Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/358

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Marcus Antoninus's

Nature, and acted upon your Constitution; and must you still have something over and above? This is just as if an Eye, or a Foot should demand a Sallery for their Service, and not see a Pin, or move a Step, without something for their Pains. For as these Organs are contriv'd for particular Functions , which when they perform, they pursue their Nature, and attain their perfection; So Man is made to be Kind, and Oblige , and his Faculties are ordered accordingly. And therefore when he does a good Office, and proves serviceable to the World, he follows the Bent, and answers the End of his Being; and when he does so, he moves smoothly, and is always in the best Condition.


BOOK X.

O My Soul are you ever to be rightly Good, Uncompounded, and Uniform, Unmask'd, and made more Visible to your self than the Body that hangs about you? Are you ever likely to Relish Good Nature, and General Kindness, as you ought? Will you ever be fully satisfied, get above Want, and Wishing, and never desire to fetch your pleasure out of any Thing Foreign, either Living, or Inanimate ? Not

desiring