29.If he is a stranger to the universe who does not know what is in it， no less is he a stranger who does not know what is going on in it. He is a runaway， who flies from social reason； he is blind， who shuts the eyes of the understanding； he is poor， who has need of another， and has not from himself all things which are useful for life. He is an abscess on the universe who withdraws and separates himself from the reason of our common nature through being displeased with the things which happen， for the same nature produces this， and has produced thee too： he is a piece rent asunder from the state， who tears his own soul from that of reasonable animals， which is one.
30.The one is a philosopher without a tunic， and the other without a book： here is another half naked： Bread I have not， he says， and I abide by reason.- And I do not get the means of living out of my learning， and I abide by my reason.
31.Love the art， poor as it may be， which thou hast learned， and be content with it； and pass through the rest of life like one who has intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has， making thyself neither the tyrant nor the slave of any man.
32.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 some to die， grumbling about the present， loving， heaping up treasure， desiring counsulship， kingly power. Well then， that life of these people no longer exists at all. Again， remove to the times of Trajan. Again， all is the same. Their life too is gone. In like manner view also the other epochs of time and of whole nations， and see how many after great efforts soon fell and were resolved into the elements. 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. And herein it is necessary to remember that the attention given to everything has its proper value and proportion. For thus thou wilt not be dissatisfied， if thou appliest thyself to smaller matters no further than is fit.
33.The words which were formerly familiar are now antiquated： so also the names of those who were famed of old， are now in a manner antiquated， Camillus， Caeso， Volesus， Leonnatus， and a little after also Scipio and Cato， then Augustus， then also Hadrian and Antoninus. For all things soon pass away and become a mere tale， and complete oblivion soon buries them. And I say this of those who have shone in a wondrous way. For the rest， as soon as they have breathed out their breath， they are gone， and no man speaks of them. And， to conclude the matter， what is even an eternal remembrance？ A mere nothing. What then is that about which we ought to employ our serious pains？ This one thing， thoughts just， and acts social， and words which never lie， and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens， as necessary， as usual， as flowing from a principle and source of the same kind.
34.Willingly give thyself up to Clotho， one of the Fates， allowing her to spin thy thread into whatever things she pleases.
35.Everything is only for a day， both that which remembers and that which is remembered.
36.Observe constantly that all things take place by change， and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be. But thou art thinking only of seeds which are cast into the earth or into a womb： but this is a very vulgar notion.
37.Thou wilt soon die， and thou art not yet simple， not free from perturbations， nor without suspicion of being hurt by external things， nor kindly disposed towards all； nor dost thou yet place wisdom only in acting justly.
38.Examine men"s ruling principles， even those of the wise， what kind of things they avoid， and what kind they pursue.
39.What is evil to thee does not subsist in the ruling principle of another； nor yet in any turning and mutation of thy corporeal covering. Where is it then？ It is in that part of thee in which subsists the power of forming opinions about evils. Let this power then not form such opinions， and all is well. And if that which is nearest to it， the poor body， is burnt， filled with matter and rottenness， nevertheless let the part which forms opinions about these things be quiet， that is， let it judge that nothing is either bad or good which can happen equally to the bad man and the good. For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to nature and to him who lives according to nature， is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.
40.Constantly regard the universe as one living being， having one substance and one soul； and observe how all things have reference to one perception， the perception of this one living being； and how all things act with one movement； and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things which exist； observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web.
41.Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse， as Epictetus used to say.
