Father having an equal Kindness for us all took the same Care of our Institution in every Thing that was honest or praise worthy Upon his Decease Chance has cast the Sovereignty upon me being no Stranger to the Imperial Line nor Lording it in a new-gotten Throne as those have done that went before me I am your only Prince that have been born and bred up in the Imperial Court untainted as I may say with Private Education The Royal Purple receiv'd me at my coming into the World and I commenc'd at the same time Man and Prince Reflect upon these Things and love and honour your Emperor who is not the Creature of a Faction but claims the Empire of the World by Blood and Birth-right My Father is taken up into Heaven and has taken his Place among the Gods The Care and Administration of Humane Affairs is left in my Hands and the successful Discharge of so important a Trust will depend entirely upon you Now if we prosecute with vigour the Remainder of the War and enlarge the Roman Empire by our Conquests till it stretch it self to the Ocean not only each Man will have the Glory of his respective Atchievements but we shall all in some measure honour the Memory of our Common Father who hears and sees in his exalted State all we say or do here below and happy we that have such a Witness to our Actions And know Gentlemen you have stronger Inducements to be valiant now than ever for in my Father's Life time the Glory of all Great Actions was attributed to his Wisdom and Counsels But under me a young unexperienc'd Prince your Courage and Bravery will be the most conspicuous there being no Abatement to be made upon the score of a General Besides your Valour at this time will have another good Effect 't will gain Authority to my Youth and make me formidable to the Barbarians who if vigorously repuls'd in the Beginning of my Reign will not only be quieted for the present but restrain'd also from the like Attempts for the future Having thus spoke he gave great Sums of Money to endear the Soldiery to him and return'd to his Palace 'T was but a short time that the late Emperor's Friends had the Superintendency of Publick Affairs during which Time they were always with the young Prince giving him good Advices and Instructions and allowing him no more Time for Recreations than was thought requisite for his Health But after a while some of the Courtiers insinuating themselves into his Acquaintance endeavour'd to debauch him These were your Table-Flatterers that make Sensual Pleasure the Measure of Happiness They would often take occasion to commend to him the Way of Living in Rome telling him of the Plays Musick-meetings and other Diversions of the Town and generally of the Plenty of all Things conducing to the Pleasure or Convenience of Life On the other Hand they cry'd down at the greatest Rate imaginable the Country about the Ister as well for the Barenness of the Soil as the perpetual Rigour and Cloudiness of the Weather and would often be saying to him How long will Your Majesty take up with frozen muddy Water whilst others enjoy the warm Baths and cool Streams with the Air and refreshing Breezes so peculiar to Italy With these and the like Suggestions they rais'd unruly Appetites in the Youth So he call'd his Friends together and gave them to understand he had a great Inclination to visit his Native Country but was asham'd to discover the Reasons inducing him thereto and pretended violent Apprehensions of Danger from some of the Nobility that might seize the Imperial Palace and drawing together a Body of Men might as it were from a well-fortified Castle attack the Empire adding withall That there might be a sufficient Force rais'd out of the People for the effecting such an Enterprise All Men were in perfect Amazement to hear him talk in this manner but durst not speak their Thoughts to him upon so tender a Point till Pompeianus the eldest of the Company and one that might challenge more Authority over him than the rest in regard of his Alliance to him having marry'd his eldest Sister spoke to him in these Words POMPEIANUS his SPEECH I Don't wonder my Lord that you desire so passionately to see your Native Country We our selves desire it as much as you but cannot comply with our Inclinations at this time because Matters of a more pressing and important Nature require our Stay As for the Satisfaction of living at Home you may enjoy it more securely hereafter tho' indeed every Place is Rome where the Emperor has his Court But to leave the War unprosecuted will not only be a Dishonour to our Empire but may be also of dangerous Consequence For it will animate the Barbarians to new Attempts who will think us rather influenc'd by our Fears than any Regards to our Country in this sudden Removal On the other Hand consider how Glorious it will be for you after a total Defeat of your Enemies and Enlargement of your Empire as far as the Ocean to return in Triumph to your Country pompously attended by Kings and Nobles in Chains These Things made the Ancient Romans so much Celebrated in all Ages And as for the Jealousie you have entertain'd of some of the Nobility 't is altogether groundless and you need apprehend nothing from that Side for here are the most Eminent Persons of the Senate here is the Imperial Treasure and the whole Military Force of the Empire bravely venturing Life and Fortune in Defence of it And besides your Father's Memory has confirm'd to you