licentious by reason of the victorie of MARATHON who sought that all thinges should passe by them and their authoritie beganne nowe to mislike and to be greatly offended that any priuate man should go before the rest in good fame and reputacion Whereupon they came out of all shyeres of ATTICA into the city of ATHENS and so banished Aristides with the Ostracismon disguising the enuy they bare to his glory with the name of feare of tyranny For this maner of banishment called Ostracismon or Exostracismon was no ordinary punishment for any fault or offence committed but to geue it an honest cloke they sayd it was onely a pulling downe and tying shorte of to much greatnesse and authority exceeding farre the maner and countenance of a popular state But to tell you truly it was none otherwise thē a gentle meane to qualify the peoples enuy against some priuate person which enuy bred no malice to him whose greatnes did offende them but onely tended to the banishing of him for tenne yeares But afterwardes that by practise this Ostracismon banishment was layed apon meane men and malefactors as vpon Hyperbolus that was the last man so banished they neuer after vsed it any more at ATHENS And by the way it shall not be amisse to tell you here why wherfore this Hyperbolus was banished Alcibiades and Nicias were the chiefest men of ATHENS at that time and they both were euer at square together a common thing amongest great men They perceiuing now by the peoples assembling that they went about to execute the Ostracismon were maruelously afrayed it was ment to banishe one of them wherefore they spake together and made both their followers frends with eche other and ioyned them in one tribe together insomuch when the most voyces of the people were gathered to condemne him that should be banished they founde it was Hyperbolus The people therewith were much offended to see the Ostracismon so embased and scorned that they neuer after woulde vse it againe and so left it of for euer But briefely to let you vnderstande what the Ostracismon was and after what sorte they vsed it ye are to know that at a certaine day appointed euery citizen caried a great shell in his hantle whereupon he wrote the name of him he woulde haue banished and brought it into a certeine place railed about with wodden barres in the market place Then when euery man hadde brought in his shell the magistrates and officers of the city did count and tell the number of them For if there were lesse then sixe thowsand citizens that had thus brought these shels together the Ostracismon was not full and perfect That done they layd a parte euery mans name written in these shels and whose name they founde wrytten by most citizens they proclaimed him by sounde of trompet a banished man for tenne yeares during which time notwithstanding the party did enioy all his goodes Now euery man wryting thus his name in a shell whom they would haue banished it is reported there was a plaine man of the contry very simple that coulde neither wryte nor read who came to Aristides being the first man he met with gaue him his shell praying him to wryte Aristides name vpon it He beinge abashed withall did aske the contrie man if Aristides had euer done him any displeasure No sayed the contrie man he neuer did me hurt nor I know him not but it greeues me to heare euery man call him a iust man Aristides hearing him say so gaue him no aunswere but wrote his owne name vpon the shell and deliuered it againe to the contrie man But as he went his way out of the citie he lift vppe his handes to heauen and made a prayer contrary to that of Achilles in Homer besechinge the goddes that the ATHENIANS might neuer haue such troubles in hande as they shoulde be compelled to call for Aristides againe Notwithstandinge within three yeares after when Xerxes king of PERSIA came with his army through the contries of THESSALIE and BOEOTIA and entred into the heart of the contrie of ATTICA the ATHENIANS reuoking the law of their Ostracismon called home againe all those they had banished and specially bicause they were afrayd Aristides would take parte with the barbarous people and that his example should moue many other to do the like wherin they were greatly deceiued in the nature of the man For before that he was called home he continually trauelled vp and downe perswading and incoraginge the GREECIANS to mainteine and defende their liberty After that lawe was repealed and published and that Themistocles was chosen the only Lieutenant generall of ATHENS he did alwayes faithfully aide and assist him in all thinges as well with his trauell as also with his counsaill and thereby wanne his enemy great honor bicause it stoode apon the safetie and preseruation of his contrie For when Eurybiades generall of the armie of the GREECIANS had determined to forsake the I le of SALAMINA that the gallyes of the barbarous people were come into the middest of the seas and had environned the Iles all about the mouth of the arme of the straight of SALAMINA before any man knew they were thus inclosed in Aristides departing out of the I le of AEgina with a maruelous boldenes ventred through the middest of all the barbarous shippes and fleete and by good happe gotte in the night into Themistocles tent and calling him out spake with him there in this sorte Themistocles if we be both wise it is high time we shoulde nowe leaue of this vaine enuie and spite we haue longe time borne eche other and that we should enter into an other sorte of enuy more honorable and profitable for vs both I meane which of vs two should do his best indeuor to saue GREECE you by ruling and commaunding all like Lieutenant generall and I by counselling you for the best and executing your commaundement consideringe you are the man alone that will roundliest come vnto the point that is best which is in my opinion that we shoulde hazard battell by sea within the straight of SALAMINA and that as soone as might be possible But if our frendes and confederates do let this to be put in execution I do assure you your enemies do helpe it forward For it is sayd that the sea both before and behinde vs and rounde about vs is couered all ouer with their shippes so as they that would not before shall be now compelled of force and in spite of their heartes to fight and besturre them like men bicause they are compassed in all about and there is no passage left open for them to escape nor to slie Whereunto Themistocles aunswered I am sory Aristides that herein your honesty appeareth greater then mine but since it is so that you haue deserued the honor in beginning and procuring such an honorable and commendable strife betwene vs I will
him selfe And yet I do not commende him in that deede For peraduenture he did more hurt to SPARTA bringing thither that gold siluer then Sylla did to ROME in wasting and consuming that he consumed Howbeit I alleage this onely for proofe and declaration that Lysander was nothing couetous They both haue done that vnto their citie which neuer any other but them selues did For Sylla being a riotous and licentious man brought his citizens notwithstanding to good order and gouernment and Lysander contrarily filled his citie with vice yet not infected withall him selfe Thus were they both offendors the one for breaking the law he commaunded to be kept and the other in making the citizens worse then he was him selfe for he taught the SPARTANS to desire those thinges which he aboue all things had learned to despise And thus much concerning peace and ciuill gouernment Now for matters of warre and battells fought there is no comparison to be made of Lysander to Sylla neither in number of victories nor in hazard of battell For Lysander wanne only but two battells by sea besides the taking of the citie of ATHENS which though I graunt him being rightly considered was no great exployte of warre howbeit it was a noble act considering the same he wan by it And as for things which happened to him in BOEOTIA hard by the citie of ALIARTE a man might say peraduenture that he had ill lucke But yet me thinkes also there was a fault in him for that he stayed not for king Pausanias aide the which came from PLATHES immediatly after his ouerthrow and bicause he went in a geere in fury and in a vaine ambition to runne his head against a wall so that men of all sortes making a desperate sayle out of ALIARTE vpon him slue him there to no purpose Farre vnlike to Cleombrotus that died at the battell of LEVCTRES resisting his enemies that distressed his men nor yet like Cyrus nor Epaminondas who to keepe his men from flying and to geue them assured victory receiued his deadly wounde for all these men dyed like noble kings valliant Captaines Where Lysander rashly cast him selfe away to his great dishonor by too much venturing prouing thereby that the auncient SPARTANS did like wise men to auoyde the fight with walles For the noblest and valliantest man that is or possible can be may easily be so slaine not onely by the first souldier that commeth but by euery seely woman or childe As they say that the worthy Achilles was killed by Paris within the very gates of TROIA Now to the contrarie againe the victories that Sylla wanne in set battells and the thowsandes of enemies which he slue are not easily to be numbred besides also that he tooke the city of ROME twise and the hauen of ATHENS not by famine as Lysander did but by force after he had by many great battells driuen Archelaus out of firme land into the maine sea It is to be considered also against what Captaines they made warres For me thinkes it was but a pastime as a mā might say for Lysander to fight with Antiochus a pylot of Alcibiades or to surprise and deceiue Philocles a common orator at ATHENS Much vvorse then tvvo edged svvord his busie tongue did seeme VVhich pratled still and honestie did neuer once esteeme And whom Mithridates in my opinion would not vouchesafe to compare with his horse-keeper nor Marius with one of his sergeauntes or masebearers But to leaue a side the particular names of all other Princes Lordes Consulls Praetors Captaines and Gouernors that made warres with Sylla what ROMANE Captaine was there more to be feared then Marius what king liuing was there of such power as king Mithridates And of Generalls and Lieutenauntes of armies in all ITALIE were there any euer more valliant then Lamponius and Thelesinus of the which Sylla draue the one away and brought the other to obey him and slue the two last But the greatest matter of all that we haue spoken of yet in my opinion was that Lysander did all his noble actes with the aide of his whole contrie where Sylla to the contrarie did his being banished from his contry by his enemies And at the selfe same time that they draue Syllaes wife out of ROME that they ouerthrewe his houses and slue his frendes also in ROME he notwithstanding made warres in the meane time with infinite thowsandes of fighting men in BOEOTIA and ventred his person in manifold daungers so that in the end he conquered them all to the honor benefit of his contry Furthermore Sylla would neuer stoupe to king Mithridates for any particular allyance he offred him neither yeelde vnto him for any aide of men or money to warre against his enemies but a thing most chiefely to be noted aboue the rest he would not vouchesafe to speake to Mithridates nor to take him by the hande onely before he had spoken it with his owne mouth and faithfully promised that he would forgoe ASIA deliuer him his gallies and geue vp the realmes of BITHYNIA and CAPPADOCIA vnto their naturall kinges This me thinkes was the goodliest act that euer Sylla did and proceeded of the greatest magnanimity to haue preferred the benefit of the common wealth in that sorte before his priuate cōmodity For therin he was like vnto a good greyhoūd that first pincheth the deare and holdeth him fast till he haue ouerthrowen him and then afterwardes followeth the recouery of his owne priuate quarrell And lastly me thinkes it is easily iudged what difference there was betwene their two natures in that they did both towardes the citie of ATHENS For Sylla hauing taken it after the citizens had made fierce warres with him for the increase of king Mithridates greatnes yet he left it free vnto them enioying their owne lawes Where Lysander to the contrary seing such a mighty state and Empire as that ouerthrowen from the great rule it bare had no pity of it at all but tooke away the libertie of popular gouernment whereby it had bene gouerned of long time before and established there very cruell and wicked tyrans And therfore in myne opinion we shall not much swarue from troth if we geue this iudgement that Sylla did the greater acts and Lysander committed the fewer faultes And that we geue to the one the honor of a continent and modest man and to the other the commendacion of a valliant and skilfull souldier THE LIFE OF Cimon PEripoltas the Soothsayer he that brought king Opheltas out of THESSALIE into the contry of BOEOTIA with the people which were vndre his obedience left a posterity after him that long time florished in that contry the more parte of the which were euer resident in the city of CHAERONEA bicause it was the first city that was cōquered from the barbarous people whom they expulsed thence All they that came of that race were commonly men of great corage and naturally geuen to the
