“To say all in a word, everything which belongs to the body is a stream, and what belongs to the soul is a dream and vapour; and life is a warfare, and a stranger’s sojourn, and after fame is oblivion.  What, then, is that which is able to enrich a man?  One thing, and only one—­philosophy.  But this consists in keeping the guardian spirit within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without a purpose, nor yet falsely, and with hypocrisy... accepting all that happens and all that is allotted ... and finally waiting for death with a cheerful mind” (ii. 17.)

“If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, and, in a word, than thine own soul’s satisfaction in the things which it enables thee to do according to right reason, and In the condition that is assigned to thee without thy own choice; if, I say, thou seest anything better than this, turn to it with all thy soul, and enjoy that which thou hast found to be the best.  But ... if thou findest everything else smaller and of less value than this, give place to nothing else....  Simply and freely choose the better, and hold to it.” (iii. 6.)

“Body, soul, intelligence:  to the body belong sensations, to the soul appetites, to the intelligence principles.”  To be impressed by the senses is peculiar to animals; to be pulled by the strings of desire belongs to effeminate men, and to men like Phalaris or Nero; to be guided only by intelligence belongs to atheists and traitors, and “men who do their impure deeds when they have shut the doors....  There remains that which is peculiar to the good man, to be pleased and content with what happens, and with the thread which is spun for him; and not to defile the divinity which is planted in his breast, nor disturb it by a crowd of images; but to preserve it tranquil, following it obediently as a god, neither saying anything contrary to truth, nor doing anything contrary to justice. (iii. 16.)

“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains, and thou too art wont to desire such things very much.  But this is altogether a mark of the commonest sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt chose to retire into thyself.  For nowhere either with more quiet or with more freedom does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquillity,—­which is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind.” (iv. 3.)

“Unhappy am I, because this has happened to me?  Not so, but happy am I though this has happened to me, because I continue free from pain; neither crushed by the present, nor fearing the future.” (iv. 19.)