and Industry made People sleep more sweetly and soundly than Laziness and that if they compar'd the Persians manner of Living with their own they would be convinc'd it was the most abject slavish condition in the World to be effeminate and voluptuous but the most generous and becoming a Great Man to take pains Besides he reason'd with them how it was possible for any one who pretended to be a Soldier either to look well after his Horse or to keep his Armour bright and in good order who thought much to let his Hands be serviceable to what was nearest to him his own Body Are ye still to learn said he the End and Perfection of our Victories is to avoid the Vices and Infirmities of those whom we subdue And to strengthen his Precepts by Example he applied himself now more vigorously than ever to Hunting and Warlike Expeditions readily embracing all opportunities of Hardship and Danger insomuch that old Lacon who chanc'd to be by when he encounter'd with and master'd an huge Lyon told him He had put his Empire in Competition and had fought gallantly with the Beast which of the two should be King Craterus caus'd a Representation of this Adventure consisting of the Lyon and the Dogs of the King engag'd with the Lyon and himself coming in to his assistance all express'd in Figures of Brass some of which were made by Lysippus and the rest by Leochares to be dedicated to the Temple of Apollo at Delphos In this manner did Alexander expose his Person to Danger whilst he both inur'd himself and incited others to the performance of brave and vertuous Actions But his Followers who were grown rich and consequently proud long'd to indulge themselves in Pleasure and Idleness and were perfectly weary of the Toyls and Inconveniencies of War and by degrees came to be so impudently ungrateful as to censure and speak ill of him behind his back All which at first he bore very patiently saying It became a King well to do good to others and be evil spoken of But to descend to some Instances of an inferiour nature it is certain that in the least demonstrations of Kindness to his Friends there was still a great mixture of Tenderness and Respect Hearing Peucestes was bitten by a Bear he wrote to him That he took it unkindly he should send others notice of it and not make him acquainted with it but now said he since it is so let me know how you do and whether any of your Companions forsook you when you were in danger that I may punish them He sent Hephestion who was absent about some business word How while they were fighting for their diversion with an Ichneumon Craterus was by chance run through both Thighs with Perdiccas his Javelin And upon Peucestes his recovery from a fit of Sickness he sent a Letter of Thanks to his Physician Alexippus When Craterus was ill he saw a Vision in his Sleep after which he offer'd Sacrifices for his Health and commanded him to do so likewise He wrote also to Pausanias the Physician who was about to purge Craterus with Hellebore partly out of an anxious Concern for him and partly to give him a Caution how he us'd that Medicine He was so tender of his Friends Reputation that he imprison'd Ephialtes and Cissus who brought him the first News of Harpalus his Flight and withdrawing from his Service as if they had falsly accus'd him When he sent the old infirm Soldiers home Eurylochus the Aegean got his Name enroll'd among the Sick though he ail'd nothing which being discover'd he confess'd he was in Love with a young Woman named Telerippa and had a mind to go along with her to the Sea-side Alexander enquired To whom the Woman belong'd and being told She was an Whore at her own disposal I will assist you said he to Eurylochus all I can in your Amour if your Mistriss be to be gain'd by Presents or Perswasions but we must use no other means because she is free-boâ—n It is surprizing to consider upon what slight occasions he would write Letters to serve his Friends As when he wrote one in which he gave Order to search for a Youth that belonged to Seleucus who was run away into Cilicia In another he thanked and commended Peucestes for apprehending Nicon a Servant of Craterus And to Megabysus concerning a Slave that had taken Sanctuary in a Temple he wrote that he should not meddle with him while he was there but if he could entice him out by fair means then he gave him leave to seize him It is reported of him that when he first sate in Judgment upon Capiâ—al Causes he would lay his Hand upon one of his Ears while the Accuser spoke to keep it free and unprejudic'd in behalf of the Party accus'd But afterwards such a multitude of Accusations were brought before him whereof many proving true exasperated him so that he gave credit to those also that were false and especially when any body spoke ill of him he would be so out of measure transported that he became cruel and inexorable valuing his Glory and Reputation far beyond either his Life or Kingdom His Affairs call'd upon him now to look after Darius expecting he should be put to the hazard of another Battel till he heard he was taken and secur'd by Bessus upon which news he sent home the Thessalians and gave them a largess of 2000 Talents over and above the Pay that was due to them This long and painful pursuit of Darius for in eleven days he march'd 412 Miles harass'd his Soldiers so that most of â—â—â—â— were ready to faint chiefly for want of Water