marcus brutus-第8节

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Xanthians；　begged　of　them　that　they　would　spare　themselves　and　save
the　town。　Yet　none　regarded　his　entreaties；　but；　by　all　manner　of
ways；　strove　to　destroy　themselves；　not　only　men　and　women；　but　even
boys　and　little　children；　with　a　hideous　outcry；　leaped　some　into
the　fire；　others　from　the　walls；　others　fell　upon　their　parents'
swords；　baring　their　throats　and　desiring　to　be　struck。　After　the
destruction　of　the　city；　there　was　found　a　woman　who　had　hanged
herself　with　her　young　child　hanging　from　her　neck；　and　the　torch　in
her　hand　with　which　she　had　fired　her　own　house。
　　It　was　so　tragical　a　sight　that　Brutus　could　not　endure　to　see　it；
but　wept　at　the　very　relation　of　it　and　proclaimed　a　reward　to　any
soldier　that　could　save　a　Xanthian。　And　it　is　said　that　an　hundred　and
fifty　only　were　found；　to　have　their　lives　saved　against　their
wills。　Thus　the　Xanthians　after　a　long　space　of　years；　the　fated
period　of　their　destruction　having；　as　it　were；　run　its　course；
repeated　by　their　desperate　deed　the　former　calamity　of　their
forefathers；　who　after　the　very　same　manner　in　the　Persian　war　had
fired　their　city　and　destroyed　themselves。
　　Brutus；　after　this；　finding　the　Patareans　resolved　to　make
resistance　and　hold　out　their　city　against　him；　was　very　unwilling
to　besiege　it；　and　was　in　great　perplexity　lest　the　same　frenzy
might　seize　them　too。　But　having　in　his　power　some　of　their　women；　who
were　his　prisoners；　he　dismissed　them　all　without　any　ransom；　who；
returning　and　giving　an　account　to　their　husbands　and　fathers；　who
were　of　the　greatest　rank；　what　an　excellent　man　Brutus　was；　how
temperate　and　how　just；　persuaded　them　to　yield　themselves　and　put
their　city　into　his　hands。　From　this　time　all　the　cities　round　about
came　into　his　power；　submitting　themselves　to　him；　and　found　him
good　and　merciful　even　beyond　their　hopes。　For　though　Cassius　at　the
same　time　had　compelled　the　Rhodians　to　bring　in　all　the　silver　and
gold　that　each　of　them　privately　was　possessed　of；　by　which　he
raised　a　sum　of　eight　thousand　talents；　and　besides　this　had　condemned
the　public　to　pay　the　sum　of　five　hundred　talents　more；　Brutus；　not
having　taken　above　a　hundred　and　fifty　talents　from　the　Lycians；　and
having　done　them　no　other　manner　of　injury；　parted　from　thence　with
his　army　to　go　into　Ionia。
　　Through　the　whole　course　of　this　expedition；　Brutus　did　many
memorable　acts　of　justice　in　dispensing　rewards　and　punishments　to
such　as　had　deserved　either；　but　one　in　particular　I　will　relate；
because　he　himself；　and　all　the　noblest　Romans；　were　gratified　with　it
above　all　the　rest。　When　Pompey　the　Great；　being　overthrown　from　his
great　power　by　Caesar；　had　fled　to　Egypt；　and　landed　near　Pelusium；
the　protectors　of　the　young　king　consulted　among　themselves　what　was
fit　to　be　done　on　that　occasion；　nor　could　they　all　agree　in　the
same　opinion；　some　being　for　receiving　him；　others　for　driving　him
from　Egypt。　But　Theodotus；　a　Chian　by　birth；　and　then　attending　upon
the　king　as　a　paid　teacher　of　rhetoric；　and　for　want　of　better　men
admitted　into　the　council；　undertook　to　prove　to　them　that　both
parties　were　in　the　wrong；　those　that　counselled　to　receive　Pompey；
and　those　that　advised　to　send　him　away；　that　in　their　present　case
one　thing　only　was　truly　expedient；　to　seize　him　and　to　kill　him；
and　ended　his　argument　with　the　proverb；　that　〃dead　men　don't　bite。〃
The　council　agreed　to　his　opinion；　and　Pompey　the　Great　（an　example　of
incredible　and　unforeseen　events）　was　slain；　as　the　sophister
himself　had　the　impudence　to　boast；　through　the　rhetoric　and
cleverness　of　Theodotus。　Not　long　after；　when　Caesar　came　to　Egypt；
some　of　the　murderers　received　their　just　reward　and　suffered　the　evil
death　they　deserved。　But　Theodotus；　though　he　had　borrowed　on　from
fortune　a　little　further　time　for　a　poor；　despicable；　and　wandering
life；　yet　did　not　lie　hid　from　Brutus　as　he　passed　through　Asia；　but
being　seized　by　him　and　executed；　had　his　death　made　more　memorable
than　was　his　life。
　　About　this　time；　Brutus　sent　to　Cassius　to　come　to　him　at　the　city
of　Sardis；　and；　when　he　was　on　his　journey；　went　forth　with　his
friends　to　meet　him；　and　the　whole　army　in　array　saluted　each　of
them　with　the　name　of　Imperator。　Now　（as　it　usually　happens　in
business　of　great　concern；　and　where　many　friends　and　many
commanders　are　engaged）；　several　jealousies　of　each　other　and
matters　of　private　accusation　having　passed　between　Brutus　and
Cassius；　they　resolved；　before　they　entered　upon　any　other　business；
immediately　to　withdraw　into　some　apartment；　where；　the　door　being
shut　and　they　two　alone；　they　began　first　to　expostulate；　then　to
dispute　hotly；　and　accuse　each　other；　and　finally　were　so
transported　into　passion　as　to　fall　to　hard　words；　and　at　last　burst
out　into　tears。　Their　friends　who　stood　without　were　amazed；　hearing
them　loud　and　angry；　and　feared　lest　some　mischief　might　follow；　but
yet　durst　not　interrupt　them；　being　commanded　not　to　enter　the　room。
However；　Marcus　Favonius；　who　had　been　an　ardent　admirer　of　Cato；　and；
not　so　much　by　his　learning　or　wisdom　as　by　his　wild；　vehement　manner；
maintained　the　character　of　a　philosopher；　was　rushing　in　upon　them；
but　was　hindered　by　the　attendants。　But　it　was　a　hard　matter　to　stop
Favonius；　wherever　his　wildness　hurried　him；　for　he　was　fierce　in
all　his　behaviour；　and　ready　to　do　anything　to　get　his　will。　And
though　he　was　a　senator；　yet；　thinking　that　one　of　the　least　of　his
excellences；　he　valued　himself　more　upon　a　sort　of　cynical　liberty
of　speaking　what　he　pleased；　which　sometimes；　indeed；　did　away　with
the　rudeness　and　unseasonableness　of　his　addresses　with　those　that
would　interpret　it　in　jest。　This　Favonius；　breaking　by　force　through
those　that　kept　the　doors；　entered　into　the　chamber；　and　with　a　set
voice　declaimed　the　verses　that　Homer　makes　Nestor　use…