the Love and Loyalty of all Men. This Speech of Pompeianus diverted the young Prince and shook his Resolutions for the present The Words of the Old Man weighed much with him and at this Time he had nothing to alledge to justifie his Intention Therefore he dismiss'd his Friends and told them he would consider of it But at last being overcome by the Importunity of his Courtiers he would no longer consult his Friends but immediately sent Letters to Rome to signifie his Resolution to return and having appointed such Persons as he thought fit to guard the Banks of the Ister and restrain the Incursions of the Barbarians gave Publick Orders to prepare for a March. After his Departure the Persons entrusted with the Affairs upon the Ister were very vigilant in their respective Posts and in a short Time conquer'd vast Numbers of the Barbarians by Force of Arms others by Offers of Money were easily brib'd into an Acceptance of Peace for the Barbarians naturally love Money and despise Danger and live by Inroads and Ravages upon the neighbouring Territory or traffick Peace for Money Which Commodus knowing and being both able and willing to purchase Security and Repose to himself at any Rate comply'd with them in all their Demands After the Proclamation was made that they should march homewards a sort of a confus'd Joy
Pannonia was seiz'd with a violent Fit of Sickness and perceiving himself to be past Hopes of Recovery was very sollicitous upon the Account of his Son who was now entring upon the State of Manhood fearing lest in the Heat and Fervour of Youth being freed from the Influence a Father's Authority might have over him and set at large from every Thing that might restrain him he should disdain all honest and sober Discipline and give himself over to Intemperance and Riot For the Minds of Youths are apt to fall from Sobriety and Vertue into the contrary Extremes Besides being a Man of great Reading and Experience he was the more apprehensive in regard of the many Miscarriages of Princes that came young to the Crown such as was Dionysius a Man so wholly devoted to sensual Pleasures that he encourag'd with great Rewards the Invention of all Things that tended to the Improvement thereof Such were the Successors of Alexander whose Abuse of their Power and Oppression of their Subjects reflected a lasting Infamy upon his Empire especially Ptolemy was so scandalously wicked that contrary to the known Laws of the Greeks and Macedonians he committed Incest with his Sister And Antigonus that he might represent Bacchus in all his Extravagances debas'd his Scepter into a Thyrse and his Macedonian Diadem into a Chaplet of Ivy. His Fears were also encreas'd by Examples of a later Date as by that of Nero who with unheard-of Impiety murther'd his Mother expos'd himself publickly and turn'd Buffoon to make Sport for the People As likewise by Domitian's who equall'd the greatest Tyrants in Inhumanity and Cruelty Having these Images of Tyranny in his Mind he was distracted between Hope and Fear But the Germans a Neighbouring Nation which he had not entirely conquer'd encreas'd not a little his Anxiety Some of these had been perswaded to enter into a League with him others he had subdu'd by force of Arms But some there were whom the Terror of his Arms had dispers'd only for the present these he thought taking advantage of the Minority of the Prince might renew the War For 't is the Custom of the Barbarians to take up Arms upon every little Opportunity or advantageous Conjuncture Lying under this Distraction he order'd such of his Friends and Relations as were near his Person to be sent for and after they were come together in his Presence he plac'd his Son before them and raising himself from his Bed spoke to this effect I don't wonder Gentlemen that you seem concern'd to see me in this Condition for Humane Nature is apt to be touch'd with other Mens Calamities those still affecting us the most sensibly to which we are Eye-witnesses But besides common Humanity there are other Reasons for your Compassion at this Time that Love and Affection for you which I feel so plainly within my self makes me hope nay challenge a Return of Kindness from you And now Gentlemen is the Time for me to see whether or no I have bestow'd that Time in vain which I have spent in honouring and serving you and for you to make your Acknowledgments and shew that you are not unmindful of the good Offices I have done you You see my Son whom your selves have educated entring upon the Estate of Manhood and standing in need of a Pilot to direct him if I may so call it in the Ocean of Life lest through Unexperience of Affairs he be betray'd into sinful and dishonest Courses I entreat you therefore instead of one be to him many Fathers in instructing and advising whatever is requisite for him to know or to do For it is not in the Power of Riches to satisfie the boundless Appetites of Tyrants nor can Troops of Guards how numerous soever stave off Dangers from a Prince that has not gain'd the Love and Affections of his People Those only enjoy long and happy Reigns that are rather belov'd for their Gentleness than fear'd for their Cruelty And those Mens Services only that obey out of Choice not Necessity are free from the Suspicion of Artifice and Design These Men are Loyal at the bottom and never depart from their Duty unless they are provok'd to it by some violent and contumelious Usage But 