Book VMeditations · Liber V

When you are slow to leave your bed in the morning, remind yourself that you were born to act, not to lie warm under the blankets: plants, birds and insects all keep their post in the world, and craftsmen who love their art forget food and sleep for it. Nature has set a measure to rest as to eating and drinking; you go beyond it there and fall short in action, because you do not truly love your own nature.

ManeMāne,in the morning cumwhen gravatimgravātimreluctantly, heavily exurgis,you get up inat promptuprōmptūhand, readiness sitlet it be tecumtēcumwith yourself hochōcthis modomodōway disserere;to reason, talk Adto opusthe work humanumhūmānumof a human being jamnow expergiscorexpergīscor.I am waking upIn the morning, when you get up reluctantly, let it be ready at hand to reason with yourself in this way: I am waking up now to the work of a human being.in promptu sit tecum hoc modo disserere in promptu esse "to be at hand, ready" is an idiom: promptu is the ablative of a noun used only in this phrase. sit is a jussive subjunctive, "let it be", and its subject is the infinitive disserere: "let reasoning with yourself in this way be at hand", i.e. have these words ready. tecum is te + cum "with yourself", the preposition joined to the end of the pronoun. The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement)cum gravatim exurgis cum with the indicative is simply "when": "whenever you get up". gravatim "heavily, with reluctance" is an adverb from gravor "find a thing heavy, be unwilling". exurgis is Gataker's spelling of exsurgis "you get up". The "you" is Marcus himself, as throughout the book. Clauses with cum: when, since, althoughAd opus humanum jam expergiscor These are the words to have ready, spoken in the first person, and Gataker marks their start with a capital Ad: "I am waking now to the work of a human being." expergiscor "wake up" is a deponent, passive in form and active in meaning. humanum "human" means "belonging to a human being": the work a man is made for. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning numsurely … not? verovērōreally, indeed aegreaegrēbadly, with displeasure feram,am I to bear sisīif adto eathose things agendato be done proficiscorproficīscor,I am setting out quorumquōrumof which gratiagrātiāfor the sake natusnātusborn etand ininto mundumthe world productusprōductusbrought forth sum?I wasAm I really to take it badly, if I am setting out to do the things for whose sake I was born and brought into the world?num vero aegre feram num asks a question that expects the answer "no": "am I really to take it badly?" feram is best taken as a deliberative subjunctive, "am I to bear?"; the same form is also the future, "shall I bear?", and the sense hardly changes. aegre ferre "to bear with difficulty" is the usual idiom for "to resent, take badly". Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questionsad ea agenda ad with a gerundive gives a purpose: ad ea agenda "towards those things to be done", i.e. "to do those things". The gerundive agenda agrees with ea like an adjective. The gerundive with ad, in and the genitivequorum gratia natus et in mundum productus sum gratia in the ablative, after a genitive, means "for the sake of": quorum gratia "for the sake of which (things)". One sum serves both participles: natus … sum "I was born" (the perfect of the deponent nascor) and productus sum "I was brought forth". Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod autor nunquidsurely … not? adfor hocthis conditusmade, created sum,was I utthat, to stragulisstrāgulīsin the bedclothes involutuminvolūtumwrapped decumbensdēcumbēnslying down memēmyself foveam?I should keep warmOr was I made for this, to lie wrapped in the bedclothes and keep myself warm?nunquid ad hoc conditus sum, ut nunquid, like num, expects the answer "no": "was I really made for this?" hoc "this" points ahead, and the ut clause says what it is: "for this, (namely) that I should keep myself warm". conditus sum is the perfect passive of condo "found, create": "I was made". Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo)stragulis involutum decumbens me foveam Two participles describe the man in bed. decumbens "lying down" is nominative and goes with the subject, "I"; involutum "wrapped" is accusative and goes with me, the object of foveam. stragulis "in coverlets, bedclothes" is an ablative of means with involutum. Word for word: "that lying down I should keep myself warm, wrapped in the bedclothes". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nouns Atbut hoc,this inquis,you say oblectatdelights, pleases magis.moreBut this, you say, is more pleasant.At hoc, inquis, oblectat magis At "but" regularly brings in an objection, and inquis "you say", set into the words, marks them as the objector's: here the voice of the man who would rather stay in bed. Gataker gives the objector's words a capital, as he does the answers to them. oblectat "delights" has no object: "this gives more pleasure". Nunquidsurely … not? ergoergōthen adfor oblectandumdelighting tetēyourself natusnātusborn es?were you nonnōnnot autemand adfor faciendummaking autor agendumdoing aliquid?somethingWere you born, then, to give yourself pleasure? And not to make or to do something?ad oblectandum te ad with a gerund, like ad with a gerundive, gives a purpose: ad oblectandum "for delighting". The gerund is a verbal noun and can take an object, here te "yourself": "to give yourself pleasure". (One could also read oblectandum as a gerundive agreeing with te; the sense is the same.) The gerund (agendo, laedendi)non autem ad faciendum aut agendum aliquid Supply natus es again: "and (were you) not (born) for making or doing something?" facere is to make or produce, agere to act or carry something through; together they cover every kind of activity. aliquid "something" is the object of both gerunds. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood anor nonnōnnot arbusculasarbusculās,the little trees aviculasaviculās,the little birds formicasformīcās,the ants araneasarāneās,the spiders apiculasapiculāsthe little bees videsvidēsdo you see eamthat quamwhich inin mundomundōthe world stationemstatiōnempost, station obtinent,they hold excolereto tend, work at satagentessatagentēs?busy, bustlingOr do you not see the little trees, the little birds, the ants, the spiders, the little bees, busy tending the post that they hold in the world?an non … vides an opening a question means "or": it offers the other side of what was just said. an non … vides? "or do you not see?" expects the answer "yes, I do". The diminutives arbusculas, aviculas, apiculas ("little trees, little birds, little bees") stress how small these creatures are, which sharpens the reproach.eam quam in mundo stationem obtinent The noun is drawn inside the relative clause: eam quam … stationem obtinent stands for eam stationem quam obtinent "that post which they hold". statio is a soldier's post: each creature has its place in the order of the world, and keeps it. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodexcolere satagentes satagentes "being busy" is the present participle of satago (sat "enough" + ago: "to have one's hands full"), agreeing with the creatures, the objects of vides: "you see them busy". It takes an infinitive, excolere "to tend, cultivate", whose object is stationem. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nouns tutūyou autem,and, but quaethe things which hominisof a human being sunt,are facereto do recusasrecūsās?you refuse etand nonnōnnot properasproperāsyou hurry potiusrather, instead adto id,that quodwhich naturaenātūraenature tuaeyour convenit?suitsAnd you refuse to do what belongs to a human being? And you do not hurry instead to what suits your nature?quae hominis sunt esse with a genitive means "to belong to, be the business of": quae hominis sunt "the things which are a human being's", the work proper to man. Their antecedent, ea "those things", the object of facere, is left out, as often. Genitive of characteristic: "it belongs to…, it is the mark of…"tu autem … recusas? et non properas potius Two indignant questions with no question word: the tone alone makes them questions. tu is emphatic, set against the busy creatures: "and you refuse …?" convenit "suits, fits" takes the dative, naturae tuae. Atbut quietequiēteof rest quoquetoo opusneed est,there is inquis.you say Estthere is fateor;I admit sedbut quiescendiquiēscendīof resting moduma limit, measure etiamalso naturanātūranature praescripsitpraescrīpsit.has prescribed, setBut there is need of rest too, you say. There is, I admit; but nature has set a limit to resting as well.quiete quoque opus est opus est "there is need" puts the thing needed in the ablative: quiete opus est "there is need of rest". opus here is not "work" but "need", and the phrase is impersonal: no one is named as needing it. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)Est fateor The answer repeats only the verb: est "there is (need of rest)". fateor "I admit", a deponent, is put in without a conjunction, like English "there is, I grant you". Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodquiescendi modum etiam natura praescripsit quiescendi is the genitive of the gerund, a verbal noun: "of resting". modus here is "measure, limit": quiescendi modum "a limit to resting". praescripsit "has laid down" is a perfect for a rule nature set once and for all. The gerund (agendo, laedendi) praescripsitpraescrīpsitshe has set etalso edendiedendīof eating atqueand bibendibibendī.of drinking tutūyou verovērōbut ultraultrābeyond modum,the limit ultraultrābeyond idthat quodwhich sufficit,is enough inin istisistīsthese things procedisprōcēdis.you go on, advanceShe has set one for eating and drinking too. But you go beyond the limit, beyond what is enough, in these things.praescripsit et edendi atque bibendi modum is understood from the sentence before: "she has prescribed (a limit) of eating and drinking too". et here means "also". edendi is the gerund of edo "eat" (short e), not of ēdo "give out". Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodultra modum, ultra id quod sufficit, in istis procedis ultra with the accusative is "beyond", repeated for force: "beyond the limit, beyond what is enough". istis "these things" are sleep, food and drink; iste often points with a touch of scorn. Demonstratives: hic, ille, iste, is, ipse, idem caeterumbut inin agendoagendōacting secusotherwise tetēyourself geris,you conduct etand intraintrāwithin idthat quodwhich poteraspoterās,you could (do) continescontinēsyou keep, hold in tetē.yourselfBut in action you behave otherwise, and keep yourself within what you could do.caeterum in agendo secus te geris caeterum "but, for the rest" is Gataker's spelling of ceterum. in agendo "in acting" is the ablative of the gerund after in. te gerere "to carry oneself" means "to behave", and secus "otherwise": in action you do the opposite of what you do in eating and sleeping. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)intra id quod poteras, contines te intra "within" answers ultra "beyond": in pleasures you go past the measure, in action you hold yourself back inside it. quod poteras "what you could (do)": the imperfect speaks of what was in your power all along and was not done. etenimfor indeed verevērētruly temettēmetyourself nonnōnnot diligisdīligis.you love alioquialiōquīotherwise naturamnātūramnature tuam,your quaequeand the things which illait vult,wants diligeresdīligerēs.you would loveFor you do not truly love yourself. Otherwise you would love your nature and what it wants.temet temet is te with the suffix -met, which adds emphasis: "your own self". The paradox is the point: the man who lies late in bed thinks he is being kind to himself, but he does not really love himself.alioqui naturam tuam, quaeque illa vult, diligeres alioqui "otherwise" stands for a whole if-clause: "(if you did love yourself,) you would love your nature". The imperfect subjunctive diligeres, as in a condition contrary to fact, speaks of something that is not so now. quaeque is quae + -que, "and (the things) which", and illa "it" is your nature. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis) siquidemsīquidemfor indeed, since artesartēsarts, crafts suassuāstheir quiquīwho diliguntdīliguntthey love artificesartificēs,craftsmen earundemeārundemof those same (arts) operibusover the works etiameven intabescuntintābēscunt,they waste away illuvieilluviēby dirt inediaqueinediāqueand by lack of food affectiaffectī.afflicted, worn downFor craftsmen who love their arts even waste away over the works of them, worn down by dirt and lack of food.artes suas qui diligunt artifices The relative clause comes first and its antecedent after it: qui diligunt artifices "craftsmen who love". The object artes suas "their arts" stands first of all, for emphasis. siquidem "for indeed" brings the proof of what was just said: here are people who truly love what they do. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodearundem operibus etiam intabescunt earundem "of the same" is the genitive plural feminine of idem, used for "of them" to make clear that the arts are meant. operibus is an ablative of cause: they waste away over the works of their arts. intabesco is "melt away, pine away". Ablative of means, cause and mannerilluvie inediaque affecti afficio with an ablative is "to visit someone with something"; in the passive, "afflicted with": illuvie inediaque affecti "afflicted with dirt and want of food". inedia is "not eating". Craftsmen in love with their work forget to wash and to eat. Ablative of means, cause and manner tutūyou verovērōbut naturamnātūramnature tuamyour own minorisminōrisat less aestimasaestimās,you value quamthan tornatortornātorthe turner tornaturamtornātūram,his turning autor histriohistriōthe actor histrioniamhistriōniam,his acting autor avarusavārusthe miser argentum,money autor ambitiosusambitiōsusthe ambitious man gloriolamglōriolam.his scrap of gloryBut you value your own nature less than the turner values his turning, or the actor his acting, or the miser his money, or the ambitious man his scrap of glory.minoris aestimas, quam With verbs of valuing the price is put in the genitive: minoris aestimare "to value at less", as magni aestimare is "to value highly". minoris is the comparative of parvus, so quam "than" follows. Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quamquam tornator tornaturam, aut histrio histrioniam The verb is not repeated: with each pair supply aestimat "values": "than the turner (values) his turning, the actor his acting". Each man is set beside his own pursuit: the turner at his lathe and the art of turning, the actor and the art of acting. (Marcus's Greek names an engraver and a dancer.) Words left out: esse, sum and others understoodavarus argentum … ambitiosus gloriolam avarus "greedy" and ambitiosus "ambitious" are adjectives used as nouns: "the greedy man", "the ambitious man". argentum is "silver", and so "money"; gloriola is a scornful diminutive, "a little bit of glory". Neuter plurals and adjectives used as nouns (bona, mala, omnia) ettoo istiistīthese men enim,for ubionce, when rebusrēbusto things hiscehīscethese addictiaddictīgiven over, devoted fuerint,they have been necneither cibum,food necnor somnumsleep capereto take magismore expetunt,they desire quamthan ista,those things adtowards quaewhich tamso enixeēnīxēstrenuously, earnestly feruntur,they are carried, they strive promovereprōmovēre:to advanceFor these men too, once they have given themselves over to these things, are no more eager to take food or sleep than to advance the things they strive after so earnestly:ubi rebus hisce addicti fuerint ubi with the future perfect addicti fuerint "once they have been given over" states what holds whenever it happens. addictus with a dative is "made over to, devoted to" (compare English "addicted"). hisce is his with the strengthening -ce: "these here". The future perfect ("if you will have done…")nec cibum, nec somnum capere magis expetunt, quam ista … promovere Two infinitives are compared by magis … quam "more … than": capere "to take (food or sleep)" and promovere "to advance (their work)". "They want to eat or sleep no more than to push their work on": in plain English, they would sooner advance their work than eat or sleep. Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quamad quae tam enixe feruntur feruntur "are carried" is passive in form but means "they are borne along, they make for": ferri ad "to be drawn towards, strive after". tam enixe "so strenuously". The passive with a reflexive sense ("be carried away", "let yourself be…") cumwhereas tibito you actionesāctiōnēsactions societatemsocietātemsociety, fellowship humanamhūmānamhuman spectantesspectantēsconcerning, aimed at sordeantthey seem mean magis,more quamthan utthat pariparīequal industriaindustriāeffort, diligence dignaeworthy censeanturcēnseantur.they are thoughtwhereas to you actions that concern human society seem too mean to be thought worthy of equal effort.cum tibi … sordeant cum with the subjunctive here sets one case against another: "whereas, while". The craftsmen give everything to their work, whereas to you the work of society seems cheap. sordeo "be dirty" means, with a dative, "to seem mean, cheap to someone": tibi … sordeant "seem cheap to you". Clauses with cum: when, since, althoughmagis, quam ut pari industria dignae censeantur A comparative with quam ut and the subjunctive means "too … to": sordeant magis, quam ut … censeantur "be more worthless than that they should be thought worthy", i.e. "too worthless to be thought worthy". dignus "worthy" takes the ablative: pari industria "of equal effort", the effort the craftsman gives his craft. Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)actiones societatem humanam spectantes spectare "look towards" here means "concern, have in view": actions that serve human society. This is the "work of a human being" (opus humanum) with which the section began. Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nouns

How easy it is to push away and wipe out every troubling or unfitting impression, and at once to be in perfect calm.

Quamhow facileeasy estit is imaginationemimāginātiōnemimpression omnemevery veleither turbulentamdisturbing velor inconvenientemunfitting itaso amoliriāmōlīrīto push away etand abstergereabstergēre,to wipe away utthat inin summasummāthe highest, perfect statimat once tranquillitatetranquillitātecalm consistascōnsistās?you stand firmHow easy it is to push away and wipe out every impression that is either disturbing or unfitting, so that you stand at once in perfect calm!Quam facile est … amoliri et abstergere The two infinitives are the subject of est: "to push away and to wipe off … is how easy!" facile is the neuter adjective, which is what agrees with an infinitive subject, not the adverb "easily". quam "how" makes the whole an exclamation; the question mark at the end, which Gataker's own edition (1652) prints too, is the old printers' way of marking one. The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement)imaginationem omnem vel turbulentam vel inconvenientem imaginatio is Gataker's word for the Stoic phantasia, an impression or picture presented to the mind, not "imagination" in the English sense. vel … vel "either … or". amoliri, a deponent, is "to push away (with effort)"; abstergere "to wipe off", as one wipes away a stain. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…siveita … ut in summa statim tranquillitate consistas ita … ut with the subjunctive makes a result clause: "so … that you stand at once in perfect calm". summa "highest" is the superlative of superus; consistere in is "to take one's stand in, come to rest in". Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)

Count no word or deed that accords with nature unworthy of you, and do not let anyone's blame turn you from it. Your critics follow their own minds and impulses; ignore them and go straight on, following your own nature and the common nature, which travel one and the same road.

NullumNūllumno auteither sermonemsermōnemword, speech autor actionemāctiōnemaction indignumunworthy tetēof you censeascēnseās,you should judge quiquīwhich naturaenātūraewith nature fueritis consentaneuscōnsentāneus.in keepingJudge no word or action that is in keeping with nature to be unworthy of you.indignum te censeas censeas is a jussive subjunctive, a mild command: "you should judge". indignus "unworthy" takes the ablative of what one is unworthy of, so indignum te is "unworthy of you": te is ablative, not the object. With nullum the command becomes "judge no word or action unworthy of you". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")qui naturae fuerit consentaneus qui is masculine, agreeing with the masculine noun sermonem, but it means the word and the action alike. fuerit, a perfect subjunctive, stands for sit "is": the clause is part of the command and takes its mood. consentaneus "in agreement with" takes the dative, naturae. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thought nequeand … not avertatāvertatlet it turn away abfrom eoeōit tetē,you quaewhich sequisequīto follow possit,may quorumlibetquōrumlibetof any … whatever hominumof people reprehensioreprehēnsiōblame autor vituperatiovituperātiō.censureAnd do not let the blame or censure of any people whatever, which may follow, turn you away from it.neque avertat ab eo te Another jussive subjunctive, now in the third person: neque avertat "and let it not turn away". Its subject comes only at the end of the sentence: reprehensio aut vituperatio "blame or censure". ab eo "from it" is the word or deed that accords with nature. Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")quae sequi possit The relative clause comes before the nouns it refers to: quae is feminine singular, looking ahead to reprehensio aut vituperatio. possit is subjunctive because the blame is only a possibility: "which may follow". quorumlibet hominum "of any people you like" means "of anyone at all". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) sedbut sisīif dictudictūto say factuvefactūveor to do honestumhonourable fuerit,it is indignumunworthy tetēof you nenēnot existimesexīstimēs.you should thinkBut if it is honourable to say or to do, do not think it unworthy of you.dictu factuve dictu and factu are supines in -u, a verbal form used after adjectives to mean "to …": honestum dictu factuve "honourable to say or to do". -ve "or" is an enclitic, joined to the end of the word it adds. Enclitics: -que, -ve, -nesi … fuerit, indignum te ne existimes fuerit is the future perfect, "if it shall be honourable"; English says simply "if it is". ne existimes "do not think" is a prohibition, ne with the subjunctive. Again indignum te is "unworthy of you", with te in the ablative. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive habentthey have enimfor illiillīthey mentema mind propriam,of their own proprioquepropriōqueand by their own ducunturdūcunturthey are led impulsuimpulsū:impulseFor they have a mind of their own, and are led by an impulse of their own:habent enim illi mentem propriam, proprioque ducuntur impulsu illi "they" are the critics of the last sentence. proprius "one's own" is said twice for emphasis: their mind is their own affair, and so is the impulse that drives them; neither is yours to govern. impulsu "by impulse" is an ablative of means, split from its adjective proprio by the verb. Ablative of means, cause and manner quaethese things tutūyou nolinōlīdo not attendere,pay attention to sedbut rectarēctāstraight on perge,go on naturaenātūraenature tumboth propriae,your own tumand etalso communicommūnīcommon obsecutusobsecūtus.followingPay no attention to these, but go straight on, following both your own nature and the common nature too.quae tu noli attendere quae at the start of a sentence often links it to the last one: "and these things", their minds and impulses. noli with an infinitive is the usual way to forbid: noli attendere "do not attend to". tu is emphatic: "you, for your part". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctiverecta perge recta is the ablative feminine of rectus "straight", with via "road" understood: "by the straight road", i.e. "straight on". perge "go on, keep going" is the imperative of pergo.naturae tum propriae, tum et communi obsecutus obsequor "comply with, follow" is a deponent and takes the dative. Its perfect participle obsecutus is active in sense, "having followed", here simply "following". tum … tum et "both … and also": your own nature, and the common nature of the whole. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning eademthe same enimfor estis harumhārumof these utriusqueutrīusqueof each via.road, wayFor the road of each of these is one and the same.eadem enim est harum utriusque via harum utriusque "of each of these (two)": harum is a partitive genitive with uterque "each of two", and the two are your own nature and the common nature. eadem "the same" is the predicate: the road of each is the same, so in following one you follow the other. Partitive genitive (aliquid boni, nihil…)

I go on through what accords with nature until I fall and come to rest, breathing my last into the air I draw in every day and falling back into the earth from which came the seed, blood and milk that made me, and my food and drink for so many years: the earth that has borne me while I trod on it and misused it.

Perthrough, along eathe things quaewhich naturaenātūraewith nature suntare consentaneacōnsentāneain keeping incedoincēdō,I walk on, go my way donecdōnecuntil occumbensoccumbēnsfalling, sinking down tandemat last conquiescamconquiēscam,I come to rest eoeōinto that, thither expirandoexpīrandō,breathing out undefrom which spiritumspīritumbreath quotidiequotīdiēevery day hauriohauriō,I draw inI walk on through the things that are in keeping with nature, until I fall and come to rest at last, breathing out into that from which I draw breath every day,Per ea quae naturae sunt consentanea incedo incedo "I walk, I go on my way" is in the present: this is how Marcus means to live. per ea quae … "through the things which are in keeping with nature" is the road of the last section, here walked to its end. consentaneus takes the dative, naturae. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quoddonec occumbens tandem conquiescam donec "until" takes the subjunctive when the end is looked forward to rather than stated as a fact: conquiescam "until I come to rest". occumbens "falling, sinking down" is a usual word for falling in death: Marcus speaks of his end calmly, as a traveller lies down at the end of a road. Temporal clauses: dum, ubi, quando, quoties, quamdiueo expirando, unde spiritum quotidie haurio eo is the adverb "thither, into that", and unde "from where" answers it: "breathing out into that (the air) from which I draw breath every day". expirando, Gataker's spelling of exspirando, and recidendo in the next part are ablatives of the gerund: they say how the rest will come. exspirare is also "to breathe one's last". The gerund (agendo, laedendi) eoqueeōqueand into that recidendorecidendō,falling back undefrom which etboth seminiumsēminiumthe seed meimeīof me pater,my father etand sanguinemthe blood matermāter,my mother etand lacthe milk nutrixnūtrīxmy nurse collegitcollēgit;gatheredand falling back into that from which my father gathered the seed of me, my mother the blood, and my nurse the milk;eoque recidendo recido "fall back" (from cado "fall") is a different verb from recīdo "cut back" (from caedo "cut"). eo … unde again: "falling back into that from which …", here the earth, which gave everything my body is made of. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)unde et seminium mei pater, et sanguinem mater, et lac nutrix collegit One verb, collegit "gathered", serves three subjects, each with its own object: the father the seed, the mother the blood, the nurse the milk. et … et … et is "both … and … and". mei is the genitive of ego, not a form of meus: seminium mei "the seed of me", the seed from which I came. In ancient belief the mother's blood fed the child in the womb. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood undefrom which quotidianumquotīdiānumdaily perthrough, for totso many annosannōsyears cibumfood potumquepōtumqueand drink accepiaccēpī;I have received quodwhich calcantem,treading (on it) etand adfor tamso variosvariōsdifferent ususūsūsuses, ends eoeōit abutentemabūtentemmisusing, using up memēme sustinuit.has borne, held upfrom which I have received my daily food and drink for so many years; which has borne me, though I tread on it and misuse it for so many different ends.unde quotidianum per tot annos cibum potumque accepi quotidianum is Gataker's spelling of cottidianum "daily", as quotidie is of cottidie. per with a stretch of time is "through, for": per tot annos "for so many years". accepi is a perfect reaching up to the present: "I have received". Gataker's spelling: j, caeterum, quenquam, -cunquequod calcantem … me sustinuit quod "which" is neuter: it means the earth, the "that" (eo) into which we fall back. Two participles describe me, the object: calcantem "treading (on it)" and abutentem "misusing (it)". The earth has carried me all along, though I walk all over it. me sustinuit "has borne me" is Gataker's reading (1652). Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsad tam varios usus eo abutentem abutor, a deponent like utor "use", takes the ablative: eo abutentem "using it up, misusing it". This eo is the ablative of is, "it", not the adverb eo "thither" used earlier in the section. ad tam varios usus "for so many different purposes": all the uses men make of the earth. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning

You may have no brilliance anyone would admire, but many virtues lie wholly in your power: sincerity, dignity, endurance, contentment, gentleness, freedom, seriousness. Nothing in your nature forces you to grumble, flatter or show off; and if you really are slow of mind, you should have trained it, neither ignoring your dullness nor pleased with it.

