Page:A Discourse of Constancy in Two Books Chiefly containing Consolations Against Publick Evils.pdf/282

I say it was so exhausted and lop't with a constant continued Ax of Calamities; That Plutarch tells us (which I never read without wonder and indignation) all of it in his age was not able to muster up three thousand Souldiers; which number yet, the one small City of Megara (saith he) had formerly set forth in the Persian Warr. Ah! whither art thou fallen, thou once the glory of the Earth, the light and leader of the nations? There is scarce a Town at this day (of any name) in this our wasted Belgia, but is able to raise such a number of Men fit to bear Armes. Let us take now a view of Italy and the Romans. Augustine and Orosius have already eased me of this trouble. Consult them and there you will meet with Seas of evils. The second Punick warr it self, in less than seventeen years (for I have exactly computed it) consumed in Italy Spain and Sicily only, above fif-