| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
| | |
CICERO | young Caesar should have sergeaunts to carie roddes | |
| and axes before him, and all other furniture for a Praetor, as a | |
| man that fighteth for his contry. After that Antonius had | |
| lost the battell, and that both the Consuls were slaine, both | |
| the armies came unto Caesar. The Senate then being affraied | |
| of this young man, that had so great good fortune, they | |
| practised by honors and gifts to call the armies from him, | |
| which he had about him, and so to minish the greatnes of | |
| his power: saying, that their contrie now stoode in no | |
| neede of force, nor feare of defence, sith her enemie Antonius | |
Octavius | was fled and gone. Caesar fearing this, sent men secretly | |
Caesar sueth | unto Cicero, to pray him to procure that they two together | |
to be Counsel. | might be chosen Consuls, and that when they should be in | |
| office, he should doe and appoint what he thought good, | |
| having the young man at his commaundement, who desired | |
| no more but the honor only of the name. Caesar him selfe | |
| confessed afterwardes, that being affrayed he should have | |
| bene utterly cast away, to have bene left alone: he finely | |
| served his turne by Ciceroes ambition, having perswaded | |
| him to require the Consulship, through the helpe and assist- | |
| ance that he would geve him. But there was Cicero finely | |
| colted, as old as he was, by a young man, when he was | |
| contented to sue for the Consulship in his behalfe, and to | |
| make the Senate agreable to it: wherefore his frendes pre- | |
Octavius | sently reproved him for it, and shortly after he perceived he | |
Caesar forsak- | had undone him selfe, and together also lost the libertie of | |
eth Cicero. | his contrie. For this young man Octavius Caesar being | |
| growen to be verie great by his meanes and procurement: | |
Note the | when he saw that he had the Consulshippe upon him, he | |
fickelnes of | forsooke Cicero, and agreed with Antonius and Lepidus. | |
youth. | Then joyning his armie with theirs, he devided the Empire | |
| of Rome with them, as if it had bene lands left in common | |
The meet- | betwene them: and besides that, there was a bill made of | |
ing of the | two hundred men and upwards, whom they had appointed | |
Triumviri: | to be slaine. But the greatest difficultie and difference that | |
Antonius, | fell out betwene them, was about the outlawing of Cicero. | |
Lepidus, | For Antonius woulde hearken to no peace betwene them, | |
Octavius | unlesse Cicero were slaine first of all: Lepidus was also in | |
Caesar. | the same mind with Antonius: but Caesar was against them | |
| 362 | |