AcumenAcūmensharpness tibito you nonnōnnot est,there is quodwhich sitcould be admirationiadmīrātiōnīa cause of wonder cuiquam.to anyoneYou have no sharpness of mind that could be a cause of wonder to anyone.Acumen tibi non est est with a dative of the person is the Latin way of saying "have": acumen tibi non est "there is no sharpness to you", i.e. "you have no sharpness". Marcus grants the charge he imagines against himself: he is no brilliant wit. Dative of reference, possession and advantagequod sit admirationi cuiquam sit has two datives: admirationi "for wonder" says what the thing would serve as (a predicative dative), cuiquam "to anyone" says for whom. esse admirationi alicui is "to be a cause of wonder to someone". The subjunctive describes the kind of sharpness meant: "such as to be admired by anyone". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) multamany tamenyet suntthere are alia,other things dedēabout, of quibuswhich diceredīcereto say nequeasnequeās,you could not nonnōnnot esseto have been tetēyou adfor eathem aptumfit natumnātum.bornYet there are many other things of which you cannot say that you were not born fit for them.de quibus dicere nequeas nequeo "I cannot" is the opposite of queo "I can", and both are conjugated like eo "go". The subjunctive nequeas describes the kind of things: "things of a kind that you could not say about them …". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)non esse te ad ea aptum natum What you cannot say is an accusative and infinitive: te … natum esse "that you were born", split up by other words, with aptum "fit" agreeing with te: "that you were not born fit for them". ad ea "for them" repeats de quibus "about which"; Latin repeats the reference where English would not. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement) haecthese things itaqueso praestapraestā,show, make good quaewhich inin tetēyou omninoomnīnōwholly suntare sita,placed, lying animuma mind sincerumsincērum,sincere gravem,dignified laborumlabōrumtoils tolerantem,able to bear voluptatumvoluptātumfrom pleasures abstinentem,holding back sortewith its lot contentum,content paucorumpaucōrumof few things indigum,in need mitemmītem,gentle liberumlīberum,free luxuluxūfrom luxury alienumaliēnum,a stranger seriumsērium,serious sublimemsublīmem.loftySo show these, which lie wholly in your power: a mind that is sincere, dignified, able to bear toil, holding back from pleasures, content with its lot, in need of little, gentle, free, a stranger to luxury, serious, lofty.haec itaque praesta, quae in te omnino sunt sita praesta "show, make good" is the imperative of praesto. in te … sita sunt "are placed in you" means "lie in your power": situs is the perfect participle of sino in its old sense "set down, place". haec "these things" is then spelt out by the long list that follows, all describing one animum "mind". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivelaborum tolerantem, voluptatum abstinentem Present participles used as adjectives, for a lasting quality, take a genitive instead of an object: laborum tolerantem "enduring of toil", i.e. able to bear it; voluptatum abstinentem "abstinent of pleasures". In the same way indigus "in need" takes a genitive: paucorum indigum "in need of few things". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounssorte contentum … luxu alienum Two adjectives with an ablative: contentus "content" with the thing one is content with, sorte "with one's lot"; alienus "foreign to, a stranger to" with the thing one stands apart from, luxu "from luxury", an ablative of separation. Ablative of separation (a, ab, absque, liber, immunis, alienus) anor nonnōnnot intelligisdo you understand quamhow multamany things praestarepraestāreto show cumthough jamalready, now possispossīs,you can adfor quaewhich inhabilitatisinhabilitātisof incapacity naturalisnātūrālisnatural autor ineptitudinisineptitūdinisof unfitness nullusnūllusno suppetitis to hand praetextus,pretext, excuse sponteof your own accord tamenyet inin eiseīsthem inferiorīnferiorinferior, lower adhucadhūcstill persistis?you remainDo you not understand how many things there are which you could already show, things for which no pretext of natural incapacity or unfitness is to hand, and yet in them you still stay inferior of your own accord?an non intelligis quam multa praestare cum jam possis an non …? again expects the answer "yes". quam multa "how many things" is the object of praestare inside the cum clause, and in eis "in them" takes it up again in the main clause: "how many things, though you can already show them, … you yet stay inferior in them". cum with the subjunctive possis is "though", and tamen "yet" answers it. Clauses with cum: when, since, althoughad quae inhabilitatis naturalis aut ineptitudinis nullus suppetit praetextus suppetere "to be at hand, be available": "for which no pretext of natural incapacity or unfitness is to hand", i.e. you cannot plead that nature made you unfit for them. inhabilitas "incapacity" and ineptitudo "unfitness" are late Latin words, Gataker's for two Greek nouns; both genitives depend on praetextus "pretext, excuse". Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodsponte tamen in eis inferior adhuc persistis inferior "lower" is the comparative of inferus, a predicate with persistis: "you still stay lower in them", short of what you could be, and sponte "of your own will" says that nothing holds you down. The question begun by quam multa ends in the indicative persistis, as the Greek does; classical Latin would put persistas. Indirect questions numsurely … not? etalso perthrough, because of conditionisconditiōnisof constitution naturalisnātūrālisnatural defectumdēfectumdefect aliquemsome obmurmurareobmurmurāre,to grumble restrictumstingy, close-fisted esse,to be adulariadūlārī,to flatter corpusculumpoor body tuumyour incusareincūsāre,to blame assentariassentārī,to fawn, agree with everyone ostentareostentāreto show off tetē,yourself animoanimōin mind tantopereso greatly jactarijactārī,to be tossed about cogeriscōgeris?are you forcedAre you also forced, by some defect of your natural make-up, to grumble, to be stingy, to flatter, to blame your poor body, to fawn, to show yourself off, to be so tossed about in your mind?num et per conditionis naturalis defectum aliquem … cogeris num expects the answer "no": "surely you are not forced …?" The main verb cogeris "are you forced" waits till the very end, after seven infinitives that say what to do. et here means "also": you may lack sharpness by nature, but is nature to blame for these faults too? conditio naturalis is one's natural condition, the way one is made. The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement)obmurmurare, restrictum esse, adulari … assentari, ostentare te A list of faults: obmurmurare "to grumble", restrictum esse "to be close-fisted, stingy", adulari "to flatter", incusare "to blame", assentari "to agree with everyone, to fawn" (not assentior "assent"), ostentare te "to show yourself off". adulor and assentor are deponents. After the passive cogeris one would expect the nominative restrictus; Gataker writes the accusative, as if te were understood. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaninganimo tantopere jactari jactari "to be thrown about" is the passive of jacto "throw, toss": "to be tossed about so greatly in your mind", like a ship in a storm. animo is an ablative of respect, "in mind". The passive with a reflexive sense ("be carried away", "let yourself be…") nequaquamnēquāquam,by no means perby Jovem;Jupiter sedbut hishīsthese things omnibusall jamalready olimōlimlong ago licuitit was open, allowed tibito you esseto be immunemimmūnem.freeBy no means, by Jupiter; but you could long ago have been free of all these things.nequaquam, per Jovem Marcus answers his own question: nequaquam "by no means". per with the accusative is used in oaths: per Jovem "by Jupiter". Jovem is the accusative of Jupiter.his omnibus jam olim licuit tibi esse immunem licet "it is allowed" is impersonal, with the person in the dative (tibi) and an infinitive as its subject (esse): "it has long been open to you to be free". The predicate immunem is accusative, as if agreeing with an understood te; the dative immuni is also found. immunis "free" takes an ablative of separation: his omnibus "from all these things". Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur) hochōcthis tantummodoonly nominenōmineground, account sisīif notarinotārīto be faulted poteraspoterās,you could quodthat tardioritardiōrīrather slow hebetioriquehebetiōrīqueand rather dull ingenioingeniōwit, mind natusnātusborn sissīs,you were exercitationeexercitātiōneby training vitiumfault istudthat corrigereto correct conandumcōnandumto be attempted fuerat,it had been hebetudinemhebetūdinemdullness tuamyour nequeneither insuperīnsuperas of no account habendohabendō,holding, regarding nequenor inin eademeādemit, the same tibiyourself complacendocomplacendō.being pleasingIf you could be faulted on this ground alone, that you were born with a rather slow and dull wit, you should have tried to correct that fault by training, neither disregarding your dullness nor being pleased with yourself in it.hoc tantummodo nomine si notari poteras, quod … natus sis hoc nomine "on this account": nomen "name" also means a heading or account, so hoc nomine is "on this score", and the quod clause says what the score is. natus sis is subjunctive because it gives the charge as others would put it: "that (as they say) you were born …". notare "to mark" is to brand with a mark of censure. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thoughttardiori hebetiorique ingenio Comparatives with no quam often mean "rather, somewhat": tardiori hebetiorique "rather slow and rather dull". The ablative ingenio describes the quality one is born with: "born with a slow wit". Gataker writes the comparative ablative in -i (tardiori) where the usual form is tardiore. Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quamexercitatione vitium istud corrigere conandum fuerat conandum fuerat is the gerundive of the deponent conor "try", used impersonally with esse: "it had to be tried", i.e. "you should have tried". Latin puts such "ought to have" in the indicative; the pluperfect fuerat stands where classical Latin would have fuit or erat. corrigere "to correct" is what was to be tried, and exercitatione "by training" is how. Gerundive of obligation (cavenda est, agenda sunt)hebetudinem tuam neque insuper habendo, neque in eadem tibi complacendo Two ablative gerunds of manner, "by neither … nor …". insuper habere "to hold as over and above" is an idiom for "to disregard, make light of": hebetudinem … insuper habendo "disregarding your dullness". complacere "to be pleasing" with tibi is "to be pleased with yourself", and in eadem "in the same" means in your dullness. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)

There are three kinds of benefactor: one who puts his kindness down to the other's account, one who says nothing but privately counts the other his debtor, and one who in a way does not even know what he has done, like a vine that bears its grapes and asks nothing more, and goes on to the next good deed as a horse, a dog or a bee goes on with its work. Marcus grants the objection that a social being should know he is acting for society, but warns that, taken wrongly, it makes you the first kind of man; rightly understood, it will never keep you from doing good.

