THE FOURTH OBSERVATION.
THe last circumstance which I note in this speech, was the trust which he reposed in the tenth legion, being in it self peradventure as faul∣ty as any other: wherein he shewed great Art and singular Wisdome. For he that hath once offended, and is both burdened with the guilt of conscience and upbraided with the reproach of men, can hardly be perswaded that his fault can be purged with any satisfaction. And although the punishment be remitted, yet the memory of the fact will never be blotted out with any vertuous action, but still remaineth, to cast dishonour upon the offender, and to accuse him of disloy∣alty.
And therefore it oftentimes happeneth, that an errour being once rashly committed, through despair of remission admitteth no true penitency, but either draweth on more grievous crimes, con∣firming that of the Poet, Scelere scelus ••uen∣dum est; or maintaineth his errour by wilfull obstinacy: as it is said of the Lion, that being found by Hunters in a Cave, he will rather dy in the place then quit it, for shame that he was found in so base a place of refuge; and therefore his property is thus expressed, ingrediendo caecus, exeundo protervus. This did Caesar wisely pre∣vent, by clearing the tenth legion of that of which