Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/255

 Rh naturally carried To: And in the due pursuit of this Tendency the End of the Agent consists. Now where the End of a Thing is, there the Advantage and Improvement of it is certainly lodg'd. From hence the Inference will be, that the Happiness of Mankind lies in Society, and Correspondence: since that we were made for this purpose, I have prov'd already. For is it not plain that the lower Order of Beings are made for their Betters, and the higher for the Service of each other? Now as Life is preferable to bare Existence, so amongst all Living Creatures, the Rational are the best Quality.

XVII. To expect an Impossibility is Distraction; Now 'tis impossible for Ill Men not to follow their Biass, and show their Temper in some Instance or other.

XVIII. There's nothing happens to any Person but what is in his Power to go through with: some People have had very severe Tryals, and yet either by having less Understanding, or more Pride than ordinary, have charged bravely through the Misfortune, and come off without a Scratch; Now 'tis a scandalous Indecency, to let Ignorance, and Vanity do more with us, than Prudence and Principle.

XIX.  'Tis Thoughts, not Things which take hold of the Soul. Outward Objects Rh