another Letter to the divine Agapeta wherein he discoursed thus MADAM MY reason befooled with credulity perswaded me whilst I lived at Court that lapse of time and distance of place might have effaced some of those impressions which the diamond of passion had engraven upon she long resisting cristal of my love-fearing spirit but I find now that I have been abused in this by my credulity for I perceive that the wound is not cured by distancing it from the sword which made it and that love resembles an impetuous river which swelleth the more the farther it runneth from its source and that albeit the weakest wit might wade through it near its fountain yet the strongest reason is not able to ford it when it hath run farther off Madam every beautiful face which I see hath some trait in it which proves a remembrancer to me of those incomparable lines which the Pencil of Nature hath drawn in yours but they are but dull copies of such an original and can represent it in nothing else besides in making me infortunate in beholding that which I can only behold and not enjoy I lye here tortured by the sharp ague of passion sometimes scorched with the flames of love and at other times frozen by the cold chilnesse of despair and as in all poysonings so in this I must seek the antidote from the same body whence came the poyson Fair Lady live happy and dart forth one ray of your happinesse to enlighten the darkned soul of melancholie MEGISTUS Philarites vented his passion to his dear ARâ—TINA in another Letter thus Incomparable Lady IF this paper had not been dampt in the floods of my tears the flames of my zeal had burnt it to ashes neither can I but envie its happinesse in kissing your fair hands a happinesse sufficient to border and limit the most unsatiable of mortals and so being its rival I would certainly destroy it if it did not promise to acquaint you with the ardour of my respects to you Oh that there should be greater distance betwixt this and Alexandria in ground than there is in the Mappe that so I might see that Sun with whose shadow I must now rest satisfied and that I might adore that Deity by which I intend to be saved Madam I have sacrificed all the flesh of my parched body upon the altar of love and were it not that my soul thought that it could be serviceable to you in its present dwelling it would leave that ruinous fabrick wherein it now remains Madam be not so unmindfull of him whose both happinesse and torture it is that he is too mindfull of you and bestow one thought upon him who bestowes so many upon you and who cannot nor will not be happie except in being esteemed fair Lady Your humble Servant PHILARITES Whilst Philarites was dispatching this Envoy a young Gentleman desired access to Megistus which being granted him he did with a chearfull countenance deliver his mind thus Noble Sir ALbeit the desperatnes of my design might make you eye me as either distracted or malecontent and like one who being in fear to drown in the gulf of despair is content to hang by the smallest twig of comfort that he is able to grasp to yet the publick advancement of my Nations interest makes me over-look all such difficulties and willing to exchange my own losse with their gain for I think it most reasonable that one member should rather be cut off than that the whole body should be endangered and especially such a member as is already in apparent danger of being lost wherfore Sir seing the Enemy is to passe this night alongst a wooden Bridge over the Nile hoping to attaque unexpectedly your Camp I entreat ye may suffer me to inclose my self in an Arch of it with some barrels of Powder that when such a number of them as your Army is able to encounter hath past alongst it I may blow up the Bridge and so stop both the passage of those who are not already past and the return of those who are gone over Sir lest my intruding my self in this danger and the horrour of the danger it self should make you think it is rather treachery than affection which hounds me out to this enterprize ye shall be pleased to know that these ravenous Physicians who have these two years preyed upon my fat purse and practised all their cheats upon my wasted body have at last told me that my cancer shall at last irrecoverably period my dayes Wherefore Sir finding that I could not by Art prolong my dayes I resolved to do it by fame and to sweeten the harshness of death by the generous manner of it that so my parents might have the breath of my praises to dry up the tears of their compassion and that by destroying one subject to my Prince I might preserve him two thousand having thus satisfied my reason I resolved to satisfie my Conscience which is that great Controller of all our actions whereupon I addressed me to a Priest my intimate acquaintance who perswaded me that it was as lawfull for the Civil Magistrate whose command he desired me to ask to dispose of me for the publick utility as it was lawfull for a private person to ransom his life by the losse of a member and that such a generous resolution was a key able to open the gates of Paradise and if