his Mother a Mede of whom this very Nebuchadnezzar at the hour of his Death uttered this Prophesie There shall come a Persian Mule who shall make use of your Devils as his Fellow-Souldiers to bring you into Bondage He calls Cyrus a Mule because he was to be born of a Father and Mother of two divers Nations THE LIFE and DEATH OF CYRUS THE GREAT The First Founder of the PERSIAN EMPIRE CYRUS was the Son of Cambyses King of Persia by Mandanes the Daughter of Astyages King of Media He was so named by the Prophet Isay almost two hundred years before he was born Isa. 45. 1 4. Thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus his anointed c. Cyrus his first Education was under his Father Cambyses with whom he lived till he was twelve years old and somewhat more at which time he was sent for together with his Mother Mandanes by his Grandfather Astyages into Media In Media he served Astyages first as one of his Halberdiers and then as one of his Armour-bearers till he was called home into Persia by his Father Cambyses when as yet he had one year to spend at School and when he had spent seventeen years at School amongst Boyes he spent ten years more amongst youths When Cyrus was now almost sixteen years old Evilmerodach the King of Assyria being about to marry a Wife called Nicotris made an in-rode with a great Army of Horse and Foot into the borders of Media there to take his pleasure in hunting and harrassing of the Countrey against whom Astyages and Cyaxares his Son and Cyrus his Grand-child who then first began to bear Arms being but about fifteen or sixteen years old marched out met with him and in a great Battel overthrew him and drave him out of his borders Indeed the Death of Nebuchadnezzar the Father of Evilmerodach gave courage to those that had found him a troublesome Neighbour to stand upon prouder terms with the Babylonians than in his flourishing estate they durst have used But Evilmerodach being too proud to digest this loss which he had received by the Medes and their Allies the Persians under Cyrus he drew unto his party the Lydians and all the people of the lesser Asia with great gifts and strong perswasions hoping by their assistance to overwhelm his enemies with a strong invasion whom in vain he had sought to weary out by a lingring War The issue of these great preparations made by Evilmerodach against the Medes was such as opened the way to the fulfilling divers Prophesies which were many years before uttered against Babel by Isay and Jeremy For the Babylonians and their Confederates who trusting in their numbers thought to have buried the Medes and Persians under their thick showers of Arrows and Darts were encountred with an Army of stout and well trained men weightily Armed for close fight by whom they were beaten in a great Battel wherein Evilmerodach was slain After which that great Empire that was raised and upheld by Nebuchadnezzar was grievously shaken and enfeibled under his unprosperous Son and left to be sustained by his Grand-child Belshazzar a man more like to have overthrown it when it was greatest and strongest than to repair it when it was in a way of falling Xenophon relates the matter thus When the Babylonian had enlarged his Empire with many Victories and was become Lord of all Syria and many other Countreys he began to hope that if the Medes could be brought under his Subjection there would not then be left any Nation adjoyning able to make head against him For the King of the Medes was able to bring into the Field sixty thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse to which the Forces of Persia being joyned made an exceeding great Army Considering therefore the strength of such a neighbour he invited Croesus King of Lydia a Prince very mighty both in men and Treasure and with him other Lords of Asia the less to his assistance alledging that those Eastern Nations were very powerfull and so firmly conjoyned by League and many Alliances that it would not be easie no nor possible for any one Nation to resist them With these suggestions backed with rich Presents he drew to himself so many adherents as he compounded an Army of two hundred Thousand Foot and sixty thousand Horse Of which ten thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot were brought by Croesus who had great cause of enmity against the Medes for that they had made great Wars against his Father Allyattes Whereupon Cyrus was by his Father Cambyses and the Council of the Kingdom made General of the Persian Army and sent away into Media with thirty thousand Souldiers and one thousand Commanders all of equal Authority under him and when he came thither he was also made by his Uncle Cyaxares who had sent for him General of the Median Forces and the management of the War against the Babylonian was wholly committed to him With this Army he marched against Evilmerodach and his associates and in a very bloody Battel overthrew them In which defeat Evilmerodach King of Babylon being slain so many of his Subjects revolted that Babylon it self could no longer be secured but by the help of Mercenaries waged with great sums of money out of Asia the less Egypt and other Countries which new levied Forces were also defeated and scattered by Cyrus who following his advantage possessed himself of a great part of the lesser Asia Those Persians which followed Cyrus and were by him levied are reckoned to be thirty thousand Foot of which one thousand were Armed Gentlemen the rest of the common sort were Archers and such as used the Dart or Sling Croesus notwithstanding the men lost and the Treasure spent in the quarrel of the Babylonians yet did he Conquer Aeolis Doris and Ionia Provinces possessed by the Greeks in Asia the less adjoyning to his Kingdom of Lydia He gave Laws also to the Phrygians Bithynians Carians Mysians Paphlagonians and other Nations He also enforced the Ephesians to acknowledge him for their Lord He also obtained a signal Victory against the Sacaeans a Nation of the Scythians All which he performed in fourteen years And being now confident by reason of his good successes and withall envious at Cyrus his Fame and Prosperity doubting also that his great Victories might in the end grow perillous to himself he consulted with the Oracle of Apollo whom he presented with marvellous rich gifts what success he might hope for in his undertakings against Cyrus from whom he received this ambiguous answer Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Croesus passing over the River Halys shall dissolve a great Dominion For the Devil being doubtful of his success gave him this Riddle which might be construed either way to the ruine of Persia or of his own Lydia Hereupon Croesus interpreting it as he most desired resolved to stop the course of Cyrus his progress
all Greece had him in marvellous great estimation so that he gave to the Grecians such conditions as he pleased whereupon that famous Peace called Antalcid as Peace was concluded This Antalcidas was a Citizen of Sparta who favouring the affairs of Artaxerxes procured by this Treaty of Peace that the Lacedemonians should leave to Artaxerxes all the Grecian Cities in Asia and all the Isles belonging thereunto and to cause them to pay him Tribute at his pleasure This Peace being concluded with the Grecians King Artaxerxes though he extreamly hated the Lacedemonians yet he loved Antalcidas very well and entertained him honourably when he came to him into Persia. One day the King took a Garland of Flowers and wet it in the most precious and sweetest Oyl of perfume that was prepared for the Feast and sent it to Antalcidas Indeed he was a meet man to follow the vanity and curiosity of the Persians Shortly after the Lacedemonians lost the Battel at Leuctres and therewith the Principality which they had kept so long over all Greece When Sparta flourished most and was chief of all the other Grecian Cities so long did Artaxerxes continue to make much of Antalcidas and called him his Friend But when the Lacedemonians had lost the Battel at Leuctres having received so great a blow and wanting money they sent Agesilaus into Egypt and Antalcidas into Persia to King Artaxerxes to pray him to aid and assist the Lacedemonians But he made so small account of him and disdained him so much denying his request that he returned to Sparta with shame and dishonour And there also seeing that his enemies did mock him and fearing that the Ephori would commit him to Prison he killed himself with Famine About the same time the Thebans having under Epaminondas won the Battel at Leuctres sent Ismenias and Pelopidas into Persia to King Artaxerxes where Pelopidas did nothing unworthy himself But Ismenias being commanded to kneel to the King let fall his Ring at his feet and stooped to take it up whereby some thought that he did it to kneel to the King At another time Artaxerxes liking well a secret advertisement sent him from Timagoras the Athenian he gave him ten thousand Daricks by his Secretary Belluris and because he had a sickly Body and was forced to drink Cows milk to restore him the King therefore sent him eighty milch Kine that he might have fresh Milk every day He sent him also a Bed with all things belonging thereto and Grooms of his Chamber to make his Bed saying That the Grecians knew not how to make it He also sent him men to carry him upon their Arms to the Sea-side because he was sick and whilst he was at Court he entertained him very honourably and bountifully But the Athenians afterward condemned Timagoras to dye because he had taken Bribes of the King of Persia. But Artaxerxes though he had in many other things vexed the Grecians yet he did one thing that pleased them exceeding well when he did put Tisaphernes to Death who was the greatest enemy they had Parisatis the Kings Mother did help to bring this to pass aggravating the accusations which were brought against Tisaphernes out of the hatred which she did bear him for her Son Cyrus his sake For the King did not keep his anger long against her but sent for her from Babylon knowing that she had an excellent wit and was fit to Govern a Kingdom Besides there was nothing now to hinder their coming together his Wife being dead And now Parysatis applyed her self to feed the Kings humour in every thing seeming to mislike nothing that he did By this means she grew into so great credit with him that he denied nothing that she asked She perceiving that the King was extreamly in love with one of his own Daughters called Atossa which hitherto he had dissembled chiefly for fear of her Parysatis having found out this began to make more of his Daughter than she did before and in her Fathers presence sometimes she praised her beauty another time her grace and good carriage saying That she was like a Queen and Noble Princess so that at length she perswaded him to marry her openly though before he had her Maidenhead not passing for the Laws and opinions of the Grecians considering that he was to establish Laws to the Persians to determine of right and wrong good and bad Hereupon he married Atossa and loved her very intirely insomuch as though she had a grievous disease that ran all over her Body yet he loved her not the less for it and prayed continually for her to the Goddess Juno and fell on his knees before her Image and sent to her so many offerings that all the way from the Court Gates to Juno's Temple which was sixteen furlongs off was full of Gold Silver rich Purple Silks and Horses which were sent thither About this time Artaxerxes made War against Aegypt by Pharnabazus and Iphicrates the Athenian but they did no good because they fell out betwixt themselves wherefore himself went in Person against the Caducians with three hundred thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse Their Country was very rude which he invaded alwayes dark and cloudy the earth brought forth nothing that was sowed by man and the Inhabitants lived upon Pears and Apples and such like fruit yet the men were strong and lusty When he was entred far into this Country his Army fell into great straits for want of Victuals for his Souldiers found nothing that was fit to eat neither could they come by Victuals from any other place because of the naughty and craggy wayes so that they were forced to live upon their own Beasts and that was sold very dear for an Asses head was sold for sixty Silver Drams Yea the Famine was so great that the King himself wanted food and now there were but few Horses left Now Tiribazus though he was at this time out of favour with the King yet he invented this Stratagem whereby he saved the King and all his men In this Countrey there were two Kings with their Armies in the Field and each of them camped apart from the other Tiribazus after he had imparted his Project to the King himself went to one of these Kings and at the same time sent his Son to the other and told either of them that the other had sent Ambassadours unto King Artaxerxes to make Peace with him unwitting to his Companion and therefore he counselled them if they were wise one of them to seek to prevent the other with all the speed that possible he could Both the one and the other Kings believed these words either of them mistrusting the other So that speedily the one sent his Ambassadours to Artaxerxes with Tiribazus and the other also his Ambassadours with his Son But Tiribazus tarrying somewhat long in the Journey Artaxerxes began somewhat to suspect him His enemies also accused
he had quieted marched on with his Army into Gabaza where it suffered so much Hunger Cold Lightning Thunder and such Storms that in one of them he lost a thousand men From hence he invaded the Sacans and destroyed their Country Then came he into the Territories of Cohortanes who submitted himself to him and presented him with thirty beautiful Virgins amongst whom Roxane afterwards his Wife was one which although all the Macedonians stomached yet none of them durst use any freedome of speech after the death of Clytus From hence he directed his course towards India having so increased his numbers as amounted to one hundred and twenty thousand Armed men In the mean while he would needs be honoured as a God whereunto that he might allure his Macedonians he implyed two of his Parasites Hagis and Cleo whom Calisthenes opposed For amongst many other honest Arguments which he used in the Assembly he told Cleo that he thought that Alexander would disdain the Title of a God from his Vassals That the opinion of Sanctity though it did sometimes follow the Death of those who in their Life-time had done the greatest things yet it never accompanied any one as yet living in the world He said that neither Hercules nor Bacchus were Deified at a Banquet and upon drink for this matter was propounded by Cleo at a carousing Feast but for the more than manly acts performed by them in their Life-time for which they were in succeeding Ages numbred amongst the Gods Alexander stood behind a partition and heard all that was spoken waiting but for an opportunity to be revenged on Calisthenes who being free of speech Honest Learned and a Lover of the Kings Honour was yet shortly after tormented to Death For upon occasion of a Conspiracy made against the King by one Hermelaus and others who confessed it he caused Calisthenes without confession accusation or tryal to be torn asunder upon the Rack This deed unworthy of a King is thus censured by Seneca Thus saith he is the eternal crime of Alexander which no Virtue or felicity of his in War shall ever be able to blot out For as often as any man shall say He slew many thousands of Persians it will be replied He did so and he slew Calisthenes too When it shall be said that he won all as far as to the very Ocean whereon also he adventured with unusual Navies and extended his Empire from a corner of Thrace to the utmost bounds of the East it shall be said withall But he killed Calisthenes Let him have out-gone all the ancient Examples of Captains and Kings none of all his Acts make so much to his Glory as the Death of Calisthenes to his reproach With the Army before mentioned of one hundred and twenty thousand Foot and Horse Alexander entred into the borders of India where such of the Princes as submitted themselves to him he entertained lovingly the others he enforced killing man woman and child where they resisted He then came before Nisa built by Bacchus which after a â—ew dayes was rendred to him From thence he removed to a Hill at hand which on the top had goodly Gardens filled with delicate fruits and Vines dedicated to Bacchus to whom he made Feasts for ten dayes together And when he had drank his fill went on to Dedula and from thence to Acadera Countries spoiled and abandoned by the Inhabitants by reason whereof Victuals failing he divided his Army Ptolomy led one part Cenon another and himself the rest These took in many Towns whereof that of greatest fame was Muzage which had in it three hundred thousand men but after some resistance it was yielded to him by Cleophe the Queen to whom he again restored it At the Siege of this City he received a wound in the leg After this Nola was taken by Polisperchon and a Rock of great strength by Alexander himself He won also a passage from one Eryx who was slain by his own men and his Head presented to Alexander This was the sum of his Actions in those parts before he came to the great River Indus And when he came thither he found there Ephestion who being sent before had prepared Boats for the transportation of his Army and before Alexanders arrival had prevailed with Omphis King of that part of the Country to submit himself to this great Conquerour And hereupon soon after Alexanders coming Omphis presented himself with all the strength of his Country and fifty six Elephants unto him offering him his service and assistance He told Alexander also that he was an enemy to the two next great Kings of that part of India named Abiasares and Porus wherewith Alexander was not a little pleased hoping by this their disunion to make his own Victory be the far more easie This Omphis also presented Alexander with a Crown of Gold the like did the rest of his Commanders and withall he gave him eight Talents of Silver coined which Alexander not only refused but to shew that he coveted Glory not Gold he gave Omphis a thousand Talents of his own Treasure besides other Persian rarities Abiasares being informed that Alexander had received his enemy Omphis into his protection he resolved to make his own peace also For knowing that his own strength did but equal that of Omphis he thought it but an ill match when Alexander who had already subdued all the greatest Princes of Asia should make himself a party and head of the quarrell So then now Alexander had none to stand in his way but Porus to whom he sent a command that he should attend him at the Borders of his Kingdom there to do him Homage But the gallant Porus returned him this manly answer That he would satisfie him in the first demand which was to attend him on his Borders and that well accompanied but for any other acknowledgment he was resolved to take counsel of his Sword To be short Alexander resolved to pass over the River of Hydaspes and to find out Porus at his own home But Porus saved him that labour attending him on the farther bank with thirty thousand Foot ninety Elephants and three hundred armed Chariots and a great Troop of Horse The River was half a mile broad and withal deep and swift It had in it many Islands amongst which there was one much overgrown with Wood and of good capacity Alexander sent Ptolomy with a good part of the Army up the River shrowding the rest from the sight of Porus under this Island by this devise Porus being drawn from the place of his first encamping set himself down opposite to Ptolomy supposing that the whole Army of Alexander was there intending to force their passage But in the mean while Alexander with his men recovered the the farther shore without resistance and ordering his Troops he advanced towards Porus who at first imagined them to be Abiasares his confederate come over Hydaspis to assist him
Souldiers and sent them home well rewarded by which means he procured the love of the Citizens but the greater hatred of the Tyrant Shortly after Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus Brother to Hyrcanus invaded Judea being assisted by Ptolomei the son of Menaeus and Fabius the Governour of Damascus and Masion the Tyrant of the Tyrians who adhered to him for the hatred that he bore to Herod whom Herod meeting when they had scarce entred the borders of Judea overcame them in Battel and drave them thence whereupon Hyrcanus honoured him with Crowns as soon as he returned to Jerusalem For he was already accounted as one of the Family of Hyrcanus being to marry Mariamne or Mary the daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus the Brother of Hyrcanus and of Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus M. Anthony having overcome Brutus and Cassius there met him Ambassies from all Nations in Bythinia and amongst the rest some of the Rulers of the Jews to accuse Phasaelus and Herod alledging that Hyrcanus ruled only in shew but in truth all the power was in the two Brothers Yet Anthony highly honoured Herod who was come thither to wipe of all those objections whereby it came to pass that his Adversaries were not so much as admitted to speak with Anthony and this Herod had obtained by his Bribes Yet not long after there came an hundred of the most honourable amongst the Jews to Daphne near Antioch in Syria to Anthony to accuse Phasaelus and Herod having chosen out of their whole number the most Eloquent to manage their business But Messala undertook the defence of the two Brothers with whom also Hyrcanus joyned who had betrothed his Grand-daughter to Herod Both Parties being heard Anthony asked Hyrcanus whether of the two parties were fittest to Govern a Commonwealth who speaking for the young men Anthony that loved them for their Fathers sake his old Friend he made them both Tetrarchs leaving to them the Government of all Judea writing his Letters to the same purpose and clapped fifteen of their Adversaries into Prison and would have put them to death had not Herod intreated for them But when the People did nothing but rail upon Herod Anthony in displeasure slew them all Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus hired the Parthians to translate the Kingdom from Hyrcanus to himself and to kill Herod who coming along with him and some Jews also joyning themselves to him he came to Jerusalem and they set upon the Kings House But Phasaelus and Herod defended it against them and in the Market place overcoming them in a fight forced them to fly into the Temple where they shut them in and placed sixty men in some adjoyning houses to prevent their flight but the people hating the two brethren set fire on those Houses and burnt the men in them which so inraged Herod that he slew many of the people and each laying wait for the other every day some were murdered The day of Pentecost being come many thousands of men as well armed as unarmed gathered together about the Temple from all parts of the Country and seized upon the Temple and City all but the Kings House which Herod kept with a few Souldiers as Phasaelus did the walls These brothers assisting each other assaulted their enemies in the Suburbs forced many thousands of them to flie some into the City and some into the Temple and others into a rampire that was near the City Hereupon Antigonus desired that Pacorus the General of the Parthians might be admitted to make peace between them which Phasaelus assented to and Pacorus perswaded him to go with him as an Ambassador to Barzapharnes another General of the Parthians laying an ambush for him by the way Phasaelus assented though much against the mind of his Brother Herod and was willing to go with Pacorus and took Hyrcanus along with him Pacorus leaving two hundred Horsemen with Herod and ten whom they called Eleutheri went along with the Ambassadors And as soon as they were come into Galile Barzapharnes entertained them with a cheerful countenance and bestowed gifts upon them but watched an opportunity to intrap them and so Phasaelus was brought with his Company to a place near the Sea-side called Ecdippon where Ophellus a rich Syrian understanding of the treachery intended against them offered Phasaelus some Ships to carry him away But he unwilling to leave Hyrcanus and his Brother Herod in danger expostulated with Barzapharnes about the injury offered to them who were Ambassadors who swore that these things were not true and presently went to Pacorus No sooner was he gon but Hyrcanus and Phasaelus were clapped up in Prison much detesting the perfidiousness of the Parthians and an Eunuch also was sent to Herod with a command to surprize him if he could get him out of Jerusalem Herod having intelligence what had happened to his Brother taking with him such forces as he had in readiness and his Mother Cybele his Sister Salome his Wife Mariamne and his Wives Mother Alexandra the Daughter of Hyrcanus and his yougest Brother Pheroras with their Servants he privately by Night took his flight into Idumaea In their journey his Mother by the overthrow of her Coach was in great danger of death and Herod fearing least the enemies should overtake them whilest they stayed there drew forth his Sword thinking to kill himself But being restrained by those which stood by he went towards Massada a very strong place which is seated in Arabia and Palestine by the nearest way that he could possible The Parthians first and also the Jews pursuing him by that he was sixty furlongs from the City but he repelled them both in fight The next day after Herod had fled from Jerusalem the Parthians plundered the City and the Kings House only the Treasure of Hyrcanus which was three hundred Talents remained untouched A great part also of Herods substance which he had not carried away with him they siezed upon and not satisfied therewith they harrized all the Country also and razed the rich City of Marissa Antigonus being thus setled in Judaea by the Parthians he received into his custody Hyrcanus and Phasaelus who were Prisoners yet he was much grieved that the Women were got away whom he had intended to deliver to the Parthians together with the money which he had promised to give them Being afraid also lest Hyrcanus should again by the favour of the People be restored to his Kingdom and Priest-hood he cut off his ears thereby rendring him unfit for the Priest-hood the Law forbidding that any one who wanted a member should approach to the Altar Lev. 21. 17 c. Phasaelus knowing that his death was determined sought to lay violent hands upon himself but being hindred by reason of his chains he dashed out his brains against a stone Yet before he was quite dead hearing by a Woman that his Brother Herod was escaped he
ever he used But Caesar marvelled that being in so strong a City and expecting his Army out of Spain and being Master of the Seas besides he vvould so easily forsake Italy Thus Caesar vvithin threescore days became Lord of all Italy vvithout bloodshed He was very desirous speedily to have followed Pompey but having no Ships ready he was forced to stay Then did he hasten into Spain to joyn Pompey's Army with his own Pompey in the mean space had gotten a marvellous great power together both by Sea and Land By Sea he had five hundred good Ships of War besides multitudes of Galliots Foists and Pinnaces By Land he had all the flower of the Horsemen of Rome and of all Italy to the number of seven thousand Valiant men and of great Houses But his Footmen were raw and untrained Souldiers whom Pompey continually exercised at the City of Beraea taking as much pains therein as if he had been in his youth It was great encouragement to others to see Pompey being fifty eight years old fighting on foot compleatly Armed and then speedily to mount on Horseback and in his full Career to draw and put up his Sword to cast his Dart with as much agility and strength and point blank that few young men could do the like To Pompey there came divers Kings Princes and Lords of great Countries and of Roman Captains who had born Office to the number of a vvhole Senate Amongst these there came also Labienus who formerly had been Caesars great Friend and an assistant to him in his Wars in Gaul There came also to him Brutus a very Valiant man vvho had never before spoken unto Pompey because he thought him guilty of his Fathers Murther but novv he vvillingly joyned with him as a defender of the Roman Liberties Cicero himself also vvho had Written and given counsel for Peace thought it a shame not to be amongst the number of those vvho would hazard their lives in the defence of their Country There came also Didius Sextus though he was an old man and lame of one of his Legs vvhom when Pompey savv coming though others laughed him to scorn yet he rose up and vvent to meet him judging it a sign of much love vvhen such old men chose rather to accompany him in danger than to remain at home in safety The chief of Pompey's Army sitting in Counsel decreed that no Citizen of Rome should be put to death but such as fell in Battel That no City subject to the Empire of Rome should be sackt vvhich made Pompey's part liked the better And most judged those Enemies both to the Gods and Men that did not vvish him the Victory Caesar also shevved himself very courteous and merciful for having taken all Pompey's Army in Spain he set all the Captains at liberty and only reserved the Souldiers to himself Then coming over the Alps again he passed through all Italy and came to Brundusium in the Winter time and from thence passing over the Sea he came to the City of Oricum and having Vibius one of Pompey's familiar Friends with him whom he had taken Prisoner he sent him to Pompey again to desire that they might meet and both of them disband their Armies within three days and being reconciled and having given their Faith each to other to return into Italy like good Friends together But Pompey durst not trust to these fair words judging them but snares to entrap him He therefore suddenly removed to the Sea coast and took all the places of strength neer to the Sea side safely to lodg his Camp in and all the Ports Harbours and Creeks fit for Ships to lie in so that whatsoever Wind blew it served his turn to bring him either men victuals or mony Caesar on the other hand was so distressed both by Sea and Land that he was driven to hasten to a Battel and to assail Pompey even in his own strength to force him to fight with him and for the most part he always had the better in most skirmishes saving one wherein he was in danger to have lost all his Army For Pompey had valiantly repulsed all his men and made them flie and had slain two thosand of them in the Field but he durst not enter pell mell with them into their Camp when they fled which made Caesar say to his Friends That his Enemy had won the Victory that day if he had known how to overcome This Victory did so encourage Pompeys men that they would needs hazard a Battel But Pompey though he wrote to many of his Friends and Confederates as if he had already beaten Caesar yet was he not willing to adventure all upon a Battel thinking it better by protracting time and cutting his Enemy short of Victuals to overcome him For this end Pompey perswaded his men to be quiet and not to stir But when Caesar after this last bickering being scanted of Victuals raised his Camp and departed to go into Thessaly through the Country of the Athamaneans then he could no longer bridle their courage who cryed out Caesar is fled let us follow him And others said let us return home into Italy And some sent their Friends and Servants to Rome to hire them Houses near the Market place intending at their return to sue for Offices Some in a jollity would needs sail to Lesbos where Pompey had left his Wife Cornelia to carry her the good news that the War was endeed Pompey calling a Counsel Affricanus thought it best to go into Italy and to win that as being the chiefest mark they shot at in this War For whosoever had that was sure of all Sicily Sardinia Corsica Spain and Gaul He said also that it was a dishonour to Pompey who should be very tender of his credit to suffer their Country to be in such bondage and subjection to Slaves and base flatterers of a Tyrant when as it offered it self as it were into their hands But Pompey thought it dishonourable for him to flie from Caesar and to make him follow him since he now had him in chase nor lawful before the Gods now to forsake his Father in Law Scipio and many others who had been Consuls and who were dispersed up and down Greece and Thessaly who by this means would certainly fall into Caesars hands together with their Riches and Armies He said also that they had care enough for the City of Rome by drawing their Armies farthest from it so as they remaing safe and quiet at home not feeling the miseries of War might joyfully welcome him home that remained Conquerour With this determination he followed Caesar not intending to give him Battel but to besiege him and so to cut him short of Victuals But whilst he pursued him fair and softly his men cryed out of him that he intended not to War against Caesar but against his own Country that he might still keep the authority in his hand Phaonius
all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Aegypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers only When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised and Pompey coming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandment basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeius were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Arms he wept considering the end and success of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in AEgypt he found the Country imbroiled in Civil Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdom wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Eunuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay near the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to do by Caesar as they had done by Pompey so that within a few days there began between Caesar and his small Army both in the City and in the Harbour where the Ships and Gallies lay the most cruel and dangerous encounter that ever Caesar met with for he was often forced to fight in his own Person both within the City whereof the Enemies held the greater part and also in the Harbour with his Ships and was sometimes in so great peril and danger that he was forced to leap out of the Boat into the Water and by swimming to get one of the Gallies at which time he held his Commentaries in one hand above Water and carry his Robe in his teeth and to swim with the other hand But when his other Forces were come to him from Asia and other parts he at the end of nine months for so long these Wars lasted became Victorious as in all other his enterprises he had been and the young King Ptolomy was slain in fight In this War Caesar did such exploits and behaved himself so gallantly that for the same only he well deserved the fame and name of a brave Captain The Pride of the Aegyptians being thus tamed Caesar put to death the murtherers of Pompey and established the fair Cleopatra the Queen and Governess of Aegypt whom during his stay there he intertained for his Friend and had a Son by her called Caesarion And when he had quitted and settled all things in Aegypt he departed thence into Asia and travelled through Syria now Soria being informed that during his troubles in Aegypt King Pharnaces the Son of that mighty King Methridates thought it a fit time whilst the Romans were embroiled in Civil Wars to recover what his Father had lost For which end having overthrown Domitius whom Caesar had sent to govern those parts and having taken by force of Arms the Provinces of Bithynia and Cappadocia expelling thence King Ariobarzanes a Friend and Subject of Rome and beginning to do the like in Armenia the less which King Deiotarus had subjected to the Romans Caesar I say being informed hereof went with his Army sooner than Pharnaces imagined though he expected him and had intelligence of his appproach so that in few days they came to a Battel in which the King was soon overthrown and put to slight with great slaughter of his People yet himself escaped Caesar was very joyful for this Victory because of his earnest desire to return to Rome where he knew that many scandals were raised and many insolencies were committed for want of his presence He knew also that Pompeys eldest Son had seized upon a great part of Spain and had raised great Forces of those which Marcus Varro had left there and of his Fathers Troops He also understood that in Africa many Principal Romans who had escaped from the Battel of Pharsalia were gathered together whereof M. Cato surnamed Uticensis was the chief and Scipio Pompeys Father in Law and that these went thither with the greatest part of the Ships and Galleys which belonged to Pompey and with the greatest power that they were able to leavy and that joyning with Juba King of Mauritania they had subdued all that Country and had a great Army in a readiness to oppose him having chosen Scipio for their General because that Cato would not take that office upon him and for that the Name of Scipio had been so fortunate in Africa Caesar having intelligence of all these things within the space of a few days with great celerity and diligence recovered all that Pharnaces had usurped and chasing him out of Portus he regained all those Countries and so leaving Celius Minucius for General with two Legions to guard that Province pacifying the controversies and contentions in the rest and rewarding the Kings and Tetrachs which continued firm in their Leagues and amity with the Romans without any longer aboad he departed out of Asia and in a short space arrived in Italy and so passed to Rome within little more than a year after he went thence which was a very short time for the performance of so great matters and so long a Journey Presently after his comming to Rome he caused himself to be chosen Consul the third time and reforming so much as the time and his leasure would permit all disorders in Rome being troubled and not able to endure that his Enemies should possess Africk with great expedition he prepared all things necessary and from Rome took his way towards Africk commanding his Army to follow him First he went into Italy from whence taking Ship he passed over into Africk and though neither his Navy nor his Army arrived with him trusting to the valour of those that he had with him and his own good Fortune he landed with small Forces near to the City of Adrumentum and from thence marched to another City called Leptis
with a very proud and haughty countenance and approaching near to the Emperour he by his Interpreter asked of Axalla which was he and being shewed him he spake in an haughty language after this manner The gods whom I worship being provoked against my Nation and People have conspired against my good fortune and made me this day thy prisoner But forasmuch as it is reported over all the world that Tamerlane maketh war for the honour of his Nation thou shouldst be content with this thy glory that the Lord of the world and child of the Sun is in thy power to receive such Laws as thou pleasest to subscribe unto him This he spake in a brave manner without any other humbling of himself The Emperour on the other side saluting him very courteously led him into his Tent. This King of China was a great Prince having two hundred famous Cities within his Kingdom which also is a fruitful and plentiful Countrey wherein are Mines of Gold and Silver much Musk and Rliubarb It abounds in Fish and Fowl and hath much Silk and Porclane with Cotton and Linnen c. Then did Tamerlane assemble his Captains to consult about the disposal of the King and how the Victory should be best improved At the same time he received news by Odmar that the Kings Brother who escaped out of the battel was at Quantou which he had strongly fortified and that great store of forces began to adjoyn themselves to him Hereupon he commanded two thousand Parthian horse to convey the King to Paguinfou and from thence to Burda where he was to be kept carefully Then did he resolve upon the besieging of Quantou and if it were possible to shut up the Kings Brother therein it being one of the principal seats that belonged to the King of China It was forty Leagues from the place where the battel was fought Thither therefore he sent a good party of his Army under Odmar who pitched his Tents about the City But the Kings Brother was gone The Emperour in the mean time summoned and took in many lesser Cities which yielded wholly to his mercy making great lamentation for their captive King yet the gentleness of the Conquerour made them to take all their losses with patience and the rather because they heard that he used their King courteously The Kings brother also sent Ambassadours to Tamerlane craving leave to see the King and to know of his health which the Emperour willingly assented to Now the Kings brother hearing of the estate of the besieged in Quantou he resolved either to relieve it or to fight a battel for which end he advanced strait unto Porchio making a bridge of Boats to pass over the River But Odmar being informed that about fifty thousand of his men were come over he suddenly set upon them being out of order and not informed of their enemies approach also to prevent the coming over of the rest to their assistance he sent a fire-boat down the stream against their bridge of Boats which brake it in sunder and where it was resisted set all on fire and so in a great battel overthrew them The King of Cauchin-China who was amongst them fighting valiantly was slain The Kings Brother who was on the other side of the River not yet come over saw his men slain and drowned and could not relieve them This second overthrow was of no small importance though it was but the third part of the Kings brothers Army For the Citizens of Quantou hearing of it and despairing of relief sent out some Proposals for their surrender Axalla which received them presently dispatched away a faithful messenger to the Emperour to know his pleasure therein This was more welcome news to him than the overthrow of his Enemies wherefore he referred all to the sufficiency and fidelity of Axalla So that upon Treaty the City was surrendred to Axalla who caused the Garrison to come out and received the inhabitants into the Emperours protection and all that would might continue in it unarmed afterwards he entred into it and was received with great signs of joy by the Inhabitants who resolved to entertain the Emperour with all the solemnity that might be Axalla put thirty thousand men into it for a Garrison injoyning the Citizens to pay the Emperours Army four hundred and fifty thousand Crowns Presently after he received a command from the Emperour to stay in the City himself and to send all the rest of his Footmen unto him which he commanded the rather because he understood that Ambassadours were coming to him from the Kings Brother to treat of Peace and he presumed the sight of all his Army together ready to march would strike such a terrour into them as would cause them the readilier to assent to good terms The Ambassadours sent by the Kings Brother were of their chiefest men whom Tamerlane entertained with all humanity causing his greatness to appear to them as also the activity of his Horsemen whereby they might discern that it would tend to the destruction of their Country if they agreed not with him Then did the Ambassadours deliver their message which consisted of two branches One was for the delivery of their King the other for the preservation of their Countrey The Emperour answered that they should deliver their message in writing and he would give a speedy answer Their Propositions were that they would leave Paguinfou and all the Country beyond it with all the Fortresses of the mountains in Tamerlanes possession That they would pay all the charges of his Army from that day forward And that they would give two millions of gold for the ransome of their King To this the Emperour answered that he would keep that which he had conquered within the Countrey being his own as taken by his arms That he would have the River by which his Army was now encamped and so along to the Sea to be his Frontiers That the King of China should pay him yearly two hundred thousand Crowns which should be delivered at Paguinfou for acknowledgment of his submission to his Empire That he should pay five hundred thousand Crowns in ready money for the charge of his Army That the King of China should be delivered and that all the other Chinois prisoners should pay ransomes to particular men that took them except those which carried the names of Kings who should pay ten thousand Crowns for their liberty and peace And that no Chinois should be kept for a slave nor sold for such hereafter being under the Emperours obedience That Traffick and intercourse of Merchants should be free between both the Nations That the King of China should deliver his Brother and two other called Kings with twelve principal men of the Countrey for Hostages to secure the Peace These conditions after they had consulted together were accepted of hoping that time would restore again their ancient liberty and in the
