Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/384

 204 Vacuum on the out-side on't, and stretches on to an unmeasurable length of Time : She contemplates the Grand Revolutions of Nature, and how the Universe will be destroy'd, and renew'd at Certain Periods : She considers that there will be nothing new for Posterity to gaze at ; And that our Ancestors stood upon the same Level for Observation : That all Ages are Uniform, and of a Colour, in so much that in forty Years time, a tolerable Genius for Sense and Enquiry, may acquaint himself With all that's past, and all that's to come. Lastly, 'Tis the Property of a Rational Soul, to love her Neighbours, to be remarkable for Truth and Sobriety ; To prefer nothing to her own Dignity and Authority, which is likewise the Custom and Prerogative of a Law ; And thus far the Quality and Measures of right Reason, and publick Justice are the same.

II. The way to despise the Pleasure of a fine Song, a well-performed Dance, or the Olympick Exercises, is as follows : As for the Song, take the Musick in pieces, and examine the Notes by themselves, and ask as you go along, Is it this, or this single sound, that has subdued me ? You'l be asham'd to confess the Conquest, and so get clear of the Charm. Thus, to lessen the Diversion of Dancing, consider Rh