登陆注册
5362600000204

第204章

History is everywhere full of those who by a thousand ways have exchanged a painful and irksome life for death. Lucius Aruntius killed himself, to fly, he said, both the future and the past. Granius Silvanus and Statius Proximus, after having been pardoned by Nero, killed themselves; either disdaining to live by the favour of so wicked a man, or that they might not be troubled, at some other time, to obtain a second pardon, considering the proclivity of his nature to suspect and credit accusations against worthy men. Spargapises, son of Queen Tomyris, being a prisoner of war to Cyrus, made use of the first favour Cyrus shewed him, in commanding him to be unbound, to kill himself, having pretended to no other benefit of liberty, but only to be revenged of himself for the disgrace of being taken. Boges, governor in Eion for King Xerxes, being besieged by the Athenian army under the conduct of Cimon, refused the conditions offered, that he might safe return into Asia with all his wealth, impatient to survive the loss of a place his master had given him to keep; wherefore, having defended the city to the last extremity, nothing being left to eat, he first threw all the gold and whatever else the enemy could make booty of into the river Strymon, and then causing a great pile to be set on fire, and the throats of all the women, children, concubines, and servants to be cut, he threw their bodies into the fire, and at last leaped into it himself.

Ninachetuen, an Indian lord, so soon as he heard the first whisper of the Portuguese Viceroy's determination to dispossess him, without any apparent cause, of his command in Malacca, to transfer it to the King of Campar, he took this resolution with himself: he caused a scaffold, more long than broad, to be erected, supported by columns royally adorned with tapestry and strewed with flowers and abundance of perfumes; all which being prepared, in a robe of cloth of gold, set full of jewels of great value, he came out into the street, and mounted the steps to the scaffold, at one corner of which he had a pile lighted of aromatic wood.

Everybody ran to see to what end these unusual preparations were made; when Ninachetuen, with a manly but displeased countenance, set forth how much he had obliged the Portuguese nation, and with how unspotted fidelity he had carried himself in his charge; that having so often, sword in hand, manifested in the behalf of others, that honour was much more dear to him than life, he was not to abandon the concern of it for himself: that fortune denying him all means of opposing the affront designed to be put upon him, his courage at least enjoined him to free himself from the sense of it, and not to serve for a fable to the people, nor for a triumph to men less deserving than himself; which having said he leaped into the fire.

Sextilia, wife of Scaurus, and Paxaea, wife of Labeo, to encourage their husbands to avoid the dangers that pressed upon them, wherein they had no other share than conjugal affection, voluntarily sacrificed their own lives to serve them in this extreme necessity for company and example.

What they did for their husbands, Cocceius Nerva did for his country, with less utility though with equal affection: this great lawyer, flourishing in health, riches, reputation, and favour with the Emperor, had no other cause to kill himself but the sole compassion of the miserable state of the Roman Republic. Nothing can be added to the beauty of the death of the wife of Fulvius, a familiar favourite of Augustus: Augustus having discovered that he had vented an important secret he had entrusted him withal, one morning that he came to make his court, received him very coldly and looked frowningly upon him. He returned home, full of, despair, where he sorrowfully told his wife that, having fallen into this misfortune, he was resolved to kill himself: to which she roundly replied, "'tis but reason you should, seeing that having so often experienced the incontinence of my tongue, you could not take warning: but let me kill myself first," and without any more saying ran herself through the body with a sword. Vibius Virrius, despairing of the safety of his city besieged by the Romans and of their mercy, in the last deliberation of his city's senate, after many arguments conducing to that end, concluded that the most noble means to escape fortune was by their own hands: telling them that the enemy would have them in honour, and Hannibal would be sensible how many faithful friends he had abandoned; inviting those who approved of his advice to come to a good supper he had ready at home, where after they had eaten well, they would drink together of what he had prepared; a beverage, said he, that will deliver our bodies from torments, our souls from insult, and our eyes and ears from the sense of so many hateful mischiefs, as the conquered suffer from cruel and implacable conquerors. I have, said he, taken order for fit persons to throw our bodies into a funeral pile before my door so soon as we are dead. Many enough approved this high resolution, but few imitated it; seven-and-twenty senators followed him, who, after having tried to drown the thought of this fatal determination in wine, ended the feast with the mortal mess; and embracing one another, after they had jointly deplored the misfortune of their country, some retired home to their own houses, others stayed to be burned with Vibius in his funeral pyre; and were all of them so long in dying, the vapour of the wine having prepossessed the veins, and by that means deferred the effect of poison, that some of them were within an hour of seeing the enemy inside the walls of Capua, which was taken the next morning, and of undergoing the miseries they had at so dear a rate endeavoured to avoid. Jubellius Taurea, another citizen of the same country, the Consul Fulvius returning from the shameful butchery he had made of two hundred and twenty-five senators, called him back fiercely by name, and having made him stop:

