DioLiu/Test1 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Thou hast not leisure or ability to read. But thou hast leisure or
ability to check arrogance: thou hast leisure to be superior to pleasure
and pain: thou hast leisure to be superior to love of fame, and not
to be vexed at stupid and ungrateful people, nay even to care for
them.

Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court life
or with thy own.

Repentance is a kind of self-reproof for having neglected something
useful; but that which is good must be something useful, and the perfect
good man should look after it. But no such man would ever repent of
having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure then is neither good
nor useful.

This thing, what is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is
its substance and material? And what its causal nature (or form)?
And what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?

When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is according
to thy constitution and according to human nature to perform social
acts, but sleeping is common also to irrational animals. But that
which is according to each individual's nature is also more peculiarly
its own, and more suitable to its nature, and indeed also more agreeable.

Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression
on the soul, apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic, and of
Dialectic.

Whatever man thou meetest with, immediately say to thyself: What opinions
has this man about good and bad? For if with respect to pleasure and
pain and the causes of each, and with respect to fame and ignominy,
death and life, he has such and such opinions, it will seem nothing
wonderful or strange to me, if he does such and such things; and I
shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.

Remember that as it is a shame to be surprised if the fig-tree produces
figs, so it is to be surprised if the world produces such and such
things of which it is productive; and for the physician and the helmsman
it is a shame to be surprised, if a man has a fever, or if the wind
is unfavourable.

Remember that to change thy opinion and to follow him who corrects
thy error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in thy
error. For it is thy own, the activity which is exerted according
to thy own movement and judgement, and indeed according to thy own
understanding too.

If a thing is in thy own power, why dost thou do it? But if it is
in the power of another, whom dost thou blame? The atoms (chance)
or the gods? Both are foolish. Thou must blame nobody. For if thou
canst, correct that which is the cause; but if thou canst not do this,
correct at least the thing itself; but if thou canst not do even this,
of what use is it to thee to find fault? For nothing should be done
without a purpose.

That which has died falls not out of the universe. If it stays here,
it also changes here, and is dissolved into its proper parts, which
are elements of the universe and of thyself. And these too change,
and they murmur not.

Everything exists for some end, a horse, a vine. Why dost thou wonder?
Even the sun will say, I am for some purpose, and the rest of the
gods will say the same. For what purpose then art thou? to enjoy pleasure?
See if common sense allows this.

Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the
beginning and the continuance, just like the man who throws up a ball.
What good is it then for the ball to be thrown up, or harm for it
to come down, or even to have fallen? And what good is it to the bubble
while it holds together, or what harm when it is burst? The same may
be said of a light also.

Turn it (the body) inside out, and see what kind of thing it is; and
when it has grown old, what kind of thing it becomes, and when it
is diseased.

Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and the rememberer
and the remembered: and all this in a nook of this part of the world;
and not even here do all agree, no, not any one with himself: and
the whole earth too is a point.

Attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion
or an act or a word.

Thou sufferest this justly: for thou choosest rather to become good
to-morrow than to be good to-day.

Am I doing anything? I do it with reference to the good of mankind.
Does anything happen to me? I receive it and refer it to the gods,
and the source of all things, from which all that happens is derived.

Such as bathing appears to thee- oil, sweat, dirt, filthy water, all
things disgusting- so is every part of life and everything.

Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla died. Secunda saw Maximus
die, and then Secunda died. Epitynchanus saw Diotimus die, and Epitynchanus
died. Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus died. Such is
everything. Celer saw Hadrian die, and then Celer died. And those
sharp-witted men, either seers or men inflated with pride, where are

Thou hast not leisure or ability to read. But thou hast leisure or

ability to check arrogance: thou hast leisure to be superior to pleasure

and pain: thou hast leisure to be superior to love of fame, and not

to be vexed at stupid and ungrateful people, nay even to care for

them.

Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court life

or with thy own.

Repentance is a kind of self-reproof for having neglected something

useful; but that which is good must be something useful, and the perfect

good man should look after it. But no such man would ever repent of

having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure then is neither good

nor useful.

This thing, what is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is

its substance and material? And what its causal nature (or form)?

And what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?

When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is according

to thy constitution and according to human nature to perform social

acts, but sleeping is common also to irrational animals. But that

which is according to each individual's nature is also more peculiarly

its own, and more suitable to its nature, and indeed also more agreeable.

Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression

on the soul, apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic, and of

Dialectic.

Whatever man thou meetest with, immediately say to thyself: What opinions

has this man about good and bad? For if with respect to pleasure and

pain and the causes of each, and with respect to fame and ignominy,

death and life, he has such and such opinions, it will seem nothing

wonderful or strange to me, if he does such and such things; and I

shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.

Remember that as it is a shame to be surprised if the fig-tree produces

figs, so it is to be surprised if the world produces such and such

things of which it is productive; and for the physician and the helmsman

it is a shame to be surprised, if a man has a fever, or if the wind

is unfavourable.

Remember that to change thy opinion and to follow him who corrects

thy error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in thy

error. For it is thy own, the activity which is exerted according

to thy own movement and judgement, and indeed according to thy own

understanding too.

If a thing is in thy own power, why dost thou do it? But if it is

in the power of another, whom dost thou blame? The atoms (chance)

or the gods? Both are foolish. Thou must blame nobody. For if thou

canst, correct that which is the cause; but if thou canst not do this,

correct at least the thing itself; but if thou canst not do even this,

of what use is it to thee to find fault? For nothing should be done

without a purpose.

That which has died falls not out of the universe. If it stays here,

it also changes here, and is dissolved into its proper parts, which

are elements of the universe and of thyself. And these too change,

and they murmur not.

Everything exists for some end, a horse, a vine. Why dost thou wonder?

Even the sun will say, I am for some purpose, and the rest of the

gods will say the same. For what purpose then art thou? to enjoy pleasure?

See if common sense allows this.

Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the

beginning and the continuance, just like the man who throws up a ball.

What good is it then for the ball to be thrown up, or harm for it

to come down, or even to have fallen? And what good is it to the bubble

while it holds together, or what harm when it is burst? The same may

be said of a light also.

Turn it (the body) inside out, and see what kind of thing it is; and

when it has grown old, what kind of thing it becomes, and when it

is diseased.

Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and the rememberer

and the remembered: and all this in a nook of this part of the world;

and not even here do all agree, no, not any one with himself: and

the whole earth too is a point.

Attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion

or an act or a word.

Thou sufferest this justly: for thou choosest rather to become good

to-morrow than to be good to-day.

Am I doing anything? I do it with reference to the good of mankind.

Does anything happen to me? I receive it and refer it to the gods,

and the source of all things, from which all that happens is derived.

Such as bathing appears to thee- oil, sweat, dirt, filthy water, all

things disgusting- so is every part of life and everything.

Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla died. Secunda saw Maximus

die, and then Secunda died. Epitynchanus saw Diotimus die, and Epitynchanus

died. Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus died. Such is

everything. Celer saw Hadrian die, and then Celer died. And those

sharp-witted men, either seers or men inflated with pride, where are