forbad him his sonnes company bicause he vnderstood he intised him to dronkennes to other great dishonestie Of all his epistles he wrote in greeke there is but that onely written incholler and another which he wrote vnto Pelops BYZANTINE And for that he wrote to Gorgias he had great reason to be offended with him and to tawnt him in his letter bicause as it seemed he was a man of very lewde life and conuersation But in contrary manner writing as he did to Pelops finding him selfe greued with him for that he was negligent in procuring the BYZANTINES to ordeine some publike honors in his behalfe that me thinkes proceeded of ouermuch ambition the which in many things made him too much forget the part of an honest man and onely bicause he would be commended for his eloquence When he had on a time pleaded Munatius cause before the Iudges who shortly after accused Sabinus a friend of his it is reported that he was so angry with him that he told him what Munatius hast thou forgotten that thou wert discharged the last day of thine accusation not for thine innocency but for a miste I cast before the Iudges eies that made them they could not discerne the fault An other tyme also hauing openly praysed Marcus Crassus in the pulpit with good audience of the people shortly after he spake to the contrary all the euill he could of him in the same place Why how now sayde Crassus didest thou not thy selfe highly prayse me in this place the last day I can not deny it sayd Cicero but in deede I tooke an ill matter in hand to shewe mine eloquence An other time Crassus chaunced to say in an open assembly that none of all the Crassi of his house that euer liued aboue lx yeares and afterwards againe repenting him selfe he called it in againe and sayde Sure I knewe not what I did when I sayd so Cicero aunswered him againe thou knewest well enough the people were glad to heare it and therefore spakest it to please them Another time Crassus liking the opinion of the Stoicke Philosophers that sayd the wise man was euer riche Cicero aunswered him and bad him consider whether they ment not thereby that the wise man had all thinges Crassus couetousnes was defamed of euery man Of Crassus sonnes one of them did much resemble Actius and therefore his mother had an ill name by him one daye this sonne of Crassus made an oration before the Senate which diuers of them commended very muche So Cicero beeing asked how he liked it me thinkes sayde he it is Actius of Crassus About this tyme Crassus being ready to take his iorney into SYRIA he desired to haue Cicero his friend rather thē his enemy Therefore one night making muche of him he tolde Cicero that he would come and suppe with him Cicero sayde he should be welcome Shortly after some of his friendes told him of Vatinius how he was desirous to be made friendes with him for he was his enemy What q Cicero and will he come to supper too Thus he vsed Crassus Now this Vitinius hauing a swollen necke one daye pleading before Cicero he called him the swollen Orator Another tyme when he heard say that he was dead and then that he was aliue againe a vengeance on him sayde he that hath lyed so shamefully Another tyme when Caesar had made a lawe for the deuiding of the lands of CAMPANIA vnto the souldiers diuers of the Senate were angry with him for it and among other Lucius Gellius a very olde man said he would neuer graunt it while he liued Cicero pleasauntly aunswered againe alas tary a litle the good olde man will not trouble you long Another tyme there was one Octauius supposed to be an AFRICAN borne He when Cicero on a time pleaded a matter saide that he heard him not Cicero presently aunswered him againe and yet hast thou a hole bored through thine eare Another time Metallus Nepos told him that he had ouerthrowen moe men by his witnes then he had saned by his eloquence I graunt said Cicero for in deede I haue more faith then eloquence in me So was there also a younge man that was suspected to haue poysoned his father with a tarte that boasted he would reuile Cicero I had rather haue that of thee q Cicero then thy tarte Publius Sextius also hauing a matter before the Iudges enterteyned Cicero with other of his Counsellers but yet he would speake all him selfe and giue none of the Orators leaue to say any thing In the ende when they sawe plainely that the Iudges would discharge him being ready to giue sentence Cicero saide vnto him besturre thee hardily to day for to morrowe Sextius thou shalt be a priuate man Another one Publius Scotta who would fayne haue bene thought a wise Lawyer and yet had litle witte and vnderstanding Cicero appealed to him as a witnes in a matter and being examined he aunswered he knewe nothing of it Cicero replied to him againe thou thinkest peraduenture they aske thee touching the law Againe Metellus Nepos in a certaine disputacion he had with Cicero did many times repeate who is thy father Cicero aunswered him againe thy mother hath made this question harder for thee to aunswer This Nepos mother was reported to be a light housewife and he as suttle witted and vnconstant For he being Tribune left in a geere the exercise of his office and went into SYRIA to Pompey vpon no occasion and as fondly againe he returned thence vpon a sodaine His Schoolemaister Philager also being dead he buried him very honestly and set a crowe of stone vpon the toppe of his tombe Cicero finding it tolde him thou hast done very wisely for thy Maister hath taught thee rather to flie then to speake Another time Appius Clodius pleading a matter saide in his preamble that his friende had earnestly requested him to employe all his knowledge diligence and faith vpon this matter O goddes saide Cicero and hast thou shewed thy selfe so harde harted to thy friende that thou hast performed none of all these he requested thee Nowe to vse these fine tawnts and girds to his enemies it was a parte of a good Orator but so commonly to girde euery man to make the people laughe that wanne him greate ill will of many as shall appeare by some examples I will tell you Marcus Aquinius had two sonnes in lawe who were both banished Cicero therefore called him Adrastus Lucius Cotta by chaunce also was Censor at that tyme when Cicero sued to be Consul and beeing there at the daye of the election he was a thyrst and was driuen to drinke But while he dranke all his friendes stoode about him and after he had dronke he saide vnto them It is well done of ye sayde he to be affrayed least the Censor shoulde be angry with me bicause I drinke water for it was reported the Censor loued wine well Another tyme Cicero
to geue the goddes thankes for his comming as for some wonderful great good happe chaunced vnto his seigniory Furthermore the wonderfull modestie and temperaunce that was begon to be obserued in feast and bankets the Court cleane chaunged and the great goodnes and clemencie of the tyran in all thinges in ministring iustice to euerie man did put the SYRACVSANS in great good hope of chaunge and euerie man in the Court was verie desirous to geue him selfe to learning and Philosophie So that as men reported the tyrannes pallace was full of sande and dust with the numbers of studentes that drewe plattes and figures of Geometrie Shortlie after Plato was arriued by chaunce the time was comen about to doe a solemne sacrifice within the castell at whiche sacrifice the Heraulde as the manner was proclaimed alowde the solemne prayer accustomed to be done that is woulde please the goddes long to preserue the state of the tyrannie and that Dionysius being harde by him sayd vnto him what wilt thou not leaue to curse me This worde grieued Philistus and his companions to the harte thinkinge that with time by litle and litle Plato would winne suche estimacion and great authoritie with Dionysius that afterwardes they shoulde not be able to resist him considering that in so short a time as he had bene with Dionysius he had so altered his minde and courage And therefore they nowe beganne not one by one nor in hugger mugger but all of them with open mowth together to accuse Dion and sayed that it was easie to be seene howe he charmed and inchaunted Dionysius through Platoes eloquence to make him willing to resigne his gouernment bicause he woulde transferre it to the handes of the children of his sister Aristomaché Others seemed to be offended for that the ATHENIANS hauing comen before into SICILIA with a great armie both by sea and land they were all lost and cast away and could not win the city of SYRACVSA that now by one only Sophister they vtterly destroyed and ouerthrewe the Empire of Dionysius perswading him to discharge the ten thowsand souldiers he had about him for his garde to forsake the foure hundred gallies the ten thowsand horsemen and as many moe footemen to goe to the Academy to seeke an vnknowen happines neuer heard of before and to make him happy by Geometry resigning his present happines and felicitie to be a great Lord to haue money at will and to liue pleasauntlie vnto Dion and his Neuewes By such like accusations and wicked tongues Dionysius began first to mistrust Dion and afterwardes to be openly offended with him and to frowne vpon him In the meane time they brought letters Dion wrote secretlie vnto the Gouernors of the citie of CARTHAGE willing them that when they would make peace with Dionysius they shoulde not talke with him vnlesse he stoode by assuring them that he would helpe them to set things in quietnes that all should be well againe When Dionysius had red these letters with Philistus had taken his aduise counsel what he should do as Timaeus said he deceiued Dion vnder pretence of recoÌ„ciliacioÌ„ making as though he ment him no hurt saying that he would become frends again with him So he brought Dion one day to the sea side vnder his castell and shewed him these letters burdening him to haue practised with the CARTHAGINIANS against him And as Dion went about to make him answere to cleere himself Dionysius would not heare him but caused him to be taken vp as he was and put into a pinnase commaunded the marines to set him a lande vpon the coast of ITALIE After this was done and that it was knowen abroad in the citie euerie man thought it a cruell parte of Dionysius insomuche that the tyrans pallace was in a maruelous pecke of troubles for the great sorowe the women made for the departure of Dion Moreouer the citie selfe of SYRACVSA began to looke about them looking for some sodaine great chaunge innouation for the tumult vprore that would happen by meanes of Dions banishment and for the mistrust also that all men would haue of Dionysius Dionysius considering this and being affrayed of some misfortune he gaue his frendes and the women of his pallace comfortable words telling them that he had not banished him but was contented that he should absent him selfe for a time being affrayed that in his sodaine angry moode he might peraduenture be compelled to do him some worse turne if he remained bicause of his obstinacie and selfewill Furthermore he gaue vnto Dions frends two shippes to carie as much goodes money and as many of Dions seruauntes as they woulde and to conuey them vnto him vnto PELOPONNESVS Dion was a maruelous rich man for the pompe of his seruice and sumptuous moueables of his house they were like vnto the person of a tyran All these riches Dions frendes brought abord vpon those shippes and caried them vnto him besides many other rich gifts which the women and his frends sent vnto him So that by meanes of his great riches Dion was maruelouslie esteemed among the GRAECIANS who by the â—iches of a banished citizen coniectured what the power of a tyranne might be But now concerning Plato when Dion was exiled Dionysius caused him to be lodged in his castell and by this meanes craftilie placed vnder cloke of frendshippe an honorable garde about him bicause he shoulde not returne into GRAECE to seeke Dion to tell him of the iniurie he had done vnto him Howbeit Dionysius often frequenting him companie as a wilde beast is made tame by companie of man he liked his talke so well that he became in loue with him but it was a tyrannicall loue For he woulde haue Plato to loue none but him and that he shoulde esteeme him aboue all men liuing being readie to put the whole realme into his handes And all his forces so that he woulde thinke better of him then of Dion Thus was this passionate affection of Dionysius grieuous vnto Plato For he was so drowned with the loue of him as men extreamelie gealous of the women they loue that in a moment he woulde sodainly fall out with him and straight againe become frendes and pray him to pardon him And to say truelie he had a maruelous desire to heare Platoes Philosophie but on the other side he reuerenced them that did disswade him from it and told him that he woulde spoyle him selfe if he entred ouerdeepelie into it In the meane time fell out warre and thereuppon he sent Plato againe away promising him that the next spring he woulde sende for Dion him But he brake promise therein and yet sent him his reuenues and prayed Plato to pardon him though he had not kept promise at his time appointed For he alleaged the warre was the cause and that so soone as he had ended his warre he woulde sende for Dion whome in the meane