同类推荐
  • 爱日斋丛抄

    爱日斋丛抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易筮通变

    易筮通变

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛冤禅师语录

    佛冤禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上玉晨郁仪结璘奔日月图

    太上玉晨郁仪结璘奔日月图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 竹斋集

    竹斋集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 星际变态征程

    星际变态征程

    千年一梦,一朝穿越星际时代元帅家的软妹纸小公举!真御姐楼宸表示自己灰常伐!开!心!当冷艳高贵华夏情报局局长变成专横跋扈的娇滴滴小姑凉特么满心开心得到一个系统,别名居然叫“狗屎运”呵呵!无能少女华丽变身,闪瞎了大联邦无数俊才贵公子的狗眼!星际联邦!星河灿烂!科技纵横的年代!瑰丽无边的宇宙!楼宸磨刀霍霍,一脸正经的打算征服宇宙在变态系统的英明指导下,掌握着变态技能,契约着变态的异兽,楼宸泪流满面的在变态的路上撒丫子狂奔一去不复还!虐渣篇:姚若若楚楚可怜站在楼宸面前,她旁边一个神情傲慢长得很小白脸的男子嘲笑着:“呦!这不是废物大小姐嘛?今天被老师骂怎么没回去哭啊!”楼宸若有所思看着小白脸,突然冲过去怕哩啪啦一顿.......小白脸怒骂道:“卧槽!你丫…....”继续噼里啪啦......“你妹的贱人!.........”依然噼里啪啦.......良久,楼宸叹了口气,对着身下半死不活的小白脸怜惜道:“我家承力墙昨天刚坏,今天你就来帮我发泄情绪,真是让我很欣慰!”小白脸一口血喷出,晕了过去,楼宸感叹道:“只可惜身体有点虚……”姚若若惊呆,众人风化卧槽!说好的废物无能皮脆血薄呢!【温情篇】于是,某个温润如水的儒雅男神目光平和,某女若无其事状:“那个啥,今天月色不错,咱要不出去走走?”男神拿起一本半开的书,特么那科学专家看都费劲的学术性语言,楼宸默默退散第二天,楼小弟打着哈欠儿打开楼家大门时,就看见外面三个成三足鼎立式站着的男神一滴冷汗滴下,楼小弟难得点亮机智技能:“啊!我姐明天昨天晚上就走了,没在家!”三个男人脸一黑,卧槽楼宸你个磨人的小妖精!
  • 谁能吃到“葡萄”:从狐狸心态看人生

    谁能吃到“葡萄”:从狐狸心态看人生

    本书以狐狸吃葡萄的18个故事为中心,折射出了做人做事的18种心态。心态改变人生,有什么样的心态,就会有什么样的人生。通过本书,可以测试一下自己的心态,预测一下自己的人生,更可以调整自己的心态,并改变自己的人生。
  • 谁道女子不修仙

    谁道女子不修仙

    本是为母求药,一不小心竟扳倒九幽男权?顺带连自己的余生,也被一个狐仙“偷”走了?高冷美人×粘人狐狸,会是怎样的火花?[女扮男装+修仙+1v1+爽文]
  • 妖精女皇