't is hard for Men to set Bounds to their Passions where there are none to their Power Sound therefore in his Ears the Precepts of Vertue and Goodness and remind him often of the Things he has heard this Day and hereby you will make your selves happy in a Prince and at the same Time will do the greatest Honour to my Memory which by this Means you will make Immortal After he had spoke these Words his Strength fail'd him and being unable to support himself in that Posture he sunk gently into Bed This affected the Company so extremely that some of them broke out into undecent Out-cries He liv'd afterwards a Day and a Night and then died to the unspeakable Grief and Affliction of all Men leaving behind him the Memory of his Vertues which all Ages will have in veneration After he was dead and the Report thereof was spread abroad the whole Soldiery and Commons were seiz'd with a general Sorrow and a certain Air of Melancholy appear'd in all the Parts of the Empire none receiving the fatal News without Tears All Men bewail'd the Publick Calamity and as they were variously influenc'd lamented the Loss of their Prince under the different Characters of a Kind Father a Valiant General a Gentle and Prudent Governour and so many were the excellent Qualities of this Emperor that they justified all these Complaints After the Ceremonies of the Emperor's Interment were over the young Prince's Friends thought fit to bring him into the Camp that he might Harangue the Soldiers and as it is usual for Emperors upon their Accession to the Empire engage their Hearts to him by the Magnificence of a Donative So publick Notice was given that they should assemble in the usual Place at which Time Commodus came and having sacrific'd to the Gods ascended a Bench of State erected for that purpose in the middle of the Camp and his Father's Friends standing around him many of which were Persons of great Learning he deliver'd himself to the following Effect COMMODUS his SPEECH I Am perswaded Gentlemen you are as much affected as I can be with this unhappy Accident My Father lov'd us all equally and while he was alive we all stood upon a Level and I remember he was always more pleas'd with calling me Fellow-Soldier than Son because this denoted only a Natural Relation but that a Communication of Vertue And carrying me in his Arms when I was a Child would often put me into your Hands and commit me as it were to your Faith and Protection For which Reasons I assure my self of your Good-will and Affections seeing by the Elder sort of you I have been educated and to the Younger I have been all along a Fellow-Scholar in Feats of Arms. For my
of all his Counsels liv'd in open defiance of him and his Authority making still more desperate Advances in Sin and Vice the Heat and Fire of Youth the Licentiousness of Princes the fairest Opportunities and the most powerful Incentives to Pleasure all concurring to push them forward to the greatest Extravagancies Besides these they were led by Buffoons and Sycophants who by inveagling Arts endeavour'd to allure and win them to themselves not stopping at a servile Compliance with their most dishonest Actions or Appetites but still inventing something in favour of the Prince they follow'd which could not delight him more than it regretted his Brother Severus took some of these Men and punish'd them severely for these servile Compliances While Severus was thus concern'd for the lewd Courses of his Sons and that indecent Application with which they had follow'd Plays and Games the Governor of Britain notified to him by Letter That the Britains were in open Rebellion that they had ravag'd and laid waste the Country that he must either send him a strong Reinforcement or come in Person to reduce the Place These Advices were very agreeable to Severus who was naturally very desirous of Glory but had a peculiar Ambition to crown his Victories in the East and North and his Titles of Honour merited by his Successes in those Parts by erecting new Trophies in Britain This Expedition also offer'd him an Occasion which he extremely wish'd for of drawing his Sons from Rome that being remov'd from the Luxury and Gaieties of the Town and making a Campaign in Britain they might be accustom'd in their Youth to a temperate Course of Life as that which is most proper for a Soldier Soon after he caus'd Proclamation to be made of his design'd Expedition into Britain He was old and much afflicted with the Gout but the Faculties of his Mind were active and vigorous far excelling all the Young Men. He travell'd for the most part in a Calash making no considerable Halts in his March and having reach'd the End of his Journey by Land he cross'd the Seas sooner than he could have expected and landed his Men in Britain and appointing a general Rendezvous for his Forces drew together a formidable Army and made all necessary Preparations for the War The Britains were exceedingly alarm'd at the sudden Arrival of Severus and understanding what a mighty Power was rais'd against them they immediately sent Ambassadors to make Overtures of Peace and to excuse their late Miscarriages But Severus was inflexible he was ambitious of a Victory over the Britains and enflam'd with the Surname of Britannicus and was loth to return to Rome without atchieving the one and deserving the other So he contriv'd Delays and Difficulties to gain Time and detain the Ambassadors in suspense but