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Meditations · Marcus Aurelius

XXII. Be not angry neither with him whose breath, neither with him

whose arm holes, are offensive. What can he do? such is his

breath naturally, and such are his arm holes; and from such,

such an effect, and such a smell must of necessity proceed.

'O, but the man (sayest thou) hath understanding in him,

and might of himself know, that he by standing near, cannot choose

but offend.' And thou also (God bless thee!) hast understanding.

Let thy reasonable faculty, work upon his reasonable faculty;

show him his fault, admonish him. If he hearken unto thee,

thou hast cured him, and there will be no more occasion of anger.

XXIII. 'Where there shall neither roarer be, nor harlot.'

Why so? As thou dost purpose to live, when thou hast retired

thyself to some such place, where neither roarer nor harlot is:

so mayest thou here. And if they will not suffer thee,

then mayest thou leave thy life rather than thy calling,

but so as one that doth not think himself anyways wronged.

Only as one would say, Here is a smoke; I will out of it.

And what a great matter is this! Now till some such thing

force me out, I will continue free; neither shall any man

hinder me to do what I will, and my will shall ever be

by the proper nature of a reasonable and sociable creature,

regulated and directed.