And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
Ver. 19. Of telling the matters of the war unto the king.] Who would be inquisitive after the full truth of things, which yet kings seldom are so happy as to hear, as Alphonsus complained; and Augustus therefore took the death of Varus very grievously, because now there was not one about him that would tell him the naked truth of things.