Yea (to bring these examples neerer home) the like hath hapned both
before and sithence, amongst boyes in other places.
When Caesar was departed from Rome, to try the title of the worlds
Empire with Pompey, the towns boyes (without any mans commaund)
parted in twayne: the one side calling themselues Pompeyans,
the other Caesarians; and then darrayning a kinde of battell (but
without Armes) the Caesarians got the ouerhand.
A like prank vnder the like assumed names, and with like successe
and boding, they plaied, when Octauius and Anthony were, with like
meanes, to decide the like Soueraignty.
And to the same purpose, Procopius affirmeth, that the Samnite boyes,
when they draue their cattel to feeding, after their vsual maner
of pastime, chose out amongst themselues, two of the best actiuity
and seemelinesse; the one, they named Bellisarius, Generall for
Iustinian the Emperour in Italy, the other Vitiges king of the Gothes,
[126] against whome hee warred. In the buckling of these counterfeite
Commaunders, it fell out, that Vitiges had the worst, whome the
aduerse party with a iesting and craking maner, hanged vp at the next
tree, in earnest, but yet with no intent to kill him.
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