dismiss'd them at length after a final Rejection of their Proposals and put all things in posture and readiness for a Battel It was his principal Care to build Bridges over the Morasses that his Men might run over them with ease and fight upon a solid Bottom Of these there are great Numbers in this Island covering vast Extents of Land occasion'd by the frequent Inundations of the Sea The Natives often swim or wade into them up to the Waste in Water and Mud which they don't regard the greatest part of their Bodies being naked They are not acquainted with the Use of Clothes but wear Iron about their Necks and Wastes which they esteem an Ornament and a Sign of Riches as the other Barbarous Nations do Gold They paint their Bodies with an agreeable Variety drawing upon them all Sorts of Creatures which is the Reason they wear no Clothes their Vanity not permitting them to draw a Veil over so much Beauty They are a very warlike and a bloody People Their Arms are only a narrow Shield and a Lance with a Sword that hangs at their naked Side They know nothing of the Use of a Breast-plate or Helmet looking upon them as an useless Luggage which would only hinder them in passing the Bogs out of which continually ascend thick Vapors by reason whereof the Face of the Heavens seems always overcast Severus in this Interval made Provision of such Things as would the most annoy the Enemy and be of the greatest Use to his own Men. And now all Things seeming in good State and Condition for the War he left Geta to administer Justice in that part of the Island which was not revolted and to make such Regulations as the Civil Government should require appointing him a Council compos'd of the most aged and the most experienc'd of his Friends And taking Antonine along with him he advanc'd against the Rebels and having pass'd his Army over the Rivers and Fortifications which divided the Roman Frontier from that of the Enemy there hapned divers Rencounters between them wherein the Britains always had the worse but having the advantage of being throughly acquainted with the Country they could retreat at pleasure out of Danger into the Fastnesses of the Woods and Bogs all which being against the Romans retarded the Prosecution of the War About this time Severus being arriv'd to a great Age was seiz'd with a lingring Illness which constrain'd him to stay at home by which means the Character of General devolv'd upon Antonine whom his Father sent to prosecute the War But he being not very sollicitous how Matters were carry'd on against the Rebels us'd his utmost Endeavours to ingratiate with the Soldiery and to exclude all others from any Share in their Affections and Esteem affecting immoderately to be sole Monarch In order hereto he loaded his Brother with Calumnies and Reproaches But the long Indisposition of his Father and the slow Approaches of Death afflicted the Spirit of the Young Man insomuch that at length he grew impatient and fell to Practices with his Servants and Physicians to shorten his Life till at last Severus dy'd rather through Anguish of Mind than Indisposition of Body after he had run a glorious Course far transcending all his Predecessors in the Glory of Military Atchievements none of which were Victorious in so many and so great Engagements both in Civil and Foreign Wars He reigned Eighteen Years and was succeeded by his own Sons He left behind a greater Treasure than ever any Prince did before him with an Army of that Puissance that no Force was able to encounter it Antonine had no sooner got the Supreme Power into his Hands upon his Father's Decease but he began a most bloody Massacre putting to Death all the Physicians that refus'd to comply with the Proposal he made to them of taking off his Father as also all those Persons that had the Conduct of his own and his Brother's Education because they earnestly endeavour'd to mediate a Reconciliation between them Nor did any of those Ministers weather this Storm whom his Father in his Life-time had honour'd with his Esteem and Confidence The Chief Officers in the Army he
great diligence to defeat the Practices set afoot by his Brother against his Life His Mother Mammaea would not suffer him to eat or drink any thing that was sent to him from that Hand He did not make use of the Cooks and Butlers that ordinarily serv'd the Court but of such as his Mother made choice of after manifold Proofs of their Fidelity She also sent Money to be distributed privately amongst the Soldiers to minister Fuel to their present Zeal for Alexander and to link them to his Interests by Money the Spring which gives Life to their most vigorous Motions Antonine had Intimations of all these Things and left no Stone unturn'd to accomplish the Ruine of Alexander and his Mother but Maesa manag'd Matters with that Dexterity that he miscarried in all his Designs against them She was a Woman of a subtil Brain and had liv'd many Years at Court with her Sister Julia Wife to Severus and was now let into all Antonine's Intrigues who was naturally shallow and still discovering himself and betraying his own Counsels When he found that all his Projects to ruine his Brother fell to the Ground without effect he resolv'd to take from him the Title and Dignity of Caesar and would not suffer him to be complimented nor permit any Respect to be paid him in Publick The Soldiers enquir'd diligently after him and murmur'd extremely at his