The mirror of fortune, or, The true characters of fate and destiny wherein is treated of the growth and fall of empires, the destruction of famous cities, the misfortunes of kings and other great men and the ill fate of virtuous and handsome ladies : whereunto is added Moral, politick, and natural reflection upon several subjects / written in French by Monsieur Chevreau : and newly translated into English by D. Decoisnon.

CHAP. XI. Of the destruction of Rome.

THose that will consider the pomp and glory of Rome, and its misfortunes, will find in it two different faces; they will see the same Men loaden with Iron, and with booty, and cannot doubt but their defeats have been as remarkable as their victories. The Exile of the Tarquins, that of Coriolan, the divisions of Sylla, of Marius, of Catilina, of Caesar and Pompey, cost them much blood and tears; but the Goths, the Vandals, the Germans, and the Sarazens, added their ruines to their loss, and made but a Slaughter-house of the finest City in the Universe. The Gaules were the first Men that took Arms against the Romans, by a sentiment of vengeance rather than ambition, because one of their Senators had struck with a Knife, a Man of their Nation, who had on∣ly touched his Beard; this blow was so sensi∣ble to them, that at the same instant, they pre∣par'd themselves to let the Romans understand, that they would never forget such a wrong, and that courage and patience was almost in∣compatible. In effect, after they had van∣quish'd them, they came into Rome, where they kill'd all the Senators upon their seats, plun∣der'd

all their Treasures, and burnt all their Houses; and had it not been for the generosi∣ty of Camilla, and the cry of Geese who were the guards of the Capitol, they had nothing to do more, than to thank the gods for such a good fortune. The Goths took it for the se∣cond time under the Reign of the Emperor Gratian, and two of their Kings Athalaric and Altuph, alter'd several times the Government, and so the face of all the City, that they would have alter'd their language it self, and their name, if Galla Placida, daughter to the Emperor Honorius, had not obliged these Nor∣thern Men to turn their Arms against the Spani∣ards. Four and forty years after, in Martini∣an's time, Genserick King of the Vandals, was fourteen days a plundering and destroying it; and since them, the Germans under the conduct of Odacer, Prince of the Herulians, brought so many Novelties, that the Majesty of the Em∣pire could never recover either its strength or its splendor, but by the valor of Charlemain. Theodoric of Verona, who expell'd this Odacer, and who reigned fifty years in Rome with the Ostrogoths, had reduc'd this poor people to strange and cruel necessities, and had it not been for Belizarius, who brought him to the obedience of the Emperor Justinian, their lives and their servitude had been inseparable. But as Men, and affairs never remain long in

one posture, their rest was not durable, and their loss was still so facil, that it seem'd wishes were sufficient to bring it about. That's the cause that Totilla King of the Goths, began a Campagne, to put an end to their ruine, and did not think he had taken Rome, except he had satiated his ambition by his cruelty. After he had razed their Walls, and plunder'd their Treasures, he set fire to the Town, which last∣ed forty days; one may judge whether the conflagration was prodigious or no, since the water of Tyber was not free from it; and in certain places they dreaded the fire, where they formerly dreaded inundations. Thus Rome in less time than a hundred and thirty six years, was seven times taken; and for the most part laid waste; its Citizens saw themselves loaden with the same Chains, that they use to punish Rebels with; and Liberty, which was their an∣cientest Prerogative, was not the greatest of their losses. This Scourge of God, and this Monster of Nature, took it again three years after; and because he could not suffer that this Nation, whose authority all others had had in veneration, should comfort themselves of their griefs, and of the memory of his last conquest over them, without giving them any time for it, practis'd such an horrible vengeance over them again, that even 'tis a kind of inhumani∣ty to think or express it. It seems still that it

was not enough that Usurpers should destroy such a fair and large City, if it self had not produced Children, but rather Vipers, which tore her bowels asunder as they came forth of it; and that those whose misfortunes it had cause to fear, brought hers, and that Civil as well as Foreign Wars should waste her. Con∣stans, son to Constantine, had the same ambition and cruelty as the forenamed, and made a pastime of its spoils, and drew more riches from it in a fortnights time, than the Barbari∣ans did in two hundred and fifty eight years. The Sarazens were not content a good while after to plunder it, they prophaned its Tem∣ples, they set fire to its finest Edifices, and would not leave it, till they had made as great slaughter in it as Treasures. Arnulph, Empe∣ror of Germany, having an opinion, That the glory of a King could not be advanced but at the cost of Rome, was not the last that besieged it; he took it by an extraordinary accident, and by a casualty that strikes as much pity as admiration. When his Soldiers were earnest∣ly at work about their Trenches, they saw a Hare running through their Camp, and no sooner perceiv'd it, but the most part left their work, and follow'd it with such confused shouts, that never was any Curiosity so ridicu∣lous, nor so fortunate. The Romans frighted at this strange noise, abandon'd their Walls

and their Arms: manag'd their safety by their flight, defended themselves no other way but by their tears, and resisted their Enemies so lit∣tle, that it seems that they rather prepared themselves to receive their Enemies into their Countrey, than to beat them out. At this time all the submissions of the Inhabitants was less consider'd than their Treasures, the Imperia∣lists had no regard but to their particular in∣terest; and their Prince was no more remark∣able by his good success, than by his vengeance. Henry the Emperor could not moderate his re∣sentment against Gregory VIII. but put him∣self in a posture to satisfie it; and although the Normans opposed their Forces to his in the Popes behalf, he went as far in his Conquests as others had done before him, and made his name as dreadful to the Romans as his passion. To give you an example which is not very re∣mote from our Age, one may read the last over∣throw of Rome, in the History of Charles V. King of France, where one may find that the Soldiers, after they had seen the death of Charles of Bourbon, and after they had taken the Town by assault, did revenge so well the death of that famous Commander, that their Sacriledges would have been spoken of, as well as their fury, if they had not spared their Temples, more than their Palaces, and if the Altars had not put bounds to their insolence.

Thus you may see that this City was taken thirteen times, and thirteen times ruined; and that the Romans ought to know that they are subject to the same misfortunes which they in∣flicted upon others; and that one may lose in one day, that which one hath been many years acquiring.