the Sabines trade No solemne feasts at all were made Her Stoicke husband them forbade No children then the house did grace No kins-folkes flockt vnto the place The match they made vp secretly Suffisd with Brutus company The Bride groome had long time deferd To cut or shaue his wilde growne beard It ouer-spred his reuerend face In his sad lookes no mirth tooke place For when he first did vnderstand That Faction furiously did band Vnshorne he left his hairy head Vnkemb'd his rugged brow to spread And in like sort about his face His shaggy beard did dangling trace He thought it fit that some iust minde Vnto no partiall mood inclin'd Should waile this rage in humane kinde His recreation was not fed With comfort of a nuptiall bed Loues vigor now in him lay dead And with the common care fore-spent From troubled thoughts could not relent This course strict Cato doth content The modest meane he still intends And of his actions casts the ends With Natures lawes he holds no strife And to his Countrey vowes his life He doth not thinke that he was borne His owne state onely to adorne But that he is in duty ty'd And zeale to all the world beside His dainties were but hungers stay Large Palaces he did not way But that sound structure that did hold Out Summers heat and Winters cold And neuer in the pompe exceedes Of garments or of costly weedes But as the custome old did beare When Roman Quirites vsd to weare Gownes made of wouen shaggy heare He lent no lust to Venery But to maintaine posterity He Father was and Husband sworne Vnto his Citty now forlorne Iustice most strictly hee obserues From honest faith he neuer swerues Voluptuous life he did detest It could not breed in Cato's breast ¶ Now Pompey and his gathred Troopes Of Souldiers that with terror droopes To Capua's walles themselues betake And there their randevous doe make A Towne built by the Troian race Where they a Collonie did place This for a seat of warre he chose And in the Countrey round bestowes His bands and Cohorts to withstand The force of Caesar now at hand ¶ Here are those hilles of Apenine That in the midst run like a line Alongst the whole Italian land Where these vmbragious mountaines stand Towring their lofty toppes a high None to Olympus comes more nigh This tracke of hilles betweene two maines Iust in the midst his race out-straines The higher and the lower deepes These hilles conioyn'd a sunder keepes On this side doth the Pisan land The rage of Tyrrhene seas withstand On th' other side Anconas soyle Makes the Dalmatian flouds recoyle These mountaines in their bowels breeds Many springs heads that Riuers feeds Which diuersly their streames conuart Into both seas on either part Metaurus swift on the left side And fierce Crustumium thence doe glide With Senna and Isapis waues Isaurus walles that mildly laues Then Aufidus that takes his vease Into the Adriaticke seas Eridanus that roots vp woods And sweepes them with his swelling floods And from the faire Hesperian lands Conuayes them to the Oceans strands This Riuer as old lawes suppose With poplar shades did first enclose And crowne his banks with circling rowes When Phaeton out of the way Leading his blazing Carre astray Did set on fire the aire and sky The earth did singe and waters dry Whilst yet this riuers flowing streames Held tacke against those burning beames And doth maintaine as broad a course As Nylus with his seuen-fold sourse Except when Nylus ouer-bounds The Lybicke and Aegiptian grounds Nor lesse then Istar but when as He doth through many Nations passe And other streames vnto him takes That to the seas their progresse makes Whereby alone he doth not pay His tribute to the Scythian bay Now from this mountaines steepe right side First doth the Riuer Tyber glide And high-bankt Rutuba withall Vulturnus likewise with swift fall And Sarnus from whose muddy lists The aire about is stuft with mists And Lyris that the prouince trades Of sweet Maurica clad with shades Whose backe Vestinus water lades And Syler that through Salerne floates With Macra that will beare no boates But doth dis-boage into those deepes That by the Citty Luna sweepes These mountaines as they longer streach Their tops withall doe higher reach Towards the confines of faire France And on the Alpes their prospect glance The Vmbrians and the Marsians soyle VVhere the Sabellian plowes doe toile So do these Pine-treed hilles embrace The coasts of Latiums ancient race And neuer leaues th' Hesperian ground Till Sycils seas their limits bound Yet long agoe did further wend And to Lacinia's Temple tend Vntill such time as her confines By seas encroach their length declines For Italy to Sycill ioyn'd Before the double seas purloyn'd The land away and cut the shore That earst was fixt vnto Pelore ¶ Caesar in Armes with furies sway Not without bloud will shape his way Hesperians he accounts his foes And would not gaine them without blowes Least in that kinde he being slacke Might leaue a warre behinde his backe Those gates more please him that withstand Then those set open to his hand Best sorting are to his desire Those Countries won with sword and fire Then such as would his peace acquire He scornes to march through beaten waies Or to deserue a Patriots praise The Latine Citties yet repine And doubt which way they should incline For though at first they stood at gaze When as the warre began to blaze Yet now their walles they fortifie With Ramparts and with Bulwarkes hye And cast about them ditches deepe Then to the Towers and Turrets steepe Round stones of hugye weight they bring And darts amongst the foes to fling The vulgar most to Pompey bends Yet with their loue their feare contends Like as when whistling Southerne winde Vnto tempestuous stormes inclin'd Shoouing the seas before his blast The rowling billowes follow fast Although that Aeols changing hand From his vast caue do them dis-band And Easterne gale that checkes the maine Whose puffes the very Racke doth straine The sea his first voage yet doth trace And still the Southerne winde imbrace So dread these men in doubt did hold Their faith so fortune bought and sold And Libo first with base dismay Hytruria naked left a pray Thermus with his example led Left Vmbria guardlesse and thence fled So Sylla with opprobrious shame Forgetfull of his Fathers fame Trembled to heare but Caesars name Varus likewise himselfe inlarg'd And all the garrison discharg'd That in Auximium he had plac'd Ere any foe the walles had fac'd Out at posterne gate he rides And in the woods and mountaines hides Aesculea Lentulus forsooke And vnto flight himselfe betooke But him the Victor did pursue Making them turne againe that flue And of so many armed bands Onely the leader scap't his hands No Ensignes mongst those Cohorts stands And Scypio thou too soone
Achoreus of the race Of Egypts breed who in that place Did sit vpon a bench of state In this sort did his mind relate O reuerend sire that for thy part To sacred rites deuoted art That with the Gods hast such esteeme As by thy aged yeares may seeme To me the first beginning shew From whence th' Egyptian race did grow The climate of this fruitfull land And how the peoples customes stand And of your Gods the forms and rites The which your old records recites And what ingrauen is in stone Vpon your Pyramides make knowne Reueale your Gods that would be showne If your fore-fathers did their art And sacred mysteries impart To Plato of a Grecian name Then may you well reueale the same To Caesars selfe for where can rest In all the world a worthier guest To whom your skill may be exprest I must confesse that Pompeys name Was some cause that did make me frame My iourney to the Pharian coast And yet when all my warres were most I euermore did giue my mind The motions of the stars to find My thoughts were to the heauens enclind So as Eudoxus Calender Shall not surpasse my framed yeare And therefore as within my brest A great and true desire doth rest Of knowlegde and of vertues lore So nothing do I couet more Then to finde out the secret course From whence this riuer takes his source And where his fountaines head appears That lies vnknowne so many yeares O I will hope at last to see Where Nylus springs for certaine be And so from ciuill warre rest free So Caesar makes an end to speake And this graue sire did silence breake ¶ Caesar I thinke that well I may These mysteries to thee bewray That our great Fathers hidden kept And in their thoughts obscured slept Reserued from the vulgar waies From age to age to these our daies Let others thinke it pietie To silence any mysterie But I do deeme the Gods aboue The worke as gratefull will approue That their great wonders should be showne And sacred rules to all made knowne When first an order was ordaind Whereby the world should be maintaind A diuers motion to the starres Was giuen to hold concordant iarres That they the orbs might onely sway And temper in their whirling way Contrarie to that rapide Pole That first of all doth mouing rolle The Sun doth still diuide and steare The times and seasons of the yeare And so the daies to nights doth change And doth restraine the stars to range About their orbs with powrefull rayes His station staies those wandring wayes The Moone her alteration breeds Vpon the seas and earthly seeds Old Saturne his empiring holds On freezing zoanes and ycie colds And Mars with wrathfull looke abashes The boisterous winds and lightning flashes Great Ioue no tempests doth procure But keepes all in milde temperature And fruitfull Venus of her grace Doth cherrish seeds in euery place Whilst Mercurie with charming vaine Doth moderate the wild vast maine ¶ Now when Cyllenius doth appeare In that part of the wheeling spheare Where Leos sparkling torchets are In enterchange with Cancers starre Where Syrius with his scorching ray Contagiously enflames the day And where the circle that doth change The yearely season iust doth range Betwixt the Tropicks equally Vnder whose couert Nyle doth lie Which when this powre I say that keepes An order in the raging deepes Doth touch with his starres influence Nylus as hauing thereof sence His channell lifts with swelling crest Scorning within his banks to rest Iust as Neptunus Empire flowes When Phoebes horned visage growes Nor doth he call his streames againe In their old harbour to remaine Vntill the Sun by his decline Do vnto the night those houres resigne That halfe the yeare he kept away To make her equall with the day The olde conceit is but a dreame Of this increase of Nylus streame That Aethiopias molten snowes Is cause of her great ouerflowes For in those mounts the Northern stowre Nor Boreas blasts haue any powre And to assure thee that is true Marke but the peoples Sun-burnt hue And those warme vapours that they find Perpetually from Austers winde Then for more proofe adde this likewise That euery riuer that doth rise By falling of the molten yse Doth then begin to be embost When summers spring first melts the frost But Nylus neuer waxeth hire Before the Dog-starre breaths his fire Nor euer doth her waues restraine To keepe within her banks againe But when as Libra with iust paise Doth equallize the nights and dayes Againe those rules do beare no sway With Nyle that other streames obay For winter giues to him no pride His fountaines then their forces hide But when the temper of the skies Most feruently with burning fries Amidst those heates then out he flies And cooles those lands that fire would wast Which vnderneath the line are plast So Nylus helps the world to swage The scorching flames of Leos rage And being cald doth giue redresse To his Syene in distresse When Cancers heates do it oppresse And from these fields draws not his streams Vntill