    妖精女皇

    “跟我走吧!”晕,这个突然出现的女人有病吧?她干嘛要跟她走。这里有疼爱她的父母,还有数不尽用不完的钱财,跟她走,她才有病呢可是为什么她还是被拉走了?好吧,据说是去当女王,勉强同意一下。可是......上帝啊,这是什么鬼地方啊?一个东倒西歪、乱七八糟的宫殿?还有这些长得奇形怪状的.......人?什么?是妖精?!她要疯了。那个该死的女人是不是忘了说这个重点了。她被骗了,可不可以退货阿?好吧,好吧,不能退,那她就玩,她是女王呢,谁敢管她?有,他敢管,妖精族最年轻的长老。他说什么?还有任务!首先,修炼,已唤醒沉睡在她体内的女王本能。这个不错,她喜欢。第二,强壮本族,可以接受。似乎第一件跟第二件可以同时进行。原来长老也是笨蛋,哈哈哈。呀,被瞪了,正襟危坐。女王本能恢复前,还是很怕怕阿。忍了!第三,讨伐东鲁。兽人!可是他们的王很帅呢,还可以自由转换人兽形态,可不可以不打阿?第四........停!她已经好累了,休息一下。............我的群号55690337敲门砖书中任何一个人物的名字
  • 雁北归秋

    雁北归秋

    从来人妖殊途,无奈人妖纷争,五行妖界相生相克,大乾朝皇权争斗风起云涌,她只想待在安稳后院做一棵与世无争的灵树,他只想无意皇位与另一人结为连理,不曾想兜兜转转爱恨情仇中她已变为千万年第一位女妖王,而他即使臣服于她也不会再爱谁,原来树妖托梦从来只为情,原来雁往北飞还因秋。
  • 史纠

    史纠

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天龙八部(第一卷)(纯文字新修版)

    天龙八部(第一卷)(纯文字新修版)

    《天龙八部》一书以北宋、辽、西夏、大理并立的历史为宏大背景,将儒释道、琴棋书画等中国传统文化融会贯通其中,书中人物繁多,个性鲜明,情节离奇,尽显芸芸众生百态。丐帮帮主乔峰与大理国王子段誉、少林弟子虚竹结为兄弟。他身为大宋武林第一大帮帮主,发现自己竟是契丹人,虽受尽中原武林人士唾弃而不肯以怨报怨;他身为辽国南院大王,却甘愿背上叛族罪名,最终以悲壮的自杀来阻止辽国发兵攻宋,不愧为顶天立地的大英雄。
  • 家里有个女明星

    家里有个女明星

    不知何时起,我们开始变的只讲现在不念从前,是岁月改变了我们的本真,还是人性的本质就是薄凉!追忆那段荒诞岁月里的爱恨情仇,侃一侃我曾用生命去维系的那些人,那些奇葩的故事;还有那闪烁在城际边,看不见的灯火……
  • 不喜欢我,是病得治

    不喜欢我,是病得治

    本公主上有君临天下爱女成痴的皇帝爹惯着,下有六位文武双全妹控哥哥们护着,谁敢惹本公主不快。如今还真冒出个不怕死的,本公主向他表达心意,他竟说不喜欢本公主。不喜欢本公主是病,得治,治不好得死知道吗,而本公主喜欢你,这也是病,且没得治。 他毅然选择赴死扬言:“死也不娶。”哼,少年郎,你成功的引起了本公主的注意。 不过,为啥少年郎你变成了本公主,而本公主却成了斗篷,玉佩,砧板……
  • 二十几岁男人的资本

    二十几岁男人的资本

    本书针对二十几岁男人的年龄特点,告诉那些二十几岁的男人一定要抓住人生的这一转折点,抓住二十几岁年轻资本,及早认识自我、认识社会,自如地应付社会中的各种不可预知的问题和困难,不虚度自己的青春年华,为自己以后的人生早做安排。