IE ne veux dire qu’vn mot de cet argument infiny, pour montrer la simplesse de ceux, qui apparient à celle là, les chetiues grandeurs de ce temps.
I want to say only a word on this infinite subject, to show the simple-mindedness of those who compare the paltry grandeurs of our time with that one.
Au septiesme liure des epistres familieres de Cicero (et que les grammairiens en ostent ce surnom, de familieres, s’ils veulent, car à la verité il n’y est pas fort à propos: et ceux qui au lieu de familieres y ont substitué ad familiares, peuuent tirer quelque argument pour eux, de ce que dit Suetone en la vie de Cæsar, qu’il y auoit vn volume de lettres de luy ad familiares) il y en a vne, qui s’adresse à Cæsar estant lors en la Gaule, en laquelle Cicero redit ces mots, qui estoyent sur la fin d’vn’ autre lettre, que Cæsar luy auoit escrit: Quant à Marcus Furius, que tu m’as recommandé, ie le feray Roy de Gaule, et si tu veux, que i’aduance quelque autre de tes amis, enuoye le moy.
In the seventh book of Cicero’s familiar letters (and let the grammarians remove that epithet “familiar” if they like, for in truth it is not very apt; and those who have substituted ad familiares for “familiar” can draw some argument for their side from what Suetonius says in his life of Caesar, that there was a volume of his letters ad familiares), there is one addressed to Caesar, who was then in Gaul. In it Cicero repeats these words, which came at the end of another letter Caesar had written him: “As for Marcus Furius, whom you recommended to me, I will make him king of Gaul; and if you want me to promote some other friend of yours, send him to me.”
Il n’estoit pas nouueau à vn simple citoyen Romain, comme estoit lors Cæsar, de disposer des Royaumes, car il osta bien au Roy Deiotarus le sien, pour le donner à vn Gentil-homme de la ville de Pergame nommé Mithridates. Et ceux qui escriuent sa vie enregistrent plusieurs Royaumes par luy vendus: et Suetone dit qu’il tira pour vn coup, du Roy Ptolomæus, trois millions six cens mill’ escus, qui fut bien pres de luy vendre le sien. Tot Galatæ, tot Pontus eat, tot Lydia nummis.
It was nothing new for a simple Roman citizen, as Caesar then was, to dispose of kingdoms: he took his kingdom away from King Deiotarus to give it to a gentleman of the city of Pergamum named Mithridates. Those who write his life record several kingdoms sold by him; and Suetonius says that he extracted from King Ptolemy, at one stroke, three million six hundred thousand crowns, which came very close to selling him his own. So many coins for Galatia, so many for Pontus, so many for Lydia.
Marcus Antonius disoit que la grandeur du peuple Romain ne se montrait pas tant, par ce qu’il prenoit, que par ce qu’il donnoit. Si en auoit il quelque siecle auant Antonius, osté vn entre autres, d’authorité si merueilleuse, qu’en toute son histoire, ie ne sçache marque, qui porte plus haut le nom de son credit. Antiochus possedoit toute l’Ægypte, et estoit apres à conquerir Cypre, et autres demeurants de cet empire. Sur le progrez de ses victoires, C. Popilius arriua à luy de la part du Senat: et d’abordée, refusa de luy toucher à la main, qu’il n’eust premierement leu les lettres qu’il luy apportoit.
Mark Antony said that the greatness of the Roman people showed itself not so much by what it took as by what it gave. Yet some century before Antony it had taken away one kingdom among others with such wondrous authority that in all its history I know of no mark that raises the name of its power higher. Antiochus held all of Egypt and was about to conquer Cyprus and other remnants of that empire. In the course of his victories C. Popilius came to him on behalf of the Senate, and on first meeting him refused to take his hand until he had first read the letters he was bringing.
Le Roy les ayant leuës, et dict, qu’il en delibereroit: Popilius circonscrit la place où il estoit auec sa baguette, en luy disant: Ren moy responce, que ie puisse rapporter au Senat, auant que tu partes de ce cercle. Antiochus estonné de la rudesse d’vn si pressant commandement, apres y auoir vn peu songé: Ie feray, dit-il, ce que le Senat me commande. Lors le salüa Popilius, comme amy du peuple Romain. Auoir renoncé à vne si grande Monarchie, et cours d’vne si fortunée prosperité, par l’impression de trois traits d’escriture! Il eut vrayement raison, comme il fit, d’enuoyer depuis dire au Senat par ses ambassadeurs, qu’il auoit receu leur ordonnance, de mesme respect, que si elle fust venuë des Dieux immortels.
When the king had read them and said that he would deliberate on them, Popilius drew a circle with his rod around the spot where he stood, saying: “Give me an answer I can take back to the Senate before you step out of this circle.” Antiochus, stunned by the harshness of so urgent a command, thought for a moment and said: “I will do what the Senate commands me.” Then Popilius greeted him as a friend of the Roman people. To have given up so great a monarchy, and the course of such fortunate prosperity, at the impression of three strokes of writing! He was truly right, as he did, to send word afterward to the Senate through his ambassadors that he had received their order with the same respect as if it had come from the immortal gods.
Tous les Royaumes qu’Auguste gaigna par droict de guerre, il les rendit à ceux qui les auoyent perdus, ou en fit present à des estrangers. Et sur ce propos Tacitus parlant du Roy d’Angleterre Cogidunus, nous fait sentir par vn merueilleux traict cette infinie puissance. Les Romains, dit-il, auoyent accoustumé de toute ancienneté, de laisser les Roys, qu’ils auoyent surmontez, en la possession de leurs Royaumes, soubs leur authorité: à ce qu’ils eussent des Roys mesmes, vtils de la seruitude: Vt haberent instrumenta seruitutis et reges.
All the kingdoms that Augustus won by right of war he either gave back to those who had lost them or made presents of to foreigners. On this subject Tacitus, speaking of the English king Cogidunus, makes us feel this infinite power with a marvelous stroke. The Romans, he says, had been accustomed from the most ancient times to leave the kings they had conquered in possession of their kingdoms, under their authority, so as to have even kings as tools of servitude: So that they might have even kings as instruments of servitude.
Il est vray-semblable, que Solyman, à qui nous auons veu faire liberalité du Royaume d’Hongrie, et autres estats, regardoit plus à cette consideration, qu’à celle qu’il auoit accoustumé d’alleguer; Qu’il estoit saoul et chargé, de tant de Monarchies et de domination, que sa vertu, ou celle de ses ancestres, luy auoyent acquis.
It is likely that Suleiman, whom we have seen make a gift of the kingdom of Hungary and other states, was looking more to this consideration than to the one he used to allege: that he was sated and overloaded with all the monarchies and dominion that his valor, or that of his ancestors, had won him.