Meditations VII.13

The principle which obtains where limbs and body unite to form one organism, holds good also for rational things with their separate individualities, constituted as they are to work in conjunction. But the perception of this shall come more home to thee, if thou sayest to thyself, I am a limb of the organized body of rational things. But if [using the letter R] thou sayest thou art but a part,¹⁵ not yet dost thou love mankind from the heart, nor yet does well-doing delight thee for its own sake.¹⁶ Thou dost practise it still as a bare duty, not yet as a boon to thyself.

• 15.The pun may be kept by limb—rim.

  Marcus’s words are melos, “limb,” and meros, “part,” which differ by a single letter, λ for ρ; hence the bracketed “[using the letter R]” in Haines’s text. Haines’s limb—rim imitates the pun in English.

• 16.Compare iv. 20.