Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/137

 Rh Counterfeit Virtue: He was the Man that restor'd the old Discipline in the Army, in the exacting of which he was so severe, that he call'd himself Marius the second, and would never be perswaded to pardon the least Fault.

To give some Instances of his Rigour: He always executed his Soldiers immediately, who took any thing by force from the Town where they kept Garrison. When he had the Command of the Army in Germany, some of his Auxiliaries happen'd to surprize a Detatchment of three thousand Sarmatians, by the Danube, very much in Disorder. Upon this Advantage they fell on, and cut them in Pieces: But Cassius instead of Rewarding the Captains of these Companies, had every Man of them Crucified; letting them know that they had no Liberty to fight without Orders. For how could they tell but that they might have fallen into an Ambush, and expos'd the Arms of the Empire to an Affront: Besides the Authority and Force of Discipline must be lost this way. This Severity was look'd upon as a most Tyrannical piece of Cruelty, and occasion'd a terrible Mutiny in the Camp. Cassius hearing a Tumultuous Noise, steps out of his Tent unarm'd, and coming up to some of the most daring Mutineers, with a Rh