it was lawful for a man to hazard his life in battel where he could kill but two or three how much more lawful was it to buy the safety of many friends and the destruction of so many enemies with so worthlesse a farthing as my single life was Megistus having deliberated with Philarites the expediency of this Overture resolved to accept the offer whereupon having both thanked and encouraged the young man having heard that the Enemy was to passe alongst the Bridge the next day he went under silence of night to the Bridge and opening an Arch thereof he inclosed in it the Gentleman together with some barrels of Powder and some Match and guarded the Bridge with some Souldiers lest any should carry intelligence to the Enemy of their intention The next morning the Enemy according to expectation appeared in view which made the two Knights make a shew as if they would fight for they were now four thousand strong and having after some resistance abandoned the Bridge they suffered the Persians to passe alongst it three thousand of them being on this side already Megistus caused shoot some Peeces of great Ordnance which was the signal condescended upon betwixt the Gentleman and him and which was instantly obeyed for he having fired the Powder did to the terrour of the spectators and ruine of the passers blow up both himself them and the Bridge and sent them all to heaven in a fiery chariot their bodies convoying their souls half way and would have entered the upper spheares with them if heaven had not shewed its
the husband allowed his wifes imbracements and that it was only the husbands dissent which made the wifes consent be reputed Adultery for said he all the precepts which concern man may be dispensed with by man for seing the great Legislator hath only made these Laws which terminate themselves in mans advantage to be bulworks to him against the malice of others it appears that where there is no wrong done to him the Law introduced in his favours ceaseth and as if there had never been fear of wrong surely the Law which punisheth that wrong had never been statuted even so in the case where the party that only can be offended remits the offence there the Law ceaseth because its occasion faileth And albeit in crimes once committed the Law-giver may pursue albeit the party offended desist yet that is where the crime was once committed and where the committer hazarded upon the fact before he had the parties offended consent and so as he contemned the Law-giver as much as he offended a private subject the Law-giver may insist albeit the subject desist And as in the case of theft the Magistrate may punish the stealer albeit none concur with him yet before the theft is committed if the person whose goods are taken consent there can be no theft even so if the husband before the Adultery allow his wifes familiarity he cannot be said to be wronged neither can ye obtrude here that the wife hath chained her self to her husband by an oath which adamantine chain the weak hands of a husbands consent can never break this I say cannot be obtruded here for seing this is an oath only and no vow the immortal gods are not parties but witnesses in it for a vow is only where the thing promised is made meerly or mostly for their honour which cannot be said here and so the person in whose favours it is made may favour the maker so far as to dispense with it Nay but replyed Megistus both the Gods and the Common-wealth are interested in what is enjoyned by that Law which seems to be one of those Laws which was made in Natures first Parliament and are as much parties as is the husband for if husbands had the keys of that Law put into their hands they would open a door by them to all wickedness and would feed the greedy appetite of that monster Lust and the souls of creatures and hearts of subjects would be so stuffed with this base passion that no room should be left either for vertue or gallantry and the gardens of mens souls should be so overgrown with this spreading hemlock of corruption that no ground should be found to sow in either the roses of piety or lillies of generosity and albeit ye combat stoutly with the weapon of the husbands consent yet ye shall never be able by it to wound one who is covered with the armour of reason for that husband who would by the hand of his own folly raze down the ramparts of his own honour and by the mire of his madness pollute the wel-spring of his private satisfaction might justly be reputed mad and demented and his consent might be accounted as ineffectual as it is unreasonable and so to operate no more here than the consent of mad-men doth in Law elsewhere They were arrived by this time at the place where the Army had encamped for that night and were welcomed by the applaudatory acclamations of the Souldiery each one esteeming them the coals by which the green wood for their unexpert courages behoved to be kindled and their enemies themselves who were rather rivals of their success than enemies to their vertues acknowledged them both the patterns and patrons of true gallantry After they had tendred their