Libyan Steed he flies And ore the field his routed companies Mixt with the Horsemen take disordred flight Some legions hoping to retire from fight To Juba's Campe and it to fortifie And finding that seiz'd by the enemie After the vsuall manner casting downe Their armes they tender a submission But all in vaine no safetie at the hands Of the enrag'd and fierce Caesarians Oh shame of warre could their submission get Although that Caesar did himselfe intreat Grieuing that in his power it lay not then To saue from death his wretched countrey men And by his speech and actions did declare That he was then no part of ciuill warre He cries aloud Oh spare the yeelding foe They are no longer foes but Romans now You more than lose your valour and to me Doe purchase enuy here not victory They that in conquest of so many lands Nere disobey'd his most seuere commands Nor ere refus'd what he would put them too In this alone their disobedience show Now his commands are good all ore the plaine Are Scipio's Souldiers miserably slaine That to this Tragedy compared light Were all the slaughters of the former fight And now the mourning fields with slaughter strow'd And couer'd ore with horrid ruine show'd A full and perfect conquest was obtain'd That for the sword no farther worke remain'd When Caesar master of his highest hopes From the pursuit calls backe his weary troops And recompences with the wealthy spoiles Of Kings and Nations their successefull toiles Annotations vpon the third Booke a Caesar hauing but a small force in Affrica and much troubled at the report of the great army of his enemies that all King Iuba's forces ioyned with Scipio found helpe from an occasion little expected for as Dion relates it Publius Sittius if we may attribute it to Sittius and not rather to Fortune brought vnto Caesar not onely a timely safetie but a great victory this Sittius expelled before out of Italy and ioyning to himselfe some other exiles passed ouer into Mauritania there obtaining an army from King Bocchus he resolued to aid Caesar in this warre though he had neither receiued any benefits from him nor was at all knowne to him but because he heard that Caesar was farre from him and could then giue him no great helpe for Caesar's forces in Affrick were then but small watching the time when King Iuba drew his army out of his owne Countrey hee inuaded Numidia and Getulia another part of Iuba's Kingdome wasting and spoiling both the Countries by which accident King Iuba was forced to omit his expedition and march backe againe with the greater part of his forces to the rescue of his owne Kingdome for he had sent part of his strength to Scipio before so that it is certaine if King Iuba by Fortune had not then beene diuerted from ioyning with Scipio Caesar had not beene able to haue stood against their vnited forces nor maintained himselfe then in Affrica Dion lib. 43. b The Roman army remaining in Affrica hearing that Spaine was vexed with dissentions and seditions sent thither Cneius Pompeius the eldest sonne of Pompey the Great as thinking that he for his Fathers sake would be receiued in Spaine with greatest honour aduising him that when he had setled his affaires there he should march to Rome and they themselues intended with all their forces to meet him there and make the warre in Italy this counsell was had while Caesar as yet lingred in Aegypt according to Dion lib. 42. but Hirtius in his Commentaries relates it after that time c Cneius Pompeius chid by Cato and aduised to goe into Spaine and raise forces with thirtie Ships of all sorts putting to Sea at Vtica sailed to Mauritania and entred the Kingdome of King Bogud there setting his army on shore which consisted of about two thousand slaues and Freemen part armed and part vnarmed he marched toward the Towne of Ascurum in which Towne there was then a Garrison of the Kings the Garrison suffering Pompey to passe quietly till he approached the very walls of the Towne sallying out then on the sudden ouercame them and some they killed some they forced into the Sea Pompey himselfe with a few of his men getting to their Ships sailed away after which he neuer more arriued on the shore of Affrick but went to the Balearicke Ilands and from thence to Spaine Hirt. comment de bello Affricano FINIS THE FOVRTH BOOKE The Argument of the fourth Booke To his imperiall Zamah Iuba flies And thence excluded with Petreius dies Amidst their banquets bleeding Scipio slaine By his owne hands within the watery maine Intombes himselfe The death of Cato fames Old Vtica Caesar laments and blames His wilfull Fate and from the Libyan coast Is ship'd for Rome with his victorious host BVt all the wracke that Thapsus fields had made The fields could not containe nor could so sad And great a ruine in such narrow bounds Be circumscrib'd the high Imperiall wounds Which there were giuen in other regions bled And those great names which from that battell fled As loth to mix with vulgar Funeralls Must beare the fame of their renowned falls To other lands lest this great losse should be In story told as one calamitie With winged speed by nights obscuritie From Thapsus Iuba and Petreius