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

What the history of Saluste reports of the Romains conditions, both in their times of daunger and those of security. CHAP. 18.

THerefore I will keepe a meane, and stand rather vnto the testimony of Sa∣lust himselfe, who spoke this in the Romaines Praise (whereof we but now discoursed) that iustice and honesty preuailed as much with them by nature, as by lawe: extolling those times wherein the citty (after the casting out of her kings) grew, vp to such a height in so small a space. Notwithstanding al this, this same author confesseth in (a) the very beginning of the first booke of his history, that when the sway of the state was taken from the Kings and giuen to the Consuls, (b) within a very little while after, the citty grew to be greatly troubled with the oppressing power of the great ones; and (c) the deuision of the people from the fathers vpon that cause, and diuers other daungerous dissentions; for hauing re∣corded how honestly, and in what good concord the Romaines liued together (d) betwixt the second warre of Africa, and the last; and hauing showed that it was not the loue of goodnesse, but the feare and distrust of the Carthaginians might, and per•…•…ideousnesse, that was cause of this good order, and therfore that vpon this Nasica would haue Carthage stand stil vndemolished, as a fit meane to debarre the entrance of iniquity into Rome, and to keepe in integrity by feare; he addeth presently vpon this, these words (e) But discord, auarice, ambition, and all such mis∣chiefes as prosperity is midwife vnto, grew vnto their full light after the destruction of Charthage, intimating herein, that they were sowne, & continued amongst the Romains before: which he proues in his following reason. For as for the violent of∣fensiuenesse of the greater persons (saith he) and the diuision betwixt the Patricians and the Plebeians thence arising, those were mischiefes amongst vs from the beginning: nor was there any longer respect of equity or moderation amongst vs, then whilest the kings were in expelling and the citty and state quit of Tarquin, and the (f) great war of Hetruria. Thus you see, how that euen in that little space wherein after the ex∣pulsion of their Kings they embraced integrity, it was onely feare that forced them to do so, because they stood in dread of the warres, which Tarquin, vpon his expulsion being combined with the Hetrurians waged against them. Now obserue what Salust addeth, for after that (quoth he) the Senators bgan to make slaues of the people, to iudge of heades &, (g) shoulders, as bloudily & imperiously (h) as the •…•…ings did to chase men from their possessions: & only they, of the whole crue of factions, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…rial sway of al, With which outrages (& chiefely with their extreame taxes and •…•…tions) the people being sore oppressed, maintaining both soldiours in continuall armes, and paying tribute also besides, at length they stept out, tooke vp armes, and drew to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 head vpon Mount Auentine and Mount Sacer. And then they elected them 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and set downe other lawes; but the second warre of Africa gaue end to these 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on both sides. Thus you see in how little a while, so soone after the

expelling of their Kings, the Romaines were become such as hee hath described them: of whom (notwithstanding) he had affirmed, that Iustice and honestie pre∣uailed as much with them by nature as by lawe. Now if those times were found to haue beene so depraued, wherein the Romaine estate is reported to haue beene most vncorrupt and absolute, what shall wee imagine may then bee spoken or thought of the succeeding ages, which by a graduall alteration (to vse the au∣thors owne words) of an honest and honorable citie, became most dishonest and dishonorable, namely after the dissolution of Carthage, as hee himselfe relateth? How he discourseth and describeth these times, you may at full behold in his hi∣storie, and what progresse this corruption of manners made through the midst of the Cities prosperitie, euen (k) vntill the time of the ciuill warres. But from that time forward, as hee reporteth, the manners of the better sort did no more fall to decay by little and little, but ranne head-long to ruine, like a swift torrent, such excesse of luxurie and auarice entring vpon the manners of the youth, that it was fitly said of Rome, that she brought forth such (l) as would neither keepe goods them-selues nor suffer others to keepe theirs. Then Salust proceeds, in a discourse of Sylla's villanies, and of other barbarous blemishes in the common∣wealth: and to his relation in this do all other writers agree in substance, though (m) they bee all farre behinde him in phrase. But here you see (and so I hope * 1.1 doe all men) that whosoeuer will obserue but this, shall easilie discouer the large gulfe of damnable viciousnesse into which this Citty was fallen, long before the comming of our heauenly King. For these things came to passe, not onely before that euer Christ our Sauiour taught in the flesh, but euen before he was borne of the Virgin, or tooke flesh at all: Seeing therefore that they dare not impute vnto their owne gods those so many and so great mischiefes, eyther the tolerable ones which they suffered before, or the fouler ones which they incurred after the de∣struction of Carthage, (howsoeuer their gods are the engraffers of such maligne opinions in mens mindes, (n) as must needs bud forth such vices,) why then do they blame Christ for the euills present, who forbids them to adore such false and deuillish gods, by his sweete and sauing doctrine, which doe condemne all these * 1.2 harmefull and vngodly affections of man by his diuine authoritie, and from all those miseries, with-drawes his flock and familie by little and little out of all pla∣ces of the declining world, to make of their companie an eternall and celestiall cittie, not by the applause of vanitie, but by the election of veritie.

