no more
necessity or reason why he should administer an oath to the Senate and
the people that they would observe his institutions, than to a man
in perfect health and felicity of constitution that he would not kill
himself. Nevertheless whereas Christianity, though it forbids violent
hands, consists no less in self-denial than any other religion, he
resolved that all unreasonable desires should die upon the spot; to
which end that no manner of food might be left to ambition, he entered
into the Senate with a unanimous applause, and having spoken of his
government as Lycurgus did when he assembled the people, he abdicated
the magistracy of Archon. The Senate, as struck with astonishment,
continued silent, men upon so sudden an accident being altogether
unprovided of what to say; till the Archon withdrawing, and being almost
at the door, divers of the knights flew from their places, offering as
it were to lay violent hands on him, while he escaping, left the Senate
with the tears in their eyes, of children that had lost their father and
to rid himself of all further importunity, retired to a country house of
his, being remote, and very private, insomuch that no man could tell for
some time what was become of him.

Thus the law-maker happened to be the first object and reflection of the
law made; for as liberty of all things is the most welcome to a people,
so is there nothing more abhorrent from their nature than ingratitude.
We, accusing the Roman people of this crime against some of their
greatest benefactors, as Camillus, heap mistake upon mistake; for being
not so competent judges of what belongs to liberty as they were, we take
upon us to be more competent judges of virtue. And whereas virtue, for
being a vulgar thing among them, was of no less rate than jewels are
with such as wear the most, we are selling this precious stone, which
we have ignorantly raked out of the Roman ruins, at such a rate as the
Switzers did that which they took in the baggage of Charles of Burgundy.
For that Camillus had stood more firm against the ruin of Rome than her
capitol, was acknowledged; but on the other side, that he stood as firm
for the patricians against the liberty of the people, was as plain;
wherefore he never wanted those of the people that would die at his foot
in the field, nor that would withstand him to his beard in the city.
An example in which they that think Camillus had wrong, neither do
themselves right, nor the p