ABSTRACT
112 Julius Ctesar rest of the con try unto him.l But they were so fierce and obstinate, that they would mutyne for every small hurt they receyved as they passed by their con try, and did despise his curtesie and good nature: untill that at length he went to beseege the citie of the Xanthians, within the which were shut uppe the cruellest and most warrelikest men of Lycia. There was a ryver that ranne by the walls of the citie, in the which many men saved them selves, swymming betweene two waters, and fledde: howbeit they layed nettes over thwart the ryver, and tyed litle bells on the toppe of them, to sownd when any man was taken in the nettes. The Xanthians made a salye out by night, and came to fire certaine engynes of battery that bette downe their walls: but they were presently driven in agayne by the Romanes, so soone as they were discovered. The winde by chaunce was marvelous bygge, and increased the flame so sore, that it violently caried it into the cranewes of the wall of the citie, so that the next houses unto them were straight set a fire thereby. 2 Wherefore Brutus beeing affrayde that all the citie woulde take of a fire, he presently commaunded his men to quenche the fire, and to save the towne if it might be. But the Lycians at that instant fell into such a frensie, and straunge and horrible dispayre, that no man can well expresse it: and a man can not more rightly compare or lyken it, then to a franticke and moste desperate desire to dye. 3 For all of them together, with their wives and children, Maisters and servaunts, and of all sortes of age whatsoever, fought uppon the ramper of their walles, and did cast downe stones and fierworkes on the Romanes, which were very busie in quenching the flame of the fire, to save the citie. And in contrary manner also, they brought fagotts, drye wodde, and reedes, to bringe the fire further into the citie asmuch as might bee, increasing it by suche thinges as they brought. Nowe when the fire had gotten into all the partes of the citie, and that the flame burnt bright in every place: Brutus beeing sorye to see it, gotte uppon his horse, and rode rownde about the walles of the citie, to see if it were possible to save it, and helde uppe his handes to the inhabitants, praying them to pardon their citye, and to save them selves. Howbeit they woulde not be perswaded, but did all that they coulde possible to cast them selves away, not onely men and women, but also litle children. For some of them weeping and crying out, did cast them selves into the fire: others headlong throwing them selves downe from the walles, brake their neckes: others also made their neckes bare, to the naked swordes of their fathers, and undid their