Disgrace So Antonine spread a Report that he lay at the point of Death to try how the Army would take it which gave a deep Wound to them especially when he was no where to be found and put them in so violent a Rage that they refus'd to send the ordinary Guards to the Emperor but shut themselves up in the Camp and sent their Demands to Court requiring a View of Alexander in the Temple This infinitely alarm'd Antonine so that without delay he took his Brother with him in his Imperial Chariot that was richly adorn'd with Gold and Precious Stones and drove with great haste to the Camp The Soldiers receiv'd them both with open Gates and conducted them to the Temple in the Camp and Alexander was extravagantly caress'd by the whole Army and receiv'd with Shouts of Joy but Antonine was treated with Coldness and Neglect This struck him to the Heart so lodging that Night in the Temple of the Camp and being not able to brook the Indignity he commanded the Men who had been the most forward in bestowing their Applauses upon Alexander to be seiz'd upon as the Authors of a Sedition and a Riot in order to be brought to condign Punishment This begot a general Resentment in the Army they hated Antonine on a Foreign Score and had long wish'd that an end could be put to his infamous Deportment they also thought themselves bound in Honour to rescue their Companions that were under Arrest and at this time they seem'd to have just Grounds and a favourable Opportunity to effect what they desir'd So they kill'd Antonine and his Mother who was there present by reason of her Character and Alliance to the Emperor and massacred all the Tools and Instruments of his Villainies that were then assembled in the Camp The dead Bodies of Antonine and his Mother were deliver'd over to the Scorn and Indignities of the Mob who after they had mangled and dragg'd them contemptuously about the City threw them into the Common Sewers that discharge themselves into the Tyber Thus fell Antonine after he had reign'd Six Years and liv'd as we have related Then the Army proceeded to proclaim Alexander Emperor and conducted him to the Imperial Palace being very young and remaining as yet under the Care and Tuition of his Mother and Grandmother AN EPITOME OF THE Sixth Book SEverus Alexander remains under the Care of his Mother and Grandmother and administers the Empire with great Moderation He has a Council appointed of grave Men chosen out of the Senate by whose Advice and Assistance all Things as well Sacred as Profane are restor'd to their former State and Condition Then he marries a Lady of Noble Birth and divorces her soon after being influenc'd in this Proceeding by his Mother whom in all Things he obey'd Afterwards Artabanus King of Persia stirs up a Quarrel and Embassies are sent to and fro but without Effect So he marches an Army into Asia and dividing his Forces into Three Parties enters the Enemies Country and after great Losses and Misfortunes returns to Antioch From whence he is call'd back suddenly to oppose the Germans who had pass'd the Rhine and Danube and were entring in Hostile manner the Roman Territory but meeting here with the like ill Fortune he is kill'd by the Soldiers and Maximine a Man of great Military Skill who then commanded the New Levies is elected in his Room The Sixth Book THe Account of Antonine's Death is deliver'd in the former Book After which Alexander assum'd the Title of Emperor and appear'd in the Imperial Robes but the Regency and Conduct of Publick Affairs was in the Hands of the Women They endeavour'd a Reformation of all Abuses and to put all Things in a more prudent and regular Course than they had been in the late Reign And to this end in the first place they made choice of Sixteen of the most aged Men in the Senate and such as were in the greatest Reputation for Integrity and Probity of Manners who were to compose the young Emperor's Privy-Council and nothing was said or done without their Concurrence and Approbation This Change in the Form of Government gave general Satisfaction to the Army Populace and Senate a sort of Aristocracy being introduc'd in the room of Tyranny and Arbitrary Power Then they restor'd the Images of the Gods that had been remov'd by Antonine to their respective Temples and Fanes And all those that had in the late Reign been advanc'd undeservedly or upon the bare Recommendations of their Vices to Honours and Dignities were turn'd out and order'd to betake themselves to their former Mysteries and Vocations All Civil Offices and Employments appertaining to the Law were fill'd with Men famous for their Learning and Eminency in that Knowledge and Offices Military were bestow'd on Captains of the greatest Experience in the Art of War Thus was the Empire administred for a long time when Maesa having arriv'd to a great Age departed this Life Her Funeral was solemniz'd with Imperial Ceremonies and she was Deified according to the Roman Custom Mammaea seeing the sole Guardianship of her Son devolv'd upon her self endeavour'd to bear the same Sway and govern him still by the same Measures But now he had the Authority of the Government in his Hand she was afraid lest being then in the Heat of Youth and conscious of his own unlimited Power he might be push'd on to some Vices and Irregularities incident to his Blood and Family and therefore set a strong Guard about the Court and would not permit any Person to come near him that