Book XMeditations · Liber X

Marcus asks his soul when it will at last be good, simple and whole, wanting nothing and content with what it has, convinced that everything comes from the gods and serves the good of the whole world. Then it will live with gods and men without blaming them or being blamed.

EcquandoEcquandōwill … ever? futurafutūragoing to be es,are you oōO anima,soul bona,good simplex,simple unaūna,one, undivided nudanūda,bare corporethan the body tetēyou ambientesurrounding dilucidiordīlūcidior?clearerWill you ever, O soul, be good, simple, one and bare, clearer to see than the body that surrounds you?Ecquando futura es ecquando "ever?" is quando "when?" strengthened with ec-, as in ecquis "anyone?": it asks, with some impatience, whether a thing will ever happen. futura es is the future participle of sum with es, "are you going to be", a future that looks to what is in store; futura is feminine because the "you" is the soul, anima. Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses)o anima, bona, simplex, una, nuda o anima "O soul" is a vocative, naming the one addressed; in the 1st declension it looks like the nominative. The adjectives after it look the same in either case, but they belong with futura es as its predicate: "will you, O soul, be good, simple, one, bare?" The soul is "one" when it is undivided, and "bare" when it is stripped of everything that is not itself. The vocativecorpore te ambiente dilucidior dilucidior "clearer" is a comparative, and corpore is the ablative of comparison, "than the body". te ambiente is not an ablative absolute: the participle and its object describe corpore, "than the body surrounding you". The soul is to be seen more plainly than the body that wraps it. Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quam ecquandoecquandōever? dispositionemdispositiōnema disposition dilectionidīlēctiōnīto love etand affectuiaffectuīto affection genuinogenuīnōnatural deditamdēditamgiven over degustabisdēgustābis?will you tasteWill you ever taste a disposition given over to love and to natural affection?dispositionem dilectioni et affectui genuino deditam The participle deditam "given over, devoted" (from dedo) agrees with dispositionem and takes the dative of what one is devoted to: dilectioni et affectui genuino "to love and natural affection". Noun and participle wrap round the phrase, dispositionem … deditam, as they often do. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsdegustabis degustare is "to taste, take a first taste of": Marcus asks whether the soul will ever so much as taste a loving temper. degustabis is the plain future, "will you taste". ecquandoecquandōever? futurafutūragoing to be esare you plenaplēna,full reireīof a thing nulliusnūllīusof no indiga,in need nihilnothing desideransdēsīderānslonging for ulterius,further nihilnothing expetensexpetēnsseeking veleither animatumanimātumliving velor inanime,lifeless quoquōwhich fruifruīto enjoy tibifor you volupea pleasure sit,would beWill you ever be full, in need of nothing, longing for nothing more, seeking nothing, living or lifeless, that it would be a pleasure for you to enjoy,plena, rei nullius indiga indigus "in need of" takes the genitive: rei nullius indiga "in need of no thing". nullius is the genitive of nullus, with the pronoun ending -ius.nihil desiderans ulterius, nihil expetens The present participles desiderans "longing for" and expetens "seeking" are feminine nominative, like plena: they describe the soul, "you", and say what it will be like: "longing for nothing further, seeking nothing". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsquo frui tibi volupe sit fruor "enjoy" is a deponent that takes its object in the ablative, so the relative is quo "which" (ablative), not quod. volupe est with a dative is "it is a pleasure to": quo frui tibi volupe sit "which it would be a pleasure to you to enjoy". The subjunctive sit describes the kind of thing: "nothing such that you would delight in enjoying it". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) nequeneither tempus,time inin quoquōwhich diutiusdiūtiuslonger fruarisfruāris,you might enjoy (it) nequenor locum,a place autor regionemregiōnem,a region autor coelicoelīof the sky blandampleasant temperiem,mildness autor hominumof people amicamamīcamfriendly societatemsocietātem;companyneither time in which to enjoy it longer, nor a place, or a region, or a pleasant mildness of climate, or the friendly company of people?neque tempus … neque locum The list goes on from nihil expetens: the soul will seek "neither time … nor place, or region …". All these accusatives are objects of expetens. The question runs on past the semicolon to complectatur.in quo diutius fruaris A relative clause with the subjunctive can express purpose: tempus in quo diutius fruaris "time in which you may enjoy (it) longer", i.e. more time to go on enjoying. The object of fruaris is left out: the pleasures just spoken of. Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo)coeli blandam temperiem coelum is Gataker's spelling of caelum "sky". coeli temperies "the tempering of the sky" is mild weather, a kind climate. Gataker's spelling: j, caeterum, quenquam, -cunque sedbut (instead) statustatūwith the state praesentipraesentīpresent acquiescesacquiēscēs,will you rest content etand praesentibusby things present oblectabereoblectāberewill you be delighted quibusque,each and every one etand persuasumpersuāsumconvinced habiturahabitūragoing to hold es,are you cunctacūnctaall things tibifor you adesse,are at hand cunctacūnctaall things tibifor you benewell sesēthemselves haberehabēre;are (well)Will you instead rest content with your present state, and take delight in every present thing, and come to be convinced that all things are at hand for you, that all is well with you;sed statu praesenti acquiesces The question goes on. sed "but (instead)" turns from what the soul will no longer want to what it will do. acquiesces and oblectabere are futures, still under the opening "will you ever …?"; the question mark comes only after complectatur, at the end of the next sentence but one.oblectabere oblectabere is the future passive of oblecto "delight", 2nd person singular, with the ending -bere for the commoner -beris: "you will be delighted", i.e. "you will delight in". The ablative praesentibus gives the cause: "by things present". The passive with a reflexive sense ("be carried away", "let yourself be…")praesentibus oblectabere quibusque quibusque is the ablative plural of quisque "each, every", agreeing with praesentibus; it is not quibus + -que. So: "by present things, each and every one". Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunquepersuasum habitura es, cuncta tibi adesse persuasum habere "to hold it as settled" is "to be convinced", and it brings in accusatives and infinitives: cuncta tibi adesse "that all things are at hand for you", cuncta tibi bene se habere "that all is well with you" (se habere with an adverb means "to be" in some state). habitura es is the future participle with es again, like futura es. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement) sedbut etalso aāfrom DeisDeīsthe gods provenireprōvenīre,come benequeand well habiturahabitūra,going to be quaecunquewhatever things ipsisipsīsto them concedereconcēdereto grant visumvīsumseemed good est,it has etand quaecunquewhatever things concessuriconcessūrīgoing to grant sunt,they arebut also that they come from the gods, and that all will be well, whatever it has pleased them to grant and whatever they are going to grant,a Deis provenire, beneque habitura Still under persuasum habitura es: "(that all things) come from the gods, and (that they) will be well". habitura stands for the future infinitive habitura esse, with esse left out, as it often is; bene habere without se also means "to be well". Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodquaecunque ipsis concedere visum est visum est with a dative and an infinitive is "it has seemed good to": quaecunque ipsis concedere visum est "whatever it has seemed good to them (the gods) to grant". quaecunque is Gataker's spelling of quaecumque. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)quaecunque concessuri sunt concessuri sunt "they are going to grant": the future participle with sunt, like futura es. Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses) utpoteinasmuch as quaethey adtowards salutemsalūtemthe welfare faciantthey make animantisof the living being perfectiperfectī,perfect probiprobī,good justijūstī,just honestihonestī,honourable quodwhich cunctacūnctaall ista,these things quaewhich utas aliaother things similialike (them) indidemfrom the same source oriuntur,arise dissolvuntur,are dissolved generet,begets contineat,holds together ambiat,surrounds complectaturcomplectātur?embracessince they serve the welfare of the living being that is perfect, good, just and honourable, which begets, holds together, surrounds and embraces all these things, which are dissolved as other things like them arise from the same source?utpote quae ad salutem faciant utpote quae "inasmuch as they" gives a reason, with the subjunctive. facere ad is "to make for, be good for": the gifts of the gods serve salutem animantis "the welfare of the living being". Causal clauses: quod, quia, siquidem, cum, quippeanimantis perfecti, probi, justi, honesti The living being is the world, which the Stoics held to be a single perfect animal. animans can be of any gender; here it is neuter, like the Greek word for "animal", so the adjectives are neuter and the relative that follows is quod. perfecti is the participle of perficio, "made complete", "perfect".quod cuncta ista … generet, contineat, ambiat, complectatur quod is the relative pronoun "which", not the conjunction "because"; its antecedent is animantis. Four verbs follow with no "and" between them: it "begets, holds together, surrounds, embraces" all things. They are subjunctive because the clause is part of what the soul will be convinced of, a clause inside reported thought. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thoughtquae ut alia similia indidem oriuntur, dissolvuntur Inside sits another relative clause: quae … dissolvuntur "which are dissolved". ut with the indicative oriuntur (so Gataker prints it, 1652) means "as", not "so that": "as other things like them arise from the same source". The Greek says they are dissolved "for the birth of others like them": one thing's ending is another's beginning. ecquandoecquandōever? itaso affectadisposed futurafutūragoing to be es,are you quoquōthat cumwith DeisDeīsthe gods hominibusqueand men itain such a way verserisversēris,you live utthat necneither eoseōsthem quicquamin anything insimulesīnsimulēs,you find fault with nequenor abby eiseīsthem ipsayourself condemneriscondemnēris?you are condemnedWill you ever be so disposed that you live with gods and men in such a way that you neither find fault with them in anything, nor are yourself condemned by them?ita affecta futura es, quo … verseris ita affecta "so disposed". quo here does the work of ut "so that", as it often does in Gataker even without a comparative: "so disposed that you live with gods and men …". versari cum is "to live among, keep company with". Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo)ita verseris, ut nec eos quicquam insimules ita … ut "in such a way … that" brings in a result clause with the subjunctive. insimulare "to accuse, find fault with" takes the person in the accusative (eos, gods and men); quicquam is an accusative of the charge, "in anything at all". So: "that you neither blame them for anything …". Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)neque ab eis ipsa condemneris ab eis "by them" gives the agent of the passive condemneris "you are condemned". ipsa "you yourself" (feminine, the soul) points the contrast: you blame no one, and no one blames you. Agent with the passive: a, ab with the ablative

Give your nature, as a merely growing thing, what it asks, unless your animal nature would suffer; give your animal nature what it asks, unless your rational nature would suffer. What is rational is also civic; keep to these rules and fuss over nothing else.

