Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/511

OTHO. 503 legions that are serving against the Jews, declare for us ; the senate is also with us, and the mves and children of our opponents are in our power ; but alas, it is not in defence of Italy against Hannibal or Pjrrhus or the Cimbri that we fight ; Romans combat here against Romans, and, whether we conquer or are defeated, our country suffers and we commit a crime : victory, to which- ever it fall, is gained at her expense. Believe it many times over, I can die with more honor than I can reign. For I cannot see at all, how I should do any such great good to my country by gaining the victory, as I shall by dying to establish peace and unanimity and to save Italy from such another unhappy day." As soon as he had done, he was resolute against all manner of argument or persuasion, and taking leave of his friends and the senators that were present, he bade them depart, and wrote to those that were absent, and sent letters to the towns, that they might have every honor and fiicility in their journey. Then he sent for Cocceius, his brother's son,* who was yet a bo}', and bade him be in no apprehension of Vitellius, whose mother and wife and family he had treated with the same tenderness as his own ; and also told him that this had been his rea- son for delaying to adopt him, which he had meant to do, as his son ; he had desired that he might share his power, if he conquered, but not be involved in his ruin, if he failed. " Take notice," he added, " my boy, of these my last words, that you neither too negligently forget, nor too zealously remember, that Csesar was your uncle." By and bv he heard a tumult amongst the soldiers at the door, who were treating the senators with menaces for preparing to withdraw; upon which, out of regard to • More correctly, Cocceianus, Salvius Cocceianus, the son of Titi- anus.