Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/320

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Marcus Antoninus's

same Office for Maximus, and surviv'd but a little while. And thus it fared with Epitynehanus and Diotimus, with Antoninus, and Faustina, [1] with Celer , [2] and the Emperour Adrianus ; they assisted at one Funeral, and quickly made another themselves. Thus poor Mortals moulder away! Where are those Men of Reach, and Prognostication ? And t'other haughty fantastical Sparks? They made a great Noise, and Figure formerly, but what's become of them now? Where are those Celebrated Philosophers, Charax, Eudæmon, Demetrius the Platonist , and others of their Learning , and Character. Alass! They took but a turn in the World , and are gone long since. Some of them have sunk to Rights, and left no Memory behind them ; The History of others is overcast, and dwindled into Fables, and a Third sort have decayed farther , and dropt even out of a Romance. Your business is therefore to remember, that after Death your Body will fall in peices, and fly off into Atomes ; And as for your Spirit, that will either be extinguish'd, or removed into another Station.

XXVI. Pleasure and Satisfaction, consists in following the Bent of Nature, and doing the things we were made for. And which way is this to be compass'd? By

the
  1. Antoninus Pius' Empress.
  2. An Orator, or Rhetorick Master to our Emperor, and his Colleague Lucius Verus.