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THe desire of honour in the commoners,* 1.1 who aspired to be also created magistrates, mooued the fourth great stirre. Fabius Ambustus had two daughters, one of which hee bestowed in marriage vpon Sulpitius, a gentleman of Patritian bloud, the other vpon Sto∣lo, a Plebcian. He, because his wife was frighted at the sound of the serieants rod on his doore, which was ne∣uer heard there, till then, and for that respect was
proudly enough scoffed-at by her other sister, brooked not the indignitie. There∣fore hauing gotten to bee Tribune, he wrested from the Senate, whether they would, or no, the partici∣pation of honors, and high offices. Neuerthelesse, in the very hottest of these distempers, a man shall see cause to admire the gene∣rous spirit of this princely people. For so much as one while they busied themselues in the rescue of freedome, another while of chastitie, then stood for dignitie of birth, and for the ensignes, & ornaments of honour. But of all these worthie things, there was
not any one ouer which they held so wakefull an eye, as ouer libertie; nor could they bee corrupted by any gifts, or good turnes, as a value for betraying it. For when in a mightie people, and growing migh∣tier daily, there were in the meane space many perni∣cious members, of them they punished Spurius Cassius, suspected of affect∣ing souereigntie, because hee had published the Agrarian law, & Maelius, for that hee gaue lauishly, both of them with present death. Indeed, his owne father tooke reuenge vp∣on Spurius, but Seruilius Ahala, master of the Ro∣man
horsemen, or caualle∣rie, by comandement of Quinctius, the Dictator, ranne his sword through Maelius, in the middle of the Forum. But Manlius, the preseruer of the Capi∣tol, carrying himselfe, be∣cause hee had freed most men of their debts, ouer loftily, and aboue the garbe of a fellow-citizen, they pitcht him headlong from the top of the castell, which himselfe had de∣fended. Such were the people of Rome at home, and abroad, in peace, and in warre, during this wor∣king current of their youth,* 1.2 the secund age of their empire, in which
they conquered all Ita∣lie, betweene the Alpes, and Sea, by force of armes.
A. V. C. CCCXXCV
fretum.