respects to the General they retired to their own Tents which their servants had already stretcht out for them and thereafter Megistus exercised a Company of foot in the face of a Regiment teaching them by what he did what they should do and disciplinating those who dreamed formerly that War was only a flash of artless courage and that all its precepts might be summed up in that one of not running away Misarites much dissatisfied that applause should have so hugd these Knights in its arms and that all should be so much beadsmen for their success sent a Gentleman to acquaint them as if in a friendly way that the Officers of the Army frowned exceedingly to see their own eggs hatcht by others Megistus could easily have unridled a greater mysterie than this and conjectured instantly that emulation was the sender of that Ambassage whereupon they retired to their Tents but so prudently as that none could perceive their design in retiring Where the Martial Knight to dissipat these clouds of passion which were already conglomerating in the firmament of Megistus face undertook this subsequent relation for their divertisment I lodged said he with a Merchant in Alexandria whose wife thought her self the widow of a living man and so setled her fancy upon a pretty youth her apprentice upon whom she conferred those respects which she denied her husband to whom albeit she could not in reason yet she did in fancy marry her self and with whom she spent those amorous hours which she could steal either from her husbands assiduous company or the youths numerous imployments but when the husband was abroad in the Country then they reaped the harvest of these pleasures which they gleaned only at other occasions and feasted upon those amorous delicacies which they could only use as desert at other times But that I may abridge my story it hapned one day that the husband was by his imployments called to the Country telling his wife that he would not return of a fortnight so that they had the reins of their pleasure laid upon their own necks and thought an occasion to sin was enough to authorize them in sin but whilst they are in bed together at twelve a clock of the night the husband wearied with his journey and disappointed of his projects returns home and knocks at the door the wife conjures her Gallant not to budge whilst she was opening the door to her husband which he condescended to rather to satisfie her than his own reason the door was opened and the kind wife caresses most affectionatly her wearied husband telling him that it was pity the husband should toil so in amassing means and money for their wives who sucked the honey albeit they brought not home the wax but said she Sweet-hart providence hath led you home this night that ye might be a target to the innocency of your importuned wife whose honour your apprentice hath oft and most passionately assaulted so that in him ye keep a fox at home to devour your own hens and this night at one a clock which is not now far off I trysted him in my chamber resolving to intrap him but seing ye can manage that imployment with better success I entreat you go to
and interest and I heard a Gentleman say that he defended ordinarily That all State-promises were no longer obligatory than things continued in the same way they stood when the promise was made for said he I promise because I am informed or imagines that the person to whom I promise is of such a temper so that if he be of a different or contrary temper the condition failing the thing conditioned cannot be sought and since promises are ordinarily donatives there is reason the donator should have the priviledge of explaining his owne mind for seing they to whom I promise can pretend no right to the thing promised but because I willed it therfore if my will be not clear their right is null and seing none can be so well acquainted with my will as my self none should be admitted to explain it but my self and ordinarily so many and so great inconveniences would follow upon the observancy of such promises at Court that there would be greater danger to the Commonwealth in keeping them than there could redound to any private mans conscience by the breach of them but Sir continued Philarites think not strange that fortune should graple with you for it is her ordinary never to list her self but against some noble spirit whose conquest were worth her pains scorning the easie victory which she might have over silly clowns but possibly she intends to try your courage which when she comes once to know she will think you worthy to be her minion She can command weak spirits but great ones are born to command her And since the mustering false hopes is able to make a man victorious and the basest of men gain oftimes because others think that their brags and threats are true how much more shall the best of spirits amongst whom ye may be ranked become victorious if they but hope really that they shall conquer hope resembles a bridle whose motion is able to recover the stumbling feet of our courage And how many Armies have gained more by presages and