While they were in this distress it hapned that some Macedonians who had fetch'd Water in Skins upon their Mules from a River they had found out came about Noon to the place where Alexander was and seeing him almost choak'd with Thirst presently fill'd an Helmet and offered it him He ask'd them to whom they were carrying the Water They told him to their Children adding withal that if his Life were but preserv'd it was no matter for them they should have opportunities enough to repair that loss tho' they all perished Then he took the Helmet into his Hands and looking round about when he saw all those who were near him stretched their heads out and gaped earnestly after the Drink he returned it again with thanks without tasting a drop of it For said he if I only should drink the rest will be quite out of heart and faint The Soldiers no sooner took notice of his Temperance and Magnanimity upon this occasion but they one and all cried out to him to lead them on boldly and fell a whipping their Horses to make them mend their pace for whilst they had such a King they said they defied either Weariness or Thirst and looked upon themselves to be little less than Immortal But tho' they â—â—Spsnâ—â—
should offer violence to these Laws wilt not thou be ready in assistance to the People Yes reply'd Pompey I shall always be ready and against those that threaten the Sword I 'll appear with Sword and Buckler But nothing ever was either said or done by Pompey to that very day that seem'd more insolent or odious to all Men than that one Saying Insomuch that his Friends endeavour'd to palliate the Offence and make an Apology for it as a word slipt out of joynt through Inadvertency but by his Actions and Practices afterwards it appear'd plainly that he was totally devoted to Caesar's Service For of a sudden Pompey beyond all Men's expectation Married with Julia the Daughter of Caesar who had been affianced before and was to be Married within a few days to Caepio And to appease Caepio's Wrath he gave him his own Daughter in Marriage who had been espous'd before to Faustus the Son of Sylla But Caesar himself Married Calpurnia the Daughter of Piso Upon this Pompey made a Garison of the City and filling it with Soldiers carried all things by Force as he pleas'd for as Bibulus the Consul was going to Court accompanied with Lucullus and Cato they fell upon him of a sudden and brake his Rods the Ensigns of Government and some body threw a Close-stool of Ordure upon the Head of Bibulus himself but the two Tribunes of the People that went among his Guards before him were desperately wounded in the Fray And thus by these means having clear'd the Court of all their Adversaries the Lex Agraria or Bill for the Division of Lands was established and passed into an Act And not only so but even the whole Populacy being thus decoyed and taken with this Bait became totally at their Devotion never regarding the Canvasses of the adverse Faction but passing quietly by Suffrage whatever they propounded Thus they confirmed all those Acts and Decrees of Pompey which were questioned and contested by Lucullus and to Caesar they granted the Provinces of Gallia Cisalpina and Transalpina together with Illyricum for five years and likewise a Battalion of four entire Legions Then they Elected Consuls for the year ensuing Piso the Father-in-Law of Caesar and Gabinius one of the chiefest Parasites about Pompey During all these Transactions Catulus kept close within Doors nor did he appear publickly in Person for the space of eight Months together notwithstanding he were Consul but sent out Proclamations full of bitter Invectives and Accusations against them both Cato turn'd Enthusiast and as if he had been possessed with a Spirit of Divination did nothing else in the Senate but foretel what Judgements should befal the Commonwealth and Pompey But Lucullus pleaded Dotage and retir'd upon a Writ of Ease as one already grown Feeble and Superannuate in the Affairs of State which gave occasion to that Satyrical Saying of Pompey That the Fatigues of Luxury were much more unseasonable for an old Man than those of Government Which in truth prov'd to be a Reflection upon himself for not long after he himself grew Effeminate in the Embraces of a young Wife Courting and Caressing her daily up and down through all the Gardens and Places of Pleasure in the Country whereby he neglected all the weighty Affairs of Courts and Councils Insomuch that Clodius who was then Tribune of the People began to dispise him and engage in many bold Attempts against him For when he had banished Cicero and sent away Cato into Cyprus under a colourable pretence of War when Caesar was gone upon his Expedition to Gaul and that he found how the Populacy was Devoted to him as a Man forming all Things and Governing according to their Pleasure he attempted forthwith to unravel and repeal divers of Pompey's Decrees thereupon he drew Tigranes the Captive out of Prison and had him about with him as his Companion he Commenced likewise Actions and Accusations against several of Pompey's Friends designing by these Measures to take the extent of his Power At last upon a time when Pompey came to Court in a certain Cause this same Clodius accompanied with a crowd of dissolute and desperate Ruffians and standing up in an eminent Place above the rest uttered himself in these or the like Questions Who 's