The Breviarie of L. Florus to the eleventh Booke.
WHen Fabius Gurges the Consull, had fought an infortunate battaile against the Samnites, and the Senate were about to discharge and remoove him from his armie; Fabius Maximus his father, besought them for his sake, not to offer him that disgrace and dishonour. For rather than that should come to passe, he promised to serve in person under his sonne in qua∣litie of his Lieutenant. Which moved the Senat, and prevailed more than [unspec I] anything els. And hee was his words maister. For hee went to the field, and by his meanes and good advise, the Consull his sonne was so well assisted, that he defeited the Samnites, triumphed over them, led captive before his triumphant chariot C. Pontius Lord Generall of the Samnites, and afterwards strucke off his head. Whiles the cittie [of Rome] was pitteously visited and afflicted with the plague, there were certain Em∣bassadours addressed and sent to Epidaurus, for so translate the image of Aesculapius from thence to Rome. And in steed thereof they brought away a great snake or serpent, which of it selfe embarked in their ship, and wherein, they were verily persuaded, that the puissance and divine power of the said god was resident. And when they had conducted it with them by sea as farre as to Rome, it went forth of the owne accord, and swam to the Island within Tyberis, where it setled: and in that very place where it [unspec K] tooke land, they erected a temple to Aesculapius. L. Posthumius, a consular man [i. who had been Con∣sull] having the charge of an armie, was condemned, and had a round fine set upon his head for that he emploied his souldiours about some worke in one of his sermes. The league was now the fourth time renued with the Samnites, at their earnest suit and request. Curius Dentatus the Consull, after he bid defeited and slaine the Samnites, vanquished the Sabines, who were revolted and rebelled, and received them under his obeisance, triumphed twise during the time of one Consulship. Three Colonies were erec∣ted and peopled, to wit, Castrum, Sena, and Adria. The three Triumvirs to sit upon capitall crimes, were then first created. Asessing was holden, and a solemne Lustrum, wherein by iust account were num∣bred 273000 cittizens of Romanes. The Commons, because they were deepely engaged in debt, in re∣gard of greevous and long seditions and dissentions, retired in the end to Ianiculum, from whence they [unspec L] were reclaimed and brought againe into the citie, by the meanes of Q. Hortensius the Dictatour, who died in the very time of his Magistracie. This booke containeth moreover the exploits against the Vol∣sinians, and also the Lucanes, against whom it was thought good and ordained, to send aid and succours to the Tyrrhenians.