Samercand to confer with him about the setting forward of his Army For although he was still accompanied with renowned Princes and famous Captains yet were they no body in comparison of Axalla whose sound Judgment and Counsel had won him such credit with his Lord and Master as by his advice he did all things and without him nothing which his so great Authority and Favour with his Prince wanted not the envy of the Court but that his great Vertues and rare-found Courtesie in so great fortune together with so many great services as he had done supported him against the malice of the same He upon this command from Tamerlane leaving the charge of the Army at Ozara with the Prince of Thanais came to Samercand and there discoursed with him at large concerning the estate and order of his Army and so shortly after they all departed to Ozara where a new consultation was held by which way he should conduct his Army as whether it was better to lead them by the coast of the Muscovite directly towards Capha or on the other side of the Calpian Sea by the skirts of Persia and after much discourse and sundry opinions with their reasons delivered it was resolved although the way were the longer to pass by the Muscovite so to come to the Georgians and to Trepizond and from thence to enter into the Ottamans Kingdom This being resolved on they marched forward till at length they came to Maranis where he stayed three dayes looking for the China Forces whereof they received news There also Tamerlane mustered and paid his Army He had also news of fifteen thousand Horsemen sent him by the Muscovite with a sum of money with leave for him to pass through so much of his Territories as should be necessary being glad that he set upon others rather than on himself and that such great preparations should fall upon them whose greatness was as dreadful and dangerous to him as any other Tamerlane caused a great quantity of Victuals and most part of the furniture of his Army to be sent along the Caspian Sea which was a great case and commodity to his men which marching by Land was of necessity to pass some twenty Leagues through places destitute both of Victuals and Water Himself all the way coasting along the Sea-shore passed his time in Hunting and Hawking to make the journey less tedious his Army not coming near him by ten Leagues which was so great that it extended it self full twenty Leagues Coming to the River Edel he stayed at Zarazich whilst his Army passed the River at Mechet and over two other Bridges that he had caused to be made of boats for that purpose Now the Circassians and Georgians hearing of the approach of Tamerlane with his huge Army by their Ambassadors offered him all the help and assistance they could afford him in his Journey as he passed that way These Georgians were and yet are Christians a great and Warlike people of long time tributaries to the Greek Emperours and afterwards sometime tributaries and sometimes confederates to the Persians but alvvayes enemies to the Turks and therefore glad they were of Tamerlanes coming against them Of these Warlike people Axalla drew great numbers to the service of his Prince who not a little esteemed of them being all tall men very beautiful of great strength and courage and withall most expert souldiers as having many times resisted the power of the Ottoman Kings by reason of the advantage of their Country which was rough mountainous and hard to come to These people every where kindly entertained Tamerlane and plentifully relieved his Army with all necessaries In passing through which and other Countries he took such order with his Souldiers that none of the people by whom they passed were any whit injured by them insomuch that if a souldier had taken but an Apple or any other trifle he died for it And one of his souldiers having taken a little milk from a Countrey-woman and she thereof complaining he caused him presently to be hanged and his stomack to be ript where the milk that he had lately drank being found he payed the woman for it who had otherwise without mercy died for her false accusation Which his great severity was indeed the preservation of his Army being so great as that it was thought impossible to provide it with Victuals whereof yet there was no want nor of any other thing necessary for the relief of man his Camp being still as a most populous and well-governed City stored with all manner of things whereunto both Artificers and Merchants resorted from far Countries with their Commodities as to some famous Mart and the Country people from every place without fear brought in their Country-commodities for which they received present money and so departed in peace So marching on he at length came to Bachichich where he stayed to refresh his Army eight dayes and there again took a general muster of them finding as some write four hundred thousand Horse and six hundred thousand Foot but others that were present with him say three hundred thousand Horse and five hundred thousand Footmen of all Nations There also he generally payed them and as his manner was made an oration to them informing them of such Orders as he would have observed with much other Military Discipline whereof he was very curious with his Captains In the mean time Bajazet would not believe that Tamerlane durst once look towards him yea so exceeding barbarous was he that he would not so much as suffer any man to speak of him or his Army to him by reason of his pride He also strictly forbad all the bordering people to make any Vows or Prayers for Tamerlanes prosperity But he was soon after awakened out of this Lethargy as we shall presently hear Indeed Tamerlane could hardly be perswaded that Bajazet having subdued the greatest part of Grecia and much distressed the Greek Emperour and having so great means to recover whatsoever he should lose in Asia would be so adventurous as to come over the streights out of Europe to try the fortune of a battel with him but rather warily to protract the time to weary him with wants that in a strange Country drew such a world of people after him wherein yet he found himself much deceived for when he had passed the Georgian Country and was come to Buisabuich Axalla whom he had not seen in eight dayes before because he commanded the Avantguard of the Army came to him with such news as he knew would be most grateful to him Which was that Bajazet had raised his siege before Constantinople to come and defend his new Conquests in Asia and that he was certainly resolved to come to a pitched Battel with him not so much trusting to the multitude of his men as to the experience and valour of his souldiers being long trained up in the Wars At which unexpected news
Tamerlane dost thou use such cruelty towards them whom thou overcomest without respect of Age or Sex That did I said he to strike the greater terrour into mine Enemies Then did Tamerlane ask him if he had ever given thanks to God for making him so great an Emperour No said he I never so much as thought upon any such thing Then said Tamerlane It s no wonder that so ungrateful a man should be made a spectacle of misery For you saith he being blind of an Eye and I lame of a Leg was there any worth in us that God should set us over two such great Empires to command so many men far more worthy than our selves But said Tamerlane what would thou have done with me if it had been my lot to have fallen into thy hands as thou art now in mine I would said Bajazet have enclosed thee in a Cage of Iron and so have carried thee up and down in Triumph through my Kingdom Even so said Tamerlane shalt thou be served And so causing him to be taken out of his presence turning to his followers he said Behold a proud and cruel man who deserves to be chastised accordingly and to be made an example to all the proud and cruel of the World of the just wrath of God against them I acknowledg that God this day hath delivered into my hands a great Enemy to whom therefore we must return thanks which he also caused publickly to be performed the same day for the Battel was ended about four a clock and there were divers hours yet of day-light The next day he caused the dead to be buried where amongst the rest was found the body of the Prince of Ciarchan dead in the midst of the Janizaries where he lay enclosed with their dead bodies shwing that he died not unrevenged whose untimely death Tamerlane much lamented causing his dead body to be Embalmed and with two thousand Horse and divers Turkish Prisoners chained together to be conveyed to Samercand until his coming thither All other dead bodies were with all honour that might be buried at Sennas This great bloody Battel was fought in the year of our Lord 1397. not far from Mount Stella where formerly the great King Methridates was by Pompey the Great in a great Battel overthrown It continued from seven a clock in the morning till four in the afternoon victory as it were all the while hovering with doubtful Wings over both Armies as uncertain where to light until at length the fortune of Tamerlane prevailed whose wisdom next unto God gave him the days Victory for that the politick tiring of the strong Forces of Bajazet was the safeguard of his own whereas if he had gone unto the Battel in one front assuredly the multitude finding such strong opposition had put it self into confusion but this successive manner of aiding his men made them all unto him profitable The number of the slain is variously reported The Turks themselves say that Bajazet lost there his noble Son Mustapha with two hundred thousand of his men and Tamerlane not many fewer Others say that the Turks lost about sixty thousand and Tamerlane not past twenty thousand But likely it is that the carnage was very great in so long a fight between two such Armies as probably never before met in a field together By this days event is plainly seen the uncertainty of worldly things and what small assurance even the greatest have in them Behold Bajazet the terrour of the World and as he thought superiour to fortune in an instant by the event of one Battel thrown into the bottom of misery and despair and that at such a time as he thought least of it even in the midst of his greatest strength It was three days before he could be pacified but as a desperate man still sought after death and called for it Neither did Tamerlane after he had once spoken with him at all afterwards use him courteously but as of a proud and insolent man made small account of him And to manifest that he knew how to curb the haughty he made him to be shackled in fetters and chains of Gold and so to be shut up in an Iron Cage made like a grate that he might be seen on every side and so carried him up and down as he passed thorow Asia to be made a scorn and derision to his own people over whom he had before Tyrannized And to his further disgrace upon Festival days he used him for a footstool to tread upon when he mounted on Horseback and at other times scornfully fed him like a Dog with fragments that fell from his Table A rare example of the uncertainty of worldly honours and greatness that he unto whose ambitious mind Asia and Europe two great parts of the World were too little should now be carried up and down cooped up in a little Iron cage like a dangerous wild beast How might he have taken up that speech of Hecuba in Seneca Quicunque Regno fidit magna potens dominatur in aula me videat Non unquam tulit Documenta Fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi Tamerlane used this severity not so much out of hatred to the man as to manifest the just Judgment of God against the arrogant folly of the proud And when on a time he was requested by one of his Nobles to remit some part of this rigour to so great a man he answered I do not use this rigour against him as a King but rather to punish him as a proud amibitious Tyrant polluted with the bloud of his own brother and many other innocents This so great an overthrow brought such a fear upon all the Countries possessed by Bajazet in Asia that Axalla being sent before Tamerlane with Forty thousand Horse and a hundred thousand Foot without carriages to prosecute the Victory came without resistance to Prusa whither all the remainder of Bajazets Army was retired with Bassa Mustapha all places as he marched along still yielding to him Yea the great Bassa with the rest hearing of his coming and not thinking themselves in safety in Asia fled over the streight of Hellespont to Callipolis and so Hadrianople Axalla coming to Prusa had the City without resistance yielded to him which by his Army was plundered and there with other of Bajazet's Wives and concubines he took prisoner the fair Despina Bajazet's best beloved Wife to the doubling of his grief Emanuel Paleologus now hearing of Tamerlane's coming to Prusa sent honourable Ambassadours thither before to Axalla by whom they were entertained till the coming of Tamerlane who received them with all the honour that might be shewing them all his magnificence and the order of his Camp to their great admiration For it resembled a most populous and well governed City by reason of the order that was therein which brought it plenty of victuals and of
like a Deluge threatned to over-run all Christendom I shall intermit the former till I have spoken something of this latter that I may proceed with the more clearness in the remainder of this History The motive of the Spanish War was more upon pleasure than necessity But Zeal of Religion gave a colour and shew of necessity to the Heroical designs of Charlemagne who sought to enlarge the limits of the French Monarchy by his Arms. But this his Spanish War as it was undertaken upon lighter grounds so was it more painful more dangerous and less successful then that of Italy whereunto necessity and duty had drawn Charlemagne yet did his wise and wary proceeding in the action warrant him from all blame The occasions which moved him to bend his Forces against the Sarazins in Spain were the assurance of good success the quiet and peace of his Realm that he might have opportunity to imploy his Souldiery the hate of the Spaniards against the Sarazins and the general fear of all Christians least these Caterpillars should creep further into Europe This was the estate of Spain at this time The Sarazins had conquered a great part of it and were divided under divers Commands which had the Title of Kingdoms Yet these divers Kings being apprehensive of their common danger resolved to unite their forces against Charlemagne their common enemy and foreseeing the Tempest they sought to prevent it and to cross the designs of Charlemagne For which end they suborned King Idnabala a Sarazin being a very subtile and crafty man to insinuate himself into the acquaintance and familiarity of Charlemagne which stratagem prevailed more then all their power and forces Charlemagne was much quickned to this War by Alphonso surnamed the Chast King of Navar and by the Aâ—turians and Gallizians Christian People of Spain who suggested to him that the War would be easie profitable and honourable and therefore most worthy the Valour and Fortune of Charlemagne This Idnabala also under a shew of friendship laboured to hasten him to the execution of this enterprise from which he knew well he could not divert him that he might the better betray him by discovering his Counsels to the Sarazins Charlemagne being well-affected of himself and thus excited by others assembled a Parliament at Noyon and there concluded a War against the Sarazins in Spain The Army which he employed in this action was very great both for number of men and Valour of Commanders and Chieftains being the most choice and Worthy Captains in all Christendome amongst whom these were of the chiefest note Milon Earl of Anger 's Rowland the Son of Milon and Berthe Sister to Charlemagne Renald of Montaubon The four Sons of Aymon Oger the Dane Oliver Earl of Geneva Arnold of Belland Brabin and many others The Valour of which Persons hath been fabulously related by the Writers of those dark times who for the most part were Friars concerning whom the Proverb was A Friar a Lyar with the addition of a thousand ridiculous tales so that the truth is hardly picked out from the midst of so much errour Yet what is most probable and can be gathered out of the most authentick Authors shall here be set down They say that Charlemagne to make this undertaking more honourable in shew did at this time institute the Order of the twelve Peers of France Charlemagne being entred into Spain with his brave Army found no object for them whereon to exercise their Valour For the Sarazins resolving to make a defensive rather than an offensive War had withdrawn themselves into their Cities which they had fortified strongly The most renowned of the Sarazin Kings at this time were Aigoland Bellingan Denises Marsile and Idnabala But this last as was said before made shew of much Friendship to Charlemagne and of open hatred against the other Sarazin Kings with whom notwithstanding he held secret and strict intelligence to betray Charlemagne unto them The first City that the French attempted was Pampelune in the Kingdom of Navarr the which they took by force but with much pains danger and loss Having sackt this City and put all the Sarazins in it to the Sword they marched to Saragoce which yielded to them upon composition as did also many other small Towns being terrified with the example of Pampelune This prosperous beginning encouraged Charlemagne to advance forward relying on his wonted Fortune and good success But as he passed through the Provinces of Spain like a Victorious Prince without any opposition he divided his Army and gave part of it to be conducted by Milon of Anger 's his Brother in Law who in his march near unto Bayon was set upon by Aigoland the Sarazin King who in this common danger had thrust an Army into the Field and now assaulted Milon and his Troops little expecting any Enemy and took him at such an advantage as he defeated him This loss was very great For Writers say that forty thousand of the French here lost their lives Milon himself being also slain for a confirmation of the Sarazins Victory Charlemagne was at this time afar off and so not able by any diligence to prevent the loss Yet he suppressed his grief and trouble least he should discourage the whole Army and so hastening thitherward he gathered up the remainder of those broken and dispersed Troops withall keeping the conquered Cities and such as were Friends in their due Obedience But after this there fell out another accident Aigoland being puffed up with Pride through his late Victory marched with his Army into Gascoine and besieged Agen to divert Charlemagne from his pursuit and to draw him home to defend his own Country So as Charlemagne fearing least his own absence and the Sarazins late Victory should cause any alteration in the minds of them of Guienne being then Subjects of whom he had no great assurance he returned into France Aigoland had now continued some moneths at the siege of Agen yet had prevailed little but only in over-running the Country which he did freely without any considerable resistance even unto Xaintonge the Country-men in the mean time retiring into the Walled Towns expected the return of Charlemagne their King Aigolands Army was very great and puffed up with the remembrance of their late Victory So as Charlemagne returning with his Forces from Spain well tired he maintained his Countries more through his authority than by present force yet did he give life to the courage of his Subjects with his presence and bridled the proud Sarazin who could not be ignorant with whom he had to deal nor where he was being environed with the enemies on all sides and in an enemies Country Hereupon Aigoland pretending an inclination to Peace gave Charlemagne to understand that he had been the first Invader and that his own comming into France was only to draw his Enemy out of Spain and to cause him to leave to the
Osnabourg Hildesem and Halberstad But though he gave the Bishops power of Governing yet the Nobles did not altogether loose the power of administring in Publick affairs At last because the Saxons revolted again he removed ten thousand of them with their Wives and Children into Brabant and Flanders and sent some French to inhabit their rooms Charlemagne lived fifteen years after that he had united the Roman Empire to the French Monarchy yet not without many troubles For Grimoald Duke of Beneventum sought to disturb Italy in the behalf of the Lombards but Charles prevented it betimes imploying against him his Son Pepin a worthy and valiant Prince and Grimoald being vanquished was entreated with all mildness and being restored to his Estate he became afterwards a very affectionate and obedient Servant to Charlemagne who was a prudent Conquerour that knew as well how to use as how to get a Victory After this it followed that for some attempts made by the Venetians against the Empire of Charlemagne in the behalf of the Emperour of Constantinople or as others say upon the false information of Fortunatus Patriarch of Grado that Charlemagne commanded his Son Pepin King of Italy to make Wars against them which he acordingly began with great resolution and took the Cities and Fortresses which the Venetians held within the main land and at length besieged the City of Venice it self both by Sea and by Land to the relief whereof the Greek Emperour sent a Fleet about which Authors agree not for some say that Pepin wholly took Venice Others say that he only took some Islands thereof and that the place wich is called Rioalte defended it self How ever it was this War continued long Obeliers and Becur two great Personages being the chief Commanders for the Venetians At last Peace was concluded betwix them and the Venetians had liberty to live after their own Laws and customs and the Venetians won great reputation for being able to defend themselves against so potent and victorious an Enemy Charlemagne would have the Country which he had conquered from the Lombards to be called Lombardy that by retaining their Name he might somewhat sweeten their servile condition in the ruin of their estate But now Charlemagne finding himself old and broken and his Children Valiant Wise and Obedient he resolved to make his last Will and Testament wherein he divided his Kingdoms between his three legitimate Sons to wit Charles his Eldest Pepin and Lewis In which he made his eldest Son Charles King of the greatest and best parts of France and Germany To Pepin he gave the Kingdom of Italy and Bavaria with some other Provinces And to Lewis he bequeathed Provence and that part of France which bordereth upon Spain together with some other Provinces But all succeeded after another manner than he attended God the Soveraign disposer of Kingdoms having decreed otherwise to dispose thereof He endeavoured also to reduce all his Kingdoms under one Law making choise of the Roman Laws above all others both for the dignity of the Empire and because they seemed to him to be most just and equal But the French being loath to alter any thing in their customary Laws desired and obtained of him that they might be governed by the same So as Gaul Narbonne which comprehends Daulphine Languedoc and Provence do use the written Laws as the ancient Provinces of the Romans and the rest of France observe their customary Laws It afterwards happened that a great Fleet of Infidels which inhabited Spain with the aid and assistance of some Africans invaded the Isles of Sardinia and Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea for the defence whereof the Emperour Charlemagne sent commandment to his Son Pepin that he should send thither against them a valiant Captain whose name was Bucaredus who took so good order as that he drove those Infidels out of those Islands and slew five thousand of them in one Battel And with no less good success the Emperour undertook another War against the Dukes of the Bohemians and Polanders which is a part of the ancient Sarmatia who infested the Countries under his Dominions against whom he sent his Son Charles with great Forces of Burgonians Saxons and Germans And this young Charles imitating his Father Warred valiantly and with discretion against them and coming first to a Battel with the Bohemians led by Leo their Duke he overcame them as he did also at other times and at last he slew Leo their Duke the like success he had also against the Polanders so as at length they all became his Fathers Subjects And for these Victories of Charlemagne he was so much feared and renowned through the World that a great King of the East and Amurath the greatest of all the Mahomatists sent their Ambassadours with rich Presents unto him desiring peace and friendship and the like did all Christian Kings Charlemagne thus living with honour and in tranquillity Godfrey King of Denmark which was a dependance of the Realm of Germany and part of Charles his Portion as was hinted before made War against him This Godfrey was a mighty Prince and commanded over a large mighty Dominion and with great Forces came into Friesland and Saxony where he did great harm Against whom the Emperour addressing himself though he was now Old and unweildy speedily departed with a great Army but by the way news was brought him that King Godfrey was dead and that his Army was returned into their own Country And upon the same day news came also that his Son Pepin who had raigned in Italy in great prosperity was dead in the City of Millan which was an occasion of great grief to the old Emperour Then did he return to the City of Aken or Aix unto which place Ambassadours came to him from Hermigius who succeeded Godfrey in the Kingdom of Denmark humbly desiring Peace The like came also to him from the Emperour of Constantinople and others also from Ambulat a King of the Moors who raigned in a great part of Spain to all which he returned gracious answers and granted their Petitions withall giving hearty thanks to God for that he was generally so well esteemed of But after this Sunshine another storm returned as the Clouds return after the rain For it pleased God to take away another of his Sons called Charles who lay on the borders of Germany for the defence thereof so as now his whole hope rested in his third Son Lewis Thus man purposeth and God disposeth Thus the Sons die before the Father Thus we see the greatest cannot free themselves from the common calamities of mankind Thus both great Kings and great Kingdoms have their Period Crowns have their compass Kingdoms have their date Fortune her frowns Felicity her fate Thus Charlemagne lost his Children and his great Empire her best support under God For these two Princes like Stars of the greater magnitude did shine bright by inheriting their
Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Artaxerxes Alexander Epaminondas Herod Hanibal Pompey Iulius Caesar. Augustus Charlemain Tamberlain THE LIVES DEATHS Of most of those EMINENT PERSONS WHO By their VIRTUE and VALOUR Obtained the Sirnames of MAGNI OR THE GREAT Whereof divers of them give much Light to the Understanding of the Prophecies in Esay Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel concerning the three first Monarchies And to other Scriptures concerning the Captivity and Restauration of the Jews The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged By Samuel Clark Minister of the Gospel Longum iter per pracepta breve per Exempl Hierom. LONDON Printed by J. R. for W. B. and are to be sold by Tho. Sawbridge at the three Flower de Luces in Little Britain and by W. Birch at the Peacock at the lower end of Cheap-side 1675. THE LIFE and DEATH OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE GREAT First Emperour of the CHALDEANS NEbuchadonazar or Nebuchadnezzar was the Son of Nebuchadonazar or Nabopolaser of Babylon who was made General of the Army by Saraco King of Assyria and Chaldea after whose death Nabopolaser took into his hands the Kingdom of Chaldea which he held by the space of one and twenty years At the same time Astyages was made Governour of Media by Cyaxares his Father and the better to strengthen themselves they entred into affinity by Astyages his giving his Daughter Amytis to Nebuchadnezzar the Son of Nabopolaser and thereupon joyning their Forces together they took Ninive together with Seraco the King thereof placing a Vice-Roy in his stead Shortly after the Governour of Coelosyria and Poenicia revolting from Nabopolaser he sent against him his Son Nebuchadnezzar having first associated him with himself in the Kingdom of Babylon with a great Army which was in the latter end of the third and the beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim King of Juda as appears Dan. 1. 1. compated with Jer. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar was no sooner thus associated with his Father in the Kingdom but the things which he was to act were presently revealed to the Prophet Jeremy the first whereof was the overthrow of the Egyptians First at the River Euphrates then in their own Country Jer. 46. The first of these came to pass presently Pharaoh Necho's Forces which he had left at Carchemish being cut off by Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth year of Jehojakim Jer. 46. 2. The second was not till after the taking of Tyre in the seventeenth year of the Captivity of Jechonia Ezek. 29. 17 18 19. In the third year of Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar the second his Father being yet alive entred Iudaea with a great Army who besieging and forcing Ierusalem made Iehoiakim his Vassal in despight of Pharaoh Necho who had made him King and took with him to Babylon for Pledges Daniel who was yet a Child with Ananias Misael and Azarias He took also part of the Treasures belonging to the Temple but stayed not to stayed not to search throughly for all For Necho hasted with his Army to the relief of Iehoiakim hoping to find Nebuchadnezzar in Iudea But this great Babylonian had no mind to hazard himself and his Army against the Egyptian Iudaea being so ill affected towards him and himself far from all succour or sure place of retreat If he had as may be supposed any great strength of Scythian Horsemen it was wisely done of him to fall back out of that rough Mountanous and hot Country into places that were more even and temperate And besides these reasons the Death of his Father happening at the same time gave him just occasion to return home and take possession of his own Kingdom before he proceeded in the second care of adding more unto it And this he did at reasonable good leisure For the Egyptian was not provided to follow him so far and to bid him Battel until the new year came in which was the fourth of Iehoiakim the first of Nebuchadnezzar and the last of Necho In this year the Babylonian lying upon the Banks of Euphrates his own Territories bounding it on the North-side attended the coming of Necho there after a cruel Battel fought betwixt them Necho was slain and his Army forced to save it self by a violent retreat wherein it suffered great loss This Victory was so well pursued by Nebuchadnezzar that he recovered all Syria and whatsoever the Egyptians held out of their proper Territories towards the North. The Egyptians being thus beaten and altogether for the present discouraged Iehoiakim held himself quiet as being in heart a Friend to the Egyptians yet having made his peace with the Chaldeans the year before and Mebuchadnezzar was contented with such profit as he could there readily make he had forborn to lay any Tribute upon the Iews But this cool reservedness of Iehoiakim was on both sides taken in ill part Whereupon the Egyptian King Psamnis who succeeded Necho began to think of restoring Iehoahaz who had been taken prisoner by his Father and carried into Egypt and of setting him up as a Domestical enemy against his ungrateful Brother But to anticipate all such accidents the Iudaean had put in practice the usual remedy which his fore-fathers used For he had made his own Son Iechonia King with him long before in the second year of his own Reign when the Boy was but eight years old As for this rumour of Iehoahaz his return the Prophet Ieremy foretold that it should prove a vain attempt saying He shall not return thither But he shall die in the place whither they have led him Captive and shall see this Land no more Jer. 22. 11 12. The Egyptians having lost their Mercenary Forces and received that heavy blow at Carchemish had more Gold than sharp Steel remaining which is of small force without the others help Besides the Valour of Necho was not in Psamnis Apries who reigning after Psamnis did indeed once adventure to shew his face in Syria but after a big look he was glad to retire without adventuring the hazard of a Battel Wherefore this declining Nation fought only with brave words telling such frivolous tales as men that mean to do nothing use boasting of their former glorious acts against Iosias and Iehoahaz And truly in such a time and case it was easie for Iehoiakim to give them satisfaction by letting them understand the sincerity of his affections towards them which appeared in time following But Nebuchadnezzar went more roundly to work For he sent a peremptory message to Iehoiakim requiring him not to stand upon any nice points but presently to acknowledge himself his subject and to pay him Tribute Adding thereunto such terrible threatnings as made the poor Iudaean lay aside all thoughts of adhering unto Pharaoh and to yield to do as the more powerful would have him Thus he continued in Obedience to Nebuchadnezzar three years During which time the Prophet Jeremy cryed out against the Impiety of the Jews putting them in mind that he had
and Baruch to accompany them they went into Egypt and by the permission of Pharaoh they dwelt in Taphnes where when Ieremy often reproved them for their Idolatry foretelling the destruction of themselves and the Egyptians he was by these his own hard-hearted and ingrateful Country-men stoned to death and by the Egyptians who greatly reverenced him buried near the Sepulchre of their Kings Ier. 42. and 43. The nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars Reign it was when destroying utterly the great and mighty City of Ierusalem he exceedingly enriched himself with the spoils of it and the Temple and by that dreadful Example terrified all those that should dare to resist him From that time forward he to his three and twentieth year laboured in the Conquest of those adjoyning Countries which God had exposed unto his Sword and commanded to wear his Yoke namely the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Tyrians Sidonians and Egyptians though some of these were already become his followers and served under him when Ierusalem was taken and burnt But the Tyrians whose City was built upon an Island and therefore secure from the invasion of any Land-Army and whose Fleet was so strong that they needed not to fear any enemy at Sea were neither daunted with the fall of their neighbour City nor with the obstinate resolution of this mighty King imploying all his wit and power to work their subversion That the City of Tyre was rather well-pleased than any way discouraged with the destruction of Ierusalem it appeareth by the Words which Ezekiel condemneth as the common voice of Tyrus Ezek. 26. 2. Aha! the Gate of the People is broken it is turned unto me For seeing she is desolate I shall be replenished Yet at length that great work before mentioned began to appear above Water and so to threaten them with inevitable mischief Nebuchadnezzar still follows his work hard notwithstanding all discouragements and in the thirteenth year of the Siege and the nineteenth of his Reign he had brought it to such perfection that now the Citizens despaired of holding out against him whereupon all the chiefest of them imbarked themselves their Families and Treasures in their Fleet and escaped to the Isle of Cyprus but the poorer sort were left to the fury of the enemy who being inraged for being put to so much pains slew with the Sword not only such people of Type as dwelt on the Continent who are called her Daughters in the Field but the like execution was done in the streets into which with excessive labour the Chaldeans made way for his Horses and Chariots Thus Nebuchadnezzar made his Army serve a great service against Tyrus wherein every head was made bald and every shoulder was made bare yet had he no wages nor his Army Ezek. 20. 18. but was fain to rest contented with the Honour of having destroyed that City which in all mens Judgments had been held invincible The destruction of these two Great and powerful Cities having made the name of the Chaldeans dreadful in the ears of all the Nations round about Nebuchadnezzar used this advantage of that reputation which he had obtained by his victories already gotten to the getting of more and more profitable with less pains The Kingdom of Egypt was the mark which he chiefly aimed at A Country so abounding in Riches and pleasures that it might well have tempted any Prince finding himself strong enough to pick occasion of quarrel against it Besides it was so far an enemy to the Crown of Babylon that had it been far poorer yet it must have been subdued or the Conquest of Syria could not have been secured Yet was it needful that before he entred upon this business the Countries adjacent should be reduced into such tearms that either they should wholly stand at his devotion or at least be able not to work him any displeasure And herein the Decree of God concurred as in all prosperous enterprises with reason of State For the people of Moab Ammon Edom Damascus Kedar Hazor and other adjoyning Regions whom God for their sins had condemned to fall under the Babylonian Yoke were such as regarding only their own gain had some of them like Ravens followed the Chaldean Army to feed upon the carcasses that fell by the cruelty thereof Others taking advantage of their Neighbours miseries occupied the Countries which by his Victories belonged to Nebuchadnezzar all of them thinking that when the Babylonian had satisfied his fury he would be forced to forsake those desolated Countries and leave the possession of them to those who could first seize upon them Particularly the Edomites and Philistines had shewed much malice against the Iews when their City was taken Ezek. 25. 12 15. Whether they had done any good service to the Chaldeans it appears not if they did any its like to have been in reference to their own advantage wherein yet they were deceived The Ammonites were not contented to rejoyce only at the fall of Jerusalem but presently they entred upon the Country of God and took possession of it as if not the Chaldeans but they had subdued Israel Ezek. 25. 3. Jer. 49. 1. Neither can it be imagined what other design Baalis King of the Ammonites had when he sent Ismael a Prince of the Blood of Judah to murther Gedalia whom the King of Babel had made Governour over those that remained in Israel and to carry Captive into the Ammonites Country the People that abode in Mizpah than a desire of entangling Nebuchadnezzar with so many labours at once as should force him to retire into his own Country and abandon those wasted Lands to himself and others for whom they lay conveniently Such or the like Policy the Moabites also did exercise whose Pride and Wrath were made frustrate by God and their dissimulation condemned as not doing aright Ver. 40. 14. 41. 2. 10. 28 27 c All these Nations had the Art of ravening which is familiar to such as either live in or that border upon Desarts and now the time ministred occasion to them to shew the uttermost cunning of their Thievish wits But Nebuchadnezzar made void all their devices by sharp and sudden War upon them overwhelming them with unexpected ruin as it were in one night according to the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel who all foretold with little difference of Words the greatness and swiftness of the misery that should come upon them It appears not with which of them he first began but it seems that Moab was the last that felt his heavy hand For so many interpret that Prophesie of Isay threatning Moab with destruction after three years as having reference to the third year following the destruction of Jerusalem the next year after it being spent in the Egyptian expedition This is evident that all the principal Towns in these Countries were burnt and the people either slain or made captives few excepted who saved themselves by flight and had
and very observable that at Christs coming and at the first preaching of the Gospel the Devil in this and in all other his Oracles became speechless From the Temple of Hammon Alexander returned to Memphis where among many other learned men he heard the Philosopher Psammones who understanding that he affected the Title of Jupiters Son told him that God was the Father King of all men and refining the Pride of this haughty King he brought him to acknowledg that God was the Father of all mortal men but that he acknowledgeth none for his Children save good men The charge of the several Provinces of Egypt Alexander gave to several Governours following therein the Rules of his Master Aristotle that a great Dominion should not be continued in the hands of any one man Then gave he order for the building of Alexandria upon the most Westernly branch of Nilus and thus having setled as he could the State of Egypt with the Kingdoms of the Lesser Asia Phoenicia and Syria he Conducted his Army towards Euphrates which passage though the same was committed to Mazeus to be defended by him yet did he abandon it and Alexander without resistance passed it From thence he marched towards Tygris a River for the swiftness thereof called by the Persians The Arrow here might Darius easily have repelled him for the violent course of the stream was such as it drave before it many weighty stones and those that moved not but lay in the bottom were so round and smooth by continual rolling that no man was able to fight upon so slippery a standing Nor were the Macedonian Footmen able to wade through the River otherwise than by joyning their hands and interlacing their Arms each in others making thereby one intire and weighty Body to resist the impetuousness of the stream and besides this the Channel was so deep towards the Eastern Shore where Darius should have opposed him that the Footmen were enforced to lift their Bows Arrows and Darts over their Heads to keep them from being made unserviceable by the Water Indeed it cannot be denied that as all Estates of the World by the surfeit of misgovernment have been subject to many grievous and sometimes mortal diseases So had the Empire of Persia at this time brought it self into a burning Feavour and thereby became frantick and without understanding foreshewing manifestly the death and dissolution thereof But Alexander had now recovered the Eastern Shore of Tygris without any opposition but what the Nature of the River made where Mazeus who had the charge to defend the banks both of Euphrates and it presented himself to the Macedonians being attended with certain Troops of Horsemen as if with uneven forces he durst have charged them upon even ground when as with a multitude far exceeding them he forsook those advantages which no valour of the enemy could easily have overcome But it s commonly seen that timorous and cowardly Persons do ever follow those ways and counsels whereof the opportunity is already lost It s true that he sets all provisions on fire wherewith the Macedonians might be assisted in their passage over Tygris thinking thereby greatly to have distressed them but the execution of good counsel is fruitless when unseasonable For now was Alexander so well furnished with carriages that no conveniences were wanting to the Army which he conducted Those things also which Mazeus now sought to destroy Alexander being in sight by his Horsemen saved and recovered them This Mazeus might have done some days before at good leasure yea at this time he might have done it with so great a strength of Horsemen as the Macedonians might not have dared to pursue leaving the Body of their Foot out of sight and so far behind Darius upon Alexanders first return out of Egypt had assembled all those Forces which the Countries next to him could afford and now also were the Arians Scythians Indians and other Nations come to him Nations saith Curtius that rather served to make up a number than to make resistance Some reckon them to amount to the number of ten hundred thousand Foot and four hundred thousand Horse besides armed Chariots and some few Elephants Curtius numbers them but two hundred thousand Foot and about fifty thousand Horse which is more probable And yet seeing Darius had more confidence in the number than in the Valour of his Souldiers probably he had brought together some three or four hundred thousand of all sorts with which he hoped in those fair plains of Assyria to have overborn the small number of the invading Army But it s most true That in every Battel skil and practice do more towards attaining the Victory than multitudes and rude audacity Whilest Alexander rested and refreshed his Army after their hard passage over Tygris their happened an Eclipse of the Moon at which the Macedonians being ignorant of the cause and reason of it were much troubled taking it as a certain presage of their ruin and destruction insomuch as they began not only to murmur but to speak boldly that to satisfie the ambition of one man and of such a one as disdained Philip for his Father and would needs be called the Son of Jupiter they should all perish For he enforced them not only to War against a world of enemies but against Rivers Mountains and the Heavens themselves Hereupon Alexander who was now ready to advance made an halt and to quiet the minds of the multitude he led before him the Aegyptian Astrologers that by them the Souldiers might be assured that this Eclipse of the Moon was a sure presage of his good success But they never informed them that it came to pass by natural causes but reserved that as a secret fit to be kept among themselves These Astrologers gave no other reason for it than this That the Grecians were under the Aspect of the Sun and the Persians under that of the Moon and therefore the Moon losing her light did foreshew that the state of Persia was now in danger of falling and their Glory of being obscured This being noised through all the Army every man was satisfied and quieted and their courage redoubled As Alexander drew near the Persian Army certain Letters were intercepted written by Darius to the Grecians proffering and promising them a great sum of money if they would either kill or betray Alexander But these by the advice of Parmenio were suppressed About this time also Darius his beautiful Wife being oppressed with sorrow and wearied with travel died which accident Alexander seemed to bewail no less then Darius who upon the first report of it suspected that some dishonorable violence had been offered to her but being satisfied by an Eunuch of his own that attended her of Alexanders kind and Kingly respect towards her from the very time of her being taken he prayed the immortal Gods that if they had decreed to set a new Master over the
enough in it self Yet it alwayes inflamed this King to cruelty For saith Curtius the Hangman followed the Feast For Haspastes one of his Provincial Governours he commanded to be slain so as Neither did the excess of Voluptuousness qualifie his Cruelty nor his Cruelty at all hinder his Voluptuousness While he refreshed his Army in these parts there came a new supply to him of five thousand Foot and a thousand Horse which were conducted to him by Cleander and his Fellows that had been employed in the murther of Parmenio Against these murtherers great complaints were made by the Deputies of the Provinces in which they had commanded and their offences were proved to be so outragious that Alexander was perswaded that had they not altogether despaired of his return out of India they durst not have committed them All men were glad of the occasion remembring the Virtue of him whom they had slain The end was that Cleander and the other chief together with six hundred Souldiers who had been the instruments of their ravages were delivered over to the Hangman every one rejoycing that the wrath of the King was at last poured out upon the Ministers of his Anger Nearchus and Onesicritus were now returned from searching the Coast and made report of an Island they had discovered rich in Gold and of other strange things whereupon they were commanded to make some farther discovery after which they should come up Euphrates and meet the King at Babylon Alexander drawing near to Babylon went to visit the Sepulchre of Cyrus in Pesagardes where he was presented with many rich Gifts by Orsanes one of the Princes of Persia of the race of Cyrus But because Bagoas an Eunuch who was in special favour with the King was neglected he suborned some loose fellows to accuse Orsanes for robbing Cyrus his Tomb for which he was condemned to dye and Bagoas assisted the Hangman with his own hands to torment him At this time also Alexander caused Phradites to be slain suspecting his greatness Hence saith Curtius he began unreasonably to shed blood and to believe false reports Indeed he took the way to make all men weary of him and his Government seeing Tyranny is more dreadful than all adventures that can be made against it About this time Calanus the Philosopher burnt himself having lived seventy three years and Historians say that before his Death he foresaw and foreshewed the Death of Alexander promising to meet him shortly after at Babylon From Pesagardes Alexander went to Susa where he married Statyra the Eldest Daughter of Darius giving her younger Sister to his beloved Ephestion and eighty other Persian Ladies to other of his Captains To his Wedding Feast he invited six thousand Guests to each of which he gave a Cup of Gold Unto this place came to him three thousand young Souldiers out of his Conquered Provinces whereat the Macedonians greatly murmured Harpalus his Treasurer in Babylon having lavishly consumed the money in his keeping fled with five thousand Talents and six thousand hired Souldiers but when he came into Greece he was there slain Alexander much rejoyced at the fidelity of the Greeks who would not be corrupted with Harpalus his Bribes Yet he sent a command to them that they should receive their banished men again whereunto they all for fear yielded except the Athenians though they saw that it was a manifest preparation to their bondage After this there followed a marvellous discontent in his Army because he had resolved to send into Macedonia all those old Souldiers which could no longer endure the travell of the War and to keep the rest in Asia He made many Orations to satisfie them but all his words were in vain during the heigth of their fury Yet when their first passions were evaporated they became more tractable And with such as were licenced to depart he sent Craterus to whom he gave the Lieutenantship of Macedonia Thessaly and Thrace which Antipater had Governed from the time of Alexanders departure out of Europe who during that time had subdued the rebellious Greeks discharged the trust committed to him with great fidelity and sent him from time to time so many strong supplies into Asia Certainly if Alexander had not taken counsel of his Cups he would have cast some better colour upon this alteration and given Antipater some stronger reasons of his remove than to employ him in conducting a new supply of men to Babylon the War being now at an end For Antipater could make no other construction of this remove but that he had a purpose to send him after Parmenio and the rest The truth is the King notwithstanding his undauntedness had no great mind to grapple with Antipater Alexander having thus sent for Antipater made a journey into Media to settle things there where Ephestion whom he loved and favoured above all others died The King greatly lamented his loss hanged the Physician that could not cure him and built him a Monument that cost twelve thousand Talents After which he returned to Babylon Thither Antipater came not but sent and that not to excuse but to free himself And if we may believe Curtius he suborned his Sons Cassander Philip and Jolla who were Alexander Cup-bearers to give him poyson Thessalus who was one of the conspiracy having invited him to a Drinking-Feast for that purpose Others say that by his inordinate drinking he fell into a Fever whereof he died A little before his Death his Friends about him asked him to whom he would leave his Empire He answered To the most worthy man Then asked they him when they should give him Divine Honours He answered When they themselves were happy which were the last words that he spake and so he died having lived not all out thirty three years nor reigned thirteen As soon as he was Dead his great Captains sought to inrich themselves by his Spoils and whilst they were sharing the World amongst themselves his dead Body lay many dayes in that hot Countrey unburied stinking above ground A notable emblem of the Vanity of all Earthly things Besides this his vast Empire was divided amongst his great Captains To Ptolomaeus Lagi was allotted Egypt and Africa To Laomedon Syria and Phoenicia To Python Media To Eumenes Paphlagonia and Cappadocia To Antigonus Pamphilia Lycia and Phrygia the Greater To Cassander Caria To Menander Lydia To Leonatus Phrygia the less To Lysimachus Thracia with the neighbouring Countries To Antipater Macedonia and the neighbouring Nations But these men not contented with their shares fell out amongst themselves making War one upon another to their own destruction For Perdiccas warring upon Egypt was slain by his own Souldiers Antipater died Eumenes was betrayed by his own Souldiers and slain by Antigonus Olympias the Mother of Alexander was slain by Cassander Cleopatra Sister to Alexander was slain by the treachery of Antigonus Antigonus himself was slain in Battel
Lacedemonians Then did the Lacedemonians send King Cleombrotus with an Army towards Thebes who being come near to Chaeronea with ten thousand Foot and a thousand Horse he pitched his Camp there staying for his Allies The Thebans being informed of the approach of the enemy chose Epaminondas to be their Captain General giving him the charge of this War with six other Counsellers to be assisting to him Now there came Oracles to Thebes from all parts some promising Victory and others threatning their overthrow and Epaminondas commanded them to set those on the right hand of the chair for Orations that promised Victory and the other on the left hand which being so disposed of he gat up into the chair and said to his Citizens If you will be obedient to your Captains and valiant against your enemies these Oracles on the right hand belong to you But if through faintness of heart ye refuse dangers those on the left hand shall be your Portion Then did he list the Names of all the Thebans which were able to bear Arms and chose out of some parts of Boeotia such as he thought fittest for the Wars His Presence exceedingly cheered up his Army and all the the time that he was Captain the Thebans never saw in their Camp any of those which they call sudden fears He used to say that there was no Death more honest and desirable than to die in the Wars and that the body of a Souldier should be hardened to endure any labour or pains He could not abide fat men and therefore cashired a whole Company of them as unprofitable burdens in his Army He had in all but six thousand fighting men and as they marched forwards they met with some unlucky signs as many esteemed them but he valued them not thinking that a resolution to fight in a good cause ought to be much stronger and of more force to raise in him good Hope than these evil signs that appeared to make him fear the worst As he was marching towards the Lacedemonians they heard it Thunder and they that were neer him asked him what that meant He answered that it betokened that the Enemies brains were troubled and beclouded who having places of advantage hard by them yet encamped in the plaines Indeed the Lacedemonians waited there for their Allies who yet failed them For all of them having at leasure considered of the speech of Epaminondas at Sparta began to distast the ambition of the Lacedemonians Epaminondas seeing his advantage caused his Army to march with speed and wan the straights by the City of Coronea and encamped there Cleombrotus underâ— standing that the Thebans had possessed themselves of that pass despairing to recover it he made his Army to march a great compass about the Country of Phocide going along the Sea Coast through a dangerous and troublesome way and so at the last he entered into the Country of Boeotia and as he went he took in some little Towns and certain Gallies that lay upon the Coast and at the last arrived at Leuctres and there sat down to refresh his men who were overwearied with their tedious march Then did Epaminondas presently advance that way to meet them and having passed over some little Mountains he discovered them in the plain of Leuctres where his men were much amazed to see so great an Army of their Enemies The six Counsellers came together to consider whether they should go forward and fight few against many or else retreat waiting for some better advantage In this Councel their opinions fell out to be equal Three judged it best to retreat the other whereof Epaminondas was one thought it best to fight and with these three Pelopidas who was Captain of the Sacred Band joyned whereupon they all agreed to give them Battel Epaminondas seeing his Souldiers somewhat affrighted at the former ill signs to put courage into them he suborned some that were newly come from Thebes to scatter a report that no man could tell at Thebes what was become of the Arms that hung up in the Temple of Hercules but it was commonly said that the Demigods their Ancestors had taken them away to aid their posterity at this present time He caused another also who was newly come from Trophonius hole to report that the God which gives his Oracles therein commanded him to tell the Boeotians that when they had overcome their enemies in the plain of Leuctres they should celebrate yearly Plays to the honour of Jupiter and to gain the more credit to these devices Leandridas a Spartan that was banished out of his own Country and now was assisting the Boeotians being brought before the Souldiers he encouraged them to fight valiantly that Day for he swore unto them that the Lacedemonians had many Oracles bidding them to beware of Leuctres Epaminondas also assembling his Army encouraged them with strong and lively reasons to shew their valour so that at last the Souldiers being freed from their superstitious fears longed for nothing more than to come to blows Epaminondas ever concluded his Orations to them with these Words O worthy men embrace sacred Death Advance your selves to a most honorable and famous Fight for your Country for the Tombs of your Ancestors and for your Holy things Just at this very time there came to the Thebans an aid of five hundred Horse and fifteen hundred Foot all Thessalians conducted by Jason This Jason endeavored to have made peace with both parties but could not prevail Also as Cleombrotus retired with his Army out of Boeotia he met a great supply of Lacedemonians and their Allies brought to him by Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus These he sent before thinking to daunt the courage of the Thebans with the sight of them and himself with the rest of his Army suddenly returned into the plain of Leuctres being fully resolved to fight and the Boeotians for their part shrunk not an inch back and so on both sides they set their men in Battel array Epaminondas ordered his Battel after a new fashion never practised by any Captain For having chosen out of his Army the best and most valiant Souldiers he placed them together in one of the Points of his Battel where himself meant to fight in Person seconded by Pelopidas and his three hundred chosen men called the Holy Band In the other Point he placed his weaker men commanding them expresly not to abide the charge of their enemies that should assail them in Front but fair and softly retire when they saw them come near them and it fell out as he wished and he hoped to determine the Battel by the Virtue and prowess of those where he had placed all the flower and choice of his Army Now the sign of Battel being given the Lacedemonians advanced with the two Horns of their Battel ordered in the form of a Crescent On the contrary one of the wings of the Battel of the Boeotians began to give
Pelopidas and Ismenias So with them he returned back to Thebes and always continued a faithful Friend to Pelopidas so long as they lived together Yet would he never share with him in his Riches but did still persevere in his former strict Poverty and Discipline He was very bold and yet it was mingled with a winning sweetness and a lively grace as may appear in sundry Examples Besides his bold speech to Agesilaus mentioned before At another time the Argians having made a League with the Thebans the Athenians sent their Ambassadors into Arcadâ—a to see if they could gain the Arcadians to be their Friends And these Ambassadors began roundly and hotly to charge and accuse both the one and the other and Callistratus speaking for them reproached them with Orestes and Oedipus Epaminondas being present at that Assembly stood up and said My Lords we confess that in times past we had a man that killed his Father and in Argos one that killed his Mother but as for us now we have banished all such wicked Murtherers out of our Country and the Athenians have intertained them At another time when the Spartans had laid many great and grievous imputations to the charge of the Thebans he said If they have done nothing else my Lords of Sparta yet at least they have made you forget to speak little But that which was most excellent and observable in Epaminondas and which indeed did stop the mouth of envy it self was his moderation and temperance knowing how to use any state or condition and never to rage either against himself or others always bearing this mind that howsoever they took him and in what place soever they set him he was well contented so that he might but advance the good of his Country As may appear by this Example on a time his evil-willers thinking to bring him into disgrace and meerly out of spite made him superintendant or overseer of all the customs whilst others of his inferiors unworthy to be compared with him were placed in the most honourable Offices Yet despised he not this mean Office but discharged it very Faithfully For said he the Office or Authority shews not only what the man is but also the man what the Office is Shortly after Epaminondas was returned out of Thessaly the Arcadians were overcome by Archidamus and the Lacedemonians who in the fight lost not a man and therefore they called this journey the tearless Battel and Epaminondas foreseeing that the Arcadians would yet have another storm he gave them counsel to fortifie their Towns which they did accordingly and built that City which afterwards was called Megalopolis situated in a very convenient place Whilst the Thebans made War with the Elians their Neighbours the mind of Epaminondas was always lifted up to high enterprizes for the good of his Country wherefore in an Oration which he made to his Citizens he perswaded them to make themselves strong by Sea and to endeavour to get the principality and to make themselves the Lords thereof This Oration was full of lively reason whereby he shewed and proved unto them that the enterprize was both honourable and profitable which he made out by sundry Arguments telling them that it was an easie thing for them who were now the stronger by Land to make themselves also the stronger by Sea and the rather for that the Athenians in the War against Xerxes though they had armed and set forth two hundred Gallies armed and well appointed with men yet they willingly submitted themselves to the Lacedemonians He alleadged many other reasons whereby he prevailed so far that the Thebans were willing to undertake the enterprize and thereupon gave present order to build an hundred Gallies and an Arsenal with so many Rooms that they might lay them under covert in the Dock They ordered also to send to them of Rhodes and of Chio and of Byzantium to desire their furtherance in this enterprize for which end Epaminondas was sent with an Army unto these Cities In his Passage he met with Leches a Captain of the Athenians with a number of Ships in his Fleet who was set on purpose to hinder this design of the Thebans Yet Epaminondas so affrighted him that he made him retire back again and holding on his course he brought the aforenamed Cities to enter into League with the Thebans Shortly after the Thebans fell out with the City of Orchomene which had done them great hurt and mischief and having won it by assault slew all the men that were able to bear Arms and made all the women and children Slaves Some time after the death of Pelopidas certain private Persons of Mantinea fearing to be called to an account for their bad behaviours and robberies which they had committed if the Arcadians and Elians should agree they so brought it about that they raised a new quarrel in the Country which was divided into two Factons whereof the Mantineans were the chief on the one side and the Tageates on the other This quarrel went so far that the Parties would needs try it by Arms. The Tageates sent to request aid of the Thebans who accordingly chose Epaminondas their Captain General and sent him with a good number of men of War to aid the Tageates The Mantineans being terrified with this aid that came out of Boeotia to their enemies and at the reputation of their Captain they immediately sent to the Athenians and Lacedemonians the greatest enemies of the Boeotians for their assistance which both the Cities granted Upon this there fell out many and great skirmishes in divers parts of Peloponnesus and Epaminondas being not far off from Mantinea understood by some of the Country men that Agesilaus and his Lacedemonians were come into the Field and that they wasted all the Territories of the Tageates whereupon judging that there were but few men left in the City of Sparta to defend it he undertook a great exploit and dangerous and had certainly effected it if the marvelous good Fortune of Sparta had not hindred it His design was this He departed from Tegea by Night the Mantineans knowing nothing of it and taking a by way he had certainly surprised Sparta without striking a stroak had not a Post of Candia speedily carried word of it to Agesilaus who immediately dispatched away an Horse-man to give intelligence to them of Sparta to stand upon their guard and he himself speedily hasted after and arrived there a little before the coming of the Thebans who being very near the City a little before day they gave an assault to them that defended it This made Agesilaus to bestir himself wonderfully even beyond the strength of so old a man But his Son Archidamus and Isadas the Son of Phoebidas fought valiantly on all parts Epaminondas seeing how prepared the Spartans were to oppose him began then to suspect that his design was discovered yet notwithstanding he left not off to force them all he could
with a Dart with such force as breaking the Wood he left the Iron Head sticking in his Body Having received this deadly wound he fell immediately to the ground But then was there a more cruel fight about him than ever there was before which occasioned great Slaughter on both sides till the Thebans by fine force made their enemies to flie for their lives and when they had pursued them a while they returned back to their Camp that they might keep the dead Bodies in their Power which was a certain Sign that the Victory was theirs and then they sounded a retreat and so the Battel ended Both sides challenged the Victory and made Triumphs for it The Lacedemonians did it because the Athenians had slain those of Negropont that were sent to seize upon the Hills before mentioned and kept their bodies in their power The Thebans on the other side having overcome the Spartans had the bodies of them that were slain in the Battel in their power which was by far the greater number wherefore they said that they were the Victors Thus both standing upon their tearms it was a good while before either would send a Trumpet or Herauld to the other for leave to bury their dead Yet at last the Lacedemonians sent first and then they all betook themselves to give the dead an Honourable Burial And as for him that had killed Epaminondas he was highly esteemed and honoured for his Valiant Act and the Lacedemonians gave him many rich Presents and made him and his Posterity free from all publick Taxes and contributions in the Common-wealth As for Epaminondas he was brought yet alive into his Tent howbeit his Physitians and Surgeons being called together to dress his Wounds they all concluded that so soon as they plucked the Head of the Dart out of his body he must needs die And truly he made a most noble and worthy end For first he called for his Target-bearer who was always at his hand in the Battel and asked him Is my Target safe He brought it straight Then he asked Who had the Victory The Boeotians answered the Target-bearer Then he commanded them to bring to him Diophantus and Jolidas they told him they were both dead Upon this he advised his Citizens to make Peace with their enemies for that they had not any Captain of skill to lead them to the Wars And now said he it is time for me to die and therefore pluck the Dart Head out of my Body At this word all his Friends that were about him fetched grievous sighs and even cryed out for sorrow and one of them weeping said unto him Alas Epaminondas Thou diest now and leavest no Children behind thee Yea said he that I do For I leave two fair Daughters behind me whereof the one is the Victory at Leuctres and the other this of Mantinea So they pulled out the Dart and immediately he gave up the Ghost without shewing any sign that he was at all troubled at it He used often to say That War is the Bed of Honour and that it is a sweet Death to dye for ones Country He was one of the bravest Captains that ever we read of For whereas others excelled in some one or two Virtues by which they made their Fame great and glorious he excelled in all the Vertues and good Parts that could be desired in a Grave Politick and great Captain to make him compleat in all things that could be expected in an Heathen In his time he advanced his Country to the Principality of all Greece But after his Death they soon lost it and not long after Alexander the Great utterly brake them in pieces made Slaves of those that survived and razed their City to the very ground As in his life time he had always detested covetousness so after his Death the Thebans were faign to bury him at the common charge of the City because they found no mony in his House to defray the least part of the Funeral expences THE WICKED LIFE AND WOFUL DEATH OF HEROD the GREAT In whose time Our LORD CHRIST was Born HEROD sirnamed the Great was the Son of Antipas or Antipater an Idumaean a prime man both for birth and wealth amongst them His Mothers name was Cyprus born at an eminent place amongst the Arabians so that when this Herod acquired the Kingdom of Judea that Prophesie of old Jacob was fulfilled Gen. 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come This Antipater riding his circuit about the Province of Judea whereof Julius Caesar had made him Governour repressed them who were desirous of innovation both by threats and counsel telling them that if they would be content with their Prince Hyrcanus whom Caesar also had confirmed in the High-Priesthood they might live happily in their own possessions but if they promised themselves new hopes and thought that they should gain much by innovations they should have him a Master instead of a Governour and Hyrcanus a Tyrant instead of a King and Caesar and the Romans bitter enemies instead of Princes for that they would by no means suffer any thing to be altered from what they had setled But Antipater perceiving Hyrcanus to be dull and idle he settled the state of the Province as himself pleased making his elder Son Phasaelus Governour of Jerusalem and the Countries adjoyning and to Herod his second Son being then a very young man he committed the care of Galilee Herod being Praefect of Galilee there was one Esekias a Jew who associating to himself many other lewd persons exercised thievery and used to make incursions into Syria in Troops These Herod pursued and having taken Esekias he put him to Death which fact of his gat him much favour with the Syrians which Province also was then under his Government The violence and bold nature of Herod who was desirous of the Tyranny much terrified the Princes of the Jews wherefore they addressed themselves to Hyrcanus and openly accused Antipater but especially they complained of Herod for that he had put to death Esekias with many others without any Commission from Hyrcanus in contempt of their Laws by which no man ought to suffer though never so wicked unless he were first condemned by the Judges The Mothers also of them that were killed ceased not daily in the Temple to weary both the King and the people with their continual exclamations desiring that Herod might be made to give an account of these his doings before the Sanhedrim whereupon Hyrcanus moved herewith commanded Herod to be called before the Council and to plead his own cause Herod having ordered the affairs of Galilee as he thought best for his own advantage being fore-warned by his Father that he should not come into the Council as a Private Person he took with him a moderate but yet a sufficient Guard not too great lest he should
slain Antigonus being in a rage caused the dead body of Joseph to be whipped though Pheroras his Brother offered fifty Talents to have redeemed it After this loss the Galileans revolting from their Governours drowned those that were of Herods party in the Lake In Idumaea also there were many innovations Anthony having made peace with his enemy commanded Caius Sosius to assist Herod against Antigonus with two Cohorts When Herod came to Daphne the Suburbs of Antioch he heard of his Brother Josephs deah which caused him to hasten his journey and coming to Mount Libanus he took thence with him eight hundred men and one Cohort of the Romans and so came to Ptolemais from whence in the night he passed with his Army through Galilee Here his enemies met him whom he overcame in fight and forced them into the Castle from whence they had issued the day before Them he assaulted but was compelled to desist by reason of the extremity of the weather and to retreat into some neighbouring Villages but upon the coming of another Cohort from Anthony they in the Castle were so affrighted that they forsook the same by night Herod then hastned to Jericho purposing to revenge his Brothers death and being come thither he feasted his Nobles and the feast being ended and his guests dismissed he retired into his chamber and presently the room wherein they had supped being now empty of company fell down without hurting any which made many to think that surely Herod was beloved of God who had so miraculously preserved him The next day six thousand of the enemies came down from the Mountains to fight with him and their forlorn-hope with darts and stones so terrified the Romans and some of Herods Souldiers that they fled and Herod himself received a wound in his side Antigonus desiring to have his strength seem greater than it was sent one of his Captains named Pappus with some forces into Samaria whilst himself went against Machaeras In the mean time Herod took in five Towns and therein put two thousand of the Garrison Souldiers to the sword and setting the Towns on fire he went against Pappus and was strengthened by many that came to him out of Jericho and Judea yet was the enemy so confident that he would joyn battel with him but in fight Herod overcame them and being inflamed with a desire to revenge his Brothers death he pursued them that fled slew many of them and followed them into a Village and there slew many more of them who retreated into houses the rest fled After which Victory Herod had presently gone to Jerusalem and put an end to the war had not the sharpness of the Winter hindred him for now Antigonus bethought himself to leave the City and fly elsewhere for safety Herod in the evening when he had dismissed his Friends to refresh themselves as yet hot in his Armour went into a chamber attended with one only servant to wash himself wherein some of his enemies armed whom fear had forced thither were hidden and whilst he was naked and washing himself first one and then a second and a third ran out armed with naked swords in their hands so astonished that they were glad to save themselves without profering the least hurt to the King The next day Herod amongst others cut off Pappus his head and sent it by way of revenge for his Brothers death to his Brother Pheroras for it was Pappus that with his own hand had slain Joseph Herod in the beginning of the third year after he had been declared King at Rome coming with an Army to Jerusalem encamped near the City and from thence removing to that place where the Walls were fittest to be assaulted he pitched his Tents before the Temple intending to attempt them as Pompey had done in times past and having encompassed the place with three Bulworks by the help of many workmen he raised his batteries fetching materials from all places thereabouts and appointing fit men to oversee the work and then himself went to Samaria to solemnize his Marriage with Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus who was formerly betrothed to him The Marriage ceremony being over Sosius came with an Army of Horse and Foot being sent by Anthony to the aid of Herod and Herod also took a great party with him from Samaria to Jerusalem so that the whole Army being come together consisted of eleven Legions of Foot and six thousand Horse besides the Syrian Auxiliaries which were very many and so they pitched on the North-side of the City Over this great Army were two Generals Sosius and Herod who purposed to displace Antigonus as an enemy to the people of Rome and to establish Herod in the Kingdom according to the Decree of the Senate The Jews being gathered together out of the whole Countrey and shut up within the Walls made a valiant resistance boasting much of the Temple of the Lord and saying that the Lord would not forsake his people in the time of danger By secret sallies also they burnt up and spoiled all provision without the City both for Man and Horse whereby the Besiegers began to be pinched but Herod provided against their excursions by placing ambushments in convenient places and sending parties to fetch in provision from afar off so that in a short time the Army was well furnished with all necessaries By reason of the multitude of Workmen the three bulworks were soon finished it being Summer time so that no untemperateness of weather hindred them and with his Engines Herod often battered the Walls and left nothing unassayed but the besieged fought valiantly and were every way as active and subtile to make void his endeavours often sallying forth and firing their Works both those that were finished and others that were but begun and coming to handistrokes with the Romans they were nothing inferiour to them but only in Martial skill The Sabbatical year now coming brought a Famine upon the besieged Jews notwithstanding which they built a new Wall within that which was beaten down by the battering Rams and so countermined the Enemies mines that many times they came to Handystrokes under ground and making use of despair instead of courage they held it out unto the last though Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple advised them to receive Herod into the City saying that they could not avoid his being their King by reason of their sins They held out the siege for five moneths space though there was so great an Army before the City but at length twenty of Herods choicest Souldiers got upon the Wall and after them the Centurions of Sosius So that the first Wall was taken on the forti'th day and the second on the fiftieth and some Galleries about the Temple were burnt down which Herod charged though falsly upon Antigonus thereby to bring him into hatred with the people When the outward part of
