men sometimes vsing curtesie and moderation misliked of none and oftentimes quaffing and drunkennes with other wanton behauiour which well pleased these barbarous people Now he had gotten reputation with his neighbours and began to be famous among strangers when as such as bare greatest swaie in time of factions suspecting his power and greatnes goe from him to the borderers of the kingdome openly declaring that the auncient libertie of Germanie was taken from them and that the Roman strength mastered al. Was their countrey so barren that they could finde none borne among them to fill the place of the Prince but that Flauius the spies broode must be lifted vp aboue them all It was in vaine to make Arminius the pretence whose sonne being brought vp in the enimies land might well be feared if he came to be King as depraued and infected with education seruilitie attire and all other strange vsages And if Italus bare the minde his father had done no man euer hath borne armes more ragingly against his countrey and houshold gods than his parents By such and the like speeches they gathered great forces togither and there did no fewer follow Italus All of them affirming that he had not thrust himselfe among them against their wils but that he was sent for by them and seeing he was more noble than the rest they should make a triall of his vertue and whether he would shewe himselfe woorthie of Arminius his vncle and Catumerus his grandfather Neither could his father be a shame and reproche vnto him because he would neuer violate his faith which by consent of the Germans he had promised the Romans That the name of libertie was falsly pretended by them who being base and degenerate of themselues and dangerous to the whole state haue no hope but in time of trouble and garboile The common sort came cheerefully about him and the King became victorious in a great battell against the Barbarians then through this prosperous fortune falling into pride he was chased out of his countrey and againe reenforcing his armie with the aide of the Lombards now with luckie now with vnluckie successe molested and annoyed the Cherusci VI. The Chauceans are ariuen backe out of Germanie by Corbulo a Roman Captaine his seuere discipline ABout the same time the Chauci liuing in peace at home and incouraged by the death of Sanquinius whilest Corbuloes cōming was expected made some incursions vpon lower Germanie vnder Gannascus who being a Caninefian by birth an aide-souldier and long receiuing pay vnder the Romans and afterward become a fugitiue with light vessels robbing and piracing especially wasteth the coast of Gallia because he knew them wealthie and cowards But Corbulo entering into the Prouince first with great care then credit especially gotten by that seruice thrust into the riuer of Rhene certain Galleies and other shipping as they were fit into other armes and ditches of the sea And hauing with them suncke the small vessels of the enimie and driuen out Gannascus after he had setled the present estate of things he reduced the legions which knew not what worke and labour meant but desirous to hunt after pillage and forreies to the auncient discipline of seruice commaunding that none should depart from the campe nor enter battell without commaundement that the watch and warde all charges both by day and night should be executed in armes And it is reported that one souldier was put to death bicause he digged at a trench without his sword by his side and another bicause he had nothing else but his dagger which beeing ouer-hard and rigorous and vncertaine whether falsly spread abroad yet had their beginning of the Captaines seueritie Whereby thou maist know that he was inexorable in great faults seeing it was thought he vsed such rigour in small But that terrour wrought different effects in the souldiers and enimies we thereby increased our valour the Barbarians abated their courage The Frisian nation which rebelled after the ouerthrow of L. Apronius and euer after shewed themselues enimies vnto vs or nothing faithfull hauing giuen hostages inhabited the countrey alotted and appointed them by Corbulo He gaue them also a Senate magistrates and lawes And bicause they should not fall from their obedience left them a strong garrison and sent some to draw the chiefest of the Chauci to yeeld and withall by a wile to surprise Gannascus Neither were those wiles imployed in vaine or thought cowardly and il-beseeming vs against a fugitiue and faith-breaker But the Chauci were much troubled with his death and Corbulo sowed some seedes of rebellion among them which as some construed to the best so others reported badly of it for why should he prouoke an enimie If the successe were bad the hurt would redownd to the common-wealth if fortune went on his side he was a man to be feared in time of peace and being valiant and couragious and vnder a cowardly