Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 2.djvu/26

 sumption, which is a flattering Disease. Pompey, Crassus, and Cæsar, had found the Sweets of Arbitrary Power; and each being a check to the others growth, struck up a false Friendship amongst themselves; and divided the Government betwixt them, which none of them was able to assume alone. These were the publick Spirited Men of their Age, that is, Patriots of their own Interest. The Commonwealth look'd with a florid Countenance in their Management, spread in Bulk, and all the while was wasting in the Vitals. Not to trouble your Lordship with the Repetition of what you know: After the death of Crassus, Pompey found him self out-witted by Cæsar; broke with him, over power'd him in the Senate, and caus'd many unjust Decrees to pass against him: Cæsar thus injur'd, and unable to resist the Faction of the Nobles, which was now uppermost (for he was a Marian) had recourse to Arms; and his Cause was just against Pompey, but not against his Country, whose Constitution ought to have been Sacred to him; and never to have been violated on the account of any private Wrong. But he prevail'd, and Heav'n declaring for him, he became a Providential Monarch, under the Title of Perpetual Dictator. He being Murther'd by his own Son, whom I neither dare commend, nor can justly blame (though Dante in his Inferno, has put him and Cassius, and Judas Iscariot betwixt them, into the great Devil's Mouth) the Commonwealth popp'd up its Head for the third time, under Brutus and Cassius, and then sunk for ever.

Thus the Roman People were grosly gull'd; twice or thrice over: and as often enslav'd in one Century, and under the same pretence of Reformation. At last the two Battles of Philippi, gave the decisive stroak against Liberty; and not long after, the Commonwealth was turn'd into a Monarchy, by the Conduct and good Fortune of Augustus. Tis true, that the Despotick Rh