Citizens of Jerusalem made a Conspiracy against him amongst whom one was blind who made one not because he could do any thing but to shew how ready he was to suffer with those that defended their Country rights Herod had appointed secret spies to discover such plots one of which had fished this matter out and acquainted Herod with it who caused them to be apprehended and when they were brought before him with undaunted countenances they drew out their Weapons from under their Garments protesting that not out of any private respect but in the behalf of the publick weal they had undertaken this conspiracy Then were they led away and put to death with all manner of tortures Not long after their accuser being hated of all men was slain by some and being cut in pieces was thrown to the Dogs Yet were the authors hereof concealed till after long and wearisome inquisitions it was by torture wrung out from some silly Women who were privy to it When Herod had thus found out the Authors he punished them with death and their whole Families Herod the better to secure himself from the seditions of the tumultuous people in the thirteenth year of his Reign began to fortifie Samaria which was a days journey from Jerusalem and called it Sebaste or Angusta The circuit of it was twenty furlongs in the midst whereof he built a Temple of a furlong and an half which he wonderfully adorned and so ordered that many of the Souldiers and of the neighbouring Nations came and dwelt there Herod also built another Cidadel to be as a bridle to the whole Nation namely the Tower of Straton Also in the great plain he built a Castle and chose of his Horsemen by lot to keep it Another he built in Galile and one in Peraea which Castles being so conveniently disposed in several parts of the Country took away from the people all opportunity of rebellion About this time very grievous calamities befel the Nation of the Jews First there was a long Drought after which followed a Famine After the Famine by reason of their ill diet there came divers Sicknesses and the Plague and Herod having not wherewithal to supply the publick wants was forced to melt the Gold and Silver that was in his Pallace not sparing any thing for the curiosity of the Workmanship no not so much as the Vessels which were for his own daily use These being turned into money he sent to buy provisions into Aegypt where Petronius was Governour under Caesar who though he was pestered with multitudes that repaired to him upon the like necessity yet being Herods Friend he gave his Servants leave to export Corn and was assisting to them both in the buying and carriage of it When the Corn was brought to Herod he was very careful to see it divided first to such as had most need and then because there were many who by reason of old age or some other weakness were unable to dress it themselves he appointed them certain Bakers to provide their food for them By this means he procured the good will of the people and the praise of a prudent and provident Prince He provided also for his Subjects against the sharpness of the Winter taking care that none should want clothing their Cattel being dead and Wool and other materials failing And when he had made provision for his own People he took care also for the neighbouring Cities of the Syrians to whom he allowed Seed for sowing of their ground and the Castles and Cities and those of the common People who had great Families coming to him for succour he found a remedy for them also Insomuch that he gave to those that were not his Subjects ten thousand Cores of Corn each Core containing ten Athenian bushels As soon as the Corn was ripe for harvest Herod dismissed fifty thousand Men whom he had fed in the time of Famine into their own Countries by which diligence he restored the almost ruined estate of his own Subjects and did not a little relieve his Neighbours who groaned under the same calamities At the same time also he sent aid to Caesar. to wit five hundred chosen Men of his own Guard whom Aelius Gallus led into the Arabian Wars where they did most excellent service Herod also built himself a Pallace in Sidon in which he built two very large and stately Houses with which the Temple it self could in no wise compare and called one of them by the name of Caesar and the other by the name of Agrippa Herod having removed from the Priesthood Jesus the Son of Phales made Simon a Priest of Jerusalem the Son of Boethus of Alexandria Priest in his room and took also his Daughter Mariamne to Wife that was the most beautiful Virgin of that age The marriage solemnities being over he began to build another new Pallace unto which he adjoyned a Town which he called Herodian in a place distant from Jerusalem about sixty furlongs towards Arabia in the place where he had overcome the Jews when he was thrust out by the Arms of Antigonus He built also Sebaste and having finished that he began to build another most magnificent City in a place by the Sea-side where Straton stood which he called Caesaria and added to it an Haven of admirable work equal in bigness to the Haven Piraetus all which he finished in twelve years space sparing neither labour nor cost about them Then did he send his two Sons Alexander and Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne the Asmonaean to Rome to Caesar to be there educated under him for whom Lodgings were prepared at the House of Pollio Herods great Friend Caesar intertained the young men very courteously and gave Herod power to make which of his Sons he pleased the heir of his Kingdom he added also to his Government Trachonitis Batunaea and Auranitis When Herod had received Trachonitis he took guides and went to the Den of the Thieves restraining their Villanies whereby the people lived in quiet But Zenodorus the former Governour being moved partly thorough envy and partly with the loss of his Government went to Rome to accuse Herod but could effect nothing About this time Herod went to Mytelene to salute his chiefest Friend Agrippa and so returned into Judaea and presently after some Citizens of Gadara went to Agrippa to accuse Herod whom he vouchsafed not so much as to hear but sent them bound to Herod Yet did he spare them for though he was inexorable towards his own People yet did he willingly contemn and forgive injuries received from strangers Zenodorus had solemnly sworn to the Gadarens that he would do his utmost with Caesar to get them freed from the jurisdiction of Herod and to be annexed to the Province of Caesar Many of themselves also exclaimed against Herod calling him cruel Tyrant complaining to Caesar of his violence and
fearing storms the Winter noâ— drawing on he hasted to sail into Jonia both he and his Friends having been honoured with great presents by Herod As soon as the Spring came Herod hearing that Agrippa was going with an Army to Bosphorus made hast to meet him and taking his way by Rhodes and Chios he came to Lesbos thinking there to find him But Agrippa being driven back by contrary North-winds Herod stayed at Chios to whom many came privately to salute him upon whom he bestowed many princely gifts and when he perceived that the Gate of the City that was thrown down in the War against Methridates as yet lay buryed in its ruins and that by reason of the poverty of the Inhabitants it could not by them be restored to its former beauty and greatness he bestowed upon them so much mony as would abundantly suffice to finish it and exhorted them to hasten the restoring of their City to its former beauty and grandure As soon as the wind served he left Chios and sailed to Mytilene and from thence to Byzantium and there understanding that Agrippa had already passed the Cyanian Rock he followed him with all speed and overtook him at Sinopi a City in Pontus where beyond Agrippa's expectation he arrived with his Navy His coming was yery grateful to him and they embraced each other with singular affection Agrippa looking upon it as an evident argument of his fidelity and friendship that leaving his manifold occasions he would come to him in so seasonable a time Wherefore Herod still abode with him in the Army was Companion with him in his labours and partaker of his counsels He was also present with him when he went to be merry and was the only man that he used in difficult matters for the love that he bore unto him Agrippa having forced the Bosphorans to lay down their Arms in his whole journey thorough many Countries and Cities he gratified Herod in many things and at his intreaty relieved the necessities of many If any one needed an Intercessor to Agrippa Herod was the only man by whom he could obtain his suit and assisted many in whatsoever they had need of When they were come into Jonia a great multitude of Iews that inhabited that Country complained of the great injuries that they suffered from the Jonians who would not permit them to live after their own Laws but that upon their Festival days they haled them before their Tribunals and forbad them to send holy money to Ierusalem which also they perverted to secular affairs contrary to the priviledges granted them by the Romans Herod took care that Agrippa should hear their complaints and allowed them Nicholas Damascene one of his Friends to plead their cause which when he had largely performed before Agrippa many honourable Romans and some Kings and Princes being present the Grecians denyed the thing excusing themselves that the Iews were troublesom to them But they on the contrary proved that they were free-born Citizens and that they lived according to their own Laws without injuring of any wherefore Agrippa answered that both for his Friend Herod's sake as also because that which they demanded was just he would gratifie them therein He ordered therefore that the priviledges which were formerly granted them should remain inviolable and that none should molest them for living after their Country Laws Then Herod rose up and gave him thanks in the name of them all and so after mutual embraces they took their leave each of other and departed from Lesbos Herod in a few days after having a prosperous Gale arrived at Caesarea and from thence went to Ierusalem where calling all the People together he gave them an account of his Journey and told them what immunities he had procured for the Jews in Asia and to win them the more to his friendship he professed that he would remit to them the fourth part of his Tribute with which bounty they being exceedingly taken wished him all happiness and departed with great joy Presently after his return he was greatly incensed by the false accusations and artifices of his Sister Salome and his Brother Pheroras against his two Sons that he had by Mariamne Alexander and Aristobulus whereupon to take down their spirits he began to use them more hardly and publickly he put hopes of the Kingdom into his Son Antipater whom he begat when he was a private man his Mother also being a woman of mean Parentage whom formerly he had banished the City in favour to his two other Sons and writing often unto Caesar for him privately he gave him great commendations and at the intreaties of Antipater he recalled also his Mother Doris whom he had put away when he married Mariamne Agrippa after his ten years Government in Asia being now to depart Herod sailed to salute him taking with him of all his Sons only Antipater whom he delivered to Agrippa with many gifts to be carried to Rome and to be brought into Caesars favour Antipater was much honoured at Rome being commended to all his Friends by his Fathers letters and though he was absent yet desisted he not by writing to incense his Father against the Sons of Mariamne pretending his great care of his Fathers safety but in truth to make way for his succession in the Kingdom About this time Agrippa died and being brought into the Market-place of Rome Augustus commended him in a Funeral Oration Herod being now incensed against his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus he sailed with them to Rome to accuse them before Augustus and not finding him there he followed him as far as Aquileia before whom he accused them of treachery against him but the young men satisfied all that were present by their Apology for themselves mixed with prayers and tears so that they were reconciled to their Father After which giving thanks unto Caesar they departed together and with them Antipater also who pretended much joy that they were received into favour again A few days after Herod gave Caesar three hundred Talents and again Caesar gave him half the revenues of the mettal Mines in Cyprus and the other half also he committed to his oversight and having honoured him with other gifts of Hospitality he gave him leave to choose which of his Sons he pleased to be his successor or if he liked it better to divide his Kingdom amongst them which when he vvas about to do Caesar told him that he vvould not suffer but that he should have his Kingdom during his life in his ovvn povver as vvell as his Sons In Herods absence there vvas a rumour spread in Judea that he vvas dead vvhereupon the Trachonites revolting fell to their old trade of Thieving but by the diligence of his Captains that he had left in his Kingdom they vvere subdued and forty of the chief of them being terrified by the punishment of those that vvere taken left their Country and fled
the Banks against him yet such as remained being willing to free their Countrey from such unwelcome Guests they helped him to make Boats informed him of a better passage higher up the River and sent him Guides When his Boats were ready he sent Hanno the Son of Bomilcar up the River to the Ford and himself in the mean time made a shew of entring the Ford below that Hanno charging the Gauls on their own side and himself at the same time passing the River in their faces might win the further Bank which was done accordingly though with some difficulty and thereby the enemies were dispersed Having passed this first brunt and overcome both the rage of the River and those that defended it he was visited by the Princes of the Cisalpine-Gauls that inhabited Piemout and Milan who had lately revolted from the Romans These informed him that the passage over the Alps was not so difficult as report made it and gave him Guides with many other encouragements Yet found he himself extremly incumbred by the Savoyards and lost more of his Carriages and Carthaginians than he could well spare For he was twice strongly assaulted by them before he could recover the Plains on the other side He was fifteen dayes passing over the Alps wherein besides the trouble of his enemies he was much assaulted by foul weather and Snow it being now the beginning of Winter But the fair and fertile plains which they now were entring into with the assistance and encouragement of the Cisalpine Gauls gave them much comfort having nothing else of difficulty remaining but that which from the beginning they made account to overcome by their proper Valour and Resolution namely the Roman Armies and resistance The Roman Ambassadours who had denounced War at Carthage in their return homewards took Spain in their way with a purpose to draw into their Alliance as many Cities and Princes as they could The first that they attempted were the Volcians from whom they received this answer that they would never joyn with them who had forsaken the Saguntines in their greatest need and that themselves had found the Carthaginians such good Neighbours that they meant still to adhere to them From Spain the Ambassadours passed through Gaul perswading them not to suffer Hannibal to pass through their Countrey and gloried much in their own strength But the Gauls laughed them to scorn and had scarce Patience to hear them speak telling them that they meant not to set their own Houses on fire to save the Romans from burning that the Carthaginians had never offended them as the Romans had done who had already forced some of them out of their habitations and made others Tributaries who were as free as themselves With these unpleasing answers the Ambassadours returned home carrying no good news of Friends like to help them but rather that the Gauls intended to take part with their enemies And accordingly when the Cisalpine-Gauls heard that the Carthaginians had passed Iberus and were marching towards Rome the Boij and Insubrians rose up against the Romans Their quarrel was the late planting of Roman Colonies at Cremona and Placentia within Territories Relying therefore upon the Carthaginian succour which they thought to be at hand laying aside all regard of those Hostages that they had lately given to the Romans they fell upon those Colonies The Towns they could not win but they forced the Roman Commissioners which were abroad to fly into Modena where they besieged them But the Gauls having little skill in besieging Cities grew weary and were desirous of Peace This they did on purpose to draw on some meeting that laying hands on the Roman Deputies they might with them redeem their Hostages and it fell out in part according to their wish For Ambassadours coming to them from Rome to treat with them they made them Prisoners Manlius the Praetor hearing of this outrage marched with his Army to relieve the Besieged But the Gauls laid an Ambush in his way that falling upon him utterly routed him and slew most of his Army except a few that escaped into a defensible place upon the River Po. This being heard of at Rome C. Atilius the other Praetor hasted with another Army to relieve the besieged But as the Gauls were too hastly so the Romans were too slow in the beginning of this War For they could not believe that Carthage which had almost servilely endured so many indignities from them in the late peace durst be so bold on a sudden as to attempt the Conquest of Italy it self Wherefore they appointed one of their Consuls to make War in Spain and the other in Africk Titus Sempronius went into Africk with one hundred and sixty Gallies of five to an Oar which preparations seemed to threaten Carthage her self P. Cornelius Scipio the other Consul hasted towards Spain and by the way touching at Massilia he was there informed that Hannibal had passed the River Rhodanus whom he had thought to have found busie in Spain Hannibal also heard of the Consuls arrival with whom he meant to have nothing to do Yet both sent forth Scouts Hannibal sent out five hundred Numidians and Scipio three hundred of his best Horse They met and fought and the Romans had the better of it But when Scipio drew near thinking to have met with the Carthaginians he found that they were gone three dayes before with an intent to see the Walls of Rome Scipio hereupon sent his Brother Cn. Cornelius Scipio into Spain with the greatest part of the Army against Asdrubal and himself with the choicest returned back and landing at Pisa he marched through Tuscany and Lumbardy where he drew together the broken Bands of Manlius and Atilius who were lately beaten by the Gauls intending therewith to oppose the enemy thinking to find them tired with their long Journey Five moneths Hannibal had spent in that tedious march from Carthagena When he had passed Rhodanus he had in his Army but thirty eight thousand Foot and eight thousand Horse the rest having perished with Diseases Enemies Rivers and Mountains Having newly passed the Alps and scarce refreshed his wearied Army in Piemont he sought the Friendship of the Taurini who being at this time in War with the Insubrians his good Friends the Taurini refused it whereupon he besieged their chief Town and in three dayes wan it the spoil whereof did much encourage his Army and the othere Calamity terrified their Neighbours Most of those parts would willingly have joyned with Hannibal but when the Consul Scipio came amongst them they began to be better advised This wavering affection amongst the People made the Generals to hasten to a Battel Their meeting was at Ticinum now Pavia where each of them wondred at the others expedition The Senate at Rome were much amazed at Hannibals arrival in Italy wherefore they sent presently to Sempronius and the other Consul now in Sicily to give him notice of it
wrongfully sustained Upon Fabius his approach Hannibal retired Fearing as he said to be well wet with the Cloud that had hung so long upon the Hill-tops Minutius forthwith submitted himself to Fabius by whose favour he acknowledged that his life was preserved Thence forward the War went on slowly whilst Fabius his Dictatorship lasted and the year following also when he had delivered up his charge to to the Consuls that followed his instructions With little pleasure did they of the poorer sort in Rome hear the great commendations which were given to Fabius by the principal Citizens because the War was not finished nor much done tending thereto And this affection was very helpful to Terentius Varro in his suit for the Consulship and farther to help him he had a kinsman Bibius Herennius Tribune of the People He boldly affirmed that Hannibal was drawn into Italy and suffered there to range at his pleasure by the Noblemen that without a Plebeian Consul the War would never be ended c. By which perswasions the multitude were won to be wholly for Terentius to the great vexation of the Nobles who could not endure such an upstart But nothing could hinder the choise of Terentius Wherefore the Nobles to ballast this hot-headed man set up L. Aemilius Paulus a gallant man and a brave Captain to stand for the other Consuls place and he easily carried it These new Consuls Varro and Paulus omitted no diligence in preparing for the War wherein though Varro made the greatest noife boasting what wonders he would do if he could but once see Hannibal yet the care and prudence of Paulus did tend much more towards the effecting of it He wrote to the two old Consuls to forbear fighting and yet to ply the Carthaginians with daily Skirmishes and so to weaken them by degrees that when he and his Fellow Consul came with the new Army they might find the four old Legions well accustomed to the Enemy and the Enemy well weakened These new Consuls raised an Army of above eighty thousand Foot and six thousand Horse Hannibal all this while lay at Geryon where all his provision and store was The Romans to be neer him lodged about Canusium laying up most of their provisions in the Castle of Cannae This place Hannibal wan and thereby not only furnished himself but compelled his Enemies to want many necessaries Hereby he also enabled himself to stay in that open Country fit for the service of the Horse Of this mishap when Servilius had informed the Senate it then seemed needful to them to 〈◊〉 Battel with the Carthaginian rather than to suffer him thus to roo◠himself in Italy When all things vvere ready in the City and the season of the year commodious the two Consuls with their Army set forward against Hannibal This was done with great solemnity Sacrifices and solemn Vows were made to Jupiter and the other Gods for good success and Victory and the Generals were accompanied with a great number that brought them out of the City and dismissed them with Friendly leave-taking and good wishes These new Generals arriving at the Camp dismissed M. Atilius one of the last years Consuls because of his age and retained Servilius with them as their assistant Aemilius laboured to encourage his men telling them that the enemy had stole all the former Victories by his Ambushes that otherwise the Romans were far beyond them in Valour c. and therefore he exhorted them to play the men and do their best This set them on fire to be dealing with the Carthagiuians and herein Varro concurred with them longing for an opportunity to get the honour which he promised to himself having now such a numerous Army By this means the Romans fell into a great inconvenience by the disagreement of their Generals Varro would fight and Aemilius would not for the present hoping for better advantage ere long when the enemy should be forced to dislodg out of the plain Country The Consuls command in turns every day Aemilius lodged six miles from Hannibal where the ground was uneven Terentius the next day descended into the plains his Colleague beseeching him to stay but could not prevail He sat down neer to the Carthaginian who yet gave him but a rude vvelcome and entertainment The Carthaginian Horse and light Armature fell upon the Roman Vaunt-Courriers and put the whole Army into a tumult whilst it was yet in its march but the Carthaginians were beaten off though not without loss The next day Aemilius who could not securely draw back the Army encamped upon the River Aufidus sending part of his Forces over the River where they encamped themselves with the rest he fortified and kept within his Trenches Varro was perswaded that it concerned him in honour to make good his word to the People of Rome When therefore it was his turn to Command at the break of Day he began to pass the River without staying to bid his Colleague good morrow But Paulus came to him labouring by all means to disswade him Terentius had norhing to answer but that his honour was engaged Hannibal had twice or thrice braved them which must not be endured When Aemilius perceived that he could not prevail he was careful that what must be done might be done well Ten thousand Foot he caused to be left behind in the Camp opposite to the Carthaginians to the intent that Hannibal might be forced to do the like or else when they were in fight these might fall upon his Camp and take it with all the wealth therein which would much distract the Carthaginians This done the Consuls drew forth their Army over the Water and ranged them in order of Battel This Hannibal was very glad of and therefore without any delay passed over the River also leaving in his own Camp enow to defend it and no more To encourage his men he told them how fit the ground was wherein they were to fight and that therefore they were to thank the Gods who had so infatuated the enemies as to choose such a place where the stronger in Horse was sure to prevail Besides said he These are the men whom you have beaten as often as you have seen them and now you are to fight for their Cities and all the Riches that are in them and ere many hours pass ye shall be Lords of all that the Romans enjoy This set his men 〈◊〉 to be it and at the same time came his Brother Mago whom he had sent to view the countenance of the Enemy to whom he said What news What works are we like to have Work enough answered Mago for they are a horrible Company As horrible a many as they be said Hannibal I tell thee that amongst them all there is not one man whose name is Mago and therewith he fell a laughing which all the Souldiers also took for a good Omen In this great day the Carthaginian excelled himself expressing abundance of Military skill
effeminate than before About this time Hannibal sent his Brother Mago to Carthage vvith the joyful nevvs of this great Victory He told the Carthaginian Senate vvith hovv many Roman Generals his Brother had fought hovv many Consuls he had chased vvounded or slain Hovv the Romans vvho never used to shun a Battel vvere novv grown so cold that they thought their Dictator Fabius the only good Captain That not vvithout reason their spirits were thus abated since Hannibal had slain above two hundred and six thousand of them and taken above fifty thousand Prisoners He told them how many States in Italy followed the Fortune of those great Victories He told them that the War was even at an end if they vvould follovv it close and give the Romans no time of breathing He wished them to consider that the War was carried into an enemies Country that so many Battels had diminished his Brothers Army that the Souldiers that had deserved so well ought to be well rewarded and that it was not good to burden their new Italian Friends with exactions of Mony Corn c. But that these must be sent from Carthage Lastly he caused the Gold Rings taken from the Fingers of the Roman Knights that were slain to be powred out before them which being measured filled three Bushels This errand of Mago for the present found extraordinary good welcome And large supplies vvere voted to be sent to him But his old enemy Hanno obstructed them and the too much Parsimony of the Citizens was the cause that there was very little done and that which was done came too late However Mago brings the news of the great supply which was decreed to be sent which much rejoyced Hannibal and his new confederates The Spring drew on vvhen the supply was expected but there came no more than a few Elephants and Hannibal was forced to rest contented with them Then did he take the Field and sought to make himself Master of some good Haven Town that might serve to intertain the Carthaginian Fleet when it should arrive with the supplies For this end he sent Himilco who by the help of his good Friends the Brusians won Petilia he won also Concentia and Crotan and the City of Locri and many other places only the Town of Rhegium over against Sicily held out against him The Romans at this time were in such a case that Hannibal vvith a little help from Carthage might have reduced them to great extremity But his own Citizens suffered him to languish with expectation of their promised supplies which being still deferred from year to year caused as great opportunities to be lost as a Conqueror could have desired But whatsoever Hannibal thought he was faign to apply himself to his Italian Friends and to feed them with Hopes and to trifle way his time about Nola Naples Cumae c. being loath to weaken his Army by a hard Siege that was to be reserved for a vvork of more importance Many offers he made upon Nola but always vvith bad success Once Mercellus fought a Battel with him there under the Walls of the City having the Citizens to assist him vvherein Hannibal lost a thousand men which was no great marvail his forces being then divided and imployed in sundry parts of Italy at once At this time T. Sempronius Gracchus and Q. Fabius Maximus the late famous Dictator were chosen Consuls But Fabius was detained at Rome about matters of Religion or Superstition rather vvherewith the City vvas commonly especially in the times of danger very much troubled so Gracchus alone vvith a Consular Army waited upon Hannibal amongst the Campanes not able to meet him in the Field yet attentive to all occasions that should be presented The Slaves that lately had been Armed were a great part of his followers These and the rest of his men Gracchus continnally trained and had not a greater care to make his Army skilful in the exercises of War than in keeping it from quarrels that might arise by their upbrading one another vvith their base condition Gracchus at this time had a bickering vvith the Capuans upon whom he came at unawares and slew above two thousand of them and took their Camp but staid not long to rifâ—le it for fear of Hannibal that lay not far off By this his Providence he escaped a greater loss than he brought upon the Capuans For vvhen Hannibal heard hovv things vvent he presently marched thither hoping to find these young Souldiers and Slaves busied in loading themselves vvith the Booty But they were all gotten safe into Cumae which so angred Hannibal that at the earnest request of the Capuans he assailed it the next day Much labour and vvith ill success he spent about this Town He raised a Woodden Tower brought it close to the Walls thereby to assault it but they vvithin built a higher Tower vvhence they made resistance and found means to set Hannibals Tower on fire and vvhilst the Carthaginians were busie in quenching the fire they issued out charged them valiantly and drove them to their Trenches The Consul vvisely sounded a retreat in time or Hannibal had requited them The day following Hannibal presented Battel to them but Gracchus refused it Seeing therefore no likelyhood to prevail he raised his Siege and departed About this time Fabius the other Consul took the Field and recovered some small Towns that Hannibal had taken and punished the Inhabitants severely for their revolt the Carthaginians Army vvas too small to Garrison all the Towns that had yielded to them and withall to abide as it must do strong in the Field Wherefore Hannibal attending the supply from Carthage that would enable him to strike at Rome it self vvas driven in the mean time to alter his course of War and instead of making as he had formerly done a general invasion upon the vvhole Country he vvas faign to vvait upon occasions that grevv daily more commodious to the Enemy than to him When Hannibal vvas gone to Winter into Apulia Marcellus vvasted the Country of the Hirpines and Samnites the like did Fabius in Campania The People of Rome vvere very intentive upon the Work they had in hand they continued Fabius in his Consulship and joyned vvith him Cladius Marcellus Of these two Fabius vvas called the Shield and Marcellus the Roman Sword The great Name of these Consuls and the great preparations which they made put the Campans in fear that Capua it self should be besieged wherefore at their earnest request Hannibal came from Arpi and having comforted his Friends on a sudden he fell upon Puteoli a Sea-town of Campania about vvhich he spent three days in vain there being six thousand in Garrison vvherefore he left it and marched to Tarentum vvherein he had great intelligence In the mean time Hanno made a journy against Beneventum where T. Gracchus met him Hanno had vvith him about seventeen thousand Foot Brutians and Lucans
and gave him Battel by Sea and after endured a Siege by Land Yet after a while they besought him to receive them to mercy yielding themselves their Towns and Islands which they had strongly fortified into his hands Thus was this War ended and all the Pirats within less than three Months space driven out of the Seas Pompey won also a great number of Ships and ninety Gallies armed with Copper Spurs As for those whom he had taken who were in number about twenty thousand lusty Men and good Souldiers he would not put them to Death but planted them in inland Countries in certain small Towns of the Cilicians that were scarce inhabited who were very glad of them and gave them Lands to maintain them and whereas the City of the Solians had not long before been destroyed by Tygranes King of Armenia he replenished it again by placing many of them there He bestowed others of them in the City of Dyma in the Country of Achaia which lacked Inhabitants and had great store of good Land belonging to it though many of his Enemies greatly blamed him for it Before Pompey was chosen General against the Pirats young Metellus was sent Praetor into Creet who finding it to be a Den of these Thieves he took many of them and put them to Death the rest that escaped being straightly besieged by him sent unto Pompey craving pardon and desiring him to receive them to mercy Pompey accordingly pardoned them and wrote to Metellus requiring him to give over that War commanding the Cities also that they should not obey Metellus He sent also Lucius Octavius one of his Lieutenants who entered into the Towns besieged by Metellus and sought against him in the behalf of the Pirats This act of Pompey procured him much ill will for that he fought for the common Enemies of the World who had neither God nor Law and that only to deprive a Roman Praetor of his Triumph who had done such good service against them Yet Metellus left not off his Wars for Pompey's Letters but having taken the Pirats he put them to Death When the news came to Rome that the Piratick War was ended and that Pompey had no more to do but to go from City to City to visit them one Manlius a Tribune of the People brought in another Law that Pompey taking the Army from Lucullus and all the Provinces under his Government with all Bythinia which Glabrio kept should go and War upon Tygranes and Methridates and yet reserve in his hands all his jurisdiction and Army by Sea in as royal a manner as he had it before which was to make him an absolute Monarch over all the Roman Empire The Senate stuck not so much at the injury offered to Lucullus depriving him of the honour of his doings and giving it to another but that which most grived them was to see Pompey's power established into a plain Tyranny Hereupon they encouraged one another to oppose it to the uttermost yet when the day came for the passing of this Law they all drew back for fear of angring the People and none durst oppose it Only Catulus inveied against it a long time together But say what he could the Decree passed by the voices of the Tribes And thus was Pompey in his absence made Lord of all that which Sylla with much effusion of blood had attained to with great difficulty When Pompey by Letters from Rome was informed what Law the People had past in his behalf he seemed to be much grieved that such great Offices and charges should be laid upon him one in the neck of another and clapping his hands on his Thigh he said O Gods shall I never see an end of these troubles Had it not been better for me to have been a mean Man and unknown than thus continually to be ingaged in War What! shall I never see the time that breaking the neck of spite and envy against me I may yet once in my life live quietly at hone in my Country with my Wife and Children His Friends that were about him were much displeased with this his deep dissimulation knowing that his ambitious desire to rule made him glad at heart to be thus imployed the rather because of the contention between him and Lucullus which his deeds forthwith discovered Hereupon he sent forth his Preceps into all quarters requiring all Souldiers immediately to repare to him and caused all the Kings and Princes within his jurisdiction to attend him and so going through all the Countries he changed all that Lucullus had before established He also released the penalties that were imposed upon them and took from them all the favours that Lucullus had granted them Lucullus finding himself so hardly dealt with Friends on both sides mediated a meeting betwixt them that they might talk together and accordingly they met in Galatia having their Sergeants and Officers with Rods wreathed about vvith Lawrel carried before them vvhich shevved that Pompey came to take Lucullus's honour from him Indeed Lucullus had been Consul before Pompey and was the older man yet Pompey exceeded him in dignity having Triumphed twice At their first meeting they discoursed very courteously each commending the others deeds and each rejoycing at the others good success but at parting they fell to hot words Pompey upbraiding Lucullus's covetousness and Lucullus Pompey's ambition so that their Friends had much ado to part them Lucullus when he was gone divided the Lands in Galatia which he had conquered and bestowed other gifts upon them Pompey on the other side camping hard by him commanded the People every where not to obey him He took his Souldiers also from him leaving him only sixteen hundred choosing out such as he thought would do him small service He blemished his Glory also telling every one that Lucullus had fought only with the shadow and pomp of those two Kings and that he had left him to fight with all their force and power Lucullus on the other side said that Pompey went only to fight with such as himself had subdued and that he sought the honour of Triumph over Armenia and Pontus as he had formerly practised to Triumph for overcoming a few Slaves and Fugitives Lucullus being now gone Pompey sent strong Garrisons into all the Sea coast from Phoenicia to the Bosphorus and then marched towards Methridates who had in his Camp thirty thousand Footmen and two thousand Horsemen yet durst he not fight but encamped upon an high Mountain till he was forced to leave it for lack of Water He was no sooner gone but Pompey seized upon the place and setting his Souldiers to dig he found Water enough for all his Army Then he encamped round about Methridates besieging him in his own Camp Methridates endured it forty five days and then slaying all the sick and impotent in his Camp with the choise of his Army he escaped by Night Another time Pompey found him by the
River Euphrates and lodged hard by him Methridates prepared suspecting that Pompey would that Night storm his Camp but Pompey thought it not safe to fight in the dark and therefore resolved rather to encompass him that he might not fly and to fight him in the morning but Pompey's old Captains would needs fight presently which Pompey at last consented to and the Romans ran upon them with great cries which so affrighted their Enemies that they presently turned their backs and fled so that the Romans slew ten thousand of them and took their Camp Methridates himself with eight hundred Horse-men made a Lane through the Romans and so escaped Yet as soon as they were passed his men dispersed some one way some another that himself was left but with three Persons only whereof Hypsicratea a manlike woman was one who never left him but always looked to his Horse being armed after the Persian manner till he came to a strong Castle called Inora where was store of Gold and Silver and the Kings chiefest Treasure Here Methridates divided all his richest Apparel amongst his Friends and to each of them a mortal Poyson to carry about them whereby they might prevent falling into their Enemies hands alive Pompey built a City in the place where he gained this Victory betwixt the Rivers of Euphrates and Araxes situate in Armenia the Less which he called Nicopolis This City he gave by the consent of his Souldiers to such of them as were old lame sick wounded or disbanded to whom many of the Neighbours afterwards repairing the Nicopolitans lived after the manner of the Cappadocians From hence Methridates had intended to have gone into Armenia but King Tigranes prohibited it and promised an hundred Tallents to him that could kill him Passing therefore by the head of Euphrates he fled through the Country of Colchide In the mean time Pompey invaded Armenia being solicited thereto by Tigranes the younger who rebelled against his Father and met Pompey at the River of Araxes which falleth into the Caspian Sea Then did Pompey and he march forward taking in such Towns as yielded unto them Tigranes who had been much weakned by Lucullus understanding that Pompey was of a mild and Gentle nature he put his Souldiers into Garrisons and himself with his Friends and Kinsman went to meet Pompey When he came near his Camp being on Horseback there came two Sergeants to him commanding him to alight which he did accordingly and put off his Sword and gave it them and when he came before Pompey he shamefully fell upon the ground and imbraced his knees but Pompey took him by the hand raised him up and made him sit down by him on the one side and his Son on the other saying to them both As for your former losses you may thank Lucullus for them who hath taken from you Syria Phoenicia Cilicia Galatia and Sophena but for what you have left till my coming you shall enjoy it paying to the Romans six thousand Tallents for the wrong you have done them Provided also that your Son shall have Sophena for his part Tigranes accepted of the conditions whereupon the Romans saluted him King and he gave great sums of money amongst the Army But his Son was much discontented and when Pompey sent for him to come to Sup with him he refused wherefore Pompey imprisoned him and kept him to be led in his Triumph at Rome Shortly after Phraates King of Parthia sent Ambassadors to desire this young Prince who was his Son in Law and to tell Pompey that Euphrates must be the uttermost bounds of his Conquest Pompey answered that Tygranes had more right to his Son than Phraates and as for limiting his borders he would do it with Justice So leaving Afranius to keep Armenia he passed by other Nations that inhabited about the Mountain of Caucasus having Methridates in chase Two of the chiefest of these Nations were the Iberians and the Albanians near to the Caspian Sea These upon his request suffered him to pass through their Countries But Winter hasting on apace these Barbarous People raised an Army of fourty thousand fighting men and passed over the River of Cyrnus Pompey could have hindred their passage but yet let them come over and then fought with them and overcame them and slew multitudes of them in the Field whereupon they submitted and made peace with him Then Pompey went against the Iberians who took part with Methridates They were more and better Souldiers than the Albanians they were never subject to the Medes and Persians nor to Alexander the Great These Pompey overcame also in a bloody fight and slew nine thousand of them and took ten thousand Prisoners From thence he went into the Country of Colchide where Servilius met him by the River of Phasis with his Fleet with which he kept the Pontick Sea He found it a hard work to pursue Methridates any further who had hid himself amongst a People that bordered upon the Lake of Maeotis He heard also that the Albanians had rebelled wherefore he went back to be revenged on them passing over the River of Cyrnus again yet with much difficulty because the Barbarous People had made a defence on the further side by felling and laying many Trees across all along the Bank of the River and when he was got over he was to travel through a dry Country a great way before he came to any Water whereupon he caused ten thousand Goats skins to be filled with Water and so marched over it At the River Abas he met with his Enemies who had now an Army of one hundred and twenty thousand Footmen and ten thousand Horsemen but Armed only in Beast skins There General was Cosis the Kings Brother In the Battel this Cosis flew upon Pompey and throwing a Dart at him wounded him in the flank but Pompey ran him through with a Lance and slew him Some say that some Amazons assisted this People against Pompey After this Battel Pompey going back to invade the Country of Hyrcania as far as the Caspian Sea was forced to retreat by reason of an infinite number of deadly Serpents that he met withal wherefore he went back into Armenia the less to which place he had many rich presents sent him from the Kings of the Elymians and the Medes to whom he returned courteous answers Yet he sent Afranius with part of his Army against the King of Parthia who had much harrased and plundred the Country of Tygranes and he drave him out At this time the Concubines of Methridates were brought to him but he would not touch any one of them but sent them all home again to their Parents and Friends being most of them the Daughters of Princes and other Noble Captains Only Stratonice whom Methridates loved above all the rest with whom he had left the custody of his Castle where lay all his Treasures of Gold and Silver was but a Singers