the force of Phoebus beames In Autumns season do decline And Neroe do shade the shine Now who can hereof tell the cause But so great Nature giues her lawes That Nylus thus should range his flood And needfull t is for humane good But former times haue vainely guest This cause of winds blowne from the west Who with great force the aire doth chace With long continuance in one place And that this occidentall blast Doth driue the watrie clouds so fast A thwart the South and their in showres Downe right vpon the Nylus powres Or that the seas so often tost And beating on the Zoylan coast The very furie of the maine Repels the riuer backe againe So as restrained of his way By the vast Oceans powrefull sway Aloft beyond his bounds doth stray There are againe that do suppose That his great inundation growes Of moisture breathing from the earth Whose steaming vapors haue their birth Within the concaues of the ground And belcht out where great rifts are found And that these moistures meerely are By secret courses drawne from farre Out of the Northerne Region By the attracting middle zoane When Titans arrows shot down right On Meroe do parching light And to the burned land it brings The waters from farre rising springs Ganges and Padus send their streames In secret thorow many realmes Then Nylus powres out by one vaine All riuers that he doth retaine But many outlets makes of these When he conuaies them to the seas Another fancy many holds That the vast Ocean which enfolds The circuit of the earth about Flowing from farre at last breakes out With violence where Nyle doth range And with long tracke at length doth change The salt sea streames to waters sweete Whilst through earths bowels they do fleet Some thinke againe that these maine waues Rapt by the Sun when Cancer
faire Hesperian fields That nothing now but thistles yeilds Cries out for hands to plow and plant Her labourers are growne so scant ¶ This dismall state wherein she stands Proceedes not from fierce Pyrrhus hands Nor yet could Hannibals despight Inflict on vs this wretched plight No forraine foes could so preuaile Our setled state to rent and quaile Th' audacious sword worne by thy side Hath hewen in thee these gashes wide ¶ And yet if Fates haue so decreed That thou O Nero shouldst succeed By these meanes to the Empires throne Our fore-past armes the lesse we moane For Iupiter was not possest Of heauens sole rule in setled rest Before the Gyants were supprest Let then Pharsalia fields be spread With yron legions scorning dread So to appease the whining mood Of Punique Ghosts with Latium blood Let Munda be the fatall place Where Caesar quailes great Pompeys race And let as hard a siege betide As earst Mutina did abide Yea let as great a famine flow As euer did Perusia know And two such Fleetes confronting rage As did the Axium battell wage With as much broyle and hammering dinne As when that Vulcan did beginne To set his Cyclops to their taskes Whose sparkling forges Aetna maâ—kes ¶ And yet thou Rome shalt be in debt Vnto these wrackes that did beget This happy peace wherein we liue And to our toyles an end did giue But when O Nero Atrops knife Shall shred in twaine thy time of life And thou vnto the starres bequeau'd With Heauens ioy shalt be receiu'd There shalt thou freely take thy choyce Whether thy humor more reioyce To sit in the Empiring Throne As ruling ouer all alone Or whether thou doe more desire To sway the Carre of Phoebus fire And thence with wandring flames suruay The earth in all her rich array Whom thy milde beames will not dismay The Deities bend to thy hest And Nature yeelds thee thy request To be what God-head likes thee best And where thy Empires seate shall rest But I beseech thee of high grace Doe not thy Soueraigne Mansion place About the North or Southerne starre Which is from vs remote so farre For then should Rome fall to mischance If thou on her looke but a scance But if a part of heauens huge sphere Thou choose thy ponderous heft to beare O let the Axle-tree sustaine The paise of thy Maiesticke traine Amidst the firmament be plac'd For that with brightest beames is grac'd So Neroes shine shall still subsist Neuer obscur'd with cloudy mist Then shall men lay aside their Armes And rue the shame of ciuill harmes All Nations then shall be at peace With mutuall leagues and Trades increase So when all iarres doe end their dates Ianus may sparre his Iron gates But whilst that I some power Diuine Inuoke to strength this Muse of mine If I thy fauour can obtaine O Nero to assist my vaine I will not then desire or craue Apollo's furtherance to haue Nor yet intreat the God of wine To aid this Tragicke worke of mine For thou alone canst life infuse And spirit to my Latine muse ¶ My minde giues me the cause to write That did this humorous rage incite A taske that will much labour cost To shew what franticke feuers tost This peoples moode to raue in spoyle And banish peace from Latium soyle It was conspiring Destiny The bane of all felicity And that which is by heauenly reed As doome to greatnesse still decreed Not long to stand in setled state But being too much eleuate The owne paize must it ruinate And Rome her selfe too powrfull growne With insolence was ouer-throwne So when by great resistlesse Fate The world dissolues to her last date Returning to that formlesse masse Which was before ought formed was Starres shall with starres confusedly In clusters meet within the skye The fiery Element displac't Shall downe into the deepe be cast The massy globe in this disease Denie due bounds vnto the seas Belphoebe will runne counter quite To Titan that doth lend her light And scorning her owne oblique way Would guide the Lanthorne of the day So that the course of this vaste All Into confusions lappe will fall For Ioue to great things this doome left They should be crusht with their owne heft Fortune doth scorne to cast a frowne On those that meane estate keepes downe But enuies those that lofty stand Empiring ouer sea and land O Rome then bondage pressed thee When thou wert first made slaue to three Diuided kingdomes staggring stand One Scepter fits one soueraigne hand ¶ O yee contentious Roman knights Whom blinde Ambition so incites What solace yeelds that Soueraignty That 's gain'd with such hostility As doth your hands and hearts diuide And turmoiles all the world beside But otherwise it neuer sorts For whilst the land the seas supports Or that the Aire in heats and colds The Earth in her soft mantle folds And Phoebus shall maintaine his race Or Cinthia supply his place So long Competitors of States In iealousie shall cloke debates Faith holds not firme twixt crowned Mates We need not farre examples seeke What other clymate breedes the like For when Rome first her walles ordain'd With brothers blood they were distain'd Yet all the whole worlds worth that time Could not requite so foule a crime A petty structure scarce begun Hath this fraternall outrage spun Our two great Chiefetaines for a space A iarring concord did embrace And so an outward peace maintain'd Which their ambitious hopes disdain'd But Crassus power doth interpose And hold them off from fatall blowes Like Istmos that diuided keepes The raging concurse of the deepes And doth so strongly part the waues That each with other neuer raues But if this Istmos breake asunder How would th' Aegean billowes thunder Incountering the Ionian seas And struggle with their counterpaise So Crassus whilst he was a life Held these two worthies off from strife And with perswasiue powerfull words Within their sheathes confin'd their swords But when the haplesse Carran fight Brought Crassus to his latest night This Parthian blow dissolu'd the Chaine That did these head-strong Peeres restraine And bred more scath vnto our state Then it was ware by home-debate For now the Roman Lordly guides Diuide themselues in factious sides And our great fortune that had long Subsisted by a people strong That conquered worlds on seas and maine Could not two haughty mindes containe For Iulia with like cruell fate Vntimely brought vnto her date By Atrops life-destroying hands Dissolu'd the neere-allianc'd bands Betwixt her father and her spouse Forgetting their contracted vowes Whereas if Iulias line of life Had longer scap't the fatall knife Euen she had beene of power alone Betwixt them two to make attone And from insulting force to cease With ioyning armed hands in peace As did the Sabines daughters earst Who sweetly all dislikes dispearst Betwixt their Fathers and their Pheeres But by thy death
raues Into the middle regions height VVhich cannot well retaine their weight The nights do them againe distill On Nylus flood and his banks fill But I ô Caesar do beleeue If I may be so bold to giue My censure in so great a doubt VVhen many ages were run out After the worlds first fabricate Some wattery waues but new create VVithin the earth by fatall stroake Brake out which God did not prouoke And some againe there being had When this great All at first was made Which the Creator high doth hoâ—â—d Vnder a constant law controld ¶ But that desire that leades thee so Great Roman Lord the cause to know Why Nylus doth thus strangely flow The Pharian Tyrants heretofore And Greekes and Persians did explore And euery age desir'd the praise Of leauing vnto future dayes The knowledge of this mystery But Nature still with secresie Conceales it from discouery That great Macedon King of Kings Whose high renowne our Memphis rings Did Aethiopian men select To search the cause of this effect In scorne of Nylus those hee sends To suruey Affrickes vtmost ends But loe the Torrid Zone with heates Held them from doing of those feates To see what springs warme Nyle repleates Then to the Westerne furthest land Sesostris goes and takes in hand This busie taske and with great pride To draw his Charrets Kings he tide But Rhodonus and fertile Poe Your Riuers he might sooner know Then euer he could come to drinke At Nyles concealed fountaines brinke Then fierce Cambyses Easterne throng Comes where the people liue so long But his huge traine was staru'd for meate So as at last themselues they eate And then return'd with nothing gain'd Nyles springs to him vnknowne remain'd No fables euer yet did dare The head of thy springs to declare But whosoeuer thee hath seene Yet are to seeke where thy heads beene No nation hath attain'd the fame To know from whence thy rising came But yet ô Nyle I will relate So much of thy discouered state As that great God shall giue me leaue From whom thou dost thy course receaue Thou risest from the Southerne Pole And with thy swelling streames dost role Against hot Cancers fiery face And forth-right North dost run thy race Amidst Boötes wheeling chase Somtimes thy streams doth westward trend And sometimes to the East doth bend Sometimes thou seest Arabia's lands And sometimes shar'st with Lybias sands The Seres first of all thee see Yet whence thou art vncertaine be Through Aethyopia thou dost stray But from what fount they cannot say No land that to the world is knowne Can claime thy birth to be her owne Nature hath not discouered To any wight thy secret head Nor euer in a slender streame Wert thou seene run through any Realme For Nature that thy fountaine hides Within her bosomes so prouides Men rather should admire thy course Then know from whence thou tak'st thy source Thy waues permitted are to clime The Solstice being in his prime A winter strange makes thy increase Then thou beginst when others cease Onely to thee is granted grace From Pole to Pole to run thy race Towards the South thy head doth rise And in the North thy current dyes Neroë that blacke people breedes Thy riuer there diuided feedes And doth that Isle inuiron round VVhere pleasant Heben doth abound VVhich trees altough still full of greene Yet shelters not with shade the sheene For on it with a downe-right line The Lyon bands his fiery eyne Thou shewst thy face to Phoebus rage And yet thy streames doe not asswage The barren sands thou meetst in length Sometimes collecting all thy strength And branches into one selfe streame And then againe through Aegypts Realme Thou dost disperse them all abrode Thy bankes with ease are ouerflowd Then thy slow chanell calles amaine His ranging riuelets backe againe Where Phile that doth frontring stand On borders of Aegyptian land Doth from Arabia diuide That kingdome through which thou dost glide Then through those desarts thou dost cut That all that great comerce doth shut Betwixt that sea of scarlet staine And the earth middle cutting maine Running but with a gentle traine But who O Nylus now would wot That thou which here dost mildly flote Shouldst suddenly enraged fret With such a violent out-let For when the rugged broken wayes Thy falling water-courses stayes And steepy Cataracts from hye A gentle passage doth deny Thy waues that no resistance finde Scorning that rocks their race should bind Do spit their foame into the winde And with the brushing that they make The very aire and shores doe quake With murmuring rut the mountains sound And this streames froth doth so abound As that with strain'd resistlesse might His boisterous billowes all turne white Here is that I le of Abatos As reuerent ancients did suppose A mighty land and whereas first Those thundring roarings out doe burst And where the rockes as they haue said With springing vaine this streame doth aid For proofe whereof this signe is plaine That here he swels anew againe Here Nature doth with hilles enclose These stickle streames that wandring goes Which doth thee Nyle from Lybia hold And thy huge heaped waues enfold Within a spacious valley deepe Through which thy swelling chanels sweep Then Memphis to thee freedome yeelds By lending thee her open fields And doth forbid within her land That any bound should thee withstand ¶ Thus they the time securely spent Till mid-night vail'd the Element And as in peace tooke their delight But yet Photinus trayterous spright Since he that sacred blood had spilt Prepared was for any guilt And thought that no fact was vn-milde Now Pompeys death had him defilde Whose ghost did broyle within his breast And him with murdrous mood possest The Gods likewise with vengeance due Stird vp in him presumptions new For he his abiect hands reputed Worthy with blood to bee poluted Of Caesars selfe that was the man By Fortunes hest designed than The powerfull Roman reuerent state To ouer-awe and captiuate The scourge that ciuill warre should haue And vengeance that the Senate craue Was almost left vnto a slaue But O the ruling Fates we pray To turne from vs that fault away That Caesar may not haue his meed If Brutus hand doe not the deed For else the Roman Tyrants blame Shall chastisd be vnto our shame By Aegypts sword and thereby shall Iustice example quaile withall But still this viper Fates prouoke To giue this tyrants necke the stroke And yet he doth not now prepare With secret plots his life to snare But openly meanes to assaile The Captaine whom no Mart could quaile Such hope his wickednesse hath bred To triumph ouer Caesars head And will O Pompey do his best That Caesars fate with thine may rest And by a secret seruant sends These lines to shew what he entends And to Achillas them commends That was his partner in the deed VVhen Pompeys murther was decreed This man the
first the rage of warre to cease They offer them to treate of peace And onely this contract would haue To yeeld themselues their liues to saue Except they more desired death Then to preserue a Captiue breath But these braue yonkers did disdaine Parlie for life to entertaine They were resolu'd that their owne Armes Should free them from all scornfull harmes Their mindes prepar'd for vtmost woes Could not be mou'd with clamorous foes Few hands of theirs sustain'd the brunt Of multitudes that them affrunt By land and seas on euery side Constant to death they firme abide And when they saw of hostile gore That they had shed sufficient store They turn'd their fury from the foe And with themselues in hand they goe The noble Captaine led the way Vulteius braue that doth display His naked breast and thus did say That hand amongst you most of worth My blood with glory to let forth Let him giue proofe by wounding me That he likewise himselfe dares free From captiue fate No more he spake But therewithall short worke to make More swords then one became so fierce That all at once his bowels pierce Yet he that on him first did light Him with like kindnesse to requite His dying hand did then bestow On him againe a fatall blow Then all the Troope hand ouer head With mortall wounds each other sped In such sort rag'd the Dircaean breed That did spring vp of Cadmus seed Which did presage the dismall fate Of Theban brethrens dire debate Whose earth-bred race their linnage drawes From that same waking Dragons iawes Whose teeth sowne in the Phasian fields Such cankred bloody natures yeelds As that the furrowes flowing stood With fowle inrag'd allied blood Contriu'd by wrathfull Magickes mood And vile Medea that these harmes Did bring to passe with sorcerous charmes Fear'd what thereof might more betide Because those spelles she had not try'd In this sort dy'd those gallant laddes Whose mutuall fate each other glads Death to great vertue did expose To quell such valiant men as those Yet they together dye and fall No one mans hand did faile at all To giue a wound but it did bring With dying hand deaths deadly sting Neither did they to strong blowes trust But through their breasts the swords did thrust And for it should be throughly donne Vp to the hilts they did them runne In this blood-thirsty slaughtring fray The brother doth the brother slay Sonnes fathers send the selfe-same way And yet their hands were not affright ' Gainst natures lawes to shew their might But this was deem'd a pious deed With one blow and no more to speed Now did the bowels all bestrow The hatches and the bloud did flow Ouer the sides into the seas To see the light did them displease But that with proud disdainfull grace They might looke in the victors face And scornfully their deaths embrace The Raffe was heap't and ouer-spred With these braue youths that there lye dead To whom the Conquerors impart Due funerals as their desart And all the Captaines wondring stood At this braue Captaines dauntlesse mood And now the fame of this deed donne As matchlesse through the world did run But yet this patterne cannot make Many base mindes like heart to take Dread will not let them vnderstand That Vertue with her valiant hand May easily their woes release If slauish Fate do them oppresse But Tyrants swords do them appall Their freedome vnder force doth fall Because they do not vnderstand Why swords were fitted to the hand O Death therefore doe not affright The poore dismaied coward wight But shew thy tyrant murdrous dart Vnto the dauntlesse noble heart Like courage he in Mart exprest That doth the Lybian fields inuest For noble Curio leaues the rode Of Lilybey where his abode With all his fleet a while he made Which now the Ocean do inuade When as a friendly Northerne gale His ships vnto the port did hale Whereas the waues the ruines beat Of great Carthagoes famous seat And then vnto the harbour came Clupea hight of noted name There first he maketh his discents And farre in land did pitch his tents Hard by the stow Bagrada's sides That furrowes vp the sands with tides Then to the hilles his Army goes And to those hollow rockes that showes Where great Antaeus raigned king As old bards do not vainly sing Here Curio seriously desires To heare report of ancient sires And what the peasants of the land Did by tradition vnderstand From what occasion that tale rose That through the world this rumor blowes ¶ Long after that same monstrous brood Of Earth-borne Gyants Ioue with-stood Our Libian Countrey did not reare Such ore-growne creatures as they were Neither was Typhons worth so much Nor Tityos nor Briareus such As in the world they glory bare But sure the earth the heauens did spare That then Antaeus was not borne Nor did in Thessaly soiorne A man so deere vnto the earth From whom he tooke his liuing birth As that he neuer touch't the ground But his maine force did more abound And when his huge limbes fainting grew Fresh strength in them it did renue This caue the house where he did dwell And vnder this high rocke the cell Where he did lodge and for his meate The flesh of Lyons he did eate On wilde beasts skinnes he would not lye Nor on the broad leaues soft and drye But on the bare mould he would rest Wherewith his vigor still encreast The people ouer all the lands Were mangled with his murdrous hands Of strangers that the coast did trade A slaughter and a spoyle he made But for a time proud of his force He did the helpe of earth diuorce And though he were of so great might That none durst him withstand in fight Yet when the fame abroad was spread Of this foule monster so a-dread And what great mischiefe he had donne It mou'd Alcides noble sonne To passe to Affricke on the maine To buckle with this surly swaine ¶ But ere his taske he did beginne From him he casts his Lyons skinne That in Cleoneae he had slaine Antaeus likewise did refraine To weare his Lybicke Lyons spoyle Then Hercules the soueraigne oyle Vpon his brawny limbes infusd That in Olympian games he vsd But now Antaeus earst so stout His proper force began to doubt And therefore stretcht himselfe at length Vpon the sands that gaue him strength Now with their hands they hand-fast take And fiercely doe their straind armes shake Then did they long but all in vaine Each other by the collars straine And brow they doe confront to brow Which neither of them both would bow But each of them did muse to see One that his equall match could bee Alcides yet forbare to show His vtmost vigor on his foe But vrg'd him so with cunning slight That out of breath he puts him quight Which by oft
coast whereas binne The chilly sharpe windes fostered All these with praise were honored Then by the Senators decree Iuba designed was to bee The soueraigne of all Libicke land To sway that scepter with his hand But oh dire Fates thou that hast name Of Ptolomey thou Fortunes shame To thee a kingdome was design'd Whose people were of faithlesse kinde The Gods herein most faulty were To grace thy wretched head of haire VVith that braue Alexandrian crowne That had from Peleus his renowne Thou boy didst take the sword in hand To rule the people of this land And would to God to them alone Thy tyrant sword had beene made knowne But Lagus Realme was giuen thee more And thou defil'd with Pompey's gore Thy sisters Crowne thou didst depriue And Caesars wracke wel-neere contriue This great assembly now dismist The multitude in Armes persist VVhilst Souldiers and the Captaines all Fore-casting nought what might befall Their Ensignes and their Armes aduance Guided by giddy Fortunes chance But Appius was the onely man That did this purpose better scan For he did feare with rash attempt To hazard doubtfull warres euent And therefore he the Gods besought To shew to what end t would be brought VVhich done he takes his iourney then To the Phoebeian Delphicke Denne That he this Oracle might heare VVhich had beene shut vp many a yeare ¶ Parnassus mountaine toppe is spred VVith lofty double forked head And in the worlds mid way doth rest Iust plac't betweene the East and West This sacred hill as eld designes To Phoebus and the God of wines With equall hest was consecrate Where they their Oracles relate His onely toppe surmounting stood Of all the earth aboue the flood That in Deucalions time did drowne The world with her high towring crowne And onely as a confine seene The waters and the skies betweene Yet thou Parnassus didst not rise So high but that one forkes poynt lyes Vnder the water hid from eyes Reuenging Paean there did show The vigor of his arme and bow Calling to minde his mothers wrong Whilst he within her wombe did throng She from her natiue home expeld He with his arrowes Python queld Which yet he scarce had skill to weld This sacred soyle as then did rest With Trypods vnder Thaemis best As soone as Paean first beheld The sounding voyce these caues did yeeld Diuinely breathing out such sawes With windy words from earths deep iawes He secretly himselfe with-drawes And in the sacred dennes did shade There Paean was a Prophet made ¶ What God quoth he is here inclosd What supreme power from heauen deposd Vouchsafes confined thus to dwell Within this solitary Cell What Deity of heauenly birth Can be partaker with this earth Within whose all conceiuing breast Eternall secrets liue and rest Whose high fore-knowledge hath descride What shall in future times betide That preacheth to the peoples eares That humane forme and nature beares Dreadfull and potent in his state And whether he doth sing of Fate Or do command that which he sings He Fate vnto perfection brings Perhaps of Iupiter entire A great part doth his soule inspire Which was vnto the earth downe sent To sway this or by continent With true proportion'd vpright paise Whereby amidst the Aire it staies Which power diuine accustom'd then To haunt in this Cyrrhaean Denne And was withall conioyned nye To thundring Ioue aboue the skye This power that had such grace receiu'd Was in a virgins breast conceiu'd With humane soule it did subsist Sounding his voice when as him list The mouth he opened of the Priest With so great force as flaming blasts That Mountaine Aetna's toppe out casts Or as Typhaeus ouer-prest With hugie weight vpon his breast Whom great Inarymes doth hide Constrained from his stomach wide To vomit vp with ratling grones Campana's flinty rugged stones ¶ This power exposd to all mens good No mortals prayers hath withstood Onely his nature doth disdaine To be defil'd with humane staine Wicked inchanters neuer dwels Nor yet converse within his celles There witches mutter not their spelles A constant truth his speeches are To alter which none ought to dare Forbidding mortals that desire His fauour is the iust mans hire For vnto such cast from their seat He hath restored Cities great The Tyrrians so he did relieue And gaue them meanes away to driue The threatnings proud of hostile Lords As Salaminian sea records The barren lands he fruitfull makes Contagious aires away he takes And teacheth how the same he slakes This age of ours with griese may say The Gods from vs hold not away A blessed gift of greater grace Then was this Delphicke sacred place Which prophesing no longer sings So future feare doth hold our kings And in that iealous doubtfull vaine All Oracles they doe restraine Yet Cyrraen Prophets nought lament That so their voyces are vp-pent Or that their Temples none frequent For if this God-heads spirit lights Within the hearts of mortall wights They that this power diuine receaues Death vnto him thereby bequeaues The full reward of present blisse Or else his paine eternall is For those weake powers of humane life Faint in the waues and vrging strife That in this fury raigneth rife So can the Gods when they doe streeke Shake mortall mindes and make them meeke Now Appius that searcheth out To vnderstand this latest doubt Of the Hesperian hidden Fate Addrest himselfe vnto the gate Of this same silent vncoth caue Whose Oracles no answeres gaue Long time before nor Trypods draue There he the Prelate doth intreat Then to set ope his sacred seate And to let in the fearfull Nunne Phaemonoë that now did runne And gadde about in shady woods And by Castalio's secret floods Where wandring carelesse she was caught And so vnto the Temple brought ¶ The Nunne whom feare did now disswade This vgly entry to invade Vsd all the Art she could inuent To hold this Lord from his intent Whereon his minde was so hot bent Great Roman Lord I muse quoth she What wicked hope inueagleth thee To search to know thy future Fate Where Oracles are out of date Parnassus long hath silent stood The God suppressed hath his mood His voyce is either dumbe or hoarse Or else this seat he doth not force But rometh in by-waies vntry'd Or Trypod-couering hide Is by Barbarians burnt and fry'd Whose ashes in the Cauernes lies And Phoebus passage so denies Or whether that the Gods high hest With Cyrrha's prophesies shall rest And that the Sibylls old presage Of things to come in future age Which are committed vnto verse Sufficiently may Fates rehearse Or Paean that is vsd to chase The spirits of a harmfull race Cannot finde out in this fraile time A truthfull tongue deuoid of crime Now in this virgins words and cheere Dissembling fraud did plaine appeare Her guilty feare did then descry She falsely did the Gods deny Her writhed fillet she
The ship ten times together lifts And that which wondrous is to say She on the waues top still did stay And did not downe decline againe But with a sweeping billowes straine The barke was cast vpon the sands Whereas their last forsaken lands Doth make a narrow hollow bay And there a shore doe safely stay Here at one cast againe possest With all his Fortune so much blest And with so many stately Townes Such Cities and such Regall Crownes But Caesar thus return'd againe And Phoebus rising from the maine He could not so himselfe conceale As when he from his Campe did steale And all his Army did deceaue For now about him clustring cleaue His loyall troopes to see his face But teares a while all ioy did chase And then their Chieftaine they reproue With such complaints as grow from loue Stout Caesar whither now quoth they Did thy rash valour thee convey And to what Fate when thou wert fled VVere we poore soules abandoned VVhy didst thou to vnwilling waues Thy body giue where danger raues VVhen thou well knowst how many frends VVhat peoples safeties liues and ends Onely vpon thy Fate depends And that the world with loue and dread Hath chosen thee her soueraigne head T is inhumanity I say Liâ—e wilfully to cast away VVas none of vs of that desart VVith thee in this to share a part Of all thy friends that yet remaine In this wouldst thou no one retaine Dead sleepe alas did vs deceaue VVhilst that the seas did thee bereaue And thereof we are much asham'd But must this cause therefore be blam'd That thou didst seeke Hesperia land A desperate deed thou took'st in hand In such fierce cruell stormes as these To trust thy selfe with raging seas In most extreames and last of all When doubtfull wrackes we would fore-stall Then men are wont to cut off strife Stoutly to end a loathsome life But thou with all this worlds good blest The seas must be therewith possest Why weariest thou the Gods aboue Fortune hath shewd her care and loue Sufficient if she do no more But thy safe landing on the shore And this may serue thee to debarre From hoped fortune in thy warre No better vse can Caesar make Of that great care the Gods do take For his affaires the earth that swaies And to whose heast all men obayes Then that such grace they him behight To be a happy ship-wrack't wight But whilst they thus expostulate The sunne his beames doth eleuate And so breakes off this dire complaint The swelling seas now growing faint With huge turmoyle her waues deprest When as the windes were laid to rest ¶ And then the leaders of those bands That lay so long in Latium lands Seeing the maine now spent with rage And cleansing Boreas did asswage The lowring gusts of seas and sky They loosd their ships the waues to trye Which long and oft had tryall made Twixt sailers skilfull in their trade And the resisting stubborne windes Which so each other equall bindes That they the broad seas could not scoure And come to Caesar with their power But now aboord the Souldiers get The ships in order they are set When as the night with froward gale Kept Mariners they could not hale Their tackes aboord nor ply their sailes Amongst the ships all order failes So do the Cranes in strained rankes When they forsake Strimonian bankes Shunning the rage of winters frost Go seeke their drinke on Nylus coast And when they first beginne their flight Their rankes so orderly they dight That diuers figures they retaine Whilst they throughout the aire doe straine Vntill at length some Southerne blast Amongst their wings his puffes do cast Wherewith they are inforc'd to flye A higher pitch in windy skye And then confusdly do begin To breake their order filed thin In clusters soaring round together Framing their flight to serue the wether And puts the letter out of square Whose forme in flying first they bare ¶ But with the dauning of the day The winde began to beare a sway Stir'd with the sight of Phoebus face And now it hath this fleete in chase Which as it saild did striue in vaine The shores of Lissus to attaine But yet that land they could not lay Till North-winde gaue the South-winde way And to Nymphaeus port did guide The fleet which Boreas blast deny'd In keeping backe the checking tide Now Pompey sees prouision made From sundry coasts him to inuade And Caesars force at point to Arme From euery place about him swarme So as his Campe must now withstand The daily garboyles neere at hand He doth resolue to place a part His nuptiall care secure from Mart. And vnto Lesbos meanes to send His faire Cornelia there to spend This bloody time remote a farre From clattring Armes and noyse of warre Good God how iust loue rules and bindes Those men that are of worthy mindes Loue so in Pompey breedes remorce That dread and doubt doe warres diuorce For now Cornelia is the cause That he himselfe a while with-drawes From hazarding the doubtful scarre Of Fortune in this ciuill warre When all the world and Roman state Was now exposd to martiall Fate He now wants words to shew his minde And to delayes is whole enclin'd Whereby he may protract euent And trifle Fate in loue-time spent Now when the night was almost past And sleepy rest had lent his last To slumbring eyes Cornelia than Sweetly embracing her good man Seeking withall his lippes to smacke Whose breast deep cares did strain rack To her the whiles he turnes his back When wounded she with blinded feares Seeing his eyes besprent with teares Durst not desire the cause to learne Nor seeme she did his teares discerne Then sighing thus he said Deare wife To me more pleasing then my life Whilst I in happy state did liue But now dost cause of sorrow giue Since that the heauy day I see That our sweet ioyes must parted bee Too short a date for our delight Though all to long to stay from fight For Caesar now is ready prest And warre is onely in request During which time Lesbos shall be A safe retiring place for thee Forbeare requests to me to make I haue resolu'd this course to take And haue denyd mine owne desire Thou shalt not long from me retire But things are now in desperate chaunce And when as ruine doth aduance The greatest states must lead the daunce It may suffise thee still to heare When perils are to Pompey neare But sure thy loue deceiues me farre If thou affect to see this warre How fouly I might be asham'd That now for Mart haue all things fram'd To sleepe securely with my wife Sequestred from this ciuill strife And when the sounding Trumpets shall The wretched world to battaile call That Pompey then with drowsie eyes Should from thy tender bosome rise To wofull Pompey 't were a skorne That he no preiudice hath borne
