Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/474

 466 GALEA. having met liira, turned back to attend him ; in all which no apparent displeasure nor yet honor was shown him. Galba's feelings of respect for him prevented the former ; the latter was checked by the envy of his friends, and pai'ticularly of Titus Vinius, who, acting in the desire of hindering Virginius's promotion, unwittingly aided his happy genius in rescumg him from those hazards and hai'dshlps which other commanders were involved in, iand securing him the safe enjoyment of a quiet life and peaceable old age. Near Narbo, a city in Gaul, the deputation of the senate met Galba, and, after they had delivered their compli- ments, begged him to make what haste he could to appear to the people, that impatiently expected him. He discoursed with them coui'teously and unassumingly, and in his entertainment, though Nymphidius_ had sent him royal furniture and attendance of Nero's, he put all aside, and made use of nothing but his own, for which he was well vspoken of, as one who had a great mind, and was superior to little vanities. But in a short time, Vinius, by declaring to him that these noble, unpompous, citizen-like ways yvere a mere affectation of popularity and a petty bashfulness at assuming his proper great- ness, induced him to make use of Nero's supplies, and in his entertainments not to be afraid of a regal sumptuosity. And in more than one way the old man let it gradually appear that he had put himself under Vinius's disposal. Vinius was a person of an excessive covetousness, and not quite free from blame in respect to women. For being a young man, newly entered into the service under Calvisius Sabihils, upon his first campaign, he brougbt his commander's wife, a licentious woman, in a soldier's dress, by night into the camp, and was found with her in the very general's quarters, the principia, as the Romans call them. For which insolence Caius CaBsar cast him into