28. Art thou angry with him whose arm-pits stink？ art thou angry with him whose mouth smells foul？ What good will this anger do thee？ He has such a mouth， he has such arm-pits： it is necessary that such an emanation must come from such things—but the man has reason， it will be said， and he is able， if he takes pains， to discover wherein he offends—I wish thee well of thy discovery. Well then， and thou hast reason： by thy rational faculty stir up his rational faculty； show him his error， admonish him. For if he listens， thou wilt cure him， and there is no need of anger. [Neither tragic actor nor whore.
29. As thou intendest to live when thou are gone out，… so it is in thy power to live here. But if men do not permit thee， then get away out of life， yet so as if thou wert suffering no harm. The house is smoky， and I quit it. Why dost thou think that this is any trouble？ But so long as nothing of the kind drives me out， I remain， am free， and no man shall hinder me from doing what I choose； and I choose to do what is according to the nature of the rational and social animal.
30. The intelligence of the universe is social. Accordingly it has made the inferior things for the sake of the superior， and it has fitted the superior to one another. Thou seest how it has subordinated， co-ordinated and assigned to everything its proper portion， and has brought together into concord with one another the things which are the best.
31. How hast thou behaved hitherto to the gods， thy parents， brethren， children， teachers， to those who looked after thy infancy， to thy friends， kinsfolk， to thy slaves？ Consider if thou hast hitherto behaved to all in such a way that this may be said of thee：
Never has wronged a man in deed or word.
And call to recollection both how many things thou hast passed through， and how many things thou hast been able to endure： and that the history of thy life is now complete， and thy service is ended： and how many beautiful things thou hast seen： and how many pleasures and pains thou hast despised； and how many things called honourable thou hast spurned； and to how many ill-minded folks thou hast shown a kind disposition.
32. Why do unskilled and ignorant souls disturb him who has skill and knowledge？ What soul then has skill and knowledge？ That which knows beginning and end， and knows the reason which pervades all substance and through all time by fixed periods [revolutions] administers the universe.
33. Soon， very soon， thou wilt be ashes， or a skeleton， and either a name or not even a name； but name is sound and echo， and the things which are much valued in life are empty and rotten and trifling， and [like] little dogs biting one another， and little children quarrelling， laughing， and then straightway weeping. But fidelity and modesty and justice and truth are fled
Up to Olympus from the wide-spread earth.
Hesiod， Works， etc.， v. 197.
What then is there which still detains thee here？ if the objects of sense are easily changed and never stand still， and the organs of perception are dull and easily receive false impressions； and the poor soul itself is an exhalation from blood. But to have good repute amid such a world as this is an empty thing. Why then dost thou not wait in tranquillity for thy end， whether it is extinction or removal to another state？ And until that time comes， what is sufficient？ Why， what else than to venerate the gods and bless them， and to do good to men， and to practise tolerance and self-restraint； but as to everything which is beyond the limits of the poor flesh and breath， to remember that this is neither thine nor in thy power.
34. Thou canst pass thy life in an equable flow of happiness， if thou canst go by the right way， and think and act in the right way. These two things are common both to the soul of God and to the soul of man， and to the soul of every rational being， not to be hindered by another； and to hold good to consist in the disposition to justice and the practice of it， and in this to let thy desire find its termination.
35. If this is neither my own badness， nor an effect of my own badness， and the common weal is not injured， why am I troubled about it？ and what is the harm to the common weal？
36. Do not be carried along inconsiderately by the appearance of things， but give help [to all] according to thy ability and their fitness； and if they should have sustained loss in matters which are indifferent， do not imagine this to be a damage. For it is a bad habit. But as the old man， when he went away， asked back his foster-child’s top， remembering that it was a top， so do thou in this case also.
When thou art calling out on the Rostra， hast thou forgotten， man， what these things are？ Yes； but they are objects of great concern to these people—wilt thou too then be made a fool for these things？ I was once a fortunate man， but I lost it， I know not how. But fortunate means that a man has assigned to himself a good fortune； and a good fortune is good disposition of the soul， good emotions， good actions.