to be strong by sea was it that dyd mainteine the authoritie of the popular state And that contrariwise they which liue by the labour and toyle of the earthe doe more willingly like the gouernment of Nobilitie Themistocles called to minde another matter also of greater importance to make the cittie of ATHENS of a greater power by sea For after the retire of Xerxes and that all the fleete and nauie of the GRAECIANS wintered in the hauen of PAGASES he sayed one daye in an open assembly of the people that he had thought of a thing which would be very profitable and beneficiall for them but it was not to be tolde openly The people willed him then to imparte it to Aristides and if he thought it good they would execute it speedely Themistocles then tolde Aristides the thing he had considered of was to burne the Arcenal where the GRAECIANS nauy laye and to set on fire all their shippes Aristides hearing his purpose returned to the people and tolde them howe nothing could be more profitable but with all more vniust then that which Themistocles had deuised The ATHENIANS then willed Aristides it should be let alone altogether Furthermore when the LACEDAEMONIANS had exhibited their petition to the counsell of the Amphictyons that is the generall counsaill of all the states of GRAECE assembled howe the townes and citties of GRAECE which had not bene parties with the GRAECIANS to the league against the barbarous people should be put of wholy from this counsaill Themistocles dowting of the ARGIVES the THESSALIANS and the THEBANS also should by this meanes be exempted that the LACEDAEMONIANS would be then the greater number in voyces and by this meanes might doe what they would in this counsell he spake so consideratly for the citties which they would haue thus discharged that he made the petitioners in the assembly vtterly to chaunge their opinion Declaring howe there were but one and thirtie citties comprised only the league and yet that some of them were very weake and small and howe it were no reason that reiecting all the rest of GRECE the greatest authoritie of this counsaill should fall into the handes of two or three of the chiefest citties alone For this cause chiefly the LACEDAEMONIANS dyd euer beare him extreme hatred and dyd set vp Cimon all they could to be allwayes aduersary opposite vnto him and as it were to bearde him in all matters of state and the gouernment of ATHENS They procured him besides the ill will and displeasure of all the friendes and confederates of the ATHENIANS for that he went sayling still to and fro alongest the Iles exacting money of the inhabitants of the same And this is to be knowen by the matter propounded by him to the ANDRIANS of whom he would haue had money and by the aunswer they made him as Herodotus writeth Which was howe he had brought them two mightie goddes Loue and Force And they aunswered him againe that they also had two great goddesses which kept them from geuing of him any money Pouertie and Impossibilitie And to make this good also Timocreon the Rhodian poet galled him to the quicke when he sharpely taunted him for calling many home againe for money that were banished and howe for couetousnes of money he had betrayed and forsaken his hoste and friende The verses wherein this matter is mentioned are to this effecte VVho list commend vvorthy Pausanias Xanthippus or good Leotychides yet shall I seeme but light thereof to passe compared vvith valliant Aristides For yet vvas naye the like in Athens tovvne nor neuer shall come none of like renovvne Themistocles by right and due deserte is hated of Latons for his lyes and for he bare a traitrous vvicked harte vvho like a vvretche nigard did deuise for small revvardes his host Timocreon to holde out of his countrie Ialison He tooke for bribe vniustly yet therevvhile of redy coyne three talents fayre and bright revoking such as pleased him from exile and banishing full many a vvorthy vvight Or putting them to death vvithout cause tolde he gate thereby great heapes of coyne and golde But in the ende ôright revvarde for such this bribing vvretch vvas forced for to holde a tipling bovvthe most like a clovvne or fâ—â—â—he at holy feastes and pastimes manifold vvhich vvere amongest the people in those dayes Istmiciane folke dyd vse the like allvvayes And there he serued his gests vvith cold meat still vvhilest they that tasted of his cookerie gan vvishe that they to ease their vveary vvill had neuer liued to see the treccherie of false Themistocles and that he might no longer liue vvhich vvrought them such despight After this he dyd more openly blase him to the worlde when he was banished and condemned in a songe that had beginning thus O Muse let these my verses be disperst throughout all Grace since they deserue no lesse and since the truthe vvhich is in them rehearst deserueth fame vvhom no man should suppresse They saye the cause was why this Timocreon was banished the friendshippe which he had with the Barbarous people and for geuing them intelligence Whereof Themistocles was one that iudicially condemned him Wherefore when Themistocles him selfe was accused afterwards of the same faulte Timocreon then made these verses following against him Timocreon vvas not vvithout his pheere vvhich did conferre vvith Medes priuely Since others mo the selfe same blame might beare mo foxes lurke in dennes as vvell as I. Besides these verses Themistocles owne citizens for the ill will they bare him were contented to heare him ill spoken of Therefore while he fought wayes to redresse all this he was driuen to vse such meane which more increased their hatred toward him For in his orations to the people he dyd ofte remember them of the good seruice he had done them and perceyuing howe they were offended withall he was driuen to saye Why are ye weary so ofte to receyue good by one man Many of them were very angry with him also when he surnamed Diana in the dedication of her temple he made vnto her Aristobule as much to saye as the good counseller meaning thereby howe he had geuen graue and wise counsell both vnto his cittie and to all the rest of the GRECIANS He built this temple also neere his house in a place called Melita where the hangemen doe cast the dead bodies of those that were executed and throwe the ragges and halters endes of those that were hanged or otherwise put to death by lawe There was also in our dayes in the temple of Diana Aristobule a litle image of Themistocles which shewed plainely that he was not only wise and of a noble minde but also of a great maiestie and countenaunce in face In the ende the ATHENIANS banished him ATHENS for fiue yere bicause they would plucke downe his ouergreat corage and authoritie as they dyd vse to serue those whose greatnes they thought to be more then common equalitie
there was one Diomedes at ATHENS a friend of Alcibiades no ill man who desired once in his life to winne a game at the playes Olympicall This man being enformed that the ARGIVES had a coche excellently furnished belonging to their cōmon weale and knowing that Alcibiades could doe very much in the cittie of ARGOS bicause he had many friends in the same he came to intreate Alcibiades to buye this coche for him Alcibiades thereupon bought it but kept it to him selfe not regarding Diomedes request he had made Diomedes seeing that fell starke mad for anger and called the goddes men to witnesses that Alcibiades did him open wrong and it seemeth that there fell out sute in lawe vpon the same For Isocrates wrote an oration and drue a plea in defence of Alcibiades being yet but a childe touching a couple of horses yet in this plea his aduersarie was called Tisias and not Diomedes Furthermore Alcibiades being yet but a young man when he came to practise and pleade publikly he put all other Oratours to silence but only two that were euer against him the one was Phaeax the sonne of Erasistratus and the other Nicias the sonne of Niceratus Of these two Nicias was a man growen and had wonne the name reputation of a good captaine And Phaeax beganne also to come forward as he dyd being of a good and honorable house but he lacked many things and among other eloquence specially For he could more properly talke and discourse among his friends priuately then he had any good grace to open a matter openly before the people For he had as Enpolis sayeth VVordes enovve but no eloquence There is a certen oration extant in writing against Alcibiades and Phaeax where among other accusations is brought in howe Alcibiades was ordinarily serued in his house with gold siluer plate that belonged to the cōmon weale and which were vsed to be borne for state magnificence in solemne processions before them and how he vsed them as boldly as if they had bene his owne Now there was one Hyperbolus in ATHENS at that time borne in the village of Perithoide of whom Thucydides maketh mencion as of a naughty wicked man whose tongue was a fit instrument to deliuer matter to all the Comicall poets of that time to poore out all their tawnts and mockes against men Howbeit he was so impudent a persone and cared so litle what men sayed of him that he passed not though he were defamed neither dyd any thing greue him whatsoeuer they reported of him which some doe call boldnes and corage being no better in deede then plaine impudencie extreme madnes and desperate follie He would neuer please any man if the common people had any grudge to any noble man or magistrate whom they would any waye accuse Hyperbolus wicked tongue was their instrument to vtter their spyte Now the people by Hyperbolus procurement being assembled were ready to proceede to the banishment of Ostracismon by most voyces The manner custome of this kynde of banishment was for a time to banish out of their cittie such a one as seemed to haue to great authoritie and credit in the cittie and that was rather to satisfie their enuie then for to remedy their feare And bicause it was manifest it would fall out to one of them three to be banished to wit Alcibiades Nicias or Phaeax Alcibiades sound meanes to ioyne all their three factions in one becomming friends one to another and hauing conferred with Nicias about it he made Hyperbolus self to be banished who was the chief instrument to prepare the waye of their banishment Howbeit other saye he spake not with Nicias about it but with Phaeax and ioyning his parte with Phaeax he caused Hyperbolus to be banished who feared nothing lesse for it was neuer seene before that a man of meane countenaunce and of small authoritie fell into the happe of this banishment As Plato the Comicall poet testifieth speaking of Hyperbolus Although for his deserts this payne to him is due or greater punishment prepard the vvhich might make him rue Yet since he vvas by birth a persone meane and base such punishment therefore dyd seeme for him to great of grace Since Ostracismon vvas not made at first to be nor yet deuisde as punishment for suche meane folke as he