happy omens than they could have done either by skill or numbers This is the reason why speeches are made to Souldiers and for this audacious spirits are usually most fortunate This discourse was interrupted by a Letter presented from Misarites wherein they were ordered to return to the Camp with those under their conduct which they were most willing to obey knowing that the Souldiery there might easily be misinformed of what was done at such a distance from them The next morning they did begin their march and being after two dayes arrived they were welcomed by the acclamations of the Souldiers but coldly entertained by the Grandees whom Misarites had poysoned who in spight of all misinformation admired the rare qualities of these noble Gentlemen for albeit it be an easie task to defame amongst the vulgar sort those whose prime quality is wit because their wit which should antidote all these aspersions is not easily perceived by that sort of people yet it is hard to defame those whose chief part is courage because the most ignorant cannot but see that and ordinarily the vulgar sort is more led by their sense than by their reason Misarites delayed alwayes to fight pretending that it was fitter to starve than to fight the Persians who being far from home could not subsist long in a forreign Nation but his intention was to ruine the Egyptian Army by these delayes who finding themselves near home and overburdened with hardship did drop away daily Nothing was acted all this time except by skirmishes wherein Misarites imployed all those whose courage was formidable to the Persians and whose loyalty was formidable to himself and many of them were swept away by this means neither omited he to entice the Knights with this point of honour but all in vain for they resolved to reserve themselves for archievements of lesse hazard and more honour Misarites caused likewise mix the meal which was sent to the Army with lime and chalk whereby diseases became both numerous and dangerous and the whole Army began to resemble an Hospital wherein there was greater need of Physicians than of Field-Officers He likewise together with Sophander perswaded the King not to send the Army their pay assuring him that poverty was the best encouragement to fight for it made them fight couragiously out of a desire to gain the Enemies spoil whereas those who were rich were unwilling to hazard what they were assured of already for what they were not sure to gain Sophanders drift in this was to reserve the money for himself but Misarites scope was meerly to turn the Souldiers male-contents Neither ceased the Knights covertly to make the Army remark these passages thereby to enrage them against Misarites At last Megistus trysting Misarites his Secretary oâ—e morning to his chamber after some previous discourses whereby he sounded his thoughts spoke thus freely to him Sir it is not to discover the treason of your master but to learn some evident proofs of it that I sent for you this morning his complot with Sophander and the Persian is already detected and ye are mad who imbarques your self in such a quarrel ye walk upon a narrow precipice wherein there is great difficulty to stand and certain ruine if ye fall think not that the Gods will suffer Princes who are their Deputies and who govern for them to be circumveened by such treacherous designs in vain have they been at so much pains for the defence of his honour if they abandon it now and albeit it did thrive in your hands yet after the game is plaid there will be danger in your Master's parting the stakes with Sophander who will lay him aside when he findes that in peace he stands not in need of him But albeit your Master did injoy his promised preferment who knows but he will cause cut your throat both fearing lest you should thereafter upon some discontent divulge his cheats or fearing that he could not safely therafter imploy you who betrayed your Prince Wherfore if ye desire to perpetuat your happiness and to prevent your inevitable ruine desert that interest and own the interest of your Nation and I promise you in his Majesties name greater preferment than ye are to expect from your Master Neither need you stumble at this as a breach of trust and as a sin comitted against the affection which your Master bears to you for ye should pay the oldest debt first and ye were a subject to your Prince before ye were a servant to Misarites wherefore ye should endeavour to acquit your self of your duty to his Majesty as being both of greatest importance and of oldest standing Neither doth your oath of fidelity given to your Master oblige in things unlawful for the gods will not be witnesses in things abominable and there is no oath whereto they are not called as witnesses they will not suffer a man to be bound to the stake of impiety by such sacred chains
