one; as there is one God that pervades all things; one mass of matter out of which all things are formed; one law, the common reason of all intelligent creatures; one truth and perfection of all beings of the same kind and partaking of the same rational nature. With a rational creature, to act according to Nature and according to reason, is the same thing; and act, therefore, in such a manner, that you may appear to have been naturally upright. Consider yourself as a necessary and essential member of the rational system, and and not merely as an unconnected part: for, in the latter case you will not love mankind so cordially as you ought, nor do a generous action with the same disinterested satisfaction, but merely from a regard to decency, and not from the pleasure of doing good, and adding to your own happiness.

That plastic Nature, which pervades and governs the Universe, models a part, for instance, into the shape of an horse, which being dissolved is transformed into a tree; then, perhaps, into an human creature or any other form; each of which, however, subsists but for a short space of time. Now there is nothing more formidable in the dissolution of this frame of ours than in its first construction. How soon will the great Governor of the Universe change the present face of all things which you now behold, and from the same materials form other objects! and others again from those materials: so that the world may be perpetually renewed.

A stern and angry look is extremely ugly; and if often assumed, will by degrees settle into an habit, and entirely destroy the beauty of the countenance, to such a degree as never to be recovered. This alone is sufficient to shew how unreasonable it is to indulge the passion of anger. If any one has used you ill upon any occasion, consider immediately with what ideas of right and wrong he has probably acted thus. For when you have discovered that, you will pity him, and neither wonder at his conduct nor resent it.

Do not suffer your imagination to dwell upon the things which you want, but upon the advantages which you possess. And of these advantages, select those which afford you the greatest pleasure; and consider how earnestly you would wish for them, if they were not in your possession. Wrap up yourself in your own virtue, and be independent. For a rational mind, that acts always with justice and integrity, is

sufficient to its own happiness, and will enjoy a perpetual calm.

A saying of Antisthenes-"It is truly royal to do good, though you are abused for it." It is shameful that the coun tenance should be obsequious to the will, conform to its dictates, and regulate itself as the mind directs; and yet that the mind itself should not be under the control, and be regulated by its own powers.

Survey the history of former ages, and the revolutions of so many empires, and you will be able, with some probability, to foretell all future events. For all things are of a similar kind, and cannot possibly exceed the measure and standard of those that are past. Forty years, therefore, are as fair a specimen of human life as ten thousand. For what can you see more than you have already seen?

"Whate'er has sprung from earth, to earth returns: "And heav'nly things resume their native seat."

And this is effected, either by dissolving the union by which the atoms are connected; or by dispersing the lifeless elements into the mass of the Universe.

Now, the first and principal duty of man is to cultivate society, and promote the common interest. The second is, not brutishly to yield to the corporeal appetites. For the intellectual principle justly claims the sovereignty, and ought not to submit to the appetites and passions; which were intended by Nature for her service. The third privilege of a rational creature is, to be free from error and deception.

It is observed by Plato, "that every one is unwilling to be debarred the truth." The same may be applied to justice, temperance, benevolence, and to most of the moral virtues. This you should particularly bear in mind, which would you more indulgent towards all men.

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When you have done a favor to any one, and he has profited by your kindness, why should you (as some silly people do) look any further; either for the reputation of having done a generous action, or for a return from the person whom you have obliged? No one is ever weary of receiving fa vors from their friends. Now it is doing yourself a favor to act conformably to the dictates of Nature. Be not weary, therefore, of doing good to others, when, by that means, you are really serving yourself.

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What are Alexander, Julius Cæsar, and Pompey, compar ed to Diogenes, Heraclitus, and Socrates? These philosophers saw things as they really were; understood their causes, their natures, and essences; and acted upon those principles. As for those great heroes, what a variety of affairs were they solicitous about! and what slaves were they to their exhalted rank and their ambition.

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Let it be a principal part of your philosophy to preserve your tranquillity: for all things come to pass by the direction of Providence. And, in a few years, you yourself must leave this world, as Hadrian and Augustus have done before you. Your whole business here is to be a good man. ever the nature of man therefore requires of you, perform it strenuously and with assiduity; and whatever justice dictates, on every occasion, speak it boldly, but with good nature, modesty, and sincerity. Providence, or the Universal Nature, seems continually employed in varying the face of things; transferring its favours from one object to another, and metamorphosing the material world into different forms. All things subsist by change; yet these changes are so uniform in their progress, that you need not fear lest any thing unprecedented should be your particular lot; for all things are administered with the utmost equity and impartiality. Every being is contented, when employed in the duties, and in possession of the prosperity and perfection which belong to its Nature.

