Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/316

 136 XII. When you find your self sleepy in a Morning, remember that business, and doing service to the World, is to Act up to Nature, and live like a Man ; Whereas sleeping does but degrade you for the time, and bring you down to a Beast. Now those Actions which fall in with the Design and Properties of Nature, are more suitable, and serviceable, and upon a Custom, more pleasant than others.

XIII. Upon every new Idea, let it be your constant Custom to make use of your Talent in Physicks, Metaphysicks, and Morality, and examine the Object in the respective Enquiries of those Sciences.

XIV. When you are about to converse with any Person, make this short speech to your self. How does this Man's Definitions stand affected ? What Notions has he about Good, and Evil? Nay if his Understanding is so misled, if he has such unfortunate Opinions concerning Pleasure, and Pain, and the Causes of them ; If his Fancy, or his Fears are misapplyed, or over proportion'd with respect to Reputation, or Ignominy, to Life or Death; If the Case stands thus with him, I don't wonder at his Practice; for indeed 'tis next to impossible he should do otherwise.

XV. Would it not be an odd instance of surprize to stare at a Fig-tree for bearing Rh