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one can prevent you from living conformably to your own nature and reason: nor can any thing befal you contrary to the wise plan formed for the good of the universe. 52. Observe to what sort of people those who aim at populalarity are forced to pay their court, and to what mean condescensions they must submit, and what poor returns they often meet with; and, after all, how soon will time overwhelm them, as it has so many others, and bury them in eternal oblivion!

END OF THE SIXTH BOOK.

MEDITATIONS.

§. I.

WH

BOOK VII.

HAT is this wickedness, which you thus complain of?' Nothing more than what you have already often seen. And indeed, to whatever comes to pass, you may apply the same remark-" It is what I have before often seen." And, in general, if you reflect on what passes around you, you will find that all the events of the present age are but what the histories of every age, of every city, and of every family are full of. There is nothing new; the same things are commonly repeated, and are of short duration.

2. Those wise maxims [so essential to happiness] can never be entirely erased from your mind, unless the ideas which gave birth to them are extinguished; which, however, it is in your power (and it is very much your interest) frequently to rekindle in your mind. It is in my power to form a proper opinion of every incident; why then do I suffer any perturbation of mind? Nothing external has any coercive power over my sentiments. Be firm in this persuasion, and you will be happy. You will also have this further advantage, by thus recollecting past events, that you will, in some measure, live over again the time that is past.

3. A

fondness for pompous professions, grand exhibitions on the stage, or skirmishes in the amphitheatre; the care of flocks and herds; these are some of the solemn amusements of mankind; and are of much the same importance as the quarrelling of dogs for a bone, of fishes catching at a bait, an hillock of ants in an uproar about carrying a grain of corn, of mice scampering across a room in a fright, or puppets danced on wires. Such is the bustle of human life!

Let us, however, amidst this ludicrous scene of things; not be out of humour, but contemplate it with complacency and benevolence; remembering always to estimate the value of men by the utility of those employments on which they bestow their attention. 4. In every dis

course, attend to what is said; and in every action, observe what is done. In the one, consider the end to which it is directed: in the other, the sense of the words and the views of the speaker.

5. Have I abilities for the business in hand, or not? If I have, I will make use of the talents, as given me by Providence for this purpose; if I have not, I will either resign the affair to one better qualified to execute it; or if it be an indispensible part of my own duty, in that case, I will perform it to the best of my power; taking to my assistance one, who, under my directions, can accomplish it, that the public may not suffer by the opportunity being lost. For, whatever I do, either alone, or in conjunction with another, ought to have nothing in view but what is conducive to the good

of the community.' 6. How many much celebrated men are now consigned to oblivion! how many also of those, who concurred in celebrating them, are themselves now entirely forgotten! 7. Be not ashamed to receive assistance, when necessary. Your business is to perform your duty, like a soldier on ftorming a town. Suppose you were lamed, and unable to mount the walls alone, would you refuse the assistance of your comrade? 8. Be not

solicitous about future possibilities. You will encounter them when they approach, under the conduct of the same reason which you make use of on every present emergency. 9. All parts of the universe are interwoven with each other, and so linked together by nature, in a sacred bond of union, that no one thing is distinct from, or unconnected with, some other, the whole being regularly disposed, and forming this beautiful system which we call the world. For this world, though comprehending all things, is but one; as there is one God that pervades all things; one mass of matter out of which all things are formed; one law, the common reason of all intelligent creatures; one truth and perfection of all beings of the same kind and partak-. ing of the same rational nature. 10. All material substances are continually returning to the general mass; all spiritual beings are soon resorbed into the soul of the universe; and the very memory of all things is, with the same speed, buried in the gulph of time.

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11. With a rational creature, to act according to nature and according to reason, is the same thing; and act, therefore, in such a manner, that you may appear to have been naturally upright, rather than made so by instruction and discipline. 12. Such relation as the members of the same body have to each other, such have all rational beings, though not literally united,* to each other. For they all concur to produce the same salutary effects. This reflection will be more intelligible, if you consider yourself as a necessary and essential member of the rational system, and not merely as an unconnected part: for, in the latter case you will not love mankind so cordially as you ought, nor do a generous action with the same disinterested satisfaction, but merely from a regard to decency," and not from the pleasure of doing good, and adding to your own happiness. 13. It matters not much what external calamities befal those who are so weak as to be affected by them." If they feel their sufferings, they are at liberty to complain, if they choose to do it. For my part, unless I think those incidents that befal me to be really evil, I am not hurt; but it is in my own power to think of them as I please." 14. However other people act or talk, my business is to be good. We should be as true to our nature as inanimate beings; an emerald, suppose, or gold, or purple. Let envy or malice do or say what they, please, I shall still be an emerald, keep my colour, and shine on in defiance of them.

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