第 7 节
作者:北方网      更新:2024-04-09 19:51      字数:9322
  groaned audibly; and the noble citizens hung down their heads for
  grief。 Publicus Silicius was seen to burst out into tears; which was
  the cause that not long after he was put down in the list of those
  that were proscribed。 After this; the three men; Caesar; Antony; and
  Lepidus; being perfectly reconciled; shared the provinces among
  themselves; and made up the catalogue of proscription; wherein were
  set those that were designed for slaughter; amounting to two hundred
  men; in which number Cicero was slain。
  The news being brought to Brutus in Macedonia; he was under a
  compulsion; and sent orders to Hortensius that he should kill Caius
  Antonius in revenge of the death of Cicero his friend; and Brutus
  his kinsman; who also was proscribed and slain。 Upon this account it
  was that Antony; having afterwards taken Hortensius in the battle of
  Philippi; slew him upon his brother's tomb。 But Brutus expresses
  himself as more ashamed for the cause of Cicero's death than grieved
  for the misfortune of it; and says he cannot help accusing his friends
  at Rome; that they were slaves more through their own doing than
  that of those who now were their tyrants; they could be present and
  see and yet suffer those things which even to hear related ought to
  them to have been insufferable。
  Having made his army; that was already very considerable; pass
  into Asia; he ordered a fleet to be prepared in Bithynia and about
  Cyzicus。 But going himself through the country by land; he made it his
  business to settle and confirm all the cities; and gave audience to
  the princes of the parts through which he passed。 And he sent orders
  into Syria to Cassius to come to him; and leave his intended journey
  into Egypt; letting him understand that it was not to gain an empire
  for themselves; but to free their country; that they went thus
  wandering about and had got an army together whose business it was
  to destroy the tyrants; that therefore; if they remembered and
  resolved to persevere in their first purpose; they ought not to be too
  far from Italy; but make what haste they could thither; and
  endeavour to relieve their fellow…citizens from oppression。
  Cassius obeyed his summons; and returned; and Brutus went to meet
  him; and at Smyrna they met; which was the first time they had seen
  one another since they parted at the Piraeus in Athens; one for Syria;
  and the other for Macedonia。 They were both extremely joyful and had
  great confidence of their success at the sight of the forces that each
  of them had got together; since they who had fled from Italy; like the
  most despicable exiles; without money; without arms; without a ship or
  a soldier or a city to rely on; in a little time after had met
  together so well furnished with shipping and money; and an army both
  of horse and foot; that they were in a condition to contend for the
  empire of Rome。
  Cassius was desirous to show no less respect and honour to Brutus
  than Brutus did to him; but Brutus was still beforehand with him;
  coming for the most part to him; both because he was the elder man;
  and of a weaker constitution than himself。 Men generally reckoned
  Cassius a very expert soldier; but of a harsh and angry nature; and
  one that desired to command rather by fear than love; though; on the
  other side; among his familiar acquaintance he would easily give way
  to jesting and play the buffoon。 But Brutus; for his virtue; was
  esteemed by the people; beloved by his friends; admired by the best
  men; and hated not by his enemies themselves。 For he was a man of a
  singularly gentle nature; of a great spirit; insensible of the
  passions of anger or pleasure or covetousness; steady and inflexible
  to maintain his purpose for what he thought right and honest。 And that
  which gained him the greatest affection and reputation was the
  entire faith in his intentions。 For it had not ever been supposed that
  Pompey the Great himself; if he had overcome Caesar; would have
  submitted his power to the laws; instead of taking the management of
  the state upon himself; soothing the people with the specious name
  of consul or dictator; or some other milder title than king。 And
  they were well persuaded that Cassius; being a man governed by anger
  and passion; and carried often; for his interest's sake; beyond the
  bounds of justice; endured all these hardships of war and travel and
  danger most assuredly to obtain dominion to himself; and not liberty
  to the people。 And as for the former disturbers of the peace of
  Rome; whether a Cinna; a Marius; or a Carbo; it is manifest that they;
