But Antoninus not regarding the
enimies, attempted little or nothing against them, but sought waies
how to win the fauour of the souldiers and men of warre, that after
his fathers death (for which he dailie looked) he might haue their aid
and assistance to be admitted emperour in his place. Now when he saw
that his father bare out his sicknesse longer time than he would haue
wished, he practised with physicians and other of his fathers seruants
to dispatch him by one meane or other.
Whilest Antoninus thus negligentlie looked to his charge, the Britains
began a new rebellion, not onlie those that were latelie ioined in
league with the emperour, but the other also which were subjects to
the Romane empire. Seuerus tooke such displeasure, that he called
togither the souldiers, and commanded them to inuade the countrie, and
to kill all such as they might meet within anie place without respect,
and that his cruell commandement he expressed in these verses taken
out of Homer:
[Sidenote: _Iliados. 3_.]
Nemo manus fugiat vestras, caedemque cruentam,
Non foetus grauida mater quern gessit in aluo
Horrendam effugiat caedem.
But while he was thus disquieted with the rebellion of the Britains,
and the disloiall practises of his sonne Antoninus, which to him were
not vnknowne, (for the wicked sonne had by diuers attempts discouered
his traitorous and vnnaturall meanings) at length, rather through
[Sidenote: Heriodianus.
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