receive him, than the vital air does those bodies which are capable of breathing.

54. My will or choice is no more dependant on the will or choice of another, than my foul or body is on that of any other. For, though we are born for the mutual benefit and affiftance of each other; yet our mind, or ruling principle, is poffeffed of an exclusive sovereignty within its own sphere: for, otherwise, the misconduct of my neighbour might be a misfortune to me. But Providence has fo ordered it, that it should not be in the power of another to make me unhappy.

55. The fun is apparently every where diffused, yet its beams are never exhausted. For that diffufion is only the extension of its rays, (which, indeed, derive their Greek name from extenfion.)‡

Now the nature of these rays may be discovered, by admitting a stream of them from the fun, through a flender paffage,

The Stoics were fond of etymology, as well as of logic. Axrive; ab Exтeveσda, very improbable. Cicero fometimes imitates this tafte ridiculously enough.

into a dark room. For here the rays proceed in a right line, till they meet with fome folid body, which reflects them, and stops their progress. There the light remains, without fliding off from the illumined object.

In this manner should your understanding diffuse itself to all around:† not exhausting, but extending its influence, though it may meet with oppofition; yet proceeding without noise or violence, and enlightening all that will admit its beams: as for thofe who will not, they only deprive themselves of its light by their refiftance.

56. He who fears death, either fears that he shall be deprived of all fense, or that he fhall have different fenfations. Now, if you lose all fenfation, you will not be fenfible of any pain or fufferings: if you are endowed

† From an habit of moralifing, (as I have obferved) the good Emperor labours to extract a moral from a lecture on optics.

Bishop WARBURTON quotes this fection, to prove that the Stoics did not believe the immortality of the foul. Div. Leg. b. iii. §. 3. See the whole third Book, on the opinion of the philofophers.

with other senses, you will become another creature, and will not cease to live as fuch.

57. Men were born for the fervice and benefit of each other. Either teach them this obvious truth, or bear with their ignorance.

58. The mind, though, like the arrow, directed at fome mark, is different in this refpect. For, though fufpended through caution, or turned afide for deliberation, it ftill proceeds directly towards the object in view.

59. Endeavour to penetrate into the mind of every one with whom you converse; and give every one the fame liberty with you.§

§ GATAKER applies this to a free description of each other's opinions. See EPICTET. Differt. 1. iii. c. 9, Mrs. CARTER'S Tranflation.

END OF THE EIGHTH BOOK.

BOOK IX.

§. I.

HE

E that acts unjustly, acts impioufly. For God, or the Univerfal Nature, having produced all rational creatures to be mutually ferviceable to each other, according to their respective merits, and by no means to injure each other; he who violates this firft principle of nature, prophanely infults the most antient of all Deities. For this Univerfal Nature is the caufe of all things that exift; which are connected with each other by mutual friendship and alliance.

This nature is likewife fometimes ftyled truth, being the cause and original of all truths. He, therefore, that tells a wilful lie, acts alfo impioufly, as he acts unjustly in deceiving his neighbour; and even he who

violates

violates the truth through ignorance, is, in fome measure, liable to the fame charge; as he departs from nature's intention, and, as far as is in his power, breaks in upon the order and harmony of the universe, and promotes the interest of error, in oppofition to truth; and, by neglecting those talents which he had received from nature, he can hardly distinguish truth from falfhood.

Moreover, he who pursues pleasure, as if it were really good, or flies from pain, as if it were evil, he alfo is guilty of impiety. For he that is thus difpofed, must necessarily complain often of the dispensations of Providence, as diftributing its favours to the wicked and to the virtuous, without regard to their respective deferts; the wicked frequently abounding in pleasures, and in the means of procuring them, and the virtuous, on the contrary, being harraffed with pain, and other afflictive circumftances.

Nay, he that is uneafy under affliction, is uneasy at what must neceffarily exist in the world. This uneafinefs, then, is a degree of impiety: and he who is too eager in his pursuit