in　pleasure；　how　came　notorious　robbers；　impure　abominable　livers；　parricides；　and　tyrants；　in　so　large　a　measure　to　have　their　part　of　pleasures？'　He　who　had　all　the　world's　pleasures　at　command　can　write　thus　'A　happy　lot　and　portion　is；　good　inclinations　of　the　soul；　good　desires；　good　actions。'
  By　the　irony　of　fate　this　man；　so　gentle　and　good；　so　desirous　of　quiet　joys　and　a　mind　free　from　care；　was　set　at　the　head　of　the　Roman　Empire　when　great　dangers　threatened　from　east　and　west。　For　several　years　he　himself　commanded　his　armies　in　chief。　In　camp　before　the　Quadi　he　dates　the　first　book　of　his　Meditations；　and　shows　how　he　could　retire　within　himself　amid　the　coarse　clangour　of　arms。　　The　pomps　and　glories　which　he　despised　were　all　his；　what　to　most　men　is　an　ambition　or　a　dream；　to　him　was　a　round　of　weary　tasks　which　nothing　but　the　stern　sense　of　duty　could　carry　him　through。　　And　he　did　his　work　well。　His　wars　were　slow　and　tedious；　but　successful。　With　a　statesman's　wisdom　he　foresaw　the　danger　to　Rome　of　the　barbarian　hordes　from　the　north；　and　took　measures　to　meet　it。　As　it　was；　his　settlement　gave　two　centuries　of　respite　to　the　Roman　Empire；　had　he　fulfilled　the　plan　of　pushing　the　imperial　frontiers　to　the　Elbe；　which　seems　to　have　been　in　his　mind；　much　more　might　have　been　accomplished。　But　death　cut　short　his　designs。
  Truly　a　rare　opportunity　was　given　to　Marcus　Aurelius　of　showing　what　the　mind　can　do　in　despite　of　circumstances。　　Most　peaceful　of　warriors；　a　magnificent　monarch　whose　ideal　was　quiet　happiness　in　home　life；　bent　to　obscurity　yet　born　to　greatness；　the　loving　father　of　children　who　died　young　or　turned　out　hateful；　his　life　was　one　paradox。　That　nothing　might　lack；　it　was　in　camp　before　the　face　of　the　enemy　that　he　passed　away　and　went　to　his　own　place。
  Translations　THE　following　is　a　list　of　the　chief　English　translations　of　Marcus　Aurelius：　　（1）　By　Meric　Casaubon；　1634；　（2）　Jeremy　Collier；　1701；　（3）　James　Thomson；　1747；　（4）　R。　Graves；　1792；　（5）　H。　McCormac；　1844；　（6）　George　Long；　1862；　（7）　G。　H。　Rendall；　1898；　and　（8）　J。　Jackson；　1906。　Renan's　〃Marc…Aurèle〃in　his　〃History　of　the　Origins　of　Christianity；〃　which　appeared　in　1882is　the　most　vital　and　original　book　to　be　had　relating　to　the　time　of　Marcus　Aurelius。　　Pater's　〃Marius　the　Epicurean〃　forms　another　outside　commentary；　which　is　of　service　in　the　imaginative　attempt　to　create　again　the　period。
  MARCUS　AURELIUS　ANTONINUS　THE　ROMAN　EMPEROR
  HIS　FIRST　BOOK
  concerning　HIMSELF：
  Wherein　Antoninus　recordeth；　What　and　of　whom；　whether　Parents；　Friends；　or　Masters；　by　their　good　examples；　or　good　advice　and　counsel；　he　had　learned：
  Divided　into　Numbers　or　Sections。
  ANTONINUS　Book　vi。　　Num。　　xlviii。　　Whensoever　thou　wilt　rejoice　thyself；　think　and　meditate　upon　those　good　parts　and　especial　gifts；　which　thou　hast　observed　in　any　of　them　that　live　with　thee：
