Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/211

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Meditations, &c.
31

Ramble from his own Reason. He ought therefore not to work his Mind to no purpose, nor throw a superfluous Link into the Chain of Thought; And more especially, to stand clear of Curiosity, and Malice, in his Enquiry. And to come Home, and make all sure; Let it be your way to think upon nothing, but what you could freely Discover, if the Question was put to you : So that if your Soul was thus laid open, there would nothing appear, but what was Sincere, Good-natur'd, and publick Spirited; not so much as one Libertine, or Luxurious Fancy, nothing of Litigiousness, Envy, or unreasonable Suspicion, or any thing else, which would not bear the Light, without Blushing. A Man thus qualified, may be allowed the first Rank among Mortals; he is a sort of Priest, and Minister of the Gods, and makes a right use of the Deity within him; [1] By the Assistance of which he is preserv'd uninfected with Pleasure, invulnerable against Pain; out of the reach of Injury, and above the Malice of Ill People. Thus he Wrastles for the noblest Prize [2] stands firm on the most slippery Ground, and keeps his Feet against all his Passions; To go on with him, his Honesty is right Sterling, and touches as well as it looks; he always resigns to Providence, and meets his Fate

with
  1. So the Emperour calls the Soul or Reasoning Faculty.
  2. An Allusion to the Diversions & Wrastling in the Circus.