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.

FORRAIGNERS.

1. But lest other Cities should insult, after we have confess'd our own Infirmities; we finde that the Car∣thaginians had an intention to have kill'd or banish'd Hannibal, after that for their honour and for the en∣largement of their Empire, he had slain so many of our Generals, and cut to pieces so many of our Armies; that had he but slain so many common Souldiers of his Enemies, it had won him renown sufficient.

2. Lacedaemon never bred a greater or more profi∣table Citizen than Lycurgus; being a person that the Pythian Apollo did not disdain to speak to, when he consulted the Oracle, and told him, He knew not whether he were to be accompted a Man or a God. Yet neither the Integrity of his Life, nor the constant Love which he bare his Countrey, nor all the whole∣some Laws which he had made, could preserve him from the hatred of his Citizens. For sometimes they threw stones at him in the Streets; they put out one of his Eyes, and at last utterly banish'd him out of his Countrey. What may we think of other Cities, when a City so famous as this for Constancy, Moderation and Gravity, proved so ungrateful against a Citizen so well deserving?

3. Take Theseus from Athens, and either there would have been no such thing as Athens, or else not half so famous. For he reduced his scatter'd Coun∣treymen into one City: and gave the shape and form of a City to a wild and clownish People before. When he was but a Youth, he quel••'d the usurping Tyran∣ny

of Minos: He tam'd the boundless insolency of the Thebans: He assisted the Sons of Hercules; and where∣ever Enormity was grown headstrong and monstrous, he overcame it by his Vertue and his Power. Yet was he banished by the Athenians, and the Island Scyros, less than the Exile, became only famous for his Tomb. Solon also that made such wholesome Laws, and so famous withal, that had the Athenians used them still, they had been still the Lords of great Territories: Who took Salamine a strong Fortress that threatned their ruine, and was but a little distance from them: Who foresaw the Tyranny of Pisistratus, and was the first that durst advise the People to resist him by force of Arms; in his old age lived an Exile in Cyprus. Nor was it his hap to be buried in his own Countrey, of which he had so well deserved. The Athenians had dealt well by Miltiades, had they, after the Battle of Marathon, wherein he overcame the Persians, with their loss of three hundred thousand Men, sent him presently into Exile, and not kept him in prison till he died: Nay more than that, they would not suffer his Body to be buried, till Cimon his Son had surrender'd him∣self into the same place. A sad Inheritance for the Son of so great a Captain, who was himself after∣wards one of the greatest Captains of that Age. Ari∣stides also, who was the Rule of Justice all over Greece, and the greatest example of Continence that ever was, was commanded to depart his Countrey. Happy A∣thens, could they have found out any one that had been either a Good Man, or a Lover of his Countrey, after this man was gone, with whom Sanctity itself seem'd to go along! Themistocles was a notable example of all that had experience of the Ingratitude of their Coun∣trey? For when he had setled Athens in Peace, and raised it to be the most famous, the most wealthy, the Mistriss of all Greece, he found his Countrey-men so incens'd a∣gainst

him, that he was forc'd to flie to the mercy of Xerxes, whom he had ruin'd before. Phocion, who was endow'd with two qualities which are the best to ap∣pease Wrath and Fury, I mean Eloquence and Integrity, was forced by the Athenians to fly his Countrey: and when he was dead, he was not permitted so much as one turf of Athenian land to cover his bones. Certainly then it must be lookt upon as a publick piece of Mad∣ness, by common consent, to punish the greatest Vertues as the greatest Crimes: which not being to b•• any where endured, ought to have been more especially exploded and abominated in Athens; where there is a Law a∣gainst Ingratitude. And not without reason, because he looses and abolishes the commerce of doing and re∣ceiving Benefits, which is the support of human Life, that neglects to return Kindness for Kindness. How severely therefore are they to be reprehended, who having most just Laws, but being very wickedly encli∣ned, rather choose to obey their deprav'd manners, than their Laws? So that if it could happen, that those great Persons, whose misfortunes I have related, could ap∣peal to any other Cities, d'ye think they would not quickly have silenced those talkative People, as inge∣nious as they were? Marathon glitters with the Per∣sian Trophies; Salamis and Artemisium beheld the Ruine of Xerxes Navy: Those Walls that were pull'd down, rise more glorious from their ruines. But what are become of all those great Men that did these great things? Answer Athens for thy self. Thou hast suffer'd Theseus to be buried in a little Rock, Milti••∣des to die in Prison, and Cimon his Son to wear his Fathers ••hains; Themistocles a Victor to prostrate him∣self at the Knees of that very person whom he had vanquished; Phocion also, Solon and Aristides, to for∣sake their Houshold-gods, when at the same time ye give divine Honour to the Bones of Oedipus, infamous

for the Death of his Father, and for marrying his Mo••her. Read therefore thy own Law, which thou art bound by oath to observe; and since thou wouldst not give due Reward to Vertue, make just atone∣ments to their injured Ghosts. They are silent▪ but whoever reads the ungrateful acts of the Athenians, will be severe and free to eternity to reproach so great a Crime.