The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

PART II. The Roman Story.

§ 1. Velleius Paterculus.

TIBERIUS keepeth himself still in the Countrey, but not stil at Capreae: * 1.1 for this year he draweth near unto Rome, and haunteth in some places about four miles off, but cometh not at all unto the City. This seemeth to be his first journey towards it, that Suetonius speaketh of * 1.2 when he came by water to the Gardens beside the Nanmachy, or the Pool in Tiber where they used their sport∣ting sea-fights, and returned again, but the cause not known. The first thing menti∣oned of him under these Consuls, both by Tacitus and Dion, is his marrying forth the Daughter of Drusus, which they name not; and Julia and Drusilla the Daughters of Germanicus; Drusilla to L. Cassius, Julia, to M. Vinicius. This was a Son of that M. Vinicius to whom Paterculus dedicated his short and sweet Roman History. And the nearness of the time would very nearly perswade that this was that very Vinicius himself, but that Paterculus sheweth that his Vinicius was Consul when he wrote his book to him; and that (as himself, and Dion agreeing with him sheweth) An. V. C. 783. or the next year after our Saviours Baptism; but this Vinicius, Tiberius his Son▪ in Law, (as Tacitus intimateth) was only a Knight, but a Consuls Son. Howsoever, in these times shone forth and flourished the excellent wit, and matchless pen of that Historian, an Author known to all learned men, and admired by all that know him: His Original was from the Campanians, as himself witnesseth not very far from the beginning of his second book, when he cometh to speak of the Italian war in the time of Sylla and Marius. No pen is so fit to draw his pedegree and Character as his own, and therefore take only his own words; Neque ego verecundia, domestici sanguinis gloriae dum verum refero sub∣traham, &c. Nor will I for modesty derogate any thing from the honour of mine own blood, so that I speak no more than truth; for much is to be attributed to the memory of Minatius Magius my great-Grandfathers Father, a man of Asculum; who being * 1.3 Ne∣phew to Decius Magius, a renowned Prince of the Campanians, and a most faithfull man, was so trusty to the Romans in this war, that with a Legion which he had banded, Pompey took Herculaneum, together with T. Didius; when L. Sulla besieged, and took in Consa. Of whose vertues both others, but especially and most plainly Q. Hortensius hath made relation in his Annals. Whose Loyalty the people of Rome did fully requite, by enfranchising both him and his, and making two of his Sons Pretors. His Grandfather was C. Velleius, Master of the Engeneers to Cn. Pompey, M. Brutus and Tyro; a man, saith he, second to none in Can••pany, whom I will not defraud of that Testimony which I would give to a stranger: He at the departure of Nero (Tiberius his Father) out of Naples, whose part he had taken for his singular friendship with him, being now unweldy with age and bulk of body, when he could not accompany him any longer, he slew himself. Of his Fathers, and of his own rank and profession, thus speaketh he joyntly: At this time (namely, about the time that Augustus adopted Tiberius) after I had been Field-Marshal, I became a Souldier of Tiberius, and being sent with him General of the Horse into Germany, which Office my Father had born before; for nine whole years together, I was either a spectator, or to my poor ability a forwarder of his most celestial designs; being either a Commander, or an Ambassadour. And a little after: In this war, (against the Hungarians and Dalmatians, and other Nations revolted) my meaness had the place of an eminent Officer. For having ended my service with the Horse, I was made Questor; and being not yet a Senator, I was equalled with the Senators. And the Tribunes of the people being now designed, I led a part of the. Army delivered to me by Augustus, from the City to his Son. And in my Questorship, the lot of my Province being remitted, I was sent Ambassadour from him to him again. Partner in the like employments and honours, he had a brother named Magius Celer Velleianus, that likewise attended Tiberius in the Dal∣matian war, and was honoured by him in his Triumph, and afterward were his Bro∣ther and he made Pretors. When he wrote that abridgement of the Roman History

which we now have extant, he had a larger work of the same subject in hand, of which he maketh mention in divers places; which he calleth justum opus, and justa volumina, but so far hath time and fortune denyed us so promising and so promised a piece; that this his abstract is come short home and miserably curtailed to our hands. So do Epitomes too commonly devour the Original, and pretending to ease the toil of reading larger Volumes, they bring them into neglect and loss. In the unhappiness of the loss of the other, it was somewhat happy that so much of this is preserved as is; a fragment of as excellent compacture, as any is in the Roman tongue; wherein sweetness and gravity, eloquence and truth, shortness and variety, are so compacted and compounded together, that it findeth few parallels either Roman or other.