Prince not to be suffered Whereupon Claudius was so farre from forcing Germanie anew that he commanded the garisons to be brought backe on the hither side the Rhene And whilest Corbulo went about to encampe in the enimie land these letters were deliuered him He vnderstanding of so sudden a countermaunde although many things at once troubled his braines feare of the Emperour the contempt the Barbarians would haue him in the iest his confederats would make at it yet making no more wordes but saying only O how happie some Roman Captaines were sownded a retraite Neuerthelesse least the souldiers should grow lazie he cast a ditch betweene Mosa and Rhene three twentie miles long to beare off the vncertain inundations of the Ocean Yet Caesar graunted him the honour of triumph although he denied him licence to make war VII How souldiers were employed out of warre NOt long after Curtius Rufus had the same honor giuen him who in the countrey of Mattiacum had found a siluer mine of small profit and short continuance but to the legions besides the losse it was great labour to dig the riuers and mine vnder the earth and draine waters which in plaine grounds was laborious The souldiers wearied with these toyles and because they had indured the like in many prouinces sent letters secretly to the Emperour in the name of the whole armie and besought him that from thence forward he would bestow the marks of triumph before hand on such as he purposed to make commaunders of the armie As for Curtius Rufus birth whom some haue reported to be a fencers sonne I will neyther vtter any thing falsely and am ashamed to tell the truth After he was come to mans estate he was a follower of the Quaestor of Affrica and in a towne called Adrumetum as he walked secretly about midday in a gallery where were no people there appeared vnto him the likenes of a woman greater then the stature of any other and a voice was heard saying Thou art he Rufus which shalt come Proconsul into this prouince Puffed vp
blamed the magistrates and Senators that they had not by publike authoritie brideled the insolencie of the people and added withall how farre greater quantitie of corne he had caused to be brought then Augustus and out of what prouinces Whereupon a decree of Senate was enacted to restraine the people according to the auncient seueritie the Consuls being no lesse forward to publish it his owne silence in the cause was not construed to be a point of ciuilitie as he looked it should be but was imputed to his pride In the end of that yeare Geminius Celsus Pompeius Gentlemen of Rome were put to death for conspiracies among which Geminius through prodigalitie and loosenes of life and a friend to Seianus was a man of nothing And Iulius Celsus a Tribune loosing the chaine he was bound with at large then winding it about and forcing himselfe a contrary way brake his owne neck But Rubrius Fabatus despairing of the Roman affaires and fleeing to the Parthians and brought back safe from the streights of Sicilie by a Centurion had keepers appointed him not able to alleage any probable causes of his long voiages yet he escaped vnpunished rather through forgetfulnes then clemencie IIII. Tiberius marrieth his neeces Vsurers accused and the inconuenience that ensued SEr. Galba and L. Sulla being Consuls Tiberius hauing a long time bethought himselfe what husbands he should prouide his neeces whose age now came on made choise of L. Cassius and M. Vinicius Vinicius kindred came out of a small towne himselfe borne at Calles but his father and grandfather were Consuls the rest of his kindred were Gentlemen he was of a milde disposition and very eloquent L. Cassius was descended of one of the common people at Rome but auncient and noble and brought vp vnder the seuere discipline of his father and oftner commended for his courtesie then industrie To him he giueth Drusilla to Vinicius Iulia both Germanicus children and writeth to the Senate touching that matter with a light commendation of the yong men Then hauing yeelded some causes of his absence but very extrauagant came to matters of greater moment and the displeasures and dislikes he had incurred for the common wealth and requested that Macro the Prouost and some few of the Tribunes and Centurions might as oft as he came to the Senate enter into the Curia with him And albeit the Senate made a decree very generall without prescribing any number or qualitie of persons he was so farre from comming to any publick counsell that he neuer came so much as to the citie coasting about it and for the most part in by-wayes and still auoiding his countrey as much as he could In the meane season a great rabble of informers rose vp against such vsurers as tooke more for consideration of their money then they might by the law made by Caesar the Dictator concerning the manner of lending and holding possession within Italie long neglected