Some governments (efpecially that of this kingdom of England) are fo wifely conftituted, and fo firmly established and fixed by Law and Cuftom, that in all human reason, they are not much obnoxious to fuch factions; but if fuch at any time fhould happen, yet they are quickly compofed, or effectually fuppreffed, or languish and die of themselves in a little time. But the ftate of the commonwealth of Rome was fo moulded, that it was fcarce poffible for them to be long without fuch forms and commotions, by great factions arifing therein; as is hereafter shown. That therefore which is written in this book, was not written in relation to any kingdom or ftate on this fide Rome, nor even to Rome itfelf, otherwise than it stood under those circumstances of thofe factions that were frequent therein about the time of Atticus's life. Therefore read this book with its due application to the Roman ftate; and to that state as it was in at that time of those disturbances, and as if thou hadft been a spectator of the fcene where thofe tragedies were acted, and then thou anfwereft the intention of the writer; and poffibly this pamphlet may give thee the innocent diverfion of an hour, and in fome meafure give thee an account of the ftate of the Roman commonwealth, and the reafon of the occurrences that happened therein, in and near the time of the life of Atticus, though it be by no means applicable to the kingdom, ftate, and country, wherein thou livest. If thou find the tranflation of the life of Atticus not to run fo fmoothly as could be wifhed, I have this excuse for it, that as near as I can, I have in the translation pursued the letter of the original; which, by reafon of the difference of idioms in the Latin and English, will not allow that elegance to the tranflation, as it is to be found in the original. In the equation of the Roman money, with the value of ours, I may in fome places be mistaken, because of the dif crepance between them; but this may fairly be rectified by the reader, and is not of any great confequence to the history. THE THE Life of Pomponius Atticus, written by his Con? Chap. 2. Touching Factions in general; and the Reafons of the great Factions in the Roman Empire, and why they happened more at this time than for many bundreds of years Chap. 4. Touching the Means whereby the Safety of At- ticus was procured under the various Viciffitudes in the Chap. 5. Touching the Means that Pomponius Atticus used to fave himself from the Dangers of the Civil Wars that happened in Rome; and first concerning the quality and Chap. 6. Concerning the other Expedients that this wife Chap. 7. The Second Expedient that be used for his fafety and Prefervation; his induftrious avoiding of being gaged in any Faction while he lived in Rome. Chap. 8. The third Expedient that Atticus ufed for his Safe- Chap. 9. The fourth Expedient of Atticus; refufing Offices and public Employments in the Commonwealth by the Suffrages of the Senate or People. Chap. 10. The fifth Expedient that Atticus ufed to preferve bimfelf, was the avoiding all thofe Occafions that might procure unto him Emulation or Envy. Chap. 12. The Confideration of Things that Atticus did in order to his Safety and Security againft Dangers and Troubles of the Times; and firft, touching bis Charity, Bounty, and Liberality. Chap. 13. The fecond thing which Atticus did, in order whereby be fecured himself. Chap. 14. The third Expedient conducing to the Safety of Atticus; his admirable Moderation and Equality of Mind and Actions. Chap. 15. Concerning the fourth Expedient conducing to the Safety of Atticus; bis Conftancy. Chap. 16. Touching certain Cautions to be used in the Obfervation and Imitation of the Life of Atticus in public Collifions of Factions. THE LIFE OF POMPONIUS ATTICUS: WRITTEN BY HIS CONTEMPORARY AND ACQUAINTANCE CORNELIUS NEPOS. HIS FRAGMENTS. TRANSLATED OUT OF POMPONIUS OMPONIUS ATTICUS, being deduced from the first origin of the Roman ftock, obtained the dignity of a Roman knight, derived unto him by an uninterrupted fucceffion from his ancestors. He had a diligent and indulgent father, and rich according to thofe times, and a great lover of learning as he loved learning himfelf, fo he inftructed his fon in all that learning wherewith one of his age was fit to be furnished. Moreover, in this young youth, befides his readinefs of wit, there was a certain sweetness of elocution and fpeech, whereby he did not only readily learn what was taught him, but did alfo excellently pronounce it: by which means, even in his youth, he became eminent among his equals, and fhone forth with greater luftre than his generous fellow-fcholars could bear with an equal mind. He therefore by his ftudy pricked on others; among whom were P. Torquatus, C. Marius, the fon of Caius, and M. Cicero, all whom, by his converfation, he fo obliged unto him, that none was dearer to them than he. His father died early; and Pomponius being then but a very young man, was not without fome danger, by reafon of the affinity of P. Sulpitius, who was flain, being tribune of the people. For Anicia the niece of Pomponius, married Servius Sulpitius, brother of P. Sulpitius. P. Sulpitius therefore being thus flain, as foon as Pomponius obferved that the city was difturbed by the tumult of Cinna, neither could he have liberty of living according to his rank, but that he fhould offend one party; the minds of the citizens being disjointed, while fome favoured the party of Sylla, others the party of Cinna; concluding it therefore a feafonable time to addict himself to his ftudies, he went to Athens, and yet neverthelefs helped with his wealth young Marius, 2 E 4 Marius, then declared a public enemy; whofe flight he affifted with his money. And left this his journey should bring fome detriment to his eftate, he removed thither a great part of his wealth. He fo lived at Athens, that he became defervedly most dear to the Athenians: for befides that great grace which appeared in him, being then but young, he oftentimes relieved their public wants with his own wealth. For whereas here was a neceffity of public verfura, taking up money at lefs intereft, and to put it out at greater; neither had they any equal conditions in the doing thereof; he ever interpofed, and in fuch a manner that he never received any ufury from them, nor fuffered his money to continue longer in their hands than the time appointed; both which were of great advantage to them: for hereby he did neither fuffer their debts to grow ftale by indulgence, nor to grow greater by the running on of ufury. Alfo he added to this friendlinefs by another liberality: he gave corn to all, fo that to each perfon were given fix meafures of wheat, which kind of measure at Athens, is called medimnus (fomething more than our English bufhel). He carried himself fo, that he seemed common to the lowest, and yet equal to the chiefeft; whereby it came to pass that they publicly heaped upon him all the honours they could; endeavouring to make him a free citizen of that city; which yet he refused (which fome interpret because the liberty of a citizen of Rome would be loft by becoming the citizen of another city). As long as he was there, he oppofed the fetting up of any ftatue for him; but could not hinder it after his departure; therefore they placed fome for him, and Pilia (his wife) in their most facred places; for in all the bufineffes of the republic they had him their actor and their author. Therefore it was firft the bounty of his fortune, that he was born in that city wherein was the palace of the empire of the world, whereby he had the fame for his country and governefs. But it was the evidence of his prudence, that when he came into that city that excelled all other in antiquity, humanity, and learning, he became moft dear unto it above all others. When Sylla came hither, as he returned out of Afia, as long as he was there, he kept Pomponius with him, being taken with the humanity and learning of the young man ; for he fpake Greek fo well, that he seemed born at Athens. But fo great was his fweetnefs in the Latin tongue, that there appeared to be in him a certain native grace, and not acquired. |