purchased it by his Noble and Valiant deeds The time for his Triumph being come the stateliness and magnificence was such that though he had two days to shew it yet lacked he time to produce all For there were many things prepared for the shew which were not seen and would have set forth another Triumph First the Tables were carried wherein were written the Names of the Nations for which he Triumphed as the Kingdoms of Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Media Colchis Iberia Albania Syria Cilicia and Mesopotamia As also the People that dwell in Phoenicia Palestina Judaea and Arabia And all the Pirats that he had overcome by Sea and Land In all these Countries he had taken a thousand Castles and neer nine hundred Towns and Cities Of Pirats Ships eight hundred Moreover he had replenished with Inhabitants thirty nine desolate Towns These Tables also declared that the Revenue of Rome before these his conquests arose but to five thousand Myriads but now he had improved them to eight thousand and five hundred Myriads Besides he now brought into the Treasury to the value of twenty thousand Talents in Silver Gold Plate and Jewels besides what had been distributed already among the Souldiers of which he that had least had fifteen hundred Drachma's for his share The Prisoners that were led in this Triumph were the Son of Tygranes King of Armenia with his Wife and Daughter The Wife of King Tygranes himself called Zozime Aristobulus King of Judaea The Sister of Methridates with her five Sons And some Ladies of Scythia The Hostages of the Iberians and Albanians as also the Kings of the Commagenians Besides a great number of Marks of Triumph which himself and his Lieutenants had won in several Battels But the greatest honour that ever he wan and which no other of the Consuls ever attained to was that his three Triumphs were of the three Parts of the World to wit his first of Africk his second of Europe And his third Asia and all this before he was forty yeards old But from this time forward Pompey began to decline till with his Life he had lost all his Honour Lucullus at his return out of Asia was well received by the Senate and much more after Pompey was come to Rome For the Senate cncouraged him to deal in affairs of State being of himself slow and much given to his ease and pleasure because of his great Riches So when Pompey was come he began to speak against him and through Catoes assistance gat all things confirmed which he had done in Asia and which had been undone by Pompey Pompey having such an afront put upon him by the Senate had recourse to the Tribunes of the People the vilest of whom was Clodius who closed with him and had Pompey ever at his Elbow ready to second what motion soever he had to make to the People He also desired Pompey to forsake Cicero his ancient Friend but Clodius his utter Enemy By this means Cicero was brought into danger and when he required Pompey's assistance he shut the door against him and went out at a back-door whereupon Cicero was forced to forsake Rome At this time Julius Caesar returning from his Praetorship out of Spain laid such a plot as quickly brought himself into favour but tended to the ruin of Pompey He was now to sue for his first Consulship and considering the enmity between Pompey and Crassus he considered that if he joyned with one he made the other his Enemy he therefore made them Friends which indeed undid the Commonwealth For by this means Caesar was chosen Consul who strait fell to flattering of the People and made Laws for their advantage distributing to them Lands which embased the Majesty of the chief Majestrate and made a Consulship no better than the Tribuneship of the People Bibulus his Fellow Consul opposed him what he could and Cato also till Caesar brought Pompey into the Pulpit for Orations where he asked him whether he consented to the Decree which he had set forth Pompey answered That he did und that he would defend it with the Sword This gat him much ill will Not many days after Pompey married Julia the Daughter of Caesar formerly betrothed to Servilius Caepio and to pacifie Caepio Pompey gave him his own Daughter in marriage whom yet he had promised to Faustus the Son of Sylla Caesar also married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso. Afterwards Pompey filling Rame with Souldiers carried all by force For as Bibulus came to the Market place accompanied with Cato and Lucullus they were basely abused and many were wounded and when they were driven away they passed the Act for dividing of the Lands as they pleased The People being encouraged hereby never stuck at any matter that Pompey and Caesar would have done And by this means all Pompey's former Acts were confirmed though Lucullus opposed what he could Caesar also was appointed to the Government of both Gauls with four whole Legions Then were chosen Consuls Piso Father in Law to Caesar and Gabinius Pompey's great flatterer Pompey now so doted on his young Wife that he suffered himself wholly to be ruled by her and leaving all publick affairs he went with her to Country Houses and places of pleasure which encouraged Clodius a Tribune of the people to despise him and to enter into seditious attempts For when he had driven Cicero out of Rome and sent away Cato to make War in Cyprus and Caesar was occupied in Gaul finding that the people were at his beck because he flattered them he then attempted to undo some things that Pompey had established Amongst others he took young Tygranes out of prison and carried him up and down with him and continually picked quarrels against Pompey's Friends Pompey coming abroad one day to hear how a matter of his was handled this Clodius having gotten a company of desperate Ruffians about him gat up into a high place and asked aloud Who is the most licentious Captain in all the City They answered Pompey And Who said he is he that scratched his head with one finger They again answered Pompey clapping their hands with great scorn This went to Pompey's heart who never used to be thus abused and he was yet more vexed when he saw that the Senate was well pleased with this his disgrace because he had forsaken and betrayed Cicero Upon this a great uprore was made in the Market place and many were hurt whereupon Pompey would come no more abroad whilst Clodius was Tribune but advised with his Friends how he might ingratiate himself with the Senate they advised him to put away his Wife Julia to renounce Caesars Friendship and to stick again to the Senate Some of these things he disliked yet was content to call home Cicero who was Clodius his mortal Enemy and in great favour with the Senate Hereupon Pompey brought Cicero's Brother into the Market place to move the matter to
the People with many men about him and they fell to blows so that many were slain yet he overcome Clodius and Cicero was called home by the Decree of the People who also brought Pompey into favour with the Senate and caused a Law to be made whereby to enable Pompey to bring Corn to Rome and thus by Cicero's means Pompey had once again power given him both by Sea and Land over all the Roman Territories For all the Havens Marts and Fairs and all Store-houses and Merchandizes yea and Tillage came into his hand For this Clodius accused him saying that the Senate had made this Law not because of a dearth of Victuals but that they made a dearth that so the Law might pass for restoring Pompey's power which was almost come to nothing Pompey having now full Authority to cause Corn to be brought to Rome he sent his Friends and Lieutenants abroad and himself went into Sicily and when he was ready to return again there arose such a storm that the Mariners feared to weigh their Anchors but he commanded them to do it saying It s necessary that the People should have Corn but it s not necessary that I should live Thus by his prudence and courage he filled all the Markets with Corn and the Seas with Ships and so great plenty of Provision was brought in as fully furnished not only Rome but all Italy About this time Caesars great conquests in Gaul wan him much credit But whilst they thought him to be Warring afar off he appeared in the midst of the People at Rome and much opposed Pompey in the weightiest matter of the Commonwealth For he had the power of an Army which he hardened with pains and continual exercise not only to fight against the Barbarous People but to make himself invincible and dreadful to the World Moreover by that infinite quantity of Gold and Silver and other Treasures that he gat from the Enemy he purchased many Friends to himself sending great Presents to Rome to the Aediles Praetors Consuls and their Wives therefore when he was come back over the Alps and Wintered in the City of Luca multitudes of the People yea two hundred of the Senate themselves amongst whom were Crassus and Pompey went out of Rome unto him All these Caesar returned back again some with store of mony others with good Words But with Pompey and Crassus he agreed that they two should sue to be Consuls and that himself would send good store of voices upon the day of Election and that if they were chosen they should get a Decree of the People that they should have some new Provinces and Armies assigned to them and withal that they should procure his Government to continue for five years longer This Plot being discovered and spread abroad gave great distast to honest men and many who had intended to sue for the Consulship gave it over Only Lucius Domitius being encouraged by Cato stood for it For said he Thou doest not contend for the Consulship but to defend the liberty of thy Country against two Tyrants Pompey fearing Catoes faction thought it not safe to let Domitius come into the Market place He sent therefore armed men against him who slew the Torch-bearer that came before him and made all the rest to flie amongst whom Cato was the last man that retired who whilst he defended Domitius was wounded in the Elbow Thus Pompey and Crassus came to be Consuls wherein they carried themselves very dishonestly For the People being about to choose Cato Praetor Pompey perceiving of it brake up the Assembly falsly alleadging that he had certain ill signs and afterwards corrupting the Tribes they chose Antias and Vatinias Praetors and then by Trebonius a Tribune of the People they published an Edict that Caesar should hold his Government five years longer Unto Crassus they appointed the Province of Syria and to make War against the Parthians Unto Pompey they allotted Africk and both the Spains with four whole Legions of the which at Caesars request he sent him two to assist him in his Wars in Gaul Crassus at the going out of his Consulship departed into Syria and Pompey remained in Rome to dedicate the Theater which he had built where he caused many goodly Plays to be made and caused Wild Beasts to be baited and hunted amongst which five hundred Lions were killed but the most terrible fight of all was amongst his Elephants This he did to gratifiâ— the People though to his very great cost and he procured much love to himself thereby But he got more envy from others by committing the Government of his Provinces and Legions unto his Lieutenants whilst himself with his Wife took their pleasure up and down Italy At an Election of the Aâ—diles on a sudden there was a great hurly-burly Swords were drawn and many were slain about Pompey so that he was saign to send home his Garments that were sprinkled with their blood and to fetch others His young Wife that was great with child seeing his clothes bloody was so frighted that she fell into a swound that they had much ado to recover her At another time being with child again she fell in labour and died in childbirth and as Pompey was carrying her into the Country to bury her neer unto the City of Alba at his Country House the people took her corps and carrying it into the Field of Mars buried it there and this they did more for Caesar than for Pompey's sake This alliance between Pompey and Caesar being thus broken which rather covered than bridled their ambition to Rule there arose a new stir in Rome and every mans mouth was full of seditious words About which time news came that Crassus was overcome and slain in Parthia who was the only bar to hinder these two from civil War for they both feared him and therefore kept themselves quiet Yet they thought the Empire of Rome was too little for them Pompey thinking that Caesar would not disband his Army sought to strengthen himself against him by procuring Offices in the City and when he could not procure them the people being bribed by Caesar he left the City without a Magistrate so that there were none to command or whom the people might obey Hereupon a rumour was spread that a Dictator must be chosen and that Pompey must be the man This Cato opposed with all his power Bnt when Pompey's Friends excused him saying that he neither sought nor would accept of it then Cato highly commended him and pray'd him to see good order kept in the Commonwealth which accordingly he undertook Then were Domitius and Massala chosen Consuls but after a while one of them died vvhereupon many vvere earnestly bent to have a Dictator and Cato fearing great disorders was willing that Pompey should have some Office to keep him from that vvhich was more Tyrannical Bibulus a chief man in the Senate and
them but when they saw they were past their reach they let them go Then striking off Pompeys Head they threw his Body overboard where it was a miserable spectacle to all that desired to behold it Philip his infranchised Bondman stirred not from it till the Aegyptians had glutted themselves with looking upon it Then having vvashed it with Salt water and wrapped it up in an old Shirt of his own he sought about the Sands and at last found a piece of an old Fisher-boat scarce enough to burn all the Body and as he was gathering the pieces of this Boat together there came to him an old Roman who in his Youth had served under Pompey saying O Friend what art thou that preparest the Funerals of Pompey the Great Philip answered that he was a Bondman of his infranchised Well said he thou shalt not have all this honour alone Pray thee let me accompany thee in this devout deed that I may not altogether repent me that I have dwelt so long in a strange Country where I have endured much misery but to recompence me let me have this good hap to touch Pompeys Body and to help to bury this most famous Captain of the Romans The next day Lucius Lentulus not knowing what had happened coming out of Cyprus sailed by the shore side and perceiving a Funeral fire and Philip standing by it he asked him whose Funeral it was But straight fetching a great sigh alas said he perhaps it is Pompeys the Great Then he landed a little and was presently slain This was the deplorable end of Pompey the Great Caesar not long after came into Aegypt where there were great Wars at which time Pompeys Head was presented to him but he turned aside and would not see it abhorring him that brought it as a detestable Murtherer Then looking on his Signet Ring whereon was engraven a Lion holding a Sword he burst out a weeeping Achillas and Photinus he put to death King Ptolomy being overthrown in Battel by the River Nilus vanished away and was never after heard of Theodotus escaped Caesars hands and wondred up and down Aegypt in great misery dispised of every man And afterwards Marchus-Brutus who slew Caesar when he conquered Asia met with this Theodotus by chance and putting him to all the torments he could possibly devise he at last slew him The Ashes of Pompeys Body were afterwards brought to his Wife Cornelia who buried them in a Town of hers near the City of Alba. THE LIFE and DEATH OF JULIUS CAESAR The First FOUNDER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE JULIUS CAESAR by the Fathers side was of a very Noble and ancient Family and by the Mothers side he descended from the Kings of Rome who were extracted from the Trojan Aeneas When he was a youg man Sylla having gotten the Lordship of Rome would have had him put away his Wife Cornelia who was the Daughter of Cinna the Dictator but he could not prevail with him either by promises or threats to do it whereupon he took away her Joynter from him Sylla being very busie in putting to Death many of his Enemies yet passed by Caesar whom he contemned for his youth And Caesar was not contented to retire in safety in those stormy times but came and made suit to the People for the Priesthood which was then void when he had scant any hair on his Face but by Syllâ—s means he suffered a repulse who was so irritated hereby that he determined to have killed him and when some of Syllas Friends told him that it was to no purpose to put so young a man to Death he answered That they did not consider that there were many Marius 's in that one Boy Caesar being informed of his danger secretly fled from Rome and hid himself a long time amongst the Sabines wandering from one place to another yet at length he fell into the hands of a party of Syllas Souldiers who sought for him but he bribed their Captain with two Talents and so escaped Then went he unto the Sea side and taking Ship he passed into Bythinia unto King Nicomedes And after a while he took Sea again and fell into the hands of some Pirates who at that time kept all the Sea-coast with a great Fleet. They asked him twenty Talents for his Ransom Caesar laughed them to scorn as not knowing what a man they had taken and of himself promised them fifty Talents and sent some of his men to get him this mony so that he was almost left alone amongst these Thieves which were the cruellest Butchers in the World having only one of his Friends and two Slaves with him Thus he continued thirty eight days amongst them not as a Prisoner but rather waited upon as a Prince by them For he boldly exercised himself amongst them in their sports He would make Orations and call them together to hear them and if they seemed not to understand or regard them he would call them Blockheads and Beasts and laughing would threaten to hang them and they took all in good part thinking that it proceeded from his Boyish simplicity When his Ransome was come he paid it them and so was dismissed and presently arming and manning some Ships out of the Haven of Miletum he followed these Thieves and finding them yet at Anchor he took most of them and got a great Booty and carryed their Persons to the City of Pergamus and there imprisoned them whilst himself went to Jumus the Governour of Asia to whom the execution of these Pirats did belong But he desiring to get the mony because there was good store of it said that he would consider of theâ—e Prisoners at better leasure Caesar hereupon returned back to Pergamus and there hung up all the Thieves openly upon the Cross as he often had threatened that he would do when they thought that he was but in jest When Syllas power began to decay Caesars Friends wrote to him to return to Rome But he first went to Rhodes to study there for a time under the Tuition of Apollonius an honest man and excellent Rhetorician whose Schollar also Cicero had been Caesar had an excellent gift to speak well naturally which was much holpen by his Studies so that he was very Eloquent and might have been second to none but that he applied himself rather to follow the Wars and to mannage great matters than to pleading of causes When he was returned again to Rome he immediately wan the good will of the People by his Eloquence and courteous speaking to every man being more ceremonious in his deportment than could be expected from one of his years Besides he ever kept a good Table and fared well and was very liberal which much encreased his estimation with the People And his Enemies presuming that when he could not hold out that charge and expence the favour of the People would quickly decay they suffered him to go on
that were in it save Petronius a Treasurer to whom he profered life But Petronius answered him that Caesars Souldiers used to give others their lives and not to have their lives given them and thereupon slew himself with his own Sword Now Caesar bred this courage in them by rewarding them bountifully and honouring them He also gave them a good example by adventuring himself upon manifest dangers and putting his body to extream pains when there was occasion which filled them with admiration As for his constitution he was lean white and soft skin'd and often troubled with the Head-ach and sometimes with the falling sickness yet yielded he not to his sickness but rather took pains as a Medicine to cure it travelling continually living soberly and commonly lying abroad in the Fields Most nights he slept in his Coach and in the days travelled up and down to see Cities Castles and strong-holds He had always a Secretary with him in his Coach who writ as they went by the way and a Souldier behind him that carryed his Sword He made such speed when he had gotten his Office at Rome that in eight days he came to the River of Rhone He was an excellent Rider from his youth for holding his hands behind him he would run his Horse upon the Spur. In his Wars in Gaul or France he used to exercise himself in inditing Letters by the way wherein he was so nimble that he imployed two Secretaries or more at one time He made very little account of his Diet Supping one night in Millane with his Friend Valerius Leo there was served at Table some Sperage with some perfumed oyl instead of Sallet oyl he eat it and found no fault blaming his Friends who were offended at the mistake saying that if they liked it not they should have let it alone and that it was not good manners hereby to shame their Friend At another time in his Journey he was forced by foul weather to shelter himself in a poor Cottage that had but one Cabbin and that so narrow that one could scarce lye in it whereupon he said to his Friends the greatest rooms are fittest for the greatest men and Beds for sick persons and so caused Oppius that was sick to lye there and himself with the rest of his Friends lay without doors The first War that Caesar made in Gaul was against the Helvetians or Swissers and the Tigurines who having set fire of their own Cities and Houses came to invade that part of Gaul which was subject to the Romans These were a very War-like and Valiant People and in all they were three hundred thousand souls whereof there were one hundred and ninety thousand fighting men yet were they overthrown by Labienus Caesars Lieutenant at the River Arax And when the Heluetians afterwards came suddenly to set upon Caesar he made hast to get into some place of strength and there ordered his Battel against them and when one brought him his charging Horse he said when I have overcome mine enemies then I will get upon him to pursue them and so marching against thâ—m on foot he fiercely charged them The Battel continued long before he could make them fly yet had he more ado to take their Camp and to break the strength that they had made with their Carts For not only those that were fled into it made head again but their Wives and Children also fought stoutly for their lives till they were all slain and the Battel was scarce ended by midnight Presently after above one hundred thousand of those that had escaped from this Battâ—l were forced by Caesar to return into their own Country again and to the Towns which they had burnt and this he did lest the Germans should come over the Rhine and settle themselves in that Country being void The next War that Caesar made was in defence of the Gauls against the Germans though himself had before admitted Ariovistus their King to be received as a confederate of the Romans Notwithstanding which they were grown very unquiet Neighbours watching but an opportunity to possess themselves of the rest of Gaul Caesar perceiving that some of his Captains much feared them especially the young Gentlemen of Noble Families who went along with him as to some Pastimes he commanded all that were afraid to return home and not endanger themselves against their wills But for himself he said he would set upon those Barbarous People though he had left him but the tenth Legion only Upon this the tenth Legion sent their Officers to thank him for the good opinion he had of them and all the other Legions blamed their Captains for their backwardness and followed him cheerfully till they came within two hundred Furlongs of the Enemies Camp Ariovistus his courage was well cooled when he saw Caesar so near whereas they thought that the Romans were afraid of them His Army also was in a great amaze But that which discouraged them most was the Prophesies of some foolish women who observing the terrible noise which the Water in the River made advised the Germans by no means to fight and they being possessed with a superstitious fear sought to avoid the fight Yet Caesar skirmished with them every day and sometime followed them to their Forts and little Hills where they lay whereby he so provoked them that at last they came down with great fury to fight In this Battel he overcame them and pursued them very eagerly making a great slaughter of them even to the River of Rhine filling all the Fields with dead Bodies and spoiles Ariovistus himself flying speedily got over the River and escaped with some few of his men At this Battel there were slain about eighty thousand Germans After this Battel Caesar left his Army to winter amongst the Sequanes and himself thinking of the affairs of Rome returned over the Alps to a place about the River Po whilst he lay there he laboured to make Friends at Rome and when many came to visit him there he granted all their suits and sent them back some with liberal rewards and others with large promises whereby he engaged them to him During all the time of Caesars great conquests in Gaul Pompey did not consider how Caesar conquered the Gauls with the Roman weapons and wan the Romans with the Riches of the Gauls At this time Caesar being informed that the Belgae who were the most War-like Nation of all the Gauls were all up in Arms and had raised a very great Power he presently made towards them with all possible speed and found them overrunning and plundering the neighbour Countries and confederates of the Romans wherefore he gave them Battel and overthrew their chiefest Army and slew so many of them that the Lakes and Rivers were died with their blood and filled with their dead Bodies that the Romans passed over on foot upon them After this overthrow such of them as dwelt near the Sea
yielded themselves and from thence he conducted his Army against the Nervians the stoutest Souldiers of all the Belgae These dwelling in a Woody Country had conveyed their Wives Children and Goods into a very great Forrest remote from their Enemies and being above eighty thousand fighting men they watching their opportunity set upon Caesar when his Army was out of order and little expecting them At the first charge they brake the Roman Horsemen and encompassing the seventh and twelfth Legions they slew all the Captains and had not Caesar himself with his Shield on his Arme run amongst them making a lane as he went and the tenth Legion seeing him in that danger followed him with all speed there had not a Roman escaped alive that day But looking upon Caesars Valour his men fought desperately even beyond their abilities and yet could they not make the Nervi fly but they fought it out bravely till most of them were slain in the Field five hundred only of them escaping Yet was it a bloody Battel to the Romans for that of four hundred Gentlemen and Counsellers of Rome there were but three saved The Senate of Rome made great signs of joy for these Victories by sacrificing to the Gods Plays c. and as Caesars fame was encreased hereby so he wan upon the Peoples love And always when his affairs would permit he used to Winter by the River Po to give direction about his affairs at Rome And truly not only such as sued for Offices at Rome obtained them by Caesars money and therefore imployed all their power to promote his Interest but the chiefest also of the Nobility went to Luke unto him insomuch as at one time there have been seen before his Gates one hundred and twenty Sergeants carrying Rods and Axes before the Magistrates that have waited upon him and two hundred Senators besides Here they held a Councel wherein it was agreed that Pompey and Crassus should again be chosen Consuls for the year following and that Caesar should have more money delivered him to pay his Army and that his Government should be prorogued for five years longer Then Caesar returning into Gaul to his Army found there a great War begun For two Potent Nations of the Germans having passed over the River of Rhine to conquer new Lands Caesar fought with them which himself thus discribeth These Barbarous People saith he after they had sent Ambassadours to me to desire peace contrary to the Law of Armes came and set upon me as I travelled by the way insomuch as eight hundred of their men overthrew five thousand of my Horse-men who nothing at all expected their comming and going on to describe their farther proceedings he saith that they again sent Ambassadours to him to mock him whom he kept Prisoners and then setting upon the Enemies who were about four hundred thousand Persons he slew most of them saying a few that flying gat back over the River of Rhine and so escaped Caesar taking this occasion and being ambitious to have the honour of being the first Roman that ever passed this River with an Army he built a Bridg over it though the River were very broad and ran with a violent stream and especially there where he built the Bridg and the Barbarians casting great Trees into the River they were carried down with such violence that by their great blows they did sore shake the Posts of the Bridg to prevent which and to abate the fury of the stream Caesar caused a Pile to be made a good way above the Bridg which was forcibly rammed into the bottom of the River so that in ten days space he had finished his Bridg of goodly Carpenters work A very rare invention as could be possibly devised Then passing his Army over this Bridg he found none that durst fight with him For the Suevians who were the most War-like People of the Germans had retired themselves and Goods into great Valleys Bogs Woods and Forrests Caesar therefore having burnt up the Enemies Country and confirmed the League with the confederates of the Romans he returned back into Gaul About this time also he made a Journey into England being the first that sailed the Western Ocean with an Army and that passed through the Atlantick Sea to make War in this great and Famous Island and was the first that enlarged the Roman Empire beyond the habitable Earth For he twice passed the Seas out of France into England where he fought many Battels with the Brittans in which he did more hurt to the Enemies than enrich his own men therefore this War had not such success as he expected which made him only to take pledges of the King and to impose a yearly Tribute upon him and so returned back into Gaul He was no sooner landed there but he met with Letters which advertised from Rome of the death of his Daughter the Wife of Pompey for which they both of them were very sorrowful and by this means the league betwixt Pompey and Caesar was broken to the great prejudice of the Common-wealth Caesars Army being very great he sent it into several Garrisons for their Winter Quarters and returned into Italy as he used to do During which time all Gaul rebelled again and had raised great Armies who were led by one Ambiorix These did first set upon the Garrisons of Catta and Titurius whom they slew together with all their men Then they went with sixty thousand men and besieged the Garrison which Quintus Cicero had in charge and had almost taken it by storm Ciceroes Souldiers being all wounded yet they shewed such valour that they did more than men in their own defence This news comming to Caesar who was far off he returned with all possible speed and levying seven thousand Souldiers he hasted to relieve Cicero that was in great distress The Gauls that besieged him hearing of Caesars comming arose and went to meet him making little account of his small number Caesar to entrap them still drew back making as though he fled from them but still lodging in places of safety and commanded his men that they should not stir out to skirmish with them but rather to raise the ramparts of his Camp and to fortifie the Gates as men affraid that their Enemies might the less esteem them But at length he took the opportunity when the Enemies came in a disordered manner to assault his Camp and then sallying out he routed and slew a great number of them This Act suppressed all the rebellions of the Gauls in those parts Himself also went in the midst of Winter in those places where they did Rebel for now he had a new supply out of Italy of three whole Legions to fill up the rooms of those that were slain of which Pompey lent him two and the other Legion was raised about the River Po. Shortly after there brake out the greatest and most dangerous War that ever he had
in Gaul which had been long designed by the chiefest and most War-like People in all that Country who had a very great Army leavying multitudes of men and much Treasure to fortifie their strong holds The Country where they were was very hard to come into especially then in the Winter when the Rivers were high and the Woods and Forrests covered with Snow the Meddows drowned with Floods and the Snow so deep that no ways could be discerned all which might have discouraged Caesar from setting upon them the rather because many Nations joyned in this conspiracy of whom the chief were the Vernians and the Carnutes who had chosed Vercingentorix for their Captain He divided his Army into divers places under divers Captains and drawn into his assistance all the Nations as far as to the Adriatick Sea So that if he had tarried a little longer till Caesar had been ingaged in his Wars with Pompey he had put all Italy into great fear and danger But Caesar who knew his advantages and how to take the best opportunities as soon as he heard of this Rebellion he hasted towards them intending to let them know that they had to do with an Army that was invincible and which they could not possibly withstand seeing they had marched with such speed in so hard a Winter This made them wonder when they saw him burning and destroying their Country when they thought him far off Such Towns and strong Forts as yielded to him he received to mercy But the Hedui who used to be stiled the Brethren of the Romans taking Arms against him much discouraged his men wherefore Caesar went through the Country of the Lingones to enter into Burgundy who were consederates with the Romans Thither the Enemies followed him endeavouring to compass him in on every side Caesar tarried their coming and then fighting with them a long time he at last overcame them Of those which fled most of them together with their King got into the City of Alexia which Caesar presently besieged though it seemed inexpugnable both in regard of the hight of the Walls and the many hands to defend them During this Siege Caesar fell into a very great danger For three hundred thousand of the best Souldiers amongst the Gauls came against him besides those within the City who were seventy thousand fighting men so that finding himself to be shut in between two such mighty Armies he was faign to fortifie himself with two Walls One against those within Alexia and the other against those without And truly the Battel which he wan at this place gat him more honour than any other that ever he fought before For in this extream danger he shewed more Valour and Wisdom and courage than in any other And this was wonderful that they within the City never heard of their Friends that came to assist them till Caesar had overcome them Yea Caesars own men that guarded the Wall against the City knew nothing of the Battel till they heard the cries and lamentations of those in the City when they saw the Romans bring into their Camp such a number of Shields glistering with Gold and Silver such store of bloody Corslets and Armour such a deal of Plate and movables and such a number of Tents and Pavilions of the Gauls which the Romans had gotten of their spoils Thus the greatest part of this huge Army were slain and as for those within the City when they had done and received much hurt they at last yielded and Vercingentorix went out of the City richly Armed and his Horse furnished with brave and glittering Caparisons and rode about Caesar who sat in his Chair of State Then allighting he took off the Caparisons and stript himself of his Armour and prostrated himself on the Ground and then went and sat down at Caesars feet speaking never a word Caesar after a while committed him to Prison to be led in his Triumph at Rome Now Caesar had long since projected the distruction of Pompey as Pompey had done the like for him Nothing kept Caesar from being the Greatest Person but Pompey the Great and nothing kept Pompey from being supream but Caesar. Hitherto Pompey had set light by Caesar thinking that he could crush him when he pleased But Caesar went more cunningly to work for to attain his end he procured to be sent into Gaul where he exercised and and hardened his Army and by his valiant deeds purchased fame and honour so that now he lacked nothing but an occasion to put his design in practice which Pompey partly gave him and the iniquity of the times much furthered it For such as sued for honours and Offices bought the voices of the People shamefully who therefore came to the Market-place not to give their voices but with Bows and Slings and Swords and the Assembly seldom brake up but the Pulpit for Orations was besprinkled with the blood of the slain so that many Wise men believed that there was no other cure of these evils but by putting the supream authority into one mans hand and many wished that Pompey were the man But he seemed to decline it though cunningly underhand he laboured to be chosen Dictator Cato smelling his drift perswaded the Senate rather to make him sole Consul thereby to satisfy his ambition This was done accordingly and the time also for the Government of his Provinces was prorogued they allowed him also a thousand Talents yearly out of the publick Treasury wherewith to pay his Souldiers Hereupon Caesar took occasion to send his men to Rome to sue in his name for the Consulship and for the prolonging of his Government This was too indiscreetly opposed by Marcellus and Lentulus and many things were spoken in his disgrace They took away also the freedom from the Collonies which Caesar had granted them And when Marcellus was Consul he caused one of those Senators to be whipt saying that he gave him those marks that he might be known to be no Citizen of Rome and bad him go and tell Caesar of it Shortly after Caesar opened his Treasures which he had got in Gaul and gave it freely among the Magistrates of Rome He set Curio the Tribune cleer out of debt He gave to the Consul Paul fifteen hundred Talents wherewith he built a stately Theater Pompey now beginning to fear laboured to have a successour sent to Caesar and withal sent for his two Legions which Caesar returned to him bountifully rewarding every Souldier and they which brought these Legions back disgraced Caesar all they could and told Pompey that if Caesars Souldiers did but once see him they would all forsake Caesar and cleave to him This made Pompey more secure that neglected to prepare for War One of Caesars Captains coming to Rome and moving the Senate to have his government prorogued they delaying their answer he laid his hand upon his Sword and said Sith you will not grant it him this shall give it
