Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/192

12 out being felt, and yet the Administration was carried on with great Order, Force, and Uniformity. Upon the whole; part of Socrates's Character is applicable to him; For he was so much Master of himself that he could either Take or Leave those Conveniences of Life with respect to which, most People are either uneasie without them, or intemperate with them. Now to hold on with Fortitude in one Condition, and Sobriety in the other, is an argument of a great Soul, and an impregnable Virtue. And lastly, when his Friend Maximus was Sick, he gave me an instance how I ought to behave my self upon the like occasion.

XVII. I am to thank the Gods that my Grandfathers, Parents, Sister, Preceptors, Relations, Friends, and Domesticks, were almost all of them Persons of Probity. And that I never happened to disoblige, or misbehave my self towards any of them; notwithstanding if my Humour had been awaken'd, and push'd forward, I had been likely enough to have miscarried this way: But by the goodness of the Gods, I met with no Provocations to discover my Infirmities. 'Tis likewise their Providence, that my Childhood was no longer manag'd by my Grandfather's Mistress; that my Youth was undedauch'd, and that I barr'd Rh