and how often a certain day and hour as it were, having been
set unto thee by the gods, thou hast neglected it. It is high
time for thee to understand the true nature both of the world,
whereof thou art a part; and of that Lord and Governor of the world,
from whom, as a channel from the spring, thou thyself didst flow:
and that there is but a certain limit of time appointed unto thee,
which if thou shalt not make use of to calm and allay the many
distempers of thy soul, it will pass away and thou with it,
and never after return.
II. Let it be thy earnest and incessant care as a Roman and a man
to perform whatsoever it is that thou art about, with true
and unfeigned gravity, natural affection, freedom and justice:
and as for all other cares, and imaginations, how thou mayest
ease thy mind of them. Which thou shalt do; if thou shalt go
about every action as thy last action, free from all vanity,
all passionate and wilful aberration from reason, and from
all hypocrisy, and self-love, and dislike of those things,
which by the fates or appointment of God have happened unto thee.
Thou seest that those things, which for a man to hold on in a
prosperous course, and to live a divine life, are requisite
and necessary, are not many, for the gods will require no more
of any man, that shall but keep and observe these things.
III. Do, soul, do; abuse and contemn thyself; yet a while and
the time for thee to respect thyself, will be at an end.
Every man's happiness depends from himself, but behold thy life is
almost at an end, whiles affording thyself no respect, thou dost make
thy happiness to consist in the souls, and conceits of other men.