Romæ antiquæ descriptio a view of the religion, laws, customs, manners, and dispositions of the ancient Romans, and others : comprehended in their most illustrious acts and sayings agreeable to history / written in Latine by ... Quintus Valerius Maximus ; and now carefully rendred into English ; together with the life of the author.

CHAP. VI. Of Conjugal Love.

Among the ROMANS.

• 1. T. Gracchus the Elder.
• 2. C. Plautius Numidian.
• 3. M. Plautius.
• 4. Julia the Daughter of Caesar.
• 5. Porcia the Daughter of M. Cato.

FORRAIGN.

• 1. Artemisia wife of M••••∣solus.
• 2. Hipsicratea. Daughter of Mithridates.
• 3. Lacaena. Of the Family of the Minye.

FRom a gentle and mild Affection, I will proceed to another as equally honest, yet somewhat more fervent, and of a more vehement Nature; and offer not without greatest Veneration, as it were certain Images of Lawful love, to the Contemplation of the Reader, effectually relating the actions of established and firm fidelity between married people, difficult to imitate, but profitable to be known; seeing that when a man knows the most excellent Examples, it will be a shame to him to follow the meanest.

1. Titus Gracchus having caught two snakes in his own house, a Male and Female; and being told by the Soothsayer, that if he let go the Male, it por∣tended the death of his Wife; if he let go the Female, his own suddain decease; following that part of the prediction that portended his own, rather than the death of his Wife, he caused the Female Snake to be ••••t go; and was so hardy as to behold his own de∣struction in the death of the Snake kill'd before his

face. And therefore I cannot determine whether Cornelia were more happy that she had such a Husband, or more miserable in his loss. O Admetus, cruel king of Thessalia, and by a great Judg condemned of an unpardonable crime! who w••rt so content to change thy own life for the death of thy Wife, and couldst en∣joy the comfort of this light, after she had voluntarily submitted to dye, only to prolong thy days: having a heart inferior to a womans, before thou hadst tryed the indulgence of thy parents.

2. A meaner Victime to Misfortune than T. Gracchus, though of the Senatorian order, was C. Plaucius the Numidian, yet as to affection of the same nature, equal to him in affection. For hearing news of the death of his Wife, impatient of grief, he stab'd him∣self with his Sword; but by the timely coming in of h••s Servants being hindred from executing his purpose, and the wound being dressed and bound up, he no sooner found his oportunity, but cutting his Swathes, and t••aring open the wound again, he would not endure his soul opprest with grief to remain in his Bowels: Testifying by the violence of his death, what a Conjugal flame he had shut up in his brest.

3. As of the same name, so endued with the same love, was M. Plautius. Who being command••d to return with the Confederate Navy into Asia, and put∣ting into Brundusium, whither his Wife Orestella coming to visit him, fell sick and dyed: after she was laid upon the Funeral pile, betwixt the last duties of anointing and kissing her, he fell upon his naked Sword: whom his friends, as he was in his Military Coat, and Booted, laid by his Wife. Whose Monu∣ment is yet to be seen at Tarentum, with this Inscrip∣tion, THE LOVERS TOMB. And it is not to be question'd but that if there were any sence left in departed Souls, that they enter'd Elysium joyful of each others company.

4. The same Affection is noted in Iulia, the daugh∣ter of C. Caesar. Who when she saw the Garment of her Husband Pompey the Great brought home sprin∣kled with Blood from the Common-Hall where the Aedils were chosen, swounded away, and with the suddainess of the fright miscarried; and presently expired, to the great detriment of the whole world: Whose tranquility had not been disturb'd with so se∣vere a fury of so many Civil Wars, if the Amity of Caesar and Pompey had remained lin••'d with the Bonds of common Affinity.

5. All Ages will also with due admiration reve∣rence thy most chast fires, O Porcia, Daughter of Mar∣cus Cato, who understanding that her Husband Brutus was overthrown and slain at the Battle of Philippi, not having a weapon ready, didst swallow burning Coals. thy feminine Soul imitating the masculine Death of thy Countries welfare.

FORRAIGN.

1. There are some Forraign Amours just and ho∣nest, not shadow'd nor obscur'd with the vail of Igno∣rance, of which it will be sufficient to touch upon a few. How much. Artemisia Queen of Caria bewailed the Death of her Husband Mausolus, might seem a light thing, to the most exquisite honours of all sorts which she did him, and the Magnificence of that Mo∣nument, which became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. For why shouldst thou labour to recount all those Honours, or insist upon the Glory of that Monument, when she her self would not be satisfied without being the living and breathing Sepulchre of Mausolus, by the testimony of those who repo••t that she drank up his Ashes mixt in a certain drink?

2. Hipsicratea also the Queen so entirely loved Mi∣thridates

her Husband, that she let go all the reins of Affection. For whose love she apparell'd her beauty in Mans Apparel; and accustom'd her self to man∣like Exercises, cutting her Hair, and betaking her self to her Horse and Arms, that she might the more easily partake of his labours and dangers; and not only so, but after he was overcome by Pompey, follow∣ing him with an indefatigable Body and Minde in his flight through many rough and barbarous Nations. Whose faithful society was a great comfort and as∣swagement of the Misfortunes and Calamities of distressed Mithridates: For with his Court and Family he seem'd to wander, but with h••s Wife only to live in Exile.

3. But why should I rummage Asia, why the immense Solitudes of Barbarous Countries, why the lurking Holes of the Pontic Sea? When Lacedemon, the most splendid glory of Greece, lays before our eyes a prin∣cipal Exemplar of Conjugal Fidelity, to be compared for the wonder of the action with the most and grea∣test Miracles of that City.

4. The Minyans setled in the Island of Lemnos, and drawing their Original from the antient Companions of Iason, through success of time expell'd by the Pe∣lasgi, wanting the wealth of others, seated themselves in the high Taygetan Mountains: whom at length the Spartans entertained, as descended from the Tyndaridae, which noble pair of Brothers had displayed their splen∣dour in that renowned Ship translated to the Stars; and thus mingled among them, they enjoyed the same Laws and Priviledges. But this good turn they tur∣ned to the injury of the well deserving City, affecting the Kingdome, and therefore committed to the pu∣blick Prison, they were reserv'd for publick punish∣ment. Which when they were to suffer, according to the Custome of the Lacedaemonian•• in the Night∣time,

their Wives, of noble Race, desiring leave of the Keepers to take leave of their dying Husbands, entred the Prison, and changing their Habits, gave their Husbands liberty, having covered their Faces under pretenc of sorrow, to depart. Now what shall I adde more in this place, but that the•• were Wives worthy for the Minyans to marry?