But of this matter we haue spoken more at large before and now to returne againe to Alcibiades Nicias had great reputation among straungers and his enemies greued at it no lesse then at the honour the cittizens selues dyd vnto him For his house was the common inne for all LACEDAEMONIANS when they came to ATHENS and they euer laye with him moreouer he had very well entertained the LACADAEMON prisoners that were taken at the sorte of PYLE And afterwards when peace was concluded betweene LACEDAEMON and ATHENS and their prisoners redeliuered home againe by Nicias meanes only procurement they loued him more then euer they dyd before This was blowen abroade through GREECE that Pericles had kindled the warres amongest them and Nicias had quenched it so some called this peace Nicium as one would saye Nicias worke But Alcibiades stomaking this and enuying Nicias glorie determined to breake the peace whatsoeuer came of it Wherefore to compasse this matter knowing first of all that the ARGIVES had no liking of the LACEDAEMONIANS but were their mortall enemies and that they dyd but seeke matter to fall out with them he secretly put them in hope of peace and league with the ATHENIANS Moreouer he dyd persuade them to it both by letters and worde of mouthe speaking with the magistrates and suche as had greatest authoritie and credit amongest the people declaring vnto them that they should not feare the LACEDAEMONIANS nor yeld to them at all but to sticke to the ATHENIANS who would sone repent them of the peace they had made and breake it with them Afterwardes when the LACEDAEMONIANS had made league with the BOEOTIANS and had redeliuered the cittie of PANACTVM to the ATHENIANS all defaced and spoyled contrarie to the league Alcibiades perceyuing how the people were muche offended thereat made them more earnest against them and therewith all brought Nicias in disgrace with the people and charged him with many matters of great likelyhood As at that time when he was generall that he would neuer take any of the LACEDAEMONIANS when they were shut vp within the I le of SPHACTERIA and muche lesse distresse them when he might and moreouer that when other had taken them prisoners by force that he had founde the meanes to deliuer them and send them home againe to gratifie the LACEDAEMONIANS Furthermore that being their friende he dyd not his duety to disswade the people from making of league offensiue and defensiue with the BOEOTIANS and the CORINTHIANS and againe also if there were any people of GREECE that had a desire to become friendes and allies with the
so much as it was for spite and displeasure he thought to doe them Antipater in a letter of his writing of the death of Aristotle the philosopher doth not without cause commend the singular giftes that were in Alcibiades and this inespecially that he passed all other for winning mens good willes Wheras all Martius noble actes and vertues wanting that affabilitie became hatefull euen to those that receiued benefit by them who could not abide his seueritie and selfe will which causeth desolation as Plato sayeth and men to be ill followed or altogether forsaken Contrariwise seeing Alcibiades had a trimme entertainment and a very good grace with him and could facion him selfe in all companies it was no maruell if his well doing were gloriously commended and him selfe much honoured and beloued of the people considering that some faultes he did were oftetimes taken for matters of sporte and toyes of pleasure And this was the cause that though many times he did great hurte to the common wealth yet they did ofte make him their generall and trusted him with the charge of the whole citie Where Martius suing for an office of honour that was due to him for the sundrie good seruices he had done to the state was notwithstanding repulsed and put by Thus doe we see that they to whome the one did hurte had no power to hate him and thother that honoured his vertue had no liking to loue his persone Martius also did neuer any great exployte beinge generall of his contry men but when he was generall of their enemies against his naturall contrie whereas Alcibiades being both a priuate persone and a generall did notable seruice vnto the ATHENIANS By reason whereof Alcibiades wheresoeuer he was present had the vpper hande euer of his accusers euen as he would him selfe and their accusations tooke no place against him onlesse it were in his abscence Where Martius being present was condemned by the ROMAINES and in his person murdered and slaine by the VOLSCES But here I can not say they haue done well nor iustly albeit him selfe gaue them some colour to doe it when he openly denied the ROMAINE Ambassadors peace which after he priuatly graunted at the request of women So by this dede of his he tooke not away the enmity that was betwene both peoples but leauing warre still betwene them he made the VOLSCES of whome he was generall to lose the oportunity of noble victory Where in deede he should if he had done as he ought haue withdrawen his armie with their counsaill consent that had reposed so great affiance in him in making him their generall if he had made that accompt of them as their good will towards him did in duety binde him Or else if he did not care for the VOLSCES in the enterprise of this warre but had only procured it of intent to be reuenged and afterwards to leaue it of when his anger was blowen ouer yet he had no reason for the loue of his mother to pardone his contrie but rather he should in pardoning his contrie haue spared his mother bicause his mother wife were members of the bodie of his contrie and city which he did besiege For in that he vncurteously reiected all publike petitions requestes of Ambassadors intreaties of the bishoppes priestes to gratifie only the request of his mother with his departure that was no acte so much to honour his mother with as to dishonour his contrie by the which was preserued for the pitie and intercession of a woman not for the loue of it selfe as if it had not bene worthie of it And so was this departure a grace to say truly very odious and cruell and deserued no thankes of either partie to him that did it For he withdrew his army not at the request of the ROMAINES against whom he made warre nor with their consent at whose charge the warre was made And of all his misfortune and ill happe the austeritie of his nature and his hawtie obstinate minde was the onely cause the which of it selfe being hatefull to the worlde when it is ioyned with ambition it groweth then much more churlish fierce and intollerable For men that haue that fault in nature are not affable to the people seeming thereby as though they made no estimacion or regard of the people and yet on thother side if the people should not geue them honour and reuerence they would straight take it in scorne and litle care for the matter For so did Metellus Aristides and Epaminondis all vsed this manner not to seeke the good will of the common people by flatterie and dissimulation which was in deede bicause they despised that which the people coulde geue or take awaye Yet would they not be offended with their citizens when they were amerced and set at any fines or that they banished them or gaue them any other repulse but they loued them as wel as they did before so soone as they shewed any token of repentaunce that they were sorie for the wrong they had done them and were easely made frendes againe with them after they were restored from their banishment For he that disdaineth to make much of the people and to haue their fauour shoulde much more scorne to seeke to be reuenged when he is repulsed For to take a repulse and deniall of honour so inwardly to the hart commeth of no other cause but that he did too earnestly desire it Therefore Alcibiades did not dissemble at all that he was not very glad to see him selfe honored and sory to be reiected and denied any honour but also he sought all the meanes he could to make him selfe beloued of those amongest whome he liued Whereas Martius stowtnes and hawry stomake did stay him from making much of those that might aduaunce and honour him and yet his ambition made him gnawe him selfe for spite and anger when he sawe he was despised And this is all that reasonably may be reproued in him for otherwise he lacked no good commendable vertues and qualities For his temperaunce and cleane handes from taking of bribes and money he may be compared with the most perfect vertuous and honest men of all GRAECE but not with Alcibiades who was in that vndoutedly alwayes too licentious losely geuen and had too small regard of his credit and honestie The end of Caius Martius Coriolanus life THE LIFE OF Paulus AEmilius WHEN I first beganne to write these liues my intent was to profit other but since continuing and going on I haue muche profited my self by looking into these histories as if I looked into a glasse to frame and facion my life to the mowld and patterne of these vertuous noble men For ronning ouer their manners in this sorte and seeking also to describe their liues me thinkes I am still conuersaunt and familliar with them and doe as it were lodge them with me one after another And when I come to peruse their histories and to waye
in great distresse and that they turned their backes they returned sodainly againe And where Agesilaus might easily haue had the victory without any daunger if he had suffred the squadron of the enemies to passe by him and afterwards to haue charged them in the rereward of a noble corage to shew his valliantnes he gaue charge apon the voward to haue honor in ouercoÌ„ming them The THEBANS on the other side no lesse valliantly receiued him fought lustely on all hands but the cruellest fight was about Agesilaus person with the fifty young men that were sent to gard him who shewed theÌ„ selues very valliant Agesilaus was fore hurt notwithstanding their valliant resistance his armor being passed thorow with their pikes swords in sundry places whereupon they enuironned him round amongst theÌ„ kept him from the enemies killing a great number of theÌ„ many of them selues also being killed In fine finding the THEBANS too stroÌ„g in the voward they were forced to do that which they refused at the first and opening them selues gaue them passage thorow them So when they were passed them the SPARTANS perceiuing howe losely and disorderly they marched as thinking them selues out of all daunger followed them and gaue charge apon their flancke But all this could not make the THEBANS flie for they reioycing for their victorie at this battell retired fayer and softely vnto the mountaine Helicon But Agesilaus notwithstanding he was very sore hurt with many a grieuous wound would not go into his pauillion to be dressed before he had bene first at the place where the battell was fought and had seene his men that were slaine brought away in their armors As many of his enemies as were fled into the teÌ„ple of Minerua Itonian which was not farre from thence where also were sette vp tokens of triumphe offred vnto her long time before by the THEBANS when they had ouercomen the armie of the ATHENIANS vnder the conduct of Sparton their Captaine and had slaine also Tolmides their Captaine in the fielde he commaunded his men they should lette them goe where they would The next morning by breake of day Agesilaus desirous to see if the THEBANS had any corage to come downe to fight againe commaunded his souldiers to put garlandes apon their heades and his musitians to sounde their shalmes or pipes whilest he did sette vp a token of triumphe as victorious Moreouer his enemies sendinge to him to aske leaue to take away their dead men he graunted them truce for the time and thereby confirmed his victorie After that being caried to the citie of DELPHES where the Pythian games were played he made a solemne procession and common sacrifice vnto Apollo and offered him the tenth parte of all his spoyles which he had brought out of ASIA which amounted to the summer of an hundred talentes This thing done he returned into his contrie where he was greatly honored and esteemed of all his citizens and contrie men for his orderly life and noble behauiour for he was no chaungeling but the selfe same man in state condicion that he was before he tooke his iorney He transformed not him selfe into strangers manners as commonly other Captaines doe that returne out of a farre contrie where they haue made warres neitheir did he scorne his contrie facions or shewed him selfe disobedient to the lawes thereof but