creature is, to follow and obey him who is the reason, as it were, and the law of this great city, and most ancient commonwealth. Philosophy doth consist in this, for a man to preserve that spirit which is within him, from all manner of contumelies and injuries, and above all pains and pleasures, never to do anything either rashly, or feignedly, or hypocritically: he that is such is surely indeed a very priest and minister of God, well acquainted, and in good correspondence with him especially, that is seated and placed within himself; to whom also he keeps and preserveth himself; neither spotted by pleasure, nor daunted by pain; free from any manner of wrong or contumely. Let thy God that is in thee, to rule over thee, find by thee, that he hath to do with a man, an aged man, a sociable man, a Roman, a prince, and that hath ordered his life, as one that expecteth, as it were, nothing but the sound of the trumpet, sounding a retreat to depart out of this life with all readiness. Never esteem anything as profitable, which shall ever constrain thee, either to break thy faith, or to lose thy modesty: to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to dissemble, to lust after anything that requireth the secret of walls or veils. But he that preferreth, before all things, his rational part and spirit, and the sacred mysteries of virtue which issue from it, he shall never want either solitude or company; and, which is chiefest of all, he shall live without either desire or fear. If thou shalt intend that which is present, following the rule of right and reason carefully, solidly, meekly; and shalt not intermix any other business, but shalt study this, to preserve thy spirit unpolluted and pure: and as one that were even now ready to give up the ghost; shalt cleave unto him, without either hope or fear of anything, in all things that thou shalt either do or speak, contenting thyself with heroical truth, thou shalt live happily: and from this there is no man that can hinder thee. Without relation to God, thou shalt never perform aright anything human; nor on the other side anything divine. At what time soever thou wilt, it is in thy power to retire into thyself, and to be at rest: for a man cannot retire any whither to be more at rest, and freer from all business, than into his own soul. Afford then thyself this retiring continually, and thereby refresh and renew thyself. Death hangeth over thee, whilst yet thou livest, and whilst thou mayest be good. How much time and leisure doth he gain, who is not curious to know what his neighbour hath said, or hath done, or hath attempted, but only what he doth himself, that it may be just and holy. Neither must he use himself to cut off actions only, but thoughts and imaginations also that are not necessary; for so will unnecessary consequent actions the better be prevented and cut off. He is poor that stands in need of another, and hath not in himself all things needful for his life.