to everything in equal portions and according to its
worth, times, substance, cause [form], activity, and incident. But
examine, not to discover that any one thing compared with any other
single thing is equal in all respects, but by taking all the parts
together of one thing and comparing them with all the parts together of
another.

8. Thou hast not leisure [or ability] to read. But thou hast leisure [or
ability] to check arrogance: thou hast leisure to be superior to
pleasure and pain: thou hast leisure to be superior to love of fame, and
not to be vexed at stupid and ungrateful people, nay even to care for
them.

9. Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court life or
with thy own (v. 16).

10. Repentance is a kind of self-reproof for having neglected something
useful; but that which is good must be something useful, and the perfect
good man should look after it. But no such man would ever repent of
having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure then is neither good nor
useful.

11. This thing, what is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is
its substance and material? And what its causal nature [or form]? And
what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?

12. When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is
according to thy constitution and according to human nature to perform
social acts, but sleeping is common also to irrational animals. But that
which is according to each individual's nature is also more peculiarly
its own, and more suitable to its nature, and indeed also more agreeable
(v. 1).

13. Constantly, and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every
impression on the soul, apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic,
and of Dialectic.

14. Whatever man thou meetest with, immediately say to thyself: What
opinions has this man about good and bad? For if with respect to
pleasure and pain and the causes of each, and with respect to fame and
ignominy, death and life, he has such and such opinions, it will seem
nothing wonderful or strange to me if he does such and such things; and
I shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.[A]

[A] Antoninus v. 16. Thucydides, iii 10: [Greek: en gar to
diallassonti tes gnomes kai ai diaphorai ton ergon
kathistantai].

15. Remember that as it is a shame to be surprised if the fig-tree
produces figs, so it is to be surprised if the world produces such and
such things of which it is produ