creatures in a body divided and dispersed, all made and prepared
for one common operation. And this thou shalt apprehend the better,
if thou shalt use thyself often to say to thyself, I am meloz,
or a member of the mass and body of reasonable substances.
But if thou shalt say I am meroz, or a part, thou dost
not yet love men from thy heart. The joy that thou takest
in the exercise of bounty, is not yet grounded upon a due
ratiocination and right apprehension of the nature of things.
Thou dost exercise it as yet upon this ground barely,
as a thing convenient and fitting; not, as doing good to thyself,
when thou dost good unto others. XI. Of things that are external,
happen what will to that which can suffer by external accidents.
Those things that suffer let them complain themselves,
if they will; as for me, as long as I conceive no such thing,
that that which is happened is evil, I have no hurt;
and it is in my power not to conceive any such thing. XII.
Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, thou must be good;
not for any man's sake, but for thine own nature's sake;
as if either gold, or the emerald, or purple, should ever be
saying to themselves, Whatsoever any man either doth or saith,
I must still be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.
XIII. This may ever be my comfort and security: my understanding,
that ruleth over all, will not of itself bring trouble
and vexation upon itself. This I say; it will not put itself
in any fear, it will not lead itself into any concupiscence.
If it be in the power of any other to compel it to fear,
or to grieve, it is free for him to use his power.
But sure if itself do not of itself, through some false
opinion or supposition incline itself to any such disposition;
there is no fear. For as for the body, why should I
make the grief of my body, to be the grief of my mind?
If that itself can either fear or complain, let it.
But as for the soul, which indeed, can only be truly
sensible of either fear or grief; to which only it belongs
according to its different imaginations and opinions,
to admit of either of these, or of their contraries;
thou mayst look to that thyself, that it suffer nothing.
Induce her not to any such opinion or persuasion.
The understanding is of itself sufficient unto itself,
and needs not (if itself doth not bring itself to need) any other
thing besides itself, and by consequent as it needs nothing,
so neither can it be troubled or hindered by anything,
if itself doth not trouble and hinder itself.
XIV. What is rv&nfLovia, or happiness: but a7~o~ &d~wv, or,
a good da~rnon, or spirit? What then dost thou do here, O opinion?
By the Gods I adjure thee, that thou get thee gone, as thou earnest:
for I need thee not. Thou earnest indeed unto me according to thy ancient
wonted manner. It is that, that all men have ever been subject unto.
That thou camest therefore I am not angry with thee, only begone,
now that I have found thee what thou art.