§ 2. Troubles in Rome about Usury.

This year there was a great disturbance in the City about Usury, the too common, and the too necessary evil of a Common-wealth. This breed-bate had several times heretofore disturbed that State, though strict and rigorous courses still were taken about it. At the first, the interest of mony lent, was proportioned and limited only at the dispsal of the lender, a measure always inconstant, and often unconscionable. Whereupon it was fixed at the last by the twelve Tables to an ounce in the pound, which is pro∣portionable in our English coin, to a penny in the shilling. Afterward by a Tribune Statute it was reduced to half an ounce, and at last the trade was quite forbidden. But such weeds are ever growing again, though weeded out as clean as possible; and so did this: Partly, through the covetousnes of the rich, making way for their own pofit; and partly through the necessities of the poor, giving way to it for their own supply.

Gracchus now Pretor, and he to whom the complaint was made at this time, be∣ing much perplexed with the matter, referreth it to the Senate as perplexed as him∣self. He perplexed because of the multitude that were in danger, by breach of the Law; and they, because they were in danger themselves. Here was a prize for the greedy appetite of Tiberius, when so many of the best rank and purses, were fallen into his lurch, and their moneys lent fallen into forfeiture, because of their unlaw∣full lending. The guilty Senate obtain the Emperours pardon, and eighteen moneths are allowed for bringing in of all mens accompts: In which time the scarcity of mony did pinch the more, when every ones debts did come to rifling: and in the nick of that there followed a great disturbance about buying Lands, which before was invented for a remedy against the former complaints. But the Emperour was glad to salve up the matter by lending great sums of mony to the people gratis for three years.

§ 3. Tiberius still cruel.

With this one dram of humanity, he mingled many ounces of cruelty and blood-shed. For Considius Proculus as he was celebrating his birth day without fear and with Festivi∣ty, is haled out of his own house, brought to the bar and condemned: and his Sister Sancia interdicted fire and water. Pompeia Ma••rina banished; and her Father and Bro∣ther condemned and slew themselves. But this year there is no reckoning of the slaugh∣tered by name, for now their number grew numberless. All that were imprisoned and accused for conspiracy with Sejanus, he causeth to be slain every mothers son. Now, saith mine Author, there lay an infinite massacre of all sexes, ages, conditions, noble and ignoble, either dispersed, or together on heaps. Nor was it permitted to friends or kindred to comfort, bewail, or behold them any more: but a Guard fet, which for the greater grief abused the putrified bodies till they were haled into Tiber, and there left to sink or swim, for none was suffered to touch or bury them. So far was common humanity banished, and pity denyed even after death, revenge being unsatisfied when it had revenged, and cru∣elty extended beyond it self. Nor did the accusers speed better than the accused, for he also caused them to be put to death as well as the other, under that colour of justice and retaliation, satisfying his cruelty both ways to the greater extent. It were to be admired, and with admiration never to be satisfied (were it not that the avenging hand of God upon the bloody City is to be acknowledged in it) that ever a people should

be so universally bent one against another, seeking the ruine and destruction one of ano∣ther, and furthering their own misery, when they were most miserable already, in him that sought the ruin of them all. A fitter instrument could not the Tyrant have desired for such a purpose than themselves; nor when he had them so pliable to their own mischief, did he neglect the opportunity, or let them be idle: For as he saw accusati∣ons encrease, so did he encrease his Laws to breed more: insomuch that at the last it grew to be capital, for a servant to have fallen before, or near the image of Augustus, or for any man to carry either coin or ring into the Stews, or house of Office, if it bare upon it the image of Tiberius.

§. 3. A wicked accusation.