ObservaObservā,observe quidwhat naturanātūranature tuayour exigat,requires quatenusquātenusin so far as aāby naturanātūrānature meramerāmere regitur.it is governedObserve what your nature requires, in so far as it is governed by nature alone.quid natura tua exigat quid … exigat is an indirect question, the object of observa, so its verb is subjunctive: "observe what your nature requires". Indirect questionsquatenus a natura mera regitur Marcus works up through three levels of life. natura mera "mere nature" is the bare life of growth that we share with plants; quatenus a natura mera regitur "in so far as it is governed by nature alone" means "taken simply as a living, growing body". The next two steps are the animal nature and the rational nature. atqueand idthat faciasfaciāsyou should do etand admittasadmittās,allow nisiunless naturanātūranature tua,your quaquāin so far as esyou are animal,a living creature indefrom it deteriordēteriorworse futurafutūragoing to be sit.isAnd do that and allow it, unless your nature, in so far as you are a living creature, is going to be the worse for it.id facias et admittas facias and admittas are jussive subjunctives, a milder command than the imperative: "you should do it and allow it". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")natura tua, qua es animal qua is an old ablative of qui used as an adverb, "in so far as, in the capacity of": natura tua, qua es animal "your nature in so far as you are a living creature", i.e. your animal nature, the life of the senses and of impulse. The phrase comes back twice, the last time with rationale added for the third level.inde deterior futura sit futura sit is the future participle with the subjunctive of sum, the way Latin puts a future into a subjunctive clause: "unless it is going to be worse". inde "from it" means "from your doing so". Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses) tumthen observaobservā,observe quidwhat naturanātūra,nature quaquāin so far as esyou are animal,a living creature exposcat.demandsThen observe what your nature, in so far as you are a living creature, demands.quid natura, qua es animal, exposcat The second step: now look at what your animal nature asks for. exposcere is a strong word, "demand, call for". natura here has no tua, but the qua clause makes it yours. etand hocthis quicquidwhatever est,it is concedeconcēdegrant tibi,to yourself nisiunless naturanātūranature tua,your quaquāin so far as esyou are animala creature rationaleratiōnāle,rational deteriusdēteriusworse indefrom it sesēitself habiturahabitūragoing to hold sit.isAnd whatever this is, allow it to yourself, unless your nature, in so far as you are a rational creature, is going to be the worse for it.hoc quicquid est hoc quicquid est "this, whatever it is": the quicquid clause is set inside the sentence, a common way of saying "whatever the animal nature asks for". Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunquedeterius inde se habitura sit se habere with an adverb means "to be" in some state, as in bene se habere "to be well"; deterius is the comparative adverb, "worse". So: "unless your rational nature is going to be in a worse state because of it". habitura sit is the future participle with sit, as futura sit was before. quodwhat estis autemnow rationaleratiōnāle,rational protinusprōtinusby that very fact estis etalso civilecīvīle.civicNow what is rational is by that very fact also civic.quod est autem rationale quod "what" is a relative with its antecedent left out: "(that) which is rational". autem stands second in its clause, as it always does, and here means "now", adding a step. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodprotinus est et civile protinus "straight on" here means "at once, by that very fact". civilis "civic, social" makes the Stoic point that a rational being is made for a community: so the rational nature includes the social one, and whatever harms one harms the other. hishīsthese regulisrēgulīsrules ususūsus,using nihilnothing ulteriusfurther sategerissatēgerīs.busy yourselfUsing these rules, do not busy yourself over anything further.his regulis usus utor "use" is a deponent that takes the ablative: his regulis usus "having used these rules", i.e. "using these rules". A deponent's perfect participle is active in meaning. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaningnihil ulterius sategeris sategeris is the perfect subjunctive of satago "busy oneself, fuss" (sat "enough" + ago, whose perfect is egi). The perfect subjunctive with a negative is the usual way to forbid, as in ne feceris "do not do it"; here nihil takes the place of ne: "busy yourself about nothing further", i.e. "do not fuss over anything more". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive

Whatever happens is either something you are made to bear or something you are not. If you can bear it, bear it without complaint; if you cannot, do not complain either, for it will end when you do. And you can bear anything that your own judgement can make bearable, by seeing it as useful or as your duty.

Quicquidwhatever contingit,happens veleither itain such a way contingit,it happens utthat idit ferreto bear natusnātusborn sissīs,you are velor utthat nonnōnnot sissīs.you areWhatever happens, happens either in such a way that you are born to bear it, or in such a way that you are not.ut id ferre natus sis, vel ut non sis ita … ut "in such a way that" brings in a result clause in the subjunctive. natus sis is the perfect subjunctive of the deponent nascor "be born": "that you have been born", i.e. "that you are made by nature". natus with an infinitive, "born to", is a usage of later Latin: ferre natus "born to bear". In vel ut non sis the participle and the infinitive are understood: "or that you are not (born to bear it)". Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic) sisīif contingitit happens ita,in such a way utthat ferreto bear natusnātusborn sissīs,you are nenēdo not gravatimgravātimheavily tetēyourself habeashabeās,carry (yourself) sedbut proutprōutas natusnātusborn es,you were ferasferās.bear itIf it happens in such a way that you are born to bear it, do not take it heavily, but bear it as you were born to.ne gravatim te habeas ne with the present subjunctive forbids: "do not …". se habere with an adverb is "to be, carry oneself" in some way: gravatim te habeas "carry yourself heavily", i.e. "be aggrieved, take it hard". The positive command that follows is also a subjunctive, feras "bear it". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")prout natus es prout natus es "as you were born (to)": ferre is understood from before. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood sinsīnbut if itain such a way contingat,it should happen utthat ferreto bear nonnōnnot natusnātusborn sissīs,you are necnot sicsīcso quidemeven graverisgravēris;be aggrieved ubiwhen enimfor tetēyou absumpseritabsūmpserit,it has consumed etalso ipsumitself concidet.will collapseBut if it should happen in such a way that you are not born to bear it, do not be aggrieved even so; for when it has consumed you, it will itself come to an end as well.sin ita contingat sin "but if" answers the earlier si. The subjunctive contingat presents this second case as only supposed: "but if it should happen …". Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)nec sic quidem graveris nec … quidem works like ne … quidem "not even", with sic "so" between: "not even so". graveris is the present subjunctive of the deponent gravor "find a thing heavy, take it ill", used as a prohibition: "do not be aggrieved even then". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")ubi enim te absumpserit, et ipsum concidet absumpserit is future perfect, "when it will have consumed you"; English says "when it has consumed you". et here is "also", and ipsum "itself" is the thing that happens: what is too much to bear ends together with you. concidet is from concido "fall, collapse" (short i, from cado), not concīdo "cut up" (from caedo). The future perfect ("if you will have done…") meminerismeminerīsremember tamen,however naturanātūrāby nature essehave been comparatumcomparātumfitted tetē,you adfor quidlibetanything at all ferendum,bearing quodwhich inin opinioneopīniōneopinion tuatuāyour situmplaced est,is utthat tolerabiletolerābiletolerable faciat,it should make veleither conducerecondūcereis of benefit tibi,to you velor officiiofficiī(a matter) of duty esse,is utthat illudit faciasfaciās,you do censendocēnsendō.by judgingRemember, however, that you have been fitted by nature to bear anything at all that it lies with your opinion to make tolerable, by judging either that it is to your advantage, or that it is your duty, to do so.memineris memineris is the perfect subjunctive of memini, a verb with only perfect forms but present meaning; used as a command it is "remember". Perfect stems and short forms (norim, posuere)natura esse comparatum te, ad quidlibet ferendum Accusative and infinitive after memineris: te … esse comparatum "that you have been fitted", with the two halves of the perfect passive infinitive split. natura is ablative, "by nature". ad quidlibet ferendum "for anything to be borne" is the gerundive with ad, expressing purpose: "for bearing anything at all". The gerundive with ad, in and the genitivequod in opinione tua situm est, ut tolerabile faciat situm est "is placed, lies" is used as in in te situm est "it lies with you". The ut clause spells out what lies with your opinion: that it should make the thing tolerabile "tolerable". The subject of faciat is your opinion, and its object, "it", is left unsaid. Taken together: "anything that it lies with your opinion to make bearable". Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)vel conducere tibi, vel officii esse, ut illud facias, censendo censendo "by judging" is the gerund in the ablative of means, and it governs an accusative and infinitive whose subject is the clause ut illud facias "that you do it": "(your doing it) either benefits you or is a matter of duty". officii esse "to be of duty" is the genitive of characteristic: "to belong to one's duty". Genitive of characteristic: "it belongs to…, it is the mark of…"

If someone goes wrong, show him his mistake kindly; if you cannot, blame yourself, or not even yourself.

SiquisSīquisif anyone fallitur,is mistaken docendodocendōby teaching comitercōmiterkindly huicto him erroremerrōremerror suumhis own indicaindicā.point outIf anyone is mistaken, point out his error to him, teaching him kindly.Siquis fallitur fallitur is the passive of fallo "deceive": "is deceived", i.e. "is mistaken, goes wrong". siquis is si + quis "if anyone". The passive with a reflexive sense ("be carried away", "let yourself be…")docendo comiter huic errorem suum indica docendo is the gerund in the ablative, "by teaching", and comiter "kindly, courteously" goes with it. indica is the imperative of indico (1st conj.) "point out", with the dative huic "to him" and the object errorem suum "his error". suum refers to huic: a reflexive may point to the person the sentence is about, not only to its grammatical subject. The gerund (agendo, laedendi) autor hocthis sisīif nequeasnequeās,you cannot (do) tetēyourself culpaculpā,blame velor necnot tetēyourself etiam.evenOr, if you cannot do this, blame yourself, or not even yourself.hoc si nequeas hoc "this" is put before si for weight; nequeas "you cannot" needs an infinitive understood: "if you cannot (do) this". The subjunctive puts the case as a possibility.te culpa, vel nec te etiam culpa here is not the noun "fault" but the imperative of the verb culpo "blame": te culpa "blame yourself". In vel nec te etiam the verb is left out: "or not even yourself". Gataker's nec … etiam means the same as ne … quidem "not even": if you could not teach him, it may be no one's fault. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive

Whatever happens to you was prepared for you from all eternity: the chain of causes has wound your existence and this event together from the beginning.

Quicquidwhatever tibito you contingit,happens abfrom aeternoaeternōeternity destinatumdēstinātumdestined estwas tibi.for youWhatever happens to you was destined for you from all eternity.ab aeterno destinatum est tibi ab aeterno "from the eternal" is the set phrase "from all eternity". destinatum est is the perfect passive: "it has been destined (and so stands destined) for you". causarumquecausārumqueand of causes seriesseriēsthe chain sibiwith one another invicemmutually implexarumimplexāruminterwoven tuituīof you ipsiusipsīusyourself subsistentiamexistence cumwith casucāsūevent illoillōthat abfrom aeternoaeternōeternity conglomeravitconglomerāvit.has wound togetherAnd the chain of causes woven into one another has from eternity spun your own existence together with that event.causarumque series sibi invicem implexarum series causarum "the chain of causes", with -que "and" joined to its first word. The participle implexarum "interwoven" agrees with causarum, not with series, and sibi invicem is "with one another": "causes woven into one another". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounstui ipsius subsistentiam cum casu illo ab aeterno conglomeravit tui is the genitive of tu (not of tuus), and ipsius agrees with it: tui ipsius subsistentiam "the existence of your very self". subsistentia is a late Latin word for real existence, rendering the Greek hypostasis. conglomerare is "to wind into a ball" (from glomus "a ball of yarn"), so Gataker keeps the Greek picture of the Fates spinning: the causes "have spun your existence together with that event". casus is "what befalls", the event in question.

Whether the world is atoms or a governing nature, I am a part of a whole that nature governs, and I am bound to the other parts of my own kind. So I will welcome whatever the whole gives me, since nothing that helps the whole can harm the part, and I will act for the common good; then my life will flow well, as a good citizen's does.

