XXIV。　　That　rational　essence　by　which　the　universe　is　governed；　is　for　community　and　society；　and　therefore　hath　it　both　made　the　things　that　are　worse；　for　the　best；　and　hath　allied　and　knit　together　those　which　are　best；　as　it　were　in　an　harmony。　Seest　thou　not　how　it　hath　sub…ordinated；　and　co…ordinated？　and　how　it　hath　distributed　unto　everything　according　to　its　worth？　and　those　which　have　the　pre…eminency　and　superiority　above　all；　hath　it　united　together；　into　a　mutual　consent　and　agreement。
  XXV。　　How　hast　thou　carried　thyself　hitherto　towards　the　Gods？　towards　thy　parents？　towards　thy　brethren？　towards　thy　wife？　towards　thy　children？　towards　thy　masters？　thy　foster…fathers？　thy　friends？　thy　domestics？　thy　servants？　　Is　it　so　with　thee；　that　hitherto　thou　hast　neither　by　word　or　deed　wronged　any　of　them？　Remember　withal　through　how　many　things　thou　hast　already　passed；　and　how　many　thou　hast　been　able　to　endure；　so　that　now　the　legend　of　thy　life　is　full；　and　thy　charge　is　accomplished。　Again；　how　many　truly　good　things　have　certainly　by　thee　been　discerned？　how　many　pleasures；　how　many　pains　hast　thou　passed　over　with　contempt？　how　many　things　eternally　glorious　hast　thou　despised？　towards　how　many　perverse　unreasonable　men　hast　thou　carried　thyself　kindly；　and　discreetly？
  XXVI。　　Why　should　imprudent　unlearned　souls　trouble　that　which　is　both　learned；　and　prudent？　　And　which　is　that　that　is　so？　she　that　understandeth　the　beginning　and　the　end；　and　hath　the　true　knowledge　of　that　rational　essence；　that　passeth　through　all　things　subsisting；　and　through　all　ages　being　ever　the　same；　disposing　and　dispensing　as　it　were　this　universe　by　certain　periods　of　time。
  XXVII。　　Within　a　very　little　while；　thou　wilt　be　either　ashes；　or　a　sceletum；　and　a　name　perchance；　and　perchance；　not　so　much　as　a　name。　　And　what　is　that　but　an　empty　sound；　and　a　rebounding　echo？　　Those　things　which　in　this　life　are　dearest　unto　us；　and　of　most　account；　they　are　in　themselves　but　vain；　putrid；　contemptible。　　The　most　weighty　and　serious；　if　rightly　esteemed；　but　as　puppies；　biting　one　another：　or　untoward　children；　now　laughing　and　then　crying。　As　for　faith；　and　modesty；　and　justice；　and　truth；　they　long　since；　as　one　of　the　poets　hath　it；　have　abandoned　this　spacious　earth；　and　retired　themselves　unto　heaven。　What　is　it　then　that　doth　keep　thee　here；　if　things　sensible　be　so　mutable　and　unsettled？　and　the　senses　so　obscure；　and　so　fallible？　and　our　souls　nothing　but　an　exhalation　of　blood？　and　to　be　in　credit　among　such；　be　but　vanity？　What　is　it　that　thou　dost　stay　for？　an　extinction；　or　a　translation；　either　of　them　with　a　propitious　and　contented　mind。　But　still　that　time　come；　what　will　content　thee？　what　else；　but　to　worship　and　praise　the　Gods；　and　to　do　good　unto　men。　To　bear　with　them；　and　to　forbear　to　do　them　any　wrong。　And　for　all　external　things　belonging　either　to　this　thy　wretched　body；　or　life；　to　remember　that　they　are　neither　thine；　nor　in　thy　power。
  XXVIII。　　Thou　mayest　always　speed；　if　thou　wilt　but　make　choice　of　the　right　way；　if　in　the　course　both　of　thine　opinions　and　actions；　thou　wilt　observe　a　true　method。　These　two　things　be　common　to　the　souls；　as　of　God；　so　of　men；　and　of　every　reasonable　creature；　first　that　in　their　own　proper　work　they　cannot　be　hindered　by　anything：　　and　secondly；　that　their　happiness　doth　consist　in　a　disposition　to；　and　in　the　practice　of　righteousness；　and　that　in　these　their　desire　is　terminated。
  XXIX。　　If　this　neither　be　my　wicked　act；　nor　an　act　anyways　depending　from　any　wickedness　of　mine；　and　that　by　it　the　public　is　not　hurt；　what　doth　it　concern　me？　　And　wherein　can　the　public　be　hurt？　For　thou　must　not　altogether　be　carried　by　conceit　and　common　opinion：　as　for　help　thou　must　afford　that　unto　them　after　thy　best　ability；　and　as　occasion　shall　require；　though　they　sustain　damage；　but　in　these　middle　or　worldly　things；　but　however　do　not　thou　conceive　that　they　are　truly　hurt　thereby：　　for　that　is　not　right。　But　as　that　old　foster…father　in　the　comedy；　being　now　to　take　his　leave　doth　with　a　great　deal　of　ceremony；　require　his　foster…child's　rhombus；　or　rattle…top；　remembering　nevertheless　that　it　is　but　a　rhombus；　so　here　also　do　thou　likewise。　　For　indeed　what　is　all　this　pleading　and　public　bawling　for　at　the　courts？　　O　man；　hast　thou　forgotten　what　those　things　are！　yea　but　they　are　things　that　others　much　care　for；　and　highly　esteem　of。　　Wilt　thou　therefore　be　a　fool　too　？　Once　I　was　；　let　that　suffice。
  XXX。　　Let　death　surprise　rue　when　it　will；　and　where　it　will；　I　may　be　a　happy　man；　nevertheless。
