MEDITATIONS OF MARCUS AURE LIUS, The. There is probably no more ro mantic story of a book in the history of litera ture than that of the volume known as the 'Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.' It is merely the commonplace book or diary of a Roman emperor (121-180 A.D.), who at the end of a very busy and troublous reign, just when worries were thickest, jotted down all the seri ous thoughts that came to him with regard to the meaning of life and the way it should be lived. He called his little book simply °To Himself.° It was probably meant only for his own perusal when he was in meditative mood. He so loved the Greek Stoic philosophers whose writings had been his inspiration and consola tion that he wrote in Greek. It is not good Greek any more than the 'Imitation of Christ' is good Latin. He paid little attention to the style of it, and yet Headmaster Rendall of Charterhouse in his Introduction to the 'Medi tations' does not hesitate to say that °in the whole range of Greek literature, no work (ex cepting the New Testament) has wider vogue and currency than these untutored meditations of the imperial moralist.° The book created a furore in the Renais sance when it was first edited and printed, but it has never ceased to be the favorite reading of thoughtful scholars. John Stuart Mill de clared the 'Meditations' as °almost mai in ethical elevation to the Sermon on the Mount.° Matthew Arnold went so far as to say that °Marcus Aurelius remains the especial friend and comforter of all clearheaded and scrupu lous, yet pure hearted and upward striving men in those ages most especially that walk by sight, not by faith, but yet have no open vision?' Americans will be interested to know that the 'Meditations' of Marcus Aurelius were with Machiavelli's 'Art of War' the daily study of Capt. John Smith, the Virginia pioneer whose romantic history might seem to indicate some less stern and stoic reading. The Roman em peror's little book has often since been the daily resource or even the boon companion of men of action in the field as well as of statesmen wor ried over matters of politics, and of scholars with time on their hands.
It has been suggested that perhaps this last of those Spanish Casars, under whose rule for 80 years Gibbon thinks that the world was hap pier than it has ever been before or since, had the idea while he was jotting down these scat tered thoughts on life that some time or other they might be of service to his son Commodus.
If that were so, the book might serve as the contrast to Chesterfield's letters. The modern English nobleman wrote an epitome of worldli ness; the ancient emperor a manual of other worldliness. But if Marcus Aurelius wrote for the eye for his son, he was sadly disappointed, for Commodus was probably one of the worst rulers of history. For his weak selfishness no advice would have availed.
The 12 books treat of : I, The debts that he owes for all that has come to him in life —(here are tributes to his grandfather—his father died when he was very young—to his wife "so docile, so affectionate, so simple?) and to many dear friends) ' • II, On doing what you do; III, That to obey God is liberty; IV, That there is no such thing as chance; V, On the real goods of life; VI, That the inner life is all that counts; VII, On repressing impulse and find ing self-content; VIII, On equanimity; IX, Fate leads the willing man, but drags the un willing; X, Look around you, look behind you, look ahead of you; XI, Unselfishness; XII, (In conclusion) °Depart then satisfied for he who also releases thee is satisfied.° When the Emperor Julian whom the modern world knows as the Apostate would sum up the life of Marcus Aurelius in a single phrase he gave an excerpt from a dialogue supposed to take place not long before his predecessor's death: °Then Hermes, looking at Marcus, said, 'And to you, Verus [Marcus' family name], what seemed the noblest end of life?) Quietly and gravely he replied, 'The imitation of God.' 10 Consult Watson, 'Life of Marcus Aurelius' (New York 1884) ; 'Marcus Aurelius,' in Matthew Arnold's 'Essays in Criticism' •, Ren dall, 'Marcus Aurelius Antoninus) (London 1901) ; Long, 'The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus) (London 1862) ; Canon Farrar, 'Marcus Aurelius,' in 'Seekers After God.'