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emotion that is now amongst us might discharge itself in some
neighbouring war; for fear lest all the peccant humours that now reign in
this politic body of ours may diffuse themselves farther; keep the fever
still in the height; and at last cause our total ruin; and; in truth; a
foreign is much more supportable than a civil war。  but I do not believe
that God will favour so unjust a design as to offend and quarrel with
others for our own advantage:

              〃Nil mihi tam valde placeat; Rhamnusia virgo;
               Quod temere invitis suscipiatur heris。〃

     '〃Rhamnusian virgin; let nothing ever so greatly please me which is
     taken without justice from the unwilling owners〃
     Catullus; lxviii。 77。'

And yet the weakness of our condition often pushes us upon the necessity
of making use of ill means to a good end。  Lycurgus; the most perfect
legislator that ever was; virtuous and invented this very unjust practice
of making the helots; who were their slaves; drunk by force; to the end
that the Spartans; seeing them so lost and buried in wine; might abhor
the excess of this vice。  And yet those were still more to blame who of
old gave leave that criminals; to what sort of death soever condemned;
should be cut up alive by the physicians; that they might make a true
discovery of our inward parts; and build their art upon greater
certainty; for; if we must run into excesses; it is more excusable to do
it for the health of the soul than that of the body; as the Romans
trained up the people to valour and the contempt of dangers and death by
those furious spectacles of gladiators and fencers; who; having to fight
it out to the last; cut; mangled; and killed one another in their
presence:

         〃Quid vesani aliud sibi vult ars impia ludi;
          Quid mortes juvenum; quid sanguine pasta voluptas?〃

     '〃What other end does the impious art of the gladiators propose to
     itself; what the slaughter of young men; what pleasure fed with
     blood。〃Prudentius; Contra Symmachum; ii。 643。'

and this custom continued till the Emperor Theodosius' time:

         〃Arripe dilatam tua; dux; in tempora famam;
          Quodque patris superest; successor laudis habeto
          Nullus in urbe cadat; cujus sit poena voluptas。。。。
          Jam solis contenta feris; infamis arena
          Nulla cruentatis homicidia ludat in armis。〃

     '〃Prince; take the honours delayed for thy reign; and be successor
     to thy fathers; henceforth let none at Rome be slain for sport。  Let
     beasts' blood stain the infamous arena; and no more homicides be
     there acted。〃Prudentius; Contra Symmachum; ii。 643。'

It was; in truth; a wonderful example; and of great advantage for the
training up the people; to see every day before their eyes a hundred; two
hundred; nay; a thousand couples of men armed against one another; cut
one another to pieces with so great a constancy of courage; that they
were never heard to utter so much as one syllable of weakness or
commiseration; never seen to turn their backs; nor so much as to make one
cowardly step to evade a blow; but rather exposed their necks to the
adversary's sword and presented themselves to receive the stroke; and
many of them; when wounded to death; have sent to ask the spectators if
they were satisfied with their behaviour; before they lay down to die
upon the place。  It was not enough for them to fight and to die bravely;
but cheerfully too; insomuch that they were hissed and cursed if they
made any hesitation about receiving their death。  The very girls
themselves set them on:

              〃Consurgit ad ictus;
               Et; quoties victor ferrum jugulo inserit; illa
               Delicias ait esse suas; pectusque jacentis
               Virgo modesta jubet converso pollice rumpi。〃

     '〃The modest virgin is so delighted with the sport; that she
     applauds the blow; and when the victor bathes his sword in his
     fellow's throat; she says it is her pleasure; and with turned thumb
     orders him to rip up the bosom of the prostrate victim。〃
     Prudentius; Contra Symmachum; ii。 617。'

The first Romans only condemned criminals to this example: but they
afterwards employed innocent slaves in the work; and even freemen too;
who sold themselves to this purpose; nay; moreover; senators and knights
of Rome; and also women:

         〃Nunc caput in mortem vendunt; et funus arena;
          Atque hostem sibi quisque parat; cum bella quiescunt。〃

     '〃They sell themselves to death and the circus; and; since the wars
     are ceased; each for himself a foe prepares。〃
     Manilius; Astron。; iv。 225。'

