him. And because the actions of this man were
exceeding great, being in a new Prince, I will briefly
shew how well he knew to act the Foxes and the Lions
parts; the conditions of which two, I say, as before,
are very necessary for a Prince to imitate. Severus
having had experience of Julian the Emperours sloth,
perswaded his army (whereof he was commander in Sclavonia)
that they should doe well to goe to Rome to revenge
Pertinax his death, who was put to death by the Imperiall
guard; and under this pretence, not making any shew
that he aspird unto the Empire, set his army in march
directly towards Rome, and was sooner come into Italy,
than it was knowne he had mov’d from his station.
Being ariv’d at Rome, he was by the Senate chosen
Emperour for feare, and Julian slaine. After this
beginning, two difficulties yet remaind to Severus,
before he could make himselfe Lord of the whole State;
the one in Asia, where Niger the Generall of those
armies had gotten the title of Emperour, the other
in the West with Albinus, who also aspird to the Empire:
and because he thought there might be some danger
to discover himselfe enemy to them both, he purposed
to set upon Niger, and cozen Albinus, to whom he writ,
that being elected Emperour by the Senate, he would
willingly communicate it with him; and thereupon sent
him the title of Caesar, and by resolution of the
Senate, tooke him to him for his Colleague; which
things were taken by Albinus in true meaning.
But afterwards when Severus had overcome and slaine
Niger, and pacified the affaires and in the East,
being returned to Rome, he complaind in the Senate
of Albinus, how little weighing the benefits received
from him, he had sought to slay him by treason, and
therefore was he forc’d to goe punish his ingratitude:
afterwards he went into France, where he bereft him
both of his State and life, whoever then shall in
particular examine his actions, shall finde he was
a very cruell Lion, and as crafty a Fox: and
shall see that he was alwayes feard and reverenc’d
by every one, and by the armies not hated; and shall
nothing marvell that he being a new man, was able
to hold together such a great Empire: for his
extraordinary reputation defended him alwayes from
that hatred, which the people for his extortions might
have conceiv’d against him. But Antonius
his sonne, was also an exceeding brave man, and endued
with most excellent qualities, which causd him to
be admird by the people, and acceptable to the souldiers,
because he was a warlike man, enduring all kind of
travell and paines, despising all delicate food, and
all kinde of effeminacy, which gaind him the love
of all the armies: neverthelesse his fiercenesse
and cruelty were such, and so hideous, having upon
many particular occasions put to death a great part
of the people of Rome, and all those of Alexandria,
that he grew odious to the world, and began to be
feard by those also that were neare about him; so that
he was slaine by a Centurion in the very midst of