away themselves, like those Celtes in Damascen, with ridiculous valour, ut dedecorosum putarent muro ruenti se subducere, a disgrace to run away from a rotten wall, now ready to fall on their heads. Such as will not rush on a swords point, or seek to shun a canons shot, are base cowards, and no valiant men. By which means, Madet orbis mutuo sanguine, the earth wallows in her own blood: [1]Sœvit amor ferri et sceleratœ insania belli; and for that which if it be done in private, a man shall be rigorously executed, [2]and which is no less than murder it self, if the same fact be done in publick in wars, it is called manhood, and the party is honoured for it.[3]prosperum et felix scelus virtus vocaturWe measure all, as Turks do, by the event; and most part, as Cyprian notes, in all ages, countreys, places, sœvitice magnitude impunitatem sceleris acquirit—the foulness of the fact vindicates the offender. [4]One is crowned for that which another is tormented:
(Ille crucem sceleris pretium tulit, hic diadema)
made a knight, a lord, an earl, a great duke, (as [5]Agrippa notes) for which another should have hung in gibbets, as a terror to the rest—
[6]et tamen alter,
Si fecisset idem, caderet sub judice morum.
A poor sheep-stealer is hanged for stealing of victuals, compelled peradventure by necessity of that intolerable cold, hunger, and thirst, to save himself from starving: but a [7]great man in office may securely rob whole provinces, undo thousands, pill and pole, oppress ad libitum, fley, grind, tyrannize, enrich himself by spoils of the commons, be uncontrollable in his actions, and, after all, be recompensed with turgent titles, honoured for his good service; and no man dare find fault or [8]mutter at it.
How would our Democritus have been affected, to see a wicked caitiff, or [9]fool, a very ideot, a funge, a golden ass, a monster of men, to have many good men, wise men,
- ↑ Virg. Æneïd. 7.
- ↑ Homicidium quum committunt singuli, crimen est, quum publice geritur, virtus vocatur. Cyprianus.
- ↑ Seneca.
- ↑ Juven.
- ↑ De vanit. scient, de princip. nobilitatis.
- ↑ Juven. Sat. 4.
- ↑ Pansa rapit, quod Natta reliquit.—Tu pessimus omnium latro es, as Demetrius the Pyrat told Alexander in Curtius.
- ↑ Non ausi mutire, &c. Æsop.
- ↑ Improbum et stultum si divitem, multos bonos viros in servitute habentem, (ob id duntaxat quod ei contingat aureorum numismatum cumulus) ut appendices et additamenta numisniatum. Morus, Utopia.
