Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/94

 xlii more than the Son of a Private Gentleman ; but then he had all the Recomending Qualities imaginable, and was fit to be prefer'd to the highest Posts of Trust and Honour : His Fidelity and Courage, his Probity and old Grave way of Living, his Experience, and his Reputation too, were all extraordinary. These Considerations made the Emperour chuse him before Noblemen of the best Quality and Figure; for Virtue, and Merit were the Things he most valued, and always prefer'd to Fortune and Birth. The young Empress and her Mother were not over-much pleas'd with this Match; but Antoninus having taken care that his Daughter should not suffer in her Privileges, nor sink in any part of her Quality, they both of them were satisfied at last. As for Faustina, she was of Opinion her Daughter had lost nothing, as long as she was continued in the Title, and State of an Empress : And Lucilia who had a mind to have her Liberty, and follow her Fancy, was somewhat pleas'd that she had taken rather a Valet, than a Husband.

Thus Antoninus having put his Daughter into good Hands, set forward to put an end to the War against the Marcomanni, who having now the Quadi, Sarmate, Vandales, and other Nations for their