John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 938
| Marcus Aurelius. (121–180) (continued) |
| 9025 |
| Doth perfect beauty stand in need of praise at all? Nay; no more than law, no more than truth, no more than loving kindness, nor than modesty. |
| Meditations. iv. 20. |
| 9026 |
| All that is harmony for thee, O Universe, is in harmony with me as well. Nothing that comes at the right time for thee is too early or too late for me. Everything is fruit to me that thy seasons bring, O Nature. All things come of thee, have their being in thee, and return to thee. |
| Meditations. iv. 23. |
| 9027 |
| “Let thine occupations be few,” saith the sage, 1 “if thou wouldst lead a tranquil life.” |
| Meditations. iv. 24. |
| 9028 |
| Love the little trade which thou hast learned, and be content therewith. |
| Meditations. iv. 31. |
| 9029 |
| Remember this,—that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life. |
| Meditations. iv. 32. |
| 9030 |
| All is ephemeral,—fame and the famous as well. |
| Meditations. iv. 35. |
| 9031 |
| Observe always that everything is the result of a change, and get used to thinking that there is nothing Nature loves so well as to change existing forms and to make new ones like them. |
| Meditations. iv. 36. |
| 9032 |
| Search men’s governing principles, and consider the wise, what they shun and what they cleave to. |
| Meditations. iv. 38. |
| 9033 |
| Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away. |
| Meditations. iv. 43. |
| 9034 |
| All that happens is as usual and familiar as the rose in spring and the crop in summer. |
| Meditations. iv. 44. |
| 9035 |
| That which comes after ever conforms to that which has gone before. |
| Meditations. iv. 45. |
| Note 1. Democritus apud Senecam: De Ira, iii. 6; De Animi Tranquillitate, 13. [back] |