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Book IV, Chapter 12

1.When you let go your Attention for a little while, do not fancy you may recover it when-ever you please: but remember this, That, by means of the Fault of To-day, your Affairs must necessarily be in a worse Condition for the future. First, what is the saddest Thing of all, a Habit arises of not attending; and then a Habit of deferring the Attention, and always driving off from time to time, and procrastinating a prosperous Life, a Propriety of Behaviour, and the Thinking and Acting conformably to Nature. Now, if the Procrastination of any thing is advantageous, the absolute Omission of it is still more advantageous but, if it be not advantageous, why do not you preserve a constant Attention? —— “I would play To-day.” —— What then? Ought you not to do it, with proper Attention to yourself? —— “I would sing.” —— Well: and what forbids but that you may sing, with Attention to yourself? For there is no Part of Life exempted, to which Attention doth not extend. For will you do it the worse by attending, and the better by not attending? What else in Life is best performed by inattentive People? Doth a Smith forge the better by not attending? Doth a Pilot steer the safer by not attending? Or is any other, even of the minutest Operations, performed the better by Inattention? Do not you perceive, that, when you have let your Mind loose, it is no longer in your Power to call it back, either to Propriety, or Modesty, or Moderation? But you do every thing as it happens: you follow your Inclinations.

2.To what then am I to attend?

Why, in the first Place, to those universal Maxims, which you must always have at hand; and not sleep, or get up, or drink, or eat, or converse without them: that no one is the Master of another’s Choice; and it is in Choice alone that Good and Evil consist. No one therefore is the Master either to procure me any Good, or to involve me in any Evil: but I alone have the Disposal of myself, with regard to these Things. Since these then are secured to me, what need have I to be troubled about Externals? What Tyrant is formidable? What Distemper? What Poverty? What Offence? —— “I have not pleased such a one.” —— Is he my Concern then? Is he my Conscience? —— “No.” —— Why do I trouble myself any further about him then? —— “But he is thought to be of some Consequence.” —— Let him look to that, and they who think him so. But I have One, whom I must please, to whom I must submit, whom I must obey; God, and those who are next Him. He hath entrusted me with myself, and made my Choice subject to myself alone, having given me Rules for the right Use of it. If I follow the proper Rules in Syllogisms, in convertible Propositions, I do not regard, nor care for any one, who says any thing contrary to them. Why then am I vext at being censured in Matters of greater Consequence? What is the Reason of this Perturbation? Nothing else, but that in this Instance I want Exercise. For every Science despises Ignorance, and the Ignorant; and not only the Sciences, but even the Arts. Take any Shoemaker, take any Smith you will, and he laughs at the rest of the World, with regard to his own Business.

3.In the first place then, these are the Maxims we must have ready, and do nothing without them; but direct the Soul to this Mark, to pursue nothing external, nothing that belongs to others, but as He, who hath the Power, hath appointed: Things dependent on Choice are to be pursued always; and the rest, as it is permitted. Besides this, we must remember, who we are, and what Name we bear, and endeavour to direct the several Offices of Life to the rightful Demands of its several Relations: what is the proper Time for Singing, what for Play, in what Company: what will be the Consequence of our Performance: whether our Companions will despise us, or we ourselves: when to employ Raillery, and whom to ridicule: upon what Occasions to comply, and with whom; and then, in complying, how to preserve our own Character.

4.Where-ever you deviate from any of these Rules, the Damage is immediate; not from any thing external, but from the very Action itself. —— “What then, is it possible, by these Means, to be faultless!” Impracticable: but this is possible, to use a constant Endeavour to be faultless. For we shall have Cause to be satisfied, if, by never remitting this Attention, we shall be exempt at least from a few Faults. But now, when you say, I will begin to attend To-morrow; be assured, it is the same Thing as if you say, “I will be shameless, impertinent, base, To-day: it shall be in the Power of others to grieve me: I will be passionate, I will be envious To-day.” See to how many Evils you give yourself up. —— “But all will be well To-morrow.” —— How much better To-day? If it be for your Interest To-morrow, much more To-day, that it may be in your Power To-morrow too, and that you may not defer it again to the third Day.