of the Enemies Horse the Vant-curriers of the Turks Army to pass by him he following them in the tail charged them home the other also which before retired now turned again upon them so that the Turks seeing themselves thus beset and hardly laid to both before and behind as men discouraged fled but in their flight were most of them slain the rest of them were taken Prisoners This was the first encounter between the Turks and the Parthians All the Prisoners taken were by the Prince sent as a Present to Tamerlane and amongst the rest the Bassa of Natolia who led those Troops of whom Tamerlane earnestly demanded what caused his Master Bajazet so little to esteem him as to shew so great a contempt of his Army Which saith he he shall find strong enough to abate his Pride To this the Bassa answered That his Lord was the Sun upon Earth which could not endure any corrival And that he rather was astonished to see how he from so far a Country had undertaken so dangerous a journey to hinder the fortune of his Lord in whose favour the heavens as he said did bend themselves to further his greatness and unto whom all the world subjected it self and that he commited great folly in going about to resist the same Unto this proud Speech Tamerlane replied That he was sent from heaven to punish his insolency and to teach him that the proud are hated of God whose promise is to pull down the mighty and to advance the lowly As for thy self said he thou hast already felt though I pity thy mishap what the valour of my Parthian Horse is against thy Turkish and I have already caused thy Master to raise his Siege before Constantinople and to look to his affairs here in Asia He also asked him whether his Master did come resolved to give him Battel Assure your self said he that there is nothing that he more desireth and would to God that I might acknowledg your greatness in giving me leave to assist my Lord in that Battel Good leave have thou said Tamerlane go thy ways and tell thy Lord that thou hast seen me and that in the Battel he shall find me on Horse-back there where he shall see a green Ensign displayed The Bassa thanked him and swore that next unto his Lord he vowed unto him his service And so returning he related unto Bajazet how he had seen Tamerlane and reported to him truly all that he had willed him to say not forgetting above all to praise his courtesie and bounty who besides that he had frankly set him at liberty had also given him a very fair Horse well furnished although he well knew that he was to serve against himself To this Bajazet answered no more but that he would shortly make trial of him and that he doubted not but before he had done with him he should make him acknowledg his folly The next day the two Armies drew neer together and encamped within a league the one of the other where all the night long you might have heard a noise of Horses which filled the heavens with their neighings and the air with sounds and every man thought the night long that they might come to the trial of their valours and the gaining of their desires The Scythians a people no less greedy than needy talked of nothing but the spoil the proud Parthians of attaining honour the poor Christians of their deliverance from an insulting adversary all which was to be gained by the next days Victory Every man during the night-time speaking according to his humour All which Tamerlane walking privately up and down in the Camp heard and much rejoyced to see the hope which his Souldiers had already conceived of the Victory and so after the second watch returning into his Pavilion and there casting himself upon a Carpet he purposed to sleep a while but his cares not suffering him so to do he then as his manner was called for a Book wherein was contained the Lives of his Fathers and Ancestors and of other valiant Worthies which he used ordinarily to read in as then also he did not vainly to deceive the time but to make use of it by imitating that which by them was worthily done and declinining such dangers as they by their rashness or oversight fell into After which having slumbred a little he commanded Axalla to be sent for to him who presently came accompanied with divers other Great Lords and Captains of the Army with whom after he had consulted a while about the order of the Battel himself presently mounted on Horseback and sent each of them to their charge to see their orders put in execution At which very instant he received intelligence that the Enemy was marching forwards and come to chuse his Ground for the Battel whose order of marching Tamerlane was very desirous to see that so he might marshal his own Army accordingly For said he I do not so much trust to the Lions skin wherein I wrap mine arm but that withall I will make use of the Foxes therein to wrap my head which my Grandfather neglected to his overthrow in a Battel against the Persians For being in a place of advantage he went out of it to seek his Enemy that was lodged strongly contrary to the advise of all his