Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/412

 232 you doubled some dangerous Cape, you'l have nothing but a steady Course, a smooth Sea, and a Land-lock'd Bay to receive you.

XXIII. Every Operation that ceases in due time, suffers nothing by breaking off: Neither does the Agent receive any harm upon this Score. Thus Life, which is nothing but a Series, and Continuation, of Action, comes to no Damages, by having a seasonable Period put to it : Neither does he that lays this Motion asleep, sustain any Loss, provided 'tis done at a proper Juncture. Now Nature assigns the Term, and sets out the Bounds of Life; sometimes this Period is fix'd by particular Nature, or force of Constitution, as it happens when a Man dies of Old Age ; but let it come late, or early, Common Nature has certainly a Hand in't. And thus the Parts of Nature changing from one Form to another; preserve the World in perpetual Youth, and Vigour. Now that is always as it should be, both as to Time, and Quality, which makes for the Service of the Universe. From hence it follows that bare Dying can be no real Evil, seeing there's nothing of Baseness or Moral Turpitude in't: For 'tis both Involuntary with respect to our selves, and serviceable to the general Interest. Therefore there