  having set their country as a stake for him that should win; did
  almost own in express terms that they fought for empire。 But even
  the enemies of Brutus did not; they tell us; lay this accusation to
  his charge; nay; many heard Antony himself say that Brutus was the
  only man that conspired against Caesar out of a sense of the glory and
  the apparent justice of the action; but that all the rest rose up
  against the man himself; from private envy and malice of their own。
  And it is plain by what he writes himself; that Brutus did not so much
  rely upon his forces; as upon his own virtue。 For thus he speaks in
  a letter to Atticus; shortly before he was to engage with the enemy:
  that his affairs were in the best state of fortune that he could wish;
  for that either he should overcome; and restore liberty to the
  people of Rome; or die; and be himself out of the reach of slavery;
  that other things being certain and beyond all hazard; one thing was
  yet in doubt; whether they should live or die free men。 He adds
  further; that Mark Antony had received a just punishment for his
  folly; who; when he might have been numbered with Brutus and Cassius
  and Cato; would join himself to Octavius; that though they should
  not now be both overcome; they soon would fight between themselves。
  And in this he seems to have been no ill…prophet。
  Now when they were at Smyrna; Brutus desired of Cassius that he
  might have part of the great treasure that he had heaped up; because
  all his own was expended in furnishing out such a fleet of ships as
  was sufficient to keep the whole interior sea in their power。 But
  Cassius's friends dissuaded him from this; 〃for;〃 said they; 〃it is
  not just that the money which you with so much parsimony keep; and
  with so much envy have got; should be given to him to be disposed of
  in making himself popular; and gaining the favour of the soldiers。〃
  Notwithstanding this; Cassius gave him a third part of all that he
  had; and then they parted each to their several commands。 Cassius;
  having taken Rhodes; behaved himself there with no clemency; though at
  his first entry; when some had called him lord and king; he answered
  that he was neither king nor lord; but the destroyer and punisher of a
  king and lord。 Brutus; on the other part; sent to the Lycians to
  demand from them a supply of money and men; but Laucrates; their
  popular leader; persuaded the cities to resist; and they occupied
  several little mountains and hills with a design to hinder Brutus's
  passage。 Brutus at first sent out a party of horse which; surprising
  them as they were eating; killed six hundred of them; and afterward;
  having taken all their small towns and villages round about; he set
  all his prisoners free without ransom; hoping to win the whole
  nation by good…will。 But they continued obstinate; taking in anger
  what they had suffered; and despising his goodness and humanity;
  until; having forced the most warlike of them into the city of
  Xanthus; he besieged them there。 They endeavoured to make their escape
  by swimming and diving through the river that flows by the town; but
  were taken by nets let down for that purpose in the channel; which had
  little bells at the top; which gave present notice of any that were
  taken in them。 After that; they made a sally in the night; and seizing
  several of the battering engines; set them on fire; but being
  perceived by the Romans; were beaten back to their walls; and there
  being a strong wind; it carried the flames to the battlements of the
  city with such fierceness that several of the adjoining houses took
  fire。 Brutus; fearing lest the whole city should be destroyed;
  commanded his own soldiers to assist and quench the fire。
  But the Lycians were on a sudden possessed with a strange and
  incredible desperation; such a frenzy as cannot be better expressed
  than by calling it a violent appetite to die; for both women and
  children; the bondmen and the free; those of all ages and of all
  conditions strove to force away the soldiers that came in to their
  assistance from the walls; and themselves gathering together reeds and
  wood; and whatever combustible matter they found; spread the fire over
  the whole city; feeding it with whatever fuel they could; and by all
  possible means exciting its fury; so that the flame; having
  dispersed itself and encircled the whole city; blazed out in so
  terrible a manner that Brutus; extremely afflicted at their
  calamity; got on horseback and rode round the walls; earnestly
  desirous to preserve the city; and stretching forth his hands to the
  Xanthians; begged of them that they would spare themselves and save
  the town。 Yet none regarded his