of Cæfar. By this means Cæfar was disappointed, and others chofen confuls.

Cæfar being enraged with this disappointment, and judging that worse was like to enfue by Fompey and his party, drew the army under his command into Italy, came to Brundufium, where Pompey was but efcaped by flight; thence he led his army to Rome; from whence the fenate were alfo fled. There he made himself conful, broke open the public treafury, and wanted nothing but the name of being monarch or emperor; though he kept up the shell and the form of their former government. After this he fo closely perfecuted Pompey, that in the battle of Pharfalia, and fome other enfuing battles, the forces and power of Pompey were totally broken, and Pompey himself bafely flain by Septimius.

Cæfar continued his greatnefs for about five years; and in the fifth year, Cæfar and Antony being confuls, Cæfar was bafely murdered by Brutus and his accomplices in the fenate houfe; this was in the year of the Julian period 4671, which was about the fixty-fourth year of the life of Atticus.

This villany was committed partly to prevent the growing power of Cæfar, whereby they feared his affectation of the empire, and change of the government, and partly upon the fcore of Pompey (for his affaffinates were most of his party) and in revenge of his fall.

Cæfar, by his will, left Octavius, his fifter's fon, his adopted heir, who thereupon foon took the firname of Cæfar.

After the death of Julius Cæfar, there happened a ftrange complicated faction in Rome: First, between the murderers of Cæfar and the Pompeian party, of the one part; and the Cæfarean party, Antony and Octavius, of the other part. And then between Antony of the one part, and Octavius of the other part; for Antony being great and powerful, and finding that Octavius was the declared heir of Julius Cæfar, thought himfelf neglected, and began to envy Octavius, who not being above nineteen years old, began to grow great in the army and city, being a man full of worth, and looked upon as one that might probably and reasonably fucceed his uncle in all his greatnefs, efpecially being declared his adopted heir.

And hence it came to pass, that both Octavius and Antony fo far agreed as much as they could, to fupprefs

. the

the party of Brutus and Caffius, and other the affaffinates of Cæfar, and yet kept a jealous eye one over the other.

But on the one fide, the fenate and people of Rome had a great refpect and honour for Brutus and Caffius, as being the pretended champions for the Roman liberty. On the other fide, Antony and Octavius had great relations and great intereft in the Roman armies.

The fenate therefore, willing to divide the interests of Antony and Octavius, and difcerning fome animofity between them, as they kept up the repute of Brutus and Caffius, fo they courted and complimented Octavius, and withal at the fame time made Octavius pro-pretor, and Antony declared a public enemy. This was done in the year of the Julian period 4671, Hirfus and Paufa being confuls; and the profecution of the war against Antony, was, in name at least, committed to Octavius, though ftill Brutus and Caffius were the perfons principally trufted.

The war against Antony fucceeded well, and the Pompeian party and fenate having now obtained their ends in the honour they did to Octavius, namely, the dividing him from Antony, and thereby ftrengthening themfelves, and weakening their opponents, in the fame year began to give evidence of their public neglect of Octavius; and having now ferved their own turns by him against Antony, declared their public diflike and jealousy of Octavius; Caffius, Brutus, and the Pompeyan party were the great favorites of the fenate.

In the fame year Lepidus, mafter of the horfe to Octavius, having received Antony, a declared enemy, was alfo, by the fenate, declared an enemy to the commonwealth of Rome: fo that now Octavius, though not a declared enemy, yet began to be either fufpected or neglected; and Antony and Lepidus declared enemies.

This was that time mentioned in the life of Atticus, wherein the condition of Antony was efteemed defperate, and he invaded by his friends as well as his enemies; when yet Atticus flood by his relations, and protected them against injuries.

The cafe thus ftanding with thefe three great men, Antony and Lepidus folicited Octavius to fall in with them, otherwife he might look for the fame ill fuccefs from the fenate that they had themselves found; and that as now he began to be neglected, fo in a fhort time he would be oppreffed by the Pompeian party Hereupon in the fame year, Q&tavius, Antony, and Lepidus entered

into

into a confederacy, to cftablish in themfelves a triumvirate, to taft for five years, with confular power, and the difpofal of provinces amongst themfelves as they thought good.

This being thus agreed between them, before the fame was known to the fenate, Octavius being willing to have a fair occafion to break with the fenate, demanded a kindnefs, which he was fure they would refufe, namely, the confulate; wherein he was rejected. and fo had a fair occafion to fall off from them, who formerly and now had fo much neglected aud affronted him.

Thereupon, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus joined their forces, declared their purpofe to reform the commonwealth under the triumvirate of them three, and march with their full power to Rome; which they enter and obtain; and in purfuance of their former counfel and purpose, difpofe of provinces, create confuls; fome of thofe that oppofed them they profcribed, others they killed; amongst whom was Marcus Tullius Cicerco, the great friend of Atticus, and the bitter enemy of Antony.

This was that feafon wherein Atticus being now about 66 years old, began to fear profcription at leaft; but was delivered from that fear by the clemency of Antony, namely, in the year of the Julian period 4671.