　　　　　　　　　〃Be　ruled；　for　I　am　older　than　ye　both。〃

At　this　Cassius　laughed；　but　Brutus　thrust　him　out；　calling　him
impudent　dog　and　counterfeit　Cynic；　but　yet　for　the　present　they　let
it　put　an　end　to　their　dispute；　and　parted。　Cassius　made　a　supper　that
night；　and　Brutus　invited　the　guests；　and　when　they　were　set　down；
Favonius；　having　bathed；　came　in　among　them。　Brutus　called　out　aloud
and　told　him　he　was　not　invited；　and　bade　him　go　to　the　upper　couch；
but　he　violently　thrust　himself　in；　and　lay　down　on　the　middle　one；
and　the　entertainment　passed　in　sportive　talk；　not　wanting　either
wit　or　philosophy。
　　The　next　day　after；　upon　the　accusation　of　the　Sardians；　Brutus
publicly　disgraced　and　condemned　Lucius　Pella；　one　that　had　been
censor　of　Rome；　and　employed　in　offices　of　trust　by　himself；　for
having　embezzled　the　public　money。　This　action　did　not　a　little　vex
Cassius；　for　but　a　few　days　before；　two　of　his　own　friends　being
accused　of　the　same　crime；　he　only　admonished　them　in　private；　but
in　public　absolved　them；　and　continued　them　in　his　service；　and　upon
this　occasion　he　accused　Brutus　of　too　much　rigour　and　severity　of
justice　in　a　time　which　required　them　to　use　more　policy　and　favour。
But　Brutus　bade　him　remember　the　Ides　of　March；　the　day　when　they
killed　Caesar；　who　himself　neither　plundered　nor　pillaged　mankind；　but
was　only　the　support　and　strength　of　those　that　did；　and　bade　him
consider　that　if　there　was　any　colour　for　justice　to　be　neglected；
it　had　been　better　to　suffer　the　injustice　of　Caesar's　friends　than　to
give　impunity　to　their　own；　〃for　then；〃　said　he；　〃we　would　have　been
accused　of　cowardice　only；　whereas　now　we　are　liable　to　the　accusation
of　injustice；　after　all　our　pain　and　dangers　which　we　endure。〃　By
which　we　may　perceive　what　was　Brutus's　purpose；　and　the　rule　of　his
actions。
　　About　the　time　that　they　were　going　to　pass　out　of　Asia　into　Europe；
it　is　said　that　a　wonderful　sign　was　seen　by　Brutus。　He　was
naturally　given　to　much　watching；　and　by　practice　and　moderation　in
his　diet　had　reduced　his　allowance　of　sleep　to　a　very　small　amount
of　time。　He　never　slept　in　the　daytime；　and　in　the　night　then　only
when　all　his　business　was　finished；　and　when；　every　one　else　being
gone　to　rest；　he　had　nobody　to　discourse　with　him。　But　at　this　time；
the　war　being　begun；　having　the　whole　state　of　it　to　consider；　and
being　solicitous　of　the　event；　after　his　first　sleep；　which　he　let
himself　take　after　his　supper；　he　spent　all　the　rest　of　the　night　in
settling　his　most　urgent　affairs；　which　if　he　could　despatch　early　and
so　make　a　saving　of　any　leisure；　he　employed　himself　in　reading
until　the　third　watch；　at　which　time　the　centurions　and　tribunes
were　used　to　come　to　him　for　orders。　Thus　one　night　before　he　passed
out　of　Asia；　he　was　very　late　all　alone　in　his　tent；　with　a　dim
light　burning　by　him；　all　the　rest　of　the　camp　being　bushed　and
silent；　and　reasoning　about　something　with　himself　and　very
thoughtful；　he　fancied　some　one　came　in；　and；　looking　up　towards　the
door；　he　saw　a　terrible　and　strange　appearance　of　an　unnatural　and
frightful　body　standing　by　him　without　speaking。　Brutus　boldly　asked
it；　〃What　are　you；　of　men　or　gods；　and　upon　what　business　come　to　me？〃
The　figure　answered　〃I　am　your　evil　genius；　Brutus；　you