Est,there is quiquīone who ubiwhen gratumgrātumsomething pleasing quidsomething alicuifor someone feceritfēcerit,he has done beneficiumthe kindness imputareimputāreto put down to (his) account proclivisprōclīvisinclined, quick sit.isThere is one who, when he has done something pleasing for someone, is inclined to put the kindness down to that person's account.Est, qui … proclivis sit Est, qui … "there is (one) who …" opens the first of three portraits; the second begins est, qui and the third est et, qui. After est qui the verb of the relative clause is often subjunctive, as sit here: it describes a kind of person, "the sort of man who is inclined", rather than one particular man. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)gratum quid alicui fecerit gratum facere alicui "to do someone a favour" is a common idiom; gratum quid "something pleasing" uses quid for aliquid, as Gataker often does. fecerit is perfect subjunctive because it stands inside the subjunctive qui clause; the same form is also the future perfect. Subjunctive in clauses inside reported speech or thoughtbeneficium imputare imputare is a bookkeeping word: "to enter in the account, charge to someone". beneficium imputare is to set down a kindness as a debt the other person now owes, so that he is made to feel it and expected to repay it. est,there is quiquīone who etiamsietiamsīalthough, even if imputareimputāreto put to account haudnot itaso proclivisprōclīvisinclined sit,he is proprōas debitoredēbitōrea debtor tamenstill, yet apudwith, in (his own mind) sesēhimself habethe regards eumthe man cuito whom benefecitbenefēcit,he has done good quidqueand what feceritfēcerit,he has done novitnōvit.he knowsThere is another who, although he is not so inclined to put it to account, still privately regards the man he has done good to as his debtor, and knows what he has done.est, qui etiamsi … proclivis sit The second kind. etiamsi … sit "although he is not so inclined": the subjunctive gives the concession as a supposition. But the verbs of this qui clause itself, habet and novit, are indicative: Gataker now simply states what such a man does. Concessive clauses: etiamsi, quamvis, cumpro debitore tamen apud se habet eum cui benefecit habere pro + ablative is "to regard as": pro debitore habet "he regards as a debtor". apud se "with himself, in his own mind": he says nothing, but privately he keeps the account. benefacere "to do good to" takes the dative, hence cui.quidque fecerit, novit quid fecerit "what he has done" is an indirect question, so its verb is subjunctive; -que joins it on: "and he knows what he has done". novit is the perfect of nosco "get to know", used as a present: "he knows". Indirect questions estthere is et,also quiquī,one who quidwhat feceritfēcerit,he has done quodammodoquōdammodoin a way nenēnot novitnōvithe knows quidem;evenAnd there is one who in a way does not even know what he has done;quodammodo ne novit quidem ne … quidem "not even" surrounds the word it stresses, here novit: "he does not even know". quodammodo "in a way" warns that this is not meant literally: he knows, but he does not dwell on it or keep count. This is the third and best kind of benefactor. sedbut vitivītīto a vine sithe is similis,like quaewhich racemumracēmumits cluster of grapes ubiwhen, once tulerit,it has borne fructumquefrūctumqueand fruit sibito itself propriumproper, own semelonce and for all dederit,it has given nihilnothing ulteriusfurther requiritrequīrit.it asks forbut he is like a vine, which, when it has borne its cluster of grapes and has given its own proper fruit once and for all, asks for nothing further.viti sit similis similis "like" takes the dative: viti similis "like a vine". sit is subjunctive because the sentence still belongs to the qui clause of the third portrait (est et, qui …): it describes the kind of man, as proclivis sit did in the first. The third kind of man is compared to a vine, which simply does what it is made to do and expects no thanks. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)racemum ubi tulerit, fructumque sibi proprium semel dederit In a general statement Gataker puts the earlier action in the future perfect: ubi tulerit "when it has borne", dederit "has given"; English uses the perfect or the present. tulerit is from fero "bear", whose perfect stem is tul-. sibi proprium "proper to itself": the fruit that belongs to a vine's nature. The future perfect ("if you will have done…") sicutsīcutjust as equus,a horse ubiwhen cucurrerit,it has run canisa dog venatusvēnātushunted fuerit,(has) apesapēsa bee melhoney confeceritcōnfēcerit;it has made itaso iste,this man ubiwhen benefeceritbenefēcerit,he has done good nonnōnnot clamoreclāmōrewith shouting prosequiturprōsequitur,he follows (it) up sedbut adto aliudanother ejusmodiejusmodīof the same kind opuswork sesēhimself transferttrānsfert;he moves on quemadmodumjust as vitisvītisthe vine adto racemosracēmōsclusters aliosaliōsother denuodēnuōanew, again suosuōits own temporeseason producendosprōdūcendōs.producingJust as a horse when it has run, a dog when it has hunted, a bee when it has made its honey, so this man, when he has done good, does not follow it up with shouting, but passes on to another work of the same kind, as the vine passes on to producing other clusters again in their season.sicut equus, ubi cucurrerit, canis venatus fuerit, apes mel confecerit; ita iste sicut … ita "just as … so". The horse, the dog and the bee are given only their ubi clauses ("when it has run", "(when) it has hunted", "(when) it has made honey"); what they then do is supplied from the ita half: none of them makes a fuss, each simply goes on. Each does the work it was made for, and so does the good man: doing good is his nature, not a loan. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivevenatus fuerit venatus fuerit is the future perfect of the deponent venor "hunt": Gataker, like many later writers, uses fuerit for erit with a participle. apes is a by-form of the nominative apis "bee". Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaningnon clamore prosequitur prosequi aliquid clamore is "to see something off with shouts", as a crowd escorts someone with cheering: the good man does not make a noise about his kindness. prosequitur is deponent: passive form, active meaning. Ablative of means, cause and mannerquemadmodum vitis ad racemos alios denuo suo tempore producendos Supply se transfert: "as the vine (passes on) to producing other clusters again". ad racemos producendos is ad with a noun and gerundive, "to clusters to be produced"; English turns it into "to producing clusters". suo tempore "in its own season": the vine waits for the next season, then gives again. The gerundive with ad, in and the genitive inin, among horumhōrumof these (men) ergoergōthen numeronumerōnumber esseto be oportet,must one quiquīwho quidwhat faciant,they are doing ipsiipsīthemselves quodammodoquōdammodoin a way nenēnot intelliguntthey understand quidem?even itaso planeplānē.quite, plainlyMust one, then, be among those who in a way do not even themselves understand what they are doing? Yes, quite so.in horum ergo numero esse oportet Marcus asks himself a question: "Must one then be in the number of these?" oportet "it is necessary" is impersonal; esse is its subject, and who must be is left general, "one". in numero + genitive "in the number of, among"; ergo "then" draws the conclusion from the vine. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)qui quid faciant, ipsi quodammodo ne intelligunt quidem quid faciant "what they are doing" is an indirect question (subjunctive), the object of intelligunt. ipsi "they themselves" and ne … quidem "not even" make it strong; quodammodo "in a way" softens it again. Indirect questionsita plane The answer. Latin has no single word for "yes"; it says ita "so (it is)", here strengthened by plane "quite, plainly". Atbut hocthis ipsum,very inquis,you say quidwhat agasagās,you are doing intelligereto understand necessariumnecessāriumnecessary est.it isBut, you say, it is necessary to understand this very thing, what you are doing.At … inquis At "but" and inquis "you say" bring in an objection from an imagined speaker, a habit of the Stoic lecture. Marcus argues with himself: the objection is stated in full, then answered (Verum est, fateor, quod dicis "what you say is true, I admit").hoc ipsum, inquis, quid agas, intelligere necessarium est The subject of necessarium est is the infinitive intelligere: "to understand is necessary". Its object hoc ipsum "this very thing" is then spelled out by the indirect question quid agas "what you are doing". The infinitive as a noun (subject, object, complement) estit is enimfor societatissocietātisof society legemlēgemthe law colentisof one who honours propriumthe mark hoc,this utthat sentiathe perceives sesē(that) he secundumaccording to legemlēgemlaw illamthat agere;is acting utqueand that velithe wants etiam,also perby Jovem,Jupiter eumthe person quocumquōcumwith whom sicsīcso, in this way agit,he deals idit persentiscerepersentīscere.to perceive (it) fullyFor it is the mark of one who honours the law of society that he perceives that he is acting according to that law; and also, by Jupiter, that he wants the person he is dealing with in this way to perceive it too.est enim societatis legem colentis proprium hoc proprium est + genitive "it is the mark of, it belongs to": proprium hoc est colentis "this is the mark of one who honours". colentis is a present participle used as a noun, "of (a man) honouring"; societatis legem "the law of society" is its object. hoc "this" points forward to the two ut clauses. Genitive of characteristic: "it belongs to…, it is the mark of…"hoc, ut sentiat … utque velit The two ut clauses say what hoc is: "this, that he perceives … and that he wants …"; utque is the second ut with -que "and" joined to it. Such noun clauses have their verbs in the subjunctive (sentiat, velit) but are translated with a plain "that". Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)sentiat se secundum legem illam agere After a verb of perceiving Latin uses the accusative and infinitive: sentiat se … agere "he perceives himself to act", i.e. "that he is acting". The same pattern follows velit: eum … id persentiscere "(he wants) that man to perceive it". Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)per Jovem per Jovem "by Jupiter" is an oath that adds emphasis (Greek "by Zeus"); Jovem is the accusative of Jupiter. The objector insists that even the person helped should notice it.eum quocum sic agit quocum is cum quo "with whom": with the relative and personal pronouns cum is attached to the end (mecum, secum). agere cum aliquo "to deal with someone": the man he is treating so, who receives the kindness. Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod VerumVērumtrue est,is fateor,I admit quodwhat dicisdīcis.you say VeruntamenVēruntamen,but nevertheless quodwhat jamjust now dictumsaid est,has been sisīif seciussēciusotherwise, wrongly ceperiscēperis,you take exof, from eorumeōrumof those numeronumerōnumber futurusfutūrusgoing to be es,you are quorumquōrumof whom priorepriōrefirst locolocōplace memineram.I mentionedWhat you say is true, I admit. But if you take what has just been said the wrong way, you will be one of those whom I mentioned in the first place.Verum est, fateor, quod dicis Marcus answers the objection; the capitals of Verum and Veruntamen mark his reply. quod dicis "what you say" is the subject of verum est "is true"; the antecedent id "that" is left out, as often. fateor "I admit" is a deponent, set into the sentence like English "I grant".quod jam dictum est, si secius ceperis The object of ceperis comes first: quod jam dictum est "what has just been said", the objector's point. secius "otherwise" means here "wrongly, in the wrong sense"; capere "take" is used as English "take" a remark. ceperis is future perfect, "if you shall have taken", English "if you take". Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)ex eorum numero futurus es, quorum priore loco memineram futurus es "you are going to be": the future participle with sum. memini with the genitive means "make mention of": quorum … memineram "whom I mentioned"; being perfect in form, it uses its pluperfect memineram as a simple past. priore loco "in the first place": the first kind of benefactor, who charges his kindness to the other's account. Future participle with sum (moriturus sis, victurus esses) siquidemsīquidemfor, since ettoo illiillīthey rationisratiōnisof reason speciespeciēby an appearance quadamquādama certain probabiliprobābilīplausible abducunturabdūcuntur.they are led astrayFor they too are led astray by a certain plausible appearance of reason.rationis specie quadam probabili species here is "outward appearance": rationis specie "by an appearance of reason". probabilis is "plausible, likely-looking", not "probable" in the modern sense. The first kind of man reasons too, and his reasoning sounds right; that is how he is led astray. Ablative of means, cause and manner tutūyou autem,but sisīif idthat quodwhich dixeramdīxeramI had said recterēctērightly intelligereto understand volueris,you are willing nolinōlīdo not metuere,to fear nenēthat hachācthis dedēfor caussacaussāreason benefaciendibenefaciendīof doing good occasionemoccāsiōnemopportunity ullamūllamany sissīsyou are omissurusomissūrus.going to pass overBut you, if you are willing to understand rightly what I had said, do not be afraid that for this reason you will pass over any opportunity of doing good.si id quod dixeram recte intelligere volueris volueris is future perfect, "if you shall have been willing"; English simply says "if you are willing". quod dixeram "what I had said": the pluperfect looks back to the vine and the horse. The future perfect ("if you will have done…")noli metuere, ne … sis omissurus noli + infinitive is the usual prohibition: noli metuere "do not fear". After verbs of fearing, ne means "that" (the thing feared): "do not fear that you will …". sis omissurus, the future participle with the subjunctive of sum, gives a future sense: "that you are going to pass over". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivehac de caussa benefaciendi occasionem ullam hac de caussa "for this reason": the preposition stands between adjective and noun, a common order; caussa is Gataker's spelling of causa. benefaciendi is a gerund depending on occasionem: "an opportunity of doing good". Understood rightly, knowing what you do will never make you hold back from a good deed. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)

The Athenians prayed: Rain, rain, dear Jupiter, on the Athenians' fields and meadows. One should either not pray at all, or pray like this, simply and frankly.

AtheniensiumAthēniēnsiumof the Athenians votumvōtumthe prayer erat,was Plue,rain plue,rain charechāredear JupiterJūpiter,Jupiter superon, over AtheniensiumAthēniēnsiumof the Athenians arvathe fields etand prataprāta.meadowsThe prayer of the Athenians was, "Rain, rain, dear Jupiter, on the fields and meadows of the Athenians."Atheniensium votum erat, Plue, plue The prayer is quoted directly, with no word for "that". Plue, plue "rain, rain" is the present imperative of pluo "rain", spoken straight to the god. It is the simplest kind of prayer: one plain request, for the fields of all the people, not for the one who prays. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivechare Jupiter chare Jupiter is vocative, "dear Jupiter": the same form as the nominative for Jupiter, while chare has the vocative ending -e of charus. charus is Gataker's spelling of carus "dear". Jupiter, the Greek Zeus, is the sky-god who sends rain. The vocative auteither nihilnothing omninoomnīnōat all precariprecārī,to pray (for) autor hochōcthis modomodōway simplicitersimply etand ingenueingenuēfrankly precariprecārīto pray parpārright, fitting est.it isOne should either not pray at all, or pray in this way, simply and frankly.aut nihil omnino precari, aut … precari par est aut … aut "either … or": the two infinitives precari "to pray" are the subjects of par est "it is right, it is fitting". nihil omnino precari "to pray for nothing at all", i.e. not to pray at all. precari is a deponent infinitive: passive form, active meaning. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivesimpliciter et ingenue simpliciter "simply, plainly". ingenue comes from ingenuus "free-born": "frankly, openly, as a free man speaks", without flattery or bargaining with the gods.

As people say that Aesculapius prescribed riding, cold baths or going barefoot for someone, so the nature of the universe prescribes disease, maiming or the loss of children, as things fitted into the order of fate, as squared stones fit one another in a wall. We should accept them as we accept a doctor's harsh prescriptions in the hope of health, and love what happens to us for two reasons: it was woven for us from the most ancient causes, and it serves the well-being and very continuance of the whole, which we maim, as far as in us lies, whenever we resent it.