whereas if he had stayed at home he might have salved his repute in both and might have kept himself as a Reserve making his friends after they should have been often beat without him hope that they should conquer when he went alongst with them and seing fortune is half play-maker in all humane actions it is a great disadvantage for a great undertaker to be thought misfortunate but surely his motive was that he feared lest Oranthus should flourish too much and that it would be too late resisting him when he would become both more skilful and more famous This victory was seconded by many others so that he conquered as oft as he fought yea rather he could not fight without conquering all his actions were maturely deliberated and speedily executed and so could not be but successfull His Army consisted partly of natives partly of forreigners the one whereof did emulate the other in courage and so could not both but act gallantly seing gallantry was their motive The forreigners behoved to fight knowing that else they had not any where else to â—refuge themselves in having neither their own homes nor the houses of their friends to shelter them and would not flee because they knew not where The natives were assured of the gallows if they ensured not themselves by their courage and their quarter was no pardon but a respit from death not a preserving them from the sword but a reserving them for the block that so ignominy might be put upon themselves and terrour left upon their wel-wishers Many of that Nation exclaimed against the cruelty used by his Souldiers and their other exorbitances but these adverted not when his Army wanted pay and so he was necessitated to allow them plunder neither should they have so exclaimed against him upon that account seing their relenting in coming in to him did oblige him to imploy strangers whose enormities were the only crime of his well-disciplined Army neither was it strange to see those who were starved in the hils and deserts eating oft nothing but roots and drinking nothing but water drink and feed somewhat liberally when they came where they might have it and even exerce some cruelty towards those who caused those their many miseries however a General may govern men yet cannot he make men not alter their inclinationsâ— and as they relate at Athens never General 〈◊〉 so reconcile different humours nor govern so prudently rash and impudent Souldiers as he did his Army was divided in factions and opposed by factions yet did salve the inconveniency of the one and guard wise against the inconveniency of the other making himself an arbiter when they were at variance amongst themselves and a target when they were assaulted by their enemies The Phanosebeans and the Autophilists were vying all this while for precedency the Clergy and Cities adhering to the Phanosebeans many of both being stipendiated by him the Nobility and Gentry following Autophilus their main aim being to repress the Mufties thinking to stop there but it is hard for any who tumbles down the hill of vice to stop till he have once run down to its root for vice is none of those manageable horses who can be stopped in the midst of their carrier and since man is naturally so depraved as that he cannot abstain from what is ill what may we expect of him when his depraved humour is fortified by these depraved habits and many have gone aside from their way intending presently to return who having once strayed were never able to return to it and the immortal gods deal most justly with mortal men in this for to think that men can be good at pleasure much more then to think that he is able to exchange vice for vertue in an instant is to exalt man upon the pinacle of arrogances temple and if the event answered the expectation besides the original depravednesse of mans humour man should likewise be invited both to be wicked and to continue in his wickedness by this happie and succesâ—full encouragement neither should goodnesse be taken as a donative from heaven but should be esteemed such a flower is might grow in the baddest soil upon earth Albeit then the Autophilists intended not to spin out the threed of their opposition to their Prince to such a length as the Phanosebeans did yet being once engaged the hatred they bore some privatly-well-affected persons and their desire to overreach the Phanosebeans did oblige them both to act and suffer what did really run crosse to their humour Yet in spigâ—â— of all endeavours used by the Autophilists the other faction were the darlings of the Iovist Clergie which Cletus brother to Autophilus perceiving he resolved to defeat them with their own weapons and to pretend as much zeal as the others could whereupon knowing that all extraordinary changes must be effectuated by extraordinary means he alledgeth that he is pang'd by his conscience for his but luke-warm affection to the Iovist faction and sending for some of their Grandees he entreated them to suffer him to appear in sackcloth before the Altars to hear sacrifice offered there for himself to atone this sin they thinking his remorse to be heart-deep agree to the motion So that Clitus is now admitted to prostrate himself before the Altar in the presence of many thousands whom the extraordinarinesse of the action as a bell had called hither where with all pomp and solemnity imaginable he is absolved