the morning say to thyself, This day I shalt have to do
with an idle curious man, with an unthankful man, a railer,
a crafty, false, or an envious man; an unsociable uncharitable man.
All these ill qualities have happened unto them, through ignorance
of that which is truly good and truly bad. But I that understand
the nature of that which is good, that it only is to be desired,
and of that which is bad, that it only is truly odious and shameful:
who know moreover, that this transgressor, whosoever he be,
is my kinsman, not by the same blood and seed, but by participation
of the same reason, and of the same divine particle; How can I
either be hurt by any of those, since it is not in their power
to make me incur anything that is truly reproachful? or angry,
and ill affected towards him, who by nature is so near unto me?
for we are all born to be fellow-workers, as the feet, the hands,
and the eyelids; as the rows of the upper and under teeth:
for such therefore to be in opposition, is against nature;
and what is it to chafe at, and to be averse from, but to be
in opposition? XVI. Whatsoever I am, is either flesh, or life,
or that which we commonly call the mistress and overruling part
of man; reason. Away with thy books, suffer not thy mind any more
to be distracted, and carried to and fro; for it will not be;
but as even now ready to die, think little of thy flesh:
blood, bones, and a skin; a pretty piece of knit and twisted work,
consisting of nerves, veins and arteries; think no more of it,
than so. And as for thy life, consider what it is; a wind;
not one constant wind neither, but every moment of an hour
let out, and sucked in again. The third, is thy ruling part;
and here consider; Thou art an old man; suffer not that excellent
part to be brought in subjection, and to become slavish:
suffer it not to be drawn up and down with unreasonable and
unsociable lusts and motions, as it were with wires and nerves;
suffer it not any more, either to repine at anything now present,
or to fear and fly anything to come, which the destiny
hath appointed thee.