Meditations · Book XII
Meditations, XII, 6
Chapter 6 of Book XII of the Meditations. First the passage as Stoïque shows it, after Long, 1862; then the whole chapter, word for word, in that edition, and the same chapter in French.
The passage in the app
Practise even at the things you despair of accomplishing. The left hand, useless at everything else for want of practice, holds the bridle more firmly than the right, because it has been practised at that.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, XII, 6
After Long, 1862 — modernized.
On the widgets
Not every widget family holds a passage this long. The app never cuts one: where it does not fit, a shorter passage takes its place, with its reference. The circular widget carries the locator alone.
The whole chapter in Long’s 1862 edition
Practise thyself even in the things which thou despairest of accomplishing. For even the left hand, which is ineffectual for all other things for want of practice, holds the bridle more vigorously than the right hand; for it has been practised in this.
Source: Project Gutenberg · corpus/sources/marcus-aurelius-meditations-long-1862.txt, l. 6907
In French
Exerce-toi même à ce que tu désespères d’accomplir. La main gauche, inhabile pour tout le reste parce qu’elle n’en a pas l’habitude, tient les rênes avec plus de vigueur que la main droite parce qu’elle y est habituée.
Source: Wikisource · corpus/sources/fr/marcus-aurelius-pensees-couat-1904/livre-12.txt, l. 27
Apprends à faire par l’habitude les choses mêmes qui te répugnent. C’est ainsi que la main gauche, qui est cependant la plus inhabile, faute d’habitude, tient la bride plus solidement que la main droite, parce qu’elle a été dressée à la tenir.
Source: Wikisource · corpus/sources/fr/marcus-aurelius-pensees-barthelemy-1876/livre-12.txt, l. 29
How to cite
The canonical reference names the book and the chapter, so the passage can be found in any edition. The app composes it in three forms:
- Full form — full screen and large widgets
- — MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, XII, 6
- Short form — small widget and Lock Screen
- — MEDITATIONS XII, 6
- Minimal form — circular Lock Screen widget
- XII·6
This passage and the 165 other Marcus Aurelius passages are free in Stoïque, with their reference, on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen.