myself any more whilst I seek to please the Gods? Whatsoever I do,
dispersion is my end, and will come upon me whether I will or no.
But if the latter be, then am not I religious in vain; then will I
be quiet and patient, and put my trust in Him, who is the Governor
of all. IX. Whensoever by some present hard occurrences thou art
constrained to be in some sort troubled and vexed, return unto thyself
as soon as may be, and be not out of tune longer than thou must needs.
For so shalt thou be the better able to keep thy part another time,
and to maintain the harmony, if thou dost use thyself to this continually;
once out, presently to have recourse unto it, and to begin again.

X. If it were that thou hadst at one time both a stepmother,
and a natural mother living, thou wouldst honour and respect her also;
nevertheless to thine own natural mother would thy refuge, and recourse
be continually. So let the court and thy philosophy be unto thee.
Have recourse unto it often, and comfort thyself in her, by whom it
is that those other things are made tolerable unto thee, and thou
also in those things not intolerable unto others.

XI. How marvellous useful it is for a man to represent unto
himself meats, and all such things that are for the mouth,
under a right apprehension and imagination! as for example:
This is the carcass of a fish; this of a bird; and this of a hog.
And again more generally; This phalernum, this excellent highly
commended wine, is but the bare juice of an ordinary grape.
This purple robe, but sheep's hairs, dyed with the blood of a shellfish.
So for coitus, it is but the attrition of an ordinary base entrail,
and the excretion of a little vile snivel, with a certain
kind of convulsion: according to Hippocrates his opinion.
How excellent useful are these lively fancies and representations