SiveSīvewhether atomiatomīatoms obtinent,hold sway sivesīveor naturanātūranature regitgoverns universaūniversa;all things hocthis primoprīmōfirst statuaturstatuātur,let (it) be laid down partema part esseam memēI universiūniversīof the whole aāby naturanātūrānature administratiadministrātī.governedWhether atoms hold sway or nature governs all things, let this be laid down first: that I am a part of the whole that is governed by nature.Sive atomi obtinent, sive natura regit universa sive … sive "whether … or" sets out two views of the world: the Epicurean, in which atoms obtinent "hold sway", and the Stoic, in which a guiding nature governs everything. obtinere without an object is "to prevail". What follows is meant to hold on either view. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivehoc primo statuatur, partem esse me statuatur is a jussive subjunctive in the passive: "let this be laid down first". hoc "this" points ahead to the accusative and infinitive that says what it is: partem esse me universi "that I am a part of the whole". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…") deinde,next necessitudinenecessitūdineby a bond memēI quadamquādama kind of partibusto the parts generisof kind ejusdemthe same esseam conjunctumconjūnctum.joinedNext, that I am joined by a kind of close bond to the parts of the same kind as myself.deinde, necessitudine me quadam partibus generis ejusdem esse conjunctum The verb statuatur carries on from the last sentence: "(let it be laid down) next, that I am joined …". necessitudo is a close tie of kinship or obligation; quadam "a certain" softens it: "a kind of bond". The partes generis ejusdem "parts of the same kind" are other human beings, parts of the whole as I am. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood siquidemsīquidemfor istathese things recordatusrecordātus;having called to mind quatenusquātenusin so far as parsa part sumI am totiustōtīus,of the whole nihilnothing aegreaegrēill feramI shall take abby universoūniversōthe universe mihito me attributumattribūtum.assignedFor, bearing these things in mind, in so far as I am a part of the whole I shall take nothing ill that is assigned to me by the universe.siquidem ista recordatus recordatus is the perfect participle of the deponent recordor "call to mind", active in meaning: "having called these things to mind", i.e. "remembering them". It goes with the "I" of feram; Gataker's semicolon after it is only a pause. siquidem "for" stands for the Greek gar; it can also be taken as "if indeed (I keep these in mind)". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsnihil aegre feram aegre ferre "to bear ill" is "to resent, be displeased at". feram could be present subjunctive or future; beside the futures that follow (habebo, dirigam, abstinebo) it is future: "I shall take nothing ill". nihil … attributum is "nothing assigned (to me)": the participle agrees with nihil. nequenot enimfor partipartīto the part potestcan essebe noxium,harmful quodwhat universoūniversōthe whole conducitcondūcit.benefitsFor what benefits the whole cannot be harmful to the part.neque enim parti potest esse noxium, quod universo conducit neque enim is "for … not". The subject comes last: quod universo conducit "(that) which benefits the whole", with its antecedent left out. conducere "be of use" takes the dative, as noxius "harmful" does. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod nequenor habethas quicquamanything universumūniversum,the universe quodwhich nonnōnnot sibito itself conducatcondūcat.is of benefitNor does the universe have anything that is not of benefit to itself.quod non sibi conducat A relative clause after a negative (neque … quicquam "not anything") takes the subjunctive, describing the kind of thing: "nothing of a sort that does not benefit it". sibi refers back to universum, the subject. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) cumsince hocthis naturaenātūraenatures omnesomnēsall inin communecommūnecommon sortiantur:have as their lot mundimundīof the world verovērōbut naturanātūrathe nature etalso hocthis ampliusbesides obtineat,has quodthat aāby nullanūllāno caussacaussācause externaexternāoutside cogicōgīto be forced possit,it can utto sibito itself ipsiipsīitself noxiumharmful quicquamanything producatprōdūcat.produceSince all natures share this in common; but the nature of the world has this besides, that it cannot be forced by any cause outside it to produce anything harmful to itself.cum hoc naturae omnes in commune sortiantur cum with the subjunctive here is "since". The clause gives the reason for the sentence before; Gataker puts a full stop where we would put a comma. sortiri is "to get by lot": hoc in commune sortiantur "they have this as their common lot", i.e. every nature shares the rule that it makes nothing against itself. Clauses with cum: when, since, althoughet hoc amplius obtineat, quod a nulla caussa externa cogi possit hoc amplius "this further" is explained by the quod clause, "namely that …". possit is subjunctive because the clause stands inside the cum clause. The world's nature has an advantage over the others: there is nothing outside it to force it. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thoughtcogi possit, ut sibi ipsi noxium quicquam producat Verbs of forcing take an ut clause for what one is forced to do: cogi ut … producat "be forced to produce". sibi ipsi "to itself" is the world's nature. Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)caussa caussa is Gataker's usual spelling of causa; in the last section he wrote causarum. Gataker's spelling: j, caeterum, quenquam, -cunque ubiwhen ergoergōso meminerim,I remember partema part esseam memēI universiūniversīof a universe istiusmodiistīusmodī,of that kind futurumfutūrumgoing to be est,it is utthat quicquidwhatever eveneritēvēnerit,happens gratumgrātumpleasing mihito me acceptumqueand welcome sit.will beSo, when I remember that I am a part of such a universe, it will follow that whatever happens will be pleasing and welcome to me.ubi ergo meminerim meminerim is the perfect subjunctive of memini, present in meaning: "I remember". The subjunctive treats the case as one that may arise: "whenever I remember". Perfect stems and short forms (norim, posuere)futurum est, ut quicquid evenerit, gratum mihi acceptumque sit futurum est ut "it is going to be that" is a roundabout future with an ut clause as its subject: "it will come about that whatever happens will be pleasing and welcome to me". evenerit is future perfect, "shall have happened". gratum acceptumque "pleasing and welcome" is a set pair; acceptus, the participle of accipio, means "gladly received, welcome". Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…) into quantumwhat extent verovērōand necessitudinenecessitūdineby a bond quadamquādama kind of ejusdemthe same generisof kind partibusto the parts conjunctusconjūnctusjoined sum,I am nihilnothing facturusfactūrusgoing to do sum,I am quodwhich communioniscommūniōnisof fellowship jusjūsthe law violet:violatesAnd in so far as I am joined by a kind of bond to the parts of the same kind, I will do nothing that violates the law of fellowship,in quantum vero in quantum "to what extent" means "in so far as", the same as quatenus above. vero turns to the second thing laid down, my bond with other people.nihil facturus sum, quod communionis jus violet facturus sum "I am going to do" is the future participle with sum, here with a note of resolve: "I will do nothing". After the negative nihil, the relative clause takes the subjunctive: "nothing of a kind to violate the law of fellowship". Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses) sedbut cognatorumcognātōrumfor my kin potiusrather rationemratiōnemregard habebohabēbō,I shall have omnemqueand all conatumcōnātumeffort meummy adto idthat dirigamdīrigam,I shall direct quodwhich intowards communecommūnethe common good conducatcondūcat,serves etand abfrom eoeōthat quodwhich estis huicto this contrariumcontrārium,contrary abstineboabstinēbō.I shall keep awaybut rather I shall have regard for my kin, and direct all my effort to what serves the common good, and keep away from what is contrary to it.cognatorum potius rationem habebo rationem habere with a genitive is "to take account of, have regard for": cognatorum rationem habebo "I shall have regard for my kin". The cognati "kinsmen" are, for Marcus, all human beings, as parts of the same kind.quod in commune conducat in commune "for the common (good)": the neuter adjective is used as a noun. The subjunctive conducat describes the kind of thing: "whatever serves the common good". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)ab eo quod est huic contrarium, abstinebo abstinere ab "keep away from". huic "to this" is dative with contrarium and means the common good. Ablative of separation (a, ab, absque, liber, immunis, alienus) hishīsthese things itaso peractisperāctīs,carried out vitavītalife prosperaprosperous mihifor me fluatflows necessenecessary erit.it will beWhen these things have been carried out in this way, my life is bound to flow prosperously.his ita peractis An ablative absolute: his ita peractis "these things having been so carried out", i.e. "when I have done this". Ablative absolutevita prospera mihi fluat necesse erit necesse est "it is necessary" can take a subjunctive clause without ut: vita … fluat necesse erit "it will be necessary that life flow", i.e. "my life is bound to flow". prospera agrees with vita but works like an adverb: "flow prosperous", "run smoothly"; mihi "for me" makes it "my life". The Greek says the life will "flow well". Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…) quemadmodumjust as civicīvīfor the citizen illiillīthat vitamvītamlife prospereprosperēprosperously fluereflows quivisquīvīsanyone at all existimetexīstimet,would judge quiquīwho inin actionibusāctiōnibusactions quaewhich civitatiscīvitātisof the city secumsēcumwith himself ejusdemthe same consortibuscōnsortibusto the sharers utilesūtilēsuseful sint,are obeundisobeundīsperforming constantercōnstantersteadily perrexeritperrēxerit,has gone on etand quicquidwhatever civitascīvitāsthe city ipsiipsīto him attribuerit,has assigned gratantergrātantergladly acceperitaccēperit.has acceptedJust so would anyone judge that life flows prosperously for that citizen who has gone steadily on in performing actions useful to those who share the same city with him, and has gladly accepted whatever the city has assigned to him.quemadmodum civi illi vitam prospere fluere quivis existimet quemadmodum "just as" brings in a comparison from city life; Gataker sets it after a full stop, as a sentence of its own: "just so would anyone judge". existimet is a potential subjunctive, "anyone would judge", and it takes an accusative and infinitive: vitam prospere fluere "that life flows prosperously", with civi illi "for that citizen". Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questionsin actionibus … obeundis in actionibus obeundis "in actions to be undertaken" is the gerundive with in: "in performing actions". A whole relative clause stands between the noun and its gerundive. obire is "to go to meet", hence "take on, carry out". The gerundive with ad, in and the genitivequae civitatis secum ejusdem consortibus utiles sint consortes are "sharers", literally "those of the same lot" (sors); with civitatis ejusdem and secum it means "those who share the same city with him", his fellow citizens. The subjunctives sint, perrexerit, attribuerit and acceperit all belong to the case imagined under existimet. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thoughtquicquid civitas ipsi attribuerit, gratanter acceperit The citizen's second mark matches the first of Marcus's resolutions: he accepts gratanter "gladly" whatever the city assigns him, as Marcus will take nothing ill that the universe assigns him (attributum). ipsi "to him" is the citizen.

All the parts of the universe must change; if change were an evil to them, the whole would be badly run, and it is absurd to say they are born to change and then resent their changing. Each thing goes back into the elements it came from, and what changes in you is not what your mother bore but what flowed in yesterday from food and air.

