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or for a return from the perfon whom you have obliged?

No one is ever weary of receiving favours from their friends. Now it is doing yourfelf a favour, to act conformably to the dictates of nature. Be not weary, therefore, of doing good to others, when, by that means, you are really ferving yourself.

65. The Universal Nature, at a certain period of time, exerted its power in producing this world. But whatever now comes to pass, is either the neceffary confequence of the original plan; or the Governor of the world acted at random in his principal defign. Now to reflect on the abfurdity of this fuppofition, ought to make you easy under all the events of life.

END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK.

BOOK VIII.

§. I.

THI

HIS alfo fhould check your vanity, that you have not yet been able, from your youth at least, to live the life of a philofopher. For it is evident, not only to many others, but to yourself likewife, how far you are from perfection in true wisdom and virtue. Your measures therefore are difconcerted; fo that it is not eafy for you to obtain even the reputation of being a philofopher, as your very station and plan of life militate against your wishes in that refpect.

If therefore you have discovered in what the thing itself really confifts, never regard the reputation of it; but let it fuffice to spend the rest of your life as reason and nature dictate. Examine carefully then what

they

they require, and let nothing divert you from the purfuit. For you are conscious how widely you have hitherto wandered from the right path; and have not yet difcovered the road to virtue and happiness. It does by no means confift in fine reasoning and fyllogifms, nor in wealth, or fame, or sensual pleasure. Where then is it to be found? In performing the duties essential to man. How then fhall he perform them? By adopting proper principles and maxims to regulate his conduct. What maxims are thofe, you will fay? Such as relate to the nature of good and evil; which teach us that nothing is really good for man, but what promotes the virtues of justice, temperance, fortitude, and independence; and nothing evil, but what leads to the contrary vices.

2. In every action, afk yourself this queftion, "How will this probably affect me? Shall I not repent of it hereafter? The time is approaching, when I fhall be gone,

* Which the Stoics were ridiculously fond of, as has before been observed.

and

and every thing around me disappear. If, therefore, the affair in hand be suitable to a rational creature, and one born for fociety, and acting under the fame law with the Gods themselves, what further need I inquire ?"

3. What are Alexander, Julius Cæfar, and Pompey, compared to Diogenes, Heraclitus, and Socrates? These philofophers faw things as they really were; understood their causes, their natures, and effences; and acted upon those principles.

As for thofe great heroes, what a variety of affairs were they folicitous about! and what flaves were they to their exalted rank and their ambition!

4. Let not the wickednefs of the world difconcert you! Mankind will act precisely as they have done, though you should burft yourself with indignation and remonstrating against their abfurdity.

5. Let it be a principal part of your philofophy to preserve your tranquillity: for all things come to pafs by the direction of Providence. And, in a few years, you yourR

felf

self must leave this world, as Hadrian and Auguftus have done before you.

In the next place, confider the affair in its proper light, and you will find, that your whole business here is to be a good man. Whatever the nature of man therefore requires of you, perform it ftrenuously and with affiduity; and whatever justice dictates, on every occasion, speak it boldly, but with good-nature, modefty, and fincerity.

6. Providence, or the Universal Nature, feems continually employed in varying the face of things; transferring its favours from one object to another, and metamorphofing the material world into different forms. All things fubfift by change; yet these changes are fo uniform in their progrefs, that you need not fear left any thing unprecedented fhould be your particular lot; for all things are administered with the utmost equity and impartiality.

7. Every being is contented, when employed in the duties, and in poffeffion of the profperity and perfection which belong to its nature. Now our rational nature is in

that

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