Our rational soul is a part of the Universe, as a leaf is a part of the tree which produced it, with this difference only, that a leaf is a part of Nature, void of sense and of reason, and liable to be obstructed in its operation; whereas the soul of man is a part of an independent, intelligent and just being; a being, who allots to every creature a due proportion of time, of substance, of force, of fortunate circumstances, according to its dignity and rank in the creation. Of this you will be sensible, not by considering any one object separately, in any one respect, but by comparing the whole of one object collectively, with the whole of any other. You wish to be a philosopher, you say, but have not leisure to read. But it is in your power not to behave haughtily or injuriously to any one. It is in your power to be superior to the blandish

ments of pleasure, or the sense of pain; to look down with contempt on fame and glory.

In general, to shew the vanity of all human distinctions, the time is speedily approaching, when the panegyrist, and the subject of his encomiums-he that records, and he that performs great exploits-will be buried in oblivion. Consi der likewise, that these celebrated transactions are confined to this little corner of the world. Neither here are all of the the same opinion concerning these things, nor any one man consistently so. Indeed, this whole globe is but a mere point. Give your whole attention to the affair now in hand; whether it be any opinion, or any action, or any speech that is delivered. By a neglect of this kind you deservedly suf fer; because, instead of correcting your error to-day, you chose to defer it till to-morrow. Shall I do this? Yes, I certainly will do it, if it be conducive to the welfare of mankind. Does any uncommon accident befal me? I acquiesce in it, as being the appointment of the Gods, the original of all things, and as connected with the chain of events established by Fate.

Remember, therefore, the fate of all men, and be assured that your corporeal frame will be dissolved by death, and reduced to its original elements; and your spiritual part either extinguished, or translated to some other state of existence. The chief happiness of man consists in performing the du ties peculiar to man. Now, some of the principal of these are, benevolence towards our fellow-creatures; a command over our sensual appetites; the distinguishing plausible appearances from truth; and the contemplation of Nature and her operations. We all stand in three principal relations : the first regards our personal conduct; the second, the Divine Nature (the original cause of all events); the third, our intercourse with our fellow-creatures.

He that acts unjustly, acts impiously. For God, or the Universal Nature, having produced all rational creatures to be mutually serviceable to each other, according to their respective merits, and by no means to injure each other; he who violates this first principle of Nature, profanely insults the most ancient of all Deities. For this Universal Nature is the cause of all things that exist; which are connected with each other by mutual friendship and alliance. This

Nature is likewise sometimes styled truth, being the cause and original of all truths. He, therefore, that tells a wilful lie, acts also impiously, as he acts unjustly in deceiving his neighbor; and even he who violates the truth through ignorance, is, in some measure, liable to the same charge; as he departs from Nature's intention, and, as far as is in his power, breaks in upon the order and harmony of the Universe, and promotes the interest of error, in opposition to truth; and by neglecting those talents which he had received from Nature, he can hardly distinguish truth from falsehood.

He that commits a crime, is guilty of an offence against his own interest; and he that acts unjustly, injures himself: to make himself a bad man is an essential injury. A man is as often guilty of injustice by omitting to do what he ought, as by doing what he ought not to do.

All brute animals partake of the same vital soul, as all rational creatures do of the same intelligent soul. And all terrestrial bodies have one common earth; and all that are capable of sight and vital existence, enjoy the same light, and breathe the same air; so that all are equally in possession of the great privileges of Nature.

Instruct mankind better, if you can: if not, remember, that patience and kindness were given you for this purpose.

All things subsist by change; and you yourself are in a continual state of alteration, and, in some respect, of corrup tion; and so indeed is the whole Universe. Leave the sins of others to their own consciences. The cessation of any action, the suppression of any violent appetite, or the change of any opinion, which is (as it were) the death of them, is not really evil. Proceed next to the different ages of man; his childhood, his youth, his manhood, and his old age. Now every change of these periods may be called their death: is there any thing formidable in this? Pass on then to the life of your grandfather, of your mother, of your father; and when you consider these, and many other vicissitudes, changes, and cessations; ask yourself, whether there is any thing formidable in all this? If there is not, neither is there in the entire termination, extinction, or change, which will take place in your own life.

As you yourself are a component part of some social system, so every action of yours should tend to promote the