CujusmodiCujusmodīof what kind illudthat (saying) est,is quodwhich dicidīcīto be said solet,is usually AesculapiumAesculāpiumAesculapius huicfor this (man) velor illiillīthat (man) coordinassecoōrdināsse,has prescribed utthat equitet,he should ride utthat frigidafrīgidāwith cold (water) proluaturprōluātur,he should be bathed utthat discalceatusdiscalceātusbarefoot incedatincēdat:he should walkLike the common saying that Aesculapius has prescribed for this man or that that he should ride, that he should be bathed in cold water, that he should walk barefoot:Cujusmodi illud est, quod dici solet cujusmodi … ejusmodi "of what kind … of that kind" are a correlative pair, like English "as … so": cujusmodi opens this half and ejusmodi the next sentence. illud quod dici solet "that which is usually said" is the common saying, given in the accusative and infinitive that follows. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…siveAesculapium huic vel illi coordinasse The saying is reported in the accusative and infinitive: Aesculapium … coordinasse "(that) Aesculapius has prescribed". Aesculapius (Greek Asclepius) was the god of healing: the sick slept in his temples and received treatments in dreams, so "Asclepius has prescribed" was a common phrase. coordinasse is short for coordinavisse; coordinare "arrange, appoint", a late Latin word, renders the Greek word for a doctor's prescribing. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)ut equitet, ut frigida proluatur, ut discalceatus incedat After a verb of ordering, what is ordered goes into ut with the subjunctive: "that he ride, that he be bathed in cold water, that he walk barefoot". frigida is frigida aqua "cold water" with the noun left out, a regular usage. These were the standard health regimes of the day. Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…) ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind quiddamsomething est,is etalso quod(the saying) that huicfor this (man) velor illiillīthat (man) coordinavitcoōrdināvithas prescribed universiūniversīof the universe naturanātūra,nature utthat morbomorbōby disease teneaturteneātur,he should be held corporein body mutileturmutilētur,he should be maimed liberoslīberōshis children amittatāmittat,he should lose autor aliudelse taletāleof the sort quippiam.somethingsomething of the same kind is also the saying that the nature of the universe has prescribed for this man or that that he should be held by disease, be maimed in body, lose his children, or something else of the sort.ejusmodi quiddam est, et quod … coordinavit universi natura ejusmodi answers cujusmodi in the last sentence: "of that kind too is …". The subject of est is the clause quod … coordinavit universi natura "(the saying) that the nature of the universe has prescribed"; quod is the conjunction "that", and et means "also". Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…siveut morbo teneatur, corpore mutiletur, liberos amittat The same ut clause of what is prescribed, now with hard things: "that he be held by disease, maimed in body, lose his children"; Gataker does not repeat ut. corpore is an ablative of respect, "in body". Nature's "prescriptions" are being compared with a doctor's. siquidemsīquidemfor etalso ibithere coordinavitcoōrdināvit"(he) prescribed" illud,that (word) sensumsēnsummeaning huncthis habet,has acsiacsīas if dicereturdīcerētur,it were said hocthis (treatment) adtowards illudthat (end) ordinavitōrdināvit,he has ordered tanquamas quod(something) which adto ejusdemof the same (man) sanitatemsānitātemhealth conducatcondūcat:it servesFor there too the word "prescribed" has this sense, as if it were said: he has ordered this towards that end, as something that serves the man's health:et ibi coordinavit illud, sensum hunc habet Marcus looks at the word itself. coordinavit illud "that (word) 'prescribed'" is the subject of habet: "the word 'prescribed' has this meaning". ibi "there" is the doctor's case; istic "here" in the next sentence is nature's.acsi diceretur acsi "as if" (ac si written as one word, as Gataker prints it) with the subjunctive introduces a comparison with something imagined: acsi diceretur "as if it were said". The imperfect subjunctive is used because the comparison is unreal: no one actually says it in these words. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)hoc ad illud ordinavit, tanquam quod ad ejusdem sanitatem conducat hoc ad illud ordinavit "he has ordered this towards that": the treatment is set in order towards an end. tanquam quod … conducat "as (something) which serves": the antecedent is left out, and the subjunctive describes the treatment as the kind of thing that serves health. ejusdem "of the same (man)" is the patient. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) atqueand isticistīchere, in this case pariter,likewise quicquidwhatever unicuiqueūnīcuiqueto each person contingit,happens adtowards illudthat ordinaturōrdināturis ordered quodammodoquōdammodoin a certain way quodwhich fatofātōwith fate congruumin keeping existat.isand here likewise, whatever happens to each person is in a certain way ordered towards that which is in keeping with fate.quicquid unicuique contingit, ad illud ordinatur The quicquid clause "whatever happens to each" is the subject of ordinatur "is ordered". ad illud … quod "towards that … which": the relative clause is held back until after quodammodo "in a certain way".quod fato congruum existat congruus "agreeing, fitting" takes the dative: fato congruum "in keeping with fate". Gataker often uses existere for plain esse, and here it is subjunctive: the clause describes the kind of end, "whatever suits fate", rather than naming one thing. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) atqueand hincfrom this, hence estit is quodthat eathese things convenireconvenīrefit, suit nobisnōbīsus dicimusdīcimus:we say quomodoquōmodoin the way that, as lapideslapidēsstones quadratosquadrātōssquared inin moenibuswalls autor pyramidibuspȳramidibuspyramids convenireconvenīrefit together dicuntdīcuntthey say artificesartificēs,builders cumwhen sibito one another invicemmutually scitescītēskilfully compositicompositīput together coaptantur.they are fittedAnd this is why we say that these things "fit" us, in the way that builders say that squared stones "fit" in walls or pyramids, when, skilfully put together, they are fitted to one another.hinc est quod ea convenire nobis dicimus hinc est quod "hence it is that": the quod clause is the subject of est. ea convenire nobis is an accusative and infinitive after dicimus: "we say that these things fit us". convenire + dative is "to fit, suit". Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement)quomodo lapides quadratos … convenire dicunt artifices The masons' word. In the Greek the ordinary verb for "to happen" (symbainein) literally means "to go together, fit", and builders used it of stones that fit. Gataker's convenire "come together, fit, suit" has the same double sense: what happens to us "fits" us as dressed stones fit one another in a wall. lapides quadrati are squared, dressed stones.cum sibi invicem scite compositi coaptantur cum with the indicative is plain "when". sibi invicem "to one another" (literally "to themselves in turn"). compositi "put together" agrees with the stones, the subject of coaptantur "are fitted"; scite "skilfully, neatly". Clauses with cum: when, since, although omninoomnīnōin a word, altogether enimfor unaūnaone quaedamsingle estthere is rerumrērumof things omniumall compagescompāgēs.frameworkFor, in a word, there is one single framework of all things.una quaedam est rerum omnium compages compages is a joining or framework, the way the parts of a building are fastened together, so the image of the stones goes on. una quaedam "one single": all things make one structure. omnino here is "in a word, in short". etand quemadmodumjust as exout of cunctiscūnctīsall corporibusbodies mundusworld iste,this quoquōso that corpusa body ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind sit,it may be consummaturcōnsummātur;is made complete itaso exout of caussiscaussīscauses universisūniversīs,all quoquōso that caussaa cause sitit may be ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind fatumfātumfate conficiturcōnficitur.is made upAnd just as this world is made complete out of all bodies, so as to be a body of that kind, so fate is made up out of all causes, so as to be a cause of that kind.quemadmodum … mundus iste … consummatur; ita … fatum conficitur quemadmodum … ita "just as … so". As the world is one body made up of all bodies, so fate is one cause made up of all causes. Each thing that happens to us is one of the causes that make up fate, as each stone is part of the wall. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivequo corpus ejusmodi sit quo + subjunctive is a purpose clause ("so that", literally "by which"): quo corpus ejusmodi sit "so that it may be a body of that kind", i.e. one single whole. The second half has the same pattern: quo caussa sit ejusmodi fatum "so that fate may be a cause of that kind". caussa, caussis are Gataker's spelling of causa, causis. Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo) intelliguntthey understand hocthis quodwhich dicodīcōI am saying etiameven rudissimirudissimīthe most ignorant quiquequīque.every oneEven the most ignorant people understand what I am saying.rudissimi quique quisque with a superlative means "all the most …, every one of the most …": rudissimi quique "the most ignorant people, every one". quique here is the plural of quisque, not qui with -que. rudis is "rough, untrained", hence "uneducated". Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunque dicuntdīcuntthey say enimfor tulitit brought hocthis illiillī,to him sorsfortune nimirumnīmīrum.of course, namelyFor they say "It brought him this", fortune, of course.tulit hoc illi, sors nimirum The plain man's phrase "it brought him this" (tulit from fero "bring, bear") already holds Marcus's idea: what happens to someone is brought, sent to him. Gataker adds who is meant: sors nimirum "fortune, of course". Watch fero and its compounds in what follows: ferebatur, ferat, tulisset, contulisset. hocthis itaqueso, therefore illiillīto him ferebaturferēbātur;was being brought istudqueand this illiillīfor him coordinabaturcoōrdinābātur.was being prescribedSo this was being brought to him, and this was being prescribed for him.hoc itaque illi ferebatur; istudque illi coordinabatur Marcus puts the two ways of speaking side by side: what the plain man calls "brought" (ferebatur) is what the doctor's language calls "prescribed" (coordinabatur). The imperfects present it as going on all along: this was being brought to him, was being prescribed for him. proindetherefore itain the same way excipiamusexcipiāmuslet us accept ista,these things quomodoquōmodoas eathose things solemussolēmus,we usually (accept) quaewhich AesculapiusAesculāpiusAesculapius praeceperitpraecēperit.he has prescribedLet us therefore accept these things in the same way as we usually accept those that Aesculapius has prescribed.proinde ita excipiamus ista The conclusion of the comparison. excipiamus is a hortatory subjunctive, "let us accept, let us welcome". ita … quomodo "in the same way … as": we are to take what nature sends as patients take a doctor's orders. Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")quomodo ea solemus, quae Aesculapius praeceperit Supply excipere after solemus: "as we are used (to accepting) those things which Aesculapius has prescribed". praeceperit is a perfect subjunctive, the relative clause being part of the exhortation; praecipere is the regular word for a doctor's instructions, English "prescribe". Words left out: esse, sum and others understood multamany things siquidemsīquidemfor ettoo inin, among illisillīsthose asperaharsh sunt,are quaewhich sanitatissānitātisof health spespēin hope tamennevertheless libentergladly admittimus.we acceptFor in those too there are many harsh things, which we nevertheless accept gladly in the hope of health.sanitatis spe tamen libenter admittimus sanitatis spe "in hope of health": spe is an ablative of cause, and sanitatis an objective genitive, the thing hoped for. Bitter medicine and cold baths are welcome because of what they lead to; this is the model for accepting what nature sends. Objective genitive (reverentia tui, cura rerum) ejusmodiejusmodīof that kind itaqueso, therefore quiddamsomething videaturvideāturlet (it) seem tibi,to you eorumeōrumof the things quaewhich naturaenātūraeto nature communicommūnīcommon visavīsaseemed good sunt,have perfectioperfectiōthe carrying out etand consummatiocōnsummātiō,completion cujusmodicujusmodīof the kind (that) estis valetudovalētūdōhealth tua.yourSo let the carrying out and completion of what has seemed good to common nature seem to you something of the same kind as your health.ejusmodi itaque quiddam videatur tibi … cujusmodi est valetudo tua videatur is a jussive subjunctive, "let it seem". Its subjects come late: perfectio et consummatio "the carrying out and completion". ejusmodi … cujusmodi "of that kind … of which kind": "something of the same kind as your health is". Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")eorum quae naturae communi visa sunt videri + dative can mean "to seem good to, be decided by" (as in visum est mihi "I decided"): quae naturae communi visa sunt "what has seemed good to common nature", nature's decisions. Their perfectio et consummatio is their being carried through to the end, as health is the end of a cure. eodemqueeōdemqueand in the same modomodō,way quicquidwhatever eveneritēvēnerit,happens quamvisquamvīsalthough asperiusrather harsh visumvīsumseemed fuerit,(has) libenslibēnsgladly admittitoadmittitō,you shall accept quandoquidemquandōquidemsince adto, towards mundimundīof the world integritatemintegritātemsoundness Jovisqueand of Jupiter prosperitatemprosperitātemprosperity atqueand felicitatemfēlīcitātemhappiness ferat.it leadsAnd in the same way, whatever happens, even though it may have seemed rather harsh, accept it gladly, since it leads to the soundness of the world and to the prosperity and happiness of Jupiter.quicquid evenerit, quamvis asperius visum fuerit quicquid evenerit "whatever happens" (future perfect: "whatever shall have happened") is the object of admittito. quamvis "although" takes the subjunctive: visum fuerit is a perfect subjunctive with fuerit for sit. The comparative asperius means "rather harsh, too harsh". Concessive clauses: etiamsi, quamvis, cumlibens admittito admittito is a future imperative, ending in -to: "you shall accept". It is the form of laws, rules and doctors' orders, for something to be done whenever the case arises; here it is the patient's rule for life. libens "willing" agrees with "you"; English turns it into an adverb, "gladly". Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivequandoquidem … ferat quandoquidem "since" gives the reason for accepting; its verb ferat is subjunctive because the reason belongs to the command. ferre ad "to lead to, tend to" is another use of fero. integritas "soundness, wholeness" is a health word, like the doctor's sanitas; Jovis is the genitive of Jupiter, here the god who governs the whole. Causal clauses: quod, quia, siquidem, cum, quippe nequenot enimfor tulissethe would have brought is,he nisiif … not, unless adto universiūniversīof the universe bonumthe good contulisset.it had contributedFor he would not have brought it, if it had not contributed to the good of the universe.neque enim tulisset is, nisi … contulisset An unreal condition in the past: the pluperfect subjunctive in both halves, "he would not have brought it, if it had not contributed". Gataker keeps the Greek wordplay: tulisset "brought" and contulisset "brought together, contributed" are both from fero. is "he" is Jupiter. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis) cumsince necnot even naturanātūranature quaelibetany … you please quicquamanything ferat,brings quodwhich nonnōnnot eieīto that mundomundō,world quiquīwhich abby ipsaipsāit (nature) administraturadministrātur,is governed congruenscongruēnssuited existat.isSince not even any nature you please brings anything that is not suited to the world which is governed by it.cum nec natura quaelibet quicquam ferat cum with the subjunctive here means "since". nec has the force of "not even": "since not even any nature you please brings anything …". If no ordinary nature brings what is unsuited to the thing it governs, still less does the nature of the universe. Clauses with cum: when, since, althoughquod non … congruens existat After a negative (nec … quicquam) the relative clause takes the subjunctive: "anything such as is not suited". congruens "agreeing, suited" takes the dative ei mundo; ab ipsa "by (nature) itself" gives the agent of administratur. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) itaso, thus dupliciduplicīdouble rationeratiōneground, reason diligasdīligās(that) you love oportet,you ought quicquidwhatever eveneritēvēnerithappens tibi.to youSo you ought to love whatever happens to you, for two reasons.diligas oportet oportet "it is necessary" can take a plain subjunctive without ut: diligas oportet "you ought to love". diligere is "to value, love", more than merely to put up with. duplici ratione "on a double ground": the two reasons follow, each opened by altera. Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur) altera,the one (reason) quodbecause tibifor you natumnātum,born etand tibifor you coordinatumcoōrdinātum,prescribed etand adtowards tetēyou quodammodoquōdammodoin a certain way affectumdisposed est,has been aāfrom caussiscaussīscauses antiquissimisantīquissimīsmost ancient retroretrōfar back tibifor you contextum.woven togetherThe first, because it was born for you and prescribed for you, and stood in a certain relation to you, woven for you far back from the most ancient causes.altera, quod altera … altera (in the next sentence) "the one … the other": altera agrees with ratio understood from duplici ratione. Each reason is a quod clause, "because …". Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivetibi natum, et tibi coordinatum, et ad te quodammodo affectum est One est serves three participles: "it was born for you, prescribed for you, and in a certain way disposed towards you". natum is from the deponent nascor "be born": what happens to you came into being for you. affectum ad te "disposed towards you", i.e. it stood in a particular relation to you. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaninga caussis antiquissimis retro tibi contextum contextum "woven together" has the same subject: the event was woven for you from the most ancient causes, far back (retro) in the chain of fate. The image is of the Fates spinning each person's lot. altera,the other (reason) quodbecause universiūniversīof the universe gubernatorigubernātōrīfor the governor prosperitatisprosperitātisof prosperity etand consummationiscōnsummātiōnis,of completion atqueand adeoadeōindeed, even permansionispermānsiōnisof continuance ipsiusipsīusvery procurandaeprōcūrandaeof securing exin partepart caussaa cause sit.it isThe second, because it is in part a cause, for the governor of the universe, of securing his prosperity and completion, and indeed his very continuance.universi gubernatori gubernator is properly a helmsman; universi gubernator "the helmsman of the universe" is the god, or nature, who steers it. The dative says for whom the event is a cause. Dative of reference, possession and advantageprosperitatis et consummationis, atque adeo permansionis ipsius procurandae The gerundive procurandae agrees with the nearest noun, permansionis, but belongs to all three: "a cause of securing the prosperity, the completion, and indeed the very continuance". atque adeo "and indeed, and even" climbs to the strongest claim: what happens to you helps to keep the universe in being. The gerundive with ad, in and the genitivecaussa sit In this second quod clause the verb is subjunctive (sit); in the first it was indicative (est). The subjunctive presents the reason as one put forward for you to weigh. caussa "a cause" governs the genitives before it. Causal clauses: quod, quia, siquidem, cum, quippe mutilaturmutilāturis maimed enimfor integrumthe whole ipsum,itself sisīif quidanything veleven minimumthe smallest abscindasabscindāsyou cut off aāfrom connexioneconnexiōneconnection etand continuitatecontinuitāte,continuity utas partiumof the parts universiūniversī,of the universe itaso etalso caussarumcaussārum.of the causesFor the whole itself is maimed if you cut off anything, even the smallest, from the connection and continuity, of the parts of the universe and so too of the causes.mutilatur enim integrum ipsum integrum "the whole, the unbroken thing" is a neuter adjective used as a noun; ipsum "itself". mutilare "to maim" is the word used of the body above (corpore mutiletur): what is cut from a part maims the whole.si quid vel minimum abscindas si quid "if anything": after si, quid means "anything". vel with a superlative means "even": vel minimum "even the smallest". The present subjunctive with "you" makes a general case: "if you (anyone) cut away". Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)ut partium universi, ita et caussarum ut … ita et "as … so also": the connection and continuity are of the parts of the universe and equally of the causes. The world is one body and fate one cause, as Marcus said above. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sive abscindisyou cut off autem,and, but quantumas far as inin tetēyou est,it lies quandoquandōwhen, whenever molestemolestēbadly, with annoyance fersyou take aliquid,something tollisqueand you destroy quodammodoquōdammodo.in a wayAnd you do cut it off, as far as lies in you, whenever you take something badly, and in a way you destroy it.quantum in te est quantum in te est "as far as is in you", i.e. as far as you are able: you cannot really break the whole, but your resentment tries to.quando moleste fers aliquid, tollisque quodammodo moleste ferre "to take badly, be annoyed at" (like aegre ferre). fers is the irregular present of fero. tollisque "and you take away, destroy" is joined by -que to abscindis: by refusing one part, you in a way remove it from the whole. This is why what happens should be not just endured but welcomed.

