Page 765 be one of the curious Pieces of Phipomachus, and robb'd the Place of all its sacred and consecrated Goods and Treasure. For which sacrilege, the Gods in a short time after, inflicted upon him deserv'd punishment: For most of his Land Army perish'd by the Bloody Flux; and the like Calamity hapned to his Naval Forces, for by a sudden Storm in the Propontis, most of his Ships with their Soldiers and Rowers together were Sunk; and some few were cast upon the Land, and Shipwrackt. And these were the first punishments inflicted upon Prusias for his Impiety.
82. The Cretians arriving at Siphnus, besieg'd the City, and the Inhabitants partly through fear, and partly through feign'd and and deceitful promises admitted them into the City; the Cretians first promising that none of the Inhabitants should receive the least prejudice; but when they were enter'd, according to the usual Treachery and Perfidiousness of the Cretians, they both carri'd them all away Captives, and rifled and robb'd all the Temples of the Gods, and so loaded with spoil hois'd up Sail, and made back for Crete. But in a short time after, they paid Dear for this Treachery, the Gods presently executing Vengeance upon them for their Impiety; for out of fear of some Enemies that overpowr'd them in Shipping, they were forc'd to loose out of Harbour in the Night, and most of their Ships by a sudden Storm were sunk at Sea, and others were cast upon Land, and dasht in pieces upon the Rocks, where all in them miserably perished; some few that consented not to this perfidious dealing escap'd.
83. Philip the Son of Amyntas, coming to a Kingdom then Subject and Tributary to the Illyrians by his Arms and skill in Martial Affairs, restor'd it to its former Liberty, and by his mild and gentle Usage of those he subdu'd, he enlarg'd his Kingdom above any that was in Europe. For having beaten the Athenians in a great Battle (who contended with him for the Principality of Greece,) he buried all their dead that fell in the Fight, whom they had left in the open Field, and sent back above 2000 Prisoners to their own Country, without any Redemption: So that they who before had contended with him, hearing of his generous Usage of their fellow Citizens, voluntarily yielded up to him the Sovereignty of Greece, and so what he could not accomplish by so many Battles and Hazards, meerly by his Mildness and Humanity he obtain'd with the free and unanimous Consent of his Enemies. But what he had got, he afterwards maintain'd, by striking a Fear and Terrour into the Hearts of his Enemies, for he raz'd the Populous City of Olynthus to the Ground. In the same manner his Son Alexander, by the Ruine of Thebes, deterr'd the Lacedemonians and Athenians (who were plotting against him) from their design'd Revolt. And his Civil and generous Usage of the Prisoners in the Persian War, was such, that he gain'd the Hearts of the Asiaticks, not so much by his Valour, as his Mildness and Humanity. But in later times, the Romans thirsting after a Universal Monarchy, in a great measure obtain'd their ends, by the force of their Arms, but their Clemency towards such as they had Conquer'd, added much to the increase and inlargement of their Conquests. For they were so far from Cruelty, or being Rigorous in executing punishment upon those they had Subdu'd, that they seem'd to carry it towards them rather as Friends, than as Enemies. For when the Conquer'd expected the utmost severity of Revenge from the Conquerors, they left no room for any others to exceed them in Humanity, and Clemency: For some they made Free of the City, with others they join'd in Affinity by Marriages, others they set Free to Govern according to their own Laws; and to sum up all, none underwent any severity by being Conquer'd, farther than what was fit. And therefore upon the account of this extraordinary Clemency, Kings, Cities and Countreys, generally sheltred themselves under the Protection of the Romans. But when they were Lords almost of the whole World. then they strengthen'd and confirm'd themselves in their Dominions, by severity, and razing of Towns and Cities, to strike a Terrour into their Enemies. For they utterly destroy'd Corinth in Achaiah, Carthage in Africa, Numantia in Spain, and rooted up the Kingdom of Macedonia, in the Ruine of Perseus, and became a Terror to many.
84. The Romans make it their great Care, that the Wars they begin, be upon just grounds, and therefore never resolve upon any thing rashly, or inconsiderately.
85. Publius Scipio (who was afterwards sirnamed Africanus, and was then a Tribune, when almost all the rest of the Romans made light of their Terms and Articles made with their Enemies, tho' confirm'd by solemn Oaths;) most Religiously observ'd and kept his promises with the Besieg'd, and us'd them with all Humanity and Clemency when they fell into his hands. His Faith and Integrity therefore being nois'd abroad all over Africa, none surrendred up themselves into the hands of the Romans, unless Scipio, join'd in signing of the Articles.