flie To reach strong Zamah the Imperiall seat Of Iuba's Realme a Citie faire and great In which when first the warre began he lay'd His wealth and dearest pledges had conuey'd But now the gates were shut the men deny'd Their King an entrance and with scoffes deride His threats and prayers for his changed Fate Now gaue them leaue freely to shew their hate And all too late is Iuba forc'd to see The curs'd effects of former tyranny Oh wretched State of Tyrants that nere see Vntill their sight in vaine and bootlesse be Their iust esteeme nor euer till too late Can know what men deserue their loue or hate In wretched times your friends are onely knowne But when that knowledge comes the power is gone Your State requitall or reuenge denies And Fortune but to grieue you opes your eyes The King opprest with griefe and fill'd with ire Vnto a Countrie Palace doth retire Not farre from thence with him Petreius goes And a small troope of Horse there they repose Their weary bodies and vex'd mindes vntill A great resolue their brests with comfort fill Then he commands his seruants to prepare Forthwith a stately banquet and with rare And sumptuous cates a full repast they take When thus King Juba to Petreius spake Roman thou seest how Fortunes vtmost spight Pursues our actions and has rest vs quite Of any future hopes nothing can be Safetie to vs but Caesar's clemency But thou and I in all this Ciuill warre ' Gainst Caesar's side haue beene engag'd too farre To hope for mercy which if I might haue By all our gods I should disdaine to craue For loue of Pompey I was Caesar's foe And in the great'st
crimson lake Nor there alas their enmitie forsake But weakely trie the combat out where he That conquers can no long suruiuour be Whilest on that side the Campe both parties fought So furiously and all hands thither brought Caesar perceiued on the other side That seem'd enough by nature fortifi'd Where the ascent was craggie steepe and hard To climbe that Ptolomey had left no guard Or those that had beene left from thence were gone To tother side as aid or lookers on Thither his lightest cohorts he commands Bold Carfulenus leads those actiue hands Who straight as Caesar gaue in charge to him With those light-armed cohorts gins to climbe Th'ascent so steepe and hard that to the foe Did seeme impregnable but prou'd not so Brought on their ruine death there enter'd in From whence with greatest ease he might haue beene Repel'd by them But Carfulenus now Entring th'Aegyptian Campe with small adoe Kills or repells his few resisting foes Feare and distraction through the Campe arose The workes whilest to and fro th' amazed runne On euery side by the Caesarians wonne To whom for mercy now they sue in vaine Nor does the Generall their swords restraine But bids them kill and in their slaughter free The world from so much fraud and treachery Part of th'Aegyptian-Campe had beene before Romes legionary Souldiers and brought ore Vnder Gabinius there in Aegypt left Were by her pleasures softned and bereft Of military vertue and became Degenerate staines vnto the Roman name Like the Aegyptians they were growne to be In manners basenesse fraud and treachery Not farre from thence vnto the riuer side A little vessell by a rope was ti'd Whither the King in this tumultuous heat Of flight escaped from the Campe doth get And now aboord commands his slender traine With all their strength to launch it forth amaine His purple robe vpon the shore he throwes To flie disguis'd but cruell Fate allowes No flight nor safetie to him nought at all Gaines his disguise but a Plebeian fall For loe the flying multitude espi'd That from the Campe prest to the riuers side That barke contending all to get aboord To saue themselues respectlesse of their Lord. He cries the King is here doe not intrude There is no safetie for a multitude In one small vessell why should you destroy Losing your selues the life of Ptolomey Though Fortune worke my ruine doe not you Murder your King but Caesar's men pursue Amazement stops their eares and feare of sword Had banish'd all allegiance to their Lord Till the ore-laden vessell sinking downe Themselues together with their King they drowne Mixt with Plebeian deaths a Monarch lies The royall race of th' ancient Ptolomey's Vnder no couert but his Nile's cold waues No Pyramids nor rich Mausolean graues Nor sacred Vaults whose structures doe excell As his fore-fathers ashes proudly dwell And dead as liuing doe their wealth expresse In sumptuous tombes as gorgeous Palaces Vnhappie Ptolomey how short a date Haue Fates allotted to thy kingly State No otherwise didst thou a Crowne obtaine Than sacrifices crowned to be slaine Happier might'st thou haue di'd before thy reigne Though short it were had left that lasting staine Of Pompey's death vpon thy name and shew'd To future times thy foule ingratitude Depriuing him of breath that did before Thy banish'd e Father to a Crowne restore And now to that dead Roman worthyes Tombe Art thou enforc'd a Sacrifice to come T' appease his Ghost and offer'd vp by him In whose behalfe thou did'st that heinous crime Who chooses rather to reuenge than owe To thee so base a ruine of