              〃Hos inter fremitus novosque lusus。。。。
               Stat sexus rudis insciusque ferri;
               Et pugnas capit improbus viriles;〃


     '〃Amidst these tumults and new sports; the tender sex; unskilled in
     arms; immodestly engaged in manly fights。〃
     Statius; Sylv。; i。 6; 51。'

which I should think strange and incredible; if we were not accustomed
every day to see in our own wars many thousands of men of other nations;
for money to stake their blood and their lives in quarrels wherein they
have no manner of concern。




CHAPTER XXIV

OF THE ROMAN GRANDEUR

I will only say a word or two of this infinite argument; to show the
simplicity of those who compare the pitiful greatness of these times with
that of Rome。  In the seventh book of Cicero's Familiar Epistles (and let
the grammarians put out that surname of familiar if they please; for in
truth it is not very suitable; and they who; instead of familiar; have
substituted 〃ad Familiares;〃 may gather something to justify them for so
doing out of what Suetonius says in the Life of Caesar; that there was a
volume of letters of his 〃ad Familiares 〃) there is one directed to
Caesar; then in Gaul; wherein Cicero repeats these words; which were in
the end of another letter that Caesar had written to him: 〃As to what
concerns Marcus Furius; whom you have recommended to me; I will make him
king of Gaul; and if you would have me advance any other friend of yours
send him to me。〃  It was no new thing for a simple citizen of Rome; as
Caesar then was; to dispose of kingdoms; for he took away that of King
Deiotarus from him to give it to a gentleman of the city of Pergamus;
called Mithridates; and they who wrote his Life record several cities
sold by him; and Suetonius says; that he had once from King Ptolemy three
millions and six hundred thousand crowns; which was very like selling him
his own kingdom:

          〃Tot Galatae; tot Pontus; tot Lydia; nummis。〃

          '〃So much for Galatia; so much for Pontus;
          so much for Lydia。〃Claudius in Eutrop。; i。 203。'

Marcus Antonius said; that the greatness of the people of Rome was not
so much seen in what they took; as in what they gave; and; indeed; some
ages before Antonius; they had dethroned one amongst the rest with so
wonderful authority; that in all the Roman history I have not observed
anything that more denotes the height of their power。  Antiochus
possessed all Egypt; and was; moreover; ready to conquer Cyprus and other
appendages of that empire: when being upon the progress of his victories;
C。 Popilius came to him from the Senate; and at their first meeting
refused to take him by the hand; till he had first read his letters;
which after the king had read; and told him he would consider of them;
Popilius made a circle about him with his cane; saying:〃Return me an
answer; that I may carry it back to the Senate; before thou stirrest out
of this circle。〃   Antiochus; astonished at the roughness of so positive
a command; after a little pause; replied; 〃I will obey the Senate's
command。〃  Then Popilius saluted him as friend of the Roman people。
To have renounced claim to so great a monarchy; and a course of such
successful fortune; from the effects of three lines in writing!  Truly
he had reason; as he afterwards did; to send the Senate word by his
ambassadors; that he had received their order with the same respect as if
it had come from the immortal gods。

All the kingdoms that Augustus gained by the right of war; he either
restored to those who had lost them or presented them to strangers。  And
Tacitus; in reference to this; speaking of Cogidunus; king of England;
gives us; by a marvellous touch; an instance of that infinite power: the
Romans; says he; were from all antiquity accustomed to leave the kings
they had subdued in possession of their kingdoms under their authority

          〃Ut haberent instruments servitutis et reges。〃

     '〃That they might have even kings to be their slaves。〃
     Livy; xlv。 13。'

'Tis probable that Solyman; whom we have seen make a gift of Hungary and
other principalities; had therein more respect to this consideration than
to that he was wont to allege; viz。; that he was glutted and overcharged
with so many monarchies and so much dominion; as his own valour and that
of his ancestors had acquired。




CHAPTER XXV

NOT TO COUNTERFEIT BEING SICK

There is an epigram in Martial; and one of the very good onesfor he has
of all sortswhere he pleasantly 

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