the Licentious General What Man is that that is to seek for a Man And who is it that scratcheth his Head so nicely with one Finger The Rabble upon the Signal of shaking his Gown with a great Shout to every Question as 't is usual among Songsters in the Chorus or Burden of a Song Answer'd Pompey This indeed was no small Affliction to Pompey a Man unaccustom'd to hear any thing ill of himself and unexperienced altogether in such kind of Rencounters but he was most extreamly grieved when he came to understand that the Senate rejoyced at this dirty Usage and imputed it as a just Revenge or Punishment upon him for his Treachery to Cicero But when it hapned through this Tumult in the Market-Place that it was come even to Blows and Wounds and that one of Clodius his Bondslaves was apprehended creeping through the Crowd towards Pompey with a Sword in his Hand Pompey laying hold of this Pretence though perhaps otherwise apprehensive of Clodius his Insolence and Reproaches never would go to any publick Assemblies during all the time he was Tribune but kept close at home and passed away his time in Consult with his Friends by what means he might best allay the Displeasure of the Senate and Nobles against him Among other Expedients Culleo advised the Divorce of Julia whereby he should meet with an easie passage from Caesar's Friendship to that of the Senate this he would not hearken to by any means Others again advised him to call home Cicero from Banishment a Man that was always the great Adversary of Clodius and as great a Favourite of the Senate to this he was easily persuaded and therefore he brought Cicero's Brother into the Market-Place attendèd with a strong Party to Petition for his Return where after a warm Dispute wherein several were wounded and some slain he got the Victory of Clodius No sooner was Cicero return'd home upon this Decree but that immediately he reconciled the Senate to Pompey and withal by his Rhetorick in defence of the Law for Importation of Corn did again in effect make Pompey Soveraign Lord of all the Roman Empire by Sea and Land For by that Law he had got within the verge of his Jurisdiction all Ports Staples and Store-Houses and in short all the Mysteries and Concerns both of the Merchant and Husbandman Which gave occasion to that malicious Charge of Clodius That the Law was not made because of the Dearth or scarcity of Corn but the Dearth or scarcity of Corn was made that they might make a Law whereby that Power of his which was now grown Feeble and Consumptive might be reviv'd again and Pompey reinstated in a new Empire
danger Cato boldly opposed him and made him appear so infamous that he was forc'd to leave the Town and when Cicero came to thank him for what he had done You must thank the Commonwealth said he for whose sake alone it was that he did every thing Thus he gained a great and wonderful Reputation so that a certain Advocate in a Cause where there was only one Witness against him told the Judges They ought not to rely upon a single Witness though it were Cato himself And it was grown proverbial among the People if any very unlikely and incredible thing were asserted to say They would not believe it though Cato himself should affirm it One day a debauched Prodigal talking in the Senate about Frugality and Temperance Amnoeus standing up cryed Who can endure this Sir to hear you that feast like Crassus and build like Lucullus talk like Cato So likewise those who were wild and dissolute in their Manners yet affected to seem grave and severe in their Discourses were in derision called Cato's At first when his Friends would have perswaded him to stand to be Tribune of the People he thought it not convenient for that the Power of so great an Office ought to be imployed only as the strongest Medicines when things are brought to the last necessity But afterward in Vacation-time as he was going accompanied with his Books and Philosophers to Leucania where he had a pleasant Seat by the way they met a great many Horses Carriages and Attendants of whom they understood that Metellus Nepos was going to Rome to stand to be Tribune of the People Hereupon Cato stopp'd and after a little pause gave Orders to return immediately At which the Company seeming to wonder Don't you know said he how dangerous of it self the Madness of Metellus is but now he comes assisted with the Counsel of Pompey he will fall like Lightning on the State and bring it to utter ruine wherefore this is no time for Idleness and Diversion but we must go and prevent this man in his Designs or bravely die in defence of our Liberty Nevertheless by the Perswasion of his Friends he went first to his Countrey-house where he stay'd but a very little time and then returned to Town He arrived in the Evening and went straight the next Morning to the Forum where he began to sollicit for the Tribuneship in opposition to Metellus The Power of this Office consists rather in controuling than performing any Business for tho' all the rest except any one Tribune should be agreed yet his denial or intercession could put a stop to the whole Matter Cato at first had not many that appeared for him but as soon as his Design was known all Persons of the best Quality and of his own Acquaintance took part with him for they looked upon him not as one that desired a Favour of them but one that sought to do a great Kindness to his Countrey