Do not despair when you fail to act on your principles: go back, be content if most of what you do befits a human being, and return to philosophy not as to a stern tutor but as to a soothing remedy. Philosophy wants only what your nature wants, and nothing is more pleasing than the virtues and wisdom itself.

NoliNōlīdo not aegreaegrēhard, with vexation ferre,to take autor animumheart, courage desponderedēspondēre,to give up autor stomacharistomachārī,to fume, be indignant sisīif juxtajuxtāaccording to decretadēcrētaprinciples rectarēctaright agereto act volentivolentī,(for you) wanting haudnot perindeso well, equally semperalways successerit.it turns out wellDo not be vexed, or lose heart, or fume, if, when you want to act according to right principles, things do not always turn out quite so well.Noli aegre ferre, aut animum despondere, aut stomachari Noli ("be unwilling") with an infinitive is the usual Latin prohibition: "do not …". Here it governs three infinitives: aegre ferre "to take (it) hard, be vexed", animum despondere "to lose heart" (literally "to give away one's courage"), and stomachari "to fume", a deponent made from stomachus, the stomach as the seat of irritation. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctivesi juxta decreta recta agere volenti, haud perinde semper successerit successerit is future perfect: Latin sees the failure as having happened before you are tempted to be vexed; English says "if it does not turn out". succedere is used impersonally, "it goes well", with the dative volenti "for (you,) wanting": "if, when you want to act by right principles, it does not always go so well for you". haud perinde "not quite so well", i.e. not as well as you meant. Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis) verumvērum,but ubiwhen excussumthrown off aliquandoaliquandōat some time tetēyou senserissēnseris,you have felt regredere,go back pluribusqueplūribusqueand with the greater part proprōin keeping with officiiofficiīof duty humanihūmānīhuman rationeratiōnethe measure, standard gestisgestīsdone contentuscontent sissīs;be atqueand illud,that adto quodwhich regrederis,you go back facmake sure diligasdīligās.(that) you loveBut when you feel that you have at some time been thrown off, go back, and be content if the greater part of what you do is done in keeping with human duty, and make sure you love that to which you return.ubi excussum aliquando te senseris, regredere excussum te senseris "you have felt yourself thrown off": an accusative and infinitive with esse left out. excutere is used of a horse throwing its rider. senseris is future perfect after ubi. regredere looks like an active infinitive but is the imperative of the deponent regredior "go back". Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaningpluribusque pro officii humani ratione gestis contentus sis contentus "content" takes the ablative: pluribus … gestis "with the greater number (of things) done". pluribus is the comparative of multus used as a noun, "more things, the majority", and gestis (from gero "do") agrees with it. pro officii humani ratione "according to the measure of human duty": be satisfied if most of your actions, not all, are such as a human being ought to do. sis is a jussive subjunctive, a gentler command than regredere. Neuter plurals and adjectives used as nouns (bona, mala, omnia)fac diligas fac "make (sure)" with a subjunctive, ut left out: fac diligas "see that you love". This sentence gives three ways of commanding: the imperative regredere, the jussive contentus sis, and fac with the subjunctive. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctive nec,and not tanquamas adto paedagogumpaedagōgum,a schoolmaster adto philosophiamphilosophy redeasredeās;you should go back sedbut quomodoquōmodoas, the way that adto ovumōvuman egg etand penicillumpēnicillum,a sponge quiquī(those) who oculisoculīsin their eyes laborantlabōrant,they suffer quomodoquōmodoas adto emplastruma plaster alius,one man aliusanother adto perfusionemperfūsiōnem,a lotion confugitcōnfugit.turns (for help)And do not go back to philosophy as to a schoolmaster, but as those who suffer from their eyes turn to an egg and a sponge, as one man turns to a plaster, another to a lotion.nec, tanquam ad paedagogum, ad philosophiam redeas nec with the present subjunctive redeas is a negative command: "and do not go back". A paedagogus was the slave who took a boy to school and kept him in order: philosophy is not to be returned to as to a stern supervisor who punishes lapses. Jussive and hortatory subjunctive ("let him…", "you should…")sed quomodo ad ovum et penicillum, qui oculis laborant, quomodo ad emplastrum alius, alius ad perfusionem, confugit Supply redeas after sed: "but (go back) as …". Two comparisons follow, each with quomodo "as, the way that". In the first, qui oculis laborant "those who suffer in the eyes" has neither its antecedent (ii) nor its verb, which is borrowed in the plural from confugit: they turn to egg and sponge, the soothing remedies for sore eyes (egg white was laid on inflamed eyes). In the second, alius … alius "one … another": one man turns to a plaster, another to a lotion. Philosophy is a remedy one comes back to gladly, because it brings relief. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood itain this way, so nihilnothing deeritdēeritwill be lacking ulterius,further quodwhich rationisratiōnisto reason obsequelaeobsequēlaeto obedience concilietmight win over tetē,you sedbut eaeāin it sponteof (your own) accord tuatuāyour own acquiescesacquiēscēs.you will restSo nothing further will be lacking to win you over to obedience to reason, but you will rest in it of your own accord.ita nihil deerit ulterius, quod rationis obsequelae conciliet te "Nothing further will be lacking that might win you over": no further persuasion will be needed. quod … conciliet is a relative clause in the subjunctive, describing the kind of thing that would be wanted. conciliare aliquem alicui rei is "to win someone over to something": here to obsequela "obedience", and rationis is an objective genitive, reason being what is obeyed. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)ea sponte tua acquiesces sponte tua "of your own accord" is an ablative of manner (sponte is hardly used in any other case). acquiescere with the ablative ea is "to rest in it", that is, in reason (ratio, feminine, from rationis above); Gataker prints eâ, marking the ablative. Ablative of means, cause and manner illudthis autembut meminerismeminerīs,remember philosophiamphilosophy eathose things solasōlaonly velle,wants quaewhich naturanātūranature tuayour ipsaitself velit.wantsBut remember this: that philosophy wants only those things which your nature itself wants.illud autem memineris, philosophiam ea sola velle memineris is a jussive subjunctive ("you should remember") of memini, perfect in form, present in meaning. illud "this" points ahead to the accusative and infinitive philosophiam … velle "that philosophy wants". Inside it, velit is subjunctive because the quae clause belongs to the thought being reported. Accusative and infinitive (indirect statement) tutūyou verovērōwhereas, but aliudother aliquidsomething velisvelīs,you would want quamthan quodwhat naturaenātūraenature tuaeyour convenit?suitsAnd would you want something other than what suits your nature?tu vero aliud aliquid velis velis is a potential subjunctive in a reproachful question: "would you want …?", set against what philosophy wants. aliud … quam "other than"; quod has its antecedent (id) left out: "other than (that) which suits your nature". Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questions ecquidwhat (at all) enimfor istisistīsthan these things blandiusmore pleasing fuerit?could beFor what could be more pleasing than these things?ecquid enim istis blandius fuerit fuerit is a perfect subjunctive used as a potential: "what could be …?", a cautious way of saying "nothing is". istis is an ablative of comparison, "than these things", the things your nature wants. blandius "more pleasing, more alluring" is chosen to answer pleasure, which allures. Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questions voluptasvoluptāspleasure autemand, yet nonnenōnneis it not? hachācthis rationeratiōneway, means nosnōsus fallit?deceivesAnd is it not in just this way that pleasure deceives us?nonne hac ratione nos fallit nonne opens a question expecting the answer "yes" (the opposite of num). hac ratione "in this way" is an ablative of manner: pleasure deceives us precisely by seeming the most pleasing thing. So ask what is really more pleasing. Ablative of means, cause and manner sedbut videvidē,consider gratiornegrātiornewhether more pleasing sitis magnanimitasmagnanimitās,greatness of mind liberalitaslīberālitās,generosity simplicitassimplicitās,simplicity aequanimitasaequanimitās,equanimity sanctitassānctitās.holinessBut consider whether greatness of mind, generosity, simplicity, equanimity, holiness are more pleasing.vide, gratiorne sit -ne on the first word of a clause after a verb like vide "see, consider" means "whether", and the verb goes into the subjunctive: an indirect question. gratior "more pleasing" (understand: than pleasure) agrees with magnanimitas, and sit is singular because each virtue is taken in turn. liberalitas is the bearing of a free man (liber): generosity, a frank and noble spirit. Indirect questions ipsaipsāitself verovērōand indeed prudentiaprūdentiāthan wisdom quidwhat gratiusgrātiusmore pleasing compereriscompererīs,could you find cumwhen facultatemfacultātemthe faculty intelligentiaintelligentiāwith understanding scientiaquescientiāqueand with knowledge inin tetēyou praeditamendowed ejusmodiejusmodīof such a kind cogitaveriscōgitāverīs,you have considered quaethat nusquamnowhere impingat,stumbles sedbut inin omniomnīevery rerēmatter prospereprosperēsmoothly, successfully feraturferātur?it goes forwardAnd what more pleasing could you find than wisdom itself, when you have considered that the faculty in you endowed with understanding and knowledge is of such a kind that it nowhere stumbles, but goes forward smoothly in every matter?ipsa vero prudentia quid gratius compereris ipsa … prudentia is ablative (ipsā prūdentiā), an ablative of comparison with gratius: "what more pleasing than wisdom itself". compereris is a perfect subjunctive used as a potential, "could you find", like fuerit above. Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quamcum facultatem … ejusmodi cogitaveris, quae nusquam impingat cogitare takes facultatem … ejusmodi as "to think of the faculty as of such a kind" (esse understood). ejusmodi … quae "of such a kind that" is followed by the subjunctive, like a result clause: impingat "stumbles", feratur "goes along". cogitaveris is subjunctive because it hangs on compereris; the same form could be future perfect, "when you have considered", with the same sense. The faculty is reason itself, which here never trips. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)

