eauied men of
warre, and with them subdued the people of Spaine fronting upon his
marches, of which the more part did willingly submit themselues, upon
the bruit that ran of him to be merciful and courteous, and a valiant
man besides in present danger. Furthermore, he lacked no fine deuises
and subtilties to win their goodwills: as among others, the policy, and
deuise of the hind. There was a poore man of the countrey called Spanus,
who meeting by chance one day with a hind in his way that had newly
calued, flying from the hunters, he let the damme go, not being able to
take her; and running after her calfe tooke it, which was a young hind,
and of a strange haire, for she was all milk-white. It chanced so, that
Sertorius was at that time in those parts. So, this poore man presented
Sertorius with his young hind, which he gladly receiued, and which with
time he made so tame, that she would come to him when he called her, and
follow him whereeuer he went, being nothing the wilder for the daily
sight of such a number of armed souldiers together as they were, nor yet
afraid of the noise and tumult of the campe. Insomuch as Sertorius by
little and little made it a miracle, making the simple barbarous people
beleeue that it was a gift that Diana had sent him, by the which she
made him understand of many and sundrie things to come: knowing well
inough of himselfe, that the barbarous people were men easily deceiued,
and quickly caught by any subtill superstition, besides that by art also
he brought them to beleeue it as a thing verie true. For when he had any
secret intelligence giuen him, that the enemies would inuade some part
of the countries and prouinces subject vnto him, or that they had taken
any of his forts from him by any intelligence or sudden attempt, he
straight told them that his hind spake to him as he slept, and had
warned him both to arme his men, and put himselfe in strength. In like
manner if he had heard any newes that one of his lieutenants had wonne a
battell, or that he had any aduantage of his enemies, he would hide the
messenger, and bring his hind abroad with a garland and coller of
nosegayes: and then say, it was a token of some good newes comming
towards him, perswading them withall to be of good cheare; and so did
sacrifice to the gods, to giue them thankes for the good tidings he
should heare before it were long. Thus by putting this superstition into
their heades, he made them the more tractable and