er thou
hast learned from thy experience or from older history; for example, the
whole court of Hadrianus, and the whole court of Antoninus, and the
whole court of Philippus, Alexander, Croesus; for all those were such
dramas as we see now, only with different actors.

28. Imagine every man who is grieved at anything or discontented to be
like a pig which is sacrificed and kicks and screams.

Like this pig also is he who on his bed in silence laments the bonds in
which we are held. And consider that only to the rational animal is it
given to follow voluntarily what happens; but simply to follow is a
necessity imposed on all.

29. Severally on the occasion of everything that thou dost, pause and
ask thyself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of
this.

30. When thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turn to thyself
and reflect in what like manner thou dost err thyself; for example, in
thinking that money is a good thing, or pleasure, or a bit of
reputation, and the like. For by attending to this thou wilt quickly
forget thy anger, if this consideration also is added, that the man is
compelled: for what else could he do? or, if thou art able, take away
from him the compulsion.

31. When thou hast seen Satyron[A] the Socratic,+ think of either
Eutyches or Hymen, and when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of Eutychion
or Silvanus, and when thou hast seen Alciphron think of Tropaeophorus,
and when thou hast seen Xenophon, think of Crito[B] or Severus, and when
thou hast looked on thyself, think of any other Caesar, and in the case
of every one do in like manner. Then let this thought be in thy mind,
Where then are those men? Nowhere, or nobody knows where. For thus
continuously thou wilt look at human things as smoke and nothing at all;
especially if thou reflectest at the same time that what has once
changed will never exist again in the infinite duration of time. But
thou, in what a brief space of time is thy existence? And why art thou
not content to pass through this short time in an orderly way? What
matter and opportunity [for thy activity] art thou avoiding? For what
else are all these things, except exercises for the reason, when it has
viewed carefully and by examination into their nature the things which
happen in life? Persevere then until thou shalt have made these things
thy own, as the stomach which is strengthened makes all things its own,
as the blazing fire makes flame and brig