  as　industry　in　one；　in　another　modesty；　in　another　bountifulness；　in　another　some　other　thing。　　For　nothing　can　so　much　rejoice　thee；　as　the　resemblances　and　parallels　of　several　virtues；　eminent　in　the　dispositions　of　them　that　live　with　thee；　especially　when　all　at　once；　as　it　were；　they　represent　themselves　unto　thee。　See　therefore；　that　thou　have　them　always　in　a　readiness
  THE　FIRST　BOOK
  I。　Of　my　grandfather　Verus　I　have　learned　to　be　gentle　and　meek；　and　to　refrain　from　all　anger　and　passion。　From　the　fame　and　memory　of　him　that　begot　me　I　have　learned　both　shamefastness　and　manlike　behaviour。　　Of　my　mother　I　have　learned　to　be　religious；　and　bountiful；　and　to　forbear；　not　only　to　do；　but　to　intend　any　evil；　to　content　myself　with　a　spare　diet；　and　to　fly　all　such　excess　as　is　incidental　to　great　wealth。　Of　my　great…grandfather；　both　to　frequent　public　schools　and　auditories；　and　to　get　me　good　and　able　teachers　at　home；　and　that　I　ought　not　to　think　much；　if　upon　such　occasions；　I　were　at　excessive　charges。
  II。　　Of　him　that　brought　me　up；　not　to　be　fondly　addicted　to　either　of　the　two　great　factions　of　the　coursers　in　the　circus；　called　Prasini；　and　Veneti：　　nor　in　the　amphitheatre　partially　to　favour　any　of　the　gladiators；　or　fencers；　as　either　the　Parmularii；　or　the　Secutores。　　Moreover；　to　endure　labour；　nor　to　need　many　things；　when　I　have　anything　to　do；　to　do　it　myself　rather　than　by　others；　not　to　meddle　with　many　businesses；　and　not　easily　to　admit　of　any　slander。　　III。　　Of　Diognetus；　not　to　busy　myself　about　vain　things；　and　not　easily　to　believe　those　things；　which　are　commonly　spoken；　by　such　as　take　upon　them　to　work　wonders；　and　by　sorcerers；　or　prestidigitators；　and　impostors；　concerning　the　power　of　charms；　and　their　driving　out　of　demons；　or　evil　spirits；　and　the　like。　Not　to　keep　quails　for　the　game；　nor　to　be　mad　after　such　things。　Not　to　be　offended　with　other　men's　liberty　of　speech；　and　to　apply　myself　unto　philosophy。　　Him　also　I　must　thank；　that　ever　I　heard　first　Bacchius；　then　Tandasis　and　Marcianus；　and　that　I　did　write　dialogues　in　my　youth；　and　that　I　took　liking　to　the　philosophers'　little　couch　and　skins；　and　such　other　things；　which　by　the　Grecian　discipline　are　proper　to　those　who　profess　philosophy。
  IV。　　To　Rusticus　I　am　beholding；　that　I　first　entered　into　the　conceit　that　my　life　wanted　some　redress　and　cure。　And　then；　that　I　did　not　fall　into　the　ambition　of　ordinary　sophists；　either　to　write　tracts　concerning　the　common　theorems；　or　to　exhort　men　unto　virtue　and　the　study　of　philosophy　by　public　orations；　as　also　that　I　never　by　way　of　ostentation　did　affect　to　show　myself　an　active　able　man；　for　any　kind　of　bodily　exercises。　And　that　I　gave　over　the　study　of　rhetoric　and　poetry；　and　of　elegant　neat　language。　　That　I　did　not　use　to　walk　about　the　house　in　my　long　robe；　nor　to　do　any　such　things。　　Moreover　I　learned　of　him　to　write　letters　without　any　affectation；　or　curiosity；　such　as　that　was；　which　by　him　was　written　to　my　mother　from　Sinuessa：　and　to　be　easy　and　ready　to　be　reconciled；　and　well　pleased　again　with　them　that　had　offended　me；　as　soon　as　any　of　them　would　be　content　to　seek　unto　me　again。　　To　read　with　diligence；　not　to　rest　satisfied　with　a　light　and　superficial　knowledge；　nor　quickly　to　assent　to　things　commonly　spoken　of：　　whom　also　I　must　thank　that　ever　I　lighted　upon　Epictetus　his　Hypomnemata；　or　moral　commentaries　and　commone…factions：　which　also　he　gave　me　of　his　own。
