Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/47

 over their Philosophy. The Oracle never deliver'd a greater Truth than that of Æschylus, where he tells us that

"The wisest living an't without their Errors."

As for the Stoicks, they ne'er pretended themselves big enough for their Speculations, or that their Lives were an exact Counterpart of what they taught. 'Tis true, they made a Beautiful Scheme, and set the Rule high ; But this was chiefly to put People upon doing their Best, to awaken Industry and encourage Imitation.

And yet after all, the Stoical Philosophy has produced great Examples of Virtue in several Ages. Some of this Persuasion have been remarkably consistent with their Doctrines, and held out to the length of their Principles : And that not only by Fits, and broken Intervals, but by a constant and uninterrupted Regularity. Amongst these we shall mention Zeno first, in Honour of whose Memory there was an Extraordinary Vote past by the Senate of Athens, viz, Resolv'd,

" That in Consideration of the great Merit of Zeno's Virtue, the Consistency of his Precept and Practise, and the noble Example he set the World, This House has thought fit to order him a Rh