself　and　all　things　are。　Willingly　therefore；　and　wholly　surrender　up　thyself　unto　that　fatal　concatenation；　yielding　up　thyself　unto　the　fates；　to　be　disposed　of　at　their　pleasure。
  XXIX。　　Whatsoever　is　now　present；　and　from　day　to　day　hath　its　existence；　all　objects　of　memories；　and　the　minds　and　memories　themselves；　incessantly　consider；　all　things　that　are；　have　their　being　by　change　and　alteration。　　Use　thyself　therefore　often　to　meditate　upon　this；　that　the　nature　of　the　universe　delights　in　nothing　more；　than　in　altering　those　things　that　are；　and　in　making　others　like　unto　them。　So　that　we　may　say；　that　whatsoever　is；　is　but　as　it　were　the　seed　of　that　which　shall　be。　　For　if　thou　think　that　that　only　is　seed；　which　either　the　earth　or　the　womb　receiveth；　thou　art　very　simple。
  XXX。　　Thou　art　now　ready　to　die；　and　yet　hast　thou　not　attained　to　that　perfect　simplicity：　　thou　art　yet　subject　to　many　troubles　and　perturbations；　not　yet　free　from　all　fear　and　suspicion　of　external　accidents；　nor　yet　either　so　meekly　disposed　towards　all　men；　as　thou　shouldest；　or　so　affected　as　one；　whose　only　study　and　only　wisdom　is；　to　be　just　in　all　his　actions。　　XXXI。　　Behold　and　observe；　what　is　the　state　of　their　rational　part；　and　those　that　the　world　doth　account　wise；　see　what　things　they　fly　and　are　afraid　of；　and　what　things　they　hunt　after。
  XXXII。　　In　another　man's　mind　and　understanding　thy　evil　Cannot　subsist；　nor　in　any　proper　temper　or　distemper　of　the　natural　constitution　of　thy　body；　which　is　but　as　it　were　the　coat　or　cottage　of　thy　soul。　Wherein　then；　but　in　that　part　of　thee；　wherein　the　conceit；　and　apprehension　of　any　misery　can　subsist？　　Let　not　that　part　therefore　admit　any　such　conceit；　and　then　all　is　well。　Though　thy　body　which　is　so　near　it　should　either　be　cut　or　burnt；　or　suffer　any　corruption　or　putrefaction；　yet　let　that　part　to　which　it　belongs　to　judge　of　these；　be　still　at　rest；　that　is；　let　her　judge　this；　that　whatsoever　it　is；　that　equally　may　happen　to　a　wicked　man；　and　to　a　good　man；　is　neither　good　nor　evil。　For　that　which　happens　equally　to　him　that　lives　according　to　nature；　and　to　him　that　doth　not；　is　neither　according　to　nature；　nor　against　it；　and　by　consequent；　neither　good　nor　bad。
  XXXIII。　　Ever　consider　and　think　upon　the　world　as　being　but　one　living　substance；　and　having　but　one　soul；　and　how　all　things　in　the　world；　are　terminated　into　one　sensitive　power；　and　are　done　by　one　general　motion　as　it　were；　and　deliberation　of　that　one　soul；　and　how　all　things　that　are；　concur　in　the　cause　of　one　another's　being；　and　by　what　manner　of　connection　and　concatenation　all　things　happen。
  XXXIV。　　What　art　thou；　that　better　and　divine　part　excepted；　but　as　Epictetus　said　well；　a　wretched　soul；　appointed　to　carry　a　carcass　up　and　down？
  XXXV。　　To　suffer　change　can　be　no　hurt；　as　no　benefit　it　is；　by　change　to　attain　to　being。　　The　age　and　time　of　the　world　is　as　it　were　a　flood　and　swift　current；　consisting　of　the　things　that　are　brought　to　pass　in　the　world。　For　as　soon　as　anything　hath　appeared；　and　is　passed　away；　another　succeeds；　and　that　also　will　presently　out　of　sight。
  XXXVI。　　Whatsoever　doth　happen　in　the　world；　is；　in　the　course　of　nature；　as　usual　and　ordinary　as　a　rose　in　the　spring；　and　fruit　in　summer。　Of　the　same　nature　is　sickness　and　death；　slander；　and　lying　in　wait；　and　whatsoever　else　ordinarily　doth　unto　fools　use　to　be　occasion　either　of　joy　or　sorrow。　　That；　whatsoever　it　is；　that　comes　after；　doth　always　very　naturally；　and　as　it　were　familiarly；　follow　upon　that　which　was　before。　　For　thou　must　consider　the　things　of　the　world；　not　as　a　loose　independent　number；　consisting　merely　of　necessary　events；　but　as　a　discreet　connection　of　things　orderly　and　harmoniously　disposed。　There　is　then　to　be　seen　in　the　things　of　the　world；　not　a　bare　succession；　but　an　admirable　correspondence　and　affinity。