heretofore because the publicke good is lesse set by then priuate commoditie Vsury in very deede hath beene an old disease in the citie and often a cause of seditions and discords and for that cause hath been restrained in auncient and lesse corrupted times For first it was ordained by the law of the twelue tables that no man should take aboue one in the hundred when as before that time it was as pleased the monied men After that by a Tribunitian law it was brought vnto halfe one in the hundred and in the end vsury was wholy forbidden and many lawes made by the people to cut off all fraud which often repressed reuiued againe by strange sleights and deuises But then Gracchus being Pretor vnto whom the examining of that question fell constrained by the multitude of such as were indangered thereby propounded the matter before the Lords of the Senate who daunted thereat for there was not one of them free from that fault craued respite of the Prince he graunted them a yeere and sixe moneths within which time euery man according to the prescript of law should settle his estate and make vp his domesticall accompts Hereupon euery man calling in his debts on a sudden ensued a great want scarcitie of money and by reason so many were condemned and their goods sold all the money ready coined wēt either to the princes or publick treasury Besides this the Senat ordained that two parts of the vsurie money should be bestowed vpō lands in Italie but the creditors disliked that and vrged the paiment of the whole as a matter impayring the credit of the parties conuented to goe from their word So at the first there was great running hither and thither and entreaties then they flocked about the Pretors tribunall and those things which were founde for a remedie as selling and buying of such mens goods turned to a contrarie effect bicause the Vsurers had hoorded vp all their money to buie land And bicause the multitude of sellers was cause that the value of landes was rated at a verie lowe and vile price how much the more a man was indebted the loather he was to sell And manie were thrust out of all they had and the decaie of their wealth carried their credit and fame headlong after vntill Tiberius relieued them by putting a hundred million sesterces in bancke and lent it for three yeeres space without consideration or interest if the debtor could giue securitie to the people of Rome in landes double the value of the debt By that meanes their credit was restored and other particular creditors by little and little found neither was the buying of landes practised according to the forme of the decree of Senat hotly at the beginning pursued as almost all such things are but in the ende carelesly neglected V. C. Caesar marieth Claudia daughter vnto M. Silanus what proofe Tiberius made of Trasullus skill AFter that the olde feares returne againe Considius Proculus being accused of treason who celebrating his birth day not doubting any thing was drawen to the Curia and at the same time condemned and put to death and his sister Sancia banished Q. Pomponius being accuser who being of an vnquiet and busie disposition pretended he had done this and that and all to currie fauour with the Prince thereby to steed his brother Pomponius Secundus who was then in danger Banishment is likewise decreed against Pompeia Macrina whose husband and father in law the one of Argos and the other of Lacedaemon men of marke and reputation among the Achaeans Caesar had alreadie afflicted and brought to ruine Her father likewise a famous gentleman of Rome and her brother who had beene Pretor seeing that their condemnation was at hand slewe themselues It was imputed vnto them for a fault that Gn. Magnus made reckoning as of a speciall friend of Theophanes Mytilenaeus their great grandfather and that the Grecian flatterie after his death had giuen him diuine honour After these Sext. Marius the richest man of all Spaine was accused
the heauen and all the sea gaue place to the southwind which more and more preuailing through the mountaines of Germanie deepe riuers and huge clouds and growing more violent and boisterous through the cold of the North neer which it is tossed and scattered the shipping into the wilde Ocean or rockie Ilands or dangerous and vnknowen quicksands Which being a little but with much a doe escaped by the changing of the sea they went whither the wind droue them They could neither cast anchor nor pumpe out the water which came in on them Horses of seruice and cariage bag and baggage yea their armour they threw into the sea that the ships might be lightened which leaked at the sides the billowes swelling more and more By how much the Ocean is more violent then any other sea and Germany exceedeth other countries in roughnes and sharpnes of aire by so much that misfortune exceeded others in strangenes and greatnes happening at the shores of the enimies land or in so deepe and wide a sea that it hath beene beleeued to be the last and beyond which there is no land Some of their ships were drowned many cast vpon Ilands far off the souldiers the countrey being vnhabited perished by famine vnlesse it were such as releeued themselues with the horses as were cast a land Germanicus gallie onely arriued at the Chauceans countrey who seeing himselfe all those daies and nights vpon rocks and points crying that he onely was guiltie of the casting away of so many persons could hardly be kept and staied by his friends from casting himselfe into the same sea At length the sea growing lower and the wind more fauourable the lame and vntackled shippes with a fewe oares or their garments spread in stead of sailes or drawen at the taile of stronger returned Which Germanicus mending in haste sent to search the Ilands by which care many of the soldiers were gathered togither and recouered The Angriuarians lately receiued into protection deliuered some which they had redeemed of such as dwelt further in the land some were cast into Britany and sent backe by the petie Kings As euerie man returned from far countries he reported strange woonders tempestuous stormes birdes neuer before heard of sea-monsters doubtfull shapes whether of men or beasts which they had either seene or imagined through feare VI. Germanicus being returned wasteth the countrey of the Chatti and recouereth an ensigne lost with Varus BVt the fame of the nauie lost as it did put the Germans in a hope of beginning a new warre so did it giue Germanicus stomack to curbe them Wherupon he comanded C. Silius to goe against the Chatti with thirtie thousand footemen and three thousand horsmen and himselfe inuaded the Marsi with stronger forces Their Captaine called Malouendus who not long before had yeelded himselfe gaue notice how that not far off an ensigne of Varus legion was buried and kept but with a slender guarde A band of men was sent thither out of hand with direction that some should toll them out and assaile them in the front and others by inuironing them behind to open the earth and take out the ensigne fortune shewing hir-selfe fauourable to both the companies This made Caesar more forward and entereth further into the land wasteth forrageth rifleth the countrey the enimie not daring to encounter him or if at any time he did resist he was straight driuen back neuer as they vnderstood by certaine captiues fearing more in their liues For they gaue out that the Romans were inuincible and not to be daunted with any misfortune seeing that hauing lost their nauie and armor and after that the shores were couered with the carcasses of their men and horses they inuaded them a fresh with the same courage and like fiercnes yea as if they had increased their number From thence the souldiers were brought backe to their winter standing camps glad that they had recompensed their misfortune by sea with so prosperous a victorie Caesar vsed great largesse recompensing euerie man to the value of the losse he had sustained Little doubt but the enimie grew faint harted and began to consult how he might intreat a peace and that if the next sommer the wars should haue beene continued there would be an ende of all But Germanicus was sollicited by often letters from Tiberius to returne and receiue the triumphe which was ordained for him that he had passed through many chaunces and accidents that he had had prosperous successe in many battels that he should remēber what grieuous and cruell losses he had sustained not by any ouersight of the Captaine but by the winds waues of the sea that he had bin sent nine times into Germanie by Augustus of famous memorie where he had atchieued more noble exploites by counsel then force So he had receiued the submission of the Sigambri so the Sueuians and the King of the Maroboduans were inforced to make peace that the Cherusci and other rebellious nations seeing the Romans had had a sufficient reuenge on them might be left to war one against another But Germanicus intreating for one yeere longer to finish the enterprises he had begun Tiberius assaulted his modestie more earnestly offering him the consulship once more which he should execute in person He added further that if there were any more wars to be enterprised he should reserue that subiect for the glorie of his brother Drusus who no other enimy being left could not but by warring against the Germans get the title of Emperor or win the crowne of laurell Germanicus made no longer stay although he knew well that those were but colours sought through enuie to draw him from the glorie he had alreadie purchased VII Libo accused of treason killeth himselfe ABout the same time Libo Drusus one of the Scribonian familie was accused for practizing against the state The beginning the order and the end of that busines I will set downe because those things came then first to light which for so many yeares had consumed and eaten the common-wealth Firmius Cato a Senator and one of Liboes inward friends induced this vncircumspect yong man and easily led to vanities to giue credit to the Chaldeans promises Magicians ceremonies and interpreters of dreames vainely and boastingly putting him in minde that Pompey was his great grandfather Scribonia who had been Augustus wife his aunt the Caesars his cosen germans and that his house was full of images and monuments of his predecessors He incited him further to licentious riot to take vp and borrow money making himselfe a companion of his want on lusts and familiarities the better to wrap and conuince him with many euidences When he had found witnesses sufficient and such also of his seruants which were priuie to the whole matter he desired he might be admitted to the speech of the Prince and by meanes of Flaccus Vescularius a Gentleman of Rome and one of Tiberius familiars discouered the matter and the man Caesar was
they had promised the Tribes came to meete him the Lords of the Senate in their holy-daie robes wiues and children placed according to their age and sexe and all the way he should goe builded with staires as in publicke shewes or triumphes Thereupon puffed vp with pride as a conquerour of publicke seruitude he went to the Capitoll and gaue thanks to the gods letting loose the raines to all lusts and licenciousnes of life which before badly restrained yet the reuerence towards his mother such as it was did in some sort bridle IIII. Neroes exercises IT was an old practise of his neuer to be absent from the race of chariots and no lesse vnseemely was that other delight of his at supper to sing to the harp as minstrels did which he said to haue beene a custome of auncient Kings and Captaines and a thing highly commended by Poets and attributed to the honor of the gods For melodie is sure dedicated to Apollo in that attire he doth stand not only in the cities of Greece but also in the temples at Rome a principall deitie and knowing things to come Neither could he now be remoued seeming good also to Seneca and Burrhus to yeeld him the one least he should persist in both And thereupon a space was inclosed in the valley of the Vatican to mannage his horses and not to be seene indifferently of euery man and not long after of his owne accord he called the people to see it who highly extolled him as the manner of the people is to be desirous of pastimes and very glad if the Prince draw them to it And his shame published abroad brought him not as it was thought it would any loathing therin but a farther prouocation thinking that the discredit would be shaken off if he could dishonor many with the like He brought to the skaffold many descended of noble houses bought for pouertie which because they be dead I will not name as hauing regard vnto their auncestors being rather his fault to giue money for ill doing then least they should commit that which is naught He constrained also the chiefe gentlemen of Rome with mightie gifts to promise their labour in the Theater vnlesse you say that a reward giuen by him who may commaund bringeth a necessitie in obeying Yet least he should be discredited by the publick Theater he instituted Playes called Iuuenalia as it were for the health of youth to which euery man willingly gaue his name not any ones nobilitie not his age or office borne being any hinderance vnto them but that Greekes and Latins exercised the arte of a stage player euen vnto gestures and measures vnseemely for men Yea noble women practised many gestures and vnseemely to their calling And in the wood which Augustus planted about the lake where he represented a sea fight Tauernes and meeting places were built where all prouocations of wanton lusts were sold where money was giuen to the good to spend of necessitie and to the intemperate to glory and brag of From thence sprang all lewdenes and infamie neuer at any time not when there was great corruption in manners in times past more dissolute lasciuiousnes vsed then at those impure assemblies Shame is scarse retained among men of honest example much lesse among such which striued who should haue most vices can chastitie and modestie or any good behauior be maintained Last of all Nero himselfe entereth on the stage tuning and playing on his instrument with great care and premeditating what to say his familiars assisting him and besides them a cohort of souldiers Centurions and Tribunes and Burrhus both grieuing and praising him Then also were first inrowled the gentlemen of Rome called Augustani men for their age and strength of body highly esteemed part of them shamelesse and saucy in behauior and part hoping thereby to rise to greater authoritie day and night with clapping of hands made all to ring of them commending the feature and voice of the Prince with