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. IV. Of those who have been unjustly and un∣gratefully dealt with, by those Repub∣licks that they have faithfully served.

THemistocles had reason to compare the Athenians, who often took ill the servi∣ces of their greatest Captains, to Travellers, who, when it raineth, shelter themselves un∣der Trees, but are wont to pull off their branches in fair weather. If we consider the ancientest Republicks, we shall find that those who laid the foundations of them, or those that have extended their limits, have not recei∣ved more favor from them than Traytors; and that they have been punisht for maintaining

the Laws, as if they had endeavoured the vio∣lation, and the corruption of them. In making men happy, we create Ingratitude in them in∣sensibly; there's scarcely a man but hath cause to complain against his Countrey, and that can hardly boast to have found the esteem in it that he deserved. We find ordinarily abroad with strangers, that which we are deprived of at home; and men cannot change their For∣tune, except they change their Climate.

After Lycurgus had disciplin'd in Arms all the men of Lacedemonia, he had one of his eyes struck out with a blow, that young Alcandre gave him with a Stick, in a Sedition that was raised against him; and was so unfortunate, that he was forced to flee from Sparta, and end his dayes in Elidia; or, according to some o∣ther Writers, in Candia. As the Sparthians had got great advantages by the precepts of this famous Lawgiver, they acquired also great glory by them; and having made themselves feared of all their Neighbors, they blockt up the Messinians soon after: but by reason that this War lasted a long while, and that they had been ten years without seeing their Wives, they sent to them the youngest Soldiers of their Troops, with power to enjoy them, fearing that their Town would remain unpeopled. The Children that sprang from those Adulte∣rers, shewed great proof of their strength and

courage on several occasions, and made it ap∣pear that they were no less the support and the hopes of their Parents, than their shame and confusion: But because they were not legiti∣mate, and could not inherit the possessions of those who had given them their Beings, they chose a Head, whose name was Polencus, that they might purchase Heritages by their Con∣quests, and so get by their industry, that which they could not pretend to by their birth. They were fortunate enough to come to Pouilla, where they took Tarente, whose Inhabitants they drove out; and there lived in so much satisfaction, by the means of their Captain, that their happiness would have been equal with their first Ambition, had they not turn∣ed ungrateful, after they were turned free. As they perceived that Polencus was grieved with age, they grieved him with miseries, they banisht him out of Tarente, as an unprofi∣table Man, and not minding the services he had in time past done them, they considered only that he was not able to do them any. Solom, and Aristidus, after that they had made the Ci∣ty of Athens famous, by their Precepts and Victories, were unjustly banisht thence; and that same Themistocles, who destroyed so many Persians at Salamina, for the Athenians cause, was persecuted by them with so much cruelty, that he saw himself forced to forward his own

death by poison at Magnesia, although Xerxes proffered him Men enough, to make his ven∣geance terrible to all Greece.

Alcibiades, who from his Fathers side, des∣cended from the blood of Ajax, and who was one of the most eloquent in his time, accord∣ing to Demosthenes, and Theophrastus, had won the first, second, and the fourth Olimpick sports, and had drawn no less love to him∣self by his actions, then by his good features, for all that he was banisht by his Citizens, and his misfortune was so great, that having shel∣tered himself with Pharnabasus, in Phrigia, that Kings Uncle and his Brother, set his House on fire, and he was no sooner come out to avoid the flames, but he fell amongst the Swords, and amongst the darts of those barbarous men.

During the War, the Carthagineans made use of all their good language, and all their submissions to perswade their Captains, that they ought to prefer the interest of the State to theirs; yet in time of peace, as Diodorus relates, they forgot their services, least they should have been obliged to recompence them, and holding no Man guiltless that they sus∣pected, they imagined that power and vice were ever inseparable. That was the reason that after Hannibal had been worsted by Scipio, he hoisted up sail for Bithinia: but of Flami∣nius,

who was the Romans Deputy, to re∣concile Eumenes, King of Pergamus, with King Prussias, executed his Commissions so well, that this last agreed to deliver up Hanibal, who to avoid falling in his Enemies hands, caused himself to be hanged, by one of his ser∣vants, according to some writers.

Plantulus, a Roman Knight, died in banish∣ment, after he had born Arms a long while for the liberty of Rome, against the youngest of the Gracchus's, and Servicius was punisht with the same confusion, because he kill'd Spurius Melius, who aspired to Tyranny.

After Scipio had defeated Hannibal, subdu∣ed Spain, burnt Syphaz, and Asdrubals Camp, and vanquisht the Carthaginians, he felt, as others, the ingratitude of his Country. This great man, whom the Romans had reverenced so far, as to choose him Prince of the Senate, was constrained by it, to absent himself, and renounce to the publick, acknowledgments that were due to him for the Victories he had won for them.

The little Affrican was no happier then him, though he made an end of the ruine of Car∣thage and Numance, he was smothered in his sleep, and the third named Nasica, who was Chief Priest, dyed in banishment, near Per∣gamus, because he had dipt his hands in the blood of Tiberius Graccus, who was looked up∣on

by every one, to be an Enemy of the Re∣publick. The Venetians tore in pieces their Duke, Orse d'Heracleus; they pulled out The∣odatus Galla, his Successor, and Dominique Mongarius's their eyes, with their Wifes and Children, and forced Memo to turn Monk. They had no more respect for Otho, Peter Ver∣seols Son, and not considering that he had rui∣ned in their cause, and for their glory the Ci∣ty of Adria, and had submitted to them all the Coasts of the Adriatick Seas, they banisht him into Greece, and suffered Dominicus Flabo∣nic, to expel his Parents and Kindred, and to make a Law to deprive them of the digni∣ty of Dukes. Francis Foscoirus, who inlarg∣ed their State, was banisht thence without any apparent reason, and indeed, they could not find any, but their excuse was, that he was too old, as if old age, which is venera∣ted in all other places, had been amongst them, counted a crime. The least faults of the Kings of Scotland, have been so cruelly punisht by their Subjects, that they have murthered above forty, without consideration of their power, or their character; and if we should examine the ancient, as well as the modern Histories, we should see, by an infinite number of ex∣amples, that the greatest men have never been nearer their ruine, than when they have gone to preserve their States and Republicks; That

the greatest Debts, make the greatest Enemies, and that clemency hath as often cast men into dangers, as cruelty.