Captains which proved his ruin Then did he cause three thousand Horsemen to advance forward with charge to begin the skirmish himself following after to lodg every part of his Forces in such places as he had foreseen to be fittest for his advantage And seeing the Turkish Janizaries marching in a square Battel in the midst of the Army and upon the two Frons two great squadrons of Horsemen which seemed to be about thirty thousand and another which advanced before and covered the Battalion of the Janizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and therefore turning himself to Axalla he said I had thought this day to have fought on foot but I see that it behoves me now to fight on Horseback to encourage my Souldiers to open that great Battalion of the Enemies And my will is that my men come forwards to me so soon as may be for I will advance forward with a hundred thousand Footmen fifty thousand upon each of my two wings and in the midst of them forty thousand of my best Horsemen and my pleasure is that after I have tried the force of these men they come back into my Avantguard of whom I will dispose and fifty thousand Horsemen more in three bodies whom thou shalt command which I will assist with eighty thousand Horse wherein shall be mine own person having an hundred thousand Footmen behind me who shall march in two Squadrons and for my Arearward I appoint forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Footmen who shall not march but to my aid And I will make choise of
as Tamerlane's Army approached to it By this unexpected coming of the Sultan the great City that before was ready to have revolted was again confirmed in his obedience to the great prejudice of Tamerlanes affairs For to remain long before it was impossible through want of Victuals for so great an Army in an Enemies Countrey Yet this discouraged not Tamerlane from approaching to it and with all his Army to encamp near unto the same having caused a great Trench to be made for the security of his Horsemen and therein to lodge his Army more safely during which time he caused divers attempts to be made as well to try the enemies confidence as to see how the people of the City especially the slaves which in that populous City are in great numbers were affected towards him who indeed were glad to see the state of his Army and the proud Mamelukes still put to the worst but farther strirred not During this siege he thought good one day to draw forth his Army before the City to try whether the enemy had any mind to come to a battel as also to view his own Forces and so indeed to seek occasion to fight hoping that if the Sultan should come forth with his Army some revolt might happen at the same time in the City as well by the slaves unto whom by secret Spies he had promised liberty as by the Citizens themselves who were much discontented with the insolency of the Mamelukes and by whom Tamerlane by the same Spies had made it known that he came not to hurt them but to deliver them from the tyranny of his and their enemies But standing thus in Battel array none stirred out of the City neither was there any tumult raised within according as he expected For the Sultan being plentifully provided with all things in that rich City resolved to weary out Tamerlane by lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battel Tamerlane perceiving his Design yet resolved not to depart till he was Victorious whereupon he thought fit also to attempt him in his greatest strength and in the heart of his greatest City though it could not be done without great hazard such confidence had he in the Valour and Multitude of his Army Now his purpose was first to take one of the Cities for Caire is divided into three and therein encamping himself by little and little to advance forwards as he could find opportunity Upon this resolution he commanded a strong assault to be given and having conducted his Footmen to the place chosen by him for the onset for the City was not Walled but only fortified with Ditches and Trenches he commanded the Prince of Thanais with fifty thousand men to begin the Assault even in the face of the Enemy which he most valiantly performed which occasioned a great and terrible fight Axalla in the mean time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn the greatest part to his Forces to that place fetched a compass about and in another part of the City with small resistance passed the Trenches where he presently left thirty thousand men to fill up the Ditches thereby to make way for the Horsemens entrance himself with the rest advancing forwards against twenty thousand sent by the Sultan to oppose his farther passage the Prince of Thanais being at the same time almost beaten back by the Mamelukes But the Ditches being presently levelled ten thousand Horsemen entred who charged upon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himself was there were likewise seconded by ten thousand more sent in by Tamerlane himself following after with all his power Hereupon