ABSTRACT

Julius Ctesar able treatment of Brutus's corpse; Book vi includes Brutus' cool words when advised not to fight at Philippi, but calls him 'the Murtherer of his own Virtues, before he was the Parricide of the Parent of his countrey (for by one foul deed he overthrew them all, and defil'd his memory with an unexpiable detestation.' 1 Because of his heavy moralizing and his value as a source-book for illustrations, Valerius was much read in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Chaucer named and used him; Sir Thomas Elyot translated several anecdotes in his Governour. There is however no particular reason to think that Shakespeare used for his Roman plays this book of wise saws and ancient instances.