his foe Caesar possest of this great victory By land through Delta marches speedily To Alexandria but supposing there How much the Citie his iust wrath might feare He sends before to comfort them and free Th' inhabitants from feare and iealousie To be with ioy receiued he declares That all his wrath is ended with his warres That he as Romes Dictatour would preserue Their liues and liberties and still reserue The Crowne of Aegypt free rightly to place Vpon the next of Lagus royall race And that no other now was his intent Than to confirme f Auletes g Testament Annotations to the first Booke a Thus Dion Caesar beleeued that the Aegyptians had truly desired peace disheartned with their designes not succeeding for he had heard they were a people by nature timorous and vnconstant but howsoeuer their intentions were he resolued to grant their request lest he should seeme to withstand an offered peace he sends therefore their King to them for by his presence he knew there was no increase of strength brought to them considering his age and bad education by this meanes he supposed he might afterwards conclude a peace with the Aegyptians vpon his owne termes or finde a iust pretence of conquering the Countrey and giuing the Kingdome to Cleopatra for he was not at all afraid of their strength now hauing receiued his army out of Syria Dion lib. 42. b The young King educated in false and deceitfull disciplines that he might not seeme to degenerate from the manners of his Nation weeping intreated Caesar that he would not send him from him for enioying of a Kingdome could not be to him so pleasant as the presence of Caesar Caesar moued with his teares comforted him and promised if there were need shortly to visite him but Ptolomey at libertie began immediatly to warre against Caesar with so fierce and eager a desire that the teares which at the parting he shed might seeme to be teares of ioy Hirt. Commen de bello Alexan. c None of the Roman ships came at all to the succour of Euphranor either bacause they durst not partake of the danger or because they had a strong confidence in the great vertue and extraordinary felicitie of Euphranor which in all his other fights had euer attended him so that he only at that time behaued himselfe well and perished alone with his victorious Galley Hirt. Commen de bello Alexan. d Of this towne Canopus and the Temple of Serapis there thus Strabo speakes in his seuenteenth booke Canopus distant from Alexandria an hundred and twentie furlongs by land was so called from Canopus Menelaus his Master of his ship who was buried there in it is the Temple of Serapis with great deuotion honoured amongst them insomuch as the Noblemen put great affiance in that god and come thither to take dreames both for themselues and others some of them haue written of diuers cures which haue beene there wrought and many miracles in seuerall kindes but aboue all other things wonderfull is that number who vpon Festiuall times come downe thither by the Lake from Alexandria for night and day is that Lake full of boats in which men and women with songs and gestures of all manner of Lasciuiousnesse doe recreate themselues and in Canopus it selfe diuers Jnns there are vpon the Lake side to entertaine passengers with such leuities and vaine delights Strabo lib.
17. e This young King Ptolomeus Dionysius sonne to Ptolomeus Auletes the last of all the race of Ptolomey's by the wicked counsell of his followers as Photinus the Eunuch Achillas Captaine of the guard and Theodorus Chius the Rhetorician had vnthankefully slaine Pompey the great flying to him in his necessitie who before had beene the greatest meanes of restoring his father Auletes to the Crowne of Aegypt Dion Plutarch Appion f Auletes Ptolomeus the ninth Ptolomey from the sonne of Lagus who after the death of Alexander the great possessed Aegypt was a man saith Strabo of most dissolute and wicked manners for which he was expelled his kingdome by the people of Alexandria who made the eldest of his three daughters Queene ouer them his two sonnes being both infants had by this meanes lost all hope of succession in their fathers Kingdome the Queene elected was married to one Cybiosactes of Syria who deriued his pedigree from the ancient Syrian Kings but the Queene within few dayes strangled her husband not able to endure his sordid and base nature and married her selfe to Archelaus who fained himselfe the sonne of Mithridates Eupator but was indeed the sonne of that Archelaus who had warred against Sylla but was afterwards hâ—noured by the Romans and grandfather to him who reigned last in our times ouer Cappadocia this Archelaus liuing then with Gabinius whom he promised to aid in a warre against the Parthians was by some of his friends vnknowne to Gabinius brought vnto the Queene and declared King at that time the banished King Ptolomeus Auletes was fled to Rome and there kindly entertained by Pompey the Great and by him commended to the Senate Pompey aduised them to restore Auletes to his Kingdome and put to death those Embassadours that were come thither to plead against their Prince of which Embassage Dio the Academian was chiefe Auletes therefore brought backe to his Kingdome by Gabinius ouercame and killed the Queene his daughter and Archelaus his sonne in law dying shâ—rtly after he left behinde him two sonnes and two daughters Strabo lib. 17. g Ptolomeus Auletes by his testament had willed according to the incestuous custome of that family that his eldest sonne Ptolomey should marry his eldest daughter Cleopatra and with her enioy the Crowne of Aegypt the procuration of this testament was by him assigned to the people of Rome which Caesar as Dictator had power to execute Dion lib. 42. Hirt. Commen de bello Alexand. FINIS THE SECOND BOOKE The Argument of the second Booke Faire Cleopatra is espous'd and led A wife in name to her young brothers bed Great Caesar's heart her tempting beauties fire Who reapes the wanton fruit of his desire The scatter'd reliques of Pharsalia Scipio vnites againe in Affrica The strength of Varus there each nations name That vnder Iuba's royall standard came Caesar from Aegypt ' gainst Pharnaces goes And vanquishes as soone as sees his foes Erects a trophee there and crossing ore More swift than thought arriues on Libya's shore THe Alexandrian Citizens releast From all their feares by Caesar's pardon feast With ioy extoll his goodnesse to the skies And to their gods deuoutly sacrifice With vsuall rites Alas you doe not know Fond Alexandrians to whom you owe Your Cities safetie not those deities That you with vaine and barbarous mysteries Adore haue wrought it nor could all your Towers Your stately Temples Tombes of Conquerours Nor Alexander's buri'd dust which more Than your religion Caesar's thoughts adore Preuaile so much in purchasing his grace As beauties charmes in Cleopatra's face It was the glance of her bewitching eyes Had power to helpe your helplesse deities Nor was it fit such people rites and lawes Should owe their safetie to a better cause Great Cleopatra mistresse of the State To giue the conquering author of her Fate High entertainment to his eye displayes Th' Aegyptian wealth in such luxurious wayes As might excuse euen Rome and make the riot Of her degenerate Senate seeme the diet Which th' ancient Curii and Camillus vs'd Not what her Asian victories infus'd The gorgeous Pallace with such lustre shone As wealthy kingdomes neere their ruine growne Vse to expresse which shew the present crimes And speake the fortune of precedent times But Caesar's eyes in all that wealthy store Which he so lately had beheld before No pleasure finde nor with delight viewes he The golden roofes nor precious imag'ry Rich Eben pillars boords of Citron wood Which on their carued Iuory tressells stood Nor curious hangings doe his eyes admire For Cleopatra's beautie and attire Did quite eclipse all obiects and outshone All other splendours on her lookes alone His eyes are fix'd which though beheld before The more he viewes doe rauish him the more All other obiects lose at second sight But womans beautie breeds the more delight The ofter seene he viewes that snowie necke Those golden tresses which no gems can decke The wealth she wore about her seem'd to hide Not to adorne her natiue beauties pride Though there bright Pearles from th' Erythraean shores From all th' Assyrian lakes the wealthy stores Of siluer Ganges and Hydaspes shone From Aegypts Easterne Iles the gold-like stone And cheerefull Emeraulds gather'd from the greene Arabian rocks were in full splendour scene Pale Onyx Iaspers of a various die And Diamonds darkned by her brighter eye The Saphires blew by her more azure veines Hung not to boast but to confesse their staines And blushing Rubies seem'd to lose their die When her more ruby lips were mouing by It seem'd so well became her what she wore She had not robb'd at all the creatures store But had beene natures selfe there to haue show'd What she on creatures could or had bestow'd But Caesar's heart enflamed long before Burnes with fresh fury and resolues no more Now to conceale but feed the pleasing flame What power quoth he controules my wish what fame What would the sowrest seeming vertue doe Arm'd with a power like me and tempted so By such a beautie as from guilt would free A Rauisher and make adulterie No crime at all but such a piece of vice As former times vnto the Deities Did oft impute had Cleopatra beene By those renowned Graecian writers seene Whose deathlesse Poems in the skies aboue Haue fix'd so many paramours of Joue Before the daughters of faire Pleione Atlanta Maia and Taygete she Had there beene grac'd her Tresses farre more faire Had shew'd in Heauen than Berenices haire Calistho's Waine had not in skies beene set Nor Ariadnes shining Coronet Till Cleopatra's Starre had found a place And chose what part of Heauen she meant to grace Let Ioue my warrant be whom powerfull loue So oft has forc'd from Heauen or let it proue The Thunderers excuse to future times That Caesar now partakes the Thunderers crimes There is no cause thou should'st misdoubt thy suit No waking Dragon keepes that golden fruit Thou mean'st to taste nor need'st thou feare to finde That beautie guarded by too
Rome as Scipio to him therefore of his owne accord he yeelded place and gaue him also that army which he had brought into Affrick Dion lib. 43. e Petreius had before beene vanquished by Caesar in Spaâ—ne Lucan lib 4. He was thâ—n pardoned and set free vpon oath neuer to warre against Caesar againe which oath here hee violated f Cleopatra saith Dion had stayed Caesar longer in Aegypt or else accompanied him to Rome if Pharnaces had not beene the hindrance this Pharnaces the sonne of great Mithridates was King of Bosphorus Cimmeriuâ— but mâ—ued with an ambitious desire of recouering all his fathers Kingdome while Rome was intangled in Ciuill warre he had rebelled and during the time of the Ciuill and Aegyptian warres had with small adoe subdued Colchis and all Armenia in the absence of Deiotarus besides many Cities of Cappadocia Pontus and Bithynia Caesar busied then in the affaires of Aegypt and hoping to subdue Pharnaces by a Lieutenants hand sends Domitius Caluinus to that warre commanding him to take the regency of Asia and of those armies which he found there Domitius ioyning the Kinâ—s Deiotarus and Ariobarzanes to him marches directly against Pharnaces who was then at Nicopolis where in fight Domitius was vanquished Dion lib. 43. g Those three words Veni vidi vici did afterward in Caesar's triumph expresse his sudden Conquest of Pharnaces and that then he vttered such a speech concerning Pompey Appian is â—y authoritie h Caesar in the midst of Winter sailed into Affrica by which speed of his saith Dion in comming vnawares vpon his enemies hee had often prospered in his greatest affaires nor was there any other so great reason why Caesar so much excelled all other Generalls of those times as his wonderfull speed in all expeditions Dion lib. 42. FINIS THE THIRD BOOKE The Argument of the third Booke Iuba from Scipio to his Kingdome goes Caesar escapes the ambush of the foes And till th' arriuall of his full supplies Himselfe within Rhuspina fortifies Sage Cato's counsell to great Pompey's sonne Iuba's returne the whole warre meets vpon Vzzita's plaines and is remou'd from thence To Thapsus fatall fields what dire ostents Foregoe the battell Caesar's victory To seuerall coasts the vanquish'd Princes flie NOw neere this mighty warre began to draw Those blood-stain'd swords which dire Pharsalia saw With no lesse guilt in Libya meet againe To draw that little blood that did remaine In Romes afflicted State Why did you spare It then oh gods to make a second warre Was it cause one though ne're so great a blow The Roman Empire could not ouerthrow Or must moe lands behold her fall moe grounds Drinke in the blood of her vnnaturall wounds Or must this second warre declare to all The State subsisted after Pompey's fall And once againe her freedome might haue seene Had Caesar's warre alone ' gainst Pompey beene Rome now in Affrick is those scorched grounds That once her Conquest saw now see her wounds Where once the Scipios with triumphant Fate Aduanc'd her Eagles ' gainst a riuall State This Scipio now in stead of barbarous foes In Romes behalfe ' gainst Romes Dictator goes But Fate a while content with meaner play Respiâ—s the tryall of so great a day So many liues as there resolu'd were met Must not be throwne into the hazard yet Nor must sad Thapsus giue the fatall blow Of Juba's fall and Scipio's ouerthrow Vntill Rhuspina and Vzzita's walls Haue felt the force of both the Generalls And other parts of Affrick haue beheld Some bloody Prologues to so great a held Fortune a while from helping Scipio Diuerts King Juba's strength inforc'd to goe With speedy marches to his Kingdomes aid Which a Sittius now and Bocchus did inuade And Caesar's troops remaining on the shore Of Sicily himselfe had crossed ore Into a land possessed by his foes With one weake new-fill'd legion nor to those That stay'd behinde could he appoint the port Where they should land or whither to resort As be in former warres had euer done Committing all to Fortunes rule alone So much on her protection he rely'd Nor had she euer fail'd his greatest need Could it not seeme to thine ambitious thought Caesar enough that Fortune euer wrought Th' accomplishment of all thy highest hopes When ere in field inuiron'd with thy troops Thou foughts against the greatest foes but she Without an army too must succour thee And all thy rash aduentures rectifie Was not thy scape from Aegypts treachery Thy safe arriuall on Brundusiums shore The stormy Seas so boldly ventur'd ore From Greece by night enough for her to doe How oft shall Fortune more her fauour show From priuate dangers in protecting thee Than in bestowing th' earths sole Monarchy From Adrumetum where in Garrison Confidius lay whose truth could not be won From Scipio's side does Caesar march away With his small army but in faire array Since now his highest hopes were not to get The Towne but thence in safetie to retreat Nor was that granted him Confidius horse With furious sallyes oft molest his course And vex his Armies rere t' encounter those Assaults does Caesar in the rere dispose The ablest men and marching slowly on Safe to Rhuspina brings his legion Nor did that act of warre though seeming small But well become so great a Generall From thence remouing