Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/112

 lx 'Twas always his Opinion that the Credit and Security of the Government depended chiefly upon Good Measures ; For this Reason he would never undertake any thing in War, or Peace, without the Advice of his Privy Council ; and which is more, not without consulting those who had the best Reputation for Sense, whether Courtiers, Burghers, or Senators : And here he was so far from the Vanity of dragging the rest into his own Opinion, that he was always glad of a reason to follow the Board ; and used to say; 'Tis much more accountable for me to resign to the Advice of such great Men who are all my Friends, than that so many Wise Heads should be over-ruled by my single Opinion. And to cure that common, but dangerous Mistake, which makes it uncreditable to yield up an Opinion, he has left us this significant Truth in one of his Meditations, That a Man that goes in to the Sentiment of another, is no less at his Liberty than if he had stuck close to his first Thought ; For 'tis purely his own Sense and Judgment that prevails with him to alter his Mind.

He counted it a great Crime to warp the least from Veracity and Good Faith; and to prevent being surpriz'd by the false Reasoning of those Politicians who pretend, that a Wise Prince is not to be tyed to