| GRECIANS AND ROMANS | |
| | |
| Brutus, who rose to greatnesse by his enterprises, and by | DION |
| warre got all his strength and riches. But he in contrarie | AND |
| maner, spent of his owne goods to make warre for the libertie | BRUTUS |
| of his contrie and disbursed of his owne money, that should | |
| have kept him in his banishment. Furthermore, Brutus and | |
| Cassius were compelled of necessity to make warres, bicause | |
| they coulde not have lived safelie in peace, when they were | |
| driven out of Rome: for that they were condemned to death, | |
| and pursued by their enemies. And for this cause therefore | |
| they were driven to hazard them selves in warre, more for | |
| their owne safetie, then for the libertie of their contrie men. | |
| Whereas Dion on the other side, living more merily and | |
| safelie in his banishment, then the tyranne Dionysius him | |
| selfe that had banished him: did put him selfe to that | |
| daunger, to deliver Sicile from bondage. Nowe the matter | |
| was not a like unto the Romanes, to be delivered from the | |
| government of Caesar: as it was for the Syracusans, to be | |
| ridde of Dionysius tymnnie. For Dionysius denyed not, | |
| that he was not a tyranne, having filled Sicile with suche | |
| miserie and calamitie. Howebeit Caesars power and govern- | |
| ment when it came to be established, did in deede much | |
| hurt at his first entrie and beginning unto those that did | |
| resist him: but afterwardes, unto them that being overcome | |
| had received his government, it seemed he rather had the | |
| name and opinon onely of a tyranne, then otherwise that | |
| he was so in deede. For there never followed any tyrannicall | |
| nor cruell act, but contrarilie, it seemed that he was a merci- | |
| full Phisition, whom God had ordeyned of speciall grace to | |
| be Governor of the Empire of Rome, and to set all thinges | |
| againe at quiet stay, the which required the counsell and | |
| authoritie of an absolute Prince. And therefore the Romanes | |
| were marvelous sorie for Caesar after he was slaine, and after- | |
| wardes would never pardon them that had slaine him. On | |
| the other side, the cause why the Syracusans did most accuse | |
| Dion, was: bicause he did let Dionysius escape out of the | |
| castell of Syracusa, and bicause he did not overthrow and | |
| deface the tombe of his father. Furthermore, towching the | |
| warres: Dion alway shewed him selfe a Captaine unreprov- | |
| able, having wiselie and skilfullie taken order for those things, | |
| 237 | |