Things are so obscure that many philosophers held nothing can be known; our judgements slip, possessions are worthless, and the people around us hard to bear. In such murk nothing seems worth pursuing: better to wait calmly for one's natural end, resting on two certainties, that nothing can happen that does not accord with nature, and that no one can force us to act against the god within.

ResRēsthings quidemindeed ipsaethemselves adeoadeōso (much) suntare abditae,hidden away utthat philosophisphilosophīsto philosophers haudnot paucispaucīs,few necand not vulgaribusvulgāribusordinary eiseīs,those omninoomnīnōat all percipipercipīto be grasped nilnīlnothing possecan visumvīsumseemed sit,has (seemed)Things themselves are indeed so hidden away that it has seemed to not a few philosophers, and those no ordinary ones, that nothing at all can be grasped;adeo sunt abditae, ut … visum sit adeo … ut "so … that": a result clause with the subjunctive. visum sit is the perfect passive subjunctive of video, "it has seemed", used impersonally; what seemed is the accusative and infinitive percipi nil posse "that nothing can be grasped". Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)philosophis haud paucis, nec vulgaribus eis haud paucis "not few" is understatement for "many". nec … eis adds "and those not ordinary ones": is after et or nec adds a point about the same people, "and that too", "and those".omnino percipi nil posse percipere "to grasp, perceive with certainty" is the Latin term for what Greek philosophers called katalēpsis, a firm grasp of the truth. The Sceptics, and the Academy after Plato, taught that nothing can be grasped in this way, so that one should withhold judgement. quinquīnindeed eteven StoicisStōicīsto the Stoics perceptuperceptūto grasp difficilesdifficilēshard admodumvery videntur.they seemindeed, even to the Stoics they seem very hard to grasp.Stoicis perceptu difficiles admodum videntur perceptu is the supine in -u of percipio, used after adjectives like facilis and difficilis: "hard to grasp". The Stoics, unlike the Sceptics, held that a firm grasp is possible, but even they grant that it is very hard. quin et "indeed even" raises the point. estqueand is reverarēvērāin fact assensusassēnsusassent nosterour omnisall labilislābilisliable to slip etand mutabilismūtābilis.liable to changeAnd in fact all our assent is liable to slip and to change.assensus noster omnis labilis et mutabilis assensus "assent" is a Stoic term: the mind's saying yes to an impression, accepting it as true. Every such yes of ours can slip and be changed, since we are often wrong. ubinamwhere, pray enimfor gentiumin the world est,is (there) quiquīthe man who sententiam,his opinion falsusmistaken quandoquequandōque,at some time nonnōnnot mutaveritmūtāverit?has changedFor where in the world is the man who, having been mistaken, has not at some time changed his opinion?ubinam enim gentium est, qui … non mutaverit ubinam gentium "where among the nations", i.e. "where in the world": gentium is a partitive genitive with a word of place. est, qui … mutaverit "is there (a man) who has …": the subjunctive describes the kind of man, and the question implies there is none. falsus is the participle of fallo, "deceived, mistaken", not the adjective "false". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) adto subjectathe underlying objects jamnow, next ipsathemselves sisīif transieristrānsieris,you pass on quamhow caducacadūca,short-lived quamhow viliavīliaworthless sunt?they are quaequeand which etiameven cinaedocinaedō,to a catamite scortoscortō,to a whore latronilatrōnīto a robber ininto possessionempossessiōnemthe possession cederecēdereto pass possint.they canNow if you pass on to the objects themselves, how short-lived, how worthless are they? And they are such as can pass into the possession even of a catamite, a whore, a robber.ad subjecta jam ipsa si transieris subjecta "the things lying beneath", the perfect participle of subjicio used as a noun, is a philosophers' word for the actual objects, the material things themselves, as against our judgements about them. transieris is future perfect: "if you pass on (to them)". Participles: present, perfect, future, and as nounsquam caduca, quam vilia sunt quam with an adjective asks or exclaims "how …": "how short-lived, how cheap they are!" Gataker sets a question mark after it, as he often does after an exclamation.quaeque etiam cinaedo, scorto, latroni in possessionem cedere possint quaeque is quae + -que "and which", not a form of quisque. The subjunctive possint describes their kind: "things such as can pass". cedere alicui in possessionem "to pass into someone's possession": the three datives name the lowest of people, a cinaedus (a man who sells himself to men), a scortum (a prostitute) and a latro (a robber). Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) moresmōrēsthe characters autemand, moreover eorumeōrum,of those quibuscumwith whom degisdēgis,you live sisīif adverteris,you turn your mind (to) talestālēssuch esseto be comperiescomperiēs,you will find utthat etiameven gratissimumgrātissimumthe most agreeable quemlibetany one (of them) vixscarcely sustineassustineās,you can bear utso that nenēnot adjiciamI add seipsumsēipsumhimself etiameven vixscarcely sustineresustinērebears quenquam.anyoneAnd if you turn your mind to the characters of those with whom you live, you will find them such that you can scarcely bear even the most agreeable of them, not to add that anyone can scarcely bear even himself.mores autem eorum, quibuscum degis, si adverteris quibuscum is cum quibus "with whom", the preposition joined to the end as in mecum, tecum. mores is the object of adverteris "if you turn your mind to", and also, in the main clause, the accusative subject of esse.tales esse comperies, ut … vix sustineas tales … ut "such … that": a result clause, sustineas "you (can) bear". gratissimum quemlibet "any one, however agreeable": the superlative with quilibet means "even the most agreeable of them". Result clauses (ut after ita, tam, sic)ut ne adjiciam seipsum etiam vix sustinere quenquam ut ne adjiciam "so as not to add", i.e. "not to mention": a stock aside, like ut ne dicam. What he will not add is an accusative and infinitive: quenquam … seipsum … sustinere "that anyone bears even himself". seipsum is se ipsum "himself". Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo) inin hujusmodihujusmodīsuch, of this kind itaquethen, therefore caliginecālīginedarkness acand sorde,filth tantoquetantōqueand (in) so great materiaemāteriae,of matter temporis,of time motuummōtuum,of motions rerumquerērumqueand of things motarummōtārummoved fluxufluxū,flux nihilnothing possumI can comminiscicomminīscī,think of quodwhich aestimationeaestimātiōneof esteem studiovestudiōveor of eager pursuit dignumworthy videaturvideātur.seemsIn such darkness and filth, then, and in so great a flux of matter, of time, of motions and of things moved, I can think of nothing that seems worthy of esteem or of eager pursuit.tantoque materiae, temporis, motuum, rerumque motarum fluxu in covers this phrase too: "and in so great a flux of …". The four genitives say what flows: matter, time, motions, and the things moved. motarum is the perfect participle of moveo, agreeing with rerum.nihil … quod aestimatione studiove dignum videatur dignus "worthy" takes the ablative of what one is worthy of: aestimatione studiove "of esteem or of eager pursuit" (-ve "or"). videatur is subjunctive because quod describes the kind of thing he cannot find: "nothing such as to seem worthy". Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) contracontrāon the contrary potiusrather solarisōlārīto console sesēhimself quemqueeach one parpārright, fitting fuerit,it would be dissolutionemdissolūtiōnemdissolution suisuīhis own naturalemnātūrālemnatural operiendooperiendō,by awaiting moramquemorāmqueand the delay intereaintereāmeanwhile haudnot gravategravātēreluctantly ferendoferendō,by bearing dumwhile duobusduōbustwo hiscehīscethese acquiescitacquiēscithe rests prorsusprōrsus;whollyOn the contrary, it would rather be right for each man to console himself by awaiting his own natural dissolution, and meanwhile bearing the delay without vexation, while he rests wholly in these two things:contra potius solari se quemque par fuerit par est "it is right" takes an accusative and infinitive as its subject: solari se quemque "that each one console himself" (solor is deponent). fuerit, a perfect subjunctive, softens it into a potential: "it would be right". Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questionsoperiendo … ferendo Two gerunds in the ablative, ablatives of manner: they say how he consoles himself. operiendo "by awaiting" is from the deponent operior "wait for", not operio "cover"; ferendo "by bearing". Each takes an object like a verb: dissolutionem sui naturalem "his own natural dissolution", moram "the delay". haud gravate "not reluctantly", i.e. willingly. The gerund (agendo, laedendi)moramque interea haud gravate ferendo moram is "the delay", the time nature takes before the end comes; haud gravate ferendo "bearing it without vexation". The Greek speaks of not chafing at the slowness. Gataker's edition of 1652 misprints the word as moremque "and the custom"; the London edition of 1704 corrects it. Gataker's spelling: j, caeterum, quenquam, -cunquedum duobus hisce acquiescit prorsus dum with the indicative: "while". acquiescere with the ablative is "to rest in": duobus hisce "these two (things)", which the next sentence names with altero … altero "the one … the other". hisce is his with the emphatic -ce. Temporal clauses: dum, ubi, quando, quoties, quamdiu alteroalterōin the one nimirumnīmīrum,namely nihilnothing obtingereto befall sibihim posse,can quodwhich nonnōnnot sitis universiūniversīof the universe naturaenātūraewith the nature consentaneumcōnsentāneum;in accord alteroalterō,in the other inin suasuāhis own esseto be potestatepotestātepower situm,placed, lying utthat nihilnothing faciathe does praeteragainst, contrary to geniigeniīof his guardian spirit DeiqueDeīqueand of God suisuīhis own voluntatemvoluntātem.the willnamely, in the one, that nothing can befall him which is not in accord with the nature of the universe; in the other, that it lies in his own power to do nothing against the will of his guardian spirit and his God.altero nimirum … altero altero … altero "in the one … in the other" take up duobus hisce; each is explained by an accusative and infinitive: nihil obtingere sibi posse "that nothing can befall him", and in sua esse potestate situm "that it lies in his own power". sibi and sua refer to quemque, the man consoling himself. Paired words: et…et, nec…nec, vel…vel, cum…tum, non tam…quam, sive…sivein sua esse potestate situm, ut nihil faciat situm esse in potestate "to lie in (someone's) power". What lies in his power is the ut clause, a noun clause: "that he do nothing". situm is neuter accusative to agree with that clause. Noun clauses with ut and ne (after oportet, incumbit, necesse est…)genii Deique sui genius and Deus are one here: the divine spirit within each man, his mind, which Marcus calls his guardian spirit (Greek daimōn). sui goes with both. hancthis enimfor transgreditrānsgredīto transgress quiquīwho cogatcōgat,could force (him) nullusnūllusno one est.there isFor there is no one who can force him to transgress it.hanc enim transgredi qui cogat, nullus est nullus est qui with the subjunctive, "there is no one who could", here turned round with the relative clause first: "(one) who could force him to transgress this, there is none". hanc is the will of his god; transgredi "to step across" is a deponent infinitive. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui)