from that crime and is permitted to harrangue the by-standers whose hearts like good ground were soon softned by those showres of tears which deluged from his eyes and were perswaded that he was now because of his piety incantonized amongst the gods so that now the Iovists glad to bridle the one faction with the fear of the other and willing that they should emulate one another hoping thereby to aggrandize their own respect did carress both almost equally Phanosebus would never imbrace any charge himself from the Senate knowing that thereby he would be obliged to appear always himself and to subscrive Papers wherein the actings of these times should be preserved and reserved as monuments of their madnesse as also he should be necessitated thereby to remain alwayes at Athens and should want the conveniency of retiring himself at inconvenient occasions but he caused prefer these who being his creatures he was confident would be at his devotion At last Oraâ—tbus oppressed by their numbers and deserted by his money-less Souldiers becomes their prisoner betrayed by an ignominious rascal who sold that pricelesse Gentleman to the Athenian Senate buying with his price perpetual infamy to himself and his posterity and is by them condemned to be hanged publickly and his legs and arms to be fixt upon publick poles who being brought to the Scaffold delivered this Speech Gentlemen I Regrate not so much my own fall as I do the fall of the Royal Standard and that mine enemies should use my ruine as an argument to prove
State made head against him but their Army was so misgovern'd by a Committee from whom they received all their Orders that Autarchus needed none to conquer them besides their own unskilfulness and confusion Sometimes in matters of greatest expedition they could not be convocated and when they were assembled their opinions fought each one against another whilst all should have imployed themselves in fighting against the common enemy thus they continued to distract that poor Nation by their distracted fancies till at last Autarchus falls upon their Camp privately and cuts them all to pieces That old Army being beat a new Army is ordered to be levied and now Cletus who succeeded to his brother Autophilus gains to his party some of those who owned Phanâ—sebus interest formerly and by their assistance obtains after many and long debates at the Council-table that all those who had followed Autophilus and Oranthus faction should be re-admitted to their old charge and admitted in others then vacant alledging that else the Counties who were much enclined their way would never engage cordially in his Majesties quarrel for who would be so mad as to fight in that Army where they feared their own Commanders more than their enemies or who would strengthen that Army by new Levies who would be imployed to assist their inveterate enemies at home after they were once victorious abroad Adding that who could hinder any man to quench that fire which was burning his own house or who could hinder a son to defend his mother The Phanosebeans finding themselves beat from all these bulwaâ—ks did at last retire as their custom was to the Citadel of Religion alledging that their consciences could not allow them to associat themselves to those whose sins would prove like so many bosome enemies and that to contract friendship with such was to declare war against the immortal gods yet Theopemptus had so cunningly insinuated himself with the Jovist Priests that the greatest and wisest part of them did not only tolerate but likewise approve that association by which the Phanosebeans became enraged and devoted themselves to the Lacedemonian faction albeit many thought that Phanosebus self continued loyal Cletus a singularly well accomplisht Gentleman became by this means Theopemptus darling and promotes exceedingly their new Levies so that in a short space an excellent Army is drawn to the fields yet they were so wearied by delayes and starved with hunger by the Phanosebean Officers that many dropt away being near home and many were affamished occasions of fighting were neglected and the loyallest persons sent upon desperat exploits which Theopemptus perceiving and fearing that the continuance of this evil should prove an irremediable evil in the end resolved to march to Lacedemon having assurance from some and well-grounded hopes from others in that Nation that they would assist him but at his entry the Athenians who wanted pay and feared both the tediousness of the journy and treachery of their Officers did like Northern Ice drop away before the Southern Sun and were at last overtaken by Autarchus to whom those fresh forces whom he left behind did joyn incontinently and so did dissipate that poor handfull whom the tediousness of the journey had left alive yet in spight of all enquiry providence so mudded the eyes of those who enquired after him that he escaped their hands and blows a gentle gale out of its mouth which conveys him over to Corinth Autarchus hoises up now the sails of his ambition which were instantly â—illed with the smiling