alwayes kept and obserued them without any manner of alteration in his meate or drinke in washing or bathing in his wiues apparell in his armory or any way else in his householde stuffe as if he had neuer passed ouer the riuer of Eurotas Yet further he left his olde gates standing that were of so great continuaunce that they were thought to be those which Aristodemus had set vp Xenophon also sayeth that his daughters Canathrum was nothing more sumptuous than any others were A Canathrum in LACEDAEMON is a kinde of coche or charret after the likenesse of griffin's hartes or goates apon the which they caried younge wenches in solemne processions in the citie Xenophon wrote not what was the name of this daughter of Agesilaus and Dicaearchus also was much offended that they neither knewe Agesilaus daughters name nor yet the mother of Epaminondas Yet we finde in the LACONIAN Chronicles that Agesilaus wiues name was Cleora one of his daughters called Apolia and the other Prolyta Moreouer Agesilaus speare is seene to this day in the citie of SPARTA euen like vnto others and no maner of difference Now Agesilaus perceiuing certaine citizens of SPARTA to stand vpon their reputacion and esteeming them selues aboue others bicause they kept horse in their stable perswaded his sister Cynisca to send her coche and coche horses to the Olympian games to runne for the best prise only to let the GRAECIANS see that it was no act of any vertue but simply of riches and cost Furthermore hauing Xenophon the Philosopher about him whome he loued and made great account of he perswaded him to send for his sonnes to LACEDAEMON that they might be brought vp there where they should learne the noblest science that men coulde possiblie learne to witte to obey and to commaunde When Lysander was dead Agesilaus at his returne out of ASIA founde a great â—action and conspiracie raised by his meanes against him in SPARTA and bicause it might appeare what manner of citizen Lysander was when he liued he was likely to haue openly shewed and declared an Oration which he founde among his wrytinges the which the Orator Cleon Halitarnasseus had wrytten for him and Lysander should haue cunned without booke to haue spoken in open assembly that was to stirre innouation and in maner haue made a chaunge of the whole gouernment of the common wealth of LACEDAEMON Howebeit there was a graue counseller that hauing red the oration and douting the apparant reasons and perswasions alleaged tolde him that he would wishe him not to plucke vp the dead againe out of his graue but rather to burie this oration together with his bodie Agesilaus liked the counsell and proceeded no further And for them that either were or had bene his enemies he did theÌ„ no hurt openly but found the meanes to make some of them to be sent as Lieutenaunt of army or otherwise to haue charge in the warres In fine he made it openly knowen what couetous and wicked men they had bene in their charges so that when they were accused of it before the counsell he would than helpe intreate for them By this meanes he made them againe his frendes where they had bene his enemies insomuch as in the ende he had not one enemie at all For the other king Agesipolis his colleague whose father had bene banished he being a very young man and of gentle nature medled not greatly with gouernment of the common wealth Neuerthelesse he so behaued him selfe vnto Agesilaus that he made him his verie good frende
thee this at my death When al the rest had dronke there was no more poyson left and the hangman sayd he would make no more vnlesse they gaue him twelue Drachmas for so much the pound did cost him Phocion perceiuing theÌ„ that the hangman delayed time he called one of his frends vnto him and prayed him to geue the hangman that litle money he demaunded sith a man can not dye at ATHENS for nothing without cost It was the nineteenth day of the moneth of Munichion to wit Marche on which day the Knights were wont to make a solemne procession in the honor of Iupiter howbeit some of them left of the garlandes of flowers which they shoulde haue worne on their heades and others also looking towards the prison dore as they went by burst out a weeping For they whose harts were not altogether hardned with crueltie whose iudgements were not wholly suppressed with enuie thought it a grieuous sacriledge against the goddes that they did not let that day passe but that they did defile so solemne a feast with the violeÌ„t death of a man His enemies notwithstanding continuing still their anger against him made the people passe a decree that his bodie should be banished and caried out of the bondes of the contry of ATTICA forbidding the ATHENIANS that no fire should be made for the solemnising of his funeralls For this respect no frend of his durst once touch his body Howebeit a poore man called Conopion that was wont to get his liuing that way being hyered for money to burne mens bodies he tooke his corse and caried it beyond the city of ELEVSIN and getting fire out of a womans house of MEGARA he solemnised his funeralls Furthermore there was a gentlewoman of MEGARA who comming by chaunce that way with her gentlewomen where his body was but newly burnt she caused the earth to be cast vp a litle where the body was burnt and made it like to hollow tombe whereupon she did vse such sprincklings and effusions as are commonly done at the funeralls of the dead then taking vp his bones in her lappe in the night she brought them home and buried them in her harth saying O deare harth to thee I bequeath the relikes of this noble and good man and pray thee to keepe them faithfully to bring them one day to the graue of his auncesters when the ATHENIANS shall come to confesse the fault wrong they haue done vnto him And truly it was not long after that the ATHENIANS found by the vntowardnes of their affaires that they had put him to death who only maintained iustice and honesty at ATHENS Whereupon they made his image to be set vp in brasse and gaue honorable buriall to his bones at the charges of the citie And for his accusers they condemned Agnonides of treason and put him to death them selues The other two Epicurus and Demophilus being fled out of the citie were afterwardes met with by his sonne Phocus who was reuenged of them This Phocus as men reporte was otherwise no great good man who fancying a young maide which a bawde kept comming by chaunce one day into the schoole of Lycaeum he heard Theodorus the Atheist to wit that beleued not there were any goddes make this argument If it be no shame sayd he to deliuerâ— mans frend from bondage no more shame is it to redeeme his leman which he loueth euen so it is all one to redeeme a mans leman as his frende This young man taking this argument to serue his turne beleuinge that he might lawefully doe it got the young maide he loued from the bawde Furthermore this death of Phocion did also reuiue the lamentable death of Socrates vnto the GRAECIANS for men thought that it was a like hainous offence and calamitie vnto the citie of ATHENS The end of Phocions life THE LIFE OF Cato Vtican THe family and house of Cato tooke his first glorie and name of his great grandfather Cato the Censor who for his vertue as we haue declared in his life was one of the famousest and worthiest men of ROME in his time This Cato whom we nowe wryte of was left an orphan by his father and mother with his brother Caepio and Porcia his sister Seruilis was also Catoes halfe sister by his mothers side All these were brought vp with their vncle Liuius Drusus at that time the greatest man of the citie for he was passing eloquent and verie honest and of as great a corage besides as any other ROMANE Men report that 〈…〉 from his childhood shewed him selfe both in word and countenaunce and also in all his pastimes and recreacions verie constant and stable For he would goe through with that lie tooke apon him to doe and would force him selfe aboue his strength and as he could not away with flatterers so was he rough with them that went about to threaten him He would hardly laugh and yet had euer a pleasaunt countenance He was not chollerike nor easie to be angerd but when the blood was vp he was hardly pacified When he was first put to schoole he was very dull of vnderstanding and slow to learne but when he had once learned it he would neuer forget it as all men else commonly doe For such as are quicke of conceite haue commonly the worst memories and contrarily they that are hard to learne doe keepe that better which they haue learned For euery kinde of learning is a motion and quickening of the minde He seemed besides not to be light of credit that may be some cause of his slownes in conceite For truely he suffereth somewhat that learneth and thereof it commeth that they that haue least reason to resist are those which doe giue lightest credit For young men are easeiyer perswaded then old men and the sicke then the whole And where a man hath least reason for his douts there he is soonest brought to beleue any thing This notwithstanding it is reported that Cato was obedient vnto his schoolemaister and would doe what he commaunded him howbeit he would aske him still the cause and reason of euery thing In deede his schoolemaister was very gentle and readier to teach him then to strike him with his fist His name was Sarpedo Furthermore when Cato was but a young boy the people of ITALIE which were confederats of the ROMANES sued to be made free citizens of ROME At that time it chaunâ—ed one Pompedius Silo a valliant souldier and of great estimacion among the confederats of the ROMANES and a great frend besides of Drusus to be lodged many dayes at his house He in this time falling acquainted with these young boyes sayd one day vnto them good boyes intreate your vncle to speake for vs that we may be made free citizens of ROME Capio smiling nodded with his head that he would But Cato making no aunswere looked very wisely apon the straungers that lay in the house Then
with the motion aunswered him presently Munatius goe thy way vnto Pompey againe and tell him that Cato is not to be wonne by women though otherwise I mislike not of his friendship and withall that so long as he shall deale vprightly in all causes none otherwise that he shall find him more assuredly his friend then by any alliance of mariage yet that so satisfie Pompeys pleasure and will against his contry he wil neuer giue him such pledges The women and his friends at that time were angry with his aunswer refusall saying it was too stately and vncurteous But afterwardes in chaunced that Pompey suing to haue one of his friendes made Consul he sent a great summe of money to brybe the voyces of the people which liberalitie was noted spoken of bicause the money was told in Pompeys owne garden Then did Cato tell the women of his house that if he had now bene bound by allyance of mariage vnto Pompey he should then haue bene driuen to haue bene partaker of Pompeys shamefull acts When they heard what he had told them they all confessed then that he was wiser to refuse such alliance then they were that wished and desired it And yet if men should iudge of wisedom by the successe and euent of things I must needes say that Cato was in great fault for refusing of this allyance For thereby he was the cause of Pompeys matching with Caesar who ioyning both their powers together was the whole destruction of the Empire of ROME Whereas peraduenture it had not fallen out so if Cato fearing Pompeys light faultes had not caused him by increasing his power with another to commit farre greater faultes Howbeit those thinges were yet to come Furthermore Pompey being at iarre with Lucullus touching certain ordinances which he had made in the Realme of PONTVS bicause both the one and the other would haue their ordinances to take place Cato fauoured Lucullus who had open wronge Pompey therefore seeing that he was the weaker in the Senate tooke parte with the people and put forthe the lawe for diuiding of the landes amongest the souldiers But Cato stowtly resisting that lawe agayne he put it by and made Pompey thereby in a rage to acquaynte him selfe with Publius Clodius the moste seditious and boldest person of all the Tribunes and besides that made allyance euen at that tyme with Caesar whereof Cato him selfe was the onely Author Caesar returning out of SPAYNE from his Praetorshippe requyred the honour of tryumphe and withall made sute to bee Consull But beeing a lawe to the contrary that they that sued to bee Consulls shoulde bee present them selues in the citie and suche also as desired honour of triumphe shoulde bee without the citie he earnestly required the Senate that he myght sue for the Consulshippe by his friendes The moste parte of the Senate were willing vnto it but Cato was flatly agaynst it He perceyuing that the other Senatours were willing to gratifie Caesar when it came to him to deliuer his opinion he spent all the whole daye in his oration and by this pollicie preuented the Senate that they coulde not conclude any thinge Then Caesar letting fall his tryumphe made sute to be Consull and entring the citie ioyned friendshippe with Pompey Hereuppon he was chosen Consull and immediatly after maryed his Daughter Iulia vnto Pompey and so hauing made in manner a conspyracie agaynst the common wealth betweene them selues Caesar preferred the lawe Agraria for distributing the landes vnto the Citizens and Pompey was present to mainteyne the publicacion thereof Lucullus and Cicero on thother side taking parte with Bibulus the other Consull did what they coulde agaynst it but specially Cato who fearing muche this allyance of Caesar and Pompey that it was a pacte and conspirancie to ouerthrowe the common wealth sayde that he cared not so muche for this lawe Agraria as he feared the rewarde they looked for who by suche meanes dyd intise and please the common people Therewithall the Senate were wholly of his opinion and so were many other honest men of the people besides that were none of the Senate and tooke his parte maruailing muche and also beeing offended with Caesars greate vnreasonablenes and importunitie who by the authoritie of his Consulshippe did preferre suche thinges as the moste seditiousest Tribunes of the people were wont commonly to doe to currye fauour with the people and by suche vile meanes sought to make them at his commaundement Wherefore Caesar and his friends fearing so greate enemies fell to open force For to beginne withall as the Consul Bibulus was going to the market place there was a basket of donge powred vppon his heade and furthermore the Officers roddes were broken in their handes which they caryed before him In fine dartes were throwen at them out of euery corner and many of them beeing hurt they all at length were driuen to flye and leaue the market place But Cato he came laste of all keeping his wonted pace and often cast backe his heade and cursed such Citizens So they did not onely passe this lawe Agraria by voyces of the people but furthermore they added to it that all the Senate shoulde bee sworne to stablishe that lawe and bee bounde to defende the same if any attempted the alteracion thereof vppon greate penalties and fines to bee sette on his heade that shoulde refuse the othe All the other Senators sware agaynst their wills remembring the example of the mischiefe that chaunced vnto the olde Metellus who was banished out of ITALY bicause he would not sweare to suche a like lawe Whereuppon the women that were in Catoes house besought him with the teares in their eyes that he woulde yeelde and take the othe and so did also diuers of his friendes besides Howebeit he that moste inforced and brought Cato to sweare was Cicero the Orator who perswaded him that peraduenture he woulde bee thought vnreasonable that beeing but one man he shoulde seeme to mislike that which all other had thought meete and reasonable and that it were a fonde parte of him wilfully to put him selfe in so greate daunger thinking to hynder a matter already paste remedie But yet that besides all this a greater inconuenience would happen if he forsooke his contrye for whose sake he did all these thinges and left it a praye vnto them which sought the vtter subuersion of the same as if he were glad to bee ridde from the trouble of desending the common wealth For sayde he though Cato haue no neede of ROME yet ROME hath neede of Cato and so haue all his friendes of the which Cicero sayde he was the chiefe and was moste maliced of P. Clodius the Tribune who sought to driue him out of the contrye It is sayde that Cato beeing wonne by these like wordes and perswasions at home and openly in the market place they so sofetned him that he came to take his othe laste of all men but one
by the people should neuer after be capable of any other office The seconde that if any Consul had banished any citizen without lawefull accusation the sentence and hearing of the matter should perteine to the people The first of these two lawes did plainly defame Octauius whom Tiberius his brother had by the people deposed from the Tribunshippe The seconde also rouched Popilius who being Praetor had banished his brother Tiberius frendes whereuppon he stayed not the triall but willingly exiled him selfe out of ITALIE And touching the first law Caius him selfe did afterwards reuoke it declaring vnto the people that he had saued Octauius at the request of his mother Cornelia The people were verie glad of it and confirmed it honoring her no lesse for respect of her sonnes then also for Scipioes sake her father For afterwards they cast her image in brasse set it vp with this inscription Cornelia the mother of the Gracchi Many cōmon matters are found written touching Cornelia his mother eloquently pleaded in her behalfe by Caius against her aduersaries As when he sayd vnto one of them how darest thou presume to speake euill of Cornelia that had Tiberius to her sonne And the other partie also that slandered her being sorely suspected for a Sodomite and art thou so impudent sayd he to shew thy face before Cornelia Hast thou brought foorth children as she hath done And yet it is wel knowē to all men in ROME that she being but a woman hath liued longer without a man than thou that art a man Thus were Caius words sharpe stinging and many such like are to be gathered out of his wrytinges Furthermore he made many other lawes afterwardes to increase the peoples authoritie and to imbase the Senates greatnes The first was for the restoring of the Colonies to ROME in diuiding the landes of the common wealth vnto the poore citizens that should inhabite there The other that they shoulde apparell the souldiers at the charge of the common wealth and that it should not be deducted out of their paye and also that no citizen should be billed to serue in the warres vnder seuenteene yeares of age at the least An other law was for their confederats of ITALIE that through all ITALIE they shoulde haue as free voyces in the election of any Magistrate as the naturall citizens of ROME it selfe An other setting a reasonable price of the corne that should be distributed vnto the poore people An other touching iudgement whereby he did greatly minish the authority of the Senate For before the Senators were onely Iudges of all matters the which made them to be the more honored and feared of the people and the ROMANE Knights and now he ioyned three hundred ROMANE Knights vnto the other three hundred Senators and brought it so to passe that all matters iudiciall shoulde be equally iudged among those six hundred men After he had passed this law it is reported he was verie curious in obseruing all other thinges but this one thing specially that where all other Orators speaking to the people turned them towards the pallace where the Senators sate and to that side of the market place which is called Comitium he in contrarie manner when he made his Oration turned him outwardes towardes the other side of the market place and after that kept it constantly and neuer failed Thus by a litle turning and altering of his looke only he remoued a great matter For he so transferred all the gouernment of the common wealth from the Senate vnto the iudgement of the people to teach the Orators by his example that in their Orations they should behold the people not the Senate Now the people hauing not only confirmed the law he made touching the Iudges but geuen him also full power and authoritie to choose amonge the ROMANE Knightes suche Iudges as he liked of he founde thereby he had absolute power in his owne hands insomuche as the Senators them selues did aske counsell of him So did he euer geue good counsell and did preferre matters meete for their honor As amongest others the lawe he made touching certaine wheate that Fabius Vicepraetor had sent out of SPAYNE which was a good and honorable acte He perswaded the Senate that the corne might be solde and so to send backe againe the money therof vnto the townes and cities from whence the corne came and therewithall to punish Fabius for that he made the Empire of ROME hatefull and intollerable vnto the prouinces and subiectes of the same This matter wanne him great loue and commendacion of all the prouinces subiect to ROME Furthermore he made lawes for the restoring of the decayed townes for mending of high wayes for building of garners for prouision of corne And to bring all these things to passe he him selfe tooke apon him the only care and enterprise being neuer wearied with any paines taken in ordering of so great affaires For he followed all those thinges so earnestly and effectually as if he had had but one matter in hand insomuch that they who most hated and feared him wondred most to see his diligence and quicke dispatche in matters The people also wondred muche to beholde him only seeing alwaies suche a number of laborers artificers Ambassadors officers souldiers and learned men whom he easely satisfied and dispatched keping still his estate and yet vsing great curtesie and ciuilitie entertaining euery one of them priuately so that he made his accusers to be found lyers that sayd he was a stately man and very cruell Thus he wanne the good will of the common people being more popular and familiar in his conuersation and deedes then he was otherwise in his Orations But the greatest paines and care he tooke apon him was in seeing the high wayes mended the which he woulde haue as well done as profitablie done For he would cast the cawcies by the lyne in the softest ground in the fields and then woulde paue them with hard stone and cast a great deale of grauell vpon it which he caused to be brought thither When he found any low or waterie places which the riuers had eaten into he raised them vp or else made bridges ouer them with an euen height equall to either side of the cawcie so that all his worke caried a goodly leauell withall euen by the lyne or plummet which was a pleasure to beholde it Furthermore he deuided these high wayes by myles euery myle conteining eight furlonges and at euery myles ende he set vp a stone for a marke At either end also of these high wayes thus paued he set certaine stones of conuenient height a prety way a sunder to helpe the trauellers by to take their horse backes againe without any helpe The people for these things highly praising extolling him and being readie to make shew of their loue and good will to him any maner of way he told them openly one day in his Oration that he had a request
