Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/397

 Rh Present from the Nine Muses : for now 'tis high time to begin to be a Man for your Life time. And here you must take care to Guard against Flattery, as well as Anger ; For these are both unserviceable Qualities, and do a great deal of Mischief in the World. And for a farther preservative against the latter, remember that Frowardness and Rage are Marks of an Unmanly Disposition. Mildness and Temper are not only more Humane, but more Masculine too : One thus Affected appears much more brave, and Firm, and better fortified, than he that's Fuming, and out of sorts. For impassibility is an argument of Greatness ; And he that has the least Feeling in these Cases, has always the most strength : On the other hand, as Grief is a sign of Weakness, so is Anger too ; A Man is wounded in both these Passions, and the smart is too big for him.

As you have received these Nine Precepts from the Muses, take this Tenth if you please, from their President and Instructor Apollo : That to wish all People may not do ill Things is to wish an imposibility, and no better then a peice of Distraction. But then to give them leave to plague other Folks, and desire to be priviledged your self, is a Foolish and a Haughty expectation. Rh