THE FIRST BOOK. 51 



of this emperor as an inducement to the peace of his Church 

 in those days. For having Christ in veneration, not as a God 

 or Saviour, but as a wonder or novelty ; and having his 

 picture in his gallery, matched with Apollonius, with whom, 

 in his vain imagination, he thought he had some conformity ; 

 yet it served the turn to allay the bitter hatred of those 

 times against the Christian name, so as the church had peace 

 during his time. And for his government civil, although he 

 did not attain to that of Trajan's in glory of arms, or 

 perfection of justice, yet in deserving of the weal of the 10 

 subject he did exceed him. For Trajan erected many 

 famous monuments and buildings ; insomuch as Constantine 

 the Great in emulation was wont to call him Parietaria, 

 (wall flower), because his name was upon so many walls : 

 but his buildings and works were more of glory and triumph 

 than use and necessity. But Adrian spent his whole reign, 

 which was peaceable, in a perambulation or survey of the 

 Roman empire ; giving order, and making assignation where 

 he went, for re-edifying of cities, towns, and forts decayed ; 

 and for cutting of rivers and streams, and for making 20 

 bridges and passages, and for policying of cities and 

 commonalties with new ordinances and constitutions, and 

 granting new franchises and incorporations ; so that his 

 whole time was a very restoration of all the lapses and 

 decays of former times. 



Antoninus Pius, who succeeded him, was a prince ex 

 cellently learned ; and had the patient and subtle wit of 

 a schoolman ; insomuch as in common speech, which leaves 

 no virtue untaxed, he was called Cymini Sector, (a carver or 

 divider of cummin,) which is one of the least seeds ; such 30 

 a patience he had and settled spirit, to enter into the least 

 and most exact differences of causes ; a fruit no doubt of the 

 exceeding tranquillity and serenity of his mind ; which 

 being no ways charged or incumbered, either with fears, 

 remorses, or scruples, but having been noted for a man of 

 the purest goodness, without all fiction or affectation, that 



