| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
| | | |
| MARCUS | skorning this miserie and niggardlines, first of all mustered | |
| BRUTUS | his armie, and did purifie it in the fields, according to the | |
| manner of the Romanes: and then he gave unto every | |
| band a number of weathers to sacrifice, and fiftie silver | |
| Drachmas to every souldier. So that Brutus and Cassius | |
| souldiers were better pleased, and more coragiously bent to | |
| fight at the daye of the battell, then their enemies souldiers | |
| Unlucky | were. Notwithstanding, being busily occupied about the | |
| signes unto | ceremonies of this purification, it is reported that there | |
| Cassius. | chaunced certaine unlucky signes unto Cassius. For one | |
| of his Sergeaunts that caried the roddes before him, brought | |
| him the garland of flowers turned backwards, the which | |
| he should have worne on his head in the tyme of sacrificing. | |
| Moreover it is reported also, that at another tyme before, | |
| in certaine sportes and triumphe where they caried an image | |
| of Cassius victorie of cleane gold, it fell by chaunce, the | |
| man stumbling that caried it. And yet further, there were | |
| seene a marvelous number of fowles of praye, that feede | |
| upon dead carkasses: and beehives also were founde, where | |
| bees were gathered together in a certaine place within the | |
| trenches of the campe: the which place the Soothsayers | |
| thought good to shut out of the precinct of the campe, | |
| for to take away the superstitious feare and mistrust men | |
| would have of it. The which beganne somewhat to alter | |
| Cassius minde from Epicurus opinions, and had put the | |
| Cassius | souldiers also in a marvelous feare. Thereuppon Cassius | |
| and Brutus | was of opinion not to trye this warre at one battell, but | |
| opinions | rather to delay tyme, and to drawe it out in length, con- | |
| about battell. | sidering that they were the stronger in money, and the | |
| weaker in men and armors. But Brutus in contrary manner, | |
| did alway before, and at that tyme also, desire nothing | |
| more, then to put all to the hazard of battell, assoone as | |
| might be possible: to the ende he might either quickely | |
| restore his contry to her former libertie, or rid him forth- | |
| with of this miserable world, being still troubled in follow- | |
| ing and mainteyning of such great armies together. But | |
| perceiving that in the dayly skrrmishes and byckerings they | |
| made, his men were alway the stronger, and ever had the | |
| better: that yet quickned his spirits againe, and did put | |
| 220 | |