Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/153

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Marcus Antoninus.
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Cassius, who was a Man of too much Sense not to know there was no sleeping over Treason, push'd his Point, and endeavoured to gain Greece to open his Passage the better into Italy. And here foreseeing the Interest and Elocution of Herod would be serviceable to his Purpose, he left no Stone unturn'd to prevail with him, and to refresh his old Disgust against Antoninus. But Herod without listening in the least to his Proposals, or so much as reading his Letters all over, returned him this short Answer, and indeed the only right one for a Rebel.

Cassius, thou art out of thy Wits. [1]

Cassius was no luckier in other Places ; he could not so much as shake the Allegiance of any Considerable Town, nor decoy any Body to his Party, excepting some beggerly Libertines, who were over Head and Ears in Debt, and Debauchery. [2] This ill Success began to make him lose his Credit amongst the Soldiers ; and thus after three Months, and six Days from his first Revolt, this Visionary Reign concluded, and the Usurper was kill'd by two of his Officers. His Head was brought to the Emperour at Formianum, as appears by his Answer to Faustina's Letter which she wrote after she had receiv'd the News of Cassius's Death.

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'Tis
  1. Μᾳίνη. Philostr. in vit. Herod.
  2. Dio. Volcat. in Cassio. 7.