into which he was received and after some conflicts that passed his Legions being come to him and certain other Troops of Horse and Companies of Foot he began the War which continued four months He first began with Petreius and Lubienus and then with Scipio and King Juâ—a who brought to those Wars eight thousand men the one half whereof were Horse In this War were many encounters and Battels in which Caesar was in great danger but at last his good Fortune still attending him he overcame them in a great Battel wherein there were slain of the Enemies ten thousand and Caesar remained Master of the Field and in a short time after subjected all the Country to him Scipio and all the chief Captains with him died sundry deaths and Juba escaping by flight from the Battel finding no place of security Afranius and he resolved to dye fighting one against the other in which combate King Juba being the stronger man slew Asranius and then commanded one of his Salves to kill him and so he died desperately Marcus Cato who was in the City of Utica hearing that Caesar was marching thitherward though he knew that he would not put him to death but but rather had a desire to pardon him and to do him honour yet resolving neither to receive life nor honour from his Enemy he slew himself In whose death there passed many remarkable accidents recorded by Historians Florus saith thus of it Cato saith he hearing of the death of his Partners he dallyed not at all but joyfully hastened his end For after he had embraced his Son and his Friends and bad them good night and then rested a while upon his bed having first perused Plato's Book of the immortality of the Soul then about the relieving of the first watch he got up drew his Sword and therewith thrust himself through after which the Phisicians applied plaisters to his wounds which he indured whilst they were in the room but then he pulled them away and the blood following abundantly he left his dying hand even in the wound Scipio who had been General in this War escaped also from the Battel by flight entered into some Gallies which being met with by Caesar Navy that he might not fall into his Enemies hand after he had given himself some wounds he threw himself into the Sea and so vvas drowned Caesar having obtained so great and absolute a Victory spent some few days in settling and ordering the Provinces of Africa making the Kingdom of Juba a Province and then marched to Utica vvhere he imbarked June the third and came to the Isle of Sardinia and after some short stay there he arrived at Rome the tvventy fifth day of July At his comming thither there vvere granted unto him four Triumphs First for his conquests and Victories in France in vvhich vvere carried the Portraictures of the Rivers of Rhodanus and the Rhine vvrought in Gold The second Triumph vvas for the conquest of Aegypt and of King Ptolomy vvhere vvere set the River of Nilus and the Pharus burning The third vvas for the conquest of Pontus and of King Pharnaces vvherein in regard of his speedy Victory vvas placed a vvriting vvith these vvords Veni Vidi Vici I come I savv I overcame The fourth Triumph vvas for the Province of Africa vvherein King Jubas Son vvas led Captive and in this Triumph vvere given Jevvels and Armes to Octavius Caesars Nephevv vvho succeeded him in the Empire As for the Battel vvherein he conquered Pompey he vvould not Triumph because it vvas against a Citizen of Rome These Triumphs being ended he gave great revvards to his Souldiers and entertained the People vvith Feasts and bountiful gifts and then caused himself to be chosen the fourth time Consul And so to the end that there should be left no place wherein he would not be obeyed he resolved to go for Spain hearing that Gneius Pompeius the Son of Pompey was retired with the rest of the Army which had escaped out of Africk to go to his Brother Sextus Pompeius who was in possession of a great part of Spain as we heard before together with the famous Cities of Sivil and Cordova and many others of those parts many Spaniards also comming to their aid Caesar in this Journey carryed with him his most valiant and most experienced Souldiers and made so good speed that in few days space he arrived in Spain in which Journey his Nephew Octavius followed him Entering into Spain he came to the Province of Betica now Andaluzia where were Sextus Pompeius with his Brother Gneius and such Legions and Souldiers as they had gotten together and there began betwixt Caesar and them a most cruel and bloody War the end whereof was that neer to the City of Munda Caesar and Gneius Pompeius for Sextus was then at Cordova joyned Battel which was one of the most obstinate and most cruel fights that ever was in the World For Caesar being a most excellent Captain and the Souldiers which he brought with him most brave and valiant men and fleshed with so many Victories held it out with great resolution and on the other side the bravery and courage of young Pompey and his men was such and they fought in such manner as Caesars Squadrons began to give ground and were ready to forsake the Field and at the very point to have been wholly overthrown and the matter came to this issue that Caesar was about to have slain himself because he would not see himself overcome Yet taking a Target from one of his Souldiers he rushed into the midst of his Enemres saying with a loud voice If ye be not ashamed leave me and deliver me into the hands of these Boyes For this shall be the last day of my Life and of your Honour with which words and his example his Souldiers took heart in such manner that recovering the ground which they had lost the Battel became equal which lasted almost a whole day without any sign of Victory to either party sometimes seeming to incline to the one sometimes to the other side until at the length Caesar and his men did so great exploits as that the evening being come his Enemies began to faint and fly and the Victory was apparently Caesars There died of the Enemies above thirty thousand in this Battel and Caesar lost above a thousand men of account besides common Souldiers Caesar esteemed so much of this Victory and so gloried in the danger which he had escaped that ever after he used to say That in all other Battels he had fought for honour and Victory and only that day he fought for his life Young Pompey after he had performed all the offices of a Prudent General and Valiant Souldier was foreed to fly and wandering through many places was at last taken and slain by some of Caesars Friends who carried his head to Caesar. His other Brother Sextus Pompeius fled from Cordova and
afterwards forsook Spain Caesar recovered Sivil and Cordova and all the rest of the Country after which ordering his affaires in Spain after his pleasure he returned to Rome and Triumphed for these Victories which was his fifth and last Triumph Caesar now came to be the most mighty the most redoubted and the most highly esteemed man in the World having conquered and subdued the greatest part thereof in as little time as it might seem that another man might be able to travel through those Countries by reasonable Journeys He then made himself perpetual Dictator and so without opposition he finished the making of himself the Soveraign Lord and Monarch of the Empire of Rome within less than five years after he first attempted the same And this was the Original and beginning of the Roman Emperours For Julius Caesar would not be called King that Name being odious to the Romans above all things ever since Kings were first driven from Rome but contented himself to be called Perpetual Dictator and Emperour which Title was usually given to the Roman Generals upon their obtaining any signal Victory But after Julius Caesar all his successors took that Title glorying to be called Emperour which hath ever since been held for the highest Title and Dignity in the World Caesar having now attained to that absolute power which he had so ambitiously sought after he shewed in all his Deportment much clemency and Magnanimity honouring and rewarding his Friends and easily forgiving and very cheerfully pardoning all those that had been his Adversaries Thus he pardoned Brutus Cassius Cicero Marcellus and many others Yea some of them he admitted to his company and private familiarity and to Offices and Dignities and amongst the many virtues wherewith he was endued his clemency and liberality were most glorious But all this prevailed not with the Romans to quench their desires after the recovery of their lost liberty neither to asswage the hatred and malice conceived against him by his adversaries as aftâ—rwards appeared And notwithstanding many were discontented yet some for love others for fear and out of dissimulation both Senate and People yea all in general gave him Names preheminences and Titles of Honour such as never had been given to any other man before him neither ought to have been accepted by him and many were the more offended because they knew that he affected and desired them They gave him the name of Emperour Father Restorer and Preserver of his Country They made him perpetual Dictator and Consul for ten years and perpetual Censor of their manners His Statue was erected and set up amongst the Kings of Rome and a Chair and Throne of Ivory was set up for him in the Temple and in the Senate House and an high Throne in the Theater and in the place where the Senators did use to sit His Pictures and Statues were set up in the Temples and in all publick places Some Titles they gave him and he accepted of which were peculiar to the Gods The month formerly called Quintile they called Julius after his name They also built and consecrated Temples to him as they did to Jupiter and the other Gods and gave him certain Honours which they held proper for their Gods and did him many other honours exceeding all measure Julius Caesar enjoying such honour and power so that he had no equal no second in the World with whom he might contend it seemed that he would contend with himself and attempt something wherein he might excel himself For he was not contented with all the Victories which he had obtained neither to have fought fifty several Battels in all which he was Victorious save in that one at Dyrrachium against Pompey neither to have slain in the Wars and Battels which he fought a Million ninety and odd thousands of men besides those that were slain in the civil Wars But being of a most haughty mind he sought to do greater matters if greater could be For first he resolved to pass into the East there to conquer and subdue the fierce Nations of the Parthians and to revenge the death of Marcus Crassus and from thence to pass through Hyrcania and other Countries till he should come to the Caspian Sea and so through all the parts of Scithia Asiatica and passing the River Tanais to return through Scithia into Europe and in his retreat to come into Germany and other Conntries bordering thereupon conquering and subjecting all to the Roman Empire For which end he presently caused to be levied in several places ten thousand Horsemen and sixteen Legions of chosen Footmen and appointing the time wherein he intended to begin his Journey he commanded them to repair to their Rendevouz He sought also not only to subdue all Nations but to correct and reform even nature it self For he purposed to have made an Island of Peloponnesus now called Morea by cutting the neck of land between the Egaean and the Jonian Seas He purposed also to have altered the courses of the River Tiber and Anian and to have made their new Channels capable of bearing great Ships He ordered the digging down and levelling many high Hills and Mountains in Italy and to dry up and drain great Lakes and Marishes therein He corrected the computation of the year reforming it according to the course of the Sun and brought it into that order wherein it now is He did the like about the course of the Moon and her conjunctions and oppositions to the Sun and this was attributed to him for Tyranny by those that hated him Many others things Caesar did which were very remarkable in reforming the Laws customs and Offices He re-edified the ruined City of Carthage in Africk and sent thither Colonies and Roman Citizens to Inhabit it the like he did by Corinth But all these works with his high conceits and undertakings were prevented by his unexpected and immature Death which within a few Days after ensued A few men and those unarmed bereft him of his Life whom no former forces could resist For five months only he lived as Soveraign Lord in Peace when those in whom he reposed greatest trust conspired his Death Some say that Caesar was counselled to have a Guard about him alwayes to which he answered that he would have none for that he had rather die once than live continually in fear They which conspired his death were stirred up thereto either out of hatred to his Person or desire of Liberty accounting him for a Tyrant or out of suspition that he would have made himself a King a thing in the highest degree hateful to the Romans and lastly because he began to contemn others For he used to say that the Commonwealth was but a Voice and Name without a Body or Substance and that Sylla was a Fool for resigning his perpetual Dictatorship All the whole Senate coming one Day to the Temple of Venus where he was he sat still and rose not up
besiege him in the City of Mutina now Modena which being known in Rome Cicero his authority and credit in the Senate was such that Mark Anthony was declared an Enemy to the State and the new Consuls Hircius and Pansa were sent against him and with them was Octavian sent with Ensigns of a Consul and Title of a Pro-praetor having been first admitted into the Senate though so young which was done by the procurement of Cicero though he afterwards requited him ill for it Octavian with the Consuls drew neer to Mark Anthony Cicero remaining to command in chief in all matters at Rome and between the two Armies there passed many skirmishes and encounters and at last they came to Battel wherein the Consuls and Caesar had the Victory but Hircius was slain in the Battel and Pansa was so wounded that he died within few days after and both the Armies of the slain Consuls obeyed Caesar. By this means D. Brutus was freed from his siege and Anthony was forced to forsake Italy by a dishonourable flight leaving his baggage behind him In this service Octavian made marvellous proof of himself being but twenty years old performing the Office not only of a good Captain but also of a stout Souldier For seeing the Standard-bearer sore wounded and ready to fall Octavian took from him the Eagle and bare it a great while till he had lodged it in safety Mark Anthony after the Battel gathering the remainders of his Army passed tho Alps and went into France solliciting the Friendship of Lepidus who was there with an Army ever since the Death of Julius Caesar whom after some treaties he made his Friend and Octavian after the Victory obtained presently sent to the Senate to require a Triumph for his Victory as also the Consulship for the remainder of the year in the roome of the dead Consuls with their succession in their charge and command of the Army But the answer of the Senate was not according to his desire For the Friends and Kinsmen of those that had murthered Caesar began to fear him and to suspect his power wherefore they prevailed to delay that which he required and in the end they resolved to assign the Army to Decius Brutus and temporizing with Octavian they granted him a Triumph but denied him the Consulship whereat he was much discontented and therefore secretly treated of friendship with Mark Anthony and having drawn to himself the affection of the Army he therewith marched towards Rome and approaching near to the City in dispite of the Senate he caused himself to be chosen Consul being not fully twenty years old Then did he cause accusations to be exhibited against Brutus and Cassius and the rest of the Conspirators and in their absence having none that durst defend their cause they were condemned After this was done he left the City and with his Army marched toward Anthony and Lepidus who were already entred into Italy Decius Brutus hearing of the Treaties and League that was made between Octavian Lepidus and Mark Anthony not daring to stay in that Country departed with his Army which soon forsook him some going to Caesar others to Mark Anthony whereupon he fled but being at last taken he was brought to Mark Anthony who caused his Head to be cut off The Armies of these Captains drawing near together to whom Affinius Pollio and Planeus with their Legions were joyned these three Octavian Caesar Mark Anthony and Lepidus meeting after three days debate they concluded their accursed Peace and these fire-brands of sedition entered into a Tiumvirate with several intents and designs Lepidus was covetous and sought riches by troubling the State Anthony was by nature an enemy to Peace and to the Commonwealth desiring an opportunity to be revenged of those who had declared him an Enemy to the State And Octavian sought revenge upon Brutus and Cassius and those who had slain his adopted Father And to bring these things to pass Octavian put away his Wife who was Daughter to Servilius and contracted himself to Claudia Daughter in Law to Anthony by his Wife Fulvia who was now a child and from whom he was afterward divorced by reason of the discord that arose between Anthony and him In this League which they made besides dividing the Provinces amongst themselves they agreed to Proscribe and kill each of them his Enemies and the one delivered them into the others hands having more respect to be revenged upon an Enemy than to save a Friend and so there was made the most cruel and inhumane Proscription and Butchery that ever was before heard of giving and exchanging Friends and Kinsmen for Enemies For Mark Anthony gave up his Fathers Brother and Lepidus his own Brother Lucius Paulus and Octavian M. T. Cicero whom he called Father and who had intreated and honoured him as a Son And besides these they Proscribed and condemned to die three hundred other Principal men of Rome amongst whom were about one hundred and fourty Senators besides two thousand Romans of the order of Knighthood This agreement being made they all three went to Rome where they took upon them the Government of the Commonwealth by the name of Triumvirat the time being limited to five years though they never meant to leave the same And presently after those who were condemned and Proscribed were by their commandment put to death being sought out in all parts and places their Houses were ransacked and their goods confiscated Cicero understanding that his name was in the Catalogue amongst the Proscripts only because he had been a lover of Roman Liberty he fled to the Sea where he embarked himself but so hard was his hap that by contrary winds he was driven back to the shore whereupon returning to some possessions of his near Capua not far from the Sea as he lay sleeping there he was awakened by some Crowes which with their bills pluckt his cloaths from his back His servants being moved with this ill presage put him into his Litter and again carried him towards the Sea but being overtaken by the murtherers he put his neck but of his Litter and they cut off his Head and his right hand wherewith he had written his Orations against Mark Anthony called Philippicks And thus was he slain by one whom he had defended and delivered from death Anthony joyfully received his â—and and caused it to be nailed up in the place where he was wont to plead to which all the People repaired to behold so woful and miserable a spectacle of whom there was not any one but was heartily sorry for the Death of so great a Personage and so fervent a lover of his Country Salvius Otho a Tribune of the People invited his Friends to his last Supper and as they were sitting in came a Centurion and in the presence of them all strake off his Head Minutius the Praetor was slain sitting in his seat of Judgment
Sons the tenth part of their Fathers Patrimony and to Daughters the twentieth part but few or none had any benefit by this promise yea on the contrary they sacked many of them that demanded these rights They exacted great sums of money in Rome and all over Italy and to encourage the Souldiers they gave them unmeasurable gifts and granted them daily new pillage The Legions they Wintered in the richest Cities upon free Quarter To be short men by fear and custome were so inured to slavery that they became more slaves than the Tyrants would have had them These three men having done what they would in Rome and knowing that Brutus and Cassius had a very great Army in Greece who called themselves the Deliverers of their Countrey saying that they would go and set Rome at liberty from Oppression Cassius having overthrown and slain Dolabella in Syria and being informed that by the assistance of their Friends they had gotten together eighteen Legions hereupon Mark Anthony and Octavian resolved to go against them wich the greatest Army that they could possibly make of old Souldiers and that Lepidus should stay to guard Rome and accordingly they departed and arrived in Greece and marching on they drew near to the place where Brutus and Cassius were encamped which was in Macedonia in the Philippick Fields Before they came to joyn Battel there were sundry Prodigies for Fowls of prey hovered about the Camp of Brutus as if it had been their own already and as they marched out to Battel a Blackmoor met them which they accounted an ill Omen Brutus being alone in his Tent at night a man sad and gastly appeared to him and being asked what he was he answered I am thy evil Genius and so vanished But on the contrary Birds and Beasts promised good success to Caesar. These Armies lying so near together had frequent skirmishes and at last came to a Battel where the Victory was strangely divided For Brutus on the one side of the Field did beat Octavian and put his Battalion to rout pursuing them into the Camp where many of them were slain and while Brutus was following his Victory his partner Cassius was overthrown by Mark Anthony though he did all that was possible to encourage his men and by reason of the clouds of Dust knew nothing of Brutus his Victory whereupon retiring to an high ground he there pitched his Tent and so standing and looking about he saw Brutus his Troops coming to his aid and to relieve him but he imagining that they came flying before their enemies commanded a slave of his whom he had made free to kill him who did it accordingly Octavians men that escaped by flight retired to Mark Anthonies Camp and had not Brutus his men busied themselves in ransacking Octavians Camp they had that day obtained an entire Victory for they might in due time have rescued and relieved Cassius and both of them being joyned together might easily have overthrown Mark Anthony but God had otherwise determined The Victory being thus divided the Generals of either party gathered their Forces together and of Brutus side were slain eight thousand men and of the Enemies side a far greater number Brutus did his best to encourage and comfort his Souldiers and the Gentlemen which followed Cassius and the next day though both Armies were put in battel Array yet they fought not but a few dayes after Brutus by his Souldiers was forced to come to another Battel who was of himself willing rather to delay and prolong the War knowing that his Enemies wanted Victuals and many other necessaries and because he reposed no great trust in the Forces of Cassius for he found that they were fearful and hard to be commanded because of their late overthrow When they came to the second encounter Brutus did all the Offices of an able General and of a Valiant Knight yet in the end his men were broken and overthrown by the Enemy Brutus having gathered his scattered Troops together found himself unable to make any farther resistance and being advised by some of his Friends to fly he told them That so he would yet not with his feet but with his hands and thereupon taking a Sword from a Servant of his called Stratus he slew himself Thus Octavian and Mark Anthony remained Victors and Masters of the Field and all things succeeded according to Caesars desire for whom God in his secret Counsel had reserved the Monarchy of the whole World which for the present was divided between three These Wars being ended and the Legions of Brutus and Cassius reduced to the obedience of the Conquerours Octavian and Mark Anthony agreed and resolved that Anthony should remain to govern Greece and Asia that Lepidus should go into Africk and that Octavian should return to Rome and accordingly Mark Anthony went into Asia where he gave himself up to sensuality and delights with the fair but wanton Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt and Octavian though with some hindrances by reason of his health at last came to Rome Not long after there arose new Wars and troubles for though Octavian was at peace with Lepidus who was now in Africk Octavian having under his command Spain France part of Germany Italy and Illyricum yet Lucius Antonius who at this time was Consul being provoked thereto by his Sister in Law Fulvia Wife to Mark Anthony began to oppose himself against Lepidus and Octavian seeking to overthrow the Triumvirat which contention brake out about the division of Fields which Caesar had made to the Souldiers which had served him in his Wars Some say that Fulvia made this stir that she might procure the return of Mark Anthony to her of whom she was jealous hearing of his familiarity with Cleopatra The discord in Rome grew to that height that they came to Arms and Lucius Antonius went from the City and levied an Army against Octavian who also marched towards him with his Forces But Lucius not daring to joyn Battel shut himself up in Perugia where Caesar immediately besieged him and Divorced himself from Claudia the Daughter of Fulvia and was married to his third Wife Scribonia by whom he had one onely Daughter Octavian being about twenty three years old so strictly besieged Perugia that Lucius and his men were brought to such straits for want of Victuals that he was forced to yield up himself to Octavian who pardoned him and used him kindly and thus this War was ended without bloudshed And so Octavian returned to Rome of which he was now sole Lord and from hence some reckon the beginning of his Empire which was about four years after the Death of Julius Caesar and about thirty eight years before the Incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar being now in quiet Fulvia by Letters and false Informations sought to stir up her Husband Mark Anthony against Octavian with which resolution she left Italy and
the Exchequer twenty five hundred thousand Crowns and suffered private men to take of it for three years without Interest putting in good security for the paying back of the principal and condemned such Usurers as had taken more than the Law allowed to pay four times as much to those who had been oppressed by them THE LIFE and DEATH OF TAMERLANE THE GREAT WHO FLORISHED ANNO CHRISTI 1400. TAMERLANE was born at Samercand the chief City of the Zagatajan Tartars His Father was called Zain-Cham or as others will Og Prince of the Zagatajans of the Country Sachithays sometimes part of the famous Kingdom of Parthia third in descent from Zingis the great and successful Captain of the Tartars which Og being a Prince of a peaceable nature accounting it no less honour quietly to keep the Countries left him by his Father than with much trouble and no less hazard to seek how to enlarge the same long lived in most happy peace with his Subjects no less happy therein than himself not so much seeking after the hoording up of Gold and Silver things of that Nation not regarded nor valued as contenting himself with the encrease and profit of his Sheep and herds of Cattel then and yet also the principal revenues of the Tartar Kings and Princes which happily gave occasion to some ignorant of the manner and customs of those Northern Nations and Countries to account them all for Shepherds and Herdsmen and so also to have reported of this mighty Prince as if he had been a Shepherds Son or Herdsman himself vainly measuring his Nobility by the homely course of life of his People and Subjects and not by the honour of his House and Heroical Vertues hardly to be paralelled by any Prince of that or the former Ages His peaceable Father now well stricken in years and weary of the World delivered up his Kingdom to this his Son not yet past fifteen years old joyning unto him two of his most faithful Councellours Odmar and Ally to assist him in the government of his State whom Tamerlane dearly loved whilst they lived and much honoured the remembrance of them being dead The first proof of Tamerlanes Fortune and Valour was against the great Duke of Mosco or Emperour of Russia for spoiling of a City which had put it self under his protection and for entring his Country and proclaiming War against him whom he in a great Battel overthrew having slain twenty seven thousand of the Muscovites Footmen and between fifteen and sixteen thousand Horsemen with the loss of scarce eight thousand Horsemen and four thousand Footmen of his own After which Battel Tamerlane beholding so many thousands of men lying dead upon the ground was so far from rejoycing thereat that turning himself to one of his familiar Friends he lamented the condition of such as commandâ— over great Armies commending his Fathers quiet course of life accounting him happy in seeking for rest and such most unhappy which by the destruction of their own kind sought to procure their own glory protesting himself even from his heart to be grieved to see such sad tokens of his Victory Alhacen in his Arabick History of Tamerlane makes this Narrative of the Battel The Muscovites saith he had a great Army which he had gathered together out of sundry Nations and Tamerlane intending not to put up such wrongs and indignities assembled all his Forces and those of his Allies The Muscovites forces were such as had been well trained up in the Wars For having lately concluded a Peace with the King of Poland he had from thence ten thousand very good Horsemen There were also with him many Hungarian Gentlemen under the conduct of one Uladislaus who brought with him more than eight thousand Horse so that he had in his Army about eighty thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Footmen Tamerlane had in his Army about one hundred and twenty thousand Horse and one hundred and fifty thousand Foot but not so good Souldiers as the Muscovites for his Subjects had been long trained up in peace under his peaceable Father and though they had been sometimes exercised yet they wanted the practical part of War Tamerlanes order in his march was this He caused all his Army to be divided into Squadrons each consisting of six thousand Horse save his own which consisted of ten thousand so that he made eighteen Squadrons besides his own The Avantguard was conducted by Odmar who led eight Squadrons which were flanked by forty thousand Footmen divided on the right and left sides who shot an infinite number of Arrows The Battel was conducted by Tamerlane who with his own led ten Squadrons and fifty thousand Footmen the best and choicest Souldiers of his whole Army The Prince of Thanais his Kinsman led the Arereward with six Squadrons of Horse and forty thousand Foot his forlorn Hope consisted of some three thousand Horse adventurers The Muscovites fought by double Ranks with Lances and they seemed to be a greater number than Tamerlanes making a great noise but Tamerlanes skill and multitude at length overcame the force and valour of the Muscovites the Victory bending to the Parthians side which they pursued hotly In this Battel Tamerlane was hurt on the side of the left Eye and had two Horses slain under him and indeed that day Odmar was the safeguard of the Prince but he lost Ally who was slain with an Arrow The Battle being ended Tamerlane returned thanks to God publickly for his Victory and the next day reviewing his Army he found that he had lost between seven and eight thousand Horsemen and between three and four thousand Footmen The Muscovites lost about twenty seven thousand Foot and fifteen or sixteen thousand Horse The Prince slacked no time after so great a Victory but marching on came into the borders of the Muscovites whom he enforced this agreement That they should become his Tributaries paying yearly one hundred thousand Duckats That the great Duke should defray all the charges of the Wars amounting to three hundred thousand Duckats That he should withdraw his Army and send back all the Prisoners and that for the performance hereof he should give pledges which should be changed every year All which being agreed to he returned with great content and glory to his Father Shortly after the great Cham of Tartary his Fathers Brother being grown old and out of hope of having any more Children moved with the Fame of his Nephew after this Victory sent him divers presents and withal offering him his only Daughter in Marriage sent him word that he would proclaim him Heir apparent to his Empire as indeed in right he was being his Brothers Son and the Daughters not using to succeed in those Empires Which so great an offer Tamerlane gladly accepted and so the marriage was afterwards with great Triumph at the old Emperours Court solemnized and consummated and our Tamerlane
according to his Uncles promise and his own right was proclaimed Heir apparent of that great Empire Thus was Tamerlane made Great being ever after this marriage by the old Emperour his Uncle and now his Father in Law so long as he lived notably supported and after his death he succeeded him in that so vast and mighty an Empire Before his marriage Tamerlane would needs be crowned to the intent that none should think that the Crown came to him by the right of his Wife but by his own right and during his abode in the City of Quavicai where the old Emperour was he was entertained with all kind of Triumphs wherein he always carried away the Bell whether in shooting in the Bow in changing of Horses in the middest of their courses in Tiltings and in all other exercises which required agility or strength and so after two Months he returned with his Wife to Samercand in which City he delighted exceedingly to remain because the situation thereof was fair and being watered with a great River was a place of great Traffick whereby it was made richer than any other in that Country And whensoever be received intelligence from the Emperour his Uncle he still imparted the same to Odmar whom he used at his right hand in all his great affairs There was also in his Court a Christian whom he loved much and every one greatly respected called Axalla a Genovois by Birth brought up from his youth about his Person for he countenanced all that worshipped one only God that was the Creator of all things And about this time the old Emperour sent to him to stir him up to War against the great King of China who stiled himself Lord of the World and Son of the Sun who had exceeded his bounds and incroached upon the Tartarian Empire This was no small enterprise and therefore before he would begin the same he sent Ambassadours to the King of China to demand restitution of his Lands and the passages of a River called Tachii which were within the Tartarian Border and on this side that stupendious Wall builded on purpose by the Kings of China for the defence of their Country against the incursions of the Tartars and whilst he attended for the return of his Ambassadours expecting a Negative answer he caused his forces to be assembled together from all parts appointing their rendezvous to be in the Horda of Baschir The old Emperour also assembled for his aid two hundred thousand fighting men wherein were all the brave men of his Court that were accustomed to the Wars For this Emperour had greatly encreased his limits and conquered a great Country so as all these men were well trained up in the Wars and had been accustomed to travel and pains These were to joyn with Tamerlanes Army in the Desarts of Ergimul at a certain day In the mean time Ambassadours which were sent return and inform the Prince that this proud King of China wondering how any durst denounce War against him making this lofty answer That Tamerlane should content himself with that which he had left him which also he might have taken from him c. This answer being heard our Prince marched directly to his Army gave orders for conveiance of Victuals from all parts sent to hasten forwards his Confederates imparted the answer to the old Emperour caused the insolence of the King of China to be published that all the world might know the justness of his cause yet before his departure he went to take leave of his own Father who endued with a singular and Fatherly affection kissed him a thousand times made solemn Prayers for his prosperity drew off his Imperial Ring and gave it him telling him that he should never see him again for that he was hasting to his last rest and calling Odmar bad him farewel requiring his faithfulness to his Son The Prince having performed this duty returned to Samercand where the Empress his Wife remained whom he took along with him in this journey as the manner of that Country is and so presently departed committing the charge and care of his Kingdom in his absence to one Samay a man well practised in State affairs who also had had the charge of our Prince in his youth These things being dispatched he marched forwards in the middest of his Army which consisted of fifty thousand Horse and a hundred thousand Footmen relying principally on the Forces of the great Cham his Uncle yet he left order that the rest of his Forces should be ready to advance upon the first command as soon as he should be joyned with his Uncles Army In his march he was stayed by the way in regard some distemper of his body contracted by reason of his change of the air yet the Forces which Catiles Captain of the Army of the great Cham conducted went daily forwards Now the news of his distemperature was bruted abroad in all places yet did he not neglect ot send to the great Cham and often to advertise him of the state of his health to the end that the same should not cause any alteration which might arise in that great Empire whereunto he was lately advanced For he was very suspicious of a great Lord named Calix who was discontented with his advancement and had not yet acknowledged him as all other his Subjects had and indeed it was not without cause that he suspected him for Calix being informed that the Forces of the great Cham were advanced beyond the Mountains having passed the River of Meau and were encamped at Bouprou and that Tamerlane was sick he thought it a fit time for his enterprize and thereupon assembling the greatest part of his most faithful followers he told them that now was the time for them to shake off the yoak of the Parthians who otherwise would enslave them and seeing that now their Prince was so badly minded as to translate the Empire to Tamerlane of his own mind without calling them to Council which had interest in the election that this was the only means to assure their liberty which otherwise was like to be lost He caused also a remour to be spread that Tamerlane was very sick the Emperour old and crazy and that his Forces were far separated from him yet like cunning Traytors they dispatched away a Messenger to the great Cham to assure him that they bended not their Forces against him but were his faithful and obedient Subjects and they only armed themselves because they would not be governed by the Parthians their ancient Enemies As soon as our Prince was advertised of the pretences of Calix he marched one days journey forward to the end that he might approach unto Calibes who what face soever he set on the matter yet hearkened what would become of Calix that he might likewise make some commotion This Calibes was by Tamerlane made Commander of his Avantguard
which consisted of Parthians yet he had joyned with him the Prince of Thanais without whom he could not do any thing Tamerlane also gave special commandment that the passages which were not many should be diligently guarded to the end that the King of China should not be advertised of these tumults and so giving to Odmar the leading of his Avantguard he hasted forwards And surely it was high time for him so to do or else all had been revolted for Calix having assembled a hundred thousand fighting men presented himself before the great City of Cambalu chief of the Province of Cathai the Inhabitants whereof came out to meet him receiving him with all the joy that might be Tamerlane in his March went to Caindu and from thence to Calatia where he expected to meet with the forces of his native Country of Sachetai yet did he not neglect to send forward his Army towards Cambalu which caused the Inhabitants to their great terrour to think that all his forces were already on their neck Calix perceiving that the Citizens began already to repent his entertainment thought it not safe to remain amongst them and therefore withdrawing himself he sent for his forces from all parts resolving to meet Tamerlane in the Field and to put all upon the event and hazard of a Battel He drew out of Cambalu fifty thousand men whereof twenty thousand were Citizens the other thirty thousand were the Garrison-Souldiers placed there by the old Emperour Calix having corrupted their Leaders and so procured them to joyn with him in this revolt In short having assembled all his forces his Army consisted of fourscore thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Footmen which he gathered from all parts In the mean time Tamerlanes Army marching forward his Scouts which were two thousand Horse had news of the Army of Calix which came forward directly towards them of which they speedily advertised the Emperour who thereupon presently sent two thousand Horse more to the end that they should keep the passages of a certain River called Brore by which River Victuals were conveyed to his Army as also to win time the Prince well knowing that the motions of a Civil War are furious at the beginning and that therefore it 's best to resist slowly always drawing them out at length if it be possible For when means money and victuals fail the people use to be sensible of their faults and to return home The old Emperour sent to him to adventure all upon a Battel delivering up into his hands the safety of his life and estate that thereby he might end his days in peace By this means forces came to Tamerlane on all hands whose Army daily encreased whereas on the contrary the Enemies Army was then in its chiefest force and began to feel the want of Victuals Calix was about forty years old a Captain renowned with the great Cham and one of the chiefest in dignity and place about him so that many of the Tartars had always respected him as a Person most worthy of the Empire if the glory of Tamerlane and his reputation had not so far exceeded The Armies began to be in view one of another about eight a clock in the morning and many skirmishes began betwixt them before they came to the main Battel The place wherein they met at that time was a great Plain with like advantage on either part Odmar led the Avantguard wherein were forty thousand Horse and eighty thousand Foot which he divided into three Squadrons the first whereof he sent before him to begin the Battel Tamerlane marched in the same order but his Squadrons were much stronger The Footmen of both made the right and left Wings Tamerlane had drawn out six thousand Parthian Horsemen and two thousand Tartarians for his Arearguard which he committed to his faithful Servant Axalla a man of great judgment quick of conceit and in great esteem amongst the Souldiers although he being a Christian worshipped God in another manner than they did and he had many other Christians with him whom he had drawn from the Georgians and the Euxine Sea who fought with great agility Calix on the other side who was a well spoken man was exhorting and encouraging his Souldiers to fight for his Fortune and the Liberty of their Nation He divided his Army into three main Battels himself remaining in the midst encompassed with his Footmen and so the Battels joyned where after a terrible fight Calix fell into Axalla's hands being taken fighting valiantly which Axalla caused to be presently proclaimed through the Army to the overthrow of the courage of all the Adversaries who hereupon immediately fled Calix was kept till the next day and then by a Council of War was adjudged to death whereupon Tamerlane caused his head to be stricken off the which he sent as a present to the Inhabitants of Cambalu The like he caused to be done to all the chief Leaders not out of a cruel disposition but enforced thereto by necessity knowing very well that the way to cut off the foot of Civil War is to punish the Heads of the same which as Hydra's grow up too fast After this Tamerlane with his Army marched into the Kingdom of Cathay a Country rich in grass and all kind of pastures abounding with great quantity of beasts and people which knew not what War meant and the Prince gave command that they should not be used as Enemies but as his good Subjects and whereas divers Cities had adhered to Calix they came now and humbled themselves before him craving pardon which he gave them enjoyning them only to provide victuals for his Army which also they willingly did This example of Lenity of was no small importance for the appeasing of others which had put all their hope in extremity resolving to sell their lives dear and especially the Inhabitants of Cambalu had taken this resolution but being informed of the Emperours clemency they changed their purpose Yet as the Army daily approached nearer their fears encreased but Tamerlane was daily informed by his Friends in the City that the Inhabitants resolved to obey the Conquerour and therefore leaving his Army at Gonsa he only sent thirty thousand to the City which was the ordinary Garrison and within two hours after entred the City himself where he was received with great magnificence yet would he not pronounce their pardon but referred all to the old Emperour and to the ordinary course of Justice For which end he sent one of his Favourites to the old Emperour to certifie him of his Victory of the death of Calix and that the chief of his Faction remained Prisoners with him as also to know what Justice he would appoint to be inflicted upon those Citizens which were the authors of the revolt of this City and so after eight days he departed and not many days after he had intelligence that the great Cham his
Uncle had caused justice to be done on the chief movers of sedition in Cambalu so that the People complained of the old Emperours cruelty but commended the mercy of Tamerlane When he came back to his Army he was received of all his Souldiers with loud acclamations calling him Most Great Emperour and most Victorious Amongst his Captains he discoursed of the beauty and greatneâ—s of the City of Cambalu and afterwards asked Odmars advise whether it were not best for him to visit the old Emperour and with his Emperess to spend the Winter with him at Quinsay Odmar remembring the honour which he had received there easily perceived his inclination to that journy yet by all means disswaded him from it To which Tamerlane answered that he had always found his fidelity and love to him which he was sorry that he could not recompence to the full But saith he whereas I had thought to give my self some ease I perceive that instead of the delicacies and pleasures of Quinsay I must make the desarts of Cipribit my resting place after my travels in this new Victory yet a rumour being spread that the Prince intended to visit the Emperour every man began to desire to return into his own Country hoping to enjoy the sweetness of his native soil which Tamerlane being informed of calling his Army to a Rendevouz he thus spake unto them We have my faithful Souldiers begun an enterprise against the King of China who hath of late repulsed even beyond the Mountains the Tartarian name but were hindred to our great grief by the foolish rashness of Calix and were driven to turn the bridle to punish him wherein you have all assisted me It grieves me that I cannot as well boast of the fresh spoils of a stranger as I may by the means of your weapons of those of our unfaithful Subjects and as in times past of the fierce Muscovites against whom with your assistance I made trial of my first Arms but for this last Victory being against our own Subjects I cannot speak of it without shedding tears desiring to bury such Victories in oblivion together with all the glory and honour gotten thereby Neither do I recount these things to you but to shew that I forget not your faithfulness and the great travel you have endured for my sake We must not therefore be weary but must turn our weapons against those which imagine us to be full of troubles whereas we are indeed Victorious Our companions and all our amunition is advanced near to our Enemy already we must in that place my Souldiers and friendly Followers pass over the rest of Winter Our Companions look for us our Enemies are secure and look not for us at this season of the year and know that our Army that is already there is not sufficient for offence but only for defence You shall receive double pay the better to furnish you against the injury of cold and as we shall be apparelled with double garments so I hope we shall be cloathed with double glory Having thus spoken his Souldiers all cryed One God in Heaven and one Emperour on Earth shewing their willingness to obey his commands The Prince after this remained there eight days longer sending back Zamai with twenty five thousand Horse and fifty thousand Foot to Sachethay for the safety of his estate in those parts and so after solemn and publick Prayers the Army began to march forwards He forgat not likewise to dispatch away a Messenger to the Great Cham to acquaint him with all his purposes which he approved very well of By the same Messenger he also beseeched him in the Spring to send him fifty thousand men to recruit his Army and some moneys for the payment of his Souldiers which also he granted sending also good store of warlike munition and plenty of Victuals knowing how much the success of the War would advance the Tartarian greatness and profit The Army being upon their March in thirty eight days came to Cipribit yet met with many inconveniences by the way There they had news of Calibes who was glad to hear how businesses had passed and came to visit the Prince who entertained him very courteously acquainting him with his purpose and also understood by him how all things passed in the Kingdom of China The next day the Prince came to Pazanfou where Calibes Forces were who had often fought with and tried the valour of the Chinois but found it much inferiour to their own There the Prince took a general Muster of all his Army caused them to be paid took notice of their countenances whilst they all cryed out God save the victorious and invincible Emperour according to their custom The Prince of Thanais who commanded the Army with Calibes had diligently viewed the Wall and the ways by which he might forcibly enter into China and had sent many Spies by certain ways through the Mountains into that Country by whom he was advertised of all their proceedings He had also gained by his courtesie a Lord of those Mountains called the Lord of Vauchefu that commanded over a great Countrey who being desirous of a new Master and to submit to Tamerlane had told the Prince of Thanais that he was able to do Emperour good service and to help him much in his Wars against the Chinois This the Prince of Thanais discovered to Tamerlane who was very desirous to speak with this Lord whereupon a day was appointed and Tamerlane without moving of his Army went to the Tents of the Prince of Thanais where this aforesaid Lord met him and the Emperour having heaped upon him many gifts of fair Horses and rich Furs and other rare things this Lord spake thus unto him Know my Lord that it is but lost labour for you to think that with your Armies you shall be able to force this Wall made by the Chinois to hinder the incursion of your Subjects the Defendants have too much advantage therein I doubt not of your Souldiers valour and courage I know you have conquered many Nations with them and that whatsoever you command them they will effect it or die in the enterprise I know that you have great and wise Captains with you and that you of all Persons in the World are most worthy to command them But all this will be but in vain against the Wall of the Chinois where I assure you are fifty thousand men to keep it neither can you stay there so short a time but there will come fifty thousand more to assist them led by one Xianxi who had already received such a commandment The King of China will himself follow who will give you Battel with two hundred thousand Horsemen and as many Foot and though happily your Fortune and valour may carry away the Victory yet I believe it will cost you dear But to shew you how much the reputation and courtesies of your Servants have prevailed with me
Tamerlane greatly rejoyced yet without insolency and vaunting but rather with the countenance of such an one as judged the event of Battels to be alwayes doubtful saying sometimes That a small number well conducted did carry away the victory from the confused multitude Three dayes after he stayed at Buisabuich causing his souldiers continually to march forward who at two places passed over the River Euphrates which he did the rather to maintain his Army upon the spoil of the Enemies countrey chusing rather there to attend Bajazets coming then amongst his friends and allies All the Cities that yielded to him in the way as he marched he favourably received the other that refused to submit themselves to his obedience he used with all extremity especially the great and strong City of Sebastia where certain of the forerunners of his Army were by the Turks that kept Garrison in it cut off and slain and to despite him the more the City gates were set open in contempt of him Whereupon being justly offended he sent out certain Tartarian Horsemen charging them upon pain of his displeasure so to behave themselves against their Enemies that at his coming up to them he might find either the City taken or at least the Gates shut up against him And he had his men at so great command that no danger was unto them more dreadful than his displeasure neither did he punish any thing so severely as cowardize Now the Turks in Sebastia seeing these Tartarian Horsemen marching towards the City making little account of them because their number was not great issued out to meet them where they were so furiously charged by these few Horsemen that they were glad to retire and for hast to shut the Gates against some of their own men lest the Enemy should have entered pell mell with them which Turks were there slain at the Gates of the City Shortly after came Tamerlane with all the rest of his Army and sat down before the City where he lay still seven days not making any shew of violence at all The defendants because the City was of great strength thought that his purpose was by a long Siege to distress the same But about the eighth day the Towers and Walls being undermined in sundry places suddenly fell down leaving large breaches for the Enemy to enter wherewith the Turks being dismayed surrendred the City to Tamerlane in hope so to have saved their lives but he caused them all to be buried quick and the City utterly to be razed and then calling the Governour whose life he had spared for that end he bade him go and tell his Master what had happened to his strong City of Sebastia and what himself had seen there of which Tragical action when the Governour had made report to Bajazet he demanded of him whether of the two Armies he thought bigger or stronger for he had now assembled a mighty Army of three hundred thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Footmen whereunto the Governour having first craved pardon answered That it could not be in reason but that Tamerlane had the greater Army for that he commanded over far greater Countries wherewith proud Bajazet being offended replied in great Choller Out of doubt the sight of the Tartarian hath so affrighted this coward that he thinks every Enemy to be two As Bajazet marched forward he heard a Country Shepherd merrily pleasing himself with his homely Pipe as he sate on the side of a Mountain feeding his small flock whereupon he stood still and listned to him to the admiration of many and at last brake forth into these words O happy Shepherd which hadst no Sebastia to lose bewraying therein his own discontentment and yet withal shewing that worldly bliss consisted not so much in possessing of much subject unto danger as in enjoying content in a little devoid of fears The rest of the Cities as Tamerlane marched forwards warned by the destruction of Sebastia yielded to him the Citizens whereof he used courteously especially the Christians whom he set at liberty for the Greek Emperours sake whom he sought therein to gratifie But Tamerlane had not gone far into the Turks dominions before he was certainly informed that Bajazet was coming against him with a mighty Army and was now within thirty Leagues of him which caused him from thence forward to march with his Army more close together Axalla leading the Van sent forth Chianson Prince of Ciarchan with four thousand Parthian Horsemen to get knowledg of the Turkish Army and where Bajazet lay as also what manner of Countrey it was beyond Sennas and if he could learn any thing thereof to make relation of it to him This Prince of Ciarchan was Tamerlanes near Kinsman a man of great reputation and next to Axalla in whose absence he had the command of the Avantguard who also sent before him another Parthian Captain with five hundred Horsemen who having advanced about ten Leagues and surprized Sennas was certainly informed there of the state of Bajazets Army which was now at Tataeia and so marching forward which Tamerlane being informed of commanded him not to retire from that place till he saw the arrival of the enemy and thereof to give him advertisement every hour resolving himself to pass on no further being encamped in a fair large plain which was very advantageous for him his Army being bigger then Bajazets which made him make choise of those large plains His Army also being compounded of sundry Nations he considered that he was not to fight against the Chinois a soft effeminate people as of late but against the Turks a most warlike Nation and well acquainted with all manner of fights and warlike stratagems and therefore he judged it necessary to proceed warily against them Upon this consideration he presently sent for Axalla with him to view the said place and to have his opinion whether it would be advantageous for him to stay there or no Axalla not misliking his choice of the place yet withal advised him to keep Sennas as long as possible he could and accordingly he sent word to them at Sennas that when they could keep the place no longer they should set fire on it and so retreat and this he did that the Enemy should have no desire to encamp there but to march forward to those plains where Tamerlane desired to fight the rather because he was stronger in Horse than Bajazet Accordingly the Prince of Ciarchan sent out a hundred Horse toward the Turks then divided he the rest of his Forces into two parts commanding the former that as soon as they perceived the Enemy to pursue the hundred Horse whom he had commanded to fly disorderly before them that they should receive them into their Squadrons and so retire altogether He in the mean time with the other part stood close in a Valley near unto a Wood-side wholly unseen where having suffered two thousand
of the Enemies Horse the Vant-curriers of the Turks Army to pass by him he following them in the tail charged them home the other also which before retired now turned again upon them so that the Turks seeing themselves thus beset and hardly laid to both before and behind as men discouraged fled but in their flight were most of them slain the rest of them were taken Prisoners This was the first encounter between the Turks and the Parthians All the Prisoners taken were by the Prince sent as a Present to Tamerlane and amongst the rest the Bassa of Natolia who led those Troops of whom Tamerlane earnestly demanded what caused his Master Bajazet so little to esteem him as to shew so great a contempt of his Army Which saith he he shall find strong enough to abate his Pride To this the Bassa answered That his Lord was the Sun upon Earth which could not endure any corrival And that he rather was astonished to see how he from so far a Country had undertaken so dangerous a journey to hinder the fortune of his Lord in whose favour the heavens as he said did bend themselves to further his greatness and unto whom all the world subjected it self and that he commited great folly in going about to resist the same Unto this proud Speech Tamerlane replied That he was sent from heaven to punish his insolency and to teach him that the proud are hated of God whose promise is to pull down the mighty and to advance the lowly As for thy self said he thou hast already felt though I pity thy mishap what the valour of my Parthian Horse is against thy Turkish and I have already caused thy Master to raise his Siege before Constantinople and to look to his affairs here in Asia He also asked him whether his Master did come resolved to give him Battel Assure your self said he that there is nothing that he more desireth and would to God that I might acknowledg your greatness in giving me leave to assist my Lord in that Battel Good leave have thou said Tamerlane go thy ways and tell thy Lord that thou hast seen me and that in the Battel he shall find me on Horse-back there where he shall see a green Ensign displayed The Bassa thanked him and swore that next unto his Lord he vowed unto him his service And so returning he related unto Bajazet how he had seen Tamerlane and reported to him truly all that he had willed him to say not forgetting above all to praise his courtesie and bounty who besides that he had frankly set him at liberty had also given him a very fair Horse well furnished although he well knew that he was to serve against himself To this Bajazet answered no more but that he would shortly make trial of him and that he doubted not but before he had done with him he should make him acknowledg his folly The next day the two Armies drew neer together and encamped within a league the one of the other where all the night long you might have heard a noise of Horses which filled the heavens with their neighings and the air with sounds and every man thought the night long that they might come to the trial of their valours and the gaining of their desires The Scythians a people no less greedy than needy talked of nothing but the spoil the proud Parthians of attaining honour the poor Christians of their deliverance from an insulting adversary all which was to be gained by the next days Victory Every man during the night-time speaking according to his humour All which Tamerlane walking privately up and down in the Camp heard and much rejoyced to see the hope which his Souldiers had already conceived of the Victory and so after the second watch returning into his Pavilion and there casting himself upon a Carpet he purposed to sleep a while but his cares not suffering him so to do he then as his manner was called for a Book wherein was contained the Lives of his Fathers and Ancestors and of other valiant Worthies which he used ordinarily to read in as then also he did not vainly to deceive the time but to make use of it by imitating that which by them was worthily done and declinining such dangers as they by their rashness or oversight fell into After which having slumbred a little he commanded Axalla to be sent for to him who presently came accompanied with divers other Great Lords and Captains of the Army with whom after he had consulted a while about the order of the Battel himself presently mounted on Horseback and sent each of them to their charge to see their orders put in execution At which very instant he received intelligence that the Enemy was marching forwards and come to chuse his Ground for the Battel whose order of marching Tamerlane was very desirous to see that so he might marshal his own Army accordingly For said he I do not so much trust to the Lions skin wherein I wrap mine arm but that withall I will make use of the Foxes therein to wrap my head which my Grandfather neglected to his overthrow in a Battel against the Persians For being in a place of advantage he went out of it to seek his Enemy that was lodged strongly contrary to the advise of all his Captains which proved his ruin Then did he cause three thousand Horsemen to advance forward with charge to begin the skirmish himself following after to lodg every part of his Forces in such places as he had foreseen to be fittest for his advantage And seeing the Turkish Janizaries marching in a square Battel in the midst of the Army and upon the two Frons two great squadrons of Horsemen which seemed to be about thirty thousand and another which advanced before and covered the Battalion of the Janizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and therefore turning himself to Axalla he said I had thought this day to have fought on foot but I see that it behoves me now to fight on Horseback to encourage my Souldiers to open that great Battalion of the Enemies And my will is that my men come forwards to me so soon as may be for I will advance forward with a hundred thousand Footmen fifty thousand upon each of my two wings and in the midst of them forty thousand of my best Horsemen and my pleasure is that after I have tried the force of these men they come back into my Avantguard of whom I will dispose and fifty thousand Horsemen more in three bodies whom thou shalt command which I will assist with eighty thousand Horse wherein shall be mine own person having an hundred thousand Footmen behind me who shall march in two Squadrons and for my Arearward I appoint forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Footmen who shall not march but to my aid And I will make choise of
ten thousand of my best Horse whom I will send into every place where I shall think needful within my Army for to impart my commands Over the first forty thousand Horse the Prince of Ciarchan commanded over the formost Footmen was the Lord Synopes a Genovois Kinsman to Axalla and his Lieutenant over the Footmen a Captain of great estimation The Prince Axalla's charge consisted of five Squadrons of Horsemen Bajazet's Army also being fair and great came bravely still on forwards towards their Enemies who stirred not a whit from the place which they had chosen for the Battel except certain light-Horsemen Scythians Parthians and Muscovites who being sent out as loose men hotly skirmished between the two Armies Tamerlane was informed by a spie that Bajazet was on foot in the midst of thirty thousand Janizaries his principal men of War and greatest strength amongst whom he ment that day to fight and in whom he had repoled his greatest hope His Battel of Horse was very fair amounting to the number of one hundred and forty thousand all old Souldiers the Sultan of Egypt also had sent to his aid thirty thousand Mamelukes all excellent good Horsemen with thirty thousand Footmen so that his Army marching all in a front in the form of a half Moon seemed almost as great as Tamerlanes These Turks with infinite number of horrible cries still advanced forwards Tamerlanes Souldiers all the while standing still with great silence Never was there a more furious charge than the Turks gave upon the Prince of Ciarchan who was commanded not to fight till the Enemy came unto him neither could there have been chosen a fairer Plain and where the skilful choice of the place gave less advantage either to the one or to other only Tamerlane had a River on the left side of his Army serving him to some small advantage Now this young Prince of Ciarchan with his forty thousand Horse was in the first encounter almost wholly overthrown yet having fought right valiantly and entred even in the midst of the Janizaries where the Person of Bajazet was putting them into disorder he was himself there slain About which time Axalla set upon them with his squadrons but not with the like danger for having overthrown one of the Enemies Wings and cut it all to pieces and his Footmen coming to joyn with him as was appointed he faced the Battalion of the Janizaries who right valiantly behaved themselves for the safety of their Prince This furious fight continued an hour and yet you could not have seen any scattered but the one still resolutely fighting against the other You might there have seen the Horsemen like mountains rushing together and infinite numbers of men dying crying lamenting and threatning all at the same instant Tamerlane had patience all this while to see the event of this so mortal a fight but perceiving his men at last to be begin to give ground he sent ten thousand of his Horse to joyn with the ten thousand appointed for the Rereward commanding them to assist him when they saw that he had need and so himself gave a furious Charge and made them to give him room causing the Footmen also to charge over whom the Prince of Thanais commanded who gave a gallant charge upon the Battalion of Janizaries wherein was yet the Person of Bajazet who before had sustained a great burden Now Bajazet had in his Army a great number of Mercinary Tartars called Destenses with many thousands of other Souldiers taken up in the Countries of the poor exiled Mahometan Princes in whose just quarrel and the Greek Emperours Tamerlane had chiefly undertaken that War These Tartarians and other Souldiers seeing some their friends and other some their natural and loving Princes in Tamerlanes Army stricken with the terrour of disloyalty and abhorring the cruelty of the proud Tyrant in the heat of the Battel revolted from Bajazet to their own Princes which much weakned Bajazets Forces who nevertheless with his own men of War especially the Janizaries and the help of the Christian Souldiers brought to his aid from Servia and other places of Europe with great courage maintained the fight But the multitude rather than true valour prevailed for as much as might be done by valiant and couragious men was by the Janizaries the Mamelukes and the rest performed both for the preservation of their Prince and for gaining the Victory But in the end the Horsemen with whom Tamerlane himself was giving a fresh charge and his Avantguard being rallied and joyning with him he with much ado obtained the Victory Bajazet himself being wounded when he saw all desperate mounted on Horseback thinking to have escaped but falling into Axalla's hands he yielded himself to him supposing him to have been Tamerlane neither did Axalla for a while know him but took him for some great Commander in the Turks Army Musa sirnamed Zelabi or the Noble one of Bajazets Sons with divers other of his great Captains were there taken also and amongst the rest George Despot of Servia who notwithstanding his misfortune had that day by his valour gained the reputation of a great and valiant Captain insomuch as Tamerlane in the very heat of the Battel marvelled to see him and his Servians and the other Christians that he had brought to the aid of Bajazet to fight so valianty whereupon turning to some of his Captains that were near him he said See how valiantly these Religious fight supposing them by their strange attire to have been some of the Turks superstitious Votaries But the Despot being now taken and afterwards brought to Tamerlane he was by him courteously entertained yet withal reproved for that he had assisted Bajazet against him who was come in favour to the Christian Emperour and the other poor oppressed Princes such as the Despot himself was who thereupon boldly answered That indeed it was not according to his profession but according to the prosperity of Bajazet unto whom it seemed that all the world should bend and that he did it for his own safety Whereupon Tamerlane excused him and without any more ado gave him liberty at his own pleasure to depart Bajazet himself Being afterwards brought to Tamerlane as a Prisoner was by him courteously entertained who never shewed any token of submission at all but according to his proud nature without respect of his present state answered him presumptuously to whatever he demanded of him Wherewith Tamerlane being somewhat moved told him that it was in his power to take his life from him whereto he answered no more but Do it for that loss will be my greatest happiness Then Tamerlane demanded of him what made him so proud as to enterprize to bring so noble a Prince as the Greek Emperour into his subjection He answered Even the same cause which moved thee to invade me namely the desire of glory and sovereignity But wherefore then said
as Tamerlane's Army approached to it By this unexpected coming of the Sultan the great City that before was ready to have revolted was again confirmed in his obedience to the great prejudice of Tamerlanes affairs For to remain long before it was impossible through want of Victuals for so great an Army in an Enemies Countrey Yet this discouraged not Tamerlane from approaching to it and with all his Army to encamp near unto the same having caused a great Trench to be made for the security of his Horsemen and therein to lodge his Army more safely during which time he caused divers attempts to be made as well to try the enemies confidence as to see how the people of the City especially the slaves which in that populous City are in great numbers were affected towards him who indeed were glad to see the state of his Army and the proud Mamelukes still put to the worst but farther strirred not During this siege he thought good one day to draw forth his Army before the City to try whether the enemy had any mind to come to a battel as also to view his own Forces and so indeed to seek occasion to fight hoping that if the Sultan should come forth with his Army some revolt might happen at the same time in the City as well by the slaves unto whom by secret Spies he had promised liberty as by the Citizens themselves who were much discontented with the insolency of the Mamelukes and by whom Tamerlane by the same Spies had made it known that he came not to hurt them but to deliver them from the tyranny of his and their enemies But standing thus in Battel array none stirred out of the City neither was there any tumult raised within according as he expected For the Sultan being plentifully provided with all things in that rich City resolved to weary out Tamerlane by lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battel Tamerlane perceiving his Design yet resolved not to depart till he was Victorious whereupon he thought fit also to attempt him in his greatest strength and in the heart of his greatest City though it could not be done without great hazard such confidence had he in the Valour and Multitude of his Army Now his purpose was first to take one of the Cities for Caire is divided into three and therein encamping himself by little and little to advance forwards as he could find opportunity Upon this resolution he commanded a strong assault to be given and having conducted his Footmen to the place chosen by him for the onset for the City was not Walled but only fortified with Ditches and Trenches he commanded the Prince of Thanais with fifty thousand men to begin the Assault even in the face of the Enemy which he most valiantly performed which occasioned a great and terrible fight Axalla in the mean time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn the greatest part to his Forces to that place fetched a compass about and in another part of the City with small resistance passed the Trenches where he presently left thirty thousand men to fill up the Ditches thereby to make way for the Horsemens entrance himself with the rest advancing forwards against twenty thousand sent by the Sultan to oppose his farther passage the Prince of Thanais being at the same time almost beaten back by the Mamelukes But the Ditches being presently levelled ten thousand Horsemen entred who charged upon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himself was there were likewise seconded by ten thousand more sent in by Tamerlane himself following after with all his power Hereupon the Sultan retreated into a second strength which he had made in the next City This fight continued full seven hours wherein were slain of the Sultans men above sixteen thousand and of Tamerlane's between seven and eight thousand Tamerlane being well contented that he had dislodged his enemy and gained one of the Cities caused a retreat to be sounded hoping the next day to win all the rest as indeed he did For the next morning the Prince of Thanais storming the Trenches in one part as Axalla did in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himself hardly pressed by the obstinate Enemy and unable longer to hold out retreated abandoning the City and encamping himself along the River Nilus resolving to retire to the City of Alexandria his second strength and only refuge which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his Horsemen who only were in order and some few Foot hardly drawn from the City which their fellows were in plundering Tamerlane promising them both to regard and reward their good service Against these the Sultan upon a narrow cawse-way had opposed twelve or fifteen thousand men to favour his passage who being of his best Souldiers maintained their ground stoutly the place being much for their advantage yet at length their enemies still increasing and pressing hard upon them they were forced to cast themselves into the great River and made a most honourable retreat every man having his Weapon in one hand and swimming with the other hand to the farther Bank The Sultan flying with about eighteen thousand Horse the rest being either drowned or dispersed is said to have comforted his flying men by telling them they were not men but gods that had vanquished them Divers of the Mamelukes that were taken Prisoners being brought before Tamerlane were by him courteously used and asked if they would be content to serve him seeing their Master was fled and gone This they all utterly refused whom notwithstanding for their fidelity Tamerlane set at liberty to go again to their Master being no less desirous to be admired by his Enemies for his Goodness and Bounty than to be feared for his Force and Valour The wonderful wealth of this so great and famous a City became a prey to his Souldiers who for the space of twenty four hours had the spoil thereof At the end of which time every man was straitly charged by open Proclamation to retire to his Quarters Tamerlane would not suffer any of the Citizens to be taken Prisoners and such as were he released and so leaving ten thousand good Souldiers with many others that followed his Camp for the Guard of the City and taking with him all such persons as he thought might hurt him he caused his Army to pass over the River and to follow the Sultan to Alexandria that so his Victory might be compleated Axalla hasted before with the Avantguard to hinder the Sultan from gathering up his Forces together The rest of the Army was conducted by the Prince of Thanais Tamerlane himself with an infinte number of Boats and many Souldiers to attend him went by Water greatly delighting to behold that fair River of Nilus sometimes running with a swift course other sometimes very calm and scarce moved The Citizens of Alexandria
hearing of his coming and fearing the issue besought the Sultan to compassionate their condition and to withdraw himself into Lybia whither Tamerlane could not follow him by reason of the barrenness of the Countrey Resolving for their parts to submit to Fortune and to do as the time required yet promising in heart to remain his and to make the same to appear to him so soon as occasion should be offered Hereupon the Sultan seeing all things desperate determined to retire yet hoping that time might bring a change for that Tamerlanes numerous Army could not long remain there And so departing out of Alexandria with Tears standing in his eyes he often said that God was angry with him and his People so that he must of necessity suffer the fatal Overthrow of his Estate yet for his own part he had done as much as in him lay according the Duty of his Place and to satisfie the expectation that the World had of him for the upholding of the same Notwithstanding he hoped to return again and to deliver his People from that bondage which for the present they were necessitated to submitto Tamerlane coming to Alexandria before yielded to Axalla stayed there a great while sending Axalla to pursue the Sultan being much grieved that he could not get him into his hands and therefore he still feared that some Innovation would be raised by him after his departure which made him to deal the more hardly with them whom he suspected to favour him Now the bruit of these Victories having with Axalla passed into Lybia brought such a fear not only upon the Countries adjoyning to these Conquests but also upon all Africa supposing that Tamerlane followed with the rest of his Army that twenty two of the Moorish Kings sent their Ambassadours to offer their subjection and obedience to him Oâ— the nearest of which Kings Tamerlane took Hostages but for such as were more remote he contented himself with their faith given and with other Testimonies of their good wills Axalla having long followed the Sultan who like a man forsaken of Fortune still fled before him seeing all his labour lost returned to Alexandria And Tamerlane after his long travel and pains taken was now more desirous than ever to return into his own Countrey The rather being moved thereunto by the earnest request of his Wife much longing for his return He had news also of the sickness of the old Emperour of Tartary his Father in Law and besides Age it self began to bring unto him a desire of rest With his did the desires of the Souldiers well agree who were now weary of running so many and divers Adventures His only stay was that he expected the coming of Calibes an old and faithful servant of his whom for his good desert he made choice of to govern all these his new Conquests in Egypt and Syria A great honour indeed it was but not too great for him that had so well deserved And indeed Tamerlane was alwayes so mindful of the good deserts of his faithful servant that he needed not by others to be put in remembrance of them were they never so far off as now was Calibes who at this time was with a third part of the Army making way for him along the River Euphrates for the Conquest of Mesopotamia and Persia whose coming was longed for with great devotion by the whole Army which was now very desirous to return but this expectation of theirs was not long delayed for Calibes being sent for came speedily to Alexandria where the whole Army was by Tamerlane's command now rendezvouzed Upon the coming of Calibes Tamerlane made the Prince of Zamalzan man of great reputation Governour of that place as Lieutenant General under Calibes whom Tamerlane as was said before had made his Vice-Roy over all Egypt and Syria together with the Countries newly conquered in Lybia and Barbary He gave him also six thousand Horse and ten thousand Foot to assist him therein And so leaving Alexandria he took Calibes along with him to the great City of Caire there taking the best order he could for the securing of his new Conquests He left with him forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Foot And having sufficiently instructed him how he would have those Kingdoms governed dismissed him not like a servant but a companion being very sorry to leave him destitute of his presence So setting forwards with his Army conducted by the Prince of Thanais Tamerlane with a few of his Train turned again aside to Jerusalem where he daily visited the Sepulchre of Christ whom he called the God of the Christians viewing the ruines of Solomon's Temple which he much admired and at Jerusalem the Seat of David's Kingdom and that of great Solomon grieving that he could not see them in their former beauty And to shew his Devotion and favour to this City he commanded it to be free from all Garrisons and Subsidies and so giving great gifts to the Monasteries he departed from thence to Damasco which great City for that it was infected with the Opinions of Jezides accounted an Arch-Heretick among the Mussulmen as also evil-affected to his Proceedings he caused it to be razed and the bones of Jezides the False Prophet to be digged up and burnt and his Sepulchre which before by his Disciples was much honoured to be filled with dung and so marching on and blasting the World before him being victorious which way soever he turned he at last passed over the River Euphrates where he conquered Mesopotamia with the great City of Babylon and all the Kingdom of Persia and so at last laden with the spoiles of the World and eternized for ever in his Fame he returned to Samercand the famous place of his Birth and Glorious Seat of his Empire Now had Bajazet a little before one of the greatest Princes on earth and now the Scorn of Fortune and by-word to the World with great impatiency lain two years in most miserable thraldom for the most part shut up in an iron Cage like a dangerous wild beast and having no better means to end his loathed life violently dashed out his brains against the bars of the iron Grate wherein he was enclosed and so died about the year of our Lord 1399. His dead body at the request of his Son Mahomet was by Tamerlane sent to Asprapolis from which it was conveyed to Prusa and there lieth buried in a Chappel built for the purpose without the City Eastward where also are interred the bodies of his best beloved Wife Despina and of his eldest son Erthogrul and in another little Chappel hard by lieth buried his brother Jacup whom he had murdered in the beginning of his Reign This Bajazet had some Vertues which were much obscured by his cholerick and wayward nature which made him to exceed in cruelty and Pride He was also very covetous which qualities made him indeed much feared but little beloved of
his Souldiers and men of War by whom therefore in his greatest need he was forsaken He used commonly to say That his Treasures were his Childrens meat and not his Souldiers Pay which by way of reproach was by a common Souldier cast in his Teeth when he raged to see himself by them forsaken in that great battel against Tamerlane telling him as he fled That he run not away but went to seek his Pay wherewith to provide his children bread Tamerlane as we said before having conquered Persia used his Victory so mildly that as long as he lived the people of that Countrey were alwayes much affected to him which served him greatly as well for the keeping of Syria as the Sultan of Egypts Empire In his own Countrey he was received with all Triumphs and expressions of joy that might be the chiefest prisoners marching before him and wheresoever he passed the people assembled themselves by thousands praising and singing his Victories The Emperour having spent a month or two in Feasts and Triumphs according to his accustomed Devotion he vowed a Church and Hospital unto God the most magnificent that might be devised and to beautifie his City of Samercand he searched out all sorts of Handicrafts-men intending to make it as large again as it was and one of the stateliest Cities in the World he peopled it also with so many several Nations as he had brought along with him unto whom he gave liberty to build houses distributing money unto them to do the same giving them also all kind of Priviledges and Immunities for their encouragement therein He caused also the streets to be plotted out and in one corner of it he built his Church and Hospital His next care was to preserve the good will and love of his famous Souldiers whose names he caused to be Registred in a general Muster-Roll which he kept by him and daily conferred honours and rewards upon them they not thinking of it in recompence of their former good services thinking that day lost wherein he did not some good Then did he declare the death of the old Emperour to his Council of which he had received private intelligence and forgat no Ceremony due unto his honour publickly expressing the grief he had conceived for his death Then did he with his ordinary Court consisting of forty thousand Horse and sixty thousand Foot set forward towards Quinsay where his Empress was And when he came to Cambalu he had intelligence of a battel fought by Odmar against the King of China's Captain General and how he had pursued his Victory having taken three or four great and rich Cities and that the Chinois did again desire Peace Hereupon he sent them these Articles That the King of China should pay all the Arrears of his Tribute That he should come in person to do his homage acknowledging himself a Vassal of his Empire That he should deliver up to him all his Cities saving three such as the Emperour should nominate That he should pay all the charges of the War because he had broken the Peace which performed things should be restored to the same state they were in before the War And to gratifie Odmar he sent to him with all Magnificence one of his Sisters to be his Wife When he first entred into Cambalu he was received with all the expressions of joy that might be whereupon he restored to them their Priviledges which he had taken from them for their Rebellion with Calix The Empress being informed of his being there leaving Prince Axalla to govern at Quinsay came to him So that he remained there near two moneths giving order for all his affairs the rather because it was near to Mount Althay where the Scythian Emperours use to be buried And so causing the body of the old Emperour to be brought thither himself conducted it with all Pomp honouring not only the Body but all that he had loved in the World and though it was not the custom for Women to assist at Funerals yet he took his Empress along with him who went near unto the Corps till they came to the place where it was interred amongst his Predecessors After these Ceremonies finished he returned to Cambalu where he spent the Winter in Tilts Turnaments Hunting and such like Recreations The rather because this placâ— was near to China whereby he had the fitter opportunity to hear how affairs passed there purposing to go thither in person the next Winter if Odmar that Summer did not make an end of the Wars and if the King of China did not submit himself to his Obedience The Mark he shot at now being only to keep that which by his Valour he had won desiring to spend the rest of his life in reaping the fruits of his hard Travels and former labours Now Prince Axalla governed at Quinsay as well to the great contentment of the Souldiery as of the Inhabitants who out of their abundant love to the Emperour requested Prince Axalla to write importunately to him that his Son might be brought up amongst them which at Axalla's request he consented to making him in the absence of his Son the Governour of Quinsay from Cambalu even to the Sea which Countrey contained in it about three hundred Cities besides an infinite number of Villages all which was formerly under the Government of the old Emperour He delivered also into his charge the Government of his Son Shortly after the King of China came to his Court according to the Covenants offered to him where he once again swore obedience to the Emperour who shewed him his greatness the more to make him stand â—awe for he knew that this Barbarian would keep no promise longer than â— should stand with his own interest This King of China was astonished to bâ— hold so many Souldiers and the Countrey so well replenished with People and above all that they used so little curiosity and riches in their apparel especially wondring that the Emperour himself was apparelled in mean cloth of one colour without curiosity Shortly after Tamerlane went to Quinsay and by the way was met by Prince Axalla and all the chief Lords and Citizens who entertained him with all the Magnificence that might be This City of Quinsay was the fairest and one of the richest in the World and of the most wonderful scituation being divided by many channels of Water upon which are framed wonderful and stately buildings having also an infinite number of Bridges It abounds with all kind of Spices and Merchandizes in great quantity The Citizens presented the Emperour with many rare things judged to be worth two Millions in Gold with great variety of strange and excellent things Then did the Emperour call for his Son that was there educated who was now seven years old He forbade that thenceforward they should suffer him to wear any thing on his Head and hung a Bow about his neck saying That
they which from their birth were called to Sovereignty should be used both to Cold and Heat and should be exercised to Arms betimes and not be brought up idly and delicately reprehending those which brought him up for using him so tenderly asking them if they meant to make a Woman of his Son They replying that he was tender If he be not born said he to be strong and valiant he will not be worthy to succeed me for he must not be an effeminate Prince that must preserve the Parthian Empire About this time his Empress was brought to bed of another Son at Samercand for joy whereof he made Feasts with Tiltings and Pastimes fifteen dayes together Then did he visit all the Sea-Towns near to Quinsay hunting all manner of Games yet often saying That the Recreations which he used were only helps to ease him in the pains of his publick affairs which God had called him to And when Prince Axalla told him that that City was a fit place for his abode O my friend said he it is not so For it 's a Maxime that the Lord of this great City must not come to it above once in ten years and when he is here he must temper his Actions as if he were upon a stage with Gravity and a good grace before the people who are apt to receive good or evil impressions according as their Princed eporteth himself Having setled his affairs in that part of his Empire he returned to Samercand where three times a Week he administred Justice publickly unto the meanest of his Subjects as well as to the greatest which made him much beloved of all over whom he did command On other dayes he gave secret audience and disposed of the affairs of his estate which were concluded daily in his presence In his Council he used such severity that none durst deal untruly or passionately in his presence Yet shewed he such courteousness in his conversation that he was both beloved and feared of his people He never changed his Servants except they committed some great faults against him All the servants of the late Emperour his Uncle he never changed one of them but increased their Pensions making them sensible of his liberality in that change The like bounty he used to strangers thereby to oblige them to him He drew great store of money yearly from the Muscovite by way of Tribute which yet he distributed in the same Country to maintain his authority there winning those to him who otherwise might have hurt him He had great care of his Revenues wherein he was so expedite that in one hours space he could see his Estate from three months to three months together with his ordinary and extraordinary expences they were presented to him so well digested But after all his publick affairs so well managed and his private businesses so well ordered Sickness arrested and Death conquered this Great Conquerour leaving his Empire to Sautochio his Eldest Son now nineteen years old who was proclaimed Emperour within two hours after his Fathers death Tamerlane from his childhood was well instructed in the Arabian learning wherein he was very studious insomuch as when they thought him to be in the Baths wherein they are very curious in that Contrey being their chiefest delight he was retired to the contemplation and study of Heavenly things He had within his eyes such a Divine beauty and radiancy full of Majesty that one could hardly endure the sight of them without closing of his eyes so that some that talked with him and beheld him were stricken dumb for the present which caused him with a comely modesty to abstain from looking upon them that talked with him All the rest of his Visage was courteous and well-proportioned He wore his hair long and curled contrary to the custome of his Countrey-men who used to shave their Heads He went almost alwayes bare-headed saying that his Mother came of the Race of Sampson who therefore advised him to honour long hair His hair was of a dusky colour inclining somewhat to a Violet the most beautiful that any eye could behold His stature was of a middle sort somewhat narrow in his shoulders He had a fair and strong leg his bodily strength and agility was such as none did surpass and often on Festival dayes he made trial of them with the strongest yet did he it with such a Grace mixt with Humanity that he whom he overcame held himself therein most happy though it was a great disgrace amongst the Tartarians to be thrown to the ground in wrestling In the time of his Wars against the Turks a Souldier of his found buried in the ground a great Pot of Gold which he brought to Tamerlane who asked him if it had his Fathers stamp upon it But when he saw that it had the stamp of the Romans he would not own nor meddle with it THE LIFE and DEATH OF CHARLES the GREAT King of FRANCE And Emperour of GERMANY PEPIN sirnamed The short the twenty third King of France a wise and valiant Prince had two Sons Charles and Caroloman and five Daughters Birthe who was married to Milon Earl of Mans by whom she had great Rowland Hiltrude married to Rene Earl of Genes by whom she had the renowned Oliver Rohard Adeline Idubergue Ode and Alix Pepin being toiled out with great Wars much broken with the care of publick affairs and now grown Old that he might imploy his last days in the maintenance of Justice and Peace the burden of War he laid upon his Eldest Son Charles a wise and valiant young Prince of whose modesty and obedience he was well assured And then retiring to Paris he was not long after surprised with sickness in which he recommended his two Sons to the Estates of France to give them portions at their pleasures and so ended his days Anno Christi 768. He was a Religious Prince wise moderate valiant loving to his Subjects and beloved of them happy in his Father and his Children and in his Government An excellent Pattern for other Princes who by his Example hold it for an undoubted Maxim That the strongest Fortress and best security for a Prince is the love of his Subjects and the surest bond of his Authority a respect gotten and preserved by virtue Pepin being dead the Estates of France assembled together and by their joynt consents divide the Kingdom betwixt his two Sons Charles and Caroloman by equal portions Brother 's these were of divers humours who had certainly ruined each other by this equality of power had not the death of Caroloman within three years after divolved the Government of the whole Realm upon Charles Charles was endowed with singular gifts both of Body and Mind which were much improved by the sedulous care of his Prudent Father manifested in the virtuous education of him For which end he procured Paul of Pisa a
to him But these his fair shews continued not long There was at this time at Rome a Governour for the Eastern Emperour called Paul Ephialte him Didier corrupted and the administration of Justice being in his hands he made use of him so cunningly as that in the presence of Pope Steven he caused him to seize upon two of his chief Secretaries Christopher and Sergius whom Didier accused of some pretended crimes and presently to hang them in an infamous manner Their greatest offence was because they favoured the French Neither did he rest here but caused all the principal Citizens to be banished whom he observed to be of the French faction that so having removed all hinderances he might be Master of Rome in despite of the Pope Steven was not so dull but he discovered the Lombards practice exceedingly to tend to his prejudice whereupon he sent to Charlemagne beseeching him to prepare an Army against Didiers force This Charlemagne easily assented to and fully resolved upon But Didier had provided a divertisement in France by the means of Caroloman to stop Charles his passage into Italy making work for him in Guienne where there arose a perilous War upon this occasion Though the Country of Guienne depended upon the Crown of France yet were there many Tumults raised by the practices of some Noblemen of the Country who frequently stirred up the people mutinous enough of themselves to Rebellion The cause of these Troubles was the abuse of the former Kings Clemency and Bounty who suffered such people as he conquered to enjoy their priviledges and liberties Eudon a Nobleman of Guienne began first under Martel Jeffery and Hunalt his Children and heirs of his discontent had continued it under Pepin and Jeffery being now dead Hunalt succeeded him with the like hatred which Caroloman fomented that he might imploy him against his Brother Charles Guienne was a part of Charles his portion But Hunalts design was to withdraw that Country wholly from the Crown of France and for that end he pretended a Title to the Dukedom thereof labouring to procure the people to Elect him having the promise and assistance of Caroloman to further him therein Indeed the countenance of Caroloman could do much but the wisdom and courage of Charlemagne prevailed more For being advertised of Hunalts practice and of his Brothers secret designs he armed with such speed as that he surprised the Towns of Poictiers Xante and Angoulesm and all the Country adjoyning Hunalt who had reckoned without Charles finding himself thus prevented fled to a Noble man of that Country called Loup whom he held not only to be firm to his faction but also his trusty and affectionate friend Charlemagne being informed hereof sent presently to Loup requiring him to deliver Hunalt into his hands who was guilty of high Treason and in the mean time he built a Fort in the midst of the Country where the Rivers of Dordonne and Lisle do joyn which he called Fronsac the better to secure his Country against such Invaders Loup not daring to refuse delivered up Hunalt and all his Family into the hands of Charles who pardoned Loup and all that obeyed him thus ending a dangerous War without blows And to Hunalt he granted life and liberty and the enjoyment of his goods leaving a memorable example to all Princes how to carry themselves in a Civil War preventing a mischief by prudence and diligence and not to thrust their vanquished Subjects into despair by rigour Caroloman seeing his practices against his Brother to succeed so ill undertook a journy to Rome with an intent to cause some alterations there which yet he covered with a pretence of devotion He also took his Mother Berthe along with him and in their passage they were hourably entertained by Didier King of the Lombards where Berthe treated and concluded a marriage between her Son Charlemagne and Theodora Sister or Daughter to this Didier who was one of the greatest enemies to her Sons good fortune Yet Charlemagne to please his Mother received his Wife but soon after put her away as neither suiting with his affects or affairs and so that which was intended as a cause of love bred a greater hatred betwixt these two Princes Caroloman having affected nothing at Rome answerable to his desire but only discovered his foolish and malicious jealousie too apparent under his feigned devotion returned into France and there soon after died Anno Christi 770. Leaving the intire Kingdom to his Brother who had how no Corrival Charlemagne having put away his Wife Theadora upon suspition of incontinency he married Hildegard or Ildegrade Daughter to the Duke of Sueve his Vassal by whom he had Charles Pepin and Lewis and three Daughters Rotrude Berthe and Gille who were the Nursery of his Noble Family But Carolomans jealousie died not with him but survived in his Wife Berthe who being impatient of her present condition and thrust headlong with a spirit of revenge against her Brother in Law Charles retired with her two Sons to Didier King of Lombardy as to the most bitter and irreconcilable enemy of her Brother Charles Didier intertained her and her Children very courteously hoping by them to promote his design But it proved the leaven of his own destruction His practice together with the Widows was to procure the present Pope who Steven being dead was one Adrian a Roman Gentleman to Crown and confirm the Sons of Caroloman for Kings of France wherein the Lombard had two designs First by this means to bring the Pope in disgrace with Charlemagne that he might the easilier suppress him being destitute of the French aides whereon he chiefly relyed and Secondly to set France in a flame by setting up new Kings in it Didier therefore earnestly besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake But Adrian well acquainted with the Lombards humour was so resolute in denying his request as that they fell into open hatred And Didier being much displeased with this repulse took Arms and with his Forces entred into the Exarchy being a Signory under the Popes jurisdiction and besieged Ravenna the chief City of the Exarchy Whereupon the Pope sent his Nuncio to him to expostulate the cause of this so sudden War against his Subjects desiring him to restore what he had taken and not to procced in this Hostile manner without any reasonable cause and that upon the pain of Excommunication At the same time there fell out a great occasion to encrease the hatred between Charlemagne and Didier For that Hunalt who had been before vanquished in Guienne and to whom Charles had shew'd so much favour very ingratefully retired himself to Didier who did not only receive him courteously but honoured him by making him General of his Army which he had raised against the
the War justly and ended it happily ruined the Kingdom of the Lombards in Italy carrying Didier Prisoner with him to Lions or to Leeg for Authors agree not of the certain place This was Anno Christi 776. A notable date to present the Tragical end of so great a Kingdom which had continued in Italy for the space of two hundred and four years under Princes of divers dispositions But Pride Injustice and Tyranny had provoked the wrath of God against them so as whilst they thought to take from another they lost their own To usurp the liberties of others they fell into ignominious slavery themselves and their Subtily proved the occasion and hastener of their ruin An excellent Pattern for Princes and great States not to attempt an unjust and unnecessary War nor to usurp upon any other mans right thinking to prevail over a good cause by Craft and Policy Charlemagne as was said before used his Victory with great moderation towards the conquered Nation which gave great content to all the Italians who held it a gain to have lost their old Master and to be rightly made free by being subject to so wise a Lord. For he left unto them their ancient liberties and to particular Princes such as were Vassals to Didier their Signiories To Aragise Son in Law to Didier he left the Marquisat of Beneventum He placed French Governours in conquered Lombardy whom he ordered to treat these his new Subjects with the like mildness as he shewed to those of his antient Patrimony left unto him by his Predecessors During the siege of Pavia Pope Adrian held a Councel at Rome in favour to Charlemagne to give him honours answerable to his merits of the Church wherein it was declared that the right to give all Benefices throughout all Christendom did belong to him No sooner was Charlemagne returned into France but Aldegise the Son of Didier sought to disquiet Italy being assisted by Constantine the Emperour of Constantinople and the practices of Rogand to whom Charlemagne had given Friul who now revolted from his Obedience But the vigilancy and care of the Governours whom Charlemagne had set over his new-conquered Subjects soon put an end to these Rebellions and Rogand being taken suffered according to his demerits being beheaded by the Kings commandment Thus Italy remaining quiet to him and his as conquered by a just War it was afterwards incorporated into the French Monarchy in his posterity being given in Partage to the Children of France whilst the good Government of the French Kings maintained the dignity of the Crown But the end of this War proved the beginning of another in Germany whereof the Saxons were the chief promoters drawing other People of Germany into their assistance This War continued the space of thirty yesrs yet not without some intermissions The Saxons having still a mind to oppose and Cross Charlemagne in his proceedings especially when he was busied in other affairs of great consequence These Saxons were subject to the Crown of France especially under Martel and Pepin his Son The motives of this War were divers The impatiency of a People desiring their antient liberty and not able to bear subjection to a forreigner the hatred and jealousie of a Potent Neighbour threatning them with servitude A controversie about the limits and bounds of their Lands But the greatest and most important cause was the diversity of Religion For the Saxons were obstinate in retaining and cleaving to their Pagan superstition which they had received from their Forefathers and Charlemagne urged them to forsake their Paganism and Idolatry and to make open profession of the Christian Faith being moved with Zeal to the general advancement of the Truth and the private Duty of a Prince to his Subjects to provide for their souls Health Upon this controversie about Religion the Saxons fought eight times with Charlemagne especially taking advantage when they found him busied elsewhere watching their opportunities either to cross him in his designs or to frustrate his attempts At such time as he was in Italy against Didier they played Rex not only in rejecting the French command but also in making War against those Cities in Germany which obeyed Charlemagne They had taken Eresbourg from the Crown of France even upon his return and besieged Sigisbourg robbing and spoiling all the Country round about Charlemagne who would never undertake any weighty matter without good advise assembled a Parliament at Wormes and by their Counsel and assistance levied a great Army to charge the Saxons in divers places at once This resolution succeeded happily For having vanquished the Saxons twice in one month in a pitched Field he soon reduced them to their ancient obedience Using his Victories with much modesty and discretion desiring rather to shew them the power of his authority then the rigour of his Force The chief amongst the Saxons was Widichind and as Religion was the chief motive of their frequent Rebellions so Charlemagne seeking the establishment of the Christian Religion in Saxony with great Zeal after much reluctance happily effected it For having vanquished this widichind by reason and humanity he brought him to the knowledg of the Truth and by his grave and prudent conversation he perswaded him without any Violence to leave and forsake his Pagan Superstition which force of Armes could never have effected in him nor in the Saxons For mens souls are not to be compelled with force of Arms but with reason And by the means and endeavours of this widichine the greatest part of the Saxons were brought to the knowledg of the true God and the obedience of the French Monarch And the most obstinate were forced either to submit or to abandon their Country And indeed great numbers of Saxons retired themselves into divers strange Countrys Thus the War with the Saxons was happily ended which had been long and dangerous and the Conquered by the Truth were the true Conquerours by attaining to the knowledg of the true God Charlemagne was very careful to have them well instructed in the Truth For which end he appointed godly and learned men in all places and gave them honourable maintenance whereby he shewed that his Piety was not inferiour to his Valour and happy success and for a president to Princes to make Religion the Soveraign end of their Arms and Authorities This Widichine was very eminent both for Wisdom Valour and Authority in his Country and from him are descended many famous Families as the two Henries the one called the Fowler and the other of Bamberg and the two Othos all of them Emperours as also the Dukes of Saxony the Marquesses of Misnia the Dukes of Savoy and the famous race of Hugh Capet in France From this War of Saxony did spring up many others in the Northern parts of which we shall hear afterwards but because in the Interim their fell out great Wars in Spain against the Sarazins which
Sarazins their conquered Countries free and therefore said he the Treaty of an accord is easie seeing all the question is only to leave to every man his own and to suffer him to enjoy it quietly the World being wide enough for us all But to the end this Treaty might take good effect after many messages to and fro they resolve to come to a Parlee and upon Charlemagne's Faith given Aigoland came to his Camp Charlemagne either really moved with a zeal for Religion or at least making it the colour of his Actions gave the Sarazin to understand that he should have his Friendship if he would leave his Pagan Superstition be Baptized and make open profession of Christianity The Sarazin although he had a goodly Army yet not willing to hazard any thing and content with his former revenge upon Charlemagne desired nothing more than to return quietly into Spain And being now in the midst of his Enemies Camp to maintain his reputation he made no shew at all of fear but talking to his own advantage as if no Force but only reason should move him he entred into a serious and cunning discourse with Charlemagne shewing That unnecessary Wars were the ruin of Mankind and that he was grieved to see so much Blood spilt That he had not begun but followed being urged by necessity to defend himself and his Countrey against the Forces of Charlemagne That he was not yet so dejected nor his Forces so weak as to refuse the Battel But for that it would be an infinite loss to hazard the lives of so many men he desired rather to make tryal of the right by some Troops and they that vanquished should be deemed to have the right and true Religion on their side Protesting to yield to that Religion which should appear to be the best upon this tryal This Proposal and condition was accepted by Charlemagne The combate was fought the proof made and the Christian Troop vanquished that of the Sarazin Then did Aigoland protest openly that he would become a Christian but in heart he had no such meaning and therefore took this opportunity to fly from his promise He gives Charlemagne a visit and finds him at the Table well accompanied with his chief followers for then it was the custome of Kings not to sit and eat alone but casting his eye aside he saw twelve poor men ill apparelled sitting upon the ground near to the Table of the Noblemen and demanded what those poor miserable creatures were which did there feed apart One answered That they were the servants of God He then replied Surely your God is of small account whose servants are so miserable and contemptible And thereupon takes an occasion to retire himself having lost nothing but made great advantage by this Treaty Having hereby qualified the force of Charlemagne viewed his Army made shew of his own courage and dexterity and all without an Ambassadour Charlemagne on the other side seeing himself thus deluded and affronted was resolved to take revenge for so notable a loss of men and so bold an attempt of the Sarazin so that with all speed he raised an Army of a hundred and thirty thousand men and being thus fraught with Choler and indignation he returned into Spain His first entry was prosperous For in the encounter he defeated Aigolands Army near to Pampelune and for a Seal of his Victory he carried away the head of Aigoland his Enemy who was slain by the hand of Arnold of Belange a Noble and Valiant Knight But the sequel was not answerable to the beginning For notwithstanding the overthrow of the Sarazin Troops all the rest in Spain were not vanquished where there were more Kings and more men of War who kept correspondence with Amurath King of Babylon which place was their Nursery and Store-house Marsile and Belingand two Brethren were the chief of thè remainder of the Sarazin Army wherein there was a great Babylonian Gyant called Ferragat of an exceeding stature him did Rowland slay who was Nephew to Charlemagne after which the Sarazins gathered together the relicts of their broken Troops and made a shew of resolute men vowing to sell their lives at a dear rate to Charlemagne being favoured by many great and good Towns in the Countrey Charlemagne makes a sudden stop and pursues not his Victory God reserving to himself a Sovereign power over all mens designes yea over the greatest and in matters of greatest consequence to the end that all may learn to ask Counsel and success of him and it was his will and pleasure that the French Forces should not conquer and possess Spain the which he had reserved as a portion for another Nation Thus Charles who should have prosecuted his late Victory vigorously grew remiss which encouraged Idnabala the Sarazin who had free access into the Camp to make a motion of Peace He was a good Secretary of his own Companions minds what shew soever he made of speaking of himself Charlemagne finding by his late experience that the event of War is uncertain and doubtful and that this War tended to the loss of his Subjects who imployed both their lives and goods for the purchase of an uncertain Victory and seeing himself overburdened with great affairs in his other Estates to the preservation whereof reason did summon him rather than to seek for new he seemed not unwilling to hearken to the motion of Idnabala who assured him that he found the Sarazins affairs to be so desperate that they would be glad to embrace his friendship at whatsoever rate they purchased it The Treaty hereupon began and the chief Article was propounded which was that they should embrace the Christian Religion and this Charlemagne seemed to urge with great vehemency but finding the Sarazins obstinate in their refusal he was content to grant them peace paying him some great sums of money as a token that they had been vanquished by him And accordingly he sent a Noble man of his Court named Ganes to treat with them who being by bribes corrupted by Marsile and Belingand undertook so to order businesses that Charlemagne should return into France and by the way should receive a notable disgrace yet they seemed to make such a composition and agreement which in shew was very honourable for Charlemagne to whom they promised to pay as an Homage and acknowledgment for the Peace he should grant them what sums of money he would appoint and that thereupon he should retire with his Army into France yet leaving such Forces in Spain as he pleased to see the condition which should be agreed upon performed But Ganes had discovered to them that Charlemagne upon other accounts was necessitated to return and therefore desired to leave the smallest Forces that he could in Spain The Agreement being thus concluded Charlemagne departed with his Army attending a better opportunity to effect what he had designed and he left his Nephew Rowland only with
twenty thousand men to see the conditions performed And to make his passage into France the more easie he commanded him to lodge in a place of advantage in the Pyrenean mountains called Roâ—cevaux and so the French Army marched backwards to France under the conduct of Charlemagne who little dreamed of such an affront as he shortly after met with Whilst the French Army were upon their retreat Marsile and Bellingand slept not but gathering together all the Forces they could they lodged them secretly in the hollow Caves of those Mountains being places inaccessible and wholly unknown but only to the Inhabitants of those Countries They had intelligence given them by Ganes what number of men Charlemagne had left in Spain under the command of Rowland to whom the reputation of his Uncle and the good will of the People of Spain in the chiefest Towns was of more use than his twenty thousand men although they were the choice of all the Army Rowland had no fear of an Enemy whenas returning to his Garrison he was suddenly set upon by the Sarazins who were far more in number than the French who seeing themselves thus treacherously assaulted and compassed in defended themselves valiantly against those miscreants But still fresh Troops of Sarazins issued forth of these Caves on every side in so great numbers as that in the end the French tired and spent in so long and painful a conflict were oppressed by the multitudes rather than overcome by the Valour of their Enemies Rowland in so great and extream a danger gathering together the pieces of his shipwrack performed both the Duty of a good Commander and of a valiant and resolute Souldier fighting gallantly and having beaten down a great number where the Enemies were thickest he at length came where King Marsile was whom he slew with his own hands But Belingand holding the Victory absolutely his own pursued the French with great violence insomuch as Rowland not able to hold out any longer retired himself apart and finding his Death approaching he endeavoured to break his good Sword Durandall but his strength failing him he died of Thirst through so long and difficult a combate in that hot Country and with him died Oliver Oger the Dane Renald of Montaubon Arnald of Belland and other Noble Personages who are the subject of many fabulous stories Yet the Fame of their singular Virtues and Prowess is engraven in the Original of true Histories where it shall never be blotted out Charlemagne having intelligence brought him of this great and unexpected loss returned suddenly to take his revenge upon the Sarazins of whom â—he killed an infinite number in several places and being informed of the Treason of Ganes he caused him to be drawn in pieces by four Horses as the only author of this miserable defeat And being transported with a just disdain and indignation for this so base an affront he had purposed to have passed on in Spain to take further revenge But the great and weighty affairs of his other estates called him back into France to attend upon them And so ended his Spanish Wars with small success having troubled Charlemagne at divers times for the space of fourteen years For God had appointed the limits of his designs as reserving to himself a Sovereign power over all mens enterprizes even of the greatest Charlemagne made a Tomb for his Nephew Rowland and honoured the memory of those other worthy Warriers who died in the Bed of Honour with Monuments after which he was necessitated to undertake divers other Wars both in Italy and Germany in all which it pleased God to give him better success Italy during Charles his troubles in Spain had rebelled being provoked thereto by Adalgise Duke of Beneventum who endeavoured to repossess the Race of Didier but that attempt was soon suppressed by Charlemagne to the cost of the Lombard Rebells Yet shortly after ensued another War in Germany The like occasion also bred a War in Bavaria For the King Tassillon who was Son in Law to Didier King of Lombardy being eagerly pressed by his Wife and wonderfully discontented with Charlemagne shaked off the yoke of subjection and betook himself to Arms But Charlemagne surprized him with such celerity that Tassillon was forced to sue for Peace which Charlemagne granted upon condition of his subjection and loyalty But again Tassillon not able to contain himself raised a new War in another place as when we stop one breach it finds vent by another He stirred up the Huns and Avars a neighbouring People to Austria which was one of the Estates of the French Monarchy against Charlemagne who yet suppressed them with happy success and Tassillon himself being again vanquished by Charlemagne and found guilty of Rebellion and Treason was condemned to lose his Estate according to the Salique Law and with him the Kingdom of Bavaria ended being now wholly incorporated into the Crown of France The Huns and Avars of whose names joyned together the word Hungary hath been made were also punished by Charlemagne and brought under the yoke of the French Monarchy They had formerly attempted by War to disquiet the Country of Austria whom Charlemagne had at divers times opposed by his Forces so that the War at times had continued for the space of eight years and the final issue was that all the Countrey obeyed him The Danes also the Sorabes and Abrodites and the Westphalians who had all joyned in this War of Hungary were also brought under the obedience of Charlemagne The limits of the Northern Kingdom called Austrasia were so enlarged that it was divided into two Kingdoms and the Realm of Austria which joyns upon France was called Westriech that is to say the Realm of the West and that which is towards Danubius was called Ostriech that is the Kingdom of the East Austria being then of a greater command than at this day For it contained all Hungary Valachia Bohemia Transylvania Denmark and Poland Then was the French Monarchy of a vast extent But all these Nations have since either returned to their first beginning or new Lords have seized upon them Thus the French Monarchy was greatly enlarged by the Prowess and Valour of Charlemagne and his children were grown up as in age so in knowledge and experience through the careful education which their prudent Father gave them who framed them to the management of affairs intending them to provide that they might first succeed him in his Virtues and afterwards in his Kingdoms But man purposeth and God disposeth France Italy Germany Spain and Hungary made the Roman Empire in the West and Charlemagne being Master of these goodly Provinces was in effect an Emperour but only wanted the Title and the solemn Declaration of this dignity And shortly after the Providence of God that gave him the former ministred opportunity to him for the enjoyment of the latter which came thus to pass Leo was at this