the Sultan retreated into a second strength which he had made in the next City This fight continued full seven hours wherein were slain of the Sultans men above sixteen thousand and of Tamerlane's between seven and eight thousand Tamerlane being well contented that he had dislodged his enemy and gained one of the Cities caused a retreat to be sounded hoping the next day to win all the rest as indeed he did For the next morning the Prince of Thanais storming the Trenches in one part as Axalla did in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himself hardly pressed by the obstinate Enemy and unable longer to hold out retreated abandoning the City and encamping himself along the River Nilus resolving to retire to the City of Alexandria his second strength and only refuge which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his Horsemen who only were in order and some few Foot hardly drawn from the City which their fellows were in plundering Tamerlane promising them both to regard and reward their good service Against these the Sultan upon a narrow cawse-way had opposed twelve or fifteen thousand men to favour his passage who being of his best Souldiers maintained their ground stoutly the place being much for their advantage yet at length their enemies still increasing and pressing hard upon them they were forced to cast themselves into the great River and made a most honourable retreat every man having his Weapon in one hand and swimming with the other hand to the farther Bank The Sultan flying with about eighteen thousand Horse the rest being either drowned or dispersed is said to have comforted his flying men by telling them they were not men but gods that had vanquished them Divers of the Mamelukes that were taken Prisoners being brought before Tamerlane were by him courteously used and asked if they would be content to serve him seeing their Master was fled and gone This they all utterly refused whom notwithstanding for their fidelity Tamerlane set at liberty to go again to their Master being no less desirous to be admired by his Enemies for his Goodness and Bounty than to be feared for his Force and Valour The wonderful wealth of this so great and famous a City became a prey to his Souldiers who for the space of twenty four hours had the spoil thereof At the end of which time every man was straitly charged by open Proclamation to retire to his Quarters Tamerlane would not suffer any of the Citizens to be taken Prisoners and such as were he released and so leaving ten thousand good Souldiers with many others that followed his Camp for the Guard of the City and taking with him all such persons as he thought might hurt him he caused his Army to pass over the River and to follow the Sultan to Alexandria that so his Victory might be compleated Axalla hasted before with the Avantguard to hinder the Sultan from gathering up his Forces together The rest of the Army was conducted by the Prince of Thanais Tamerlane himself with an infinte number of Boats and many Souldiers to attend him went by Water greatly delighting to behold that fair River of Nilus sometimes running with a swift course other sometimes very calm and scarce moved The Citizens of Alexandria
and very observable that at Christs coming and at the first preaching of the Gospel the Devil in this and in all other his Oracles became speechless From the Temple of Hammon Alexander returned to Memphis where among many other learned men he heard the Philosopher Psammones who understanding that he affected the Title of Jupiters Son told him that God was the Father King of all men and refining the Pride of this haughty King he brought him to acknowledg that God was the Father of all mortal men but that he acknowledgeth none for his Children save good men The charge of the several Provinces of Egypt Alexander gave to several Governours following therein the Rules of his Master Aristotle that a great Dominion should not be continued in the hands of any one man Then gave he order for the building of Alexandria upon the most Westernly branch of Nilus and thus having setled as he could the State of Egypt with the Kingdoms of the Lesser Asia Phoenicia and Syria he Conducted his Army towards Euphrates which passage though the same was committed to Mazeus to be defended by him yet did he abandon it and Alexander without resistance passed it From thence he marched towards Tygris a River for the swiftness thereof called by the Persians The Arrow here might Darius easily have repelled him for the violent course of the stream was such as it drave before it many weighty stones and those that moved not but lay in the bottom were so round and smooth by continual rolling that no man was able to fight upon so slippery a standing Nor were the Macedonian Footmen able to wade through the River otherwise than by joyning their hands and interlacing their Arms each in others making thereby one intire and weighty Body to resist the impetuousness of the stream and besides this the Channel was so