termes attributed to the gods and were respected by him as honorable personages for their vertue And yet least the Emperours skill on stage only and musick should be published he desired to be well accompted of for versifying hauing gathered about him such as had any cunning therein much more such as were excellent They sate together * and made those verses hang together which he made there or elsewhere and supplied his words howsoeuer they were vttered which the fashion it selfe of his verses doth declare not running with one and the same vehemencie and vaine of writing He bestowed also some time after meate with Philosophers taking pleasure to heare how euery man defended his owne opinion and ouerthrew the contrarie Neither wanted there some which with their voice and graue countenance desired to be thought pleasant with the Emperour V. A strife betweene the inhabitants of Nuceria and the Pompeians ABout the same time of a light quarrell rose a great murder betweene the inhabitants of Nuceria and Pompeians at a shew of fencers which Liuineius Regulus put from the Senate as before I haue rehearsed represented to the people For first prouoking one another with bitter termes as it is often seene in malapert and saucie townesmen they came to stones and last of all to weapons the Pompeians being the stronger with whom the shew was set forth Many of the Nucerians were brought lame and wounded to the towne and many wept for the death of their children and parents the determining of which the Prince referred to the Senate the Senate to the Consuls And the cause being againe brought to the Senators the Pompeians were forbidden to assemble any such companies for tenne yeeres and their corporations erected against the lawes dissolued Liuineius and such others as raysed the sturre were banished Pedius Blaesus also was put from his Senators roome at the information of the Cyrenensians who layd to his charge that he had robbed the treasure of the god Aesculapius and mustered souldiers for money and suite The same Cyrenensians accused Acilius Strabo sometime Pretor and sent by Claudius as arbitrator of certaine lands which once belonging to King Apio and left to the people of Rome with the kingdome their neighbours possessed and occupied and by long licence and iniurie defended them to be theirs by right and equitie The lands therefore being giuen from them by sentence they enuied the iudge and the Senate answered they were ignorant of Claudius pleasure and that they should aske the Princes aduise The Prince approuing Straboes sentence wrote neuertheles that he would ayde the allies and giue them that which they had vsurped There died not long after Domitius Afer and M. Seruilius two notable personages which flourished with great honors and eloquence he in pleading of causes Seruilius famous for long frequenting the Forum and then for writing the Romane histories carriage of himselfe and neatnes of life which made him more renowned as equall to the other in wit yet
banished because he made shew of his wit though not with any diffamatorie verses VII Soranus daughters oration in Senate and his death IN the meane season Ostorius Sabinus Soranus accuser commeth in and beginneth with his friendship had with Rubellius Plautus and that being Proconsull of Asia he caried himselfe rather as fitting his own nobilitie than the cōmon good by entertayning and nourishiug sedition among the citizens These were stale matters but as if they were fresh he ioined the daughter to the fathers alleaging that she had bestowed money vpon Magicians So it was indeede through the loue and affection Seruilia so was she called bare her father and vndiscretion of age yet she consulted of nothing but of the safetie of their house or whether Neroes wrath would be pacified or the Senators hearing of the cause would be to the preiudice of her father She was called into the Senate and stoode one from the other before the Consuls tribunal the father very aged the daughter vnder twentie yeeres a widow and desolate her husband Annius Pollio of late banished and not so much as looking towards her father whose dangers she imagined she had increased Then the accuser asking her whether she had sould her dowrie ornaments and taken her iewell from her neck to get money to practise magicall superstitions first prostrating her selfe on the ground with a long silence and weeping then imbracing the altars said I haue not called vpon any wicked gods I haue made no diuelish inuocatiōs nor any thing else by my vnhappie praiers then that this my very good father thou ô Caesar you Lords of the Senat would saue aliue So I haue giuen my iewels and apparell and ornaments of my dignitie euen as I would haue done my bloud and life if they had demaunded it Let these men heretofore vnto me vnknowen looke what names they carry what artes they practise I made no mention of the Prince