27. Constantly bring to thy recollection those who have complained greatly about anything， those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind： then think where are they all now？ Smoke and ash and a tale， or not even a tale. And let there be present to thy mind also everything of this sort， how Fabius Catullinus lived in the country， and Lucius Lupus in his gardens， and Stertinius at Baiae， and Tiberius at Capreae， and Velius Rufus [or Rufus at Velia]； and in fine think of the eager pursuit of anything conjoined with pride； and how worthless everything is after which men violently strain； and how much more philosophical it is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show himself just， temperate， obedient to the gods， and to do this with all simplicity： for the pride which is proud of its want of pride is the most intolerable of all.
28. To those who ask， Where hast thou seen the gods or how dost thou comprehend that they exist and so worshipest them？ I answer， in the first place， they may be seen even with the eyes； in the second place， neither have I seen even my own soul and yet I honour it. Thus then with respect to the gods， from what I constantly experience of their power， from this I comprehend that they exist and I venerate them.
29. The safety of life is this， to examine everything all through， what it is itself， what is its material， what the formal part； with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth. What remains except to enjoy life by joining one good thing to another so as not to leave even the smallest intervals between？
30. There is one light of the sun， though it is interrupted by walls， mountains， and other things infinite. There is one common substance， though it is distributed among countless bodies which have their several qualities. There is one soul， though it is distributed infinite natures and individual circumscriptions [or individuals]. There is one intelligent soul， though it seems to be divided. Now in the things which have been mentioned all the other parts， such as those which are air and matter， are without sensation and have no fellowship： and yet even these parts the intelligent principle holds together， and the gravitation towards the same. But intellect in a peculiar manner tends to that which is of the same kin， and combines with it， and the feeling for communion is not interrupted.
31. What dost thou wish？ to continue to exist？ Well， dost thou wish to have sensation？ movement？ growth？ and then again to cease to grow？ to use thy speech？ to think？ What is there of all these things which seems to thee worth desiring？ But if it is easy to set little value on all these things， turn to that which remains， which is to follow reason and god. But it is inconsistent with honouring reason and god to be troubled because by death a man will be deprived of the other things.
32. How small a part of the boundless and unfathomable time is assigned to every man！ for it is very soon swallowed up in the eternal. And how small a part of the whole substance！ and how small a part of the universal soul！ and on what a small clod of the whole earth thou creepest！ Reflecting on all this， consider nothing to be great， except to act as thy nature leads thee， and to endure that which the common nature brings.
33. How does the ruling faculty make use of itself？ for all lies in this. But everything else， whether it is in the power of thy will or not， is only lifeless ashes and smoke.
34. This reflection is most adapted to move us to contempt of death， that even those who think pleasure to be a good and pain an evil still have despised it.
35. The man to whom that only is good which comes in due season， and to whom it is the same thing whether he has done more or fewer acts conformable to right reason， and to whom it makes no difference whether he contemplates the world for a longer or a shorter time—for this man neither is death a terrible thing （iii. 7； vi. 23； x. 20； xii. 23）.
36. Man， thou hast been a citizen in this great state [ world]： what difference does it make to thee whether for five years [or three]？ for that which is conformable to the laws is just for all. Where is the hardship then， if no tyrant nor yet an unjust judge sends thee away from the state， but nature who brought thee into it？ the same as if a praetor who has employed an actor dismisses him from the stage. “But I have not finished the five acts， but only three of them.”—Thou sayest well， but in life the three acts are the whole drama； for what shall be a complete drama is determined by him who was once the cause of its composition， and now of its dissolution： but thou art the cause of neither. Depart then satisfied， for he also who releases thee is satisfied.