deep towards the Eastern Shore where Darius should have opposed him that the Footmen were enforced to lift their Bows Arrows and Darts over their Heads to keep them from being made unserviceable by the Water Indeed it cannot be denied that as all Estates of the World by the surfeit of misgovernment have been subject to many grievous and sometimes mortal diseases So had the Empire of Persia at this time brought it self into a burning Feavour and thereby became frantick and without understanding foreshewing manifestly the death and dissolution thereof But Alexander had now recovered the Eastern Shore of Tygris without any opposition but what the Nature of the River made where Mazeus who had the charge to defend the banks both of Euphrates and it presented himself to the Macedonians being attended with certain Troops of Horsemen as if with uneven forces he durst have charged them upon even ground when as with a multitude far exceeding them he forsook those advantages which no valour of the enemy could easily have overcome But it s commonly seen that timorous and cowardly Persons do ever follow those ways and counsels whereof the opportunity is already lost It s true that he sets all provisions on fire wherewith the Macedonians might be assisted in their passage over Tygris thinking thereby greatly to have distressed them but the execution of good counsel is fruitless when unseasonable For now was Alexander so well furnished with carriages that no conveniences were wanting to the Army which he conducted Those things also which Mazeus now sought to destroy Alexander being in sight by his Horsemen saved and recovered them This Mazeus might have done some days before at good leasure yea at this time he might have done it with so great a strength of Horsemen as the Macedonians might not have dared to pursue leaving the Body of their Foot out of sight and so far behind Darius upon Alexanders first return out of Egypt had assembled all those Forces which the Countries next to him could afford and now also were the Arians Scythians Indians and other Nations come to him Nations saith Curtius that rather served to make up a number than to make resistance Some reckon them to amount to the number of ten hundred thousand Foot and four hundred thousand Horse besides armed Chariots and some few Elephants Curtius numbers them but two hundred thousand Foot and about fifty thousand Horse which is more probable And yet seeing Darius had more confidence in the number than in the Valour of his Souldiers probably he had brought together some three or four hundred thousand of all sorts with which he hoped in those fair plains of Assyria to have overborn the small number of the invading Army But it s most true That in every Battel skil and practice do more towards attaining the Victory than multitudes and rude audacity Whilest Alexander rested and refreshed his Army after their hard passage over Tygris their happened an Eclipse of the Moon at which the Macedonians being ignorant of the cause and reason of it were much troubled taking it as a certain presage of their ruin and destruction insomuch as they began not only to murmur but to speak boldly that to satisfie the ambition of one man and of such a one as disdained Philip for his Father and would needs be called the Son of Jupiter they should all perish For he enforced them not only to War against a world of enemies but against Rivers Mountains and the Heavens themselves Hereupon Alexander who was now ready to advance made an halt and to quiet the minds of the multitude he led before him the Aegyptian Astrologers that by them the Souldiers might be assured that this Eclipse of the Moon was a sure presage of his good success But they never informed them that it came to pass by natural causes but reserved that as a secret fit to be kept among themselves These Astrologers gave no other reason for it than this That the Grecians were under the Aspect of the Sun and the Persians under that of the Moon and therefore the Moon losing her light did foreshew that the state of Persia was now in danger of falling and their Glory of being obscured This being noised through all the Army every man was satisfied and quieted and their courage redoubled As Alexander drew near the Persian Army certain Letters were intercepted written by Darius to the Grecians proffering and promising them a great sum of money if they would either kill or betray Alexander But these by the advice of Parmenio were suppressed About this time also Darius his beautiful Wife being oppressed with sorrow and wearied with travel died which accident Alexander seemed to bewail no less then Darius who upon the first report of it suspected that some dishonorable violence had been offered to her but being satisfied by an Eunuch of his own that attended her of Alexanders kind and Kingly respect towards her from the very time of her being taken he prayed the immortal Gods that if they had decreed to set a new Master over the
