BOOK VII.


1. What is badness? It is that which thou hast often seen. And on the
occasion of everything which happens keep this in mind, that it is that
which thou hast often seen. Everywhere up and down thou wilt find the
same things, with which the old histories are filled, those of the middle
ages and those of our own day; with which cities and houses are filled
now. There is nothing new: all things are both familiar and short-lived.

2. How can our principles become dead, unless the impression [thoughts]
which correspond to them are extinguished? But it is in thy power
continuously to fan these thoughts into a flame. I can have that opinion
about anything which I ought to have. If I can, why am I disturbed? The
things which are external to my mind have no relation at all to my mind.
--Let this be the state of thy affects, and thou standest erect. To
recover thy life is in thy power. Look at things again as thou didst use
to look at them; for in this consists the recovery of thy life.

3. The idle business of show, plays on the stage, flocks of sheep, herds,
exercises with spears, a bone cast to little dogs, a bit of bread into
fishponds, laborings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings about of
frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings--[all alike]. It is thy
duty then in the midst of such things to show good humor and not a proud
air; to understand however that every man is worth just so much as the
things are worth about which he busies himself.

4. In discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement
thou must observe what is doing. And in the one thou shouldst see
immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully what