the giving him any account of the matter and his own vexation and impatience hastened on his ruine or to speak more properly the Divine Providence did it which now seemed resolved to put an end to the Civil Wars by appointing a Master over the Roman Empire The next day after the fight Brutus called together the Souldiers of both Armies where after having praised the Valour of his own men and the Victory they had gotten he exhorted them To shew once more how obedient they could be and observe their Generals better than they had done before He gave them to understand the necessities the Enemies were reduced to And that that was the onely cause of their boldness and courage since they would never have sought to have fallen in Battel had they not been afraid of being starv'd by Famine He caused also 1000 Drachma's to be given to every Souldier with a promise That after the Victory they should have the liberty of plundering the two Cities of Lacedemon and Thessalonica by which in the judgment even of those Authours who have appeared most zealous for his memory he strayed very wide of those sentiments of humanity and moderation which he had all his life time affected Antonius also having occasion to speak to his men made a good use of the death of Cassius It is said he an unanswerable proof that our Enemies are defeated they can never dare to dispute the Victory with us since the bravest and most able of their Generals has been driven to so desperate a proceeding but it is our business to force them themselves to this Confession and offer them Battel If they shall be so faint-hearted as to refuse it ye shall see that they will acknowledge themselves Conquered He did not moreover forget to speak of Rewards and promised 5000 Drachma's to every Souldier after which he marched his Troops in Battalia till they came in sight of Brutus's Lines who did not draw out so that though Antonius were himself at the point of despair he omitted not to make his Souldiers sensible how fearfull their Enemies were and dayly to indeavour the bringing of them to a Battel Brutus had moreover other troubles in his Camp Cassius's Troops would hardly obey him and the shame of their having been beaten began to make them Mutinous this forc't him to rid himself of what Prisoners he had taken so the Romans he set at liberty and put the Slaves to the Sword At last Antonius and Caesar who now began to be fit for action being pressed by the ill condition that their Troops were in who by the Rains and the Frost that followed suffered extremely in those deep places where they were encamped made an attempt which succeeded to their wishes and decided the matter CHAP. LI. Brutus utterly defeated by Antonius and Caesar. BRVTVS had since the last Battel quitted an advanced ground which was within the compass of Cassius's Camp Caesar immediately took possession of that Post with two of his Legions who fortified themselves there Afterwards he sent ten other Legions about a quarter of a League from thence towards the Sea with a design to cut off any Provisions from coming to the Conspiratours Brutus on his part caused divers Works to be carried on by which means they were several days disputing for the ground foot to foot by their Works At last Brutus's Souldiers mutined they got together in Troops up and down the Field and demanded What Cowardliness their General had lately observed in them that he could suffer the Enemy dayly to come and brave them with safety that he would give them leave to make use of those Arms and that Courage which their Enemies had been so often made sensible of Brutus for some time dissembled his resentment and afterwards fearing lest they should forsake him which he began already to have strong suspicions of he all of a sudden gave way to the impatience of his People and resolved to put an end to his as well as the Romans inquietudes by the fortune of Arms. It is reported that the Spectre which had appeared to him came to him again the night before this great Battel but that it onely appeared without saying any thing That the Eagle which belonged to his first Legion was covered with Bees and that a certain sweat in the nature of Oil which had the perfume of Roses came from the Arme of one of his Captains in such quantity that it wet several handkerchiefs The Authours of those times also report that the first man whom Brutus's Troops met withall as they drew out of their Camp was a Negro whom they cut to pieces with their Swords The Souldiers of both parties were encouraged from different reasons those of the Triumviri saw that they must either Conquer or die with Famine And Brutus's men were resolved to maintain the honour of their first Victory and that boldness wherewith they had demanded Battel contrary to the Opinion of their General Brutus was in the foremost rank very well mounted Fellow Souldiers said he to his People ye have desired to fight contrary to my Opinion when the miseries which our Enemies were reduced to might have assured us the Victory without any hazard but that did not appear honourable enough for you ye are for buying glory at the price of your bloud and now it lies upon you to complete the business and not to deceive that trust which I have reposed in your Valour On the other side Caesar and Antonius said to their Souldiers Thus ye see now our Enemies in a place where we have a long time wished them they are now no longer covered with those Fortifications which made them so bold before so that their destiny is in your own hands though ye have but one thing to chuse which is to overcome or perish by the most miserable of deaths which is that of Famine After this the two Armies advanced within the reach of their Darts when in the very moment appeared two Eagles in the Air who began a cruel fight together and drew the admiration of all the Troops that which was on Brutus's side was beaten and fled away which so animated the Souldiers of the Triumviri that they gave a great shout and marched on with fury they lanced their Javelins as it had been onely for fashion sake and the Legions came immediately hand to hand The fight was long and bloudy the right Wing which Brutus led drove back that of Antonius but at the same time his left recoiled before Caesar's Legions There was afterwards no more giving of ground and what was won was won by force of Arms like a heavy Engine that can hardly be removed At last Caesar's Cavalry having repulsed those of Cassius who behaved themselves very ill gained the flank of the Conspiratour's left Wing the fear of being hemmed in made them open their Battalions to the right and left that they might make head every way Caesar's Men charged into intervals
had then under his Command they resolved to gain what time they could and endeavour the debauching of Decimus's Souldiers upon this resolution Antonius made answer to the Deputies That for their particular Revenge they would joyfully Sacrifice it to the publick good that indeed their Honour and the Oath they had given to Caesar ought to engage them to revenge his death And that they were of Opinion it was much more honourable to live without reproach amongst a few good Men than to draw upon themselves the miseries that are due to falshood but as they were not obstinate they would voluntarily consent that the Assembly should be called and that then they might easily be governed by the advice of so many Illustrious and discerning Persons as should compose the Body of the Senate Antonius received Commendation and Thanks for this answer which the Deputies carried back to the Capitol In the mean time Lepidus by order of Antonius posted that night Corps du Guard throughout all the City while those whose interest it was were soliciting their affairs with their Friends Those whom Caesar had employed in his Troops being every where heard to utter strange Threats provided what he had promised them was not made good Caesar's Widow caused also that night her Money and Papers to be carried to Antonius his House who as he was Consul caused it to be Published that he would hold the Senate in the Temple of Tellus near his own House CHAP. IV. The Senate Assembles Diversity of Opinions amongst the Senatours Caesar's Ordinances Ratified CINNA who the day before had thrown away his Pretor's Robe in the presence of the People was the first that came to the place of Assembly when Caesar's Souldiers provoked with his presence fell upon him with stones following him to a House whither he went for shelter they would have set it on fire if Lepidus had not hindred them and appeased the disorder The most violent of the Senatours came not thither being retired among the Conspiratours and Antonius was not at all angry at it so there appeared through all the Assembly nothing but Peace and Temper Nevertheless Opinions were found to be very different some praised what the Conspiratours had done and proposed that they might be rewarded Some again said That it was sufficient to approve of it without ordering Recompences when no body demanded them Others equally were for throwing out both the Applauses and the Recompences and said That it was sufficient if they forgot what was past and were willing that it should be pardoned There were some who declared boldly That it was an odious action but they would not hinder what might be done for the safety of those who had committed it because they belonged to the most Illustrious Families of Rome To this it was answered That that indemnity had already been allowed them And when it was urged That what they had done could not be praised without wronging the memory of Caesar. Others replyed That the business now in hand was not to think of the dead but to consider the living At last one of the company brought it to this That they had but two things to choose either to agree that Caesar was a Tyrant or that those who murthered him stood in need of pardon All the Opinions terminated in this so it was concluded that these two points should be debated Then Antonius whose business it was to draw advantage from their Division desired them to consider That if they condemned the memory of Caesar they ought also to Cancell his Orders that that would have respect not onely to the Empire in General but almost to every particular man there present that some were in possession of Dignities others of Employments others of Governments and all by virtue of Caesar 's Orders that if these Orders were unjust they ought to resolve to lay aside those honours which they could no longer think were lawfully conferred upon them Now the first debate of all matters of Importance was evermore held in the Senate and afterwards proposed to the People who by their advice either confirmed or rejected the Decree so these words of Antonius caused a great commotion in the Assembly and here one little spark of Interest eclipsed all the plausible and high resolutions of those grave Senatours they all rose up crying out in confusion That it was insufferable that the Dignities they were invested in should come to be Canvased amongst the People Especially Dollabella who was designed Consul and who indeed had need of a dispensation being not yet qualified in age as the Law required he who found he could not maintain himself but by the Authority of Caesar whose Memory the day before he had violated appeared now the most eager in his defence and charged those with wrong doing who had praised the Murtherers of a Dictatour Nevertheless several Pretors threw off their Robes which they had hopes afterwards to take up again by the Authority of the Senate Upon this Antonius and Lepidus left the Senate several Senatours ran after them to desire them to return and overtook them in sight of the People who were assembled in a great number about the Gates of the Temple then Antonius threw open his Robe and shewed that he was armed saying That he knew no other way to secure his life than that of Arms. Several cryed out That he ought to provide against those disorders Others demanded Peace And what assurance says he can there be in that Peace where even the Religion of Oaths was not of force enough to defend Caesar Then those who were to revenge called Lepidus he came down the stairs of the Temple and getting upon the advantage of the ground I was says he yesterday here with Caesar in this very place where I now lament his death Upon this the outcrys began again some for Revenge others for Peace at last they desired him to take upon him the Dignity of Sovereign Pontifex which Office had been Caesar's he begged of them To reserve those kind thoughts they had for him and seeing that those who inclined to Peace were the strongest Party he said he would be over persuaded by them against his own inclination and returned to the Senate The Confusion still lasted upon the place but Antonius who came to prove the indifference of the People for both the two Parties and who perceived well that it would be a difficult matter to bring the Conspiratous to punishment made a Remonstrance That if the memory of Caesar were Condemned all the Provinces of the Empire who were governed by his Orders would look upon themselves as disingaged of their Oath and their Obedience that that would be in effect to proclaim so many Men of Quality as he had raised unworthy of their Honours that that must turn to the confusion of the Republick and draw upon them the Contempt of Nations that were Strangers that therefore they ought to consent that it was necessary to
in that action and at his death Several have reported circumstances otherwise but all agree in this that Messala a long time afterwards presenting Strato to Augustus said See here Caesar the Man who paid the last offices to my Brutus and that Augustus extremely cherished Strato who afterwards served him very faithfully Antonius hearing the next day of Brutus's death went to the place where the Body still lay and covered it himself with a rich Coat of Armour which he wore and when news was brought him afterwards that some body had stripped him he caused the Thief to be taken and put to death The Body was burnt by his orders and the ashes sent to Servilia Brutus's Wife whose name was Porcia and was Cato of Vtica's Daughter so that having such a Father and such a Husband we may easily imagine what were the maxims of that Vertue which she so openly made profession of and she was resolved to give proofs of it by a death by which she out-did the fury of those two Men whom she most tenderly loved And though since the death of her Husband she was so strictly observed that it was impossible for her either to make use of Poison or Dagger she swallowed so many hot Coals and Ashes that she choaked her self Though to speak the truth of the matter there is a great deal of reason to believe that this kind of death was rather invented by the Wits who were desirous to report that tragical adventure in all its circumstances and make as they have done a Subject for a good Epigram since Plutarch assures us that he had seen some of Brutus's Letters wherein he complains of his friends at Rome for suffering Porcia to die of Melancholy Brutus's Friends and his Officers took different parties all those who knew themselves guilty of Caesar's death slew themselves with their own hands the others rallying with Messala Bibulus and Cornificius sent Deputies to Caesar and Antonius for an honourable composition which the two Generals frankly allowed of so they went into their Army with 14000 Men who yet might have made a great deal of disturbance in a fortified Camp and that was the reason which facilitated the Capitulation And the Camp was afterwards given up to be plundered By this famous overthrow the Triumviri at last established themselves in an authority which none were found powerfull enough to dispute with them and which gave the last blow to the Roman liberty The death of Caesar was revenged and by this Victory did his Son begin to lay the foundations of an Empire which at last for its grandeur and extent has never yet been equalled THE CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE Second Triumvirate CHAP. I. After the Battel of Philippi Anthony and Caesar bring their Enemies to punishment They part the Forces of Pompey Caesar goes into Italy AS the love of Liberty was the most predominant passion the Romans had so never any people defended with more vigour that good which they valued more than their Lives It was this that bred so many divisions among them and was the cause of such bloudy Wars in which one of the parties always had the specious pretence of upholding the publick Liberty But as the last sighs and groans are usually most violent so the Battel of Philippi which was the last effort of the dying Commonwealth was the greatest struggle that ever she had for the maintaining her authority The Sedition of the Gracchi was the first where the Bloud of Roman Citizens was shed however that seemed to be but onely a Popular Commotion seeing it was decided in the Forum in an hours time The Wars that were kindled afterwards between Marius and Sylla had longer and more fatal consequences But then Italy or rather Rome onely was the Theatre of them and what animosity soever appeared between the two Parties the rest of the World felt nothing of it The division of Caesar and Pompey went much farther the whole Roman Empire was shaken by it But although all its Forces had fought at Pharsalia they were not comparable to those that appeared afterwards at the Battel of Philippi where above 200000 effective Men were in Arms commanded by the greatest Generals of that time Besides too in the forementioned Commotions several Senatours thought they might very well stand neuters out of their respect to the Commonwealth whose name at least in appearance was still reverenced whereas in this last occasion the mask being laid aside by the proceeding and declarations of the Triumvirs all management and conduct was useless and there was an absolute necessity of taking one side or t'other for Liberty or against it But that was utterly ruined by the defeat of Brutus and from that moment Caesar and Anthony began to act as Sovereigns and divide the Roman Empire as theirs by Conquest for though Lepidus had his share of the Government yet as he had had none in the danger of the Wars he was but very little considered all the love of the Souldiers which was the firmest prop of their Empire being turned in favour of those that had headed them upon all occasions The following days after the Victory were employ'd by the Triumvirs in punishing their foes Anthony sacrificed Hortensius to the memory of his Brother Caius and put Varro to death who reproach'd him with his debauches and in some sort did then foretell the miserable end he himself should come to Livius Drusus the Father of that Livia who was afterwards married to Augustus killed himself in his Tent and Quintilius Varus adorned with all the marks of the honours and dignities he had passed through made himself be slain by his freedman Caesar upon this occasion appeared much more cruel than Anthony whether it were that the pain and uneasiness of his sickness had sowred his humour or that he really had a bent to cruelty or what is more likely had his temper so much at command that he put on gentleness or severity as in policy was necessary He sent the Head of Brutus to Rome to be thrown at the Feet of his Father's statue and forced a Senatour and his Son to draw Lots for their lives but they both refused it the Father voluntarily gave up himself to execution and the Son stab'd himself before Caesar's face To another that beg'd of him that he might have the Rites of Burial he said that that would soon be at the disposal of the Ravens these and such like bitter words joined to the rigour of his punishments rendred him so odious to the rest of the Prisoners that were brought fettered before them that they saluted Anthony with respect but loaded Caesar with injuries and bloudy reproaches which none did with more violence than Favonius who at his death took all the liberty of speech and railing freedom of a Cynick Philosopher After having thus satisfied their revenge the Triumvirs thought upon establishing their authority Anthony undertook to go into Asia to gather Money in
quitted his party to take Caesar's side He could no longer force his natural Temper and as debauching is a great relief to people of his humour against all their troubles he quitted his Cell to fall a-feasting upon the Solemnity of Caesarion's being received into the degree of young men and Antyllus his Son by Fulvia his putting off a Gown all of one colour and without any ornament for the Romans distinguished the ages of their Children by peculiar habits the first was the Praetexta or painted Gown like our flowered Stuffs which they wore till fourteeen the Pura or white Robe which was worn till eighteen or twenty and then they took the degree of young men and every one wore Clothes according to his quality All this was usually performed with great Ceremonies which served Anthony as a pretence to set on foot again the Society or Club they had formerly but instead of the name it had of the Inimitable Life they called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synapothanoumenâ—i that is of those that dye together In the mean time Cleopatra made tryal of all sorts of Poisons upon Criminals even to the biting of Sâ—â—pâ—â—â—s they say that after many Experiments they found that the sting of the Asp gave the quickest and easiest Death and there is reason to believe she from that very time made choice of that kind of death if her ill fortune should drive her to an extremity CHAP. XXX Caesar goes into Italy He pacifies the Souldiers and besieges Alexandria CAesar was yet in Italy whither he was recalled by Agrippa's Letters after he had passed one part of the Winter at Athens and the other at Samos The occasion of his return into Italy was the Mutiny of his Souldiers whom he had sent to Brundustum after the Victory After their usual Custome they asked their Rewards and their Discharge In his passage he had like to have been a Cast-away twice the first time upon the Coast of Italy and the other near the Ceraunian Mountains where he lost several of his Vessels He stayed at Brundustum but twenty seven days to appease the Souldiers and give orders after which with his Navy he sailed into Syria while his Army marched aâ—long the Coasts of Africa to attack Aegypt on the other side All the Kings of Asia Allies to the Romans came to assure him of their obedience but none appeared more forward than Herod who went as far as Rhodes to lay his Crown at Caesar's Feet and offered him his Person and his Troops This Prince had very great obligations unto Anthony from whom he held both his Kingdom and his Life and for that reason he had maintained his Interests in the East with so much Zeal that it was not doubted but Caesar would treat him as one of his greatest Enemies Herod himself had so little hopes of the success of his voyage that in persuance of his natural bent to Cruelty he left order with two of his Confidents to put his Wife Mariamne whom he passionately loved to death in case he miscarried and Caesar were not disposed to pardon him This Secret was revealed to Mariamne by one of his Instruments which she noâ— being able to keep but reproaching her Husband with it at his return to Iudaea was the cause of the death of this unfortunate Princess who for her admirable beauty and her noble race which was that of the Maccabees deserved a gentler destiny Caesar to give a famous instance of his Clemency pardoned Herod gave him his Crown and received him into the number of his Friends Yet he refused him the Pardon of Alexander the Syrian who was one of Cleopatra's most dangerous Flatterers and for that reason very much esteemed by Anthony whom he betrayed after a very base manner Anthony had sent him to the Kings of Asia to keep them in his Interests and this perfidious Villain was the first that persuaded Herod to follow the Fortune of Caesar to whom this Treason seemed so odious that he put him to death notwithstanding all Herod's Entreaties Anthony and Cleopatra seeing themselves abandoned by all their Allies resolved though too late to send Euphronius their Childrens Tutor to make some Proposals to Caesar. Cleopatra asked the Kingdom of Aegypt for her Children and Anthony desired he might live as a private man at Athens if Caesar was not willing he should tarry in Aegypt He absolutely rejected Anthony's Propositions and sent to Cleopatra That he would refuse her nothing that was just and reasonable if she would rid her self of Anthony or drive him out of her Kingdom With this Answer Euphronius returned and with him Thyreus a freed-man of Caesar's he was a man very cunning and very fit to mannage an Intrigue who coming with a message from a young Emperour to an ambitious Princess possest with a great opinion of her own beauty had no difficulty of access to her But these secret Conferences between him and Cleopatra and the honours she did him threw Anthony into such a furious Passion of Jealousie that he made poor Thyreus be taken and cruelly scourged and in this pickle sent him to Caesar with Letters That he had chastised Thyreus for his Insolence and because he insulted over him at a time when his ill fortune had put him into an ill humour But added he If this proceeding of mine offend you you have Hipparchus one of my freed-men in your hands whip him or hang him if you please and so we shall be even But this was a pleasant way of being revenged upon Hipparchus the Son of Theophilus Governour of Corinth who was the very first of Anthony's freed-men that went over to Caesar. Cleopatra omitted nothing to clear Anthony's mind of Jealousie and Suspicion she redoubled her Fondness and Caresses and whereas she used to celebrate her Birth-day with great Feastings and Solemnities she neglected that but on Anthony's Birth-day she made such a noble entertainment that all the Guests were even enriched with the Presents she made them for Anthony's sake In the mean time Caesar having got all his Forces together surprized the City of Pelusium which was delivered to him by Seleucus and the report went that this Governour had received such order from the Queen who to justifie her self delivered his Wife and Children up into Anthony's hands Cleopatra near the Temple of Isis had built a stately building which she designed for her Sepulchre into this place was carried by her order all her Treasure as Gold Jewels Pearls Ivory Ebony Cinnamon and other pretious Woods of those times It was filled besides with Torches Fagots Tow and other combustible matter so that Caesar who had notice of it was afraid lest out of despair she should burn her self in it with all those vast Riches as he always kept some kind of correspondence he sent People to her to give her hopes that she might expect all good usage from the esteem he had for her But in this time he advanced with his Army
had worn Arms contrary to the Law in that case provided So that every body according to their own inclination gave their particular account of this business But all disputes of that nature were quickly ended by the fate of Vettius who died in Prison and being one of but obscure condition there was no body who took very great pains to enquire how he came by his end The management of Cicero in all this business began to render him very much suspected to the Triumvirate and he had lost his reputation with them utterly by a discourse which he made against Caesar in pleading for Caius Antonius who had been his Collegue in the Consulship Caesar thought it not by any means worth his while to contend with Cicero in ill Language and Railing and therefore took another way to revenge himself and the very same day wrought the People to give their consent for the Adoption of Clodius This man who laboured by all means imaginable for the ruine of Cicero aspired as was said before to the charge of the Tribuneship and to take away the objection against that pretence of his being of the Family of the Patricians had procured himself to be Adopted by a man among the People called Flavius Now it was necessary that the People should confirm this Adoption by their Approbation and this was brought to pass wholly by the Authority of Caesar. Cicero was too-sharp sighted not to discern easily whither this matter tended but was sufficiently convinced when he saw Clodius made Tribune of the People He appealed for Protection to the Senate and laboured underhand among the order of Knights with whom he was in very great esteem in regard that he had once fallen out with Cato himself for the supporting of the Farmers in their Rights of the Common-wealth who were almost all of them belonging to that order But his strongest hope was in the Friendship of Pompey with whom he had always preserved a very strict Alliance But Pompey had already sacrificed every thing of that kind to the inclinations of Caesar and Crassus whom Cicero had mortally offended by that eternal itch which he had to be jeasting Pompey assured him nevertheless of his Protection and Caesar offered to make him his Lieutenant General 't is true he had a very good stomach to that employment But Pompey advised him not to leave Rome and Clodius found too a device now to delude him with false hopes of Reconcilement by the means of his Sister whom some of Cicero's Friends entirely governed to the end that he might be confounded and born down e'er he could think of any measures for his defence In short all the world conspired to deceive him the piercing judgment and delicacy of Apprehension upon which he was wont so much to value himself became absolutely unserviceable upon this occasion and he knew not what was contrived against him till it was too late and impossible to avoid it Clodius by the distributions of Corn which he made of his own free gift among the Poor began to get ground in the good Opinion of the People and afterwards forbad the Censors to set the mark of Infamy upon any man without the consent of the Senatours and Roman Knights At last which was the principal movement of all he proposed the Law for enquiring into all such as had caused any Roman Citizen to be put to death without having time given him to make his defence And now every one began to see the danger which threatned Cicero all his wonted constancy forsook him and he went up and down the City soliciting his Cause from House to House in a mourning Robe with his Beard grown long and his hair unregarded attended by Roman Knights to the number of twenty thousand all bearing him company and beseeching in his behalf Besides a great many young men of Noble Families who had learnt of him the rules of Eloquence and amongst the rest the very Sons of Crassus But Clodius followed by a number of armed Souldiers insulted over him and reproached him with the meanness of his behaviour till it almost came to the throwing of stones and dirt at each other But the respect which was always had to the Office of Tribunes their Persons being held as Sacred hindred any of Cicero's side from returning the injuries that were offered yet nevertheless the Senatours were of Opinion to order a general habit of mourning but Piso and Gabinius who were Consuls hindered the debate from coming to any conclusion and Clodius summoning them to appear before the People all that Piso said was That he took no delight in Cruelty but Gabinius condemned the Consulship of Cicero His onely retreat now was to the favour of Pompey who was indeed able to have done him good service as well by the Alliance he had with Clodius as also by his Authority with Gabinius who depended absolutely upon him But Pompey would have nothing to doe in the matter and when Cicero came to prefer his Cause to him made his escape by a back door to avoid seeing of him He found himself now reduced to the last necessity of taking up Arms for the defence of his life which he might easily have done and would have found a great many followers But War was not his Province or as he said himself Not being able to bear the bloudshed of his Countrey-men and Fellow-Citizens he resolved upon the advice of Cato and the rest of his Friends to withdraw himself so taking a little statue of Minerva which he had in his House he carried it to the Capitol and made a Dedication of it there with this Inscription To Minerva the Guardian of the City So immediately left Rome and went into Sicily After this retreat Clodius caused Cicero to be banished by the Votes of the People forbidding any one to receive or give him entertainment within five hundred miles of the City After this he caused his Palaces both in the City and the Countrey to be demolished and Dedicated the ground whereon that in the City stood to the Goddess Concordia which was a proceeding never till then used towards any man who had not been declared a Traitor to the Commonwealth In short he omitted nothing which might express all that it was possible for hatred and revenge to inspire CHAP. VII The departure of Caesar for the Gallick War and the return of Cicero AS we may justly call these Proceedings the Preludes of Civil War in regard they were effects of the Union of Pompey and Caesar which according to the Opinion of Cato ruined the Foundations of the Roman Liberty It will be necessary that we now come to particulars Caesar left Rome at this time and indeed with something more haste than was ordinary In regard he was threatned to be called to an account of his Conduct during his Consulship some Tribunes of the People whom he had gained to his Party opposed the business in regard he was then absent upon
exigency his advice was approved of But it was believed and Clodius took upon him to declare it publickly that the want of Corn was no better than a design contrived betwixt them both for the bringing about that purpose since immediately upon putting the business into Pompey's hands there appeared all the Plenty imaginable and the Authority remained in him five years In the mean time as Caesar's Conquests established him great reputation at Rome so his Humanity and other excellent qualities absolutely gain'd to him the hearts and affections of the Souldiery under his Command neither did the business of his Wars abroad employ him so much but that he had an eye too towards his affairs at home He took care to send Magnificent Presents to the Ladies and all those that were in any Authority the Voluntiers who went with him into Gaul were entertained by him with a thousand obligations and returned home full of the Praises of his Generosity He returned afterwards to Winter in Italy a great part whereof by the name of the Cisalpine Gaul was under his command which is at present all Lombardy entire comprehending Piedmont Milain the State of Venice in Italy in short all as far as the River Rubicon Pompey Crassus and almost all the Magistracy of Rome went to visit him at Lucca where he then resided They went attended with Lictors to the number of Six and twenty Twelve whereof carried the Axes before the Consuls and the rest waited upon the other Magistrates according to their quality and rank It was in this place that the Triumvirate took new measures for their more strict union and the strengthning their Authority They resolved that Pompey and Crassus should demand the Consulship for the following year and that Caesar should hold his Government five years longer So that this Union which they disguised under the name of Friendship was in effect no other thing than each Man 's private Ambition and therefore we ought the less to wonder if the same reasons that united them now were now the causes of their division afterwards when each of them began to think he was strong enough to set up for himself Now this resolution of theirs alarm'd all those of the Senate who wished well to the Publick and Marcellinus one of the new Consuls talked very highly upon the occasion demanding of Pompey and Crassus in presence of the People if they pretended to the Consulship to which Pompey reply'd fiercely that he would doe as he himself thought best but Crassus answer'd in more modest terms saying That he should proceed according to what he judged most for the advantage of the Republick This Dispute as was usual on the like occasions was improved almost to blows And the Senate gave orders for a common habit of Mourning to be worn as in cases of a Publick calamity and the reason they gave for it was that the Proceedings of the Triumvirate were dangerous to the Government Established and contrary to Law Indeed as for Pompey he found out a way to give sufficient marks of the Nature of his Ambition He had been affronted to the last degree by Clodius in the business of Ptolemy King of Aegypt This Prince having been driven out of his Kingdom by the Rebellion of his Subjects was come to Rome to demand assistence and great Intrigues were set on foot for the Command of such an Expedition for Ptolemy offer'd very large Capitulations Lentulus the then Consul and Pompey were those who pursued it most warmly and seemed to have the strongest Interest But Clodius who loved neither the one nor the other opposed them both So that when the People were assembled upon that occasion he appeared follow'd by those sort of Men who Cicero call'd Clodius's Working-tools it may be because they had helped him to demolish his Palace and there interrupted the discourse of Pompey with shoutings and clamours and on the other side when ever Clodius offer'd to speak Pompey's party were as noisie as their neighbours and sung out lewd Lampoons against Clodius and his Sister This Clodius took occasion to revenge not unpleasantly for turning about to those who were of his side he begun to ask of them Who was the most effeminate Commander in Rome they answered Pompey Who was the Ladies Captain Pompey Who starved the People Pompey And yet Who had a mind to go into Aegypt Pompey And then when he demanded of them Who they would send they answer'd Crassus who indeed for all the friendship between him and Pompey had privately managed his own Interest that way having Clodius for him among the People and Cato in the Senate Clodius indeed took care to be well paid for his pains but Cato proceeded out of down-right honesty and opposed Pompey for no other reason than that a Sybill had Prophesied That there should come a King of Aegypt to ask assistence of the Romans That they ought to receive him as a Friend but not to send him back with any Troops Cato had a high dispute with Pompey upon this subject and Pompey after having hinted at Crassus without naming him declared That there were those who designed against his life but that he should take care to guard himself better than young Scipio had done who was put to death by Carbo In fine Pompey through all this business managed himself but very indifferently and was outragious against Clodius These things happened before the Interview at Lucca But Pompey seeing he had need of the People and Clodius having a design upon the Office of Edilis their particular Interests brought them soon to a better understanding Pompey promised Clodius to assist him in his pretensions and Clodius in favour of Pompey hinder'd the holding of the Comitia for the Election of Magistrates for so the Assemblies of the People were called The design was to reduce the State of Rome to that which we call an Interregnum which is that when the choice of Consuls failed the most Illustrious of the Senatours should take the charge of the Government by turns each whereof had the power of naming Consuls when it was his day and as the manner was extraordinary the usual course of the Law was herein often dispensed withall The business succeeded according to their wishes Domitius onely assisted by Cato his Brother-in-law presented himself to the People in competition with the two Triumviri but they having filled the place with those Souldiers which the young Caesar's Lieutenant had brought on purpose out of Gaul a slave of Domitius that carried a Flambeaux before him was killed upon the spot the Master himself hardly escaping and Cato received a wound in his Arm so Pompey and Crassus were chosen but Pompey onely stood charged with the hatred which so unjust and violent a proceeding did really deserve CHAP. IX Pompey and Crassus get themselves Invested in Governments The Cause of Division between Caesar and Pompey TO pass over the variety of matters which happen'd
Omen especially to Cornelia who could not refrain from weeping but when he saw that the King's Ships had already weighed Anchor and were coming to surround his and that Septimius saluted him with the Title of General he resolved to put the best face he could upon a thing which was no longer in his power to refuse So giving his hand to Achillas who had also saluted him in Greek he turned towards his Wife and Children repeating two Greek Verses which signifie That he who enters into the house of a Tyrant becomes a Slave though he came thither Free Two of his Captains entred the Barque before him with Philip and Seynes the one his Freed-man and the other his Slave as they were a considerable time in passing from the Vessel to the Shore and observing that no body offered any Discourse Pompey addressing himself to Septimius who according to the Roman Discipline which did not permit any under Officers to sit down in the presence of their General stood up told him That he believed he might heretofore have known him Septimius onely answered him by bowing his head which was the reason that he drew out his Tablets to consider the Speech which he designed to make to Ptolemy In the meanwhile the Barque coming near the Shore a great many Aegyptian Souldiers came running towards it and as Pompey gave his hand to Philip to raise himself up Septimius from behind him run him through the Body with his Sword he fell with the Wound and seeing that Achillas and Salvius came at him with their Swords drawn he cover'd his Face with his Mantle and without shewing any mark of fear freely offered himself to the Death they brought him At this terrible Spectacle all those who were on Board Pompey's Ships made a hideous out-cry but seeing the Aegyptian Gallies advancing towards them the care of their safety made them give over their pity and save themselves with all the sail they could make under a fair Wind which opportunely freshned upon them that minute Such was the end of Pompey the Great who after having escaped so many dangers where he might have fallen with honour came at last to lose his life miserably by the hands of three or four Villains who were soon after punished for their Crime by Caesar. He died at the Age of Nine and fifty years and upon the Eve of his Birth-day CHAP. LI. Pompey's Freed-man pays him his last Rites of Funeral The Misfortunes of Lentulus AFterwards cutting off his Head they left the Body upon the Shore exposed for some time to the curiosity of the Aegyptian Souldiers and at last Philip his Freed-man carried it aside where he washed it in the Sea and wrapped it in his Mantle as he was gathering together some pieces of a broken Boat to make a Pile he was surprised by an old Roman who had setled in Aegypt but had served heretofore under Pompey Who art thou said he to Philip that art making these preparations for the Funeral of the Great Pompey Philip answered him That he was one of his Freed-men Ah reply'd the old Man thou shalt not have all this Honour to thy self but suffer me I beg thee to partake in an action that is so Iust and Sacred to the end that among all the discomforts of my exile I may please my self to think I have had the honour to touch the Body and assist the Funeral of the greatest Souldier Rome ever had So they gave him the last Rites the sadness of which Ceremony was very particular Lentulus who was coming from Cyprus without knowing of Pompey's Misfortune passed by that place in a Shallop who seeing the Fire began to be very curious about the matter and caused his Shallop to put in that he might speak with Philip whom he did not know in that condition after some sad reflexions Who is the unhappy Wretch says he that is come in that place to finish his destiny adding with a Sigh Alas is it not Pompey the Great When he came ashore he was given to understand by the Freed-man that his apprehensions were but too true So his grief staying him too long upon the place he was taken by some Aegyptian Souldiers and carried to the King who put him to death in Prison Caesar afterwards caused a magnificent Sepulchre to be built on this place with a Temple which he called The Temple of Wrath and it 's very likely that it is the same place which Travellers to this day call Pompey's Pillar CHAP. LII Caesar pursues his Victory Cassius surrenders himself to him with all his Fleet. Caesar lands in Aegypt The Insolence of Photinus and Achillas IN the mean while Caesar who knew that all the hopes of his Enemies were wrapped up in the Person of Pompey followed him with his usual diligence at the head of his Cavalry having given orders to one of his Legions to March after him when he understood at Amphipolis that Pompey had abandoned Greece he resolved to go into Asia and wanting Ships put what Troops he had in Barques and now it seemed as if Fortune was resolved to take this occasion to shew still that she would have a share in his elevation Cassius retreating into Asia with a Navy of 60 Ships fell in amongst Caesar's little Fleet. And that Man who had since the courage to Murther him in the very midst of Rome could not have wished for a fairer occasion than now to kill him with honour For Caesar was not in any condition to make resistence In the meanwhile he walked upon the Deck of his Ship with the Aire of a Conquerour and that resolute behaviour so over-awed Cassius who was otherwise a very brave Man that he went aboard his Shallop and came to throw himself at Caesar's feet he surrendred into his hands all the Ships under his Command demanding no other favour than his Life with all the submission of a Conquer'd Enemy Caesar granted it in his usual obliging manner and then went into Asia where after having dispatched some orders and prevented the ruine of the famous Temple of Diana of the Ephesians whose Treasures Amphius would have plundered in the name of Pompey he understood he was retreated into the Island of Cyprus not in the least imagining that he could have a design of going into Aegypt Therefore that he might give him no time to Fortifie himself he went to Rhodes where he Embarqu'd with two Legions which were reduc'd to 3200 Men and 800 Horse And though those Forces were not very considerable yet the confidence which he had in his Victories and the high reputation they had gotten him could not persuade him but that wherever he came he must meet with awe and obedience So he went directly to Alexandria without staying for the rest of his Troops to whom he sent orders immediately to follow him upon his Landing he was entertained with the News of the Death of Pompey whose Head was presented him and the Ring which according
were how he might take away from his People the fear they had of the Enemy and especially of their Elephants wherefore having some of them in his Camp he accustomed his Souldiers to approach them boldly he caused them to observe the place where those Beasts were most easily to be wounded and caused his Cavalry to assault them with blunted Lances by that means to inure the Horses to the sight of them At last when by these exercises he found they were grown no longer afraid of them he decamped seeking dayly how he might post himself with most advantage After many removings and some skirmishes wherein Labienus came by the worst observing that his Enemies began to fear the Valour of his Legions he went to attack the City of Thapsus where Virgilius Commanded for Scipio with a very strong Garrison Scipio who was afraid lest in loosing that City his Reputation might suffer came also to post himself about the nine miles from Caesar where he and Iuba entrenched themselves in two several Camps There was near to Thapsus a Pond of salt water about 1500 paces distant from the Sea Scipio's design was by that interval to put some Troops into the place but Caesar who had foreseen as much and expected it had built a Fort there and left a Garrison in three places which obliged Scipio to make some attacks but without success and after having passed a whole night and a day on the banks of the Pond set his Troops a work for retrenching themselves towards the Sea 1500 paces from Caesar's Fort. Caesar about break of day was informed of the proceeding so leaving Asprinas to guard his Camp he marched directly upon the Enemy by the interval which was between the Pond and the Sea He sent also orders to those who Commanded his Vessels that were before Thapsus that leaving onely some to defend the mouth of the Port they should advance with the rest on the other side of Scipio's Camp and at the first noise of Battel setting their Souldiers on shore make an attack upon that side with noise and shouting Caesar's Army marched upon three lines the four best Legions on the front and the five others making as it were a body of Reserve five Cohorts upon the Wings who were designed to engage the Elephants with all his Archers and Slingers and his light armed Foot mingled with his Cavalry For himself he was on foot going through the ranks and animating his Souldiers by his presence and his Exhortations He found Scipio drawn up in Battalia before his Retrenchments the works whereof he caused dayly to be continued but at the sight of Caesar's Army his Souldiers began to be much disordered It was easie to see how they ran about from one place to another sometimes into the Camp and sometimes out again in all manner of confusion which extremely animated Caesar's Men who nevertheless did what he could to oppose their impatience and ran to put a stop to such as he saw most eager when upon the right Wing a Trumpet contrary to his Orders sounded a Charge immediately the Cohorts upon the Wings in spight of their Commanders ran on which Caesar seeing gave for the word of Battel Felicitas and calling for his Horse was the first that charged the Enemy Scipio's Elephants were immediately put to flight by the Archers and Slingers upon the right Wing and overthrowing the Souldiers that were behind them ran into the entrance of the Camp The Moorish Cavalry being abandoned by the Elephants were easily dispersed and Caesar's Legions killing all that opposed their way got possession of the Enemies Trenches The Garrison of Thapsus had made one sally but were driven in again by the very Servants that belonged to Caesar's Camp so that nothing but disorder and fear appearing every where Scipio's Men had nothing to consider of but flying towards the Camp which for two days before they had quitted but seeing themselves without any Leader they threw down their Arms that they might run more lightly towards the Camp of Iuba which those of Caesar's Troops who had not been engaged had already forced so these poor Souldiers of Scipio retreated up to a hill where though they made sign that they would surrender themselves though they saluted Caesar's Men and had thrown down their Arms nevertheless the Veterans heated with bloud and transported with fury after having wounded and killed some Senatours of their own Party whom they did not love and who would have with-held them they cut them all in pieces though Caesar himself were present CHAP. LX. The death of Scipio and Juba Caesar marches towards Utica The death of Cato PLutarch reports that 50000 Men fell in this Battel Hirtius reckons onely 10000. This Victory so absolute as it was cost Caesar but 50 Souldiers All the heads of that Party seeing no hopes of farther relief perished by divers accidents Scipio endeavouring to save himself by Sea finding his Vessel taken ran upon his own Sword Iuba and Petreius fought one against the other where Petreius being slain by the King he also commanded a death from the hands of one of his slaves Afranius and Faustus the Sons of Silla were taken by Sittius who put them to death Onely Labienus escaped into Spain and all Africa submitted to Caesar except the City of Vtica Cato Commanded there with some Troops and had established a kind of a Senate composed of 300 Romans which he had gathered to him he received the news of the Battel by some of Scipio's Horsemen who had rallied together in a considerable number and as the Inhabitants of Vtica had always appeared inclined to Caesar Cato to secure them had put them into a Fortification without the City The Cavaliers would have taken this occasion to plunder but Cato went to them and by his Intercession and Authority persuaded them not to use any violence They offered him to follow him if he would make his retreat with them but he answered That his design was to hold out the siege though when he returned into the Town he found the minds of every body so divided and so unresolved that he soon quitted that design for another more agreeable to his Character and those Opinions of Philosophy whereof he had always made profession In the mean while he gave out his Orders with most admirable Prudence and Resolution He sent away the Cavaliers fearing lest they should commit some new disorder He persuaded several of his Friends to save themselves by Sea others as Lucius who was a Kinsman of Caesar's to rely upon his goodness this last thing he recommended to his Children and made a large discourse to the eldest exhorting him never to intermeddle with the affairs of the Republick At night according to his usual Custome he came to Supper that is to say sitting for since the death of Pompey he had never according to the Roman Custome lain down at his Meals Several of his particular Friends were with him and amongst
others some Philosophers The Discourse ran altogether upon Philosophy and Cato defended that Maxim That the Vertuous onely were happy and free but wicked men always miserable and in slavery He grew very warm upon this Subject and managed it with so much heat that his Friends might easily discover he had something more than ordinary in his mind nor could they conceal the grief it gave them which caused him to change the discourse and apply himself to his business so he gave out several orders to let them see that life and he were not yet upon ill terms A little time after he went to bed having first embraced his Sons and the whole Company but with so much tenderness that it redoubled their suspicions and caused them to take away his Sword which he was always wont to have by him He took up Plato's Book of the Soul and after having read a little while looking for his Sword and not finding it he called for one of his Slaves and without the least disorder onely bid him fetch it but seeing he was not obeyed he asked for it a second time and grew so angry that he struck the slave with such force that he hurt his hand crying out He was betrayed and should be delivered to his Enemies naked and disarmed At the noise of this his Sons and his Friends came into his Chamber he spoke to them with some passion saying How long is it that ye have observed me to have lost common sense And why do ye not try to persuade me by reason without obliging me by force to follow other Opinions than those I have already Why dost not thou said he to his Son bind thy Father and tye up his hands that so I may be no longer in a condition to defend my self against Caesar for against my self I have no need of the help of a Sword can any man miss of a way to death may he not stifle himself or beat out his brains against the Walls At this Discourse his Sons went out of the Chamber weeping and left him with Demetrius and Apollodorus who were two Philosophers and his Friends so he renewed the discourse with something more of moderation Are not ye also says he of the opinion to persuade a man of my years in spight of himself to save his life And do not you stay here to sit like Mutes and wait upon me for my guard Or if you bring me any good reasons to convince me that having nothing else to rely on it would not be a thing unworthy of my self to beg my life as a particular favour from the hands of my Enemy why do ye not proceed to prove it to me That so renouncing all those Maxims which we have hitherto maintained together and becoming more wise by the means of Caesar we may find our selves so much the more obliged to him It is not added he that I have yet resolved upon that Subject I would debate it with you after having examined those Books and Reasons which Philosophy supplies us with upon the like occasion Go get ye gone and tell my Sons that they ought not to think of persuading me by force to a thing which they cannot convince me of by Reason After this Demetrius went out and sent him back his Sword by a young Slave he examined the point if it were good and would enter well and finding it to his mind he laid it by him saying I am Master of my self so he took again the Book which he read twice over and then fell into so sound a sleep that he was heard into his Anti-Chamber about midnight he called two of his Free-Men Cleantes his Physician and Butas this last he sentto the Port to see if those that would embark themselves were departed and made his Physician apply a Plaster to his hand that was hurt This care of himself extremely rejoyced all his Family Butas came back to tell him that every body was embarked and that the Sea was very rough He seemed to shew a great deal of concern for his Friends that were on Board and sent back Butas to see if any of them were not driven back and wanted his assistence The day began to appear when Butas returned to tell him that the Sea was grown calm and that no noise was heard upon the Port so Cato dismissed him and hardly was the Freed-man got out of his Chamber when he took his Sword and thrust himself through the Breast the hurt of his hand so hindred the blow that he did not dye immediately but staggering fell upon his Bed and at the same time threw down a Table upon which he had drawn some figures of Geometry at the noise of this his Slaves came in and with their Cries brought also his Sons and his Friends they found him weltring in his bloud his Bowels out of his body and were so confounded with their grief that they beheld him without being able to give him any assistance his Eyes were yet open which caused his Physician to ease him upon the Bed and after having put up his Bowels which had not been hurt he closed up the wound Upon this Cato recovered his Spirits and being transported with fury thrust back the Physician rent open his wound again and tearing his Bowels expired before their Eyes In this manner dyed Cato at the age of 55 years and though this last action of his found many admirers nevertheless Brutus himself who was his Nephew condemned it in a Book which he wrote a purpose and many reasons there are indeed why it ought to be considered with horrour Caesar also was of the same Opinion and wrote upon the same subject when he heard the news of his death He said That Cato had envied him the glory of saving his life and it is for that reason said he that I envy his death He pardoned his Son who was afterwards slain at the Battel of Philippi with much more glory than he had lived having discovered too strong an inclination for the Wife of a Prince of the bloud Royal of Cappadocia whose name was Psyche which in Greek signifies the Soul and her Husband's name was Maphradates which caused a saying amongst the Romans That Maphradates and Cato were good Friends for they had but one Soul and moreover Cato is generous and magnanimous for he has a Royal Soul CHAP. LXI Caesar returns to Rome The Pomp and Magnificence of his Triumphs AFTER the death of Cato Vtica surrendred to Caesar he pardoned the Inhabitants but as many as fell into his hands of the three hundred that had usurped the quality of Senatours he put to death So Africa being intirely brought into subjection he returned to Rome to Triumph for all his Victories At first to obtain the favour of the People he gave them to understand in a speech he made them That his last Victory had gained the Republick a Countrey so rich and of such an extent that it was able to
for himself against his Enemies He was heard to say That he had rather fall by Treason once than be so miserable as to be always afraid of it And another time That the Republick had more interest than himself in his preservation that he had gotten Glory and Power enough but that after his death the Commonwealth would be more harassed with Civil Wars than ever yet it had been And one day before his death being at Supper with Lepidus as his Friends disputed amongst themselves whilst he was writing what death was easiest It is that said he turning towards them which is the most sudden and the least foreseen He disbanded his Company of Spanish Guards and contented himself to be defended with the protection of his Friends which facilitated an enterprise upon his life Above threescore Senatours entred into this Conspiracy the Principals whereof were Brutus whose life Caesar had saved after the Battel of Pharsalia and Cassius who had surrendred Pompey's Fleet to him in the Hellespont they were both Pretors and Enemies because that Caesar had named Brutus for the eldest Pretor to the prejudice of Cassius who was above him in Age and Dignity the name of Brutus had been famous in Rome ever since the Consul so called who had banished the Kings There was found written at the foot of his Statue WOVLD TO GOD THOV WERT ALIVE And certain Billets were thrown into the Pretors Tribunal wherein were written these words Brutus thou art asleep and not a true Brutus Cassius was Authour of most of these things He hated Caesar for several reasons but chiefly because he had taken from him the Lions wherewith he intended to have given a shew to the People so Caesar mistrusted him and when his Friends advised him to look narrowly into the Conduct of Antonius and Dolabella It is not said he those perfumed and plump Sparks that I distrust but those meagre and pale Gentlemen He omitted not nevertheless to prepare his Expedition against the Parthians and caused sixteen Legions to march and Ten Thousand Horse for his going into Asia His design was to depart four days after to put himself at the head of them when the Conspiratours caused a report to be spread that according to the Sybill's Oracles the Parthians could not be overcome but by a King and that upon this pretence Cotta was to propose to the Senate the giving of him that Title Cassius took this occasion to go and visit Brutus demanding of him If he would go to the Senate upon the Ides of March when Caesar's Friends were to propose the declaring of him King Brutus said That he would not be there But replyed Cassius if you should be called thither Then said Brutus I shall think it my Duty to speak contradict and dye rather than lose our liberty Ah answered Cassius what Roman is there that would suffer you to dye for his Liberty you are ignorant Brutus who you are if you believe that those Billets which are thrown into the Tribunal come from any mean People and not from the most Illustrious and bravest Men of Rome They demand from other Pretors Games Shews and Gladiatours but they expect from you as a debt of Succession the ruine of Tyranny being ready to expose themselves to all hazards for your sake if you can find in your heart to dispose your self to their Wishes After this Conversation they parted and the Name of Brutus whose Person was very much Esteemed ingaged a great many in the Conspiracy so they resolved to put their design in execution upon the very Ides of March and in the Hall of the Senate A great many Prodigies foretold this misfortune to Caesar there was found in an old Tomb at Cappua a place of Brass whereon it was written in Greek Letters that when the Bones of Capys should be found a Man of the Race of Iülus should be slain by the hands of his Kinsmen and that his death should be â—evenged by the desolation of all Italy Word was brought him that those Horses which he had Consecrated and let loose at the passage of the Rubicon had not eaten for several days and were seen to weep Spurina a very able Diviner told him when he Sacrificed that great dangers threatned him upon the Ides of March and upon the Eve of that day a Wren flying into the Hall of Pompey with a Branch of Laurel in her Mouth was torn to pieces by other Birds who pursued her from a Neighbouring Wood. He dreamt the same Night that he was carried above the Clouds and that he shook hands with Iove and his Wife Calphurnia dreamt also that the top of her House fell down and that her Husband was Assassinated in her Armes the Doors of the Chamber opening at the same time of their own accord with great noise This last accident something confounded him and his Wife by her Prayers and Tears prevailed that he would not go abroad that day But another Brutus sirnamed Decimus who was one of the Conspiratours though of the number of his nearest Friends caused him to change his resolution in remonstrating to him He was expected at the Senate and that it would be a shame for him not to venture out of doors but when it should please Calphurnia to dream favourably so Deâ—imus carried him almost by force out of his Lodgings and as every thing seemed to contribute to his destruction a Slave who came to give him advice of the Conspiracy could never get up through the croud of People that surrounded him Artimedorus of Cnidus his Host and Friend having presented him with a Memorial to the same purpose he mingled it without reading amongst other Papers that were given him and Lena who was one of the Conspiratours entertaining him a great while in private as he came out of his Litter The others who believed themselves discovered thought already of killing themselves with the Daggers which they had under their Robes when Lena quitting Caesar and kissing his hand gave them to understand that he thanked him for some favour which he came to obtain The Assembly of the Senate was held in a place which Pompey had caused to be built for that purpose and which for that reason was called the Court or Hall of Pompey where was to be seen his Statue in Marble raised upon a Pedestal Caesar as he was entring met Spurina and smiling told him The Ides of March were come Yes answered the Divinor but they are not past When he had taken his place the Conspiratours turned towards him under pretence of saluting him and Tullius Cymber approached to ask pardon for his Brother who was then in Exile Caesar deferred the matter and put back Cymber who pressed upon him so far as to take hold on both sides of his Robe and when Caesar cryed out It was a violent Proceeding Casca who was behind him gave him the first stab with a Poniard near the Shoulder the wound glanced and was not
Ratify the Ordinances of Caesar but than to observe how Ridiculous 't would appear at the same time to give Praises and Rewards to his Murtherers For all this he would not oppose the Compassion which pleaded for their Pardon in consideration of their Relations provided that it might appear done at the Petition of their Families that he himself had there consented to it not that he by any means thought it agreeable to Iustice but for the publick Quiet So his advice was followed and the Decree passed in those terms there were onely added the names of such who had had employments and other honours as they particularly had desired CHAP. V. New Divisions occasioned by Caesar's Will Brutus and Cassius speak to the People in their own justification They come to an agreement with Anthony and Lepidus THIS Proceeding redounded much to Antonius's Reputation for he had discharged himself of this business with a great deal of Address and Industry though very many and amongst the rest even Cicero himself were of opinion That he thought more of his pleasure than the business of the Commonwealth The Senatours went home to their Houses very well satisfied when streight a new difficulty arose Piso declared That having the Will of Caesar in his possession he had given it into the protection of the Vestals with orders to return it into his hands It was told him That the Will must not be produced and that it would be very improper to doe him Funeral Honours since it might produce fresh Tumults Piso was Caesar's Father-in-Law and for that reason ingaged both in Honour and Friendship to see his last will put in execution he answered That he would discharge himself of what he owed to his Son-in-Law and his Friend and when it was answered him That what Caesar disposed of was the Goods which belonged to the Republick which by this means was robbed of its right and that he should be called to an account for his proceedings These threatnings caused him to demand of the Consuls That they would assemble the Senatours which were yet present So they returned to the Temple where Piso delivered himself in these terms I am sorry to see that the number of Caesar 's Murtherers increases each moment and that far from being satisfied with the cruel death which they have made him suffer they yet desire that the body of a Sovereign Pontifex should be deprived of the Honours of Funeral which were never refused to the meanest Man they forbid me with Threatnings to publish his Will they would divide his Fortune amongst them as the estate of a Tyrant and which is most surprizing of all those very men who come to Ratify what he hath Ordained in the Commonwealth endeavour to suppress what he hath disposed in particular and though it be neither Cassius nor Brutus themselves that declare these Opinions it is easie to believe that those who maintain it are influenced by them However it be order you what you please as to Caesar 's Funeral but for his Will I shall remain Master of that and so long as I have breath will never betray that Confidence and Trust which he reposed in me This discourse occasioned a fresh Contest those who believed they might be concerned in it were for the Will so it was ordered that it should be Published and that Funeral Honours should be given to Caesar at the expence of the Publick Brutus and his Friends were soon advised of these Proceedings so they judged it convenient to prevent the minds of the People and for this design sent to desire them that they would come to the Capitol When they were assembled there in a great number Brutus presenting himself said That they were not retired to that place as Offenders who sought a Sanctuary but to prevent the misfortunes that might arise from the Affront which had been done to Cinna that they had understood how their Enemies spoke of the death of Caesar as of a great Crime which broke all those measures that could be taken with them for their safety that this discourse obliged them to declare their Innocence and good Intentions that since the death of Pompey Caesar had always acted as an open Tyrant that he had disposed of great Charges and principal employments of his own head and without the advice of the Senate that he had turned two Tribunes out of their Offices for no other reason than that they had taken the Crown from one of his Images that by that means he was the first that had attempted to violate that respect which was due to Sacred Persons Besides that they did not believe any Oath was of force enough to oblige the maintenance of Tyranny that in all other occasions their words should be Sacred and Inviolable that for the rewards which Caesar had promised they were resolved to allow of them in the name of the Commonwealth that those who had already received Inheritances should continue in the possession of them and that such as had had their Lands taken from them should have their Losses repaired out of the first money that came into the publick Treasury This discourse was received with Acclamations and the People admired the resolution of the Conspiratours so by this means their minds being turned wholly in their favour the next day in the Assembly of the Senate Cicero's Eloquence found it no hard matter to persuade That all which had passed might be forgotten His advice was seconded by Plancus so an Amnesty or Act of Oblivion was published Antonius and Lepidus sent their Children to the Capitol as Hostages for the Conspiratours security so Brutus descended with all his Accomplices At last for a Testimony of a sincere Reconciliation Antonius entertained Cassius at Supper and Brutus was at home with Lepidus These last who were Wise Men parted very well in appearance but as Anthony was a Laughter and Cassius given to be Cholerick their Conversation was not without some sharpness Antonius asked Cassius If he had not yet a concealed Dagger Yes answered Cassius and a sharp one too for those who dare aspire to the Tyranny which answer it is believed put a stop to any farther Jesting CHAP. VI. Caesar's Will read publickly Antonius makes his Funeral Oration THE fire of Division began to be apparent to all such as could discern any thing the minds of the People were so well disposed that they doubted not but the Commonwealth would soon recover its ancient Majesty But those who judged better were not so deceived and amongst others Atticus the particular Friend of Cicero this was a Roman Knight of the first of that Order which was distinguished from that of the Senatours the softness of his Inclination and the weakness of his Constitution had hindred him from signalizing himself in Wars but the qualifications of his Mind his Honesty and his Sincerity made him be considered as a Man of great Merit and gained him many noble Friends and though he had some
to shake the minds of Hirtius and young Caesar who could not be very well pleased with these demonstrations of good will towards the Murtherers of his Father therefore though the Letter be something long in regard it will be for our Instruction in the affairs of that Age and that in the consequence it had its design'd effect it will not be improper here to recite the Original which was in these terms Antonius to Hirtius and Caesar. I Have not been more pleased at the news of Trebonius's death than grieved to understand how it has been received at Rome We ought to rejoyce to see a Villain justly sacrificed to the ashes of the most Illustrious of Men and that e'er a year came to an end the justice of the Gods having declared it self by the punishment of one of the Paricides seems to threaten the rest But on the other side it is matter of affliction to see Dolabella declared a Rebel for having punished and Assassinate and that the Son of one of her meanest Men should be more dear to Rome than the Father of his Countrey and which is yet more terrible is that you Hirtius who have been honoured with benefits from Caesar he having left you in a state of Fortune which you your self wonder at and that you young Man who owe all you enjoy to his name could ever agree with those who thought it Iustice to Condemn Dolabella and that one who is a Prisoner ought to escape from those who now besiege him and that an absolute power should be given to Cassius and Brutus Doubtless you look upon these things with the same Spirit that you saw what passed before you have given the name of Senate to the rest of Pompey's Camp and have put Cicero at the head of you though he be reduced to nothing You have fortified Macedonia with a powerfull Army and given Africa to Varus who has been twice a Prisoner Cassius hath been sent into Syria and you have suffered that Casca should take upon him the Dignity of Tribune That the Revenues which Caesar gave the Luperci should be taken from them and that the Veterans should be drawn out of their Colonies where the Law and the Order of the Senate has established them A promise has passed and by your consent too that the People of Marseilles should be restored to those Privileges which the Laws of War had taken from them The intent of the Hirtian Law is utterly forgotten which prohibits Pompey's Party from pretending to any Honours Brutus is suborned by the Money of Apuleius and the punishment inflicted on Poetus and Menedemus who had been honoured with City Freedoms and were Caesar's Hosts has been approved of yet Theopompus is neglected who was driven out naked by Trebonius and forced to fly to Alexandria while you have entertained Sergius Galba in your Camp armed with the same Dagger wherewith be committed a most execrable Paracide In short you force my Souldiers and the Veterans to the destruction of their Generals and their Comerades after having drawn them together under a pretence of pursuing the murtherers of Caesar. By this means you have approved of nothing you have done nothing but what Pompey himself were he alive again would doe or his Son if he had any power in Rome It is reported that no Peace can be concluded if I let not Brutus go or if I furnish him not with Provisions but is this the Opinion of those old Souldiers whose minds and judgments have not been debauched corrupted with Flatteries and poisoned with Bribes like yours You will say that you marched to the relief of their Companions whom I hold besieged I shall give them pardon and liberty with all my heart provided that they leave him to Iustice who so well deserves it As to the rest you sent me word that a Peace has been mentioned in the Senate and that five Consulary Deputies have been sent to me upon that design But it is hard to expect any Iustice and Moderation from those Men who so fiercely rejected the fair Conditions which I offered and even some whereof I was willing to have abated Nor is it reasonable to believe that those Men who have Condemned Dolabella for doing well will ever pardon me for being of the same Opinion with him I therefore leave it to your Wisedom to examine whether it will be more Honour and advantage to our Party to revenge the death of Trebonius or the death of Caesar And whether it will be more just that we go together by the Ears to set Pompey's interest on foot again which has been so often defeated or to rally our selves to prevent our ill treatment from those Enemies who onely wait their advantage when some misfortune shall arrive to any one of us Our good Chance hitherto has provided otherwise that two Parties of the same interest should not cruelly tear each other to pieces by Cicero's Orders who thinks himself very happy in deceiving you by those false demonstrations of Honour wherewith he boasts that he has imposed upon Caesar. For my part I will never suffer any outrage either against my self or my Friends this is my resolution I will never abandon the Party that Pompey hates nor shall the Veterans ever by my consent be rooted out of their possessions and then betrayed one after another to their execution Nor will i ever break the word which I have given to Dolabella nor the Alliance which I have made with so honourable a man as Lepidus as well as what I owe to Plancus to whom communicate all my designs if as I hope they will the immortal Gods prove favourable to my just intentions I shall live with joy But if they have appointed me another Destiny I shall but taste before hand the pleasure of your punishments for if Pompey's Party be thus insolent under their defeat I shall leave you to make the sad experiment of what they will come too when they are Victorious As for you I could willingly bear with the injuries of my Friends if they themselves would but forget them and agree with me to revenge the murther of Caesar. It will never prevail upon my belief that Deputies should come with Peace from the same place whence War is thundring if they do come I am ready to hear what they have to propose CHAP. XX. The Consuls raise Troops for the relief of Decimus which was but one Legion The manner of laying sieges in those times Ventidius raises Troops for Antonius IF this Letter had not much effect upon Hirtius it caused great reflexions in the mind of young Caesar. For what the Senate had hitherto done might reasonably be excused the Ambition of Antonius and the safety of the Conspiratours were some sort of pretence for them but when he found that they promoted their Commanders to the highest Power and that they prosecuted all such as were for revenging the death of his Father he saw clearly what their designs were
saw that Antonius's Moorish Cavalry gained upon his Flanck he drew up his Archers against him and drew off his Companies In the mean time Pansa who on his side had engaged himself a little too far was hemmed in and received a wound with a half Pike in the Belly which forc't him to be carried off His being wounded so astonished the Souldiers that they possessed themselves of the Causway in great disorder when the new Troops instead of seconding of them began immediately to fly and were followed by all the rest of the Army except Caesar's company of Guards who made head upon the Causway with Galba and were cut to pieces Galba saved himself on Horseback and had like to have been slain by his own very Party who were rallied hard by a Fort which Torquatus the Questor had caused in haste to be thrown up The Office of Questor was in the nature of a Treasurer General but he had also Command over the Troops The Martial Legion mad with spight and shame made head in this place refusing to enter the Fort Antonius admiring their Virtue durst not charge them under that Fortification but having made a great slaughter amongst the new Souldiers who fled in disorder retreated Caesar was at this Battel where he mingled himself even in the midst but the shoal of those who ran away carried him with them notwithstanding he endeavoured all he could to the contrary Nevertheless Antonius has Reproached him since that he lost his Coat of Arms and his Horse there and did not appear in two days afterwards Hirtius who was near Modena marched upon the first news of the Battel with twenty Cohorts and with so great diligence that though he had near sixty stades to Travell he came up with Antonius's Troops who were retreating disorderly after their Victory he charged them furiously but those brave men though so surprized made yet a vigorous resistence but at last were forc't to give way Hirtius pursuing them Pell-mell even into the Marsh where he durst not engage himself and the night too coming on forc't him to a retreat The Marsh was covered with the dead and wounded and Antonius's Souldiers notwithstanding the fatigue of the Battel remained still all the night a Horseback to fetch off their wounded Companions whom they carried some behind them and drew off others at their Horses Tails so that by this means a great many were preserved The loss was equal on both sides in the first Battel but in the second Hirtius had very few Men slain having taken two Eagles and several other Colours but Caesar's company of Guards being intirely destroyed were bewailed extremely CHAP. XXII Antonius defeated by Hirtius and Caesar. The death of Hirtius The raising of the siege of Modena Brutus writes to Cicero AFTER the Battel both Armies returned to their Camps about Modena where Antonius resolved onely to defend his Lines without hazarding a second Battel On the other side Hirtius and Caesar were for Engaging and there daily happened very severe skirmishes At last the Consul began to move towards that side of the Mountain where Antonius's Camp was least fortified to try if he could put any relief into the Town Antonius immediately opposed them with his Cavalry who were beaten from their ground so that he was forced to cause two Legions to advance The Enemy rejoycing at these proceedings charged those Troops when the two Legions giving ground Antonius sent away for another but the circumvallation reached so far and their Succours were so long a time coming that the two Legions were totally put to the Rout. Hirtius followed his advantage very vigorously entring the Lines and was already got into the Quarters of Antonius but was there slain Caesar got great Honour upon this occasion he carried off the Consul's Body and taking the Eagle out of the Standard bearers Hands who was very much wounded carried it himself till the very minute that Antonius's Troops were absolutely defeated the night hindred his total overthrow and the two Generals continued a Horseback till morning with all their Troops Then Antonius called a Council of his Friends who advised him to continue the siege by reason that the two Consuls were the one wounded and the other dead and that Decimus was reduced to the last extremity But he fearing lest Caesar who had a great many Pioneers should carry on his Works between him and the City and by that means get succours into the place was afraid also lest those two defeats might loose him Lepidus and Plancus so he raised the siege and retreated up to the Mountains to go and join himself with Ventidius It was doubtless in the heat of joy for this Victory that Cicero wrote to young Caesar desiring him in his Letter That he would be contented to spare the Republick Brutus and Cassius The Letter was sent by Atticus to Brutus who was very much provoked at it and complained very sharply of Cicero who had also reproached Casca with the murther of Caesar. Brutus offended at the proceeding sent word to Atticus That that reproach might be returned upon Cicero himself who had slain more than one Citizen in his Consulship and was therefore a greater murtherer than ever Casca was Is it added he because we do not quote the Ides of March upon all occasions in and out of Season as he does his Nones of December that esteems us less than him He boasts that he has maintained the War against Antonius without ever having drawn his Sword What is that to me if for the reward of defeating Antonius it demanded that one succeed him This is not any longer said he to be afraid of Slavery but of the Master that imposes it And in another place Is it out of fear of Octavius 's power that Cicero believes we ought to allow him these Honours That fear says he is foolish which obliges us to provide against an evil by means that are as bad as the evil we are afraid of and which perhaps too might have been avoided We are too much afraid of Death Banishment and Poverty These things appear to Cicero as great evils and provided there he but those that will allow him what he desires respect him and praise him he reckons an honourable Slavery as nothing if such a thing as Honour can subsist with so great Infamy In short not to repeat the whole Letter he said That he had no great Opinion of those fine Arts which Cicero was so much a Master of For what use do we see him make of all that he has written concerning the Liberty of his Countrey true Honour Death Banishment and Poverty Brutus wrote also to Cicero himself in terms not quite so sharp but full as pressing but the Letter is too long to mingle with the body of a History where it will not appear much to the purpose besides it is to be seen amongst many others in Cicero's Epistles CHAP. XXIII Decimus speaks to Caesar who treats him
resistence they seized upon the Quirinal Mountain where Caesar's Friends and the most Illustrious of the Senatours came to salute him The People mingled themselves amongst the Souldiers bringing them refreshments and the next day Caesar attended by some of the best of his Men for the guard of his Person made his entrance into the City where he was every where received with the joyfull Acclamations of the People and met by his Mother and Sisters who had been retreated amongst the Vestals His Mother was called Actia the Daughter of Actius Balbus and Iulia the Sister of Iulius Caesar and his Sisters all bore the name of Octavia the youngest whereof afterwards Married Antonius though she proved unfortunate in the Match by reason of the madness wherewith Cleopatra had bewitched that Man though Octavia had much the advantage of her both in Beauty and Wisedom which made her esteemed for one of the most Vertuous Ladies of her time The three Legions that were in the City sent also to offer their service to Caesar who received them with the Pretors that Commanded them all except Cornutus who slew himself with his own hands Cicero was one of the last in paying him his Devoirs and Caesar after some sharp railery told him That he was the last of his Enemies who had visited him It had been reported to Caesar how Cicero should say in the Senate That the young man ought to be praised honoured and advanced The last word bearing in the Latine a double Interpretation for Tollere signifies as well to take away ones life so that the equivocation seemed something remarkable The next night several Persons spread about a report that the Martial and third Legions would take Party with the Senate who had no more Wit but to believe it and sent a Pretor whose Name was Acilius Crassus into the March of Ancona to raise Forces The Senatours Assembled themselves and Cicero offended at Caesar's railery was one of the first who came to the place receiving the others as they entred with a great deal of Joy But day appearing soon convinced them of their Errour and Cicero fled out of the City It would be hard to believe that such prudent and discerning Men as were then in the Senate should be so fickle were we not convinced by a thousand experiences that great Interests as well as violent Passions will disorder the most solid Judgments Caesar made himself very merry with this accident but caused his Troops to approach as far as the Field of Mars and to persuade a good Opinion of his moderation he forgave Crassus who came to seek him and ask his Pardon After which he caused the publick Money which was kept at Ianiculum to be brought whereof he paid 2500 Drachma's to every Souldier and promised satisfaction for what was behind so they proceeded to the Election of Consuls and Caesar to leave the People in appearance the liberty of their Votes went out of the City and was declared Consul with Pedius who had granted him his part of what his Uncle had left them he immediately came back again so soon as he understood he was chosen and it is said That as he was sacrificing according to Custome there were seen twelve Vultures being the same number which appeared to Romulus the Founder of Rome His first publick act was the Declaration which he made to the People of Caesar's having adopted him according to the intention of the Law in that Case so the Adoption was confirmed and his Fathers â—â—eed-men many whereof were in possession of great Estates according to Custome acknowledged him for their Patron and afterwards did him very considerable service both in their Persons and their Fortunes CHAP. XXIX Caesar causes Brutus and Cassius to be Condemned with all those who had murthered his Vncle. Antonius pursues Decimus who is at last slain AS all the thoughts of young Caesar were intent upon revenging the death of his Father he no sooner saw the Sovereign Authority in his hands but he set himself seriously to work about the business so causing the Arrest which the Senate had sent out against Dolabella to be cancelled Brutus and Cassius were accused of Treason and Murther by Cornificius and Agrippa and the other Accomplices by others of Caesar's Friends the Accused were all Condemned for Contumacy and it is said that when as the Custome was Brutus was cited to appear many could not forbear from weeping and a Senatour named Sicilius had the boldness to declare That Brutus was innocent and valued himself upon the matter Caesar took that opportunity to make yet his moderation more remarkable in pardoning of him for the present but found a way afterwards to be revenged of him in the Proscription of the Triumvirate Quintus Gallius the Brother of a Pretor was afterwards accused for that at the solicitations of Antonius he had Conspired against Caesar the People plundered the House of the Pretor who was not then at Rome and the Senate Condemned Quintus to death Caesar onely ordered him to go and find out his Brother but he disappeared in his Journey and was no more heard of In the mean time news was brought that Brutus who was in Macedonia had published That he would come and appear to Iustice at the head of twenty Legions Caesar who did not desire he should be so well accompanied was resolved to spare him one half of the Journey The Senate had given him the charge of making War against Antonius and Lepidus he went from Rome upon this expedition with great preparation and very good Troops leaving Pedius his Collegue in the City who as of his own proper motion proposed to the Senate That all seeds of Division might be rooted out by Cancelling whatsoever had been ordered against Antonius and Lepidus This Proposition was by no means very agreeable but the Authority of those who made it rendred it necessary so the Senate wrote to Caesar for his Opinion of the matter who as if with some violence upon himself and being forced by his Souldiers at last consented to it In acknowledgment of this good turn Antonius sent him word that he would go and find out Decimus whose Person was very odious to all Caesar's Friends and Plancus and Pollio in consideration of Caesar joined Antonius's Army with six Legions Decimus had ten under his Command but the four best of them who consisted of old Souldiers were in a very ill condition by reason of the sickness and other Fatigues which they had suffered in Modena the six others were new Men without any experience so that he durst not stay for Antonius with those Forces but laid a design of retreating into Macedonia by the way of Ravenna and the Adriatick Gulph but Caesar opposed him there with his Troops so that Decimus was reduced to a necessity of thinking how he might pass the Rhine and make his retreat good through Germany The fatigues and dangers of this Voyage so ill
was exposed to waste and pillage In this disorder several who had never been Condemned either by malice or mistake were slain and known afterwards by their heads not being cut off In short all the most Tragick fury that either revenge hatred or interest could produce and all the most generous kindness that love and fidelity could inspire were to be seen in divers accidents relating to this Proscription Salvius a Tribune of the People was the first that was slain as he was sitting at the Table and entertaining his Friends because he had too lightly forsaken Antonius's Interest whom he had supported against Cicero The Pretor Minutius was lost by the folly of those who in point of Honour would follow him and were the cause of his being discovered Annulis and Thauranius were betrayed by their own Sons who by Divine Justice were afterwards rewarded for it Ignatius and his Sons slew each other The tenderness of a Father was fatal to Bâ—avus who came back and willingly suffered death to save his Sons And Ligarius drowned himself in despair for that he could not help his Brother whom he saw â—lain before his face Salassus his Wife betrayed her Husband and Fulvius was delivered by a Slave that he kept Statius at the Age of 24 years was Proscribed for his great Riches which he abandoned to pillage and setting his House on fire burnt himself with it Coepio after having made a brave resistence dy'd with his Sword in his hand and Veratinus having got together a great many more Proscripts besides himself slew by their help a considerable number of Souldiers and made his escape into Sicily Naso snatcht a Sword out of one of the Souldiers hands and with it killed the Slave that had betrayed him On the contrary another Slave slew him who Commanded the Party that had cut his Masters Throat Aemilius seeing some Souldiers running after one of these unfortunate People asked Who the Proscribed man was It is your self said one of the Souldiers who knew him and immediately slew him And Cillius and Decius seeing their Names written in the Tablet attempting unadvisedly to flie by that means drew the Souldiers after them and were â—lain Icillius joining himself with some People who were carrying a dead Body out of the City was slain by the Guards at the Gate who knew him by taking notice that there was one bearer more than the ordinary number Varus who had hid himself in a Marâ—h near Minuturnum was taken for a Robber but discovering his name to make himself known was slain by some Souldiers who by chance were there Largus having been spared by some Souldiers of his Acquaintance and meeting others that pursued him he returned back to those who had saved him to the end that they might gain the reward of killing him The Head of Rufus being brought to Antonius who was Proscribed because he refused to sell a fair House which stood near Fulvia's he said That that Present belonged to his Wife and sent it to her CHAP. XXXIII Some stirs amongst the People The death of Cicero NOtwithstanding the fear which these terrible examples had generally caused the People forbore not to shew some courage A certain Slave having hid his Master took his habit upon him and presented himself to the Souldiers who were in search of him but another Slave discovered the Fact and the Master was slain upon which the People rose up against this faithless Fellow and the Triumviri were forced to cause him to be punished and the trusty Slave to be rewarded Another having betrayed his Master Aterius and obtaining his Liberty taken possession of his Goods the Children of Aterius pursued him up and down the City to doe him violence upon this the People rose again so that the Triumvirate restored the Goods to the Children and put the Slave into their hands upon pretence that he had exceeded the terms of the Decree There were a hundred Examples of the like nature which would be too long to recount but the Eloquence of Cicero and the obligation which all learned Men have to this day to his Memory and the Works he has left behind him deserve that we insist a little upon the circumstances of his death He was with his Brother Quintus at Tusculum one of his Countrey Houses where they understood the news of the Proscription so they went both to Astyra to embark themselves for their passage into Macedonia but having in their haste and fear forgotten to take Money with them Quintus returned and was slain a few days after together with his Sons who suffered themselves to be a long time tormented before they would discover where their Father was concealed Cicero went a-board a certain Ship but the inconveniences of his Age augmented by the disorders he was in and the fatigues of being at Sea forced him to row back to land there divided between the hopes which he had in Caesar's Friendship and the fear of death he formed a thousand resolutions and amongst the rest to go and kill himself in Caesar's presence by that means to fasten upon his Person those Furies which revenge the rights of violated Friendship In the mean time he could find no way for his safety and after all these inquietudes caused himself to be carried in a Felluca to a certain House which he had near Capua It is said that during this short Voyage several Crows coming from a certain Temple of Apollo which stands by the Sea-side perched themselves upon the Sails and rigging of the little Vessel that carried him and when he was a-shore and in his House the same Crows came and fluttered about the Window of the Chamber where he was retired to rest himself one of those very Crows came even into the Room and with his bill spread the Cloathes that covered Cicero the example of this Creature was the occasion that his Slaves became sensible of their own Idleness in that they took no more pains to save the life of a man for whose preservation the very Birds of the air seemed to be concerned so they took him up almost by force to carry him to Sea but being so very famous and well known as he was every step he made and all his places of retreat were discovered and Popilius Lena the Tribune with a certain Captain called Herennius came to his House the very moment after he had left it This Lena had had great obligations to Cicero who had saved his life by pleading for him when he stood accused for the death of his own Father they made use of all manner of violence against his Slaves to force them to discover where their Master was but they all constantly persisted that they knew nothing of the matter till either one named Cirillus who had heretofore served Clodius who was Cicero's mortal Enemy or else Quintus's Freed-man discovered to Lena that they were now carrying him through the passages of a certain Wood that lead to the Sea-side
to search for Proscripts and another Senatour wearied out with the dayly cares of concealing himself caused himself to be shaved took openly a little School and kept it publickly so long as the Proscription lasted no body imagining that a miserable Pedant could ever have been considerable enough to have been Proscribed CHAP. XXXVI The Examples of several remarkable changes of Fortune THough the story of these accidents may seem perhaps a little too long as they relate properly to the Triumvirate We ought not to pass over two Examples which are very natural instances of the inconstancy and revolution of Humane Fortune Balbinus being Proscribed by Antonius had with much adoe made his retreat to Pompey who after several years of War came to an agreement with Caesar. Balbinus returned to Rome where he afterwards obtained the Dignity of Consul Lepidus was at that time fallen from that high estate where he had once appeared Caesar having given him his life merely out of Compassion It happened that his Wife and his Son were accused by Mecoenas the Governour of Rome for a Conspiracy against the life of Caesar the Son was sent Prisoner to Actium and the Wife forced to give security before the Consul Lepidus who solicited for her had several times been repulsed at Balbinus his Gate at last he got an opportunity of speaking with him and said thus You know very well that I have no share in my Son's Offence and that it was not I who Proscribed you though it were at that time in my power to have done it therefore I beg of you to reflect upon the sad alteration of our Fortune and to grant me the favour I beg of you either take my security for my Wife or send me with her a Prisoner to Caesar. Balbinus touched with Compassion to see a Man at his feet whose power heretofore had been so formidable made those reflexions he desired and discharged his Wife The other Example is of Cicero's Son he was with Brutus at the time of his Father's death and served under him as a Lieutenant General and after his defeat made his retreat with Pompey who gave him the same employment Pompey made his own Peace and Cicero returned to Rome where Caesar to shew the esteem he had for his Father gave him the Dignity of chief Pontifex and chose him for his Collegue in the Consulship after the defeat of Antonius Cicero had by this means the satisfaction of seeing in his power the memory of Antonius who was Condemned by the Senate all his Images broken down and a Decree past That none of that Family should ever after take upon them the sirname of Marcus During which time Caesar testified so great a Veneration for the Memory of Cicero that having one day found one of his Books in the hands of his Grandson who indeavoured to hide it for fear lest Augustus should be angry with him for reading in it he took the Book and having read a good while returned it to him again saying My Son he was a very knowing Man and Zealous for his Countrey By this means the death of Cicero was revenged upon the memory of his greatest Enemy as was his Eloquence also upon the back of an impertinent Critick called Coelius who had undertaken to expose the Works of that great Oratour Cicero the Son caused his Slaves to whip him so the Critick burnt his Remarks which had brought upon his Bones so scurvy an answer Even Brutus had his share too in revenging Cicero and notwithstanding his moderation and the disturbance which the Letter written to Octavius had given him he sacrificed to him Cajus the Brother of Antonius whom Hortentius put to death by his Orders CHAP. XXXVII The end of the Proscription War in Africa Sextius Caesar's Lieutenant overthrows Cornificius the Lieutenant of Brutus AT last the Triumviri came into the Senate to declare that the Proscription was at an end Lepidus excused himself for what had passed and assured the Senatours of a more moderate Conduct Caesar who was more Politick said That he would yet reserve to himself the liberty of punishing such as were guilty In the mean time he had long disputed with the other two concerning the Proscription but it was his judgment now that the Spirits of the People ought to be kept in awe in the present conjuncture when Brutus and Cassius became dayly more formidable and when their Lieutenants still disputed for Africa with those of Caesar. Cornificius was there with Troops in behalf of Brutus and when Sextius arrived there on Caesar's part and published the Ordinance of the People the Decree of the Senate was produced in answer to them so that Arms was the last recourse for the maintenance of their Rights Sextius being the weakest retreated into a strong place where he was besieged by Ventidius Cornificius his Lieutenant He defended himself very well and in the mean time held intelligence with Arabio a King of that Countrey and a certain People called Sittians who were the residue of some Roman Souldiers established in Libya under the Conduct of Sittius who had been banished from Rome The Sons of this Sittius had been obliged to Iulius Caesar which caused them with Arabio to assist Sextius Sextius strengthened with these succours got the better of Ventidius and that done marched against Cornificius who expected him near Vtica The strength of both Armies consisted in their Cavalry Cornificius's Lieutenant came with all his to discover the strength of Sextius Arabio was detached to oppose him in the mean time Sextius charged Laelius upon the flank and forc'd him to retreat up to a Hill where Arabio had orders to attack him Cornificius having left his Retrenchments to succour his Lieutenant Sextius marched against him while a Party of Arabio's Troops who knew the Countrey found a way through the Rocks and came to rifle Cornificius his Camp Roseius who Commanded there was slain at the first on-set and the Camp plundered Cornificius being pressed by Sextius would have retreated towards his Lieutenant but was cut off by Arabio's Cavalry who flew him When Laelius beholding the action from the hill where he was posted died by his own hand the Troops thus deprived of their Commanders were easily put to the rout and that great Victory which got Caesar all Africa cost Sextius but a very few Men. CHAP. XXXVIII Dolabella is defeated and slain by Cassius DOlabella had not the same success in Syria where Cassius made War upon him with 12 Legions and a body of Parthian Cavalry whom his reputation had drawn into his service Dolabella had got together a great Fleet of Ships out of Lycia Rhodes and Cilicia which Figulus Commanded under him for himself he was got into Laodicea with two Legions where Cassius besieged him and sent orders into Phoenicia Libya and Rhodes for the procuring of Ships also The names of these Provinces being often mentioned in this History it will be but reasonable
their Provisions CHAP. XLVII The two Armies retrench themselves Their different movements and some skirmishes The uneasiness of Cassius THE danger which Norbanus was in caused Antonius to make such extraordinary haste that even Brutus himself was surprized at it The occasion of this quick dispatch was the City of Amphipolis where the Triumviri designed to place their Magazines and Antonius when he understood that Norbanus was retreated thither was very much rejoyced at it he left a Legion there under the Command of Pinarius and then went and posted himself boldly in the sight of the Conspiratours they had very much the advantage of him by the situation of their Camp Wood the Water of the River and abundance of Provisions Antonius on the contrary had no Water but what he drew out of Pits which he had caused to be digged on purpose and his Wood from the Marsh his Provisions came to him very far and were also very scarce In the mean time his boldness amazed the Enemies Army and forced the Generals to make new Works wherewith Cassius filled up all the ground which lay between his Camp and the Marsh by which means the whole front of their Camp was well fortified and their flanks covered Brutus's by the declining of the hill and Cassius's by the Marsh and Sea These Works produced dayly some skirmish or other between the Cavalry that guarded the Pioneers wherein the Conspiratours Party had generally the advantage At last Caesar who had lain sick at Dyrrachium came to the Army and his Troops in Testimony of their joy drew out of their Camp in Battalia Brutus puffed up with the good success which his Cavalry had had in little skirmishes or as he himself said impatient to put an end to the miseries of Mankind by a glorious Victory or a noble Death drew up his Troops also but Cassius persuaded him to stay in his Trenches It is but a vain thing to flatter our selves with that resolution which we pretend to be furnished withall from Reason and Philosophy for it evermore abandons us when we have most need of it and two Presages were able to overthrow all Cassius's Epicurean Principles and which is a greater discovery of humane frailty those Presages which appeared so dreadfull to him would seem but very ridiculous to a great many Men. One of his Officers presented him a wreath of flowers which he was to wear when he sacrificed with the inside outward And he who as the Custome was carried a golden figure of Victory at the head of Cassius's Ensigns stumbled with the Image and fell upon his Nose There were moreover Crows and other Birds of that kind seen flying about the Camp a swarm of Bees was found there too which a Man would think should be no very surprizing thing near Woods and Meadows Nevertheless these Remarks which a man of common sense would now despise were at that time so very considerable that they utterly confounded the mind of Cassius and infected his whole Army with the same frailty which occasioned the loss of that Battel upon which the fate of the Roman Empire depended CHAP. XLVIII Antonius possesses himself of a Post behind the Enemies Camp Brutus resolves to fight contrary to the Opinion of Cassius ANTONIVS very well understood the reason why the Conspiratours avoided fighting he knew that Asia being behind them furnished them with Provisions in abundance whilst Aegypt harassed with Famine could afford none to the Forces of the Triumvirate that Pompey would hinder them from fetching any out of Spain and that Marcus and Domitius defended the passage into Italy so that their onely recourse was to Macedonia and Thessaly which must be soon exhausted Cassius also represented the same thing dayly to Brutus and his Officers but at last the Courage of Antonius overcame all those difficulties he was drawn up against Cassius as Brutus was against Caesar and indeavoured to get possession of a Post which was on the other side of the Marsh behind Cassius's Camp He gave orders for the throwing of Earth upon the Reeds and upon this Earth spread Stones and this kind of Causway he caused to be supported by pieces of Wood driven cross-ways into the Marsh and where the Water was too high made Bridges Antonius every day covered this Work with Skirmishes and as it was secretly carried on a-cross the Reeds the Enemies could perceive nothing but the Towers and Fortifications which they saw upon that Post which lay on the other side of the Marsh Cassius admired the work and Antonius's boldness and that he might in nothing give place to him extended his Lines along the Marsh as far as the Sea and by that proceeding meeting with Antonius's Causway cut it off by which means those of the Triumviri's Forces who were already gotten on the other side of the Marsh became very much exposed It was not doubted in the Conspiratours Camp but that Antonius would doe all that in him lay to disingage his Troops The onely question was how they should receive him whether out of their Lines in Battalia or onely by defending their Lines Brutus carried the dispute for a general Battel chiefly because some of the Souldiers had already deserted This reason prevailed also with all the rest of the Officers except Atellius who still insisted for staying till Winter was over Brutus asked him What advantage he hoped for from such a prolongation what said he to live a year longer This answer added to the disorder of Cassius who heard it and who after the Council broke up went to Supper with Messala This Messala was a young Man of Noble birth who had a great deal of Wit and was very learned for a Man of Quality he became afterwards as I have already observed in great favour with Augustus and had the Command of the best and bravest Legion of that Army Cassius was sad and thoughtfull all the Supper time though he was naturally very gay and as he rose from the Table taking Messala by the hand Messala said he you must bear me witness that I am forc't in the same manner as Pompey once was to expose the liberty of the Roman People to the hazard of a Battel nevertheless we ought to hope well from fortune but we have taken ill Counsel So he retired after having invited Messala to Supper with him the next night the morrow being his birth-day CHAP. XLIX The Battel of Philippi Brutus overthrows Caesar's Troops Cassius being defeated by Antonius in despair kills himself AT break of day there appeared the Coat Armour of Purple upon the two Generals Tents which amongst the Romans was the signal of Battel so whilst that the Troops were putting themselves in a readiness Cassius was desirous to know Brutus's opinion of what they ought to doe in case matters should miscarry Brutus said That he had heretofore in his Writings condemned the death of Cato and maintained what was indeed very true that that manner of avoiding such
much more from you by down-right violence and against the authority of the Senate Ye may very well remember that Julius Caesar generously forgave you the third part of the impost ye granted him and having regard to your Petitions and complaints gave leave that ye your selves should gather the Taxes among your own Subjects yet all these testimonies of his clemency and humanity have not been able to hinder some ill-minded Senatours from making him pass for a Tyrant they declared themselves our enemies because we endeavoured to revenge the murther of him who was both our friend and our General but ye notwithstanding the great obligations ye owed him have not been ashamed to assist his murtherers with vast sums of Money And since that ye would needs run their fortune in the War and that the Gods have been pleased to grant the Victory not according to your wishes but their own justice there is all the reason in the world we should treat you as the allies or indeed as the accomplices of our Foes and that we should impose some punishment upon you But as we are willing to believe that this fault is rather the effect of their violence than your will we shall not proceed against you with any cruel or insupportable punishments Ye know without doubt we owe our Souldiers large recompences as the reward of the Victories they have gained and for this we have engaged both our Words and Oaths These rewards ought to be given in Money in Lands and in Houses We have 28 Legions which make 170000 Men besides some other Troops not counting the Cavalry nor the Veterans that have obtained their dismission so that ye may judge of our occasions by the number of our Souldiers 'T was this that obliged Caesar to go into Italy to distribute these rewards in Lands and Houses Even whole Cities will scarce be sufficient for this design which at the same time will alter the state and circumstances of that Province But because we will not take your Cities and inheritances from you nor drive you from your Temples and the Sepulchres of your Forefathers all the punishment ye have deserved shall be imposed in Money without forcing you however to give us all ye are worth But even this proceeding too is displeasing to us it seems too rigorous and we are resolved to doe nothing but what shall be approved of by reasonable and uninteressed Persons We demand of you onely what ye gave our Adversaries which is ten years Tribute but as ye paid it to them in two years time we require it of you in one for our occasions that press us constrain us to decree it so and besides the love and esteem ye seem to have for us should make you have the same sentiments This is all the pain ye shall endure seeing the Laws of humanity permit not always that the punishment should be proportionable to the crime All those that were present threw themselves weeping at the feet of Anthony They remonstrated to him that Their assisting Brutus and Cassius could not be laid to their charge as a crime because they were forced to it and that by such intolerable usage that they were rather objects of mercy and pity than punishment That they should esteem themselves even too happy to be able to assist those to whom they were so much obliged with all they were worth but since their Enemies had taken not onely all their Gold and Silver that was coined but all the Plate and ornaments of the Cities and Temples they were reduced to the utmost extremity This Discourse not being able to satisfie Anthony the Oratour Hybreas told him boldly enough My Lord If you would exact from us in one year what we are but able to pay in two you should that year give us two Harvests and two Vintages This liberty of speech did not at all displease Anthony for he loved a thing well said and the same Hybreas upon another occasion said to him Asia has already paid to you 200000 Talents if the Money did not come to your hands bring them to an account that received it but if it did and you have none of it left we are undone At length after many contests these Deputies beseeched Anthony to be contented with the Tax of nine years to be paid in two which he granted them So all the tributary Kings and Princes of Asia with the free Cities and all the People in general were obliged to contribute to the payment of this sum Anthony after this went a progress all about â—he Countrey where he gave extraordinary demonstrations of his generosity and good nature He pardoned Lucius Brother to Cassius and several others of his Enemies whom the report of his clemency drew out of the places where they were hid onely he spared none that had a hand in the death of Caesar or were of the number of the Conspiratours Lycia that was laid waste by Brutus he exempted from the contribution He persuaded the Xanthians to rebuild their City to the Rhodians he gave Andros Tenos and Gnidos Those of Tharsus and Laodicea enjoyed freedom from the imposition in consideration that they had been severely used by Cassius and set at liberty those of these two Cities that had been made Slaves Amongst the rest he was not unmindfull of the Athenians but gave them the Isle of Egina so that the whole weight of the contribution fell heaviest upon the People of the lesser Asia Syria Phrygia Mysia and Gallatia who were extremely harassed as likewise were the Provinces of Cappadocia Cilicia and Palestine Anthony then made himself sovereign Judge of the differences between the Kings of those Countries as in Cappadocia between Ariarathes and Sysenes for whom the beauty of his Mother Glaphyra was so powerfull as to carry the Crown from his Competitour At this time he received very favourably the Embassy from Hircanus King and High-priest of the Jews and began to give Herod marks of his favour for the services he had received from his Father Antipater CHAP. III. Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt her Character she comes to Anthony their interview Anthony puts Arsinoe the Sister of Cleopatra to death AMong those Sovereigns whose destiny depended on the absolute will and disposition of Anthony Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt by her conduct found she had reason both to hope and fear She had managed her self like an adroit Politician in the time of the War assisting Dolabella at the same time that Serapion her Lieutenant in Cyprus â—ought for Cassius she knew well enough that this had not been very pleasing to the Triumviri considering what she owed to the memory of Iulius Caesar. The love of that great Man and her was sufficiently known to all the World but as if she had been resolved to conquer and triumph over the Romans in the Persons of their Generals she had received the Addresses of Pompey's eldest Son so that never Beauty was ever signalized by more illustrious conquests
laying waste whole Towns Caesar in the mean time was the object of their complaints and loaded with their curses and on the other hand he found himself hemmed in by powerfull Enemies for on one side Pompey hindered the importation of Provisions into the Ports of Italy on the other side Domitius and Murcus were Masters of the Sea with their Fleets 'T was in these circumstances doubtless that he found he had need to use all the prudence and address he was master of He therefore exempted from the distribution the Lands of the Senatours and the Dowries of Widows as likewise those Lands that could not maintain such a certain number of Souldiers but then to content the Souldiery to whom these exemptions were not at all pleasing he granted that the next kindred of those that were slain in the last Battels should have their share in the distribution Thus he was forced to manage them by all the ways of gentleness he could for the vigorous and bold actions of his Father Iulius were now impracticable The Troops were now sensible of the absolute necessity there was of them and for that reason were obedient neither to their Superiours nor their Discipline but as they themselves pleased so that Caesar was cautious how he dealt with them in so dangerous a conjuncture especially after what had hapned to him upon this occasion He had appointed a day of Rendezvouz to his Souldiers in the field of Mars that there he might proceed to the distribution of the Lands They there met before day and finding he came not soon enough among them they began to grow mutinous and talk very scurrilously against him upon this Nonius one of the Tribunes ventured to remonstrate to them their impatience and the indecency of their carriage but his speeches were streight laught at and from jeers they soon came to injuries and blows The Tribune was forced to fly for it and seeing no other means to escape he threw himself into the Tiber and was there drowned The Mutineers drew out his Body and exposed it in the way by which Caesar was to pass to the Field of Mars to instruct him what he was to trust to by this fatal example His Friends gave him notice of this disorder and counselled him to avoid it he would not however follow their advice telling them his absence would encourage and carry them on to greater insolencies He therefore went to them and seeing the Body of Nonius laid out he onely turned a little on one side Being come into the midst of the assembly he seemed to believe that this piece of Cruelty proceeded onely from some of Nonius's particular Enemies exhorting the Souldiers not to carry on their hatred and revenge so far another time then without mentioning it any more he passed to the distributing the Lands and the marks of honour that were due to those that had signalized themselves in any action Some that had not deserved any presented themselves he though he knew them well enough did not refuse them but accepted them without the least sign of displeasure The Souldiers by these testimonies of prudence and bounty in their General were touched with so much shame and repentance that they required the authours of Nonius's murther might be punished he answered that they would be punished enough by the reproaches of their Conscience and by the remorse that would follow so ill an action This Answer of his quite gained their hearts so that all their fury was turned into praises and acclamations of joy In this place we must not forget two important reflexions of Appian upon the causes of the insolence of the Souldiery because they sufficiently mark the wisedom and penetration of that Historian He says that as in those times the Praetors and other Officers that commanded the Troops were not created by the suffrages of the People according as the Laws required so their authority had no longer that awfull respect which the Laws usually stamped upon it and that besides the Souldiers were not present at assemblies to offer their service to their Countrey but to him that promised them most for their assistence not against Enemies and Strangers but their own Fellow-Citizens so that they did not look upon themselves as Souldiers bound to the Republick by Oaths and Laws but as Friends who out of a mutual affection assisted their Friends upon occasion seeing even their Generals who employed them for their own particular interest considered them onely as such The other reflexion is that Deserters being heretofore by the Roman Laws punished with death without any hope of pardon they now instead of that were well paid and rewarded with honours for their deserting and seeing on all sides the same Ensigns the same Language and the same Discipline and every one of the Generals pretending to be authorised by the Laws and to fight in behalf of the Commonwealth they did not imagine they betrayed their Party what side soever they took and under this pretext passed from one Camp to another without any scruple at all that this ill princip and disorder was the cause why whole Armies sometimes forsook their Commander in chief this baseness being countenanced by the example of most remarkable Men of either party so that it was no longer the Laws that kept Men in the service but the hopes of interest and profit which falling short of their expectation was the cause that carried them on to such insolencies and was the original of so many Mutinies and Seditions CHAP. V. Misunderstandings between Caesar Fulvia and Lucius They come to open War The Negligence of Pompey ROME was not at all exempted from those ills that afflicted the rest of Italy Provisions were extreme dear by reason Pompey stopped all the passages by Sea from abroad and at home the Troops consumed all the increase of the Land Besides this they dayly committed a thousand insolences in the City so that all Trading ceased and the Artizans durst no longer open their Shops Lucius seemed to be very much grieved at these disorders and detested the Triumvirate as the source of all these miseries Caesar on his part used all the means he could to assist or at least to pacifie the poor Countrey People that were driven from their Possessions He heard their complaints and promised to doe them justice which incensed the Souldiers that were Anthony's being yet more stirred up to it by the artifices of Fulvia Caesar openly complained of this Woman declaring that she wholly acted against the interest and true sentiments of her Husband but she hearkned to no Body but Manius who persuaded her that nothing but a War could force Anthony from Cleopatra 's Armes and bring him into Italy As for Lucius he had no other sentiments but what were influenced by these two Caesar having left Rome Lucius would have gone with him and carried Anthony's Children but understanding Caesar had sent some Horse into Abruzzo to hinder the landing of Pompey's Troops
with the same eagerness as if he had still been at the head of them and perhaps they might have got the Victory which they disputed till five in the Evening if the Wind that rose had not separated them and given the Enemies the advantage to beat them by piece-meal for want of a Commander to rally them Three hundred Vessels yielded to the Conquerour but there were but five thousand Men killed on the beaten side Caesar having done all he could to spare the Lives of those brave Souldiers whom he looked upon as his Subjects He made Anthony's flight be every where published and those that obstinately defended themselves he asked who they fought for now He drew off his Souldiers whom he saw too eager after the slaughter and gave here such marks of his Clemency as served to efface the memory of the battel of Philippi and the horrible Proscriptions of the Triumvirate He granted a general pardon before it was desired and satisfied himself with the Punishment of a very few and those his particular declared Enemies Caesar lay in his Gally upon the place and the next day went ashore The Legions of Anthony testified no less faith and affection to their General than the Souldiers of his Fleet. Though several of them had seen his retreat yet they could not tell how to believe that he who so often had experience of the inconstancy of fortune and had still surmounted all his misfortunes with greater Courage should be capable of leaving all having sufficient Forces to dispute the Empire there remaining nineteen Legions entire and twelve thousand Horse they still hoped he would come and put himself at the head of them and try a second battel and though at last they lost that hope and were quite surrounded both by Sea and Land they kept themselves yet seven days in their Camp but the flight of Canidius and all their chief Officers so broke their measures that they resolved to accept of the conditions that Caesar offered them Thus the Roman Empire so long torn by the Ambition of three men at last with much Joy submitted to the Command of one alone hoping to see an end of all the mischiefs that were caused by the Divisions of the Triumviri all whose Authority by this Victory was united in the Person of Caesar. CHAP. XXIX Anthony 's displeasure against Cleopatra He retires into Libya and returns into Aegypt Anthony was still taken up with those Melancholy reflexions the present condition of his fortune inspired him with when he perceived some light Gallies of Caesar's that rowed up to him in spight of all his despair he could not bear that his Enemies should come and brave him without being able to defend himself He therefore commanded the Pilot to tack about and face them this dispensed them all except one whereupon there appeared a man with a Javelin in his hand that came up to him very fiercely threatning him Who art thou cryes Anthony that hast the Insolence to dare persue them I am answered he Eurycles the Lacedemonian brought hither by the good fortune of Caesar to revenge my Father whom you put to death This was Lachares whom Anthony had punished for his extortions and oppressions however Eurycles durst not engage Anthony's Gally but attacked Cleopatra's Admiral and gave him so rude a shock that he ran him all on one side and easily took him and another Vessel laden with all that Princess's Equipage After he retired with his Prize which was very rich Anthony fell again into his Melancholy and continued so three days without seeing the Queen hindred either through shame or anger They arrived so at Tenarus where Cleopatra's women so bestirred themselves that they brought them to see one another and to eat together in this place several of Anthony's Vessels came to him and some of his Friends who informed him of the total defeat of his Fleet but believing his Legions held out yet he sent to Canidius to retreat through Macedonia and return into Asia Then he purposed to retire into Africa and assembled his Friends to exhort them to retire and take their measures for their safety After which he made a Vessel draw near wherein was all his Money and what else he had of value which he gave them to divide among them They all refused his Presents and weeping told him They would always follow his Fortune This testimony of their Fidelity moved him so much to Compassion that he could not refrain Tears Complaining of his fortune that put him out of Capacity of giving them tokens of his acknowledgement and gratitude who had given him such signal marks of their affection he added that he should very much injure them if he should suffer them any longer to be entangled in his Misfortunes So he absolutely Commanded them to retire themselves and wrote to Theopilus Governour of Corinth to grant them refuge till they had made their Peace with Caesar. After he had given these orders he went into Africa from whence he sent Cleopatra into Aegypt and remained almost alone wandring through the Desarts of Libya without any other company than Aristocrates and Lucilius one a Greek and the other a Roman both excellent Rhetoricians Lucilius was he that saved Brutus from being taken at the battel of Philippi and ever since following Anthony even to his death continued his affection But Anthony then heard that the Governour had revolted to Caesar which put him into such a violent despair that he attempted to kill himself His Friends hindred him from that fatal resolution by their Prayers and Remonstrances and persuaded him to return to Alexandria where he found Cleopatra about an enterprize that shewed the greatness of her spirit As that neck of Land which joyns Asia and Africa is but three hundred furlongs over this Queen drew her Gallies upon Carriages into the Red Sea where she designed to embark her self withall her Treasures and the most affectionate of her Subjects and go and plant her self in some remote part of the World far from the dangers of War and the fear of slavery But the Arabians near the City of Petra that were Enemies to the Aegyptians burned those Vessels that were first transported thus which made Cleopatra abandon that design and apply her self to fortifie the avenues of her Kingdom which were of very difficult access Anthony's behaviour was very different he shewed nothing but a shamefull weakness He shunned all Company and built a house near the Pharos far out into the Sea where he shut himself up without either Friends or Domesticks to imitate Timon as he said since he had no less reason than that Athenian to hate mankind that seeing himself betrayed by those whom he had most obliged this perfidiousness gave him occasion to suspect and hate all others In this retirement Canidius brought him the News of the loss of his Legions and here he heard how Herod King of the Iews and all the other Kings of Asia had
the first man of the world and the worthiest of the Romans he was overcome by a Roman He expired in finishing this Discourse in the moment that Proculus arrived from Caesar. Dercetes one of Anthony's Guards had given notice of the Death of his Master and had carried the Sword with which he slew himself yet stained with his Bloud This sad Sight forced Caesar to retire into his Tent. And now the strict friendship he had had with Anthony their Affinity the Dangers they had past together came into his thoughts All this joined with his Noble extraction his Fame for so many Triumphs and Dignities followed by such a deplorable end drew Tears from him He called his Friends in and laid before them how he had not contributed any thing to the overthrow of Anthony by any hatred or ambition He shewed them the Copies of the Letters he had written to him which contained nothing but reasonable and just Proposals and Anthony's Answers full of Passion and Disdain After this he sent Proculus to employ all his Art and Address to seize upon Cleopatra Caesar passionately desired in his Triumph to expose to the sight of the Romans this Queen who had so long triumphed over one of their Emperours and was also very desirous to save her Treasures Cleopatra would not let Proculus enter she spoke to him through the Chinks of the Dore. She was heard to ask the Kingdom of Aegypt for her Children and Proculus exhorted her to put an intire confidence in Caesar's Clemency and the affection he had for her And all this while he considered well all the Avenues of this monument when he had taken good notice of them he returned to Caesar who the same instant sent Gallus to make her other Propositions while Proculus with two others entred by the Window they drew Anthony in at the Queen was earnest in discourse with Gallus when one of her Women perceiving Proculus make hastily up to her cryed out Poor Princess you are taken At this Cry Cleopatra turned her Head and drew out a dagger she had at her Girdle to strike it into her Heart but the Roman caught hold of her Arm. Madam said he will you with the same Crime injure both your self and Caesar in depriving him of the most illustrious testimony he can give of his generosity and make the best and gentlest of Princes pass for Cruel He then took the dagger from her and searched all her Clothes with Care lest she should have any Poison concealed about her CHAP. XXXII Caesar enters into Alexandria He visits Cleopatra Her Death The Posterity of Anthony THIS News gave Caesar an extreme satisfaction He saw himself Master of the World by the Death of his Enemy and had in his hands that haughty Queen who had lifted the Crown of Aegypt above the Empire of the Romans He commanded Epaphroditus to guard her with exactest care and yet serve her like a Queen He then made his Entrance into Alexandria And as in all his actions he still had something of the Politician he chose Arius the Philosopher to be near him who was of this City and during that Solemnity to give him more respect Caesar almost always talked to him sometimes very familiarly holding out his hand to him He went thus to the Place of Exercises where all the People were assembled by his order The Majesty of Caesar followed by so many armed Souldiers who breathed nothing but destruction threw the Aegyptians into a mighty fear They all fell on their Knees and implored his Pardon and when Silence was made Caesar told them he pardoned the People in consideration of their illustrious Founder Alexander the Great for the Beauty of the Town which he admired and for the Friendship he bore to his Friend Arius their fellow Citizen he would needs see the Tomb and Body of Alexander which he honoured with a Crown of Gold and covered it with Flowers according to the custome of those times But when they asked him if he would see the Sepulchres of the Ptolemies too He answered He desired to see a great King not dead Corpses that were not Aegypt was reduced into a Province and Caesar caused his Souldiers to cleanse the Chanels of the Nile which very much contributed to the fertility of that Kingdom which abounded in Corn. Several Kings Princes and Roman Senatours begged of him the Body of Anthony to pay their last respects to it but he would not deprive Cleopatra of that satisfaction She performed it with a great deal of magnificence and Caesar took care to furnish her with what was needfull for the Pomp of the Funeral She appeared here with excess of grief though Caesar strove to moderate her affliction by the kind usage of her Children whom he esteemed as his Allies Onely Antyllus the eldest of Anthony's Children by Fulvia was partaker of his Father's misfortune as being of an age capable of Resentment and having been always bred up with his Father had imbibed his Sentiments he was betrayed by Theodorus his Tutor who betrayed him to rob him of a stone of great value Antyllus threw himself at the Feet of an Image of I. Caesar but this Sanctuary stood him in no more stead than his Prayers and Tears for he was by the Souldiers taken from thence and slain The traiterous Schoolmaster did not long enjoy the fruits of his Treason for he not confessing his Theft they searched him and found the stone sowed up in his Girdle and Caesar made him be fastned to a Cross where the People of Alexandria with Joy saw him expire Casarion the son of I. Caesar and Cleopatra was also delivered up by Rhodon to whom this Princess had trusted him This Son whom she tenderly loved and sent him with a great Mass of Treasure to Ethiopia it was for this that this perfidious Governour deceived Caesarion by the shewing him feigned Letters by which Caesar recalled him to put him upon the Throne of Aegypt When he came to Alexandria Caesar was sometime in suspence between policy and humanity till Arius made him resolve by this saying It is not safe to hâ—ve many Caesars this was an allusion to a Verse in Homer which was ill cited by this Philosopher since it was the cause of Caesarion's death This death not being till after that of Cleopatra and Antyllus slain before was none of her Son she had no cause for the encrease of her afflictions but the greatness of her Courage made the loss of her Liberty insupportable to her This Melancholy with the blows with which she had bruised her Breast put her into a slow Fever which gave her hopes she should soon end her sorrows with her Life she had besides resolved to abstain from eating if Olympius her Physician who wrote this story had not discovered this secret she had trusted him with to Caesar. They threatned to put her Children to death if she persisted in this obstinacy this was the onely thing she could be
and encamped in sight of Alexandria CHAP. XXXI Anthony defeats Caesar's Cavalry He is forsaken by his men His Despair He wounds himself Is carried to Cleopatra His Death THE Pretence of so formidable a Rival revived all those sparks of Generosity in Anthony's breast that seemed to be quite extinct Caesar's hatred was declared too well to let him hope for any thing but dying like a true Roman and this Anthony resolved upon He rallyed all the Troups he had and made a Sally upon Caesar's Horse which was advanced This action shewed what Anthony might have hoped if he had fought by Land as he was advised He beat this Cavalry and forced it home to Caesar's Camp which he put into disorder nor did he ever shew more Courage and Conduct than now After this Victory he entred Alexandria as in Triumph and went all armed as he was to Cleopatra to tell her the News of his Advantage He presented one of his Cavaliers to her which had behaved himself very bravely in the Fight The Queen rewarded his Valour with an Armour of Gold but that very night this ungratefull wretch went to Caesar. Anthony was very much troubled with this Man that shewed such a dangerous Example He tried to provoke Caesar's Generosity and proposed a Duel to him but he very coldly answered Anthony had ways enough to dye without seeking that He resolved then to make the last Push both by Sea and Land with a design to conquer or dye bravely He ordered his People to treat him with more magnificence than usually they did Perhaps said he to them this may be the last Service ye may doe me for it may happen that to morrow you may have another Master and ye may see me no more However added he I do not pretend to lead you where death is more certain than victory The following night was troubled by a Prodigy there was heard a great noise of Voices Instruments and Cryes like those of Bacchanals all this passed through the City of Alexandria and went out of the Gate that looked towards the Enemies Camp As Anthony had all his life time affected to imitate Bacchus this prodigy was interpreted to his disadvantage and it was said that this God abandoned him At break of day Anthony posted those few Troops that were left him upon the rising ground near the Town from whence he sent orders to his Gallies to engage the Enemy They advanced in order of Batttel but as soon as Anthony's Souldiers came near they held down their Arms and saluted Caesar's who returning the Salute both Fleets joined and moved against the City All his Cavalry seeing this left him and went over to Caesar's Camp This unfortunate General forsaken by his men and seeing he could not be so happy to dye with glory his Arms in his hands he was forced to go back to Alexandria quite besides himself with rage and spight crying out Cleopatra had betrayed him in favour of those whom he had not made War with but upon her account This being told the Queen the fury and despair of Anthony terrified her so that she retired to her Monument or Sepulchre and fastned up the doors and let down the Portcullis the Place being very strong and then made a report be spread that she was dead which was told Anthony this sad news recalled all that tenderness he had for this Princess Miserable man cryed he what doest thou stay for longer when fortune has deprived thee of all that is worth living for At these words he entred into a Cabinet where laying aside his Armour Cleopatra cryed he my greatest grief is not that I am separated from thee for we shall soon meet but that I who have commanded so many gallant men should be out-done by a woman in Courage In this moment he called Eros the most faithfull of his freed-men whom he had engaged by Oath to kill him when he was reduced to a necessity of dying It was to perform his Promise that he called for him Eros drew out his Sword as if he intended to perform that fatal Duty and turning a little a-side gave himself a wound which made him fall dead at his Master's Feet Dear Eros said he I thank thee for shewing me what I should doe He then gave himself a blow in the Belly with that Violence that he fell backward upon a Bed that was near though the wound were mortal yet the bloud was stopped by the situation his body was in as he fell so that he came to himself and begged of his friends who were come to him that they would dispatch him But they all ran from him leaving him in a condition to move the most insensible to pity the anguish of his wound and the rage to be so cruelly forsaken made him cry out and tumble about the strive when Cleopatra hearing of it sent Diomedes to bring him to her Anthony understanding Cleopatra yet lived ceased lamenting to beg his Officers who were then returned in the most moving manner in the world to carry him to her with much-a-doe they lifted him up to the door of the Tomb. Cleopatra durst not or could not open it for she had no body with her besides two of her Women but she threw out some Cords from a window All the People of Alexandria were present at this sad spectacle and owned there could be nothing more lamentable than to see this great man renowned for so many Victories bathed in his Bloud and exspiring holding out his hands to Cleopatra and weakly endeavouring to raise himself and her holding her Head down and her Body almost out of the Window striving with the help of her Women to pull him up All the Spectatours shewed no less sorrow by their several motions they encouraged her and seemed to assist her with their Cryes for that was all the help they could give her At last after much pain she drew him up to the Window where she embraced him and laid him on a Bed Anthony had loved her too much and the state he was in was too moving not to shew a real grief She tore her Clothes and her Face and beat her Breast calling Anthony her Lord her Husband her Emperour and though she had her self great occasions of grief yet that deplorable object before her eyes was more than all the rest Anthony conjured her to stop her tears and moderate her transports and asked for some Wine whether it were that he was thirsty or that he thought it would the sooner end him After he had drank he exhorted Cleopatra to endeavour to save her life if she could doe it with Honour and to that end she might put more confidence in Proculus than in any else about Caesar that she should not make too much reflexion upon the cruel turn of Fortune which he felt at the end of his days but think what glory he had lived in famous for so many Victories Triumphs and Dignities and after he had been
sensible of so she suffered her self to be drest and took all they desired her then Caesar resolved to see her by his Civilities to re-assure her mind He found her upon a low bed very plain and as soon as she perceived him she rose in her Smock to throw her self at his feet her hair was in disorder and torn in some places her face bleeding and scratched and her breast bruised her eyes were red with weeping and her voice weak and trembling But yet all these accidents had not defaced that great beauty nor the brightness of her eyes nor the charming air of her face Caesar civilly lifted her up and sate down at her Beds-head She began to enter into a justification of her Conduct but there were too palpable Proofs against her so she turned her discourse into humble Prayers and put into his hand an Inventory of all her Treasure and Jewels Seleucus Cleopatra's Treasurer had followed Caesar and by a barbarous ingratitude maintained the Queen had concealed several things which were not in that account Cleopatra's choler cannot better be expressed than by the effects of it she threw her self out of bed and ran and took this persidious Officer by the hair and beat him severely her anger might be real but the Character of this woman may give a suspicion that it was but a protence to shew Caesar her beautifull shape and body which she had too great a Confidence in He did not appear moved by it he onely laughed at this action and led the Queen to her Bed Caesar said she to him after the honour you have done me to visit me notwithstanding of the miserable condition I am reduced to is it not very cruel that a vile Slave should accuse me of a Crime because I laid aside some trifles Not alas to adorn my self but to present to Octavia and Livia to make use of their intercession to obtain your favour This discourse very much pleased Caesar who believed that they implyed a desire she had to preserve her Life He assured her She might keep her Iewels and that he would keep her yet more generously than she could hope for and then retired very well satisfied with his Success The fame of Cleopatra's great beauty had inspired all the young Gentlemen in Caesar's Court with a desire to see her But above all the rest Dolabella one of the greatest Quality whether moved to it by love or pity shewed the greatest concern for her and certain it was that it was he who informed her of Caesar's intentions to return to Rome through Syria and that he had resolved within three days to send her and her Children away Upon this news Cleopatra desired Caesar that he would permit her to pay certain Funeral Rites to the memory of Anthony which he granted her she then caused her self to be carried to the stately Sepulchre before mentioned where he was laid and there without any other attendance but her two women she was a good space without doing any thing besides embracing the Tomb and pouring forth abundance of tears at length the excess of her grief thus broke forth My dearest Anthony said she I was a Queen and free nor did these armes of mine wear chains when they received thee in this Monument but now I offer thee these Sacrifices in a base state of servitude nor dare I even print the marks of my grief upon this captive Body that it seems is reserved to be an ornament of the Triumph of thy Enemy expect therefore no more oblations of sorrow from thy Cleopatra she is ready to be forced from thee and this is the last token of her love and duty she is able to give thee No chance was able to separate us while we lived but I am afraid our cruel destiny will part us in our deaths and as by a strange turn of fate Aegypt hath afforded thee a Tomb so Rome will me which will be the onely courtesie I shall receive from thy Countrey Yet I hope the Deities of those happy abodes where thou now art for those who govern here below have delivered us up to our Enemies will not abandon thy yet living Wife to their insolence nor shall a proud Conquerour have the pleasure of Triumphing over thee in her Person hide me therefore here and receive me into thy Tomb for the greatest Woe I have ever yet endured has been the little time that I have lived without thee After she had ended these sad Lamentations she crowned the Tomb and covered it with Garlands and Flowers every moment embracing it as if she designed to grow to it till her women took her from thence to carry her into a Bath when she had bathed she attired her self very richly which she had not done since her Misfortune and was served at Table by Caesar's order with as much Magnificence as if she had still been seated on her Throne While she was eating a Countrey-man came and desired to speak to the Queen the Guards stop'd him and would know what he carried in a basket that he had in his hand The Aegyptian turned up some leaves and shewed them very large and lovely Figs and offered some of them to the Souldiers in so innocent a manner that they let him goe in As soon as Cleopatra had dined she commanded all to void the Room except Iras and Charmion who had always attended her These two women shut the Gates after the Queen had sent her Tablets carefully sealed up to Caesar who as soon as he opened them imagined what had hapned She there complained of her sad fate and begged him to lay her body by Anthony He immediately sent people in all haste to prevent the mischief he feared they found the Guards very quiet and ran hastily into the Queens Chamber and found her laid upon a Golden bed adorned with her Royal Robes in the posture of one a-sleep Iras was laid dead at her feet and Charmion who was yet breathing was placing her Diadem right one of Caesar's Messengers very angrily said to her Is this well done Charmion Very well answered she and as becomes a Princess descended from so many Kings she said no more but expired at her Mistress feet It is yet uncertain which way Cleopatra killed her self so suddenly and so easily it was believed it was by the poison of an Asp that bit her and Caesar seemed to confirm this opinion by her image he carried in Triumph with an Asp fastned to her Arme. They say that this Serpent was brought her hidden under the Figs as she had contrived that it might sting her as she put her hand into the Basket and that perceiving it she said holding out her Arme Thou art there then others say she kept one on purpose and enraged it by pricking it with a golden Needle but all this is but conjectured as that she carried poison in a hollow Bodkin she hid in her hair For there appeared on her body no spots