Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/346

 166 Grandfathers time, and to that of your Father, and Mother, and run over as much Ground, in Changes, Decay, and Death as you please; And when you have done, ask your self what great Grievance there is in the Contemplation : And when you find nothing extraordinary, you may conclude that Ending, and Alteration will sit no harder upon your Life, than upon those before you.

XXII. Make a stand for Thought and Enquiry, and survey your own Mind, that of the Universe, and that of the Person who has Disoblig'd you: Your own, that you may keep it Honest, God- Almighty's, that you may know who you are part of, and to whom you belong: the Offenders , that you may discover whether his Fault was Ignorance, or Malice: And here you should likewise remember, that you are of Kin to him.

XXIII. As you are a Member of Society your self, so every Action of yours should tend to the Benefit, and Improvement of it. So that when you do any thing which has neither immediate, or remote Referrence to general Advantage; you make a Breach in the Common Interest, destroy the Unity of Publick Life, and are as really guilty of a Seditious behaviour, as a Malecontent that Embroyls a Nation , Rh