This is what I have learned of Romulus and Theseus, worthy of memory.It seems, first of all, that Theseus, out of his own free-will, withoutany compulsion, when he might have reigned in security at Troezenin the enjoyment of no inglorious empire, of his own motion affectedgreat actions, whereas the other, to escape present servitude anda punishment that threatened him （according to Plato's phrase）, grewvaliant purely out of fear, and dreading the extremest inflictions,attempted great enterprises out of mere necessity. Again, his greatestaction was only the killing of one King of Alba； while, as mere by-adventuresand preludes, the other can name Sciron, Sinnis, Procrustes, and Corynetes；by reducing and killing of whom, he rid Greece of terrible oppressors,before any of them that were relieved knew who did it； moreover, hemight without any trouble as well have gone to Athens by sea, consideringhe himself never was in the least injured by those robbers； whereasRomulus could not but be in trouble whilst Amulius lived. Add to this,the fact that Theseus, for no wrong done to himself, but for the sakeof others, fell upon these villains； but Romulus and Remus, as longas they themselves suffered no ill by the tyrant, permitted him tooppress all others. And if it be a great thing to have been woundedin battle by the Sabines, to have killed King Acron, and to have conqueredmany enemies, we may oppose to these actions the battle with the Centaursand the feats done against the Amazons. But what Theseus adventured,in offering himself voluntarily with young boys and virgins, as partof the tribute unto Crete, either to be a prey to a monster or a victimupon the tomb of Androgeus, or, according to the mildest form of thestory, to live vilely and dishonourably in slavery to insulting andcruel men； it is not to be expressed what an act of courage, magnanimity,or justice to the public, or of love for honour and bravery, thatwas. So what methinks the philosophers did not ill define love tobe the provision of the gods for the care and preservation of theyoung； for the love of Ariadne, above all, seems to have been theproper work and design of some god in order to preserve Theseus； and,indeed, we ought not to blame her for loving him, but rather wonderall men and women were not alike affected towards him； and if shealone were so, truly I dare pronounce her worthy of the love of agod, who was herself so great a lover of virtue and goodness, andthe bravest man.

    Both Theseus and Romulus were by nature meant for governors； yet neitherlived up to the true character of a king, but fell off, and ran, theone into popularity, the other into tyranny, falling both into thesame fault out of different passions. For a ruler's first aim is tomaintain his office, which is done no less by avoiding what is unfitthan by observing what is suitable. Whoever is either too remiss ortoo strict is no more a king or a governor, but either a demagogueor a despot, and so becomes either odious or contemptible to his subjects.Though certainly the one seems to be the fault of easiness and good-nature,the other of pride and severity.

    If men's calamities, again, are not to be wholly imputed to fortune,but refer themselves to differences of character, who will acquiteither Theseus of rash and unreasonable anger against his son, orRomulus against his brother？ Looking at motives, we more easily excusethe anger which a stronger cause, like a severer blow, provoked. Romulus,having disagreed with his brother advisedly and deliberately on publicmatters, one would think could not on a sudden have been put intoso great a passion； but love and jealousy and the complaints of hiswife, which few men can avoid being moved by, seduced Theseus to committhat outrage upon his son. And what is more, Romulus, in his anger,committed an action of unfortunate consequence； but that of Theseusended only in words, some evil speaking, and an old man's curse； therest of the youth's disasters seem to have proceeded from fortune；so that, so far, a man would give his vote on Theseus's part.

    But Romulus has, first of all, one great plea, that his performancesproceeded from very small beginnings； for both the brothers beingthought servants and the sons of swine-herds, before becoming freementhemselves, gave liberty to almost all the Latins, obtaining at onceall the most honourable titles, as destroyers of their country's enemies,preservers of their friends and kindred, princes of the people, foundersof cities, not removers, like Theseus, who raised and compiled onlyone house out of many, demolishing many cities bearing the names ofancient kings and heroes. Romulus, indeed, did the same afterwards,forcing his enemies to deface and ruin their own dwellings, and tosojourn with their conquerors； but at first, not by removal, or increaseof an existing city, but by foundation of a new one, he obtained himselflands, a country, a kingdom, wives, children, and relations. And,in so doing, he killed or destroyed nobody, but benefited those thatwanted houses and homes and were willing to be of a society and becomecitizens. Robbers and malefactors he slew not； but he subdued nations,he overthrew cities, he triumphed over kings and commanders. As toRemus, it is doubtful by whose hand he fell； it is generally imputedto others. His mother he clearly retrieved from death, and placedhis grandfather, who was brought under base and dishonourable vassalage,on the ancient throne of Aeneas, to whom he did voluntarily many goodoffices, but never did him harm even inadvertently. But Theseus, inhis forgetfulness and neglect of the command concerning the flag,can scarcely, methinks, by any excuses, or before the most indulgentjudges, avoid the imputation of parricide. And, indeed, one of theAttic writers, perceiving it to be very hard to make an excuse forthis, feigns that Aegeus, at the approach of the ship, running hastilyto the Acropolis to see what news, slipped and fell down, as if hehad no servants, or none would attend him on his way to the shore.

    And, indeed, the faults committed in the rapes of women admit of noplausible excuse in Theseus. First, because of the often repetitionof the crime； for he stole Ariadne, Antiope, Anaxo the Troezenian,at last Helen, when he was an old man, and she not marriageable； shea child, and he at an age past even lawful wedlock. Then, on accountof the cause； for the Troezenian, Lacedaemonian, and Amazonian virgins,beside that they were not betrothed to him, were not worthier to raisechildren by then the Athenian women, derived from Erechtheus and Cecrops；but it is to be suspected these things were done out of wantonnessand lust. Romulus, when he had taken near eight hundred women, chosenot all, but only Hersilia, as they say, for himself； the rest hedivided among the chief of the city； and afterwards, by the respectand tenderness and justice shown towards them, he made it clear thatthis violence and injury was a commendable and politic exploit toestablish a society； by which he intermixed and united both nations,and made it the foundation of after friendship and public stability.And to the reverence and love and constancy he established in matrimony,time can witness, for in two hundred and thirty years, neither anyhusband deserted his wife, nor any wife her husband； but, as the curiousamong the Greeks can name the first case of parricide or matricide,so the Romans all well know that Spurius Carvilius was the first whoput away his wife, accusing her of barrenness. The immediate resultswere similar； for upon those marriages the two princes shared in thedominion, and both nations fell under the same government. But fromthe marriages of Theseus proceeded nothing of friendship or correspondencefor the advantage of commerce, but enmities and wars and the slaughterof citizens, and, at last, the loss of the city Aphidnae, when onlyout of the compassion of the enemy, whom they entreated and caressedlike gods, they escaped suffering what Troy did by Paris. Theseus'smother, however, was not only in danger, but suffered actually whatHecuba did, deserted and neglected by her son, unless her captivitybe not a fiction, as I could wish both that and other things were.The circumstances of the divine intervention, said to have precededor accompanied their births, are also in contrast； for Romulus waspreserved by the special favour of the gods； but the oracle givento Aegeus commanding him to abstain, seems to demonstrate that thebirth of Theseus was not agreeable to the will of the gods.

    THE END