Poet saith See how these Great men cloath their private hate In these fair colours of the publick good And to effect their ends pretend the State As if the State by their affection stood And Arm'd with Power and Princes Jealousies Will put the least conceit of discontent Into the greatest rank of Treacheries That no one action shall seem innocent Uea Valour Honour Bounty shall be made As accessaries unto ends unjust And even the service of the State must lade The needful'st undertaking with distrust So that base vileness idle Luxury Seem safer far than to do worthily Now the King following the advice of Craterus had resolved the next day to put Philotas to the Torment yet in the very evening of the same night in which he was apprehended he called him to a Banquet and discoursed as familiarly with him as at any other time But when in the dead of the night Philotas was taken in his lodging and that they which hated him began to bind him he cried out upon the King in these words O Alexander the malice of mine enemies hath surmounted thy mercy and their hatred is far more constant than the word of a King Many circumstances were urged against him by Alexander himself and this was not the least not the least offence indeed against the Kings humour who desired to be adored as a God that when Alexander wrote unto him concerning the Title given him by Jupiter Hammon he answered That he could not but rejoyce that he was admitted into the Sacred fellowship of the Gods and yet he could not but withall grieve for those which should live under such a one as would exceed the nature of man This said Alexander assured me that his heart was estranged and that he despised my Glory Philotas was brought before the multitude to hear the Kings Oration against him He was brought forth in vile Garments and bound like a Thief where he heard himself and his absent Father the greatest Captain in the World accused and also his two other Brothers Hector and Nicanor who had lost their lives in these Wars wherewith he was so overcome with grief that for a while he could utter nothing for tears and sorrow had so wasted his Spirits that he sank between those that led him In the end the King asked him in what Language he would make his defence He answered In the same wherein it had pleased the King to accuse him which accordingly he did to the end that the Persians as well as the Macedonians might understand him But hereof the King made this advantage perswading the Assembly that he disdained the Language of his own Countrey and so withdrawing himself he left him to his merciless enemies This proceeding of the Kings Philotas greatly lamented seeing the King who had so sharply inveighed against him would not vouchsafe to hear his answer For hereby his enemies were emboldned against him and all the rest having discovered the Kings mind and resolution contended amongst themselves which of them should shew the greatest hatred towards him Amongst many Arguments which he brought for his own defence this was not the least that when Nicomachus desired to know of Dimnus of what quality and power his partners in the Conspiracy were seeming unwilling to adventure himself amongst mean and base Companions Dimnus named unto him Demetrius of the Kings Bed-Chamber Nicanor Amyntas and some others but spake not a word of Philotas who being Master of the Horse would greatly have graced the cause and encouraged Nicomachus And to make it more clear that he knew nothing of their intents there was not any one of the Conspirators that in their torments would accuse him Yet at the last himself being put to extream torments by the device of his professed enemies Craterus Cenus Ephestion and others Philotas accused himself hoping that they would have slain him immediately But he failed even in that miserable hope and suffering all that could be inflicted on flesh and blood he was forced to confess not what was true but what might best please them who were far more merciless than Death it self Cruelty is not a humane vice It is unworthy of man It 's even a boasting rage to delight in bloud and wounds and casting away the nature of man to become a savage Monster Now whilst Alexanders hands were yet died in blood he commanded that Lyncestes Son in Law to Antipater who had been three years in Prison should be slain The same dispatch had all those that were accused by Nicomachus But Parmenio was yet living Parmenio who had served with great fidelity as well Philip the Kings Father as himself Parmenio that first opened Alexanders way into Asia That had cast down Attalus the Kings enemy That had alwayes and in all hazards the leading of the Kings Vaunt-guard That was no less prudent in Counsel than successful in all his enterprizes A man beloved of the men of War and to say the truth he that had purchased for the King the Empire of the East and of all the Glory and Fame which he had attained to That he might not therefore revenge the Death of his Son though not upon the King for it was unlikely that he would have stained his fidelity in his old age having now lived seventy years yet upon those who by base Flattery had possessed themselves of the Kings affection It was resolved that he should dye also and Polydamus was employed in this business a man whom of all others Parmenio trusted most and loved best Who to be short finding him in Media and having Cleander and other Murtherers with him slew him as he was walking in his Garden and reading the Kings letters This was the end of Parmenio saith Curtius who had performed many notable things without the King but the King without him did never effect any thing worthy of Praise These things being ended Alexander marched on with his Army and subdued the Araspitans and made Amenides sometime secretary to Darius their Governour Then he Conquered the Arachosians and left Menon to command over them Here the Army that was sometime led by Parmenio found him which consisted of twelve thousand Macedonians and Greeks with whom though with much difficulty he passed through some cold Regions At length he came to the foot of the Mountain Taurus towards the East where he built a city which he honoured with his own Name and peopled it with seven thousand of his old Macedonians worn out with age and the travels of War The Arians who since he left them were revolted he again subdued by the industry and valour of Caranus and Erigius and now he resolved to find out the new King Bessus in Bactria who hearing of his coming prepared to pass over the great River of Oxus which divides Bactria from Sogdiana Bessus having now abandoned Bactria Alexander made Artabazus Governour of it and himself marching forward with his Army they
a Boy that came from School but the other day must now in hast be a Captain the rest of the Citizens were so incensed against him that they ran upon him and slew him Thus Pompey being but twenty three years old not tarrying for Commission from any man took upon himself Authority and causing a Tribunal to be set up in the midst of the Market place of Auximum a great and populous City he commanded the two Brethren called the Ventidians the chiefest men of the City but his Enemies presently to avoid the City Then began he to leavy men to constitute Captains Lieutenants Sergeants and such other Officers as appertain to an Army And from thence he went to the other neighbouring Cities where he did the like so that in a short space he had gotten three compleat Legions together as also Ammunition Carts and all other necessaries for them In this sort did Pompey advance towards Sylla not in hast as a man that was afraid to be met with by the way but by small Journeys lodging still where he might have the best advantage against an Enemy causing the Cities wheresoever he came to declare against Carbo and for Sylla Yet three Captains who adhered to Carbo Carinna Caelius and Brutus did in three several places compass him in on every side thinking to have destroyed him Pompey was nothing amazed hereat but marshalling his Army he first set upon Brutus having placed his Horsemen amongst whom himself was in Person before the Battel of his Footmen and when the Men at Arms of his Enemy who were Gauls came to charge upon him he singled out the chiefest amongst them and ran him through with his Spear and slew him The other Gauls seeing their Champion slain turned their backs and in their flight over ran their own Footmen so that at last they all fled for their lives Then the Cities round about being terrified with this overthrow came in and yielded themselves to Pompey Afterwards Scipio also the Consul coming against Pompey to fight him when the Battels were ready to joyn before they threw their Darts Scipio's Souldiers saluted Pompey and went over to his side whereupon Scipio was faign to fly And lastly Carbo himself sending divers Troops of Horse against him by the Riuer Arsis Pompey charged them so furiously and drave them into such a place of disadvantage that being neither able to fight nor fly they delivered up themselves with their Horses Arms and all to his mercy Sylla all this while heard nothing of these overthrows which Pompey had given to his Enemies but understanding his danger being environed with so many Arms fearing lest he should miscarry he made hast and marched to his relief Pompey being informed of Sylla's approach commanded his Captains to Arm themselves and to set their Army in good array that their General Sylla might see how bravely they were appointed For he expected that Sylla would do him great honour as indeed he did even beyond his expectation For when Sylla saw him afar off coming towards him and his Army marshelled in such good order of Battel and his men so bravely advancing themselves being elated with their late Victories he allighted from his Horse and when Pompey came to do his duty to him and called him Emperour or Soveraign Prince Sylla resaluted him with the same Title which made all that were present to wonder that he would give so honourable a name to so young a man as Pompey was who as yet was not made a Senator