Who can resolve whether it were more vexation to suffer upon such foolish accusations, or upon others more solid; but as false as these were foolish? That was the fortune of Sextus Marius an intimate friend of the Emperours; but as it proved, not the Emperour so of his: This was a man of great riches and honour, and in this one action of a strange vain-glory and revenge. Having taken a displeasure at one of his Neighbours, he invi∣teth him to his house, and there detained him feasting two days together. And on the first day he pulleth his house down to the ground, and on the next he buildeth it up far fairer and larger than before. The honest man when he returned home found what was done, admired at the speed of the work, rejoyced at the change of his house, but could not learn who had done the deed. At the last Marius confessed that he was the agent, and that he had done it with this intent, to shew him that he had power to do him a displeasure, or a pleasure, as he should deserve it. Ah blinded Marius, and too indulgent to thine own humours! seest thou not the same power of Tiberius over thee, and thy fortunes pinned upon his pleasure, as thy neighbours upon thine? And so it came to pass that fortune read him the same lecture, that his fancy had done another. For having a young beautiful Daughter, and such a one, as on whom the Emperour had cast an eye, and so plainly, that the Father spyed it, he removed her to another place, and kept her there close and at distance, lest she should have been violated by him, who must have no denyal. Tiberius imagined as the thing was indeed, and when he seeth that he cannot enjoy his love, and satisfie his lust, he turneth it to hate and revenge. And causeth Marius to be accused of incest with his daughter whom he kept so close, and both Father and Daughter are condemned, and suffer for it both together.

§ 5. A miserable life and death.

In these so feareful and horrid times, when nothing was safe, nothing secure, when silence and innocency were no protection, nor to accuse, no more safeguard than to be accused, but when all things went at the Emperours will, and that will always cruel, what course could any man take not to be intangled, and what way being intangled to extricate himself? The Emperours frowns were death, and his favours little better; to be accused was condemnation, and to accuse was often as much; that now very many found no way to escape death but by dying, nor to avoid the cruelty of others, but by being cruel to themselves. For though self-murder was always held for a Roman valour, yet now was it become a meer necessity; men choosing that miserable exigent to avoid a worse, as they supposed, and a present end, to escape future evils. So did Asinius Gallus at this time for the one, and Nerva the other. This Gallus about three years ago, coming to Tiberius upon an Ambassy, was fairly entertained and royally feasted by him, but in the very interim he writeth letters to the Senate in his accusation. Such was the Tyrants friendship; and so sour sawce had poor Asinius to his dainty fare. A thing both inhumane and unusual, that a man the same day should eat, drink and be merry with the Emperour, and the same day be condemned in the Senate upon the Emperours accusation. An Offi∣cer is sent to fetch him away a Prisoner; from whence he had but lately gone Ambassa∣dour. The poor man being thus betrayed, thought it vain to beg for life; for that he was sure would be denyed him, but he begged that he might presently be put to death, and that was denyed also. For the bloody Emperour delighted not in blood and death on∣ly, but in any thing that would cause other mens misery, though it were their life. So having once committed one of his friends to a most miserable and intolerable imprison∣ment; and being solicited and earnestly sued unto, that he might be speedily executed and put out of his misery, he flatly denyed it, saying, That he was not grown friends with him yet. Such was the penance that he put poor Gallus to: a life far worse than a present death;

for he ought him more spite and torture than a suddain execution. The miserable man being imprisoned and straitly looked to, not so much for fear of his escape by flight, as of his escape by death, was denyed the sight and conference of any one whosoever, but him only that brought him his pitiful dyet, which served only to prolong his wretched life, and not to comfort it; and he was forced to take it, for he must by no means be suffered to dy. Thus lived (if it may be called a life) a man that had been of the ho∣nourablest rank and office in the City; lingring and wishing for death, or rather dying for three years together; and now at last he findeth the means to famish himself, and to finish his miserable bondage with as miserable an end; to the sore displeasure of the Em∣perour, for that he had escaped him, and not come to publick execution.

Such an end also chose Nerva one of his near friends and familiars, but not like the other, because of miseries past or present; but because of fear and foresight of such to come. His way that he took to dispatch himself of his life, was by total abstinence and refusal of food; which when Tiberius perceived was his intent, he sits down by him, desires to know his reason, and begs with all earnestness of him, that he would desist from such a design: For what scandal, saith he, will it be to me, to have one of my nearest friends to end his own life, and no cause given why he should so die? But Ner∣va satisfied him not either in answer or in act, but persisted in his pining of himself, and so dyed.

§ 6. The miserable ends of Agrippina and Drusus.