was any as well for the great fame of the Orators that pleaded in emulacion one of the other as also for the worthines of the Iudges that gaue sentence thereof who did not leaue Demosthenes to his enemies although in deede they were of greater power then he and were also supported with the fauor and good will of the MACEDONIANS but they did notwithstanding so well quit him that AEschines had not so muche as the fift parte of mens voyces and opinions in his behalfe Wherefore immediatly after sentence geuen he went out of ATHENS for shame and trauelled into the contrie of IONIA and vnto the RHODES where he did teache Rethoricke Shortly after Harpalus flying out of Alexanders seruice came vnto ATHENS being to be charged with many fowle matters he had committed by his exceeding prodigalitie and also bicause he feared Alexanders furie who was growen seuere and cruell vnto his chiefest seruauntes He comming now amongest the ATHENIANS with store of gold and siluer the Orators being greedie and desirous of the golde and siluer he had brought beganne straight to speake for him and did counsell the people to receiue protect a poore suter that came to them for succour But Demosthenes gaue counsell to the contrarie and bad them rather driue him out of the citie and take heede they brought not warres apon their backes for a matter that not onely was not necessarie but furthermore meerely vniust But within fewe daies after inuentory being taken of all Harpalus goods he perceiuing that Demosthenes tooke great pleasure to see a cuppe of the kings and considered verie curiously the facion workemanshippe vpon it he gaue it him in his hand to iudge what it weyed Demosthenes peasing it wondered at the great weight of it it was so heauie so he asked how many pownd weight it weyed Harpalus smiling answered him it will wey thee twentie talents So when night was come he sent him the cuppe with the twentie talentes This Harpalus was a verie wise man and found straight by Demosthenes countenaunce that he loued money and coulde presently iudge his nature by seeing his pleasaunt countenaunce and his eyes still vpon the cuppe So Demosthenes refused not his gift and being ouercomen withall as if he had receiued a garrison into his house he tooke Harpalus parte The next morning he went into the assemblie of the poople hauing his necke bound vp with wolle and rolles So when they called him by his name to steppe vp into the pulpit to speake to the people as he had done before he made a signe with his head that he had an impediment in his voyce that he could not speake But wise men laughing at his fine excuse tolde him it was no sinanche that had stopped his wesill that night as he would make them beleue but it was Harpalus argentsynanche which he had receiued that made him in that case Afterwardes when the people vnderstoode that he was corrupted Demosthenes going about to excuse him selfe they would not abide to heare him but made a noyse and exclamation against him Thereuppon there rose vp a pleasaunt conceited man that sayd why my maisters do ye refuse to heare a man that hath such a golden tongue The people thereuppon did immediatly banishe Harpalus and fearing least king Alexander would require an accompt of the gold and siluer which the Orators had robbed and pilfred away among them they made very diligent searche and inquirie in euery mans house excepting Callicles house the sonne of Arrenidas whose house they would haue searched by no meanes bicause he was but newly maried and had his newe spowse in his house as Theopompus wryteth Nowe Demosthenes desiring to shewe that he was in fault preferred a decree that the court of the Areopagites should heare the matter and punish them that were found faultie and therewithall straight offered him selfe to be tried Howbeit he was one of the first whom the court condemned in the summe of fiftie talents and for lacke of payment they put him in prison where he could not endure long both for the shame of the matter for the which he was condemned as also for his sickely body So he brake prison partely without the priuitie of his keepers and partely also with their consent for they were willing he should make a scape Some doe report that he fled not farre from the citie where it was told him that certaine of his enemies followed him whereuppon he would haue hidden him selfe from them But they them selues first called him by his name and comming to him prayed him to take money of them which they had brought him from their houses to helpe him in his banishment and that therefore they ran after him Then they did comfort him the best they could perswaded him to be of good cheere not to dispaire for the misfortune that was comen vnto him This did pearce his hart the more for sorow that he aunswered them why would you not haue me be sorie for my misfortune that compelleth me to forsake the citie where in deede I haue so curteous enemies that it is hard for me to finde any where so good frends So he tooke his banishment vnmanly and remained the most parte of his banishment in the citie of AEGINA or at the citie of TROEZEN where oftentimes he would cast his eyes towards the contrie of ATTICA and weepe bitterly And some haue written certeine words he spake which shewed no minde of a man of corage nor were aunswerable to the noble thinges he was wont to perswade in his Orations For it is reported of him that as he went out of ATHENS he looked backe againe and holding vp his handes to the castell sayd in this sorte O Ladie Minerua Ladie patronesse of this city why doest thou delight in three so mischieuous beastes the owle the draggon and the people Besides he perswaded the young men that came to see him and that were with him neuer to meddle in matters of state assuring them that if they had offred him two wayes at the first the one to goe into the assembly of the people to make Orations in the pulpit and the other to be put to death presently and that he had knowen as he did then the troubles a man is compelled to suffer that medleth with the affaires of the state the feare the enuie the accusacions and troubles in the same he would rather haue chosen the way to haue suffered death So Demosthenes continuing in his exile king Alexander dyed and all GRAECE was vp againe insomuch as Leosthenes being a man of great valure had shut vp Antipater in the citie of LAMBA and there kept him straightly besieged Then Phytheas and Callimedon surnamed Carabos two Orators and both of them banished from ATHENS they tooke parte with Antipater and went from towne to towne with his Ambassadors and frendes perswading the GRAECIANS not to sturre neither to take parte
and gaue it vnto his friends commaunding them to depart and to seeke to saue them selues They aunswered him weeping that they would nether doe it nor yet forsake him Then Antonius very curteously and louingly did comfort them and prayed them to depart and wrote vnto Theophilus gouernor of CORINTHE that he would see them safe and helpe to hide them in some secret place vntil they had made their way and peace with Caesar. This Theophilus was the father of Hipparchus who was had in great estimation about Antonius He was the first of all his infranchised bondmen that reuolted from him and yelded vnto Caesar and afterwardes went and dwelt at CORINTHE And thus it stoode with Antonius Now for his armie by sea that fought before the head or foreland of ACTIVM they helde out a longe tyme and nothing troubled them more then a great boysterous wind that rose full in the prooes of their shippes and yet with much a doe his nauy was at length ouerthrowen fiue howers within night There were not slaine aboue fiue thowsand men but yet there were three hundred shippes taken as Octauius Caesar writeth him selfe in his commentaries Many plainely sawe Antonius flie and yet could hardly beleeue it that he that had nyneteene legions whole by lande and twelue thowsand horsemen vpon the sea side would so haue forsaken them and haue fled so cowardly as if he had not oftentimes proued both the one and the other fortune that he had not bene throughly acquainted with the diuers chaunges and fortunes of battells And yet his souldiers still wished for him and euer hoped that he would come by some meanes or other vnto them Furthermore they shewed them selues so valliant and faithfull vnto him that after they certainly knewe he was fled they kept them selues whole together seuen daies In the ende Canidius Antonius Lieuetenant flying by night and forsaking his campe when they saw them selues thus destitute of their heads and leaders they yelded themselues vnto the stronger This done Caesar sailed towards ATHENS and there made peace with the GRAECIANS and deuided the rest of the corne that was taken vp for Antonius army vnto the townes and cities of GRAECE the which had bene brought to extreme misery pouerty cleane without money slaues horse other beastes of cariage So that my grandfather Nicarchus tolde that all the Citizens of our citie of CHAERONEA not one excepted were driuen them selues to cary a certaine measure of corne on their shoulders to the sea side that lieth directly ouer against the I le of ANTICYRA yet were they driuen thether with whippes They caried it thus but once for the second tyme that they were charged againe to make the like cariage all the corne being ready to be caried newes came that Antonius had lost the battel so scaped our poore city For Antonius souldiers deputies fled immediatly the citizens deuided the corne amongst them Antonius being arriued in LIBYA he sent Cleopatra before into AEGYPT from the citie of PARAETONIVâ—â— he him selfe remained very solitary hauing onely two of his friends with him with whom he wandred vp down both of them orators the one Aristocrates a GRAECIAN the other Lucilius a ROMANE Of whom we haue written in an other place that at the battell where Brutus was ouerthrowen by the citie of PHILIPPES he came willingly put him self into the hands of those that followed Brutus saying that it was he bicause Brutus in the meane time might haue liberty to saue him selfe And afterwards bicause Antonius saued his life he still remained with him and was very faithfull and frendly vnto him till his death But when Antonius heard that he whom he had trusted with the gouernment of LIBYA and vnto whom he had geuen the charge of his armie there had yelded vnto Caesar he was so madde withall that he would haue slaine him selfe for anger had not his frendes about him withstoode him and kept him from it So he went vnto ALEXANDRIA and there found Cleopatra about a wonderfull enterprise and of great attempt Betwixt the redde sea and the sea betwene the landes that poynt vpon the coast of AEGYPT there is a litle peece of land that deuideth both the seas and separateth AFRICKE from ASIA the which straight is so narrow at the end where the two seas are narrowest that it is not aboue three hundred furlonges ouer Cleopatra went about to lift her shippes out of the one sea and to hale them ouer the straight into the other sea that when her shippes were come into this goulfe of ARABIA she might then carie all her gold siluer away and so with a great companie of men goe and dwell in some place about the Ocean sea farre from the sea Mediterranium to scape the daunger and bondage of this warre But now bicause the ARABIANS dwelling about the citie of PETRA did burne the first shippes that were brought alande and that Antonius thought that his armie by lande which he left at ACTIVM was yet whole she left of her enterprise and determined to keepe all the portes and passages of her realme Antonius he forsooke the citie and companie of his frendes and built him a house in the sea by the I le of PHAROS vpon certaine forced mountes which he caused to be cast into the sea and dwelt there as a man that banished him selfe from all mens companie saying that he would lead Timons life because he had the like wrong offered him that was affore offered vnto Timon and that for the vnthankefulnes of those he had done good vnto and whom he tooke to be his frendes he was angry with all men and would trust no man This Timon was a citizen of ATHENS that liued about the warre of PELOPONNESVS as appeareth by Plato and Aristophanes commedies in the which they mocked him calling him a vyper malicious man vnto mankind to shunne all other mens companies but the companie of young Alcibiades a bolde and insolent youth whom he woulde greatly feast and make much of and kissed him very gladly Apemantus wondering at it asked him the cause what he ment to make so muche of that young man alone and to hate all others Timon aunswered him I do it sayd he bicause I know that one day he shall do great mischiefe vnto the ATHENIANS This Timon sometimes would haue Apemantus in his companie bicause he was much like to his nature condicions and also followed him in maner of life On a time when they solemnly celebrated the feasts called Choae at ATHENS to wit the feasts of the dead where they make sprincklings and sacrifices for the dead and that they two then feasted together by them selues Apemantus said vnto the other O here is a trimme banket Timon Timon aunswered againe yea said he so thou wert not here It is reported of him also that this Timon on a time the people being
