with Silver, as well as purple Sails; as if their greateſt Delight had been to glory in their Iniquity. Nor were they content with committing Pyracies and Inſolencies by Sea, they committed as great Depredations by Land, or rather made Conqueſts; for they took and ſack’d no leſs than four hundred Cities, laid ſeveral others under Contributions, plundered the Temples of the Gods, and inriched themſelves with the Offerings depoſited in them; they often landed Bodies of Men, who not only plundered the Villages along the Sea Coaſt, but ranſacked the fine Houſes of the Noblemen along the Tiber. A Body of them once took Sextillius and Bellinus, two Roman Prætors, in their purple Robes, going from Rome to their Governments, and carried them away with all their Sergeants, Officers and Vergers; they alſo took the Daughter of Antonius a conſular Perſon, and one who had obtained the Honour of a Triumph, as ſhe was going to the Country Houſe of her Father.
But what was moſt barbarous, was a Cuſtom they had when they took any Ship, of enquiring of the Perſon on Board, concerning their Names and Country; if any of them ſaid he was a Roman, they fell down upon their Knees, as if in a Fright at the Greatneſs of that Name, and begg’d Pardon for what they had done, and imploring his Mercy, they uſed to perform the Offices of Servants about his Perſon, and when they found they had deceived him into a Belief of their being ſincere, they hung out the Ladder of the Ship, and coming with a ſhew of Courteſy, told him, he had his Liberty, deſiring him to walk out of the Ship, and this in the Middle of the Sea, and when they obſerved him in Surprize, as was natural, they uſed to throw him overboard with mighty ſhouts of Laughter; ſo wanton they were in their Cruelty.
