A handsome virago, with brown shoulders, and black hair, endowed with the strength of an Amazon, "a face like Faustina's, and the figure of a Junotall and energetic as a pythoness," she quartered herself for twelve months in the palace as "Donna di governo," and drove the servants about without let or hindrance.

ON HIS MISTRESS FAUSTINA MANCINA.

The Empress Faustina was herself an Arian, and the patroness of the sect.

The soldiers were afraid of the wrath of God more than of the wrath of Faustina or Valentinian.

Marcus had been betrothed at the age of fifteen to the sister of Lucius Commodus, but the new Emperor broke off the engagement, and betrothed him instead to his daughter Faustina.

Marcus had a large family by Faustina, and in the first year of his reign his wife bore twins, of whom the one who survived became the wicked and detested Emperor Commodus.

During this journey of pacification, he lost his wife Faustina, who died suddenly in one of the valleys of Mount Taurus.

History, or the collection of anecdotes which at this period often passes as history, has assigned to Faustina a character of the darkest infamy, and it has even been made a charge against Aurelius that he overlooked or condoned her offences.

As far as Faustina is concerned, we have not much to say, although there is strong reason to believe that many of the stories told of her are scandalously exaggerated, if not absolutely false.

No doubt Faustina was unworthy of her husband; but surely it is the glory and not the shame of a noble nature to be averse from jealousy and suspicion, and to trust to others more deeply than they deserve.

" This I suppose is the reason why, failing to drag down Marcus Aurelius from his moral elevation, some have attempted to assail his reputation because of the supposed vileness of Faustina and the actual depravity of Commodus.

Of Faustina I have spoken already.

Kindness of Marcus toward the adherents of Cassius: death of Faustina and honors accorded her (chapters 28-31).

Moreover Faustina was named "Mother of the Legions.

But in this uprising he made a terrible mistake, and it was all due to his having been deceived by Faustina.

[Sidenote:29] About this same time Faustina died, either of the gout from which she had suffered or from less natural causes and to avoid being convicted of her compact with Cassius.

[Sidenote:30] In his great grief over the death of Faustina he wrote to the senate that no one of those who had cooperated with Cassius was dead, as if in this fact alone he could find some consolation for Faustina's loss.

[Sidenote:30] In his great grief over the death of Faustina he wrote to the senate that no one of those who had cooperated with Cassius was dead, as if in this fact alone he could find some consolation for Faustina's loss.

[Footnote: Vitrasia Faustina by name.]

On the occasion of his marrying Julia, Faustina, the wife of Marcus, prepared their bedchamber in the temple of Venus opposite the palace; and once, when he was asleep, water gushed from his hand as from a spring; and when he was governor of Lugdunum, the whole Roman domain approached and greeted him,all this in dreams, I mean.

This was the famous Faustina.

Livia and Julia were both Augusta; so were Julia (wife of Tiberius), Messalina, Agrippina, Octavia, Poppaea, Statilia, Sabina, Domitilla, Domitia, and Faustina.

The forced sale of its chief ornament, a bust of Faustina, is said to have broken his heart.

Cellini himself, though sensitive to every kind of physical beautyas we gather from what he tells us of Cencio, Diego, Faustina, Paolino, Angelica, Ascaniohas not attempted to animate his "Perseus," or his "Ganymede," or his "Diana of Fontainebleau," with a vestige of intellectual or moral loveliness.

The younger Faustina was a lively Instance of this sort of Women.