244 History of Nature. [ BOOK VII. 



were dear to him, because he was sent back from the Lower 

 Regions, and had a Message to deliver to him. Then Pompey 

 sent several of his friends, to whom Gabienus related that 

 the Infernal Gods were well pleased with the Cause and 

 pious Dispositions of Pompey, and therefore he should have 

 as good an issue of it as he could wish. Thus much, he said, 

 he was commanded to deliver ; and as a proof of the truth, 

 so soon as he had done his errand he would immediately 

 expire : and so it came to pass. Histories also make men- 

 tion of them who have appeared after they were committed 

 to Earth. But our purpose is to write of Nature's works, 

 and not to prosecute such Prodigious Matters. 



CHAPTER LIII. 

 Of Sudden Deaths. 



BUT among the principal things is sudden Death, which 

 is the greatest Felicity of Life ; many examples of which we 

 have, that always seem strange, although they are common, 

 and as we shall shew, natural. Verrius hath set forth many, 

 but we will make choice among them all. Besides C/iilo/i, 

 of whom we have spoken before, there died suddenly for Joy 

 Sophocles the Poet, and Dionysius the Tyrant of Sicily : 

 both of them, on Tidings brought to them that they had won 

 the best Prize among the Tragic Poets. Presently after the 

 famous battle of Canna3, a Mother died immediately on the 

 sight of her Son unhurt, whom by a false Message she had 

 heard to have been Slain. Diodorus, a Professor of Dialectic 

 Learning, for shame that he could not readily resolve a fri- 

 volous Question at the demand of Stilbo, sunk away without 

 recovery. Without any apparent cause some have died, 

 particularly two of the Ccesars ; the one a Praetor : the other 

 who had borne that Dignify, the Father of Ccesar the Dic- 

 tator : both of them in the Morning when they were putting 

 on their Shoes, the one at Pisa, the former at Rome. 

 Q. Fabius Maximvs in his very Consulship, upon the last 

 Day of December; in whose place llebilus made suit to be 



