5.  The reason which governs knows what its own disposition is, and what it does, and on what material it works.

6.  The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like [the wrong-doer].

7.  Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one social act to another social act, thinking of God.

8.  The ruling principle is that which rouses and turns itself, and while it makes itself such as it is and such as it wills to be, it also makes everything which happens appear to itself to be such as it wills.

9.  In conformity to the nature of the universe every single thing is accomplished; for certainly it is not in conformity to any other nature that each thing is accomplished, either a nature which externally comprehends this, or a nature which is comprehended within this nature, or a nature external and independent of this (xi. 1; vi. 40; viii. 50).

10.  The universe is either a confusion, and a mutual involution of things, and a dispersion, or it is unity and order and providence.  If then it is the former, why do I desire to tarry in a fortuitous combination of things and such a disorder? and why do I care about anything else than how I shall at last become earth? and why am I disturbed, for the dispersion of my elements will happen whatever I do?  But if the other supposition is true, I venerate, and I am firm, and I trust in him who governs (iv. 27).

11.  When thou hast been compelled by circumstances to be disturbed in a manner, quickly return to thyself, and do not continue out of tune longer than the compulsion lasts; for thou wilt have more mastery over the harmony by continually recurring to it.

12.  If thou hadst a step-mother and a mother at the same time, thou wouldst be dutiful to thy step-mother, but still thou wouldst constantly return to thy mother.  Let the court and philosophy now be to thee step-mother and mother:  return to philosophy frequently and repose in her, through whom what thou meetest with in the court appears to thee tolerable, and thou appearest tolerable in the court.

13.  When we have meat before us and such eatables, we receive the impression that this is the dead body of a fish, and this the dead body of a bird or of a pig; and again, that this Falernian is only a little grape-juice, and this purple robe some sheep’s wool dyed with the blood of a shell-fish:  such then are these impressions, and they reach the things themselves and penetrate them, and so we see what kind of things they are.  Just in the same way ought we to act all through life, and where there are things which appear most worthy of our approbation, we ought to lay them bare and look at their worthlessness and strip them of all the words by which they are exalted.  For outward show is a wonderful perverter of the reason, and when thou art most sure that thou art employed about things worth thy pains, it is then that it cheats thee most.  Consider then what Crates says of Xenocrates himself.