Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/109

 Rh As none of the Actions of Princes are without Force and Example, but do either a great deal of Good, or Mischief to their Subjects, so Antoninus's making Philosophy his Inclination, had likely to have been very prejudicial to the Romans: For now the Empire was almost over-run with pretending Sages, who to spunge upon their Prince; took the Habit, and Title of Philosphers, but left the good Qualities behind them; insomuch that they were not only burdensome to Private Families, but even to the State it self. The Emperour being sensible of this Disorder, put a stop to it. For now the Sham-Philosophers were thrown out of all Privilege and Favour granted to that Faculty, and none but Men of approv'd Virtue, Character, and Merit, taken into the College.

He us'd to say that an Emperour ought never to precipitate any Business, nor dispatch it, as it were En passant, and that Negligence in little Matters, is sometimes an occasion of great Mistakes. When a Cause was before him he always used to give the Lawyers what time they desired in their Argument : For he look'd upon it as a very rash and unadvis'd Method, to limit a Hearing to so many Minutes, without knowing the Extent, or the Importance of the Matter to be