eneral more gloomy and
monotonous than declamations on the hollowness and transitoriness of human
life and grandeur; but here, too, the great charm of Marcus Aurelius, his
emotion, comes in to relieve the monotony and to break through the gloom;
and even on this eternally used topic he is imaginative, fresh, and
striking:--

"Consider, for example, the times of Vespasian. Thou wilt see all these
things, people marrying, bringing up children, sick, dying, warring,
feasting, trafficking, cultivating the ground, flattering, obstinately
arrogant, suspecting, plotting, wishing for somebody to die, grumbling
about the present, loving, heaping up treasure, desiring to be consuls or
kings. Well, then that life of these people no longer exists at all.
Again, go to the times of Trajan. All is again the same. Their life too is
gone. But chiefly thou shouldst think of those whom thou hast thyself
known distracting themselves about idle things, neglecting to do what was
in accordance with their proper constitution, and to hold firmly to this
and to be content with it."

Again:--

"The things which are much valued in life are empty, and rotten, and
trifling; and people are like little dogs, biting one another, and little
children quarreling, crying, and then straightway laughing. But fidelity,
and modesty, and justice and truth are fled

Up to Olympus from the wide-spread earth.

What then is there which still detains thee here?"

And once more:--

"Look down from above on the countless herds of men, and their countless
solemnities, and the infinitely varied voyagings in storms and calms, and
the differences among those who are born, who live together and die. And
consider too the life lived by others in olden time, and the life now
lived among barbarous nations, and how many know not even thy name, and
how many will soon forget it, and how they who perhaps now are praising
thee will very soon blame thee, and that neither a posthumous name is of
any value, nor reputation, nor anything else."

He recognized, indeed, that (to use his own words) "the prime principle in
man's constitution is the social"; and he labored sincerely to make, not
only his acts toward his fellow men, but his thoughts also, suitable to
this conviction.

"When thou wishest to delight thyself, think of the virtue of those who
live with thee: for instance, the activity of one, and the modesty of
another, and the liberality of a third, and some other g