| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
| | | |
DION | which he had enterprised of his owne head and counsell: and | |
AND | did amende the faults others committed, and brought things | |
BRUTUS | to better state then he found them. Where it seemeth, that | |
| Brutus did not wisely to receive the second battell: consider- | |
| ing his rest stoode upon it. For, after he had lost the | |
| battell, it was unpossible for him ever to rise againe: and | |
| therefore his hart failed him, and so gave up all, and never | |
| durst strive with his evill fortune as Pompey did, consider- | |
| ing that he had present cause enough in the field to hope of | |
| his souldiers, and being beside a dreadfull Lorde of all the | |
| sea over. Furthermore, the greatest reproache they could | |
| object against Brutus, was: that Iulius Caesar having saved | |
| his life, and pardoned all the prisoners also taken in battell, as | |
| many as he had made request for, taking him for his frende, | |
| and honoring him above all his other frends: Brutus not- | |
| withstanding had imbrued his hands in his blood, wherewith | |
| they could never reprove Dion. For on the contrarie side, | |
| so long as Dion was Dionysius frende and kinseman, he did | |
| alway helpe him to order and governe his affaires. But | |
| after he was banished his contrie, and that his wife was | |
| forciblie maried to an other man, and his goodes also taken | |
| from him: then he entred into just and open warres against | |
In what | Dionysius the tyranne. But in this poynt, they were con- | |
things Dion | trarie together. For wherein their chiefest praise consisted, | |
was inferior | to witte, in hating of tyrannes and wicked men: it is most | |
unto Brutus. | true that Brutus desire was most sincere of both. For | |
| having no private cause of complaint or grudge against | |
| Caesar, he ventred to kill him, onely to set his contrie | |
| againe at libertie. Where if Dion had not received private | |
| cause of quarrell against Dionysius: he woulde never have | |
| made warre with him. The which Plato proveth in his | |
| Epistells, where is plainlie seene: that Dion being driven | |
| out of the tyrans Court against his will, and not putting | |
| him selfe to voluntarie banishment, he drave out Dionysius. | |
| Furthermore, the respect of the common wealth caused | |
| Brutus, that before was Pompeys enemie, to become his | |
| frende, and enemie unto Caesar, that before was his frend: | |
| only referring his frendshippe and enmitie, unto the con- | |
| sideracion of justice and equitie. And Dion did many | |
| 238 | |