and all honest men Who had many times refused the same Office when he might have had it without trouble but now sought it with danger that he might defend their Liberty and their Government It is reported that so great a number flock'd about him that he was like to be stifled amidst the Press and could scarce get through the Crowd He was declared Tribune with several others among whom was Metellus Now when Cato was chosen into this Office having observed that the Election of Consuls was grown very mercenary he sharply rebuked the People for this Corruption and in the conclusion of his Speech protested he would accuse whom ever he should find giving Money yet Passed by Silanus by reason of his Alliance for he had married Servilia Cato's Sister so that he did not prosecute him but Lucius Murena who was chosen Consul with Silanus he accused of Bribery There was a Law That the Party accused might set a Guard upon his Accuser to watch him lest he should use any indirect means in preparing the Accusation He that was set upon Cato by Murena at first followed and observed him strictly yet never found him dealing any way unfairly or unjustly but always generously and candidly going on in the just and open Methods of Proceeding So that he much admired Cato's great Spirit and noble Nature and easily trusted to his Integrity for meeting him abroad or going to his House he would ask him if he designed to do any thing that day in order to the Accusation and if Cato said No he went away freely relying on his Word When the Cause was pleaded Cicero who was then Consul and defended Murena did so wittily expose Cato and the Stoick Philosophers and their Paradoxes that he raised great Laughter in his Judges Whereupon Cato smiling said to the Standers by Sirs we have a very pleasant Consul Murena was acquitted and afterward shewed himself no passionate but a very prudent Man for when he was Consul he always took Cato's Advice in the most weighty Affairs and in all the time of his Office gave him much Honour and Respect Of which not only Murena's Prudence but also Cato's obliging Humour was the Cause for tho' he were terrible and severe as to Matters of Justice in the Senate and at the Bar yet he was very courteous and good-natured to all men in private Before Cato took upon him the Office of Tribune he assisted Cicero at that time Consul in many things that concerned his Office but most especially in prosecuting Catiline's Conspiracy which he did with great Courage and Success This Catiline had plotted a dreadful and entire Subversion of the Roman State contriving to raise great Seditions and drive them into a Civil War but being detected by Cicero was forced to fly the City Yet Lentulus and Cethegus conspired with several others and blaming Catiline as one that wanted Courage and had too much Caution for such desperate Designs they themselves resolved to set the whole Town on fire and utterly to ruine the Empire of the World by Tumults at home and War from abroad But the Design was discovered by Cicero as we have written in his Life and the Matter brought before the Senate Silanus who spoke first delivered his opinion That the Conspirators ought to suffer the last of Punishments and was therein followed by all that spoke after him till it came to Coesar who was very eloquent and looking upon all Changes and commotions in the State as Matter for him to work upon desired rather to increase than extinguish them Wherefore standing up he made a very merciful and perswasive Speech That they ought not to suffer otherwise than according to Law by which they could not be put to death and moved that they might be kept in Prison Thus was the House almost wholly turned by Coesar They were also afraid of the People insomuch that Silanus retracted and said he did not mean Death but Imprisonment for that was the utmost of what a Roman could suffer Upon this
and Caius likewise was then elected Tribune the second time without his own seeking or petitioning for it but at the voluntary motion of the People When he understood that the Senators were his declared Enemies and that Fannius himself was none of the truest Friends he began again to flatter the People with other new Laws He proposed that a Colony of Roman Citizens might be sent to repeople Tarentum and Capua and that all the Latins should enjoy the same Privileges with the Citizens of Rome But the Senate apprehending that he would at last grow too powerful and dangerous took a new and unusual course to alienate the Peoples Affections from him by their gratifying them in things beyond what they could reasonably expect Livius Drusus was fellow Tribune with Caius a Person of as good a Family and as well educated as any amongst the Romans and no ways inferior to those who for their Eloquence and Riches were the most famous and most powerful Men of that time To him therefore the chief Senators make their Application exhorting him to fall upon Caius and that he would engage himself on their side in opposition to him not by using any force or opposing of the common People but in gratifying and obliging them with such unreasonable things as might otherwise very well deserve to be detested Livius offer'd to serve the Senate with his Authority in this Business and in order thereunto enacted such Laws as were in reality neither honourable nor advantageous for the Publick his whole Design