L. VIVES.

THis same author (a) confesseth,] This historie of Saluste concerning the ciuill warres of Rome, wee haue lost. Onely some few Orations there are remaining. (b) Within a ve∣rie little while,] But fifteene yeares. (Liu. lib. 2.) Appius Claudius, and P. Seruilius were made Consuls for that yeare: And this yeare was made famous by the death of Tarquin the proud. * 1.3 Hee died at Cumae, whether after his wrackt estate hee retired vnto Aristodemus the Tyran. The newes of his death sturred both Patricians and Populars to ioy and mirth: but the Pa∣tricians reuells were too saucie: for then they began to offer iniury to the people, whome till that day they had obeyed. (c) The diuision.] the people diuided themselues from the Patrici∣ans, * 1.4 because of the sesse laide vpon them the seuenteenth yeare after the obtaining of their li∣berty: and againe because of the tyrannie of the Decemuiri in making cruell lawes, Anno. 303. after the building of Rome. Thirdly by reason of their debts, and the long dissentions betweene the tribunes and the Senators, some few yeares before Pirrhus his warre. (d) Betwixt the second]

There were three seuerall warres begun and ended betweene the Romaines and the Carthage∣nians: The first in Sicilie 22. yeares together, and afterwards in Affricke: it began the 390. * 1.5 yeare after the building of Rome. Appius Clandius Caudax, and Qu. Fuluius Flaccus being Consuls. So many are the yeares in Plinies 33. booke, wherein I thinke for 585. must bee read * 1.6 485. Liuy and Eutropius count not so much by thirteene yeares. The second of these warres began some 23. yeares after, P. Scipio, and T. Sempronius being Consuls: it went through Spaine, Sicily, Italy and Affricke, and there it was ended by Scipio African the elder, seuen∣teene yeeres after the first beginning of it. The third arose 49. yeares after that, Manlius, and Martius Censorinus being Consuls, it was finished three yeares after in Affrick (where it who∣ly continued) by Scipio African the yonger: and the end of this was the subuersion of Car∣thage. Of these warres more at large else-where. (e) But discorde] Saluste in his Bellum Iu∣gurthinum. (f) The great warre of Hetruria] With Porsenna the mighty King of Hetruria, * 1.7 who would haue Tarquin restored to his kingdome: and begirt the Cittie of Rome with a hard and dangerous siege: and had taken it, but that the valour of Scaeuola terrified him from per∣sisting. Liu. lib. 1. (g) Of the heads and shoulders] Of death, and other punishments. Those that the Romaines adiudged to death, they first scourged with roddes, and then killed them. Some∣times, if the fact were not very wicked, they did but onely scourge them with rodds. Besides, * 1.8 those that were sued by their creditors and brought before the Iudge, were most villanously and miserably abused, their creditours being allowed to chaine them, and beate them like their slaues: against which foule enormitie the Portian and the Sempronian laws were promulgated, which forbid that the body of any free Romaine should bee beaten either with roddes or any scourges. (h) To chase men from their possessions] For, such fields as were wonne by the valour of the people of Rome, the ritch men would first vndertake by the appointment of the Senate, to till and make fruitfull, as if they were hired by the Senate: marry afterwards, (their fellows winking at it) they would thrust the people from their right, and make themselues absolute lords of all: And herevpon were the Agrarian lawes so often put to be past, concerning the di∣uiding * 1.9 of the lands amongst the people: but were neuer mentioned without great anger in the Patriots, and huge hurly-burlies in all the Citie. (i) Mount Sacer] The people first encam∣ped * 1.10 on Mount Sacer, or the Holy Hill, a little beyond the riuer Anien, (now called Teuerone) or as Piso saith on Auentine a part of the Citie. There were the Tribunes Plebeian first elected, as Tutors of the Populars: who should stand as watches ouer the peoples good, and step between * 1.11 all iniuries that the Patriots should offer them, and be accompted as sacred men: whom if any man wronged, his head should be giuen to Iupiter for sacrifice, and his goods solde all at the temple of Ceres. The second encamping was vpon Auentine, and from thence to fill the Cittie with grearer desolation, they departed vnto Mount Sacer. And then hauing agreed with the * 1.12 Senate, they returned to Auentine againe, and there recouered their Tribunes: and from Auen∣tine they went vp to the capitoll, where in a great Parliament held by the chiefe Priest, the tri∣bunes election was assigned and confirmed. Cic. pro Cornel. de Maiestate. (k) Vnto the ciuill warres] First betwixt the Senators and the Gracchi, Tiberius first, and then Caius: and so vnto the ciuill warres betwixt Sylla and Marius. (l) As would neither keepe goods themselues] For such excessiue prodigalls, and spending whatsoeuer they could seaze on, they must needs force meanes from other mens estates to maintaine this their luxurious riotte: and so they laboured to fill a barrell full of holes. (m) They are all farre behinde him,] The pithy and succinct stile * 1.13 of Saluste was delightsome to all ages: our Critikes haue paralelld him with the Greeke Thu∣cydides; as Quintilian doth, lib. 10. (n) Must needs bud] as branches and woods vse to do: it * 1.14 is a word much vsed in the writers of husbandry, Cato and Columella: The Grecians call it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Sy•…•…scere, to grow into woods and bushes, which in herbes is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Luxuriare, to growe ranke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The com∣mon cor∣ruption be∣fore Christs comming.
• * 1.2

  Christ the founder of a new citie.
• * 1.3

  The death of Tarquin the proud.
• * 1.4

  The diuisi∣ons of the people frō the Patriots
• * 1.5

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Africa.
• * 1.6

  Plinius cor∣rected
• * 1.7

  Porsenna his 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.8

  Hovv of∣fenders were puni∣shed at Rome. The Porti∣an & Sem∣pronian lavves. Act. 22.
• * 1.9

  The Agra∣rian lavves.
• * 1.10

  The first departure of the people.
• * 1.11

  The Tri∣bunes.
• * 1.12

  The second departure.
• * 1.13

  Saluste phrase.
• * 1.14

  Sy•…•…scere, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉.