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to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly

government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed;

I learned from him also consistency and undeviating steadiness in

my regard for philosophy; and a disposition to do good, and to give

to others readily, and to cherish good hopes, and to believe that

I am loved by my friends; and in him I observed no concealment of

his opinions with respect to those whom he condemned, and that his

friends had no need to conjecture what he wished or did not wish,

but it was quite plain.

From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by

anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness;

and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity,

and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that

everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that

he did he never had any bad intention; and he never showed amazement

and surprise, and was never in a hurry, and never put off doing a

thing, nor was perplexed nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh to disguise

his vexation, nor, on the other hand, was he ever passionate or suspicious.

He was accustomed to do acts of beneficence, and was ready to forgive,

and was free from all falsehood; and he presented the appearance of

a man who could not be diverted from right rather than of a man who

had been improved. I observed, too, that no man could ever think that

he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better

man. He had also the art of being humorous in an agreeable way.

In my father I observed mildness of temper, and unchangeable resolution

in the things which he had determined after due deliberation; and

no vainglory in those things which men call honours; and a love of

labour and perseverance; and a readiness to listen to those who had

anything to propose for the common weal; and undeviating firmness

in giving to every man according to his deserts; and a knowledge derived

from experience of the occasions for vigorous action and for remission.

And I observed that he had overcome all passion for boys; and he considered

himself no more than any other citizen; and he released his friends

from all obligation to sup with him or to attend him of necessity

when he went abroad, and those who had failed to accompany him, by

reason of any urgent circumstances, always found him the same. I observed

too his habit of careful inquiry in all matters of deliberation, and

his persistency, and that he never stopped his investigation through

being satisfied with appearances which first present themselves; and

that his disposition was to keep his friends, and not to be soon tired

of them, nor yet to be extravagant in his affection; and to be satisfied

on all occasions, and cheerful; and to foresee things a long way off,

and to provide for the smallest without display; and to check immediately

popular applause and all flattery; and to be ever watchful over the

things which were necessary for the administration of the empire,

and to be a good manager of the expenditure, and patiently to endure

the blame which he got for such conduct; and he was neither superstitious

with respect to the gods, nor did he court men by gifts or by trying

to please them, or by flattering the populace; but he showed sobriety

in all things and firmness, and never any mean thoughts or action,

nor love of novelty. And the things which conduce in any way to the

commodity of life, and of which fortune gives an abundant supply,

he used without arrogance and without excusing himself; so that when

he had them, he enjoyed them without affectation, and when he had

them not, he did not want them. No one could ever say of him that

he was either a sophist or a home-bred flippant slave or a pedant;

but every one acknowledged him to be a man ripe, perfect, above flattery,

able to manage his own and other men's affairs. Besides this, he honoured

those who were true philosophers, and he did not reproach those who

pretended to be philosophers, nor yet was he easily led by them. He

was also easy in conversation, and he made himself agreeable without

any offensive affectation. He took a reasonable care of his body's

health, not as one who was greatly attached to life, nor out of regard

to personal appearance, nor yet in a careless way, but so that, through

his own attention, he very seldom stood in need of the physician's

art or of medicine or external applications. He was most ready to

give way without envy to those who possessed any particular faculty,

such as that of eloquence or knowledge of the law or of morals, or

of anything else; and he gave them his help, that each might enjoy

reputation according to his deserts; and he always acted conformably

to the institutions of his country, without showing any affectation

of doing so. Further, he was not fond of change nor unsteady, but

he loved to stay in the same places, and to employ himself about the

same things; and after his paroxysms of headache he came immediately

fresh and vigorous to his usual occupations. His secrets were not

but very few and very rare, and these only about public matters; and

he showed prudence and economy in the exhibition of the public spectacles

and the construction of public buildings, his donations to the people,

and in such things, for he was a man who looked to what ought to be

done, not to the reputation which is got by a man's acts. He did not

take the bath at unseasonable hours; he was not fond of building houses,

nor curious about what he ate, nor about the texture and colour of

his clothes, nor about the beauty of his slaves. His dress came from

Lorium, his villa on the coast, and from Lanuvium generally. We know

how he behaved to the toll-collector at Tusculum who asked his pardon;

and such was all his behaviour. There was in him nothing harsh, nor

implacable, nor violent, nor, as one may say, anything carried to

the sweating point; but he examined all things severally, as if he

had abundance of time, and without confusion, in an orderly way, vigorously

and consistently. And that might be applied to him which is recorded

of Socrates, that he was able both to abstain from, and to enjoy,

those things which many are too weak to abstain from, and cannot enjoy

without excess. But to be strong enough both to bear the one and to

be sober in the other is the mark of a man who has a perfect and invincible

soul, such as he showed in the illness of Maximus.

To the gods I am indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents,

a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends,