- Edition: Julius Caesar
Life of Antony
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11.
Antonius' parentage. The liberality of Antonius' father.
Antonius' grandfather was that famous orator whom Marius slew because he took Sylla's part. His father was another Antonius surnamed Cretan, who was not so famous, nor bare any great sway in the commonwealth: howbeit otherwise he was an honest man, and of a very good nature, and specially very liberal in giving, as appeareth by an act he did. He was not very wealthy, and therefore his wife would not let him use his liberality and frank nature. One day a friend of his coming to him to pray him to help him to some money, having great need, Antonius by chance had no money to give him, but he commanded one of his men to bring him some water in a silver basin, and after he had brought it him, he washed his beard as though he meant to have shaven it, and then found an errand for his man to send him out, and gave his friend the silver basin, and bade him get him money with that. Shortly after there was a great stir in the house among the servants, seeking out of this silver basin. Insomuch as Antonius, seeing his wife marvelously offended for it, and that she would examine all her servants one affair another about it, to know what was be come of it, at length he confessed he had given it away, and prayed her to be contented.