Keep asking yourself what you are using your soul for, and what is going on in your ruling part: whose soul do you have at this moment, a child's, a youth's, a silly woman's, a tyrant's, a beast's?

Quamwhat adfor, to rempurpose, thing animaanimāsoul nuncnow utorūtoram I using meameā?myFor what purpose am I now using my soul?Quam ad rem anima nunc utor mea utor "I use" is deponent and takes its object in the ablative: anima … mea "my soul", with mea held back to the end. quam ad rem "to what thing", i.e. "for what purpose": quam is the interrogative agreeing with rem. Deponent verbs: passive forms, active meaning hocthis tetēyourself jugiterjūgitercontinually interrogainterrogā,ask simulqueand at the same time tetēyourself percontarepercontāre;question Ecquidwhat (at all) mihiin me nuncnow versaturversāturis going on inin partepart meimeīof me illaillā,that quaewhich principalisprīncipālisruling, principal dicidīcīto be called solet?is usuallyAsk yourself this continually, and at the same time question yourself: what is now going on in me, in that part of me which is called the ruling part?hoc te jugiter interroga, simulque te percontare interrogare takes two accusatives, the person asked (te) and the thing asked (hoc): "ask yourself this". percontare looks like an active infinitive but is the imperative of the deponent percontor "question", like regredere in 5.9. Commands: imperative, memento, ne with the perfect subjunctiveEcquid mihi nunc versatur in parte mei illa, quae principalis dici solet The questions he is to put to himself follow as direct questions, with ordinary verbs, as he would ask them aloud; Gataker marks the first with a capital. Ecquid "what at all?"; versatur "is busy, is going on"; mihi "in me" is a dative of reference. pars … quae principalis dici solet "the part which is usually called principal" is the ruling part (Greek hēgemonikon), the mind. autor cujusnamwhose egoI nuncnow animamsoul gerogerō?am I carryingOr whose soul am I carrying now? numis it puerulipuerulī?a little boy's numis it adolescentuliadolēscentulī?a mere youth's numis it mulierculae?a silly woman's numis it tyrannityrannī?a tyrant's numis it jumentijūmentī?a beast of burden's numis it belluae?a wild beast'sIs it a little boy's? a youth's? a silly woman's? a tyrant's? a beast of burden's? a wild beast's?num pueruli? num adolescentuli? Each num question supplies animam gero from the sentence before: "(Do I have the soul) of a little boy?" num expects "no", but the questions are meant to catch himself out. puerulus, adolescentulus and muliercula are diminutives of puer, adolescens and mulier, here belittling: the soul of a mere child, a callow youth, a silly woman. Words left out: esse, sum and others understood

No one would bear a jibe tacked onto true goods like wisdom or justice, but people laugh when the comic poet says of a rich man that he is so stuffed with goods he has nowhere to relieve himself. So even the crowd senses the difference, and things that fit such a joke hardly deserve honour or the name of goods.

CujusmodiCujusmodīof what kind sintare quae(the things) which plerisqueplērīsqueto most people bonagood videntur,seem hincfrom this licetone may deprehenderedēprehendere.to detectWhat sort of things those are that seem good to most people, one may detect from this.Cujusmodi sint quae plerisque bona videntur The sentence opens with an indirect question, the object of deprehendere: cujusmodi sint "of what kind are" (subjunctive). Its subject is the relative clause quae plerisque bona videntur "the things which seem good to most people", with no antecedent: the goods of the many, as against things that really are good. Indirect questions sisīif quidanything eorumeōrumof those things quaewhich reverarēvērātruly bonagood suntare mentein his mind quispiamanyone conceperitconcēperit,has conceived puta,say, for instance prudentiamprūdentiam,wisdom temperantiam,self-control justitiamjūstitiam,justice fortitudinemfortitūdinem,courage ista,these inquam,I say sisīif animoanimōin his mind praeconceperitpraeconcēperit,has conceived beforehand nonnōnnot sustinebitsustinēbithe will bear adjectumadded huicto it audireaudīreto hear quicquam,anything quodwhich nonnōnnot reireīthing bonaegood probeprobēproperly congruat.fitsIf anyone has conceived in his mind any of the things that are truly good, say wisdom, self-control, justice, courage, if, I say, he has conceived these in his mind beforehand, he will not bear to hear anything added to it that does not properly fit a good thing.si quid eorum quae revera bona sunt mente quispiam conceperit After si, quid is indefinite: si quid "if anything", and eorum is partitive: "anything of those things which really are good". conceperit is future perfect: "if anyone has conceived". The four virtues after puta "say, for instance" are the four cardinal virtues, in apposition to quid. Indefinite pronouns: aliquis, quis, quisquam, ullus, quisque, quicunqueista, inquam, si animo praeconceperit inquam "I say" marks a fresh start after the list: the condition begins again with ista "these (things)". praeconcipere is "to conceive beforehand": to have a clear notion of a thing in mind before anything is said about it (the Stoic "preconception"), so that whatever is then said can be tested against it. The future perfect ("if you will have done…")non sustinebit adjectum huic audire quicquam, quod non rei bonae probe congruat sustinere with an infinitive is "to bear to": "he will not bear to hear". quicquam … adjectum huic "anything added to it": a remark tacked on to the good he has in mind. The subjunctive congruat gives the kind of remark: one that does not properly fit a good thing. Relative clauses with the subjunctive (characteristic, ut qui) atbut verovērōon the other hand quae(the things) which vulgovulgōcommonly proprōas bonisbonīsgoods habentur,are held ubiwhen animoanimōin his mind praeconceperitpraeconcēperithas conceived beforehand quis,someone auribuswith ears aequisaequīsuntroubled accipiet,he will hear, receive facilequeand readily admittet,he will accept tanquamas apteaptēaptly adjectumadded id,that quodwhich aāby comicocōmicōthe comic poet quandoquequandōqueonce, at one time dictumsaid est,has (been)But the things that are commonly held to be goods: when someone has conceived them beforehand in his mind, he will hear with untroubled ears, and readily accept as aptly added, what was once said by the comic poet;at vero quae vulgo pro bonis habentur, ubi animo praeconceperit quis The relative clause comes first, with its antecedent left out: "(the things) which are commonly held as goods" is the object of praeconceperit. habere pro "to hold as, regard as". After ubi, as after si, quis is indefinite: "someone". Relative clauses and the relative pronoun qui, quae, quodauribus aequis accipiet auribus aequis "with even ears", an ablative of manner: he will listen calmly, without taking offence. Ablative of means, cause and mannerid, quod a comico quandoque dictum est a comico "by the comic poet": comicus "comic" used as a noun. This is Menander, the Athenian writer of comedies (4th century BC), whose line the last sentence of the section paraphrases: a man so rich in goods that he has nowhere left to relieve himself. a with the ablative gives the agent of the passive dictum est. Agent with the passive: a, ab with the ablative itaso, thus etiameven vulgusthe common run hominumof men differentiaeof the difference istiusistīusthis habenthave aliquamsome notitiamnōtitiam.notionso even the common run of men have some notion of this difference.vulgus hominum … habent vulgus "the crowd" is singular, but habent is plural: the verb follows the sense (many people), not the grammar. differentiae istius "of this difference" (between true goods and the goods of the many) is an objective genitive with notitiam "awareness". Objective genitive (reverentia tui, cura rerum) alioquialiōquīotherwise enimfor nonnōnnot offenderetit would give offence etand tanquamas dictudictūto be said indignumunfit repudiareturrepudiārētur,would be rejected sisīif dedēabout illisillīsthose (true goods) enunciareturēnūnciārētur;it were said cumwhereas dedēabout divitiisdīvitiīsriches eisqueeīsqueand those fortunaefortūnaeof fortune bonisbonīsgoods quaewhich adto luxumluxury pompamveor display ferunt,lead tanquamas apteaptēaptly scitequescītēqueand wittily dictum,said admittamusadmittāmus.we acceptFor otherwise it would not give offence, and be rejected as unfit to be said, if it were said of those things, while we accept it as aptly and wittily said of riches and of those goods of fortune that lead to luxury or display.alioqui enim non offenderet et tanquam dictu indignum repudiaretur, si de illis enunciaretur An unreal condition: imperfect subjunctive in both halves, "it would not …, if it were said". The subject throughout is the comic line. alioqui "otherwise" means: if people had no notion of the difference. non denies the whole contrast that follows: it would not be the case that the line offends when said of the true goods (de illis) while we welcome it when said of riches. dictu is the supine in -u with indignum: "unfit to be said". Conditional sentences (si, nisi, siquis)cum de divitiis eisque fortunae bonis quae ad luxum pompamve ferunt cum with the subjunctive admittamus here means "whereas", setting the second case against the first. eisque fortunae bonis "and those goods of fortune" (wealth, rank and the like), quae ad luxum pompamve ferunt "which lead to luxury or display". Clauses with cum: when, since, although EasEāsyou may go (on) nuncnow etand quaerasquaerāsask licet,you may utrumwhether inin honorehonōrehonour habendae,to be held autor inamong bonisbonīsgoods censendaecēnsendaeto be counted sintare resrēsthings hujusmodihujusmodī,of this kind quibuswhich animoanimōin the mind priusfirst, beforehand conceptisconceptīsconceived illudthis (saying) commodecommodēfittingly possitcan adjiciadjicī,be added hominihominīfor the man istisistīswith these things instructoīnstrūctōfurnished praebecause of opulentiaopulentiāwealth suasuāhis nonnōnnot suppetere,is available ubiwhere ventrisof his belly onusthe load deponatdēpōnat.he may put downNow you may go on and ask whether things of this kind are to be held in honour, or counted among goods: things which, once first conceived in the mind, can fittingly have this added to them, that the man furnished with them has, because of his wealth, no place where he may relieve himself.Eas nunc et quaeras licet Eas is not the pronoun but the present subjunctive of eo "go". licet "it is allowed" takes the subjunctive with ut left out: eas et quaeras licet "you may go (on) and ask". Impersonal verbs and phrases (oportet, decet, constat, attinet, detur)utrum in honore habendae, aut in bonis censendae sint res hujusmodi An indirect question with utrum … aut "whether … or". habendae sint and censendae sint are gerundives of obligation: "are to be held in honour", "are to be counted among goods"; they agree with res. Gerundive of obligation (cavenda est, agenda sunt)quibus animo prius conceptis illud commode possit adjici quibus … conceptis is an ablative absolute made with the relative: "which having first been conceived in the mind", i.e. once one has them in mind. possit is subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic: "things such that this saying can fittingly be added to them". Ablative absolutehomini istis instructo prae opulentia sua non suppetere, ubi ventris onus deponat This accusative and infinitive is the saying itself, Menander's joke: "that for the man furnished with these things there is not, because of his wealth, (a place) where he may put down the load of his belly", i.e. he is so crammed with goods that he has nowhere to relieve himself. prae gives the cause that stands in the way ("for sheer wealth"); the subjunctive deponat "where he could …" is potential. Potential and deliberative subjunctive in questions