  V。　From　Apollonius；　true　liberty；　and　unvariable　steadfastness；　and　not　to　regard　anything　at　all；　though　never　so　little；　but　right　and　reason：　　and　always；　whether　in　the　sharpest　pains；　or　after　the　loss　of　a　child；　or　in　long　diseases；　to　be　still　the　same　man；　who　also　was　a　present　and　visible　example　unto　me；　that　it　was　possible　for　the　same　man　to　be　both　vehement　and　remiss：　a　man　not　subject　to　be　vexed；　and　offended　with　the　incapacity　of　his　scholars　and　auditors　in　his　lectures　and　expositions；　and　a　true　pattern　of　a　man　who　of　all　his　good　gifts　and　faculties；　least　esteemed　in　himself；　that　his　excellent　skill　and　ability　to　teach　and　persuade　others　the　common　theorems　and　maxims　of　the　Stoic　philosophy。　　Of　him　also　I　learned　how　to　receive　favours　and　kindnesses　（as　commonly　they　are　accounted：）　from　friends；　so　that　I　might　not　become　obnoxious　unto　them；　for　them；　nor　more　yielding　upon　occasion；　than　in　right　I　ought；　and　yet　so　that　I　should　not　pass　them　neither；　as　an　unsensible　and　unthankful　man。
  VI。　　Of　Sextus；　mildness　and　the　pattern　of　a　family　governed　with　paternal　affection；　and　a　purpose　to　live　according　to　nature：　to　be　grave　without　affectation：　　to　observe　carefully　the　several　dispositions　of　my　friends；　not　to　be　offended　with　idiots；　nor　unseasonably　to　set　upon　those　that　are　carried　with　the　vulgar　opinions；　with　the　theorems；　and　tenets　of　philosophers：　his　conversation　being　an　example　how　a　man　might　accommodate　himself　to　all　men　and　companies；　so　that　though　his　company　were　sweeter　and　more　pleasing　than　any　flatterer's　cogging　and　fawning；　yet　was　it　at　the　same　time　most　respected　and　reverenced：　who　also　had　a　proper　happiness　and　faculty；　rationally　and　methodically　to　find　out；　and　set　in　order　all　necessary　determinations　and　instructions　for　a　man's　life。　　A　man　without　ever　the　least　appearance　of　anger；　or　any　other　passion；　able　at　the　same　time　most　exactly　to　observe　the　Stoic　Apathia；　or　unpassionateness；　and　yet　to　be　most　tender…hearted：　ever　of　good　credit；　and　yet　almost　without　any　noise；　or　rumour：　very　learned；　and　yet　making　little　show。
  Vii。　　From　Alexander　the　Grammarian；　to　be　un…reprovable　myself；　and　not　reproachfully　to　reprehend　any　man　for　a　barbarism；　or　a　solecism；　or　any　false　pronunciation；　but　dextrously　by　way　of　answer；　or　testimony；　or　confirmation　of　the　same　matter　（taking　no　notice　of　the　word）　to　utter　it　as　it　should　have　been　spoken；　or　by　some　other　such　close　and　indirect　admonition；　handsomely　and　civilly　to　tell　him　of　it。　　VIII。　　Of　Fronto；　to　how　much　envy　and　fraud　and　hypocrisy　the　state　of　a　tyrannous　king　is　subject　unto；　and　how　they　who　are　commonly　called　＇Eupatridas　Gk。＇；　i。e。　nobly　born；　are　in　some　sort　incapable；　or　void　of　natural　affection。
  IX。　　Of　Alexander　the　Platonic；　not　often　nor　without　great　nec