Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/80

 xxviii This young Prince's Wildness recovered with his Health, and his Sickness prov'd no sufficient Discipline to Reform him. He pursued his Debaucheries in his Voyage; and upon his Arrival in Syria, he made a halt at Daphne, part of the Suburbs of Antioch, and here he perfectly forgot himself to all the purposes of Virtue, and Sobriety. This Place, by reason of the Temperature of the Climate, the Deliciousness of the Gardens, Fountains, and Groves, invited the Men of Pleasure thither, and was grown the very Seat, and Sink of Debauchery: Insomuch that People of Virtue and Reputation, were almost asham'd to be seen there. Verus encreas'd the Scandal of this Daphne by such Improvements in Lewdness, as were meer Discoveries to the Inhabitants, tho' otherwise the greatest Libertines on the Face of the Earth.

In the mean time this Emperour's Generals fought the Parthians with great Success. Statius Priscus took Artaxata : Cassius and Martius Verus routed Vologeses, made themselves Masters of Seleucia, sack'd and burnt Babylon, and Ctesiphon, and pull'd down the Noble Palace of the Parthian Kings. These Victorious Troops which had done such brave Exploits, and beaten an Army of five hundred thousand Men, Rh