Leptis him receiues In which a little Garrison he leaues And to Rhuspina marches backe againe That onely Towne in Affrick did remaine A safe retreat for Caesar's feeble power Nor thither then vnlesse a Conquerour Could he arriue danger beset the way Pierce Labienus and Pacidius lay In ambush there in which though timely spi'd Was Caesar's skill and Fortune wholly tri'd He breakes with conquest through the aduerse troops Fortune but mocking Labienus hopes Who now with losse forsakes the field and beares To Adrumetum his hurt Souldiers Caesar returning with his little band Vnto Rhuspina takes a worke in hand Of wondrous toile since now resolu'd no more To march from thence till on the Libyan shore His legions all arriue whom euery day Chiding the Winds and Fortune for their stay His eager thoughts expect two trenches downe To the Sea-shore he drawes one from the Towne Another from his Campe on either side With sharpned stakes and engines fortifi'd So well as that without the Garrison They might by land secure both Campe and Towne And make the shore betweene at his dispose But there inclos'd by his insulting foes For Scipio now with his great strength drew nigh He payes in wants for that securitie Nor can his men from out their Trenches goe To fetch prouision in by land the foe Cuts off all passage there and in disdaine Of Caesar's weaknesse on the spatious plaine Scipio oft sets his Battells in array Who ' mong'st themselues in wanton skirmish play And exercise their Elephants in sight Of Caesar's trenches and vnusuall fight In Roman armies those beasts ne're had beene Till Pyrrhus warr'd with Rome by Romans
the riuer reach'd Who though too late he striued to be drown'd In Bagrada a fate more cruell found Marus at last while Hauens death did stay The Monsters speed had time to scape away And to th' amazed Generall relates The Serpents greatnesse and his fellowes fates But ere his faultring tongue had fully told The tragicke story they from farre behold The scaly Monster rowling on the sands In spatious windings Regulus commands The army straight their piles and speares prepare To charge and march against it as a warre And ready all their battering engines make That strongest walls and bulwarkes vs'd to shake The Trumpets then as to a battell sound Which noise the Serpent hearing from the ground Where he in spatious rings infolded lay Aloft his head aduances to suruay The Champion round and to their eyes appeares Long as that Dragon twixt the heauenly Beares Fire from his threatning eyes like lightning shot And Stygian blasts exhal'd from his dire throat While he aduanc'd you would suppose from farre A mouing Castle made offensiue warre And shooting forth he in a moment flew Vpon farre distant faces at whose view The starting Horses could no more be held By bits but snorting flew about the field Whilest this dire Serpent sad massacres makes Among the men some twixt his iawes he takes And crushes there some into aire he flings Who falling die and while his spatious rings He does vnfold with fury sweeping round The sands he beats whole cohorts to the ground The army now gaue ground and gan retiâ—e When noble Regulus inflam'd with ire To see that shame cries out Oh stand the field To Libyan Monsters shall Romes vertue yeeld If so I singly will the combat trie And expiating Romes dishonour die Then all alone deuoide of feare he goes And his strong pile against the Serpent throwes With well tane aime whom not in vaine he strucke In his tough forehead the steel'd Iauelin stucke The hideous Monster whose long age before Had nere felt steele sent out a yelling rore And shooting forth impatient of the wound With his long taile he lash'd the suffering ground A shout the Souldiers raise incourag'd now And altogether stormes of Iauelins throw Some harmelesse lighting on his scaly backe Such noise as Haile on tiled houses make Some pierce his brest and softer belly wound Those parts alone they penetrable found Blacke gore from thence distaines the swarthy sand At last two Iauelins sent from lucky hands In both his fiery threatning eyes did light Depriuing him though not of strength of sight Whos 's yet blinde rage drawes many a ruine on Vntill at last a huge and massie stone Shot from a bulwarke-battring engine stroke His bowed backe with such great force it broke That many-ioynted bone nor then could he Lift as before his speckled crest on high But while he struggling lay vpon the plaine Another stone dash'd out his poisonous braine The sands discolour'd with blacke filth appeare And that so lately feared Serpent there Stretch'd out at length his balefull life expires His vast extent the Generall admires But straight a grone the mourning Riuer gaue A dolefull noise the Wood and hollow Caue Resounded forth the Naiades that kept Slow Bagrada for their dead seruant wept Nor did the augurs then forbeare to shew The Roman troops his death should dearely rew And Regulus become a captiue prey To his insulting foes on whom said they The Nymphs and wrathfull Naiades would take That dire reuenge for their slaine Serpents sake Caesar enough delighted to behold The Caue and pleas'd with what the Libyan told Returnes to Vtica thence marching on With speed through Iuba's lost dominion Arriues at wealthy Zamah Libya's pride Where late a powerfull Monarch did reside And hearing there of Iuba's wretched fate Laments the frailtie of mans highest state Then he commends the Citizens and ore The Countrey leaues Sallustius Gouernor Which from a Kingdomes State is now become A subiect Prouince to Imperiall Rome Then marches backe to Vtica againe And lanching forth his fleet into the maine Sailing by Sardos on th' Italian coast He safe arriues with his victorious host Annotations vpon the fourth Booke Lucius Scipio Generall at Thapsus perished at Sea by the report of all that write that story but the manner of his death as J haue here related it is to be found onely in Appian which I haue read that first hee wounded himselfe with a Sword and afterwards leaped into the Sea as loth that his dead body should either suffer despight or receiue fauour from his enemies Appi. lib. 2. de bello ciuili FINIS THE FIFTH BOOKE The Argument of the fifth Booke What vnaccustom'd honours by decree The Senate giâ—e to Caesar's victory His foure rich triumphs shew'd ore Gallia Conquer'd Pharnaces Aegypt Affrica Whose pompous showes display the captiu'd fate Of seuerall Princes Caesar's high estate To throw into the hazard once againe Great Pompey's sonnes reuiue the warre in Spaine WHen Caesar's conquest borne by winged Fame Had enter'd Rome and to the Senate came Th' affrighted Fathers in pale haste declar'd Their forced ioy and while the Priests prepar'd For Sacrifice officiously decreed Though Rome it selfe in that dayes fate did bleed That Supplications to the gods should be Twice twentie dayes for Caesar's victory Through all the Roman Temples they inuoke The gods for him and all their Altars smoke With thankfull incense more than when the fall Of Carthages so feared Hannibal Or that defeat of all the Cimbrian powers By Marius hand that sau'd Quirinus Towers First pierc'd their ioyfull eares no vanquish'd foe Ere caus'd such seeming ioy Rome's forced now To thanke the gods for her subiection more Than all the greatnesse she had won before To that great Triumph which so long before His ten yeares labour had deserued ore The conquer'd Gaules and well deferr'd till now The forward Senate grant three Triumphs moe T' expresse more pompous State than ere before The people saw or lawrell'd Roman bore That all the seuerall vanquish'd Nations From East and West from both the Poles at once By his triumphant Charriot might combine The yellow Germans with blacke Libyans ioyne Gaules with Armenians meet the Sun-burnt bands Of Meroë with cold Pannonians The painted Brittaines curl'd Sicambrians With coale-blacke Mibians and Mazacians Those that at farthest distance neuer yet Each other view'd at Caesar's Triumph met Might there acquainted in sad bondage grow And waile in chaines their common ouerthrow That the Imperiall Tyber might at once All floods that blesse so many regions In Caesar's rich Triumphall tablets see Display'd bewailing their captiuitie And bridled there by his proud conquest ioyne Seuen-channell'd Nilus with the German Rhine The swift Danubius with slow Bagrada And all those winding streames which euery way From North to South into the Ocean rowle Twixt fardest Thule and Tritonia's poole From whence Minerua deign'd her name to take When first within the quiet Chrystall lake Come downe from Heauen
And I disguis'd in common armour sought To reach his life before I was descry'd And sau'd by Caesar had not Brutus dy'd And free descended to the shades below Or if my aime had hit one happie blow Had rescu'd Rome from thrall without a staine Vnlesse Great Pompey had vsurp'd a reigne And had not left our libertie to be Thus poorely wrought by secret treachery Oh stay awhile our vengeance Cassius See what the gods and Fate will doe for vs Or what ere long our fatall enemies The Parthians can doe Cassius replies Could Brutus then be pleas'd the Parthian foe Againe should triumph in our ouerthrow To haue with publike losse and infamy That wrought for vs which may with honour be And Rome yet safe by our owne hands atchieu'd In all thy reasons yet thou art deceiu'd Mistakinq grounds of things thou dost conclude Impartiall Iustice foule ingratitude For if the deed be iust no benefit Receiu'd should hinder thee from acting it That were corruption not true gratitude The greater fauours Caesar ere has shew'd To thee the more thy Iustice will appeare In that the publike good thou dost preferre 'T would take much honour from a deed so high If Caesar had beene knowne thine enemie Nor could an act wherein thy priuate hate Had borne a share so much oblige the State To purchase honour and our Countries good Priuate respects of friendship or of blood Must be forgot and banish'd is that old Brutus through all succeeding times extoll'd By whose strict Iustice his owne sonnes did die That sought againe to bring in Monarchy And art thou bound to suffer Caesar's reigne What would old Brutus doe if here againe Or vnto thee can Caesar's fauour seeme A greater bond than nature was to him Nor canst thou terme it secret treachery