| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
| | | |
| MARCUS | cruell, who sought to rule men by feare, rather then with | |
| BRUTUS | lenitie: and on the other side he was too familiar with his | |
| Brutus gentle | friends, and would jest too brodely with them. But Brutus | |
| and fayer con- | in contrary manner, for his vertue and valliantnes, was well- | |
| dicions. | beloved of the people and his owne, esteemed of noble men, | |
| and hated of no man, not so much as of his enemies: | |
| bicause he was a marvelous lowly and gentle person, noble | |
| minded, and would never be in any rage, nor caried away | |
| with pleasure and covetousnes, but had ever an upright | |
| mind with him, and would never yeeld to any wronge or | |
| injustice, the which was the chiefest cause of his fame, of his | |
| rising, and of the good will that every man bare him: for | |
| Brutus intent | they were all perswaded that his intent was good. For they | |
| good, if he | did not certainly beleve, that if Pompey him selfe had over- | |
| had over- | come Caesar, he would have resigned his authoritie to the | |
| comen. | law: but rather they were of opinion, that he would still | |
| keepe the soverainty and absolute government in his hands, | |
| taking onely, to please the people, the title of Consul or | |
| Dictator, or of some other more civill office. And as for | |
| Cassius, a hot, chollerick, and cruell man, that would often- | |
| tymes be caried away from justice for gayne: it was certainly | |
| thought that he made warre, and put him selfe into sundry | |
| daungers, more to have absolute power and authoritie, then | |
| to defend the libertie of his contry. For, they that will also | |
| consider others, that were elder men then they, as Cinna, | |
| Marius, and Carbo: it is out of doubt that the ende and | |
| hope of their victorie, was to be Lordes of their contry: and | |
| in manner they did all confesse that they fought for the | |
| tyranny, and to be Lordes of the Empire of Rome. And in | |
| contrary manner, his enemies them selves did never reprove | |
| Brutus, for any such chaunge or desire. For, it was sayd | |
| Antonius | that Antonius spake it openly divers tymes, that he thought, | |
| testimonie | that of all them that had slayne Caesar, there was none but | |
| of Brutus. | Brutus only that was moved to doe it, as thinking the acte | |
| commendable of it selfe: but that all the other conspirators | |
| did conspire his death, for some private malice or envy, that | |
| they otherwise did beare unto him. Hereby it appeareth, | |
| that Brutus did not trust so much to the power of his | |
| army, as he did to his owne vertue: as is to be seene by | |
| 210 | |