the hast he could deuise He marcht Dyrachyum to surprise But Pompey knowing his intent By Seas doth this designe preuent And on a hill that Petra hight He lodge his Campe by his foresight So to defend Dyrachyum wals Which Caesar sought to make his thrals Although this Citties towres were strong To haue repulsed any wrong Yet her best strength and rampars stands Not by the worke of ancient hands That bulwarkes fram'd by art and toyle With clustred heapes digd from the soyle Although such structures mightie power Nor war nor time can well deuoure But it was strongly fortifi'd All Engines forces to abide By onely helpe of Natures hands And by the seate whereon it stands For t is almost inclosed round With a maine sea large and profound And craggy steepe cliffes tottring hye Gainst which the roaring billowes flye And but by this hill hindered With sea it would be Ilanded The walles foundations are of Rockes Most dangerous for ship-wracke shockes When as the Southerne raging blasts Th' Ionion furious waues vp casts For Temples then and houses shake And froth of seas their toppes ore-rake ¶ Hither the haynous hopes of warre Drew Caesars rage his foes to barre But when he saw their troopes at large Disperst on euery mountaines varge He vnawares to them assaies Farre off a mighty trench to raise And brings it with a compasse round Enclosing many a mile of ground The lands he measures with his eye And so casts vp a Rampart hye Not onely fram'd of earth and clay But hugie rockes therein doth lay And stones from flinty quarries dig'd The Graecian houses he vnrig'd And goodly walles in peeces shakes Wherewith this lofty trench he makes So sollid and so firme withall That it would neither sway nor fall With force of battery neere or farre Of Rammes or Engines for the warre Downe go the hilles hand ouer head With which the vales are leuelled Till Caesars taske were finished Ditches he casts vp large and deepe Then mantled Towers square and steepe He reares vpon his trenches toppes And in this sort he rounding stoppes A long fetch 't compast monstrous bound Of bushy woods and forrest ground With plowed lands and pasture fields And some that nought but briers yeelds And in this vast incircled soyle The sauadge beasts he did entoyle So as now Pompey's Army needs Nor fields nor fodder for their steedes So large a territories space Did this Caesarean trench embrace And Pompey had sufficient change From place to place his Tents to range Through it faire riuers tooke their sourse And in the seas did end their course Caesar surueyes this wondrous feate And when he saw it was compleat He and his troopes with toyle opprest Amidst the large fields tooke their rest Now let vs heare those fables old That of the Troians walles were told Ascribed to the God-heads cares Although but fram'd of brittle wares And those great wonders that doe flye Of Babylonian walles so hye That seem'd to front and threat the skye Made by the Parthian turne againe That flying doth his fight maintaine But looke what spacious fields and lands Are compast with fierce Tygris bands Or swift Orontes doth embrace From which the Kings of Easterne race Did at the first with suddaine might Small kingdomes share vnto their right Euen so much ground with rapted close In broyles of warre fronted with foes He quickly wal'd and finished Yet those and this all perished Those hands mought with a little toyle Ioyne Abidos to Sestus soyle And with like heapes of earth haue made The Hellespont a land-way trade And might that Istmos haue purloyn'd That Pelops land to Greece hath ioyn'd Or else haue made a way direct For ships to passe without reflect Through that long stretching Malean straine That shelues so farre into the maine Or any part of all the earth Haue changed from her proper birth Vnto some clime of better mood Though Nature had the worke withstood This martiall terrace frame of rage So furnisht doth enclose the stage VVhence factious strife bloody streames Shall ouer-flow so many Realmes Heere the Thessalian slaughters wonne And Lybick murdrous deeds mis-done And heere now flames the ciuill brand VVithin this compast plot of land ¶ This worke when first it was erected Of Pompey was no more suspected Then are the clashings of the waues That lowd against Pelorum raues Hard by those people that farre wide In midst of Trinacry reside Or then the Britton Calidons Can heare the blustring motions That Thetis billowes when they rake Against the Kentish cliffes do make But he no sooner found it out VVhat fields this vaste trench closd about But straight his troopes he did conuay From Petra where secure they lay And them about those hilles disposd That this maine Rampart had enclosd And this he practisd to this end That Caesar should of force extend His troopes and weaken so his strength Disperst to guard the trenches length For so much quantity in ground This new-raisd Rampart did surround As is Aricia's little wood Distant from Rome whereas there stood A sacred Altar eleuate Vnto Diana consecrate Or as the riuer Tybris falles Into the sea from Roman walles If so it ran straight in a line And did not crooked trending twine But yet no Trumpets sound alarmes Nor weapons marshalled to harmes Although sometimes their Armes to try The wounding darts on both sides flye These Captaines now are kept a part With greater cares from bloody Mart. For Pompeys campe found penury Of fodder for his Caualry That daily galloping these fields Which earst such store of herbage yeelds Their horned hoofes so bare had beate That grasse nor greene was there to eate The lusty Coursers than waxt faint When as their lease was thus attaint And to another feed were brought Where rackes with hay were fully fraught But then they mourn'd and pin'd away Chang'd from fresh grasse to dryed hay And whilst their Riders spurre their sides And in the rings their gallop guides With trembling ioynts all suddenly They sinke downe right and gasping lye Till death their stretch't out limbes surprise And so the lusty courser dies Besides all this there did ensue An aire that such infection drew By heauens distemper'd foggy sky Wherein contagious heates did fry That through the Campe a pest doth flye Such banefull Stygian loathsome sents Do rise from out the dampish vents Of Nesis hollow mouldy caues And such like vapours breathing raues From forth Typhaeus nasty denne That chokes with stench both beasts men Herewith in heapes the Souldiers fall And that which plagues them worst of all The poisned waters more offend Then all those dampes the aire doth send For that their bowels so doth freate And parch them with such inward heate As that the skinne it scorching swarts Their very eyes with swelling starts Their faces flame with fiery hue Cangranes and Calentures ensue And thus tormented sundry wayes Their heads for
corps behould Pale and dis-figured on the mould Another in his dreame discernes His fathers wounds whereat he yearnes And all these sprights and hellish feares Then Caesars guilty conscience teares No lesse then did those hagges of hell Within Orestes spirits dwell That with affrights his visage vrg'd Till Scythian Altars him had purg'd Nor yet Pentheius in his minde More furious gastly fits did finde Nor mad Agaue in her kinde ¶ For all the swords that bloud did staine Now shed on the Pharsalian plaine And those reuenging swords withall That should in future on him fall By force of Senatorian spight In dreames oppressed him this night So doe the furies him affright How liues this wretched man in feare That doth such guilt in conscience beare That in his dreames he seemes to see The Stygian ghosts about him flee With all the foule infernall traines Whilst Pompey still aliue remaines Yet this no whit his conscience straines But when cleare day with shining beames Bewraid Pharsalia's bloody streames The horror of that vgly sight Did not his gasping eyes affright Nor turne them from those lothsome lands But lookes how thicke the riuers stands Clotted with gore and how likewise As high as hilles the bodies rise That on the Champian heaped lies Of Pompeys men a tale he takes And in that place a feast he makes He pries amongst the bodies there What faces knowne vnto him were And herein great contentment found He could not see Emathias ground Nor cast his eyes vpon the plaine Hid with the bodies that lay slaine There saw he how his fortune stood And all his Gods clothed in blood And for because he would not lose This pleasing prospect on dead foes Still madding in his wicked ire He would not giue them funerall fire But let them rotting there to rest Emathias aire so to infest He might haue learn'd by Hanniball That gaue our Consull funerall And how he humane rites bestowes In Cannas fields vpon his foes With pyles of wood to burne the dead Which Lybicke torches kindled But that sterne wroth that him enrag'd The slaughter had not yet asswag'd For he remembred in his minde The Romans were to him vnkinde But now we do not here desire For euery one a single fire Or any glorious funerall Bestow but one fire on them all We do not seeke that they should burne In parted flames and shared vrne Or if thou Pompey more wouldst spite All Pindus woods then hew downe quite And the Oetean oakes lay wast And make of all one pile so vast That he may from the seas descrie Pharsalian flames streame in the skie ¶ This rage of thine auaileth nought By whatsoeuer meanes t is wrought That these dead bodies may consume For be it with a fierie fume Or else with time that they do rot And turne to dust it skilleth not For nature in her louing wombe Doth freely mortals all intombe All bodies that do breath and liue Their end to her as debt must giue And though that Caesar in disdaine Their funerall fire from them detaine Yet when the Earth and Ocean vast Shall be consum'd with flames at last One common fire the world shall haue And starres with humane bones engraue And vnto whatsoeuer place Fortune thy flitting soule shall chase These soules the selfe-same way shall wend No higher shall thy ghost ascend But lodge in Stygian shade below No better mansion shalt thou know From Fortunes freakes death frees vs all What earth doth yeeld earth doth recall And he that lies vnburied With heauens high cope is couered And thou that dost whole nations wrong From burials that to them belong Why dost thou loth these slaughtred bands And shunne these soild contagious lands Caesar doe thou these waters drinke In this aire breath that so doth stinke But these corrupted bodies slaine Doe take from thee Pharsalia plaine And in despight do hold the place And thence the conquerours do chase ¶ But to this carnage for their food Thither repaires with rauening mood The Thracian wolues that vent from farre The bloud of this Aemonian warre The Lyons come from Pholoen And doe forsake their haunted denne To quench in gore their thirsting iawes Whom sent of slaughter thither drawes The grisly Beares do leaue their caues And on these festred bodies raues The filthy dogges forsake their homes And all about these fat fields romes And whatsoeuer else by kinde With senting nose can sauors winde When as the aire is putrifide With carkasses long mortifide And hither flocks of fowles do throng That both the camps had followed long And those same birds that change the aire Of Thracian cold and do repaire Vnto the gentle Southerne blast Where they the streames of Nylus tast So many vultures thither flie As neuer earst did clowd the skie With other rauenous foules of pray Which euery wood sent day by day And to the branches boughs and leaues The clotterd