Wilt thou, then, my soul, never be good and simple and one and naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds thee?  Wilt thou never enjoy an affectionate and contented disposition?  Wilt thou never be full and without a want of any kind, longing for nothing more, nor desiring anything, either animate or inanimate, for the enjoyment of pleasures? nor yet desiring time wherein thou shalt have longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or society of men with whom thou mayst live in harmony? but wilt thou be satisfied with thy present condition, and pleased with all that is about thee, and wilt thou convince thyself that thou hast everything, and that it comes from the gods, that everything is well for thee, and will be well whatever shall please them, and whatever they shall give for the conservation of the perfect living being,[A] the good and just and beautiful, which generates and holds together all things, and contains and embraces all things which are dissolved for the production of other like things?  Wilt thou never be such that thou shalt so dwell in community with gods and men as neither to find fault with them at all, nor to be condemned by them?

    [A] That is, God (iv. 40), as he is defined by Zeno.  But the
    confusion between gods and God is strange.

2.  Observe what thy nature requires, so far as thou art governed by nature only:  then do it and accept it, if thy nature, so far as thou art a living being, shall not be made worse by it.  And next thou must observe what thy nature requires so far as thou art a living being.  And all this thou mayst allow thyself, if thy nature, so far as thou art a rational animal, shall not be made worse by it.  But the rational animal is consequently also a political [social] animal.  Use these rules, then, and trouble thyself about nothing else.

3.  Everything which happens either happens in such wise as thou art formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by nature to bear it.  If, then, it happens to thee in such way as thou art formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it as thou art formed by nature to bear it.  But if it happens in such wise as thou art not formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed thee.  Remember, however, that thou art formed by nature to bear everything, with respect to which it depends on thy own opinion to make it endurable and tolerable, by thinking that it is either thy interest or thy duty to do this.

4.  If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error.  But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself.

5.  Whatever may happen to thee, it was prepared for thee from all eternity; and the implication of causes was from eternity spinning the thread of thy being, and of that which is incident to it (iii. 11; iv. 26).