And now also, as the church rested awhile from opposition, that rapid self-development outward from within, proper to times of peace, was in progress.

Antoninus Pius, it might seem, more truly even than Marcus Aurelius himself, was of that group of pagan saints for whom Dante, like Augustine, has provided in his scheme of the house with many mansions.

A sincere old Roman piety had urged his fortunately constituted nature to no mistakes, no offences against humanity.

And of his entire freedom from guile one reward had been this singular happiness, that under his rule there was no shedding of Christian blood.

To him belonged that half-humorous placidity of soul, of a kind illustrated later very effectively by Montaigne, which, starting with an instinct of mere fairness towards human nature and the world, seems at last actually to qualify its possessor to be almost the friend of the people of Christ.