Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/159

 Rh the XIX Year of his Tribunitian Authority.

Faustina died in this Progress at the Foot of Mount Taurus, Antoninus was very sensibly Afflicted at her Death; And the Senate imagining the Empress might have sowr'd his Temper against those concern'd in the Revolt, and that the best way to condole with him was to sacrifice some of his Enemies, thus they fell into a new Fit of Punishing, out of Flattery, and over Complaisance ; Vices which oftentimes creep into those Great Bodies no less than into the Breasts of Private People. But the Emperour being inform'd how the Senate stood affected, sent them a Second Letter, to let them know that their Severity would only make his Trouble for the Loss of the Empress the greater, desir'd that no Body might be put to Death, and concluded with these Words, If I can't prevail with you to spare the Lives of the Revolters, you'l force me to wish I were dead my self.

But to prevent such Rebellions as this from coming over again, he made a Law that for the future the Government of a Province should be given to no Man that was born in it.

As concerning ''Cassiuss Children none of them lost their Lives but the Eldest '