UniversiŪniversīof the universe partespartēs,the parts quotquot,as many as inquam,I mean mundimundīof the world ambituambitūby the compass continentur,are contained corrumpicorrumpīto be corrupted necessenecessary est.it isThe parts of the universe, all those, I mean, that are contained within the compass of the world, must be corrupted.partes … corrumpi necesse est necesse est "it is necessary" takes an accusative and infinitive: partes … corrumpi "that the parts be corrupted". So partes, which could be nominative, is accusative here, the subject of the infinitive: "the parts must be corrupted". Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)quotquot, inquam, mundi ambitu continentur quotquot "as many as" never changes its ending; here it is the subject of continentur: "(all those) that are contained". inquam "I say" is slipped in to narrow what has just been said: "the parts, I mean all those that …". ambitus, from ambire "go round", is the circuit or compass of the world. corruptioniscorruptiōnisof "corruption" nominenōmineby the name alterationemalterātiōnemalteration intelligointelligō.I meanBy the word "corruption" I mean alteration.corruptionis nomine nomen with a genitive gives the word one is talking about: corruptionis nomine "by the name of corruption", that is, "by the word 'corruption'". Marcus warns that the word here does not mean decay into nothing, only change; intelligo "I understand" has the sense "I mean". hocthis autem,but cumsince sitit is necessariumnecessārium,necessary sisīif etalso maluman evil illisillīsfor them fuerit,it should be cumwith universoūniversōthe universe sanesānēsurely sequiusworse agereturagerētur,it would go cumsince partespartēsthe parts ejusits inin alterationealterātiōnealteration frequentifrequentīconstant agerent,would be engaged etand adfor corrumpendumbeing corrupted multifariammultifāriamin many ways essentwere comparataecomparātae.made, fittedBut since this is necessary, if it were also an evil for them, it would surely go badly with the universe, since its parts would be in constant alteration and made in many ways for being corrupted.hoc autem, cum sit necessarium hoc "this" is the corruption just defined. It is the subject of both sit and fuerit: "this, since it is necessary, if it should also be an evil …". Then the sentence leaves hoc behind, and the main clause is impersonal. Demonstratives: hic, ille, iste, is, ipse, idemsi et malum illis fuerit, cum universo sane sequius ageretur An unreal condition: a case is imagined in order to be rejected. The main clause has the imperfect subjunctive ageretur "it would go", the mood of what is not so. Gataker opens the si clause with the perfect subjunctive fuerit "should it be", a looser choice, but the sense is "if this were an evil to them, … would …". Since the universe is in fact well run, change cannot be an evil for its parts. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)cum universo sane sequius ageretur Here cum is the preposition "with", not the conjunction. agitur cum aliquo is an idiom, an impersonal passive: "it goes (well or ill) with someone". sequius is Gataker's spelling of secius, the comparative of secus "otherwise": "less well". So: "it would surely go worse with the universe", the universe would be badly run. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)cum partes ejus … agerent, et … essent comparatae The second cum is the conjunction "since", with the subjunctive. in alteratione agere is "to live in a state of alteration". ad corrumpendum is a gerund of purpose, active in form but passive in sense: "(made) for being corrupted", that is, built in many ways to perish. The gerund (agendo, laedendi) nunquidsurely … not? autemthen dicemusdīcēmus,shall we say auteither naturamnātūramNature ipsamherself instituisseīnstituisseset out partespartēsparts suassuāsher own malomalōwith evil afficere,to afflict etand itain such a way condidisse,made utthat ininto malumevil incidereto fall nonnōnnot natanātaborn tantumonly essent,were sedbut ininto malumevil etiameven necessarionecessāriōof necessity inciderent?they fellShall we really say either that Nature herself set out to afflict her own parts with evil, and made them in such a way that they were not only born liable to fall into evil, but even fell into evil of necessity?nunquid autem dicemus nunquid (= numquid) opens a question that expects the answer "no": "shall we really say …?". Two possibilities follow, joined by aut … aut (the second aut opens the next sentence): Nature did harm to her parts on purpose, or it happened without her knowing.naturam ipsam instituisse partes suas malo afficere An accusative and infinitive after dicemus: naturam ipsam is the subject of instituisse and later of condidisse. instituere with an infinitive is "to set about, undertake" to do something, and afficere aliquem aliqua re is "to visit something on someone": malo afficere "to afflict with evil". Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)ita condidisse, ut … non nata tantum essent, sed … etiam necessario inciderent ita … ut "in such a way that" gives the result. natus with an infinitive means "born to, made by nature to": in malum incidere nata "born to fall into evil", liable to it. non tantum … sed etiam "not only … but also". nata is neuter though partes is feminine: Gataker thinks of the parts as "things", as the Greek word for them is neuter. Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic) autor clamwithout the knowledge of ipsaipsāher istiusmodiistīusmodīof that kind factasfactāsmade esse?to have been neutrumneither estis verisimilevērīsimile.likelyOr that they were made such without her knowing? Neither is likely.aut clam ipsa istiusmodi factas esse? The second half of the question, still after dicemus: "or (shall we say) that they were made such without her knowing?". clam "secretly" works here as a preposition with the ablative: clam ipsa "without (Nature) herself knowing". The understood subject of factas esse is partes, hence the feminine accusative.neutrum est verisimile neutrum "neither (of the two)" answers both halves of the question at once: Nature neither meant harm nor was taken unawares. sinsīn,but if missomissōput aside quisanyone naturaenātūraeof "nature" nominenōmine,the name itaso natanātaborn esseto have been diceredīcereto say voluerit,shall want videvidēsee quamhow ridiculumrīdiculumabsurd sit,it is utthat quiquīthe man who dicatdīcatsays universiūniversīof the universe partespartēsthe parts mutaremūtāreto change natasnātās,born idemīdemthe same man hocthis ipsumvery mutaremūtārechange illasillās,they tanquamas though quodsomething which praetercontrary to rerumrērumof things ipsarumipsārumthemselves naturamnātūramthe nature contingat,happened mireturmīrēturshould wonder at etand aegreaegrēbadly ferat:takeBut if anyone, leaving aside the word "nature", chooses to say that they are simply born so, see how absurd it is that the man who says the parts of the universe are born to change should himself wonder at this very thing, that they change, and take it badly, as though it were something that happened contrary to the nature of things themselves:misso quis naturae nomine misso … nomine is an ablative absolute, "the name having been let go": "leaving aside the word 'nature'". The indefinite quis "anyone", subject of voluerit, is tucked inside it, as often after si and sin. Such a person would avoid speaking of Nature as a maker and say only that the parts are "born so", ita nata esse. Ablative absolutevide quam ridiculum sit vide "see" is followed by an indirect question, so its verb is subjunctive: quam ridiculum sit "how absurd it is". What is absurd is given by the ut clause that follows. Indirect questionsut qui dicat … idem … miretur et aegre ferat The ut clause is the subject of ridiculum sit: "that the man who says … should himself wonder and take it badly". qui dicat "(the man) who says" is taken up by idem "the same man": one and the same person says the parts are born to change and then resents their changing. dicat is subjunctive because it stands inside the ut clause. Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)universi partes mutare natas An accusative and infinitive after dicat, with esse left out: partes natas (esse) mutare "that the parts are born to change". mutare is intransitive, "to change", here and in hoc ipsum mutare illas "this very thing, that they change", where a second accusative and infinitive explains hoc ipsum. Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodtanquam quod praeter rerum ipsarum naturam contingat tanquam "as though" with the subjunctive gives a false comparison: "as though (it were) something which happens contrary to the nature of things themselves". praeter with the accusative is here "contrary to, outside". praesertim,especially aliaother things utto mittam,pass over cumsince ininto eademthe same things ipsavery resolvaturresolvāturis resolved unumquodqueūnumquodque,each thing exout of quibuswhich constiteratcōnstiterat.it had been composedEspecially, to pass over other things, since each thing is resolved into the very things of which it had been composed.alia ut mittam A set phrase, "to pass over other things": a purpose clause in which ut comes second. mittere "let go" is used for leaving a topic aside. Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo)praesertim, alia ut mittam, cum praesertim cum "especially since" brings in the strongest reason, with the phrase alia ut mittam set between the two words. Nothing is lost when a thing is broken up: it goes back in eadem ipsa … ex quibus constiterat "into the very things out of which it had been composed". Causal clauses: quod, quia, siquidem, cum, quippe auteither estthere is enimfor elementorumelementōrum,of the elements exout of quibuswhich concretumconcrētumcompounded fuerat,it had been dissipatiodissipātiō,a scattering autor conversioconversiō,a turning quicquidwhatever estthere is solidisolidīof solid ininto terram,earth quicquidwhatever aeriiāeriīof airy estthere is ininto aeremāerem;airFor there is either a scattering of the elements of which it had been compounded, or a turning of whatever is solid into earth, of whatever is airy into air;aut est enim … dissipatio, aut conversio est "there is" has two subjects, dissipatio "a scattering" and conversio "a turning", offered as alternatives by aut … aut. The subject of concretum fuerat "had been compounded" is unumquodque "each thing" from the last sentence. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivequicquid est solidi in terram, quicquid aerii est in aerem quicquid est solidi is literally "whatever there is of solid", a partitive genitive: "whatever is solid". The two quicquid clauses say what the conversio is a turning of, and in terram, in aerem into what: the solid part goes back to earth, the airy part, the breath, to air. aerii is from aerius "of the air", the same word as aereus in the next sentence. Partitive genitive (aliquid boni, nihil…) utso that ettoo istathese ininto universiūniversīof the universe rationemratiōnemthe reason redigantur,are taken back sivesīvewhether illudit certocertōfixed temporisof time spatiospatiōspan revolutorevolūtōhaving come round deflagretdēflagret,it is burnt up sivesīveor vicissitudinibusvicissitūdinibusby exchanges perpetuisperpetuīseverlasting jugiterjūgitercontinually renoveturrenovētur.is renewedso that these too are taken back into the reason of the universe, whether it is burnt up when a fixed span of time has come round, or is continually renewed by everlasting exchanges.ut et ista in universi rationem redigantur ut with the subjunctive gives the result: "so that these too are taken back into the reason of the universe". ista are the elements just named. ratio renders the Greek logos: the rational order that makes all things and takes their matter back to make new ones. Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)sive illud certo temporis spatio revoluto deflagret sive … sive "whether … or" sets out two accounts of the world's history, and the point holds on either. illud is the universe (universum, neuter). certo temporis spatio revoluto is an ablative absolute, "a fixed span of time having rolled round": the Stoics taught that at the end of each world-cycle the whole is consumed by fire (deflagret) and then made again. The other view is that it is renewed without end by constant exchanges. Ablative absolute quinquīnwhat is more etand solidumthe solid part illudthat autor aereumāereumthe airy part nenēdo not cogitescōgitēs,think quodwhich abfrom ortuortūbirth primoprīmōfirst extitit.has existedMoreover, do not think that this solid or airy part is the one that has existed since your first birth.ne cogites A prohibition: ne with the subjunctive, "do not think". Classical prose prefers the perfect subjunctive (ne cogitaveris); Gataker, like many later writers, also uses the present. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivesolidum illud aut aereum … quod ab ortu primo extitit Marcus now turns the argument to the reader's own body. The solid and airy matter that changes and dissolves is not what you had at birth: "do not think of that solid or airy part as what has existed since your first birth". The next two sentences give the reason. extitit is the perfect of existo "come into being", Gataker's spelling of exsisto. hocthis enim,for quodwhich nuncnow habeshabēs,you have omneall heriherīyesterday acand nudiustertiusthe day before yesterday abfrom alimentisalimentīsfood aerequeāerequeand from the air attractoattractōdrawn in influxitīnflūxit.flowed inFor all this that you now have flowed in yesterday and the day before from food and from the air drawn in.hoc … omne hoc … omne "all this" is split by the relative clause quod nunc habes "which you now have". It means the whole present matter of your body.heri ac nudiustertius nudiustertius is nunc dies tertius (est) "it is now the third day", run into one word: "the day before yesterday", since the Romans counted today as the first day. "Yesterday and the day before" means "only lately": the stuff your body is made of is new, taken in from food and breath. hocthis ergoergōso mutatmūtat,changes quodwhat postafterwards acceptumtaken in est,was nonnōnnot quodwhat matermāteryour mother primoprīmōfirst peperit.boreSo it is this that changes, what was taken in afterwards, not what your mother first bore.quod mater primo peperit peperit is the perfect of pario "give birth to", with a doubled stem pe-per-. Latin needs no "your" with mater: the mother is plainly the reader's. mutat is intransitive, "changes": what changes in you is the matter taken in since birth, not the body your mother bore. quanquameven if ponaturpōnātur,it be supposed illudthat ipsumvery tetēyou valdevaldēclosely addicereaddīcerebinds huicto this peculiariterpecūliāriterpeculiarly sicsīcso affectoaffectō,constituted nihilnothing tamenyet obstabitobstābit,will prevent quoquōso that minusthe less verumvērumtrue sitbe quodwhat jamjust now dictumsaid est.has beenEven if it be supposed that that very thing binds you closely to this self of yours, so peculiarly constituted, nothing will prevent what has just been said from being true.quanquam ponatur, illud ipsum te valde addicere quanquam "although" takes the subjunctive here, as often in later Latin: quanquam ponatur "even if it be supposed". What is supposed is an accusative and infinitive, illud ipsum te … addicere "that that very thing (the matter you were born with) binds you". Concessive clauses: etiamsi, quamvis, cumhuic peculiariter sic affecto "To this (thing) so peculiarly constituted": Gataker's rendering of a Stoic technical term, Greek idiōs poion "the peculiarly qualified", the individual character that makes you this one person. Even if the matter you were born with is tied closely to that, the argument stands.nihil tamen obstabit, quo minus verum sit After obstare "to stand in the way", quo minus with the subjunctive means "from (being)": "nothing will prevent (it) from being true". Its subject is quod jam dictum est "what has just been said". Quo minus and quin after verbs of hindering

Take the names good, modest, truthful, prudent, of one mind and great-minded, and keep within them without wanting others to call you by them; to go on as before is to be like the half-eaten beast-fighters who beg to be saved for tomorrow's claws. If you can hold to them, stay as on the Isles of the Blessed; if not, withdraw to a corner, or leave life without anger. Remembering the gods helps: they want rational beings to become like them, as a fig tree does a fig tree's work.

