Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/10

 Rh depended purely upon himself, and that there was no Necessity of addressing a Superiour Being.

To answer this Charge Monsieur D'acier observes, that Zeno's (the Founder of the Sect,) Opinion was Fair, and Defensible in these Points : That he was misunderstood by some of his Scholars, and unreasonably strain'd up to the Letter. But there's no need to insist any farther upon Justifying, for I dont remember our Author is at all concern'd in this Matter.

To proceed therefore to the Emperour with reference to his Book.

His Thoughts then are Noble, and Uncommon, and his Logick ''very true and exact. He generally flies his Game home, seldom leaves his Argument till he brings it to a Demonstration, and has pursued it to its first Principles. Seneca, has a different manner, and moves more by start and sally : He flashes a Hint in your Face and disappears ; And leaves you to carry on the Reasoning, and master the Subject, as well as you can. This looks like an Apparition of Philosophy, and is sometimes more Surprizing than Instructive. (But this Remark has no reference to the excellent English Abstract which is differently managed from the Original.) But as for the Emperor he charges thorough and thorough, and no Difficulty can stand before him. His'' Rh