25
Young Scipio was at four and twenty Years of Age a Man of consummate Wisdom; and altho his warlike Atchievements terrified his Enemies, yet he made still greater Conquests by his Virtue than by his Valour. For as they brought to him the Wife of Mando a Spanish Prince, with two of her Nieces extream Beautiful, he sent them back with these fine Words, That it not only became his own, and the Roman Peoples integrity not to violate any thing that’s Sacred; but besides the regard he had for them, obliged him to do them Justice; since in their Misfortune they had neither forgot themselves, nor their Honour. And having done the same to another Spanish Prince, whose Wife, (a Woman still more accomplisht in her Beauty than the other) had been presented to him, he sent her back to her Husband with a great Sum of Money which was offered him for her Ransom. This Prince highly pleased with this Favour, proclaimed through all the Land, That a God-like young Roman was come into Spain, who made himself Master of all not so much by the Power of his Arms, as of his Virtue and obliging Nature.
25
Le jeune Scipion à l’âge de vingt quatre ans ètoit déja d’une Sagesse consommée: & quoy qu’il fit des Exploits d’Armes qui ètonnoient ses Ennemis, il fit encore de plus grandes Conquêtes par sa Vertu, que par sa Valeur. Car lors qu’on lui eût amené la Femme de Mandon, Prince Espagnol, & deux des ses Nieces d’une excellente Beauté, il les renvoya avec ces belles Paroles: Qu’outre qu’il ètoit de son integrité, & de celle du Peuple Romain de ne rien violer de saint, leur propre consideration l’obligeoit encore à leur faire justice: puis que dans leur malheur, elles ne s’ètoient pas oubliées d’elles, ni de leur Vertu. Et ayant fait la même chose à un autre Prince Espagnol, dont on lui avoit presentê la Femme, d’une Beauté encore plus accomplie que l’autre, il la renvoya à son mary avec une grande somme d’Argent qu’on lui offroit pour sa rançon. Ce Prince charmé de cette Grace publia dans le Païs, qu’il ètoit venu en Espagne un jeune Romain semblable aux Dieux, qui se rendoit Maître de tout, moins par la force de ses Armes que par celle de sa Vertu & de son humeur bienfaisante.