  XXXVII。　　Let　that　of　Heraclitus　never　be　out　of　thy　mind；　that　the　death　of　earth；　is　water；　and　the　death　of　water；　is　air；　and　the　death　of　air；　is　fire；　and　so　on　the　contrary。　　Remember　him　also　who　was　ignorant　whither　the　way　did　lead；　and　how　that　reason　being　the　thing　by　which　all　things　in　the　world　are　administered；　and　which　men　are　continually　and　most　inwardly　conversant　with：　yet　is　the　thing；　which　ordinarily　they　are　most　in　opposition　with；　and　how　those　things　which　daily　happen　among　them；　cease　not　daily　to　be　strange　unto　them；　and　that　we　should　not　either　speak；　or　do　anything　as　men　in　their　sleep；　by　opinion　and　bare　imagination：　for　then　we　think　we　speak　and　do；　and　that　we　must　not　be　as　children；　who　follow　their　father's　example；　for　best　reason　alleging　their　bare　successive　tradition　from　our　forefathers　we　have　received　it。
  XXXVIII。　　Even　as　if　any　of　the　gods　should　tell　thee；　Thou　shalt　certainly　die　to…morrow；　or　next　day；　thou　wouldst　not；　except　thou　wert　extremely　base　and　pusillanimous；　take　it　for　a　great　benefit；　rather　to　die　the　next　day　after；　than　to…morrow；　（for　alas；　what　is　the　difference！）　so；　for　the　same　reason；　think　it　no　great　matter　to　die　rather　many　years　after；　than　the　very　next　day。
  XXXIX。　　Let　it　be　thy　perpetual　meditation；　how　many　physicians　who　once　looked　so　grim；　and　so　tetrically　shrunk　their　brows　upon　their　patients；　are　dead　and　gone　themselves。　　How　many　astrologers；　after　that　in　great　ostentation　they　had　foretold　the　death　of　some　others；　how　many　philosophers　after　so　many　elaborate　tracts　and　volumes　concerning　either　mortality　or　immortality；　how　many　brave　captains　and　commanders；　after　the　death　and　slaughter　of　so　many；　how　many　kings　and　tyrants；　after　they　had　with　such　horror　and　insolency　abused　their　power　upon　men's　lives；　as　though　themselves　had　been　immortal；　how　many；　that　I　may　so　speak；　whole　cities　both　men　and　towns：　Helice；　Pompeii；　Herculaneum；　and　others　innumerable　are　dead　and　gone。　Run　them　over　also；　whom　thou　thyself；　one　after　another；　hast　known　in　thy　time　to　drop　away。　　Such　and　such　a　one　took　care　of　such　and　such　a　one's　burial；　and　soon　after　was　buried　himself。　So　one；　so　another：　　and　all　things　in　a　short　time。　　For　herein　lieth　all　indeed；　ever　to　look　upon　all　worldly　things；　as　things　for　their　continuance；　that　are　but　for　a　day：　　and　for　their　worth；　most　vile；　and　contemptible；　as　for　example；　What　is　man？　That　which　but　the　other　day　when　he　was　conceived　was　vile　snivel；　and　within　few　days　shall　be　either　an　embalmed　carcass；　or　mere　ashes。　Thus　must　thou　according　to　truth　and　nature；　throughly　consider　how　man's　life　is　but　for　a　very　moment　of　time；　and　so　depart　meek　and　contented：　even　as　if　a　ripe　olive　falling　should　praise　the　ground　that　bare　her；　and　give　thanks　to　the　tree　that　begat　her。
  XL。　　Thou　must　be　like　a　promontory　of　the　sea；　against　which　though　the　waves　beat　continually；　yet　it　both　itself　stands；　and　about　it　are　those　swelling　waves　stilled　and　quieted。
  XLI。　　Oh；　wretched　I；　to　whom　this　mischance　is　happened！　nay；　happy　I；　to　whom　this　thing　being　happened；　I　can　continue　without　grief；　neither　wounded　by　that　which　is　present；　nor　in　fear　of　that　which　is　to　come。　For　as　for　this；　it　might　have　happened　unto　any　man；　but　any　man　having　such