Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/395

 Rh very quickly, be laid in our Graves.

Seventhly, Consider that 'tis not other Peoples Actions, ( for they are lodg'd at Home, and are neither Good, nor Bad to to any but those that do them, ) which disturb us, but only our own Opinions about them. Do but then dismiss these Notions, and don't fancy the Thing a Grievance, and your Passion will cease immediately. But how can this Fancy be Discharg'd ? By considering that bare suffering, has nothing of Infamy or Scandal in't. Now unless you restrain the Notion of Evil to what is Scandalous and Dishonest, your own Vertue will grow precarious, and you'l be under a Necessity of doing a great many unwarrantable Things.

Eighthly, Consider that our Anger and Impatience often proves much more Mischievous, than the Provocation could possibly have done.

Ninthly, That Gentleness and Good Humour are invincible, provided they are of the right Stamp, without any thing of Hypocrisy, or Grimace. This is the way to Disarm the most Barbarous, and Sagave : A constancy in Obliging Behaviour, will make the most Outragious Person asham'd of his Malice : The worst Body imaginable can't find in his heart to do you any Mischief, if you continue kind Rh