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THe Poets and Historiographers, to impresse into vs the like naturall pietie, haue left diuerse presidents to posteritie. Innumerable are the examples of fraternall loue betwixt Brother and Brother. To illustrate
the other the better, I will giue you a tast of some few. Volater. lib. 14. cap. 2. de Antropo,* 1.1 relates, how in that warre which Cai. Cornelius Cinna, Tribune, (beeing expelled the citie with Caius Marius, and others) com∣menced against the Romans, there were two brothers, one of Pompeyes armie, the other of Cinnaes, who meeting in the battaile, in single encoun∣ter one slew the other: but when the Victor came to rifle the dead bodie, and found it to be his owne naturall brother, after infinite sorrow and lamentation, he cast himselfe into the fire where the slaughtered carkasse was burned. M. Fabius the Consull, in the great conflict against the He∣trurians and Veientians, obtained a glorious victorie: when the Senate and the people of Rome had with great magnificence and cost, at their owne charge, prepared for him an illustrious triumph; hee absolutely re∣fused that honour, because Q. Fabius his brother (fighting manfully for his countrey) was slaine in that battaile: What a fraternall pietie liued in his breast, may be easily coniectured, who refused so remarkable an ho∣nour, to mourne the losse of a beloued brother? Valer. cap. 5. lib. 5. Wee reade in our English Chronicles of Archigallo, brother to Gorbomannus, who being crowned king of Brittaine, and extorting from his subiects all their goods to enrich his owne Coffers, was after fiue yeeres deposed and depriued of his Royall dignitie, in whose place was elected Elidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallo, a vertuous Prince, who gouerned the people gently and iustly. Vpon a time beeing hunting in the Forrest, hee met with his brother Archigallo, whom hee louingly embra∣ced, and found such meanes that he reconciled him both to the Lords and Commons of the Realme; that done, he most willingly resigned vnto him his Crowne and Scepter, after hee himselfe had gouerned the Land fiue yeeres. Archigallo was re-instated, and continued in great loue with his brother, reigning ten yeeres, and was buried at Yorke; after whose death, Elidurus was againe chosen king. What greater enterchange of fraternall loue could be found in brothers? To equall whom, I will first begin with the sisters of Phaeton, called by some Heliades, by others Phaetontides;* 1.2 who with such funerall lamentation bewayled the death of their brother, that the gods in commiseration of their sorrow, turned them into Trees: whose transformations Ouid with great elegancie expresseth, Lib. 1. Metamorph. as likewise Virgil in Cutice; their names were, Phaethusa, Lampitiae, Phebe, &c. Antigone,* 1.3 the daughter of Oedipus, when her brother Eteocles was slaine in battaile, shee buried his bodie, maugre the contradiction of the Tyrant Creon: of whom Ouid, Lib. 3. Tristium,
—Fratrem Thebana peremplam Supposuit tumulo rege vetante soror.
The Theban sister to his Tombe did bring Her slaught'red brothers Corse, despight the king.
Hyas being deuoured of a Lyon,* 1.4 the Hyades (his sisters) deplored his death with such infinite sorrow, that they wept themselues to death: And for their pietie, were after by the gods translated into Starres; of whom Pontanus,
Fratris Hyae quas perpetuus dolor indidit astris.
* 1.5Thus you see how the Poet did striue to magnifie and eternize this Ver∣tue in Sisters. No lesse compassionat was Electra, the daughter of Aga∣memnon, on her brother Orestes; and Iliona, the issue of Priam, when shee heard the death of young Polidore. Stobaeus, Serm. 42. out of the Historie of Nicolaus de morib. gentium, sayth, That the Aethiopians, aboue all others, haue their sisters in greatest reuerence: insomuch, that their kings leaue their succession not to their owne children, but to their sisters sonnes; but if none of their issue be left aliue, they chuse out of the people the most beau∣tifull, and warlike withall, whom they create their Prince and Soueraigne. Euen amongst the Romans, M. Aurelius Commodus so dearely affected his sister, that being called by his mother to diuide their fathers Patrimonie be∣twixt them, hee conferred it wholly vpon her, contenting himselfe with his grandfathers reuenue. Pontanus de Liber. cap. 11.
I will end this discourse concerning Sisters, with one Historie out of Sa∣bellicus, li. 3. c. 7. the same confirmed by Fulgosius,* 1.6 lib. 5. cap. 5. Intaphernes was (say they) one of those confederat Princes who freed the Persian Empire from the vsurpation of the Magician brothers, and conferred it vpon Darius: who now being established in the supreme dignitie, Intaphernes hauing some businesse with the king, made offer to enter his chamber; but being rudely put backe by one of the groomes or waiters, he tooke it in such scorne, that no lesse reuenge would satisfie his rage, than to cut off his eares and nose: of which the king hauing present notice, his indignation exceeded the o∣thers rage; for he gaue commandement, That for this insolence and out∣rage done in the Pallace, and so neere his presence, that not onely Intapher∣nes the Delinquent, but all the male issue of his stocke and race whatsoeuer, should be layd hold vpon, and after, to the dread and terror of the like of∣fendors, by mercilesse death tast the terror of the kings incensement. The Sentence of their apprehension was performed, and their execution hourely expected: when the wife of Intaphernes cast her selfe groueling before the Court gate, with such pittifull eiulations and clamours, that they came euen to the eares of Darius, and much penetrated him, being vttered with such passionate and moouing accents, able to mollifie the Flint, or soften Marble. Imprest therefore with her pittious lamentations, the king sent vnto her, That her teares and clamours had so farre preuayled with him, that from the condemned societie they had ransomed one, and one onely, to continue the memorie of their Name and Familie; chuse amongst them all, whose life she most fauoured, and whose safetie with the greatest affecti∣on desired, but further than this to graunt her his Sentence was vnalte∣rable. None that heard this small (yet vnexpected) fauour from the king, but presently imagined she would either redeeme her husband, or at least one of her sonnes, two of them beeing all that shee had then groning vnder the burthen of that heauie Sentence. But after some small medita∣tion (contrarie to the expectation of all men) shee demaunded the life of her brother. The king somewhat amased at her choyse, sent for her, and demaunded the reason, Why shee had preferred the life of a brother be∣fore the safetie of such a noble husband, or such hopefull children? To whom shee answered, Behold (O king) I am yet but young and in my best of yeeres, and I may liue to haue another husband, and so consequently by him more children: But my father and mother are both aged, and stricken in yeeres; and should I lose a Brother, I should for euermore be depriued of that sacred Name.
At which words the king exceedingly moued, to see with what a fraternall zeale they were spoken, he not onely released her brother, but added to his vnexpected bountie the life of her eldest sonne.
Examples of fraternall Pietie.
Phaetontides
Antigone.
Hyades.
Electra. Iliona.
The wife of Intaphernes.