gales of success and placing confidence at the helm steers streight for the haven of Supremacie He marries his daughters to the most eminent Officers of the Army and diggs deeply in the secrets of the wives that he might learn the secrets of the husbands he bribes the Astrologues to foretel his conquests making his wishes the heavenly houses by which they foretold his successe and instigates a great many Enthusiastick persons to prophesie his happiness authorizing themselves by revelations by which means he animates his own and terrifies his adversaries wringing new pay and priviledges to the Army from the Senate by which he both fortifies the Army and brings a masse of odium upon the Senate The door whereby he was to enter Supremacies parlour was now bolted by no other bar than by his jealousie of Anarchus interest in the Army who in all this war being his colleague he feared he might become his competitor wherefore he perswaded him to suit for the Government of the Isle of Patmos and perswaded him that if he would lay down his charge in the Lacedemonian Army that he would procure it for him from the Lacedemonian Senate for in the present scarsity of Offices none could enjoy two at once especially of two so eminent as those were Anarchus imbraces the proffer choosing rather to be first in the Army of Patmos then second in the Army of Lacedemon and demits his charge which he no sooner demits than the Senate by Autarchus instigation presently accepts and therafter slights him whereupon he is constrained to retire home byting his lip because he had condescended to that unfortunate transaction The stage being thus cleared of all incumbrances Autarchus begins to act his chief scene and endeavoureth to irritate the Army against the Senate which he might the more easily effectuate by reason that the Senate did now begin to discover his roguery and the Armies tyranny and were endeavouring to reduce some of their Regiments and affront some of their Officers which Autarchus adverting to ordered all the nearest lying Regiments to march up unexpectedly to the City and coming one morning to the Court of the Palace where the Senate did then sit he closes the gate lest any of the number should escape and turning him to the Souldiery opening his mind thus to them Fellow Souldiers your bleeding wounds and wounded bodies deserve better requital from this Senate than frowns or threats and albeit ye be not actually in service against their enemies yet that is no more a reason why ye should not be paid and cherished as formerly than a Mariner who hath served his Master in a storm at Sea should be shaken off and refused maintenance when he comes a shoar Ye have abandoned your houses and renounced your trades that ye might make their Army your house and their service your trade And must these in whose hands ye have put the sword take your swords from you and ruine you after that ye have ruined their enemies What may this Nation expect from these Masters who refuse maintenance to the best and loyallest of their servants and seing they disoblige us so much who have so much obliged them what shall the rest of the Nation expect who have never obliged them at all And may we not see that their quarrel against us is our just pay which otherwise they might coffer up themselves What shall the world say of us if that after we have banisht
Theopemptus extreamly enraged accuses a Nobleman who had only seen those Letters besides Asebus the Nobleman vindicates himself but not being believed by his Prince he runs in fury to Asebus his Cabinet and there finding some Letters of correspondence from Autarchus to him he causeth him to be presently apprehended Amidst these triumphs triumphing death cuts his treacherous dayes and hurries him to eternal torment who tormented others here And thus died the most hatefull Tyrant who ever lived leaving behind him a son in whose simplicity the gods punished the fathers cheating prudence this was that Ephemerus of whom I spoke formerly who being nominated by his father his successor was admitted by the Souldiery not so much out of any respect they bore him as fearing that if the charge were declared vacant emulation should cut the throat of their quiet It was thought that Ephemerus finding his own insufficiency resolved to recal Theopemptus but his design was choaked by timorousness fearing least the Army perceiving his design should ruine him and disappoint his project Others thought that his enemies used only this as an argument to perswade the Army to relinquish him as they did afterwards However he was induced by some who favoured the Royal faction especially by Monus General of the Athenian Forces to convocate a Senate whereby they expected to establish Monarchy Anarchus all this while like a boyling liquor could not contain himself in a private condition without running over and like the children chose rather to be burnt in the sunshine of a publick imployment thaâ— stay in the shade of privacy wherefore he deals with some Officers to recall him and entering in a confederacy among themselves they deal with Morus