St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of those fugitiue Sword-players, whose power grew paralell with a regall dignitie. CHAP. 5.

I Will therefore omitte to reuiew the crew that Romulus called together, by proclaming freedome from feare of punishment to all such as would inhabite Rome; hereby both augmenting his citty, and getting a sort of fellowes about him that were fitte for any villanous or desperate acte what-so-euer. But this I say, that the very Empire of Rome, albe it was now growne so great and so power∣full by subduing of so many nations, and so become sole terror of all the rest, was neuer thelesse extreamly danted, and driuen into a terrible feare of an inuasi∣on very hardly to bee auoyded, by a small crew of raskally sword-players, that had fled from the fence schoole into Campania, and were now growne to such a

mightie armie, that vnder the conduct of three (a) Captaines they had made a most lamentable and cruell waste and spoile of the most part of the countrie. Let them tell mee now, what God it was that raised vp these men from a fewe poore contemptible theeues, to a gouernment so terrible to the state and strength of Rome it selfe: will it be answered that they had no helpe at all from the Gods, because they continued (b) but a while? As though that euery mans life must of necessitie bee of long continuance: why then the Gods helpe no King to his kingdome, because that most kings dye very soone: nor is that to bee accounted as a benefite which euery man looseth in so little a time, and which vanisheth (like a vapor) so soone after it is giuen: for what is it vnto them that worshipped these gods vnder Romulus, and are now dead, though the Romaine Empire be neuer so much encreased since, seeing they are now pleading their owne particular causes in hell: of what kinde, and in what fashion they are there, belongs not to this place to dispute. And this may bee vnderstood likewise of all that haue ended their liues in few yeares, and beare the burthens of their deeds with them, how-so-euer their Empire be afterwards augmented, and con∣tinued through the liues and deaths of many successors. But if this be not so, but that those benefits (though of so short space) be to be ascribed to the gods good∣nesses, then assuredly the Sword-players had much to thanke them for, who by their helpe did cast of their bonds of slauerie, and fled and escaped, and gotte an army of that strength and good discipline together, that Rome it selfe began to be terribly afraide of them, and lost diuerse fields against them. They gotte the vp∣per hand of diuerse generalls, they vsed what pleasures they would; they did euen what they lusted; and vn•…•…ill their last ouer-throw, which was giuen them with extreame difficultie, they liued in all pompe and regalitie. But now vnto matter of more consequence.

L. VIVES.

THree (a) Captaines] Spartacus, Chrysus, and Oenomaus: worthy of memory is that of * 1.1 Plinie, lib. 3. & 30. that Spartacus forbad the vse of golde and siluer in his Tents; so that I wonder not that he became so powerfull. That lawe in the tents of those fugitiues, was bet∣ter then all the other Midas lawes in the Cities of mighty Kings. (h) But a while] In the third yeare of their rebellion, M. Licinius Crassus vtterly dispersed and killed them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The leaders of the fugi∣tiues.