( 10 )

t>y the Spoils of the Profcrib’d, and become powerful b y,the Death os their Enemies, quite demolifh’d the Repub-licans, and buried Liberty in the Plains of Philippi withBrutus and Cajsius , the two last true Romans .

Augustus having during this Time bewray’d his na-tural Timoroufnefs on many Occasions *, frequently fellunder the Raillery of M. Anthony , who was of a tauntingTurn : And therefore he thought it necessary for himto chuse a good General; and he piteh’d wpon Agrippa,^a Person of low Extraction, and a Soldier of Fortune,.who for these Reasons could give no Umbrage.

The *

on every Account, but they most blamed Anthony,.. because Cæsar wasyoung, , and Lepidus was of less Consideration. The same Author takes No-tice of his Cruelty in Asia. Plutarch in his Life of Cicero has this Paslage,

“ Some fay Cæsar stuck hard for Cicero the two first Days, but the third" he forsook him.

As for Anthony,Plutarch tells us, that he commanded those he had employ’dto murder Cicero to strike off his Head and right Hand, (with which he hadwritten the invective Orations called Phillipicæ) against him; and when theMurderers brought him Cicero's Head and Hand cut off,., he beheld thema long time with great Joy, and laugh’d heartily. How greatly was Brutusmistaken in his Opinion, of this Man. Plutarch tells, in his Life of Brutus ,that all the Conspirators except Brutus, were for killing Anthony likewise, be-cause he was a wicked Man that in his Heart favour’d Tyranny. But Bru-tus would not agree to it. Firsts .because, he said, it was not honest. Andsecondly, because he did not doubt but Anthony being a noble-minded cou-rageous Man (when he should know Cæsar was. dead) would willingly helphis Country to recover her Liberty, having them an Example to him,to follow their Courage and Virtue. So Brutus, fav’d Anthony's Life, who atthat Time difguis’d himself and stole away.

* Sueton. Unde præbitam Antonio materiam putem exprobandi. Ne rectis ,quidem oculis eum adfpicere potuisse instructam aciem, &c. Plutarch tells usAnthony was much given to Raillery and Mocking. He tells us how Cleopa - .tra serv’d.him, when Ihe found him to be- of this Humour..