This Order was obey'd, and the Empire seem'd to be all over settled in Peace and Prosperity. Indeed the beginning of this Reign was so happy and undisturb'd, that one would almost have thought the very Soul and Reason of Antoninus Pius had been Transfus'd into his Successors : Which was the more to be wonder'd at, since in reality there was nothing more different than the Temper and Inclination of these two Princes.
Marcus Antoninus was settled and certain in his Humour, unpretendingly Grave, and not without a Mixture of Affability and Complaisance : He was both Merciful and Just, and no less Indulgent to others than Rigorous to himself; Deaf to the Charms of Vanity, immovable in his Enterprizes, and Resolutions, which were never fix'd and taken up without Mature Deliberation; being never swayed by Passion and Freak : He hated busy Informers, was Religious without Affectation, untransported and free from Eagerness upon all occasion; always under an Equality of Temper, always Master of himself, and resign'd to the Reason of the Case; a perfect stranger to Disguise and Dissimulation, and always upon his Guard against the Excesses of Self-love; never uneasy nor impatient, very inclinable to pardon
