ABSTRACT
Plutarch's Lives of Noble Grecia1ls and Romalles I 13 clothes, praying them to kill them with their owne handes. After the citye was burnt, they founde a woman hanged uppe by the necke, holding one of her children in her hande deade by her, hanged uppe also: and in the other hande a burning torche setting fire on her house. Some woulde have had Brutus to have seene her, but he woulde not see so horrible and tragicall a sight: but when he heard it, he fell a weeping, and caused a Herauld to make proclamation by sownd of trompet, that he woulde give a certaine summe of money, to every souldier that coulde save a Xanthian. So there were not (as it is reported) above fiftye of them saved, and yet they were saved against their willes. Thus the Xanthians having ended the revolution of their fatall destinie, after a longe continuance of tyme: they did through their desperation, renue the memorie of the lamentable calamities of their Auncestors. Who in like manner, in the warres of the Persians, did burne their citie, and destroyed them selves. Therefore Brutus likewise beseeging the citie of the Patareians, perceyving that they stowtly resisted him: he was also affrayde of that, and could not well tell whether he should give assault to it, or not, least they woulde fall into the dispayre and desperation of the Xanthians. Howbeit having taken certaine of their women prisoners, he sent them backe agayne, without payment of ransome. Nowe they that were the wives and Daughters of the noblest men of the citie, reporting unto their parents, that they had founde Brutus a mercifull, juste, and curteous man: they perswaded them to yeelde them selves and their citie unto him, the which they did. l So after they had thus yeelded them selves, divers other cities also followed them, and did the like: and founde Brutus more mercifull and curteous, then they thought they should have done, but specially farre above Cassius. For Cassius, about the selfe same tyme, after he had compelled the Rhodians every man to deliver all the ready money they had in gold and silver in their houses, the which being brought ogether, amounted to the summe of eyght thowsande talents: yet he condemned the citie besides, to paye the summe of five hundred talents more,2 Where Brutus in contrary manner, after he had leavyed of all the contrye of Lycia but a hundred and fiftye talents onely: he departed thence into the contrye of Ionia, and did them no more hurt. 3 Nowe Brutus in all this jorney, did many notable actes and worthy of memorie, bothe for rewarding, as also in punishing those that had deserved it. [Plutarch tells how Brutus punished Theodotus who caused the murder of Pompey.]
114 About that tyme, Brutus sent to praye Cassius to come to the
citye of Sardis, and so he did. Brutus, understanding of his comming, went to meete him with all his friendes.1 There, both their armies being armed, they called them both Emperors. Nowe, as it commonly hapneth in great affayres betwene two persons, both of them having many friends, and so many Captaines under them: there ranne tales and complaints betwixt them. Therefore, before they fell in hand with any other matter, they went into a litle chamber together, and bad every man avoyde, and did shut the do res to them.2 Then they beganne to powre out their complaints one to the other, and grew hot and lowde, earnestly accusing one another, and at length fell both a weeping.3 Their friends that were without the chamber hearing them lowd within, and angry betwene them selves, they were both amased, and affrayd also lest it would grow to further matter: but yet they were commaunded, that no man should come to them. Notwithstanding, one Marcus Phaonius, that had bene a friend and follower of Cato while he lived,4 and tooke upon him to counterfeate a Philosopher, not with wisedom and discretion, but with a certaine bedlem and frantick motion: he would needes come into the chamber, though the men offered to keepe him out. But it was no boote to let Phaonius, when a mad moode or toye tooke him in the head: for he was a hot hasty man, and sodaine in all his doings, and cared for never a Senator of them all. Now, though he used this bold manner of speeche after the profession of the Cynick Philosophers, (as who would say, doggs)5 yet this boldnes did no hurt many times, bicause they did but laugh at him to see him so mad. This Phaonius at that time, in despite of the doorekeepers, came into the chamber, and with a certaine scoffing and mocking gesture which he counterfeated of purpose, he rehearsed the verses which old Nestor sayd in Homer:
My Lords, I pray you harken both to mee, For I have seene moe yeares than suchye three.6