NominaNōminanames tibifor yourself ubiwhen sumpserissūmpserisyou have taken ista,these bonibonī,of "good" modestimodestī,"modest" veracisvērācis,"truthful" prudentisprūdentis,"prudent" unanimisūnanimis,"of one mind" magnanimimagnanimī,"great-minded" cavecavētake care nequandonēquandōthat … never transnomineristrānsnōminēris,you are renamed etand amittasāmittāslose denuodēnuōagain nominanōminanames ista;these celeriterqueand quickly (siquidsīquidif anything taletālesuch contigerit)should happen adto eathem revertarisrevertāris.returnWhen you have taken these names for yourself, good, modest, truthful, prudent, of one mind, great-minded, take care that you are never renamed and lose these names again; and (if any such thing should happen) return to them quickly.Nomina tibi ubi sumpseris ista The conjunction ubi "when" is held back to third place, and Nomina … ista "these names" is split round it, so that the names come first. sumpseris is future perfect: "when you have taken". The genitives that follow name the names: boni, modesti … "(the names) of good, of modest …", as English says "the name of friend". The future perfect ("if you will have done…")cave nequando transnomineris cave "take care" is followed by a ne clause with the subjunctive; nequando is ne + quando "lest at any time": "take care that you are never renamed". transnominare "to change someone's name" is a rare word: to lose these qualities is to lose the right to the names, and so to be called something else. amittas "and (never) lose" depends on the same nequando. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctiveceleriterque (siquid tale contigerit) ad ea revertaris The last verb is not governed by nequando, which would give the opposite sense: revertaris is a jussive subjunctive, a new command, "and return to them quickly". siquid tale contigerit "if any such thing should happen" means "if you do lose them". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…") meminerismeminerīsremember autem,and prudentisprūdentisof "prudent" nomennōmenthe name tibifor you denotaredēnotāresignifies singularumsingulārumeach single rerumrērumthing considerationemcōnsīderātiōnem,the consideration animadversionemqueanimadversiōnemqueand attention sedulamsēdulam.carefulAnd remember that the name "prudent" signifies for you the consideration of each single thing, and careful attention;memineris autem, prudentis nomen tibi denotare memineris is the perfect subjunctive of memini, used as a polite command: "you should remember". It takes an accusative and infinitive, nomen … denotare "that the name signifies", and it governs the next two sentences too, where denotare is understood. prudentis nomen "the name of 'prudent'": the genitive names the word, as before. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement) unanimisūnanimisof "of one mind" nomennōmen,the name exceptionemexceptiōnemacceptance eorumeōrumof the things omniumall spontaneamspontāneam,willing quaewhich aāby naturanātūrānature communicommūnīcommon fuerinthave been assignataassignāta.assignedthat the name "of one mind" means a willing acceptance of all the things that have been assigned by the common nature;unanimis nomen, exceptionem Still after memineris, with denotare understood: "(remember that) the name 'of one mind' (means) …". unanimis renders Greek symphrōn "agreeing in mind", here with nature. exceptio is used in its root sense, from excipere "to receive": a "taking up, acceptance", not an "exception". Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodquae a natura communi fuerint assignata fuerint assignata is a perfect passive subjunctive, with fuerint for the usual sint: "which have been assigned". It is subjunctive because the clause belongs to what you are told to remember. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thought magnanimimagnanimīof "great-minded" verovērō,and subvectionemsubvectiōnemthe raising mentisof the mind suprasuprāabove omnemevery lenemlēnemsmooth asperumveor rough carnisof the flesh affectum,feeling suprasuprāabove gloriolamglōriolam,paltry fame suprasuprāabove mortem,death etand ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind universaūniversa.all thingsand that of "great-minded", the raising of the mind above every smooth or rough feeling of the flesh, above paltry fame, above death, and all such things.magnanimi vero, subvectionem Again nomen and denotare are understood: "(and that the name) of 'great-minded' (means) the raising …". subvectio is a "carrying up", the mind lifted above what would drag it down. Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodsupra omnem lenem asperumve carnis affectum "Every smooth or rough feeling of the flesh" is pleasure and pain: the Greek speaks of the smooth or rough motion of the flesh. gloriola, a diminutive of gloria, is "a little glory", said with scorn. IntraIntrāwithin nominanōminanames igiturthen istathese sisīif tetēyourself continueris,you keep necand not utthat aliialiīothers hishīsthese tetēyou titulistitulīswith titles cohonestentshould honour concupiverisconcupīveris,you long aliusanother man jamnow futurusfutūrusgoing to be es,you are quamthan pridemprīdembefore fuerasfuerās,you had been aliamqueand another initurusinitūrusgoing to enter on vitaevītaeof life rationemratiōnem.wayIf, then, you keep yourself within these names, and do not long for others to honour you with these titles, you will now be another man than you were before, and will enter on another way of life.Intra nomina igitur ista si te continueris The phrase Intra nomina ista "within these names" is put before si for emphasis. te continere is "to keep oneself (in)": the names are like a boundary you stay inside. continueris and concupiveris are future perfects, as usual in a si clause about the future: "if you (shall) have kept yourself". The future perfect ("if you will have done…")nec ut alii his te titulis cohonestent concupiveris concupisco "long for" takes an ut clause: "and do not long that others should honour you with these titles". The names must be yours in fact, not a reputation given you by others. Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)alius jam futurus es, quam pridem fueras, aliamque initurus vitae rationem futurus es is the future participle with es: "you are going to be". alius … quam "other … than": "another man than you were before". initurus shares the es: "and (you are) going to enter upon another way of life". Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses) etenimfor talistālissuch persistere,to go on qualisquālisas hactenushāctenustill now fuerisfuerīs,you have been etand inin vitavītāa life istiusmodiistīusmodīof this kind foedefoedēfoully volutarivolūtārīto be rolled about acand discerpidiscerpī,to be torn apart hominisof a man estis sensussēnsūsof sense expertiswithout planeplānēwholly vitaequevītaequeand of life nimistoo avidiavidī,greedyFor to go on being such as you have been till now, and to be foully rolled about and torn apart in a life of this kind, is the mark of a man wholly without sense, and too greedy of life,talis persistere … et … volutari ac discerpi, hominis est Three infinitives are the subject of est: "to go on being such …, and to be rolled about and torn …". hominis est with a genitive is "it is (the mark) of a man", and the adjectives that follow, expertis and avidi, agree with hominis. talis is nominative because Marcus has "you" in mind as the one who goes on; fueris is subjunctive inside that thought. Genitive of characteristic: "it belongs to…, it is the mark of…"foede volutari ac discerpi The passive infinitives say what a man suffers from his own passions: volutari "to be rolled about, to wallow" as in mud, discerpi "to be torn in pieces". foede "foully, shamefully" goes with both. The passive with a reflexive sense ("be carried away", "let yourself be…")sensus expertis plane vitaeque nimis avidi expers "having no share in" takes a genitive: sensus expertis "without sense". vitae nimis avidi "too greedy of life" describes the man who clings to life at any price. plane "wholly" may be taken with both phrases. necand not bestiariisbestiāriīsbeast-fighters illisillīsthose absimilis,unlike quiquīwho semiadesisēmiadēsī,half-eaten vulneribuswith wounds saniequesaniēqueand with gore oppletiopplētī,covered inuntil diemday crastinumcrāstinumthe next tamenstill reservarireservārīto be kept supplicant,they beg iisdemiīsdemthe same unguibusclaws morsibusqueand bites iidemiīdemthe same men ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind, such as they are planeplānēexactly objiciendiobjiciendī.to be thrownand not unlike those beast-fighters who, half-eaten, covered with wounds and gore, still beg to be kept until the next day, only to be thrown, the very same men and in the same state, to the same claws and bites.nec bestiariis illis absimilis The bestiarii were men who fought wild beasts in the arena. nec … absimilis "and not unlike" is a way of saying "very like". absimilis is genitive, still agreeing with hominis, and takes the dative bestiariis; illis "those" points to a sight every reader knew.qui semiadesi, vulneribus sanieque oppleti, in diem crastinum tamen reservari supplicant semiadesi "half-eaten" and oppleti "filled, covered" describe qui. Mauled as they are, they beg (supplicant, here with an infinitive) to be kept in diem crastinum "until tomorrow", tamen "all the same", though tomorrow brings only the same beasts.iisdem unguibus morsibusque iidem ejusmodi plane objiciendi objiciendi is a gerundive agreeing with qui: "(men) to be thrown", that is, who are only going to be thrown again. objicere "throw before" takes the dative: "to the same claws and bites", one iisdem serving both nouns. iidem ejusmodi "the same men, and of that kind" means they go back just as they are, still half-eaten: putting off the end changes nothing. Gerundive of obligation (cavenda est, agenda sunt) tutūyou verovērōbut ininto nominanōminanames paucafew haecthese indeput tetē.yourselfBut you, put yourself into these few names.inde te inde here is not the adverb "from there" but the imperative of indo "put into" (in + do): in nomina … inde te "put yourself into these names". The Greek says "embark yourself" on them, as on a ship. The pronoun tu makes the command emphatic: "but you …". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive etand siquidemsīquidemif indeed inin illisillīsthem persistereto remain potes,you can persistaspersistās,remain tanquamas into fortunatorumfortūnātōrumof the Blessed insulasīnsulāsislands quasdamquāsdamsome trajectustrājectus;carried overAnd if you can remain in them, remain there, as one carried over to some Isles of the Blessed;tanquam in fortunatorum insulas quasdam trajectus trajectus "carried across" (from trajicio) agrees with "you", the subject of the jussive persistas "remain": "as one who has been ferried over". The fortunatorum insulae are the Isles of the Blessed, where in Greek myth the favoured heroes lived after death; quasdam "some, a kind of" marks the phrase as a figure. To hold to these names is to be in that happy place already. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nouns sinsīnbut if excidere,are falling out necand not statumyour ground tuerituērīto hold possecan tetēyou senserissēnseris,you feel ininto angulumcorner aliquem,some ubiwhere possispossīsyou can aliquid,something audacteraudācterboldly tetēyourself conferascōnferās;betakebut if you feel that you are falling out of them and cannot hold your ground, betake yourself boldly to some corner where you can still prevail;sin excidere, nec statum tueri posse te senseris senseris "you (shall) feel" takes an accusative and infinitive, with te the subject of both excidere "to be falling out (of the names)" and posse "to be able". statum tueri "to hold one's position" is a soldier's phrase. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)ubi possis aliquid posse aliquid "to be able to do something" means "to have some power, to prevail". The subjunctive possis describes the kind of corner wanted: "(some corner) where you can hold out". te conferas "betake yourself" is jussive, like persistas. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) velor etiameven eēfrom vitavītālife omninoomnīnōaltogether discedasdiscēdās,depart necand not iratusīrātusangry tamen,however sedbut simpliciter,simply liberelīberē,freely modestemodestē,modestly hocthis unumūnumone thing duntaxatat least inin vitavītālife memoratumemorātūto be recorded dignumworth executusexecūtus,having accomplished quodthat eēfrom vitavītālife sicsīcin this way exierisexierīs.you leftor even depart from life altogether, yet not in anger, but simply, freely, modestly, having done at least this one thing in life worth recording, that you left life in this way.nec iratus tamen, sed simpliciter, libere, modeste The manner of leaving matters more than the leaving: nec iratus tamen "yet not in anger". iratus, the participle of irascor, is used as an adjective and describes the subject, "you".memoratu dignum memoratu is the supine in -u of memoro "to mention, record". With dignus it means "worthy to be …": memoratu dignum "worth recording".hoc unum … executus, quod e vita sic exieris executus (Gataker's spelling of exsecutus) is the perfect participle of the deponent exsequor "carry out", with active sense: "having accomplished". Its object hoc unum "this one thing" is explained by the quod clause, "(namely) that you left life in this way"; exieris is subjunctive because it is part of the thought urged on you. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning adfor nominumnōminumof names autemand istorumistōrumthese recordationemrecordātiōnem,the remembering multumgreatly conducetcondūcetit will help meminisseto remember DeorumDeōrum,the gods quodqueand that noluntnōluntthey do not want illiillīthey rationeratiōnewith reason praeditospraeditōsthose endowed ipsisipsīsthem adulariadūlārī,to flatter sedbut similessimilēslike ipsisipsīsthem fierifierī.to becomeTo keep these names in mind, it will help greatly to remember the gods, and that they do not want beings endowed with reason to flatter them, but to become like them.multum conducet meminisse Deorum, quodque nolunt The infinitive meminisse "to remember" is the subject of conducet "it will help". memini takes a genitive of the person remembered, Deorum, and here also a quod clause: "and (to remember) the fact that …". The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement)nolunt illi ratione praeditos ipsis adulari, sed similes ipsis fieri nolunt "they do not want" takes an accusative and infinitive: ratione praeditos … adulari "that those endowed with reason should flatter". ipsis "them" refers back to the gods, the subject, doing the work of a reflexive; it is dative with adulari, which takes either the dative or the accusative, and with similes "like". The gods are honoured by imitation, not by flattery. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement) meminisseto remember et,also ficumfīcuma fig tree esseis quaethat which eathe things quaewhich ficusfīcūsa fig tree's suntare facit;does canem,a dog quaewhat canis;a dog's apem,a bee quaewhat apis;a bee's etand hominema man pariter,likewise quiquīwho quaewhat hominis.a man'sAnd it will help to remember also that a fig tree is that which does what belongs to a fig tree; a dog, what belongs to a dog; a bee, what belongs to a bee; and likewise a man, he who does what belongs to a man.meminisse et meminisse et "and to remember also" is a second subject of multum conducet in the last sentence, though Gataker puts a full stop before it. et "also" comes after its word, as Gataker often places it.ficum esse quae ea quae ficus sunt facit "(Remember) that a fig tree is that which does those things which are a fig tree's": a thing is what it is by doing its own work. ficus here is genitive, fourth declension ficūs, not nominative: quae ficus sunt "which are the fig tree's, which belong to it". The first quae (feminine singular) refers to ficum; the second (neuter plural) to ea. Genitive of characteristic: "it belongs to…, it is the mark of…"canem, quae canis; apem, quae apis; et hominem pariter, qui quae hominis The same pattern is repeated with more and more left out: "a dog, (doing) what (belongs to) a dog; a bee, what (belongs to) a bee". In the last member a second relative comes back, qui for the doer beside quae for the deeds: "and likewise a man, he who (does) what (belongs to) a man". A man is fully a man when he does a man's work, which is to live up to the names of this section. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood

