Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/200

 20 VIII. A Man can rarely miscarry by being Ignorant of anothers Thoughts, but he that does not attend to his own, is certainly Unhappy.

IX. The Reflections following ought always to be at Hand: To consider well the Nature of the Universe and my own; together with the Communication and Reference betwixt them; And in what degree of Proportion and Quality, I stand with respect to the whole: And that no Mortal can hinder me from Acting, and Speaking suitably to the Condition of my Being.

X. Theophrastus in comparing the Degrees of Faults, (as we commonly speak, ) talks like a Philosopher, where he affirms that those Instances of Misbehaviour which proceed from Desire, are greater than those of which Anger was the occasion. For a Man that is Angry seems to quit his Hold unwillingly, to be teaz'd out of his Reason, and start out of Rule before he is aware. But he that runs Riot out of Appetite and Pleasure is sway'd by a Libertine Principle, and appears a more scandalous Offender. The Philosopher therefore was certainly right in pronouncing upon the Difference of the Case. For the first looks like an injured Person, and is vext, and as it were forced into a Passion, whereas the other begins with In- Rh