crease and Decrease of the Moon, and the Approach and Departure of the Sun, so great Vicissitudes and Changes, to the direct contrary, in earthly Things? Have then the very Leaves, and our own Bodies, this connection and sympathy with the Whole; and have not our Souls much more? But our Souls are thus connected and intimately joined to God, as being indeed Members and distinct Portions, of his Essence and must not he be sensible of every movement of them, as belonging, and connatural to himself? Can even you think of the divine Administration, and every other divine subject, and together with these of human Affairs also? Can you at once receive impressions on your Senses and your Understanding, from a thousand Objects? At once assent to some things, deny or suspend your judgment concerning others, and preserve in your Mind Impressions from so many and various objects, and whenever you are moved by (the traces of) them, hit on Ideas similar to those which first impressed you? Can you retain a Variety of Arts, and the Memorials of ten thousand Things? And is not God capable of surveying all Things, and being present with all, and receiving a certain Communication from

all?

all? Is the Sun capable of illuminating so great a Portion of the Universe, and of leaving only that small part of it unilluminated, which is covered by the Shadow of the Earth and cannot He who made and revolves the Sun, a small part of himself, if compared with the Whole; cannot He perceive all things?

§. 2. "But I cannot (say you) attend to all things at once." Why, doth any one tell you, that you have equal Power with Jupiter? No: but nevertheless he has assigned to each Man a Director, his own good Genius, and committed him to his Guardianship a Director, whose vigilance no Slumbers interrupt, and whom no false Reasonings can deceive. For, to what better and more careful Guardian could he have committed us? So that when you have shut your Doors, and darkened your Room, remember, never to say that you are alone; for you are not but God is within, and your Genius is within: and what need have they of Light, to see what you are doing? To this God you likewise ought to swear

* Perhaps the Kz in this Line may have been misplaced; and it should be read τετω Και τω Θεώ εδει υμας ; and then the Translation will be-To this [Genius] and to God you ought to swear, &c.

such

such an oath as the Soldiers do to Cæsar. For

do they, in order to receive their pay, swear to prefer before all things, the safety of Cæsar and will not you swear, who have received so many and so great Favours: or, if you have sworn, will you not stand to it? And what must you swear? Never to disobey, nor accuse, nor murmur at any of the things appointed by him: nor unwillingly to do or suffer any thing necessary. Is this oath like the former? In the first, persons swear not to honour any other beyond Cæsar; in the last, beyond all, to honour themselves.

CHAP. XV.

What it is that Philosophy promises.

§. 1. WHEN one consulted him, How he

might persuade his Brother to forbear treating him ill: Philosophy, answered Epictetus, .doth not promise to procure any thing external to Man; otherwise ir would admit something beyond its proper Subject-matter. For

the

the Subject-matter of a Carpenter is Wood; of a Statuary, Brass: and so, of the Art of Living, the Subject-matter is each person's own Life.

What, then, is my Brother's?

That, again belongs to his own Art (of Living;) but to your's is external: like an Estate, like Health, like Reputation. Now Philosophy promises none of these. In every circumstance I will preserve the governing part conformable to Nature. Whose governing part? His in whom I exist.

But how, then, is it to be brought about that my Brother is to lay aside his Anger against me?

Bring him to me, and I will tell him; but I have nothing to say to you about his Anger.

§. 2. Well; but I still farther ask, How am I to keep myself in a State of Mind conformable to Nature, though he should not be reconciled to me?

No great Thing is brought to Perfection suddenly; when not so much as a Bunch of Grapes or a Fig is. If you tell me, that you would at this Minute have a Fig, I will answer you, that there must be Time. Let

it first * blossom, then bear Fruit, then ripen. Is then the Fruit of a Fig-tree not brought to Perfection suddenly, and in one Hour; and would you possess the Fruit of the human Mind in so short a Time, and without Trouble? I tell you, expect no such thing.

CHAP. XVI.

Of Providence.

§. 1. BE not surprised, if other Animals

have all things necessary to the Body ready provided for them, not only Meat and Drink but Lodging: that they want neither Shoes, nor Bedding, nor Clothes: while we stand in need of all these. For they not being made for themselves, but for Service, it was not fit that they should be formed so as to need the Help of others. For, consider

The Philosopher had forgot that Fig-trees do not blossom and is less excusable than the English Translators of the Bible, Hab. iii. 17. to whom Fig-trees were not so familiar. But the Hebrew Word used there signifies rather in general to shoot out, thrive, than in particular to flower. The LXX have Kagroços; reading, perhaps, n for non. This Note was given to the Translator by a Friend.

what