gore and bowels cleaues That these birds brings and oft withall Vpon the victors heads doth fall And on those wicked ensignes borne The flesh and guts that they had torne Which from their weary talents slip Hauing got more then they could grip Neither could they so sharke and share The flesh whereby the bones were bare All was not made a pray to beasts They were so glutted with these feasts As that they now began to loath The inwards and the marrow both And onely on choise morsels feede Most of the lims of Latium breede Vnto long time to wet and heate They left to rot and would not eate So as whole troops in heaped bands Lay festring there and dung'd the lands O Most vnhappy Thessaly How hast thou wrong'd the Gods on hie That thou shouldst be so pestered With cruell slaughters and bloodshed What future age or tract of time May well repaire this bloody crime Or lodge this in obliuous graue VVhat corn bringst thou that shal not haue Vpon his blade a bloody staine To shew these slaughters in thy graine VVhat plow-share can here furrows rend But they will Roman ghosts offend And yet new armies here shal meet And with like rage each other greete Before that euer thou canst drye The blood that in thee now doth lie Should we our fires sepulchers rake And of their tombes a ruine make Searching the depth to find the chest And lay all open where they rest More cynders yet there would be found Turnd vp in the Aemonian ground By force of crooked cultors share VVhen as the plowman tilleth there And more bones spuing out their marrow Crusht with the iron-toothed harrow No marriner though tempest tost VVould euer anchor on this coast No tilsman would plow vp these fields That vnto Romans buriall yeelds Their ghosts wold cause the peasants quake The droues the pastures would fosake The shepheards durst not be so bold Their fleecie flocks to feede and fold That they their hunger might suffise On grasse that from our bowels rise But thou
Parths his force employ That nation of the world alone I could be glad were ouerthrowne By Caesars armes and that for it He might in triumphs charret sit Thinke that ere thou with sucst an host Couldst passe Araxes frozen cost Old Crassus shade with heauy cheare Stitcht full of darts would first appeare Before thy face and thus would speake O thou that shouldst due vengeance wreake For this huge slaughter on vs made Thou whom we did our hopes perswade Wouldst giue our naked bones a graue That now in mould no rest can haue Camst thou a league and peace to craue Then will those slaughters memories Present themselues before thine eyes When on the walls with stakes yborne Those heads thou seest set vp in scorne And Euphrates that did confound So many Lords in her streames drownd And Tygris that our bodies slaine Did vnder earth a time retaine And then disgorged them againe If with thy mind thou canst dispense To passe by these without offence As well maist thou ô Pompey yeeld Thy selfe vnto Pharsalias field Where Caesar sitting Conquerour Thou mercy maist of him emplore But better weigh our Roman cause If thou dost feare those Tyrants paws That in the South haue residence And Iubas faithlesse insolence Let Pharus King of vs be prayd And Lagus Realme to yeeld vs ayd The Lybicke Syrts do safely bound Vpon this side Aegyptian ground And Nylus from all forreine foes With his seuen heads doth it inclose On tother side and t is a land That of it selfe can liue and stand Contentedly and needs not craue Her neighbors helpe nor showres to haue Nylus doth so her pastures laue Whose scepter Ptolemie a boy And regall crowne doth now enioy Besides to Pompey he doth rest Oblig'd and by his sires bequest Thy pupill is then who would feare A name that doth bâ—â— shadow beares His age as yet from guile is free Such faith you could not looke to see Such lawes or such integrities Nor seruice to the Deities In that kings court that raigned last Long rule all right doth ouercast Vnder a king that newly raignes All things are milde noe force constraines No more he sayd this swaid their mind What libertie last hopes do finde To Pompeys censure none enclinde ¶ Then they Cilician coasts forsake And saile for Cyprus Isle doe make Where Venus mindfull of that place In Paphos for the Ilands grace Her Altars keepes whence spring her race If we may thinke that on the earth The heauenly powers may take their birth Or that the Gods as some do raue Like humane wights beginnings haue When Pompey from this harbour wends About the Cyprian cliffes he trends And Southward doth his way direct But with contrary tides was checkt That do alongst those channels sweepe Neither doth he a straight course keepe Towards mount Cassium by the light That Pharus tower sets out at night But fell with Aegypts lowest shore Scarce stemming tides with sayle and oare And hardly thither got withall Where Nylus parted greatest fall With her seuenth streame and mighty sway Doth fall into Pelusium bay It was the season and the time When Libra being in her prime Indifferently the ballance swayes With equall lengths of nights and daies And Autums solstice now requits By lengthning her ensuing nights The houres that were tane away By springs solstice increasing day Now when that Pompey had descride That Egypts king did then reside Neare Cassius mount he tacks about Seeking a way to find him out For yet did neither daylight faile Nor had the ship yet stroken saile ¶ Forthwith the horse scouts that did stand For Centinels alongst the land Alarums gaue to all the shores And sild the court with great vprores The sudden comming of this man For Counsell small time gaue them than Yet all the vipers of that Court To consultation did resort Amongst the rest of all which Peeres One Achoreus full of yeeres A reuerent sire whom schooling age More modest made and free from rage He was a natiue of that soyle That flowing Nylus doth entoyle In Memphis he receiu'd his lore That doth vaine Rites so much adore VVhere hee had long time exercis'd As Priest the lawes they had deuis'd In honour of that horned beast VVhich they with deity inuest To whom for name they Apis giue Many of which hee did out-liue This Achoreus counsell gaue That faith and merite ought to haue A great respect vnto it borne And that they ought not hold in scorne The plighted league and vowes of loue That this Kings father did approue And vnto Pompey still profest By whom his kingdome he possest For what quoth he can mortals bind To friendship in a higher kind If kings and states no faith maintaine How shall the vulgar truth retaine When they by higher powers are taught All loyall trust to set at naught Why do all kings their subiects sweare Fidelitie to them to beare If that the kings owne actions teach Of vowes and leagues to make a breach When due respects failes in the head How will the members be misled We see that all the world is bent To seeke the way that Princes went All kings by Ceremonies stand By lawes they rule with powerfull hand But if those lawes they vioalate They weaken then their owne estate For where we setled order swayes Who there can rule or who obayes Where Iustice force doth strike no stroke It there dissolues subiections yoake When kings themselues lawlesse grow They hazard then to ouerthrow Their owne estate and teach that mind That is ambitiously enclind How to aspire by fraud or might To reaue away their soueraignes right He that no good deserts obserues The like at others hands deserues Thy father did by Pompeys grace Of Soueraigntie obtaine this place And so thy selfe enioyes this land VVhich he receiu'd at Pompeys hand For it he dy'd in Pompeys debt VVhich fauour thou maist not forget For thereby shall the Romane state Esteeme thee but a Prince ingrate And Caesars selfe condemne thy mind As most disloyall and vnkind And thinke how much thou wouldst him scorne If he in like state were forlorne And forc'd thy royall aid to craue Of whom a friend no helpe could haue In his braue mind he will thee deeme A Prince of worth and more esteeme For fauouring Pompey in distresse That at thy hands deserues no lesse Then now to vse him with disdaine In hope thereby Caesar to gaine A foe that man will dignifie That helps his friend in miserie Though treasons act secure his state Yet Caesar will the traytor hate And thinke that thou to none dost beare Good will but such as grows by feare And therefore will the Roman state Deeme that thou didst both parties hate But do not enuy'd courses proue Thy greatnes rather ground on loue With kings the noble Lyons port Then Foxes wiles doth better sort Pompey againe his head may raise
the rapture of each blast Their garments they gird to them fast And thrust their hands into the mould Their own weight seru'd not them to hould But they were forc't all helps to proue And yet the winds would them remoue And therewithall orewhelm'd be they With heapes of sands whereas they lay Which dust on them so heauie lies That they scarce able were to rise But sticke fast in the heaped sand And when they get vpright to stand The same so thicke about them flotes That they stand buried to the throates Stones from the wals are taken out And through the aire are borne about And cast farre off most strange to see Whose fals to many harmfull bee And where no houses can be found Huge ruins lie vpon the ground There did appeare no way nor path The soile at all no difference hath But as vpon the seas you saile So must the stars your course auaile And by them seeke to finde your way And yet starres do not still display In circuite of the Lybian skies For many shine not to their eyes But vnder their horizon lies ¶ Now when the heates had nere appeasd The winds whose rage the aire had ceasd And that the daies more feruent grew And did more scorching beames renew Through such a countrey then they passe As by the Gods designed was Of mortall wights to be vnknowne Plac't vnderneath the torrid zoane Where noght is found but parching drouth All moisture tending to the South Their lims and ioynts in sweat do melt Their mouths and iawes with thirst do swelt Yet heare a little vaine they spie Of putred water running by The which the souldiers scarce could get So did the sands the current let But yet out of the pudled spring One fils his Caske and doth it bring To Cato Chieftaine of the hoast When all with drought were then embost Who first a little say did take And then in anger thus bespake Thou souldier base what dost thou see That is of so small worth in mee That I alone of of all this troope For want of continence should droope Haue I of nycenesse shewd such signe That I should first at thirst repine Nay thou that blame dost more deserue That drinkst whilst all for thirst do sterue Therewith he ouer-turn'd the Caske All were suffisd none water aske ¶ Then they vnto that Temple came That serues for all the Libian name And where rude Garamants doe dwell They haue no other sacred Cell And here as old report doth runne The horned Iupiter doth wonne But thunder-bolts he none doth beare Nor is like Latiums Iupiter With wretched hornes his head is dight And Ammon Iupiter he hight The Lybians this Temple hold Endowed not with gifts nor gold Nor Iewels of the Easterne morne with glistering did this place adorne And yet the Aethiopians And all the rich Arabians With those in India that liue To Ammon onely God-head giue Yet for a God he is but bare In no age he for wealth had care His Temple he from that restraines Vnviolate with greedy gaines And as it was the ancient guise That God-head did the gold despise That in the Roman Temples lies And that same place doth witnesse well That there some heauenly powers do dwell For onely there is to be seene That Lybian soyle doth bring forth greene