the garde of his chamber to strippe him naked whatsoeuer he was and then they gaue him an other gowne to cast vpon him but not his owne One day his brother Leptines going about to describe vnto him the scituacion of some place he tooke a halberd from one of the garde and with the point thereof beganne to drawe out a platte of the same vpon the ground Dionysius was terriblie offended with him and did put the souldier to death that gaue him his halberd He sayed he was affrayed of his frendes yea and of the wisest of them bicause he knewe that they desired rather to rule then to be ruled and to commaunde then to obey He flewe one of his Captaines called Marsyas whome he had preferred and had geuen him charge of men bicause he dreamed that he killed him saying that he dreamed of this in the night bicause that waking in the day he had determined to kill him Now Dionysius that was so timerous and whose mind through fearefulnes was still miserablie occupied he was notwithstanding maruelouslie offended with Plato bicause he did not iudge him to be the noblest and valliantest man aliue Dion therefore seeing as we haue sayd the younger Dionysius cleane marred and in manner cast away for lacke of good education perswaded him the best he coulde to geue him selfe vnto studie and by the greatest intreatie he coulde possiblie make to pray the Prince of all Philosophers to come into SICILE And then when through his intreatie he were come that he woulde referre him selfe whollie vnto him to th ende that reforming his life by vertue and learning and knowing God thereby the best example that can be possible and by whom all the whole world is ruled and gouerned which otherwise were out of all order and confused he shoulde first obteine great happines to him selfe and consequently vnto all his citizens also who euer after through the temperance and iustice of a father would with good will doe those thinges which they presentlie vnwillingly did for the feare of a Lorde and in doing this from a tyran he should come to be a king For the chaines of a diamant to keepe a realme in safetie were not force and feare as his father Dionysius helde opinion neither the great multitude of young souldiers nor the garde of ten thowsand barbarous people but in contrarie manner that they were the loue and good will of their subiectes which the Prince obteineth through vertue and iustice the which chaines though they be slacker then the other that are so hard and stiffe yet are they stronger and will last longer time to keepe a realme and kingdom in safetie And furthermore the Prince sayd he is not desirous of honor neither is a man that deserueth greatly to be praised and commended that onely studieth to weare sumptuous apparell and that glorieth to see his Court richelie furnished and him selfe curiouslie serued and in the meane time doth not frame him selfe to speake better to be wiser and to carie a greater maiesty then any other meane or common person not esteeming to adorne and beawtifie the Princely pallace of his minde as becommeth the royall maiestie of a king Dion oftentimes rehearsing these exhortacions vnto Dionysius and otherwhile enterlacing betwene some reasons he had learned of Plato he graffed in him a wonderfull and as it were a vehement desire to haue Plato in his companie and to learne of him So sundry letters came from Dionysius vnto ATHENS diuers requestes from Dion and great intreaty made by certaine Pythagorian Philosophers that prayed and perswaded Plato to come into SICILE to bridle the light disposition of this young man by his graue and wise instructions who without regard of reason led a dissolute and licentious life Therefore Plato as him selfe reporteth blushing to him selfe and fearing least he should geue men cause to thinke that it was but the opinion men had of him and that of him selfe he was vnwilling to do any worthie act and further hoping that doing good but vnto one man alone who was the only guide of all the rest he should as it were recouer all SICILIA from her corruption and sickenes he performed their requests that sent vnto him But Dions enemies fearing the chaunge and alteracion of Dionysius they perswaded him to call Philistus the Historiographer home againe from banishment who was a learned man and had bene brought vp and acquianted with the tyrans facions to th end he should serue as a counterpeace to withstande Plato and his Philosophie For this Philistus from the first time that the tyrannie beganne to be established did shew him selfe verie willing and conformable to the stablishment thereof and had of long time kept the castell and the voyce went that he kept the mother of Dionysius the elder and as it was supposed not altogether without the tyrans knowledge But afterwardes Leptines hauing had two daughters by one woman whom he intised to follie being an other mans wife he maried one of these his daughters vnto Philistus and made not Dionysius priuie to it before The tyranne therewith was so offended that he put Leptines woman in prison fast locked vp and draue Philistus out of SICILIA He being banished thus repayred vnto some of his frendes that dwelt about the Adriaticke sea where it seemeth he wrote the most parte of all his historie being then at good leasure For he was not called home againe during the life of Dionysius the elder but after his death the malice the Courtiers bare vnto Dion caused them to procure Philistus calling home againe as we haue told you as the man they thought would sticke stowtly in defense of the tyranny So Philistus no sooner returned but he stowtly began to defend the tyranny others in contrary maner deuised accusations to the tyran against Dion accusing him that he had practised with Theodotes and Heraclides to ouerthrowe the tyrannie of Dionysius For Dion in my opinion hoped by Platoes comming to bridle and lessen a litle the ouerlicentious and imperious tyrannie of Dionysius and thereby to frame Dionysius a wise and righteous gouernor But on the other side if he saw he would not follow his counsell and that he yeelded not to his wise instructions he then determined to put him downe to bring the gouernment of the common wealth into the handes of the SYRACVSANS not that he allowed of Democratia to wit where the people gouerne but yet certainly thinking that Democratia was much better then the tyrannie when they could not come vnto Aristocratia to wit the gouernment of a few of the nobilitie Now things being in this state Plato arriued in SICILE where he was maruelously receiued and honored by Dionysius For when he landed on the shoare leauing his galley that brought him there was readie for him one of the kings rich and sumptuous chariots to conuey him to the castell and the tyran made sacrifice
vnto them and Cassius campe on the other side tooke the death of their Captaine verie heauilie and beside there was some vile grudge betwene them that were ouercomen and those that did ouercome For this cause therefore Brutus did set them in battell ray but yet kept him selfe from geuing battell Now for the slaues that were prisoners which were a great number of them went came to and fro amongst the armed men not without suspicion he commaunded they shoulde kill them But for the freemen he sent them freely home and said that they were better prisoners with his enemies then with him For with them they were slaues and seruauntes and with him they were free men and citizens So when he saw that diuers Captaines and his frendes did so cruelly hate some that they would by no meanes saue their liues Brutus him selfe hid them and secretlie sent them away Among these prisoners there was one Vulumnius 2 ieaster and Secculio a common player of whom Brutus made no accompt at all Howbeit his frends brought them vnto him and did accuse them that though they were prisoners they did not let to laugh them to scorne and to ieast broadly with them Brutus made no aunswere to it bicause his heade was occupied other wayes Whereupon Messala Coruinus sayd that it were good to whippe them on a skaffold and then to sende them naked well whipped vnto the Captaines of their enemies to shewe them their shame to keepe suche mates as those in their campe to play the fooles to make them sport Some that stoode by laughed at his deuise But Publius Casca that gaue Iulius Caesar the first wounde when he was slaine sayd then It doth nor become vs to be thus merie at Cassius funeralls and for thee Brutus thou shalt showe what estimacion thou madest of suche a Captaine thy compere by putting to death or sauing the liues of these bloodes who hereafter will mocke him and defame his memorie Brutus aunswered againe in choller why then doe you come to tell me of it Casca and doe not your selues what you thinke good When they hearde him say so they tooke his aunswere for a consent against these poore vnfortunate men to suffer them to doe what they thought good and therefore they caried them away slue them Afterwards Brutus performed the promise he had made to the souldiers and gaue them the two thowsand Drachmas a peece but yet he first reproued them bicause they went gaue charge vpon the enemies at the first battell before they had the word of battell geuen them and made them a new promise also that if in the second battell they fought like men he would geue them the sacke and spoyle of two cities to wit THESSALONICA and LACEDAEMON In all Brutus life there is but this only fault to be found and that is not to be gainesaid though Antonius and Octauius Caesar did reward their souldiers farre worse for their victory For when they had driuen all the naturall ITALIANS out of ITALIE they gaue their souldiers their landes and townes to the which they had no right and moreouer the only marke they shot at in all this warre they made was but to ouercome and raigne Where in contrarie manner they had so great an opinion of Brutus vertue that the common voyce and opinion of the world would not suffer him neither to ouercome nor to saue him selfe otherwise then iustlie and honestly and speciallie after Cassius death whome men burdened that oftentimes he moued Brutus to great crueltie But nowe like as the mariners on the sea after the rudder of their shippe is broken by tempest do seeke to naile on some other peece of wodde in liew thereof and doe helpe them selues to keepe them from hurt as much as may be vpon that instant daunger euen so Brutus hauing such a great armie to gouerne and his affaires standing verie tickle and hauing no other Captaine coequall with him in dignitie and authoritie he was forced to imploy them he had and likewise to be ruled by them in many things was of mind him selfe also to graunt them any thing that he thought might make them serue like noble souldiers at time of neede For Cassius souldiers were verie euill to be ruled and did shewe them selues verie stubborne and lustie in the campe bicause they had no Chieftaine that did cōmaund them but yet rancke cowards to their enemies bicause they had once ouercome them On the other side Octauius Caesar and Antonius were not in much better state for first of all they lacked vittells And bicause they were lodged in low places they looked to abide a hard and sharpe winter being camped as they were by the marish side and also for that after the battell there had fallen plentie of raine about the autumne where through all their tents were full of myre and durt the which by reason of the colde did freeze incontinentlie But beside all these discommodities there came newes vnto them of the great losse they had of their men by sea For Brutus shippes met with a great aide and supplie of men which were sent them out of ITALIE and they ouerthrewe them in suche sorte that there scaped but few of them and yet they were so famished that they were compelled to eate the tackle and sailes of their shippes Thereuppon they were verie desirous to fight a battell againe before Brutus should haue intelligence of this good newes for him for it chaūced so that the battell was fought by sea on the selfe same day it was fought by lande But by ill fortune rather then through the malice or negligence of the Captaines this victory came not to Brutus eare till twentie dayes after For had he knowen of it before he would not haue bene brought to haue fought a second battell considering that he had excellent good prouision for his armie for a long time and besides lay in a place of great strength so as his campe could not be greatly hurt by the winter nor also distressed by his anemies and further he had bene a quiet Lord being a conqueror by sea as he was also by land This would haue maruelously encoraged him Howbeit the state of ROME in my opinion being now brought to that passe that it could no more abide to be gouerned by many Lordes but required one only absolute Gouernor God to preuent Brutus that it shoulde not come to his gouernment kept this victorie from his knowledge though in deede it came but a litle too late For the day before the last battell was geuen verie late in the night came Clodius one of his enemies into his campe who told that Caesar hearing of the ouerthrow of his armie by sea desired nothing more then to fight a battell before Brutus vnderstoode it Howebeit they gaue no credit to his words but despised him so muche that they would not vouchsafe to bring him vnto Brutus bicause they thought