Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/108

 lvi look'd upon it as one of the greatest Happinesses of his Life, never to have been unfurnish'd for this Purpose; And returns Thanks to the Gods for this constant opportunity of doing Good.

In the punishing Part his Method was to mitigate the Sentence, and go lower than the rigour of the Law. He was so exact in the Business of Justice, especially in Criminal Causes, that he reprimanded one of his Judges severely, for slubbering over a Tryal of some Persons of Fashion, and condemning them in a hurry: He made the Judge grant the Prisoners a new Tryal, and told him withal, That the least thing which a Magistrate commission'd for Justice, could do, was to have patience to hear what People of Condition could say for themselves. Another Judge having misbehav'd himself in a Cause of great Concern; the Emperour instead of turning him out, made him lye by a little, and assign'd his Jurisdiction to a Brother of the same Bench. In short, he left no Expedient untryed to discourage People from doing amiss, and to engage them to their Duty. He rewarded their Merits, screen'd their Failings, and corrected their greater Faults, by such a Temper of Discipline, as carried more Advantage than Rigour along with it.