Aemilius Paulus   

found his daughter Tertia, a very little girl, weeping, and taking
her to him asked her why she was crying. She, catching him about the
neck and kissing him, said, "O father, do you not know that Perseus
is dead?" meaning a little dog of that name that was brought up in
the house with her; to which Aemilius replied, "Good fortune, my daughter;
I embrace the omen." This Cicero, the orator, relates in his book
on divination.
It was the custom for such as were chosen consuls, from a stage designed
for such purposes, to address the people, and return them thanks for
their favour. Aemilius, therefore, having gathered an assembly, spoke
and said that he sued for the first consulship, because he himself
stood in need of such honour; but for the second, because they wanted
a general; upon which account he thought there was no thanks due:
if they judged they could manage the war by any other to more advantage,
he would willingly yield up his charge; but, if they confided in him,
they were not to make themselves his colleagues in his office, or
raise reports, and criticize his actions, but, without talking, supply
him with means and assistance necessary to the carrying on of the
war; for if they proposed to command their own commander they would
render this expedition more ridiculous than the former. By this speech
he inspired great reverence for him amongst the citizens and great
expectations of future success; all were well pleased that they had
passed by such as sought to be preferred by flattery, and fixed upon
a commander endued with wisdom and courage to tell them the truth.
So entirely did the people of Rome, that they might rule, and become
masters of the world, yield obedience and service to reason and superior
virtue.
That Aemilius, setting forward to the war, by a prosperous voyage
and successful journey, arrived with speed and safety at his camp
I attribute to good fortune; but, when I see how the war under his
command was brought to a happy issue, partly by his own daring boldness,
partly by his good counsel, partly by the ready administration of
his friends, partly by his presence of mind and skill to embrace the
most proper advice in the extremity of danger, I cannot ascribe any
of his remarkable and famous actions (as I can those of other commanders)
to his so much celebrated good fortune; unless you will say that the
covetousness of Perseus was the good fortune of Aemilius. The truth
is, Perseus' fear of spending his money was the destruction and utter
ruin of all those splendid and great preparations with which the Macedonians
were in high hopes to carry on the war with success. For there came
at his request ten thousand horsemen of the Basternae, and as many
foot, who were to keep pace with them, and supply their places in
case of failure; all of them professed soldiers, men skilled neither
in tilling of land, nor in navigation of ships, nor able to get their
living by grazing, but whose only business and single art and trade
it was to fight and conquer all that resisted them. When these came
into the district of Maedica, and encamped and mixed with the king's
soldiers, being men of great stature, admirable at their exercises,
great boasters, and loud in their threats against their enemies, they
gave new courage to the Macedonians, who were ready to think the Romans
would not be able to confront them, but would be struck with terror
at their looks and motions, they were so strange and so formidable
to behold. When Perseus had thus encouraged his men, and elevated
them with these great hopes, as soon as a thousand gold pieces were
demanded for each captain, he was so amazed and beside himself at
the vastness of the amount, that out of mere stinginess he drew back
and let himself lose their assistance, as if he had been some steward,
not the enemy of the Romans, and would have to give an exact account
of the expenses of the war to those with whom he waged it. Nay, when
he had his foes as tutors, to instruct him what he had to do, who,
besides their other preparations, had a hundred thousand men drawn
together and in readiness for their service; yet he that was to engage
against so considerable a force, and in a war that was maintaining
such numbers as this, nevertheless doled out his money, and put seals