ROBERTSON. 321 



The other translations which I have seen of the * Meditations/ 

 will bear no comparison with this ; Gataker's ( 1 692) in Latin 

 seems the best, but it is not good. To give an example, take 

 the first paragraph : TO xaXoojOgs- is rendered by the translation of 

 1 692 " to be gentle and meek ;" by Mr. Graves's, of 1792, " vir- 

 tuous disposition of mind." aopyojrov, by the former " to refrain 

 from all anger and passion ;" by the latter ' ' habitual command 

 of my temper." Robertson gives both together clearly and 

 elegantly, " to be of a complaisant and dispassionate temper of 

 mind." xaXo?j0s$ is a word only found in Antoninus. Ste- 

 phanus renders it " qui pulcra indole probus honestus ;" 

 the late editors of Passow, in their excellent work (Messrs. 

 Liddell and Scott), have rendered it " well disposed :" Gataker 

 (1692), ' f moris candidi." Robertson's version seems prefer- 

 able, though not widely different. In the second paragraph 

 we have ai^yjpiov rendered, unhappily enough, by the edi- 

 tion of 1692, " shamefacedness," as <psvjxov is " manly be- 

 haviour ;" while Graves gives both prolixly te modesty and 

 manly firmness on all occasions." In paragraph 16 we find 

 w/jitpov xai /xEveTJxov aaaXsuruf, the first word of which the 

 edition of 1692 gives as " meekness ;" the edition of 1792, 

 " mild condescension," which is a fanciful version ; the Ox- 

 ford Greek-Latin edition of 1 704, f ' mansuetudinem :" and 

 Robertson, " mild disposition." 



BOOK I. 



"Jan. 21, 1742. 



*' I. From my grandfather, Verus, I learned to be of a 

 complaisant and dispassionate temper of mind. 



" II. By the fame and reputation of my father I was taught 

 to be modest, and yet at the same time to form steady and 

 manly resolutions. 



" III. By my mother I was taught to be of a religious turn 

 of mind ; and not only to abstain from all evil actions, but 

 from every inclination towards them ; to study simplicity in 

 my diet, and keep at a distance from all the vain pomp of 

 riches. 



