390 THE LIFE OF PERICLES.
fell vpon him, and that his request also was tollerable : they suffered him to enrole his base borne sonne in the register of the lawfull citizens of his family, giuing him his owne name, Pericles. It is the selfesame Pericles, who after he had ouercome the Pelopon-nesians in a great battell by sea, neare vnto the lies of Arginvses, was put to death by sentence of the people, with other captaines his companions. Now was Pericles at that time infected with the plague, but not so vehemently as other were, but more tern-peratly: which by long space of time, with many alterations and chaunges, did by litle and litle decay and consume the strength of his body, and ouercame his senses and noble mind. Therefore Theophrastus in his morals declareth, in a place where he disputeth, whether mens manners do chaunge with their misfortunes, and whether corporall troubles and afflictions do so alter men, that they forget vertue, and abandon reason : that Pericles in his sicknesse shewed a friend of his that came to see him, I cannot tell what a pre-seruing charme, that the women had tied (as a car-kanet) about his necke, to let him vnderstand he was very ill, since he suffered them to apply such a foolish bable to him. In the end, Pericles drawing fast vnto his death, the Nobilitie of the citie, and such his friends as were left aliue, standing about his bed, beganne to speake of his vertue, and of the great authoritie he had borne, considering the greatnesse of his noble acts, and counting the number of his vic-^tories he had wonne (for he had wonne nine foughten battels being Generall of the Athenians, and had set vp so many tokens and triumphs in honour of his country) they reckened up among themselues all these matters, as if he had not vnderstood them, imagining his senses had bene gone. But he contrarily being yet of perfect memorie, heard all what they had said, and thus he began to speake vnto them: That he