  For　he　is　a　happy　man；　who　in　his　lifetime　dealeth　unto　himself　a　happy　lot　and　portion。　　A　happy　lot　and　portion　is；　good　inclinations　of　the　soul；　good　desires；　good　actions。
  THE　SIXTH　BOOK
  I。　The　matter　itself；　of　which　the　universe　doth　consist；　is　of　itself　very　tractable　and　pliable。　　That　rational　essence　that　doth　govern　it；　bath　in　itself　no　cause　to　do　evil。　It　bath　no　evil　in　itsell；　neither　can　it　do　anything　that　is　evil：　neither　can　anything　be　hurt　by　it。　　And　all　things　are　done　and　determined　according　to　its　will　and　prescript。
  II。　　Be　it　all　one　unto　thee；　whether　half　frozen　or　well　warm；　whether　only　slumbering；　or　after　a　full　sleep；　whether　discommended　or　commended　thou　do　thy　duty：　or　whether　dying　or　doing　somewhat　else；　for　that　also　'to　die；'　must　among　the　rest　be　reckoned　as　one　of　the　duties　and　actions　of　our　lives。
  III。　　Look　in；　let　not　either　the　proper　quality；　or　the　true　worth　of　anything　pass　thee；　before　thou　hast　fully　apprehended　it。
  IV。　　All　substances　come　soon　to　their　change；　and　either　they　shall　be　resolved　by　way　of　exhalation　（if　so　be　that　all　things　shall　be　reunited　into　one　substance）；　or　as　others　maintain；　they　shall　be　scattered　and　dispersed。　As　for　that　Rational　Essence　by　which　all　things　are　governed；　as　it　best　understandeth　itself；　both　its　own　disposition；　and　what　it　doth；　and　what　matter　it　hath　to　do　with　and　accordingly　doth　all　things；　so　we　that　do　not；　no　wonder；　if　we　wonder　at　many　things；　the　reasons　whereof　we　cannot　comprehend。
  V。　The　best　kind　of　revenge　is；　not　to　become　like　unto　them。
  VI。　　Let　this　be　thy　only　joy；　and　thy　only　comfort；　from　one　sociable　kind　action　without　intermission　to　pass　unto　another；　God　being　ever　in　thy　mind。
  VII。　　The　rational　commanding　part；　as　it　alone　can　stir　up　and　turn　itself；　so　it　maketh　both　itself　to　be；　and　everything　that　happeneth；　to　appear　unto　itself；　as　it　will　itself。
  VIII。　　According　to　the　nature　of　the　universe　all　things　particular　are　determined；　not　according　to　any　other　nature；　either　about　compassing　and　containing；　or　within；　dispersed　and　contained；　or　without；　depending。　Either　this　universe　is　a　mere　confused　mass；　and　an　intricate　context　of　things；　which　shall　in　time　be　scattered　and　dispersed　again：　or　it　is　an　union　consisting　of　order；　and　administered　by　Providence。　If　the　first；　why　should　I　desire　to　continue　any　longer　in　this　fortuit　confusion　and　commixtion？　or　why　should　I　take　care　for　anything　else；　but　that　as　soon　as　may　be　I　may　be　earth　again？　　And　why　should　I　trouble　myself　any　more　whilst　I　seek　to　please　the　Gods？　　Whatsoever　I　do；　dispersion　is　my　end；　and　will　come　upon　me　whether　I　will　or　no。　But　if　the　latter　be；　then　am　not　I　religious　in　vain；　then　will　I　be　quiet　and　patient；　and　put　my　trust　in　Him；　who　is　the　Governor　of　all。　　IX。　　Whensoever　by　some　present　hard　occurrences　thou　art　constrained　to　be　in　some　sort　troubled　and　vexed；　return　unto　thyself　as　soon　as　may　be；　and　be　not　out　of　tune　longer　than　thou　must　needs。　For　so　shalt　thou　be　the　better　able　to　keep　thy　part　another　time；　and　to　maintain　the　harmony；　if　thou　dost　use　thyself　to　this　continually；　once　out；　presently　to　have　recourse　unto　it；　and　to　begin　again。
  X。　If　it　were　that　thou　hadst　at　one　time　both　a　stepmother；　and　a　natural　mother　living；　thou　wouldst　honour　and　respect　her　also；　nevertheless　to　thine　own　natural　mother　would　thy　refuge；　and　recourse　be　continually。　　So　let　the　court　and　thy　philosophy　be　unto　thee。　Have　recourse　unto　it　often；　and　comfort　thyself　in　her；　by　whom　it　is　that　those　other　things　are　made　tolerable　unto　thee；　and　thou　also　in　those　things　not　intolerable　unto　others。
  XI。　　How　marvellous　useful　it　is　for　a　man　to　represent　unto　himself　meats；　and　all　such　things　that　are　for　the　mouth；　under　a　right　apprehension　and　imagination！　as　for　example：　This　is　the　carcass　of　a　fish；　this　of　a　bird；　and　this　of　a　hog。　And　again　more　generally；　This　phalernum；　this　excellent　highly　commended　wine；　is　but　the　bare　juice　of　an　ordinary　grape。　This　purple　robe；　but　sheep's　hairs；　dyed　with　the　blood　of　a　shellfish。　So　for　coitus；　it　is　but　the　attrition　of　an　ordinary　base　entrail；　and　the　excretion　of　a　little　vile　snivel；　with　a　certain　kind　of　convulsion：　　according　to　Hippocrates　his　opinion。　How　excellent　useful　are　these　lively　fancies　and　representations　of　things；　thus　penetrating　and　passing　through　the　objects；　to　make　their　true　nature　known　and　apparent！　　This　must　thou　use　all　thy　life　long；　and　upon　all　occasions：　　and　then　especially；　when　matters　are　apprehended