For all the rest of parched sands Diuided from the temperate lands Of Berenice and Leptis ground Nor grasse nor leafe is to be found Ammon alone greene groues retaines And those are causd by springing vaines Which in that place the earth refines And with those springs the sands combines ¶ Here nothing doth withstand the Sunne When he his highest pitch doth runne In equalling their nights and dayes For then the boughes scarce shade displayes Vpon the body of the tree The sunny beames so shortned bee By reason that they downe-right strike And therefore cause no shade oblike And this is thought to be the place Whereas the Sunnes high circling race Doth cut the line that beares the Signes In middle where the Solstice shines For then they go no whit a scance Nor Taurus righter doth aduance Then Scorpio in his sphericke dance Nor Aries doth prescribe the times To Libra when his height he climes Nor yet Astraea doth require Slow Pisces downe-ward to retire Chyron the Centaure equally Is opposite to Gemini And moistie Capricorne the same In distance as is Cancers flame Nor Leo with his fiery eyes Doth higher then Aquarius rise But vnto thee who so thou art Of any Nation that apart Is sequestred from Lybian beames The shadow euer South-ward streames But contrary with Northerne Realmes Thy sight the North-starre vndergoes And Vrsa Maior to thee showes As if that all his vnwet waine Were ouer-whelmed in the maine And each starre that is most of light Seemes by the sea hid from thy sight And either Pole this Region Makes equall with thy Horizon Where all the Signes in their swift force In midst of heauen do run their course ¶ Before this Temple gate did stand The people of the Easterne land Attending there to know their fates Which Ammons Oracle relates But yet to Cato all gaue way And his owne Captaines doe him pray That of this God he would explore Whom Lybia did so much adore His doome what fortunes and what chance The future Ages should aduance And he that Cato most importunes To search the knowledge of their fortunes And counsell of this God to take Was Labienus that thus spake The happe and fortune of our way Hath offered vs this lucky day To learne from this high power diuine Of our successe the fatall fine For by so great a guide as he We may a right directed be Through Syrts in wandring neare and farre And know the chances of this warre For vnto whom should I beleeue The heauenly powers would sooner giue True knowledge of their secret hest Then vnto Cato's holy breast For thy iust life God hath respected And beene by lawes diuine directed And vnto thee t is granted still With Ioue himselfe to speake at will Enquire of wicked Caesars fate And what shall be our Countries state Whether the people shall retaine Their lawes and liberties againe Or ciuill warre shall vs still straine Fill now thy breast with sacred voyce Thou that in vertue dost reioyce Learne what our valour may atchiue And how our honest course may thriue ¶ He alwayes fild with grace diuine That in his secret soule did shrine These worthy speeches from his heart Like Oracles doth now impart O Labienus to me show What thou woldst I should seek to know Where I in Armes had rather dye Or liue a slaue to tyranny Whether we may a life it call That is not dated long withall Where diffring age doe oft auaile Where rigor can true goodnesse quaile Where fortune doe her threats but loose When she doth vertues might oppose Whether that it may vs suffice
Had Perseus borne vnto this place That tooke from Danae his race When Ioue trans-form'd to golden showre Into her lap himselfe did powre He tooke vnto him speedily The trenchant glaine of Mercurie That glaine embrued with the staine Of hundred-eyed Argus slaine The watch-man of that haifer white That did Ioues fancy so delight Then Pallas that same martiall maide Did giue her winged brother aid Whereby this Gorgons head to gaine And charged him his flight to straine Toward Lybissas vtmost land But that his looke should Eastward stand And flying hold a westward race When he through Gorgons realme did trace Then on his left arme she did binde Her brazen Targe that brightly shin'd And bids him so the same direct That vpon it there might reflect Medusas stone-creating eyes Which heauy sleepe should so surprise And rap't her sences chiefest strength To bring dire death on her at length But yet part of her snakie tresse This slumber could not so oppresse But that some serpents stood an end And did her dulled head defend Whilst some her face did ouer-spred And vail'd her eyes in darknesse bed Then Pallas lent her powerfull charme To fearfull Perseus trembling arme And did his fauchion Harpe guide That ready was to turne aside Wherewith he straight in sunder smoat Her spatious snake-bearing throat What face had Gorgon then I wonder When that her necke was cut a sunder With that same crooked wounding blade What poyson did her gorge vnlade How many deaths from her eyes streames Pallas could not endure those gleames Nor Perseus though he turn'd aside Had scap't from being stonifi'd If Pallas had not with her Targe Her feltred lockes disperst at large And so be-clouded all her face With Snakes that ouer it did trace ¶ The winged Perseus being sped With this fell Gorgons vgly head Did minde to heauen to make repaire And cuts the region of the aire But lest through Europes Clyme he might With dammage to those coasts take flight Pallas enioyn'd him with her hest That fruitfull soyle not to infest Nor yet that people to molest For who would not admire the skies When through them such a wonder flies From Zephyrus he turnes his wings And ouer Lybia's coasts he flings Where was nor graine nor tillage vsd But all with Phoebus flames enfusd For there the Heauens and Tytans steedes Burnt all so that no greene it breedes And no land in the earth doth rise With mighty shade more neere the skies Nor Cinthia's light doth more surprise If that forgetfull of her way From the right signes she trend astray For that high land casts neuer shade Vnto the South or Northerne glade And yet it is a barren ground Wherein no goodnesse can be found But now it was with poysons fed That drop't downe from Medusa's head And those vilde dewes corrupt the fields That her invenom'd sanguine yeelds The which the heates more noysome makes When in the putred sands it bakes ¶ The first corruption that arose And in the dust his head out-showes The Aspicke was that brings dead sleepe And with a swelling necke doth creepe With Gorgons blood he was repleate The clottred poysons in him fret No serpent is more poysonous Nor in extreame more frigidous Who wanting warmth doth alwayes shun The Clymes remoter from the Sunne And all alongst the bankes of Nyle Those sands he likewise doth defile But how great shame to vs acrues Whom couetise doth so abuse That we from Affricke do not spare To marchandize that noysome ware Here also doth that hugie beast Haemorrhois raise vp his crest And whom he stings from out the vaines All the life-feeding blood hee draines Then the Chersydros double kinde That in the sholes of Syrts are shrin'd And the Chelydri in their dennes Amongst the muddy steaming fennes And Cenchris alwayes when he slides Not wriggling straight his passage guides Whose speckled body full of staines More diuers colours still retaines Then are the Theban marble vaines And the Ammodites whose hue From parched sands men hardly knew And the Ceraste roming wide Whose winding backe each way can glide And Scytale that winter-worme That in cold dewes doth make his furme And in that season casts his coate Then Dipsas that is all as hot Amphisibena harmfull fiend That hath a head at either end The Water-snake that felly stings And Darting Serpents that haue wings And Pharias that doth not traile But euer goes vpon his taile And greedy Praester that all rapes Whose frothy Iawes such widenesse gapes VVith Seps that in contagion swelts And very bones with bodies melts Then that same Basiliske whose hisse Vnto all Serpents fearfull is So as from him they flye or hide And come not where he doth reside Hee lethall is before he sting His hissing deadly harme doth bring Sole in the sands he raignes as King And torrid Affricke likewise breedes Those plaguie Dragons that exceedes For mischiefe in most cruell kinde VVhich other nations neuer finde VVhose scalie backes doe shine like gold And when aloft their flight they hold Amidst the aire with stretched wings The heards of cattell clustring thrings For mighty Bulles become their pray That in their tailes they sweepe away Huge Elephants scape not their pawes All things to death their fury drawes So as no poysnous humor needes To act the mischiefe of their deeds ¶ Cato with his stout martiall bands Doth march alongst these parched sands That do such mortall poysons yeeld And there with griefe he oft beheld The vncoth deaths that so abounds Amongst his troops of little wounds The Serpent Dipsas turnes his head On Aulus that on him did tread And bites this youth of Tyrrhen race That held an Ensigne-bearers place He scarcely any whit was paind Nor any signe of bite remaind Within his lookes no death appeard Nor threatning danger to be feard But yet the secret poyson workes The fire within the marrow lurkes And suddenly the venome heates Whilst burning gripes his bowels freats This pestilence dispersed sinks And all the vitall humours drinks His pallat and his iaws grow drie His tongue with scorching drought did frie His wearie lims with labouring heate Did not as earst yeeld moistie sweate No teares at all fall from his eyes All moisture from the poyson flies No reu'rence of the Empires awe Nor Stoicke Catos martiall law Could this incensed man affray But he his Ensignes would display And all about the fields did raue Seeking where he might water haue The which his thirsty heart did craue Had he beene into Tanais cast Or Rhodanus that runs so fast Or into Poe that spreads so vast Or into Nylus that doth range Alongst so many countries strange And of all these had soakt his fill Yet would his lights haue burned still The fury of the parched ground Did make his deadly drought abound And adde more deaths to Lybias blame But doth detract from Dipsas fame As not from her that all this came He now at
