eliver the robber to
him. So, pretending that he was leading him to Felix (this was another
name of the chief), he brought him to a hill-encompassed spot, suitable
for ambuscade, and easily seized him. Later he assumed the garb of a
magistrate, ascended the tribunal, and having called the centurion caused
his head to be shaved, and said: "Take this message to your masters: 'Feed
your slaves, if you want to make an end of brigandage.'" Bulla had,
indeed, a very great number of Caesarians, some who had been poorly paid
and some who had gone absolutely without pay.

Severus, informed of these events one at a time, was moved to anger to
think that while having other men win victory in warfare in Britain, he
himself in Italy had proved no match for a robber. At last he despatched a
tribune from his body-guard with many horsemen and threatened him with
terrible punishments if he should not bring the culprit alive. Then this
commander ascertained that the chief was maintaining relations of intimacy
with the wife of another, and through the agency of her husband persuaded
her on promise of immunity to cooperate with them. As a result the elusive
leader was arrested while asleep in a cave. Papinianus the prefect asked
him: "For what reason did you become a robber?" The other rejoined: "For
what reason are you a prefect?" And thereafter by solemn proclamation he
was given to beasts. His robber band broke up, for the entire strength of
the six hundred lay in him.

[Sidenote: A.D. 208 (a.u. 961)] [Sidenote:--11--] Severus, seeing that his
children were departing from their accustomed modes of life and that his
legions were becoming enervated by idleness, set out on a campaign against
Britain, though he knew that he should not return. He knew this chiefly
from the stars under which he had been born, for he had them painted upon
the ceilings of the two halls in the palace where he was wont to hold
court. Thus they were visible to all, save the portion which
"regarded-the-hour" when he first saw the light (i.e., his horo-scope).
This he had not engraved in the same way in both the rooms.--He knew it
also by the report of the seers. And a thunderbolt struck a statue of his
standing near the gates through which he intended to march out and looking
off along the road leading to his destination, and it had erased three
letters from his name. For this reason, [Footnote: The significance of
this happening is explained as follows. Taking the