being to out-do Caius in pleasing and cajoling the Populace as Comedians do with obsequious Flattery and Popularity whereby the Senate gave plain Testimonies that they were not at all displeased with Caius's management of Affairs but privately designed either to ruine him utterly or to lessen at least his Reputation For when Caius proposed the re-peopling of only two Colonies abroad and mentioned the most considerable Citizens for that purpose they accused him for abusing the People but on the contrary were pleased with Drusus when he proposed the sending of twelve Colonies abroad and each to consist of 3000 Persons and those too the most beggarly Rascals that he could find When Caius divided the publick Fields amongst the poor Citizens and charged them with a small Rent annually to be paid into the Exchequer they were angry at him as one who pretended to gratifie the People only for his own Interest yet afterwards they commended Livius tho' he exempted them from paying even that little Acknowledgment Besides they were displeased with Caius for giving the Latins an equal Power with the Romans of voting at the Election of Magistrates but when Livius proposed that it might not be lawful for a Roman Captain to strike a Latin Souldier they promoted the passing of that Law and Livius in all his Speeches to the Mobile always told them That he proposed no Laws but such as were agreeable to the Senate who had a particular regard to the Peoples Advantage And this truly was the only Action during the time of his Tribuneship which proved advantageous to the Publick for the People were by this inclined to shew a more than ordinary Love and respect to the Senate and tho' they formerly suspected and hated the principal Senators yet Livius appeas'd and mitigated all their former Perverseness and Animosity by convincing them that he had done nothing in favour and for the benefit of the Commons without their Advice and Approbation But the greatest Credit which Drusus got for his Kindness and Justice towards the People was That he never seem'd to propose any Law either of his own Head or for his own Advantage for he committed the charge of seeing the Colonies rightly settled to other Commissioners neither did he ever concern himself with the distributions of the Moneys whereas Caius was always the principal Man concern'd in such considerable Transactions When Rubrius another Tribune of the People had proposed to have Carthage again inhabited which had been formerly demolished by Scipio it fell to Caius's lot to see the same performed and for that purpose he sailed into Africa Drusus took this opportunity of his absence to insinuate himself still more into the Peoples Affections which he did chiefly by accusing Fulvius who wa a particular Friend to Caius and deputed a Commissioner with him for the division of the Lands This Fulvius was a Man of a turbulent Spirit and notoriously hated by the Senate and besides he was suspected by others to have fomented a Difference between them and their Confederates and under-hand to have perswaded the Italians to rebel tho' there was no other way to prove the truth of these Accusations than by his being a suspicious Person and of a seditious Temper This was one principal Cause of Caius's Ruine for part of the Envy which fell upon Fulvius was derived upon him and when Scipio Africanus happen'd to die suddenly and no outward cause of such an unexpected Death appear'd except some marks of Blows upon his Body which intimated that he had been violently murder'd as we have related in the History of his Life the greatest part of the Blame was thrown upon Fulvius because he was his mortal Enemy and that very day had reflected upon Scipio publickly in the Tribunal nor was Caius himself clear from Suspicion however such an horrible Murther and committed too upon the Person of one of the greatest and most considerable Men in Rome was never either punished or enquired into thorowly for the Mobile opposed and hinder'd the Proceedings of Justice for fear that Caius should be found accessary to the Murder but these things were sometime after But in Africa where at present Caius was engaged in the re-peopling of Carthage which he named Junonia many ominous Prodigies which presaged Mischief are reported to have been sent from the Gods For the First Ensigns Staff was broken with a violent Gale of Wind notwithstanding all the Endeavours of the Ensign to the contrary Another sudden Storm blew away the Sacrifices which were laid upon the Altars and disorder'd the whole Platform by which the bounds of the City were described and besides all this the Wolves made an Incursion and carried away the very Marks that were set up whereby they designed the Precincts of the City Caius notwithstanding all this order'd and dispatched the whole Business in the space of 70 days and then return'd to Rome understanding how Fulvius was prosecuted by Drusus and that the present Juncture of Affairs would not suffer him to be absent for Lucius Hostilius one who sided much with the Nobility and of no small Authority in the Senate who had formerly sued to be Consul but was repulsed by Caius's Interest whereby Fannius was elected was in a fair way now of being chosen Consul because he had a numerous company of Friends and it was generally believ'd if he did obtain it that he would wholly ruine Caius's Interest whose Power was