ABSTRACT
Plutarch's Lives of Noble Grecians and Romanes 125 with his enemies, then with him. For with him, they were slaves and servauntes: and with him, they were free men, and citizens. So when he saw that divers Captaines and his frendes did so cruelly hate some, that they would by no meanes save their lives: Brutus him selfe hid them, and secretlie sent them away.l Among these prisoners, there was one Volumnius a jeaster, and Sacculio a common player, of whom Brutus made no accompt at all. Howbeit his frends brought them unto him, and did accuse them, that though they were prisoners, they did not let to laugh them to scorne, and to jeast broadly with them. Brutus made no aunswere to it, bicause his heade was occupied otherwayes. Whereupon, Messala Corvinus sayd: that it were good to whippe them on a skaff old, and then to sende them naked, well whipped, unto the Captaines of their enemies, to shewe them their shame, to keepe suche mates as those in their campe, to play the fooles, to make them sport. Some that stoode by, laughed at his devise. But Publius Casca, that gave Julius Cresar the first wounde when he was slaine, sayd then: It doth not become us to be thus merie at Cassius funeralls: and for thee, Brutus, thou shalt showe what estimacion thou mad est of suche a Captaine thy compere, by putting to death, or saving the lives of these bloodes, who hereafter will mocke him, and defame his memorie. Brutus aunswered againe in choller: Why then doe you come to tell me of it, Casca, and doe not your selves what you thinke good? When they hearde him say so, they tooke his aunswere for a consent against these poore unfortunate men, to suffer them to doe what they thought good: and therefore they caried them away, and slue them. Afterwards Brutus performed the promise he had made to the souldiers, and gave them the two thowsand Drach. mas a peece, but yet he first reproved them, bicause they went and gave charge upon the enemies at the first battell, before they had the word of battell geven them: and made them a new promise also, that if in the second battell they fought like men, he would geve them the sacke and spoyle of two cities, to wit, Thessalonica, and Lacedremon. In all Brutus life there is but this only fault to be found, and that is not to be gainesaid2 : though Antonius and Octavius Cresar did reward their souldiers farre worse for their victory. For when they had driven all the naturall Italians out of Italie, they gave their souldiers their landes and townes, to the which they had no right: and moreover, the only marke they shot at in all this wal're they made, was but to overcome, and raigne. Where in contrarie
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