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Dictatours / ❀ Largius. Quintus Cincinatus. Cōsull{is}. Luci{us} iuni{us} brut{us}. & Tarquini{us} colatin{us}. Publi{us} valeri{us} publicola ❀
[ R] ¶Lucius Iunius Brutus & Tarquinius Colantin{us} ••ere y• furst cōsullis chosyn in Rome but sone after Tarquinius Colantinus was put out because of Hatered that the Romayns had to the name of Tarquinius & one Publius Valerius Publicola was made consull in his sted.
¶Publius Valerius Publicola thus beyng consull made warr agayns Tarquinius superbus and slew of his people aboue ·xviM. for the which victory he was the furst of the consu••lis that euer rod in a chariot Triumphant in the cyte of Rome he was a man of grete Iustyce & equite & after that he had be .iiii tymis consull he made warr agaynst the sabyns & dyscomfytyd them & the prayes & prycis that he toke there brought to Rome / wherefore when he was ded the people of Rome dyd spend the .iiii. part of there goodis at his beryeng and cost at his funerallis / Also after that there was a new order & dygnyte made among the romayns which was callyd a Dictator a ••reter dygnyte aboue the consullis which had auctorite to make ordynances and lawis and was as master of ye people but this Dictator was chaungeable euery half yere / & sometyme after at euery thryd yeere as some wryters affyrme / and some tyme at euery .v· yere & when his yerys was past and he dyschargyd of his aucto∣cyte he shuld be than answerable to all byllis & complayntis that any of the people coud alegge agayn hym and ponyshed for euery thyng that he had done contrary to Iustyce / therfore ther was euer so good & īdyfferēt Iustyce vsyd and had among the romayns that all the world spake of thē honor the executyng of which good and indefferent Iustyce cawsyd them to grow in ryches & to be of power & strenght aboue āny people in the world / therfore wold good it were so vsyd at this day in the rea••me of England that euery Iugge and other offycers hauyng auctoryte to execu••e ye lawis or to gouerne or to rule in āny office shuld be remouable at .iiii. or .v. yere or lesse & thē to answere to all cōplayntis that shuld be allegid agayns him and to be ponished for euery offence that he had committid / in his rome and then ther wold not be so mich extorcione and oppressione of the pore people nor so manny iniuries as is now adays / The furst that euer was Dictator in Rome was / was callid Largius and with hym was another chosyn to be master of ye chyualry of whō ye furst was callyd Spurius cassius ¶Also after this ther was one chosyn Dictator which was callyd Quintus Cincinatus which was an husband man / which as he was dryfyng his cart was requyred by the senate to take vppon hym ye dygnyte of Dictator / which he refusyd but at the last they constraynyd hym therto / this Quintus Cincinatus and one Lucius Tarquinius which was elect captayn of cheualry had grete victory of theyr enmyes / but this Quintus Cincinatus cawsyd all the prayse and pryses to be dystrybutyd to ye men of warr nothyng reseruyd to hym selfe therof. [ R]