Play-acting, war, fright, torpor and slavery wear away, day by day, the principles you have drawn from the study of nature, unless you guard them. So consider and act in such a way that doing and contemplating work together and your confidence stays quiet but not concealed; then you will enjoy simplicity, dignity, and a clear knowledge of what each thing is, how long it lasts, and who can give it or take it away.

MimusMīmus,play-acting bellum,war terror,fright torpor,torpor, numbness servitusservitūs,slavery decretadēcrētaprinciples illathose sacrasacred tua,your ninīunless caveascaveās,you take care expungentthey will blot out quotidiequotīdiē,every day quaecunqueall those that eēfrom studiosastudiōsādiligent rerumrērumof things naturaenātūraeof the nature contemplationecontemplātiōnecontemplation conceptaconceived inin mentemind recondis.you store awayPlay-acting, war, fright, torpor, slavery will, unless you take care, blot out every day those sacred principles of yours, all those that you have conceived from a diligent contemplation of the nature of things and store away in your mind.Mimus, bellum, terror, torpor, servitus Five nominatives with no "and" between them are the subjects of expungent: the things that wear the mind down. mimus is the mime, the coarse stage farce of Rome, and so play-acting, the show people put on; terror is fright or flutter, torpor the numbness or sluggishness that follows it, servitus slavery, to others or to one's own fears.ni caveas, expungent quotidie ni is an old, short form of nisi "unless". Its verb caveas "you take care" is subjunctive, putting the case as a possibility, while expungent "they will blot out" is a plain future. expungere is literally "to prick out": a name on a list was struck off by marking it with points. The principles are struck from the mind not at one blow but quotidie, a little every day. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)quaecunque e studiosa rerum naturae contemplatione concepta in mente recondis quaecunque "all those that" refers back to decreta; it is the object of recondis "you store away", and concepta "conceived" agrees with it: "all those that, conceived from a diligent contemplation of the nature of things, you store away in your mind". The Greek as usually printed speaks instead of principles entertained "without the study of nature"; Gataker's Latin makes them the fruit of that study. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod oportetone must autembut unumquodqueūnumquodqueeach thing itain such a way etboth considerarecōnsīderāreconsider etand agere,do utthat etboth activaāctīvaactive facultasfacultāsthe faculty consummeturcōnsummētur,is brought to completion etand contemplativacontemplātīvathe contemplative (faculty) simulat the same time exerceaturexerceātur,is exercised etand fiduciafīdūciathe confidence exfrom certacertāsure reireīof thing cujusqueeach scientiascientiāknowledge ortaspringing serveturservētur,is preserved latenslatēnslying unseen quidem,indeed necand not absconditahidden away tamen.yetBut one must both consider and do each thing in such a way that the active faculty is brought to completion, the contemplative is exercised at the same time, and the confidence that springs from a sure knowledge of each thing is preserved: lying unseen, indeed, yet not hidden away.oportet autem unumquodque ita et considerare et agere, ut oportet "it is necessary" names no person; its subject is the pair of infinitives considerare et agere, so "one must consider and do". ita … ut "in such a way … that" introduces a clause of result with three subjunctives, each opened by et: consummetur, exerceatur, servetur. Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)et activa facultas consummetur, et contemplativa simul exerceatur The mind has an active power (activa), which deals with the business in hand, and a contemplative one (contemplativa), which studies and understands; with contemplativa the noun facultas is understood. Each thing done should complete the first and exercise the second at the same time. consummare is "to bring to its sum", to complete. Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodfiducia ex certa rei cujusque scientia orta orta "having arisen, springing" is the perfect participle of the deponent orior, active in meaning; it agrees with fiducia. The confidence comes from a sure knowledge (scientia) of each thing (rei cujusque). Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounslatens quidem, nec abscondita tamen Both participles agree with fiducia. latens "lying unseen" is from latere, to be out of sight without any effort; abscondita "hidden away" is from abscondere, to hide something on purpose. The confidence is not to be paraded, nor yet deliberately concealed: quidem … tamen "indeed … yet" sets the two against each other. tuncthen enimfor simplicitatesimplicitāte,simplicity tuncthen gravitategravitātedignity fruerisfruēris;you will enjoy tuncthen reireīof thing cujusqueeach notitianōtitiāknowledge distinctadistīnctā,clear, distinct quidwhat exby, according to naturanātūrānature suasuāits own existat,it is quemwhat locumplace inin mundomundōthe world habeat,it holds quamhow diudiūlong duraturadūrātūragoing to last sit,it is exout of quibuswhat things conflatacōnflātamade up sit,it has been quibusto whom possitit can obvenireobvenīre,fall quiquīwho daregive eamit etand auferretake away possint.canFor then you will enjoy simplicity, then dignity; then a clear knowledge of each thing: what it is by its own nature, what place it holds in the world, how long it will last, what it is made up of, to whom it can fall, and who can give it and take it away.tunc enim simplicitate, tunc gravitate frueris frueris is the future of the deponent fruor "enjoy" (the present is spelled the same, with a short e; tunc "then" shows the future). fruor takes its object in the ablative: simplicitate, gravitate, and after the semicolon notitia. The Greek as usually printed asks "when will you enjoy …?"; Gataker's Latin answers "then". Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaningrei cujusque notitia distincta, quid ex natura sua existat notitia distincta "a clear knowledge" of each thing is spelled out in six indirect questions, each with its verb in the subjunctive: existat, habeat, duratura sit, conflata sit, possit, possint. The thing (res, in rei cujusque) is the subject of the first five, and eam at the end refers back to it. quid … existat "what it is", existere (Gataker's spelling of exsistere) being his word here for "to be". Indirect questionsquam diu duratura sit quam diu "how long", printed as two words (often written as one, quamdiu). The future participle with sit gives the future in an indirect question: "how long it will last". Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses)quibus possit obvenire, qui dare eam et auferre possint quibus is dative here, "to whom" it can fall, with obvenire; qui is nominative plural, "who" can give it and take it away. Both are interrogatives, like quid and quem before them.

A spider is proud of catching a fly; men are proud of catching a leveret, a sprat, boars, bears, or Sarmatians. Look at their minds and principles, and the men who capture Sarmatians are no different from robbers.

AraneaArāneaa spider muscama fly ubiwhen ceperitcēperit,it has caught sesēitself effertlifts up tanquamas if magnimagnīgreat quidsomething egeritēgerit;it had done aliusone man ubiwhen lepusculum;a leveret alius,another ubiwhen reticulorēticulōin a little net apuama sprat ceperitcēperit;he has caught alius,another ubiwhen aprosaprōs;boars aliusanother ubiwhen ursosursōs;bears aliusanother ubiwhen SarmatasSarmatās,SarmatiansA spider, when it has caught a fly, is puffed up as if it had done something great; so is one man when he has caught a leveret; another when he has caught a sprat in a little net; another when he has caught boars; another, bears; another, Sarmatians;Aranea muscam ubi ceperit, se effert The subject and object of the ubi clause are put before ubi: "a spider, when it has caught a fly". ceperit is future perfect, setting the catch before the pride. se efferre, literally "to carry oneself up", is "to give oneself airs, be puffed up"; the verb comes back in 13 (se efferunt) and, as the participle elatus, in 14. Temporal clauses: dum, ubi, quando, quoties, quamdiutanquam magni quid egerit tanquam "as if" takes the subjunctive egerit "it had done". After it quid is indefinite, "something", and magni is a partitive genitive: literally "something of great", that is, "something great". Partitive genitive (aliquid boni, nihil…)alius ubi lepusculum; alius, ubi reticulo apuam ceperit Each alius "another (man)" takes se effert from the first clause, and each ubi takes ceperit, which is written only once here: "another (is puffed up) when (he has caught) a leveret". The catch grows from a sprat to boars and bears, and then to men. Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodalius ubi Sarmatas The Sarmatians were horse-riding peoples beyond the Danube. Marcus fought them for years and took the title Sarmaticus for his victory over them, so the last hunter in the list is the emperor himself. namfor ettoo istiistī,these men quiquīwho hoshōsthese capiunt,capture quidin what latronibuslatrōnibusfrom robbers distant,do they differ sisīif mentesmentēsthe minds acand decretadēcrētaprinciples utrobiqueutrōbīqueon both sides spectaverisspectāveris?you look atfor these men too, who capture them, how do they differ from robbers, if you look at the minds and principles on both sides?quid latronibus distant distare "to stand apart, differ" usually takes ab with the ablative; here, as sometimes in Horace, it takes a dative, latronibus "from robbers". quid is an adverbial accusative, "in what respect": "how do they differ from robbers?" The question expects the answer "not at all".nam et isti, qui hos capiunt hos "these" are the last captives named, the Sarmatians, and isti "these men" are those who capture them. et "too" adds them to the spider and the hunters.si mentes ac decreta utrobique spectaveris spectaveris is future perfect, "if you (will have) looked": the look comes before the verdict. utrobique "on both sides" means in the conqueror and in the robber alike: their minds and principles are the same, only the scale differs. The future perfect ("if you will have done…")

Make yourself a method for seeing how all things change into one another, and practise it constantly, for nothing lifts the mind higher. The man who has it has in effect put off the body: knowing he must soon leave everything, he gives himself to justice in what he does and to nature in what befalls him, does not even think of what others say or do, and wants only to go straight by the law and so follow God.