To such like ends came also Agrippina and Drusus, the Wife and Son of Germanicus, and Mother and Brother of Caius, the next Emperour that should succeed. These two, the Daughter in law, and Grandchild of Tiberius himself, had about four years ago been brought into question by his unkind and inhuman accusation, and into hold and custody, until this time. It was the common opinion that the cursed instigation of Sejanus, whom the Emperour had raised purposely for the ruine of Germanicus his house had set such an accusation on foot; and made the man to be so cruel towards his own family; but when the two accursed ones had miserably survived the wicked Sejanus, and yet nothing was remitted of their prosecution, then opinion learned to lay the fault where it deserved, even on the cruelty and spite of Tiberius himself. Drusus is adjudged by him to die by famine, and miserable and woeful wretch that he was, he sustaineth his life for nine days together, by eating the flocks out of his bed, being brought to that lamentable and unheard of dyet, through extremity of hunger. Here at last was an end of Drusus his misery, but so was there not of Tiberius his cruelty towards him; for he denyed the dead body burial in a fitting place; he reviled and disgraced the memory of him with hideous and feigned scandals and criminations, and shamed not to pub∣lish in the open Senate, what words had passed from the pining man against Tiberius himself; when in agony through hunger he craved meat, and was denyed it. Oh what a sight and hearing was this to the eyes and ears of the Roman people, to behold him that was a child of their darling and delight Germanicus, to be thus barbarously and in∣humanely brought to his end, and to hear his own Grandfather confess the action and and not dissemble it!

Agrippina the woeful Mother, might dolefully conjecture what would become of her self, by this fatal and terrible end of the poor Prince her Son. And it was not long, but she tasted of the very same cup, both of the same kind of death, and of the same kind of disgracing after. For being pined after the same manner, that it might be co∣loured that she did it of her self (a death very unfitting the greatest Princess then alive,) she was afterward slandered by Tiberius for adultery with Gallus that died so lately, and that she caused her own death for grief of his. She and her Son were deny∣ed burial befitting their degree, but hid in some obscure place where no one knew, which was no little distast and discontentment to the people. The Tyrant thought it a special cause of boasting and extolling his own goodness, that she had not been strangled, nor dyed the death of common base offenders: And since it was her fortune to die on the very same day that Sejanus had done two years before, viz. Octob. 17. it must be recor∣ded as of special observation, and great thanks given for the matter, and an annual sa∣crifice instituted to Jupiter on that day.

Caius her Son, and Brother to poor Drusus took all this very well, or at least seemed so to do, partly glad to be shut of any one that was likely to have any colour or likelyhood of corrivality with him in his future reign; and partly being brought up in such a School of dissimulation, and grown so perfect a Scholar there, that he wanted

little of Tiberius. This year he married Claudia the daughter of M. Silanus, a man that would have advised him to good, if he would have hearkned; but afterward he matched with a mate and stock, more fitting his evil nature, Ennia the Wife of Macro, but for advantage resigned by her Husband Macro, to the adulterating of Caius, and then to his marriage.

§ 7. Other Massacres.

The death of Agrippina drew on Plancina's, a Woman that never accorded with her in any thing, but in Tiberius his displeasure, and in a fatal and miserable end. This Plancina, in the universal mourning of the state for the loss of Germanicus, rejoyced at it, and made that her sport, which was the common sorrow of all the State: How poor Agrippina relished this, being deprived of so rare a Husband, can hardly be thought of without joyning with her in her just and mournfull indignation. Tiberius having a spleen at the woman for some other respect, had now a fair colour to hide his revenge under, to call her to account, and that with some applause. But here his revenge is got into a strait: for if he should put her to death, it may be it would be some con∣tent to Agrippina: and therefore not to pleasure her so much, he will not pleasure the other so much neither as with present death, but keepeth her in lingring custody till Agrippina be gone, and then must she follow; but her resoluteness preventeth the Execu∣tioner, and to escape anothers, she dieth by her own hand.

Let us make up the heap of the slaughtered this year, in the words of Dion, Such a number of Senators, to omit others, perished under Tiberius, that the Governours of Pro∣vinces were chosen by lot, and ruled, some three years, some six, because there were not enough to come in their room.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dion sub his coss.
• * 1.2

  In Liber cap. 17.
• * 1.3

  Or grandchild