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Meditations: Book I to Book XII
Meditations: Book I to Book XII

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Meditations: Book I to Book XII
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They grieved; they wondered; they complained.
And where are they now?
All dead and gone.
Wilt thou also be like one of them?
Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Meditations: Book I to Book XII

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They grieved; they wondered; they complained.
/ðeɪ ɡriːvd ðeɪ ˈwʌndərd ðeɪ kəmˈpleɪnd/
Line 2
And where are they now?
/ənd wer ɑːr ðeɪ naʊ/
Line 3
All dead and gone.
/ɔːl ded ənd ɡɔːn/
Line 4
Wilt thou also be like one of them?
/wɪlt ðaʊ ˈɔːlsoʊ biː laɪk wʌn ʌv ðem/
Line 5
Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

accidents noun US /ˈæksədənts/

plural of “accident” — an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

From this reading “Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.”

bodies noun US /ˈbɑːdiz/

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading “Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.”

changing adjective US /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/

marked by continuous change or effective action

From this reading “Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.”

complained verb US /kəmˈpleɪnd/

past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading “They grieved; they wondered; they complained.”

converse verb US /ˈkɑːnvərs/

carry on a conversation

From this reading “Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.”

fickle adjective US /ˈfɪkəl/

marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments

From this reading “Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.”

grieved verb US /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

From this reading “They grieved; they wondered; they complained.”

Wilt modal verb US /wɪlt/

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading “Wilt thou also be like one of them?”

All words in this reading · 61

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

accidentsnounUS /ˈæksədənts/

plural of “accident” — an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All dead and gone.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And where are they now?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading And where are they now?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

bodiesnounUS /ˈbɑːdiz/

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

changingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/

marked by continuous change or effective action

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

complainedverbUS /kəmˈpleɪnd/

past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading They grieved; they wondered; they complained.

converseverbUS /ˈkɑːnvərs/

carry on a conversation

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading All dead and gone.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

fickleadjectiveUS /ˈfɪkəl/

marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading All dead and gone.

grievedverbUS /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

From this reading They grieved; they wondered; they complained.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

mutabilitynoun

the quality of being capable of mutation

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And where are they now?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

regardnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrd/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

studynounUS /ˈstʌdi/

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They grieved; they wondered; they complained.

thinepronounUS /ðaɪn/

an old word for “yours”

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading And where are they now?

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

Wiltmodal verbUS /wɪlt/

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading Wilt thou also be like one of them?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading They grieved; they wondered; they complained.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Or rather leaving to men of the world (whose life both in regard of themselves, and them that they converse with, is nothing but mere mutability; or men of as fickle minds, as fickle bodies; ever changing and soon changed themselves) let it be thine only care and study, how to make a right use of all such accidents.

Chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII by Marcus Aurelius holds 24 sentences, grouped into 5 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII contain?

Chapter 4 holds 24 sentences of Meditations: Book I to Book XII, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII by Marcus Aurelius exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 24 sentences, grouped into 5 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 4 of Meditations: Book I to Book XII?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Meditations: Book I to Book XII

Common questions about reading Meditations: Book I to Book XII by Marcus Aurelius on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Meditations: Book I to Book XII?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Meditations: Book I to Book XII is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Meditations: Book I to Book XII take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Meditations: Book I to Book XII section by section

How to work through Meditations: Book I to Book XII section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Meditations: Book I to Book XII to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Meditations: Book I to Book XII

Words and structures a reader meets early in Meditations: Book I to Book XII, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Meditations: Book I to Book XII, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Meditations: Book I to Book XII, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Meditations: Book I to Book XII, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.