Stand clear of
rashness, and have nothing of insincerity or self-love to infect you.
3. Manage all your thoughts and actions with such prudence and
circumspection as if you were sensible you were just going to step into
the grave. A little thinking will show a man the vanity and uncertainty
of all sublunary things, and enable him to examine maturely the manner of
dying; which, if duly abstracted from the terror of the idea, will appear
nothing more than an unavoidable appendix of life itself, and a pure
natural action.
4. Consider that ill-usage from some sort of people is in a manner
necessary, and therefore do not be disquieted about it, but rather
conclude that you and your enemy are both marching off the stage
together, and that in a little time your very memories will be
extinguished.
5. Among your principal observations upon human life, let it be always
one to take notice what a great deal both of time and ease that man gains
who is not troubled with the spirit of curiosity, who lets his
neighbours' affairs alone, and confines his inspections to himself, and
only takes care of honesty and a good conscience.
6. If you would live at your ease, and as much as possible be free from
the incumbrances of life, manage but a few things at once, and let those,
too, be such as are absolutely necessary.
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