vnlesse it were among the gods Yet my most vnfortunate father knoweth it not if it be an offence I alone haue offended Soranus tooke the words out of her mouth as she was yet speaking and cried that she went not with him into the prouince for her age Plautus could not know her she was not confederate with her husbands crimes she was guiltie only of ouer-great and tender loue and therefore whatsoeuer should sort to his lot he besought them that they would separate his cause from hers withall hastned to cast himselfe in the armes of his daughter which came to meete him if the serieants putting themselues between them had not hindered both By and by the witnesses were heard and how much pitie the crueltie of the accuser had moued so much anger P. Egnatius the witnes sturred This man being a client of Soranus and then hired to oppresse his friende pretended grauitie of the Stoicall sect in demeanor and countenance to represent the patterne of honest exercises but in minde was traiterous and deceiptfull couering auarice and a lewd minde which being discouered and made knowne by money hath taught vs to beware of such as vnder colour of liberall sciences are false in friendship no lesse then of those which are notoriously noted for vice and treacherous dealing The same day was shewed a notable example by Cassius Asclepiodotus who for wealth being the chiefest among the Bithynians vsed the same tokens of kindnes towards Soranus in his aduersitie as before he had done in time of prosperitie for which cause being depriued of all his goods and cast into banishmēt by the iustice of the gods * which lay before vs a precident as well of good as of bad Thrasea Soranus Seruilia had their choise giuen them what death they would haue Heluidius and Paconius were banished Italie Montanus was granted to his father with conditiō that he should beare no charge in the common wealth To the accusers Eprius Cossutianus to each were giuen 5. millions of sesterces to Ostorius 12. hundred thousand the ornamēts of a questor Then toward the euening the Cōsuls Questor was sent to Thrasea being then in his gardēs visited with a great companie of noblemen and women very attentiuely hearing the doctor Demetrius one of the Cynicall sect of whom as it was to be coniectured by his countenance and heard if they speake any thing lowd he demaunded sundrie questions of the nature of the soule and of the separation of the spirit from the bodie vntill Domitius Cacilianus one of his familiarest friends came and declared what the Lords of the Senat had decreed Those which were present bewailing and moning Thrasea with all speede were exhorted to depart least their lot should be to partake the dangers of a condemned person perswadeth his wife Arria who would haue died with him to follow the example of her mother Arria to keepe her selfe aliue and not bereaue their daughter of them both of her only stay and support From thence he went to his gallery where the Questor found him rather cheerefull then sad because he had vnderstood that Heluidius his sonne in lawe was only banished Italie Then hauing receiued the order of the Senate he brought Heluidius and Demetrius into a chamber and stretching out the vaines of both his armes after he saw the bloud gush out sprinkling it on the ground and calling the Questor neerer said Let vs sacrifice to Iupiter the deliuerer Behold yong man yet the gods preserue thee from the like lucke neuerthelesse thou art borne in those times in which it is expedient to strengthen thy minde with constant examples then the slow going out of the bloud causing grieuous torments turning to Demetrius * The rest of the Latin is lost FINIS THE DESCRIPTION OF GERMANIE AND CVSTOMES OF THE PEOPLE BY CORNELIVS TACITVS ALL Germanie is diuided from the Galli the Rhaetians and Pannonians with two riuers Rhene and Danubius from the Sarmatians and Dacians by mutuall feare of one the other or high hils The rest the Ocean doth enuiron compassing broad and wide gulphes and large and spatious Ilands the people and Kings of which hath beene of late discouered by warre The riuer of Rhene hauing his beginning on the top of the inaccessible steep Rhaetian Alpes and winding somewhat towardes the West falleth into the North Ocean Danubius springing from the top of the hill Abnoba not so steepe passing by manie nations falleth by sixe channels into the Ponticke sea the seuenth is lost in the marishes I may thinke that the Germans are home-bred and the naturall people of their countrey and not mixed with others comming from other places bicause such as in times past sought new habitations came by sea and not by land and that huge and spatious Ocean and as I may terme it different from the other is seldome trauelled by our men For besides the daunger of the rough and vnknowen sea who vnlesse it were his natiue soile would leaue Asia or Affricke or Italie and plant