Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/31

 three Pounds Sterling every Day: And this Story he does not stick to confirm himself. So that his common Custom, and his Fits of Mortification, seem to be very different. Sometimes 'tis granted he us'd to accomodate his Stomach very indifferently; This he did to try whether his Pleasure abated with his Retrenching, or to what Degree: And that he might be convinc'd whether Good Eating was worth the Drudging for or not: And it may be He made the Experiment to arm himself against Casualty, and Misfortune, and that Poverty might never catch him unprovided. In short, He seems to have done that by Fits, which it may be was Eudoxus's constant Practice. Let us now enquire into the Reasons of his Discipline : Let us examine why he refuses to be always in a Course of Luxury; what puts him upon starts of Austerity, and makes him prefer a homely Diet to a plentiful Table. Now in the first place Hee'l tell you, He does not take up upon the score of Conscience, as if Temperance were worth the minding, or there was any harm in Gluttony : Not at all. 'Tis the ill effects, and not the Excesses of Gourmandizing which makes him a little Cautious. For to keep the Kitchin always hot, is the way to set the House on fire. To be Rh