doth their venome charme Meane while the souldiers do not know What wayes to seeke or where to go But are directed by the skies And in this maze powre out their cries O Gods say they let vs be led Vnto the field from which we fled Bring vs againe to Thessalie Our hands to armes we destinie Why languish we in miserie The Dipsaes here for Caesar fight And the Caerastes plead his right Alongst the torrid zoane we run And clymates burned with the Sun We are well pleasd in our dispaire To lay the blame vpon the aire And then against the heauens to crie As destin'd in this soyle to die But Affricke we accuse thee not Nor nature with this fault do blot Thou hast this hatefull soyle designd To serpents of a monstrous kind And therefore hence it first did chace All meanes to nourish humane race This earth thou barren didst ordaine Vnfit for tillage or for graine And in this sort thou didst decree That men from poysons should be free But we take vp the Serpents roomes For which we haue these heauy doomes And thou ô God who so thou art That dost dislike of this our mart Thereby to make our errour knowne On this side setst the torrid zoane And on the other side dost place The marine Syrts with doubtfull race And in the midst this noysome coast Where we by sundry deaths are lost ¶ The ciuill warre his armes displaies Alongst these desart vncouth waies And now the souldiers well are taught What miseries the heauens haue wrought The worlds deepe secrets they haue sought But now perhaps some things more strange They yet may meet where they will range For there the Sun fals in the Seas And hissing doth his flames appease And there the nature of the Poles Opprest to seeming downward rolles But no land further doth extend Vnto the West where this doth end But Iubas realme whose fatall name To vs is onely knowne by fame There we shall seeke and chance to finde Lands breeding serpents of this kinde This comforts yet the heauens do giue That in this soyle some of vs liue We do not wish nor yet desire To our owne countrey to retire Europe nor Asia we affect Where other stars lend their aspect But Affricke where haue we thee lost Vnder what skie or in what cost Art thou obscured from our host For but euen now the winters cold We found vpon Cyrenis mold Is so much the yeares season chang'd In this small way that we haue rang'd We crosse this Axle of the world And with the sphere about are whorld And now againe we turne our backe Once more vnto the Southerne racke So as perhaps the Roman land Iust vnderneath our feet doth doth stand This onely comfort fate vs grant That our foes seeke vs where we hant That Caesar ere this warre be done May follow on where we haue run Such wofull plaints remedilesse Their suffring patience did expresse But that their captaines noble heart Made them all pains take in good part The bared sands was still his bowre He tempted Fortune euery howre In all assayes he still made one And runs when he is cald vpon His worthie carriage comfort gaue To souldiers readie for their graue And more then health did them reuiue For they in greatest pangs would striue To hide their plaints and death defie As long as he was present by What power on him had any griefe That so to others gaue reliefe Whilst he lookt on his men he taught The greatest woes to set at nought ¶ Fortune that wearie was almost With plaguing of this wretched hoast A little tast of comfort giues And them at last though late releeues A people in the world there be That are from serpents poyson free Marmarida that land is nam'd Psilli the people that haue fram'd Their tongues all venoms rage to dead As well as hearbs that earth hath bred No poysons force can be enfusd Into their blood though no charms vsd The place by nature doth prouide That safe mongst serpents they recide It profits them to leade their life In soyles where serpents are so rife With them death seldome is at strife Their blood so poyson houlds in scorne That when a childe is newly borne They vse this meanes wherewith to trie If it be free from Bastardie By prouing of the Aspicks byte To know where it be false or right And as Ioues Eagle scans the doubt Of those warme egs the dam brings out By taking his vnplumed race And them against the Sun doth place And those that can with constant eye Behold the beames assuredly And will not twinckle at the light When Tytan shewes his face most bright As his owne breed those he affects But euery wincking squall reiects Such triall doth the Psiilli make If their small babes dare touch a snake Or if the infant do but play With serpents laied in his way ¶ These people doe not onely care How to preserue their own welfare But strangers likewise they intend And from those monsters them defend And to our souldiers helpe did lend One of the Psilli did accost An Ensigne of the Romane host And with our campe along he went And when the Chieftaine pitcht his Tent He all the host did circuite round Intrenched on this sandie ground That done his muttring charmes he spake And all without great fiers did make A medcine venoms force to slake In it the Dane-wort hissing heates And Galbana there frying sweates The Thamarix of sullen plight And Costrum that hearbe-Mary hight With Panacea most of might Then the Thessalian Centorie And Maid-wort that doth crackling frie Long-wort and Larix therewithall And that which Southernwood we call Whose smoake the serpents so distast And then an old Harts-horne at last So all the night they safely past For poysons that do dayly hant That people magicke wonders chant Great strugling strife these Psillans make When they would taken-venom slake For first of all the stinged ioint With spittle they do round annoint Which doth the spreading venom draine And in the wound the same containe Then many charmes by them are sung Still muttring with a froathie tong And from their mumbling if they cease The venoms rage will then increase No minute may they hold their peace Thus often do they with these charmes Dissolue and quench those poysnous harms That in the marrow festring lies But if this course do not suffise But that the lingring poyson stay And to their charme will not obay Vpon the cure he flat doth fall And licks the pallid wound withall The venom with his mouth he drawes And soakes the artires with his iawes So from the chilly corps he fets The deadly dram and out it spets And hauing ouercome the might Of this vile serpents mortall bite The Psilli by the tast do finde The poysons force and of what kinde And by this meanes the Romane troope Are freed from that which
by fate To render iustice to our state Why should not I a woman raigne On those chiefe Citties that pertaine To me by right in Nylus land No sexe our custome doth withstand But that it hath bene often seene This kingdome hath obeyd a queene Reade but my fathers last bequeast And that will shew he did inuest Me with his kingdome equally And me espousd to Ptolomey But let him as a boy approue Me as his sister in his loue And in his wedlocks choise rest free But his affects must ruled be According to Photinns word For in his hand he holds the sword I nothing do desire to haue But what my Father to me gaue And that our family be freed From any foule incestuous deed And that thou wouldst the powre abate Of Photyne that doth wrong our state And do appoint by thy behest The king to rule as fits him best But his base seruant is with pride So puffed vp and magnifide Because that he the plot did lay That Pompeys head hath reft away And now the like but Gods defend Against thy selfe he doth entend That haynous deed that all doth loath Hath wrong the world and Caesar both Whilst Photyne prowdly doth exact To merit glory for the fact ¶ And now lest that her words might faile With Caesars hard eares to preuaile Her gesture doth her speeches grace She supplicates with flattring face And with her chambring by night She charmes her iudge to rue her plight So as when they had peace obtaind At Caesars hand with great guifts gaind They feasted then the Roman Lord In shew of ioy for this accord Then Cleopatra shews her port With luxurie and great resort And there such sumptuous pride was showne As earst in Rome was neuer knowne The place a royall fabricate Was as a temples type in state Whose match for beauty future date Will hardly raise the fretted ruffe Composed was of richest stuffe As for the beames and timber frames Were couered thicke with golden lames The parget of the walls did shine With snow white marble polisht fine The Agat stood inlayed there Commixt with purple stones each where And euery floore they troad vpon Was paued with the Onyx stone The Mareoticke heben wood No where for outward building stood But as huge posts to a beare waight Vnder those frames that did them fraight It was not vsde the house to grace That timber they accounted base The Yuory the frounts did face Vpon the doores enlaid with art The shining shels of Indias mart Were fixt vpon the backer part The bedsteads were with gems set out Spotted with Emrald round about The implements were all bedight With yeallow Iasper glistring bright The couerlets and carpets spred Colourd like Tyrian scarlet red Whose die was long to take the staine And more then once boyld in the graine One part did shine like glittring gold Th' other a purple hue did hold As do the Pharean weauers vse That mingled changes can enfuse In wouen silkes of sundry hues Then numbers of attendant maids And pages that the seruice aides Discolourd blood distinct appeares In some and some by diffring yeares A part of them haue Lybian haire And other yeallow tresses faire So as that Caesars selfe could say In all those soyles where Rhene doth stray He had not seene amongst the flocks Of German lasses fairer locks Some of their heads were frisled blacke And from their foreheads turned backe There were withall another sort Of hopelesse youths for Venus sport Whose manly parts the knife had hent But others of a stronger bent Stood their in place yet scarce begins A signe of downe on all their chins ¶ Then did the King and Princes all Vpon their beds to feasting fall But Caesar as the chiefest guest Had highest place amongst the rest There Cleopatra sets to view Immodestly her painted hew So to enchant the gazers eyes Her scepter doth not her suffise Nor yet to be her brothers wife About her necke there hangeth rife The red seas spoiles and in her heire Those pretious iewels glistring were Her rifing brests that snow white beene Through the Sydonian lawns are seene Whilst it a vaile doth ouershade That with the Nylan neelde was made Most curiously with threds compact Yet with the combe so nycely slackt As that some places being thinne It did bewray her lilly skinne Before them all round tables stood Fram'd of the rare Atlanticke wood On tresles made of Iuorie Such as againe of Caesars eye Were neuer seene though Iubas soyle Soone afterwards fell to his spoyle O blind and mazde ambitious rage That sets thy treasures on a stage To him that ciuill warre did wage So to Prouoke with riches charmes A guest so powrefull great in armes For though he were not then in case With wicked warre to run the race That might with wracke the world constrain For riches sake and greedy gaine Yet were those captains that of old In poorer times great names did hold Subsisting now in woonted mood Fabritians and the Curian brood And that braue Consull that was tane In hast for need to saue Romes bane From plowing the Hetrurian lands Where he was toyling with his hands Those would haue gladly giuen their doome To bring such triumph spoiles to Rome ¶ Their costly cates were seru'd in gold What euer might be bought or sold That earth or aire or Ocean yeelds Or Nylus flood and fruitfull fields Or whatsoeuer could be found To make this luxurie abound Ambitious pride made it be sought That in the world was to be bought Not onely hunger to suffise But for to feast their wanton eyes With beasts and birds of sundry store Which by their sacred rites of yore Th' Egyptians did as Gods adore The water for to wash their hands In clearest cristall basons stands The bowles wherein they drinke their wine Were made of pretious stones that shine But Mareotis grape pleasd not A nobler wine then it they got That had bene kept for certaine yeares And with the age the strength appeares Falermums fragrant wine it was That froths and spurtles in the glasse Then Garlands must their heads enclose Of pleasant Nard that greene still groes And neuer sheeds his flowring rose When on their balmed haire they throw Those pretious powders that do grow In Easterne Inde that had not lost The sent and sauour of that cost Mixt with Amomum gatherd new Brought from the countries where it grew Here Caesar learnes to take the spoyles Of all the whole worlds richest soyles And now the warres hee doth detest That his poore son-inlaw opprest Wishing withall that some debate Might turne his Mart on Egypts state ¶ When now at length they all were fild With pleasant wines that they had swild And daintie meates of sundry tast With banquetting closd vp at last Caesar begins for more delight With talke to entertaine the night And with sweet words and pleasant grace To