Euerie euening he would write twelue tables, such as
they vsed to make on the lind tree, and deliuering them to one of his
seruants, appointed him to beare them at seuerall houres of the night
to sundrie souldiers, whereby supposing that their generall was still
watching and not gone to bed, they might be in doubt to sleepe.
And although of nature he could well absteine from sleepe, yet to be
the better able to forbeare it, he vsed a maruellous spare kind of
diet: for to the end that he would not fill himselfe too much with
bread, he would eat none but such as was brought to him from Rome, so
that more than necessitie compelled him he could not eat, by reason
that the stalenesse tooke awaie the pleasant tast thereof, and lesse
prouoked his appetite. He was a maruellous contemner of monie, so that
bribes might not mooue him to doo otherwise than dutie required. This
Marcellus being of such disposition, sore afflicted the Britains, and
put them oftentimes to great losses: through fame wherof, C[=o]modus
enuieng his renowme was after in mind to make him away, but yet spared
him for a further purpose, and suffered him to depart.
[Sidenote: Perhennis capteine of the emperours gard.]
After he was remooued from the gouernment of Britaine, one
Perhennis capteine of the emperors gard (or pretorian souldiers
as they were then called) bearing all the rule vnder the emperor
Commodus, appointed certeine gentlemen of meane calling to gouerne the
armie in Britaine.
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