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BEing heard, they made use of Justifications rather useful then seemly: For they acknowledg'd themselves guilty of Treachery to Otho, of their own accords; as if they had design'd the long march of the Army before the Battel, the Ti∣ring of the Othonians, and the Pester∣ing the Battalions with Carriages on purpose, and attributed to their own perfidiousness several fortuitous Events, which only Chance produc'd.
Thereupon Vitellius seem'd to be∣lieve their Perfidie, and absolv'd 'em from the Crime of forfeited Fi∣delity to Otho.
Paulinus and Proculus (says D'Ablan∣court) had Audience, and defended them∣selves by Excuses not so honest as necessary: For they ascrib'd to their own Cunning the long march of the Army before the Battel, and the encumbrances of the Baggage, with several other accidents of Fortune, to make out their Fidelity to Vitellius by a suppos'd Betraying of Otho.
Behold an Example of what I have in other places alledg'd, that Flattery is always byass'd by Interest. Paulinus and Proculus rather chose to be accounted Traytors, then Persons of Honour. Be∣cause their Treason was a meritorious act, and advautagious to Vitellius, and by consequence secur'd 'em from his Indigna∣tion. Another Prince then Vitellius, who had no sentiments of Generosity, would have despis'd their Submissions. For if Traytors are odious to themselves, whose Party they embrace, the suppos'd Tray∣tors, that is to say, they who to ingra∣tiate
themselves with the new Prince, falsly accuse themselves to have betray'd his Rival, are no less Treacherous and Criminal then others. And for that rea∣son Tacitus tells us, That the Justifica∣tions of Paulinus and Proculus, were rather such as necessity requir'd, then honesty. For, for a Man to boast himself a Tray∣tor, to the Person to whom he had been Faithful in his Life-time, was an open acknowledgment, that he ne'er was faith∣ful, but for his own Interest; and that he only study'd to enrich himself by op∣portunities of Treachery. For that rea∣son it was, that the Consul Marius Cel∣sus, who never stirr'd from Galba's Inte∣rest, frankly confessd before Otho, that he had always adheard to Galba's Fortune; and that if he liv'd longer, he would have serv'd him with an inviolable Fidelity. And that with the same integrity he stuck to Otho against Vitellius, who nevertheless continu'd him in his Consulship, for which another had offerr'd Money. So highly is fidelity esteem'd by them, that have us'd all their endeavours themselves to vitiate it in another. And therefore Ti∣berius not only acquitted a person that had the courage to acknowledge himself one of Sejanus's Friends, and caus'd his
Accusers to be punish'dd with either Death or Exilement. Augustus had always a high esteem for Asinius Pollio, tho' he ne'er would attend him to the War of Actium; in excuse of which he gave him such a reason, as ever after afterwards excus'd him to his favour. The good Ser∣vices (said he) which I have done for An∣thony, are greater then the Benefits which I have receiv'd from Him; but what he has done for me, is better known to the World, then what I did for him: And therefore I leave him to determin your Differences, with∣out declaring for the one or the other, resol∣ving to be a prey to the Victor.
Thus Men of Courage always abomi∣nate whatever has the least Tincture of Treason; whereas Flatterers, who are only the Friends of Fortune, believe them∣selves disingag'd from all Obligations of Loyalty or Fidelity, to those whom She abandons.