If by our hands vsurping Caesar die Since Fate of warlike power has vs bereft And no meanes else to worke our freedome left Should we a while deferre the action It cannot be perchance hereafter done But with dishonour and base Treasons staine When we before haue both approu'd his reigne For in the Sibils bookes 't was lately read The Parthians neuer can be vanquished But by a King which in the peoples eares Is told already and his Flatterers By them would haue it publikely desir'd Our voyces Brutus will be then requir'd Which we with greatest perill must deny Or else for euer lose our libertie When Cassius had with his persuasiue art Fully confirm'd young Brutus wauering heart To this sad deed a noise at doore they heare Decimus Brutus now was enter'd there And all the rest of that conspiracy Where ' mongst themselues the fatall knot they tie By mutuall othes striuing alas in vaine By Caesar's death that freedome to attaine Which was for euer banish'd by the doome Of Fate and neuer to returne to Rome Though often sought in stead of freedome now More desolation Tragedies and woe After this slaughter must againe ensue And all the people that dire action rue Which they desir'd Philippi's balefull day Perusia's siege and fatall Mutina With Leuca's fleet shall make afflicted Rome Truly lament ore slaughter'd Caesar's Tombe The balefull Ides of March approaching nigh Ordain'd by Fate for this great Tragedy Th' Etrurian Augurs who diuine by sight Of slaine beasts entrailes and the various flight Of Birds in Caesar's danger were not dumbe But boldly told what they foresaw to come The Ides of March Spurinna bids him feare Nor did the Earth the Aire or Skies forbeare Presaging signes if any signes could lend Meanes to preuent what destinies intend Affrighting voyces in the Aire were heard The Sunne himselfe in threatning formes appear'd Sometimes as if he wept his glorious head With a blew Rainebow round enuironed Sometimes quite dimm'd as if he fled the sight Of men and meant to make eternall night The windy Spirits through earth's torne cauernes breake Floods change their courses beasts ' gainst nature speake The swelling Poe oreflowes th' adioyning plaine And to his channell suddenly againe Retiring backe thousands of monstrous Snakes Which he brought forth vpon dry ground forsakes The Sea that had orewhelm'd a part of land By Tyber's mouth retiring on the sand As many fish did in like sort forsake But nearer signes great Caesar's death fore-spake Those stately Steeds which when the warre begun He crossing ore the streame of Rubicon Had consecrated and for euer freed From future seruice of the warre to feed At libertie along the Chrystall flood And quiet wander through the shady wood For many dayes before their Lord was slaine Did of themselues their pleasant food refraine Their mourning eyes presaging sorrow shew'd And all the pasture fields with teares bedew'd The little regall Bird the day before Flying along a sprig of Laurell bore Within her mouth whom straight a multitude Of Birds from out the neighbouring wood pursu'd Till she had enter'd Pompey's Court and there The Laurell'd Bird did all to peeces teare That night that vsher'd forth the fatall day Was come and with her darknesse did display Prodigious feares bringing in stead of rest A sad disturbance to each wakefull brest Throughout the Palace where great Caesar slept His last the armes of Mars which there were kept Were heard to yeeld a horrid ratling sound Clashing together of themselues and round About the house the doores flew ope at once The aire of night was fill'd with dismall grones And people oft awaked with the howles Of Wolues and fatall Dogges ill boding Owles Night-iarres and Rauens with wide-stretched throats From yews and holleys send their balefull notes The shrieches wailings and all cries were heard Of euery fatall and affrighting Bird. Shape-faining Morpheus in the dead of night Sent from the King of rest with speedy flight Entring the Palace to Calphurnia Who sleeping in her Lords embraces lay Presents his slaughter'd figure in such wise As vnto all th' amazed peoples eyes The next day's Sunne must show all stain'd with blood Before the bed she dreamt her Caesar stood His visage pal'd with death that robe of State Which neuer foe before could violate All torne through which his gaping wounds appeare Calphurnia weepes then shriekes aloud for feare And stretching ore the bed her louing armes T' embrace the flying shade though free from harmes She finde her Lord who was awaked now Scarce dares she trust her waking senses so As she beleeues the vision in her thought So much that too prophetike dreame had wrought Caesar with kisses wipes away her teares And askes the cause of her so sudden feares She trembling yet the fatall dreame declares Which had disturb'd her sleepe nor could the cares That rose from thence be banish'd with the story Mixing fresh teares and louing oratory Persuades her Caesar to remember now What th' Augur's skills so lately did fore-show And what the learn'd Spurinna bad him feare From th' Ides of March which now ill present were She begges of him he would forbeare to goe That morning