Caffius and Brutus, that were formerly defigned to manage the war against Antony, accordingly purfued the fame against the triumviri.

But they were overthrown at the battle of Philippi, where Brutus was flain; and now the triumviri held the entire government of the Roman empire, all opponents being cut off or difabled.

Shortly after, by the imprudence of Fulvia, the wife of Antony, a difference was raifed between Octavius and Antony; but that was foon compofed by a divifion of the Roman empire between them: the Eaftern part affigned to Antony, and the Weftern to Octavius; and they entered triumphantly into Rome, and ratified their agreement by new alliance, Antony marrying the fifter of Octavius.

In the 4676th year of the Julian period, the five years appointed to their triumvirate, expired, and they prorogued their power for other five years.

In the year following, Sextus Pompeius being overthrown by Octavius, Lepidus began to arrogate the honour of that victory, and began openly to oppofe his colleague Octavius; but his army forfaking him, he refigned up his office of triumvir, and upon his fubmiffion and importunity,

importunity, Octavius pardoned his life, but exiled him. And now there were only Antonius and Octavius in the exercife of that triumviral power.

In the fame year, Octavius being 28 years old, returned to Rome in triumph, where the fenate decreed unto him the honour and office of perpetual tribunus populi,

About the beginning of the year of the Julian period 4682, Enobarbus and Sofius confuls (which was the year wherein Atticus died) new differences began to arife between Antonius and Octavius. The confuls and part of the fenate fly to Antony, who in teftimony of his defiance of Octavius, repudiates his wife Octavia, the fifter of Octavius, and open war was declared between Octavius and Antonius. This ended the next year in the victory of Octavius against Antonius at A&tium, and fhortly after in the taking of Alexandria by Octavius, and the death of Antonius, and Cleopatra the Egyptian queen. 4685. Thus was Octavius now fettled in the empire of Rome, honoured by the fenate with the ftyle of Auguftus and Imperator, namely, in his fifth confulate, and in the year of the Julian period 4685.

And thus we have a fhort account of the state and feafons of thofe great motions and civil wars that happened in the Roman commonwealth, during the life of Atticus. Unto all which, we must add these enfuing confiderations, which will much evidence the greatnefs of thofe concuffions and difficulties that accompanied thefe various revolutions; namely,

1. There were not any of thefe changes effected without very great and bloody wars between the feveral heads of thefe factions and their parties; the changes were not eafy or familiar tranfitions from one faction to another; but they were effected for the moft part by great and formidable armies and battles, and effufion of blood.

2. Thefe battles that were preliminary to the victory of either party, were not flight velitations and conflicts, but they were carried on with greater vehemency, violence, fury, and blood, than many of their wars with foreigners; each party engaging as many to their faction as they could; and each party carried on with this expectation, to be the poffeffor of the other's honours and wealth, if they prevailed; and being affured of utter ruin from the prevailing party if conquered by them.

3. The fuccefs of thefe battles was always with greatest ruin of the fubdued party that the victors could inflict.

It

It is truly noted by the Florentine politician, that the Romans, when victors over their neighbouring nations, never ufed mediocrity or a mean towards thofe they conquered; but either ufed fo great beneficence or favour towards the conquered, that they thereby obliged them from a future revolt; or elfe dealt fo feverely with them, that they utterly difabled them from it. But though in the victory over the foreigners, the Romans, according to the various temper of thofe they conquered, ufed fometimes the one extreme, fometimes the other; yet in those victories that happened between the Romans themfelves in their civil wars, as they never ufed mediocrity, fo they never ufed the former extreme, but always the latter; omitting no feverity that might render the fubdued party, in all probability, incapable of ever making head again. And this they evidenced in their bloody flaughters that they made after their victories obtained; confifcations and profcriptions were their gentleft animadverfions, not only upon fuch as had been oppofites, but alfo upon fuch as they fufpected not to be their real friends. If any were that had flood neutral, and affifted neither party, for the moft part his wealth became his crime, and rendered him obnoxious to confifcation or banishment, or at leaft to exceffive mulets and penalties, to help to gratify and reward the foldiers and affiftants of the victor, and to ftrengthen and oblige his party. Indeed, Octav. Auguftus, when he had fubdued Antonius, was moderate towards the fubdued party; and he had reafon, because he then obtained the full mastery of all parties and made them his own; and befides his own nature rendered him generally benign and favourable to fuch of his enemies who were not implacable. But in these revolutions of fucceffes between Marius and Sylla, Cæfar and Pompey, Brutus and Antonius, their feverities were horrid and violent, infomuch, that the very friends and relations of the oppreffed party, though they never acted any thing against the victor; yet to fecure themselves against the rage and jealoufy of the prevailing faction, became the perfecutors and betrayers of thofe that were fubdued, as is before declared in the life of Atticus: upon all which confiderations it seems little less than a miracle, that Atticus, a rich and wealthy and honourable citizen, of great acquaintance and relations, of great efteem, fhould live in the midft of all these flames and ftorms, and for the most time in that great city which was the ftage on which the greatest and severelt

part