MethodoMethodōwith a method contemplativacontemplātīvācontemplative instructusīnstrūctusfurnished sissīs,be quaquāby which perspectumseen clearly habeashabeās,you may have quomodoquōmodohow cunctacūnctaall things ininto sesēone another invicemmutually mutentmūtent.changeBe furnished with a method of contemplation, by which you may have it clearly in view how all things change into one another.Methodo contemplativa instructus sis instructus sis is the perfect passive subjunctive of instruere "to equip", used as a mild command: "be equipped". methodo contemplativa is an ablative of means, "with a contemplative method": a fixed way of looking at things. Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")qua perspectum habeas, quomodo cuncta in se invicem mutent qua "by which" refers to methodo, and its subjunctive habeas gives the purpose: "by which you may have …". habere with a perfect participle stresses a lasting result: perspectum habere is "to have (something) seen through", to hold it clearly in view. What is seen is the indirect question quomodo cuncta … mutent "how all things change", so perspectum is neuter. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)in se invicem mutent se with invicem is reciprocal: in se invicem "into one another". mutare usually takes an object, "to change something", but here it stands alone, "to change". Its subjunctive is that of the indirect question after quomodo. Indirect questions huicto this jugiterjūgiterconstantly attende,attend etand inin hachācthis partepart (of study) temettēmetyourself exerceexercē.exerciseAttend to it constantly, and exercise yourself in this part of study.huic jugiter attende attendere "to give heed" takes a dative here, huic "to this", meaning the method just named (methodus is feminine). temet is te strengthened with -met: "yourself". nihilnothing enimfor adto animianimīof mind celsitatemcelsitātemloftiness confertcōnfertcontributes magis.moreFor nothing contributes more to loftiness of mind.ad animi celsitatem confert conferre ad is "to contribute to, help towards". celsitas "height, loftiness" (from celsus "high") with animi is greatness of mind: the mind that has seen the whole round of change looks down on the things that pass. corpusthe body exuit,has put off quiquīhe who sicsīcso affectusdisposed est,is reputansquereputānsqueand reckoning secumsēcum,with himself moxsoon esseis sibi,for him relictisrelictīsleft behind hishīsthese things omnibus,all abfrom hominibusmen discedendumdiscēdendum,a departing (must be) totumtōtumwhole sesesēsēhimself permittit,he gives up justitiaejūstitiae,to justice inin eiseīsthose things quaewhich abby ipsoipsōhim fiuntfīunt;are done universiūniversīof the universe naturaenātūrae,to the nature inin eiseīsthose things quaewhich obveniuntbefall ipsiipsī.himHe who is so disposed has put off the body, and, reckoning with himself that he must soon leave all these things behind and depart from among men, he gives himself wholly to justice in what is done by him, and to the nature of the universe in what befalls him.corpus exuit, qui sic affectus est exuere is to take off a garment, and the body is pictured as one. exuit is perfect, "has put off": the man who thinks so is already as good as free of it. The subject comes after the verb, as a relative clause with its antecedent left out: qui sic affectus est "(he) who is so disposed". Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodreputansque secum, mox esse sibi, relictis his omnibus, ab hominibus discedendum reputans secum "reckoning with himself" introduces an accusative and infinitive whose verb is an impersonal gerundive, esse … discedendum "there must be a departing", with sibi the dative of the one who must do it: "that he must soon depart from men". relictis his omnibus is an ablative absolute, "all these things being left behind". Gerundive of obligation (cavenda est, agenda sunt)totum sese permittit, justitiae, in eis quae ab ipso fiunt; universi naturae, in eis quae obveniunt ipsi permittere se alicui is "to give oneself up, entrust oneself to someone". The second half leaves out sese permittit: "(he gives himself up) to the nature of the universe". The two halves divide life between what he does (quae ab ipso fiunt), which he rules by justice, and what happens to him (quae obveniunt ipsi), which he accepts from nature. ipso and ipsi "him himself" point back to the man. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood quidwhat autemand aliuselse quispiamanyone dedēabout ipsoipsōhim sivesīvewhether dicatdīcat,he may say sivesīveor existimetexīstimet,he may think autor adversusagainst ipsumhim faciat,he may do nenēnot even cogitatcōgitathe thinks about quidem.evenAnd what anyone else may say or think about him, or do against him, he does not even think about.quid … ne cogitat quidem The indirect question quid … dicat … existimet … faciat "what anyone may say, think or do" is the object of cogitat, and comes first. ne … quidem "not even" wraps round the word it stresses: ne cogitat quidem "he does not even think about it". Indirect questions utpoteseeing that quiquīhe (is one) who duobusduōbustwo (things) hiscehīscethese etiameven contentuscontent sit,he is quicquidwhatever impraesentiarumimpraesentiārumat the moment agit,he is doing justumjūstumjust praestarepraestāre,to make etand quicquidwhatever impraesentiarumimpraesentiārumat the moment sibito him obvenit,falls diligeredīligere:to loveseeing that he is content even with these two things: to make whatever he is doing at the moment just, and to love whatever falls to him at the moment;utpote qui duobus hisce etiam contentus sit utpote qui with the subjunctive gives a reason: "seeing that he is one who is content". hisce is his with the strengthening -ce. etiam "even" shows how little he needs: these two things are enough. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)quicquid impraesentiarum agit, justum praestare The two things are infinitives standing in apposition to duobus hisce: praestare and diligere. justum praestare is "to render (it) just", with justum a predicate to quicquid: "to make whatever he is doing just". impraesentiarum "at present, for the moment" (from in praesentia rerum) keeps him in the present. The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement) negotiisnegōtiīsbusiness verovērōand studiisquestudiīsqueand pursuits reliquisreliquīsother omnibusall missismissīs,let go nihilnothing aliudelse velit,he wants quamthan rectarēctāstraight on juxtajuxtāaccording to legemlēgemthe law proficisciproficīscī,to travel rectaquerēctāqueand straight on proficiscentemproficīscentemgoing DeumGod ipsumhimself sequisequī.to followand, having let all other business and pursuits go, he wants nothing else than to travel straight on according to the law, and to follow God himself as he goes straight on.nihil aliud velit velit is subjunctive because it still belongs to the utpote qui clause of the last sentence: "and (seeing that) he wants nothing else". Before it, negotiis … missis is an ablative absolute, "all other business and pursuits having been let go". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)recta juxta legem proficisci recta is short for recta via "by the straight road", and so means "straight on"; juxta legem "according to the law" is the law of nature and reason. proficisci "to set out, travel" is a deponent infinitive: "to travel straight on by the law". Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaningrectaque proficiscentem Deum ipsum sequi proficiscentem "going" is accusative and agrees with Deum: "to follow God himself as he goes straight on". God goes by the straight road of the law, and the man who keeps to it follows him. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nouns

When you can consider what ought to be done, there is no use in suspicious guessing. If you see the way, go on calmly; if not, stop and take the best advice; if something else stands in the way, go forward carefully with what the moment offers, holding to what seems just. To act justly is the best thing, and the only failure is to stray from it. Whoever follows reason in everything is calm yet quick, cheerful yet composed.

Ecquisany … at all? suspicionissuspīciōnisfor suspicion ususūsususe est,is there cumwhen quidwhat fierifierīto be done oporteatit ought considerarecōnsīderāreto consider praestopraestōat hand sit?isWhat use is there at all for suspicion, when it is open to you to consider what ought to be done?Ecquis suspicionis usus est ecquis "is there any … at all?" asks a question that expects the answer "none"; here it is used as an adjective with usus. usus "use, need" takes a genitive of what it is used for: "what use is there for suspicion?" suspicio is uneasy guessing about what may happen or what others intend; Gataker uses it for a Greek word meaning "surmise".cum quid fieri oporteat considerare praesto sit cum with the subjunctive here means "when, since". Its subject is the infinitive considerare: "when considering is at hand", that is, "when you are free to consider". The object of considerare is the indirect question quid fieri oporteat "what ought to be done". Clauses with cum: when, since, although etand siquidemsīquidemif indeed idit perspexeris,you have seen clearly placideplacidēcalmly acand constantercōnstantersteadily eaeāthat way progrediprōgredī;go forward sinsīnbut if minus,not consisterecōnsistere,stop etand optimosoptimōsthe best (men) quosquequōsqueall ininto consiliumcōnsiliumcounsel adhibereadhibēre,call inand, if you have seen it clearly, to go forward that way calmly and steadily; if not, to stop, and to call all the best men into counsel,placide ac constanter ea progredi From here to the end of the next sentence come bare infinitives, as in the Greek: progredi, consistere, adhibere, and again progredi. Gataker carries the question on to adhaerendo?, so they still hang on praesto sit in the first sentence: "when it is open to you to consider …, and to go forward …". They can also be read as instructions, "(you should) go forward". ea is an ablative of the way, with via understood: "by that road, that way". Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodsiquidem id perspexeris siquidem here is plainly "if indeed". perspexeris is future perfect: the seeing must be done before the going. The future perfect ("if you will have done…")sin minus sin minus "but if not" is the regular way to turn to the other case after si.optimos quosque in consilium adhibere quisque with a superlative means "every … -est one", so optimos quosque is "all the best men". quosque is a form of quisque, not quos with -que. adhibere in consilium is to call someone in as an adviser, as a Roman magistrate called in his council. Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunque deniquedēniquefinally sisīif aliudelse quippiam,anything quoquōso that minusthe less eaeāthat way procedasprōcēdās,you proceed obstiterit,stands in the way proutprōutas occasionesoccāsiōnēsoccasions praesentespraesentēspresent sesēthemselves obtulerint,offer consideratecōnsīderātēthoughtfully progrediprōgredī,go forward eieīto that quodwhich justumjūstumjust tibito you visumvīsumseemed fuerit,has adhaerendoadhaerendō?by holding fastand finally, if anything else stands in the way of your proceeding that way, to go forward thoughtfully, as the present occasions offer themselves, holding fast to what has seemed just to you?si aliud quippiam, quo minus ea procedas, obstiterit After obstare "to stand in the way", quo minus with the subjunctive means "from (doing)": "if anything else prevents you from going that way". obstiterit and obtulerint are future perfects in clauses about the future. Quo minus and quin after verbs of hinderingprout occasiones praesentes se obtulerint prout "just as, according as": go forward as present occasions allow. se offerre is "to offer oneself, present itself".ei quod justum tibi visum fuerit, adhaerendo adhaerendo is the ablative of the gerund, "by holding fast", and like its verb adhaerere it takes a dative, ei "to that". In quod justum tibi visum fuerit "what has seemed just to you", videri "to seem" takes a predicate in the nominative, justum. The question mark after adhaerendo closes the question begun with Ecquis. The gerund (agendo, laedendi) hocthis enimfor assequiassequī,to attain utthat justejūstējustly agasagās,you act optimumthe best thing est:is necand not nisiexcept abfrom hochōcthis aberrandoaberrandōby straying exciderisexciderīs.you could failFor to attain this, that you act justly, is the best thing; and you could fail only by straying from it.hoc enim assequi, ut juste agas, optimum est The subject of optimum est is the infinitive assequi "to attain", and its object hoc "this" is explained by the ut clause: "to attain this, namely that you act justly". Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)nec nisi ab hoc aberrando excideris nec … nisi "not … except" amounts to "only": "you could fail only by straying from this". aberrando is the ablative of the gerund, "by straying". excidere (from ex + cadere "fall", not excīdere "cut out") is to fall out, to miss one's aim; excideris is a perfect subjunctive of possibility, "you could fail". Since acting justly is in your own power, the only failure open to you is leaving it. Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questions quietumquiētumcalm quiddam,something etand agileactive tamen,yet alacrecheerful pariterat the same time etand compositumcomposed est,is quisquiswhoever rationiratiōnīreason perin omniaall things obsequitur.obeysWhoever obeys reason in all things is something calm and yet active, cheerful and at the same time composed.quietum quiddam, et agile tamen, alacre pariter et compositum est, quisquis The predicate comes first and is neuter, quiddam "something" with neuter adjectives, though the subject is a man: "whoever obeys reason is something calm …". The neuter calls him a kind of thing, a type, as the Greek does. The adjectives come in opposed pairs: at rest yet quick, eager yet settled. Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunquerationi per omnia obsequitur obsequi "to comply with, obey" takes the dative, rationi; per omnia is "in all things". Dative with special and compound verbs (succensere, obsequi)

On waking, ask yourself whether it will matter to you if others do what is just and good: it will not. And remember what the men who praise and blame so loudly are like in bed and at table, what they chase and steal, not with hands and feet but with the most precious part of themselves, the part by which one could have faith, modesty, truth, law and a good spirit.