General of the Lacedemonian Forces to concur with them in perswading Ephemerus to set the Senate a packing which Morus poor fool assents to and whereof Ephemerus is simply perswaded the one induced by the glory of governing the Army who was to govern all and the other terrified by fear concluding that the Army would assume by force what was denyed in favour Thus we see glory makes men too credulous because it ponders danger too little and fear makes men too credulous because it ponders danger too much the one not seeing what is and the other seeing more than is which are the two ordinary diseases both in the eyes of body and mind And as in things corporeal so also in spiritual productions we see monsters both in defect and excesse engendred prudence missing its mark in the one as nature misseth hers in the other for as hot-spurr'd ambition will not suffer prudence to stand to hear its errand so leaden-footed fear suffers the occasion to slip before it brings prudence up to the place where it should act and as one who runneth can never see any object which he posts by exactly so one may dull his sight after such a fashion in looking too long upon one object that he may come to see nothing because he hath looked too much And premeditation is like the fire whose flames shew equally little light at first when it is kindled and at last when it hath burnt too long But Ephemerus was hugely misted by his own folly in this fear being alwayes like a mist which makes the object appear greater than it is for seing there are only two wayes either to acquire or retain Supremacy the one by a pretended authority such as the Senate was and the other by irresistable force such as the Army was and since he was confident that Anarchus had debauch'd the Army from his obedience he should never have abandoned the Senate Neither did Morus evidence lesse folly in colluding with Anarchus for he might have seen if the eyes of his reason had been open that since Anarchus was able to dissolve the Senate by the assistance of the Army that he might in time by their assistance ruine him far more easily who was but a single person and seing many of those who commanded had been under Anarchus his charge when they were Morus his competitors and equals he might have concluded that they would far more willingly obey an old master than one but late equal as also that the Souldiery who had been victorious under his conduct and so were confident of his courage and prudence would more cordially follow him than any else and by Autarchus eying him as his competitor Morus might have feared to take him in to be his colleague No sooner is the Senate dissolved than the Army establishes that old Senate which Autarchus had at first dissolved for seing they found that the Nation could not be satisfied without a Senate they resolved to establish that wherein many of themselves were members and whom because of their paucity they might easily command Yet many judged that they recalled these fools not out of any affection but meerly because they were not able themselves to settle their own differences in so short a time which conjecture was approven by the event for these Officers of the Army finding that the Senate consulted them not in all particulars nor called them to fill up the vacant places which were many amongst them did endeavour to re-assume that power with which they had invested those ingrate fellows formerly who look'd upon their restorers as if they had only been their servants which they perceiving ordered the casheering of these daring Officers and especially of Morus and Anarchus but being hated by the people as those Leeches who had suckt the Bloud Royal and as those burriers who had strangled the tranquillity of the Nation and being jealoused by the Army as the persons who endeavoured to wrest the power out of their hands they were turned out by Anarchus and the whole power was retained by the Army who resolved to subject themselves to none and to make all subjects to them Hereupon Monus whom the late Senate eying as a Royallist had called to bear charge in Lacedemon intending really to have laid him fast by the heels did refuse alwayes pretending that he was bound by promise to the Army of Athens not to remove thence till they were compleatly satisfied of their Arrears whereby he found a pretext to excuse his stay seing he knew that they could not advance so much money and endeared himself to the Souldiery and did fully engage them to him and now perceiving that the Commonwealth would one day perish by their convulsion fits of schism to which it was so subject and knowing by its change of colour that it did begin to faint resolved to lay hold on this occasion and to purge away these malignant humours out of the body of the State whilst they were thus commoved wherefore he declareth War against the Council because they had banisht the Senate yet covertly he hated the Senate as much as them but resolved by helping the weakest and by ruining the Army to re-establish Theopemptus for effectuating whereof he cashiers instantly all such in his Army as