History of the house and race of Douglas and Angus

XX PREFACE.
some twenty-four persons that were consuls, tribunes, decern •
viri, dictators, generals, and leaders of armies; but for their
valour or prowess, personal courage, or proper worth, the
three first are only famous, Quintus Fabius, Marcus Fabius,
and Creso Fabius. These three being brothers, and Marcus
Fabius being consul, fought against the Hetrusci in the year
269, and Quintus Fabius being slain, Marcus and Cseso hav-
ing encouraged the army that was discouraged by the death
of their brother Quintus, leaping over the dead corpse of their
brother, assaulted the enemy in their own persons, and by
their valour and example, staid their men from flying, restor-
ed the battle, and at last obtained the victory. We read al-
so of one Ambustus Fabius, whose three sons were sent in an
ambassage to the Gauls to request them not to trouble the
Clusinii, in the years 363 and 364. These three when they
could not prevail, nor persuade them to desist from invading
the Clusinii, did join with the Clusinii against the Gauls, in
which conflict Quintus Fabius, one of Ambustus's three sons,
slew with his own hands, in sight of both armies; the captain
of the Gauls, and carried away his spoil: but he quickly
stained that honour, he and his two brothers, by their mis-
government at the battle of Allia against the same Gauls,
where they fled shamefully without striking a stroke, and by
their misguiding gave occasion to the sacking of Rome. The
last is Fabius to the dictator, who fought against Hannibal,
famous for his conduct, but not so for any personal valour, so
the Cornelii, from the same 267 until 734, when Publius
Scipio was consul 736, when Lentulus was reckoning both
these Cornelians with the house of African the younger, (a
Cornelian by adoption, but an Emiiian born) they are about
three and thirty persons in these 167 years, who were in great
place, consuls, dictators and the like, as the Fabii. Some of
them were also famous for their conduct in war, having been
brave leaders and generals of armies, as the two Africans,
their brother Lucius, their father and their uncle Publius
and Cnieus: but for personal valour there are not many emin-
ent; only Aulus Cornelius, Cossus, who slew Tolumnius King