SomnoSomnōsleep excussoexcussōshaken off statimat once percontarepercontāreask tetē,yourself nunquidwill … at all? tuatuāto you intererit,it will matter sisīif justajūstajust things bonaqueand good things abby alioaliōelse aliquoaliquōsomeone fiantfīant.are done nihilnot at all intererit.it will matterAs soon as you have shaken off sleep, ask yourself: will it make any difference to you if just and good things are done by someone else? It will make no difference.Somno excusso An ablative absolute, "sleep having been shaken off": "as soon as you wake". excutere is to shake out or shake off, as one shakes off dust or a burden. Ablative absolutenunquid tua intererit interest "it makes a difference, it matters" is impersonal; the person it matters to is shown by the feminine ablative of the possessive, mea, tua, sua: tua intererit "it will matter to you". nunquid asks a direct question that expects "no", and the answer follows: nihil intererit. Gataker closes the question with a full stop, as he often does. The subjunctive fiant puts the case as a supposition: "if just and good things should be done by someone else". Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur) nunquidcan … ? oblitusoblītusforgotten sissīs,you have qualesquālēswhat sort (of men) istiistī,these men quiquīwho dedēabout aliisaliīsothers laudandislaudandīspraising vituperandisquevituperandīsqueand blaming tantopereso greatly sesēthemselves efferunt,lift up inin lectolectōbed sint,they are qualesquālēswhat sort adat mensammēnsam,tableCan you have forgotten what these men, who give themselves such airs in praising and blaming others, are like in bed, and what they are like at table,nunquid oblitus sis nunquid (Gataker's spelling of numquid) opens a second question, as above. Its verb here is the perfect subjunctive oblitus sis, from the deponent obliviscor "forget", which makes the question tentative: "can you have forgotten?" It may also be heard as still depending on percontare te: "(ask yourself) whether you have forgotten". Gataker's spelling: j, caeterum, quenquam, -cunquequales isti … in lecto sint, quales ad mensam quales "of what sort" opens an indirect question with the subjunctive sint; the second quales takes sint from the first. The men who judge others are to be pictured in their private habits, in bed and at table. Indirect questionsde aliis laudandis vituperandisque tantopere se efferunt de aliis laudandis vituperandisque is a gerundive phrase, literally "about others to be praised and blamed", that is, "about praising and blaming others". se efferre, as in 10, is to be puffed up: they give themselves great airs as judges of others. The gerundive with ad, in and the genitive quaewhat (things) faciant,they do quaewhat fugiant,they shun quaewhat sectentur,they chase after quaewhat suffurentursuffūrentur,they pilfer quaewhat rapiantthey snatch adto sesē,themselves nonnōnnot manibuswith hands pedibusque,and feet quodas dicidīcīto be said solet,is usually sedbut partewith the part suisuīof themselves pretiosissimapretiōsissimā,most precious quaquā,by which ubiwhenever libuerit,it has pleased (one) consequicōnsequīto attain liceatit is possible fidem,faith modestiam,modesty veritatemvēritātem,truth legemlēgem,law geniumspirit deniquedēniquein short bonum.goodwhat they do, what they shun, what they chase after, what they pilfer, what they snatch for themselves, not with hands and feet, as the saying goes, but with the most precious part of themselves, by which, whenever one chooses, one may attain faith, modesty, truth, law, and in short a good spirit?quae faciant, quae fugiant, quae sectentur, quae suffurentur, quae rapiant ad se Five more indirect questions, still governed by oblitus sis: quae "what (things)" is the object of each verb. sectari "to chase after" and suffurari "to steal on the sly" are deponents. Indirect questionsnon manibus pedibusque, quod dici solet manibus pedibusque "with hands and feet" was a Latin saying for doing something with all one's might, and Gataker marks it with quod dici solet "as is usually said", quod referring to the phrase itself. These men grab and steal with something worse than hands and feet: with the mind.parte sui pretiosissima sui "of themselves" is the genitive of the reflexive, depending on parte: "with the most precious part of themselves", the ruling mind. Reflexive pronouns: se, sibi, sui, suusqua, ubi libuerit, consequi liceat qua "by which" refers to that part. The impersonal verbs libuerit "it has pleased" and liceat "it is possible" name no person: "by which, whenever one chooses, one may attain …". Both are subjunctive because the clause stands inside the indirect question. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)genium denique bonum genium bonum "a good genius" renders the Greek "good daimon", the divine spirit within; the Greek word for happiness, eudaimonia, means having a good daimon. denique "in short, finally" closes the list, and the question, which Gataker ends with a full stop.

To nature, which gives and takes back everything, the well-taught and modest man says: Give what you will; take back what you will. He says it not in pride but in obedience, with goodwill towards her.

CunctaCūnctaall things dantidantīgiving pariteralike acand recipientirecipientītaking back naturaenātūrae,to nature homohomōthe man probeprobēwell institutusīnstitūtustaught acand modestusmodest dicetdīcet,will say DaDāgive quodwhat visvīs;you want repetetake back quodwhat visvīs.you wantTo nature, which gives all things and takes them back alike, the well-taught and modest man will say: Give what you will; take back what you will.Cuncta danti pariter ac recipienti naturae danti and recipienti are present participles in the dative, agreeing with naturae, to whom the words are spoken; cuncta "all things" is the object of both: "to nature, which gives and takes back all things alike". pariter ac is "equally as", "alike … and". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsDa quod vis; repete quod vis Two imperatives, da "give" (from dare) and repete "ask back, take back" (repetere, the word for reclaiming what was lent). vis here is "you want", from volo, not the noun vis "force"; quod vis is "whatever you want". The words are spoken directly, so they begin with a capital. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive necand not elatusēlātuspuffed up hocthis dicetdīcet,he will say sedbut obsequensobsequēnsobeying tantum,only etand benevolobenevolōkindly adversustowards eamher affectuaffectū.feelingAnd he will say this not in pride, but simply in obedience, and with a kindly feeling towards her.nec elatus … sed obsequens tantum elatus "carried up, puffed up" is the perfect participle of efferre, the verb of the proud spider in 10; obsequens "obeying" is from the deponent obsequi. "Take back what you will" could be said in defiance; he says it in obedience. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsbenevolo adversus eam affectu An ablative of manner wrapped round a phrase with a preposition: benevolo … affectu "with a kindly feeling", adversus eam "towards her", that is, towards nature. Ablative of means, cause and manner

Little of your life is left: live as if on a mountain, for it makes no difference where you are if you live everywhere in the world as in a city. Let men see a true man who lives by nature; if they cannot bear him, let them kill him, for that is better than living as they do.

Exiguumsmall estis quodwhat superestremains vitaevītaeof life tuae.yourWhat remains of your life is small.quod superest vitae tuae quod superest "what remains" is the subject of exiguum est, and vitae tuae is a partitive genitive: "what is left of your life". Partitive genitive (aliquid boni, nihil…) vivevīvelive tanquamas if inon monte.a mountainLive as if on a mountain.vive tanquam in monte vive is the imperative of vivere. A man on a mountain lives apart, under the open sky, answerable to no town and its opinions. The next sentence says why the place does not matter: for the man who lives rightly the whole world is one city. nihilnot at all enimfor interestit makes a difference hichīchere anor illicillīc,there siquissīquisif a man ubicunqueanywhere inin orbe,the world tanquamas inin urbe,a city degatdēgat.livesFor it makes no difference whether here or there, if a man lives anywhere in the world as in a city.nihil enim interest hic an illic interest "it makes a difference" introduces a double question with its first word left out: "(whether) here or there". an "or" regularly marks the second half. hic here is the adverb hīc "here", not the pronoun. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)in orbe, tanquam in urbe A play on sound: orbis "the circle (of lands), the world" and urbs "the city". The Stoics called the world one great city of gods and men, so the man who lives as its citizen is at home on any mountain. The same pair is heard in the papal blessing urbi et orbi.siquis … degat siquis "if anyone" with the subjunctive degat states a general case. degere is "to spend (one's life), to live". Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis) viderintvīderint,let them see norintquenōrintqueand let them know homineshominēs,men hominema man verumvērum,true quiquīone who naturaenātūraewith nature convenienterin agreement vivatvīvat.livesLet men see, let them know, a true man, one who lives in agreement with nature.viderint, norintque viderint and norint (short for noverint) are perfect subjunctives used as commands: "let them see, let them know". novi "I know" is a perfect with present meaning, so its perfect subjunctive is the natural form for "let them know", and viderint is matched to it. On its own, viderint is a common way of saying "let them see to it, that is their affair"; here it has an object, hominem verum. Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")homines, hominem verum, qui naturae convenienter vivat homines, hominem sets "men" against "a man": among many men, one true man. The relative clause has the subjunctive vivat because it says what kind of man he is: "one who lives in agreement with nature". convenienter "in agreement" takes a dative, naturae. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) sinsīnbut if nonnōnnot sustinent,they bear (him) occidantoccīdant.let them kill (him)But if they cannot bear him, let them kill him.sin non sustinent, occidant sustinere "to hold up, bear" here means to put up with him; its object, the true man, is understood, as it is with occidant. occidant is a jussive subjunctive, "let them kill (him)", from occīdere "to kill" (ob + caedere "strike"), with a long i; occĭdere, with a short i, from cadere, means "to fall". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…") hocthis enimfor satiusbetter est,is quamthan itaso viverevīvere,to live utiutīas ipsiipsīthey themselves vivuntvīvuntlive voluntve.or want (to live)For that is better than to live as they themselves live or want to live.hoc enim satius est, quam ita vivere satius is the comparative of satis "enough": satius est "it is better". hoc "this", being killed, is compared by quam "than" with ita vivere "to live in such a way". Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quamuti ipsi vivunt voluntve uti is the older, longer form of ut "as", here with the indicative; it is not the infinitive of utor. -ve "or" is joined to volunt, which takes vivere from before: "as they themselves live or want (to live)". Enclitics: -que, -ve, -ne

Stop spending yourself on discussing what sort of man a good man is, and put the effort into being one.

NeNēdo not ulteriusany longer occupereoccupērebe taken up totustōtus,wholly disserendodisserendōwith discussing qualisquāliswhat sort of virman bonusa good sit,is sedbut enitendoēnītendōwith striving utthat ipseyou yourself sissīs.you may be (one)No longer be wholly taken up with discussing what sort of man a good man is, but with striving to be one yourself.Ne ulterius occupere totus ne with the present subjunctive forbids: "do not be taken up any longer". occupere is the second person singular present subjunctive passive of occupo, with the ending -re for the commoner -ris (occuperis); in the passive occupo means "be busy, be wholly taken up". ulterius "further" is the comparative of ultra; with ne it means "no longer". totus "whole" agrees with "you": "all of you, wholly". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivedisserendo qualis vir bonus sit, sed enitendo ut ipse sis Two gerunds in the ablative, both with occupere, name what you are busy with: not with disserendo "discussing", but with enitendo "striving". After disserendo comes an indirect question, so its verb is subjunctive: qualis vir bonus sit "what sort of man a good man is". After enitendo comes an ut clause of effort, "striving that you yourself may be", where sis leaves out its complement: supply vir bonus. The sentence sets talking about goodness against being good. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)enitendo enitor "struggle, strive hard" is deponent (e "out" + nitor "strive"). A gerund always has the active form, even from a deponent: enitendo "by striving". Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning