The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus: A new rendering based on the Foulis translation of 1742
Marcus Aurelius · en
11. If those things, the pursuit and avoidance of which trouble you,
come not to you; but, as it happens, you go to them; then let your
judgment be at peace concerning them, they will remain motionless, and
you will no more be seen pursuing or avoiding them.
12. The sphere of the soul attains to perfect shape when it neither
expands to what is without, nor contracts upon what is within; neither
wrinkles nor collapses, but shines with a radiance whereby it discerns
the truth of all things, both without itself and within.
13. Does any man contemn me? Let him look to that. And let me look to
it that I be found doing or saying nothing worthy of his
contempt. Does any one hate me? That is his affair. I shall be kind
and good-natured to every one, and ready to shew his mistake to him
that hates me; not in order to upbraid him, or to make a show of my
patience, but from genuine goodness, like Phocion, if he indeed was
sincere. Your inward character should be such that the Gods may see
you neither angry nor repining at anything. What evil is it for you
now to act according to your nature, and to accept now what is
seasonable to the nature of the Universe; you, a man appointed to do
some service for the common good?
14. Although they despise, yet they flatter one another. Although they
desire to overtop, yet they cringe to one another.
15. How rotten and insincere is his profession who says, "I mean to
deal straightforwardly with you." What are you doing, man? There is no
need for such a preface. It will appear of itself. Such a profession
should be written clearly on your forehead. A man's character should
shine forth clearly from his eyes; as the beloved sees that he is so
in the glances of those that love him. The straightforward, good man
should be like one of rank odour who can be recognised by the passer
by as soon as he approaches, whether he will or no. The ostentation of
straightforwardness is the knife under the cloak. Nothing is baser
than wolf-friendship. Shun it above all things. The good,
straightforward, kindly man bears all these qualities in his eyes, and
is not to be mistaken.