Considering also that Sylla himself did now contend for that Title and Dignity with Marius and Scipio The intertainment also that Sylla gave him afterwards was every way answerable to the first kindness that he shewed him For when Pompey at any time came to him he would rise up and put off his Cap to him which he did not to any other Noble Man that was about him Yet was not Pompey puffed up with all this nor the prouder for it Shortly after Sylla would have sent Pompey into Gaul now France because that Metellus the Roman General there was thought to have done no exploit worthy of so great an Army as he had with him But Pompey answered that there was no reason to displace an ancient Captain that was of greater fame and experience then himself Yet said he if Metellus himself be contented and will desire it of me I will willingingly go and help him to end this War Metellus being informed hereof wrote for him to come Pâ—mpey then entering Gaul did of himself wonderful exploits and so revived the courage and valour of old Metellus that the War prospered exceedingly in their Hands But these were but Pompey's first beginnings and were wholly obscured by the luster of those many Wars and great Battels which he fought afterwards When Sylla had overcome all Italy and was proclaimed Dictator he rewarded all the great Captains and Lieutenants that had taken his part and advanced them to honourable places and Dignities in the Commonwealth freely granting whatsoever they requested of him But for Pompey highly esteeming him for his Valour and thinking that he would be a great support to him in all his Wars he sought by some means to ally him to himself Metella his Wife being also of the same opinion they both perswaded him to put away his Wife Antistia and to marry Aemilia who was Daughter to Metella by a former Husband though she was married to another and now with child by him These marriages were wicked and Tyrannical fitter for Sylla's time than agreeable to Pompey's nature and condition And truly it was a shameful thing for Pompey to forsake his Wife Antistia who for his sake a little before had lost her Father that was murthered in the very Senate House upon suspition that he took part with Sylla for his Son Pompey's sake and to take Aemilia from her lawful Husband by whom she was great vvith child and to vvhom she had been married not long before vvhich also caused the Mother of Antistia to lay violent hands upon her self seeing her Daughter to receive such open and notorious wrong But God who hates such injustice and cruelty followed Pompey vvith this Judgment that his Wife Aemilia died miserably presently after in childbirth in his House About this time news was brought to Sylla that Perpenna was gotten into Sicily and had brought all that Island into subjection to him where he might safely intertain all Sylla's Enemies That Carbo also kept the Seas thereabouts with a certain number of Ships That Domitius was gone into Africk to whom resorted many other Noblemen who were escaped from the proscriptions and outlaries of Sylla Against all these was Pompey sent by his Father in Law with a great Army who no sooner was arrived in Sicily but Perpenna fled and left the Island to him Then did Pompey deal friendly and favourably with all the Citizens vvhich before
had endured great troubles and misery and set them again at liberty the Mamertines only excepted who dwelt in Messina they despising his jurisdiction and Government pleaded the ancient priviledges of the Romans which had been formerly granted unto them But Pompey ansvvered them angerly What do you prating to us of your Law that have our Swords by our sides He dealt also too cruelly vvith Carbo in his misery for he might have killed him in hot blood when he first fell into his hands with less blame But Pompey when he was taken caused him to be brought before him though he had been thrice Consul and to be publickly examined sitting himself in his Tribunal and condemned him to dye in the presence of them all to the great distast and offence of all that were present Yet he bad them take him away to execution which was done accordingly Pompey dealt as cruelly also with Quintus Valerius a man of rare parts and excellent Learning who being brought to Pompey he took him aside and walked a few turns with him and when he had learned what he could of him he commanded his Guard to take him away and dispatch him Pompey indeed was compelled to make away all Sylla's enemies that fell into his hands But for the rest all that he could suffer secretly to steal away he willingly connived at it and would not take notice of it yea himself did help many to save themselves by flight Pompey had determined to have taken sharp revenge of the City of the Himerians who had stoutly taken the enemies part But Sthenes one of the Governours of the City craved audience of Pompey told him boldly that he should do great injustice if he should pardon him who was the only offender and destroyed them who were not guilty Pompey then asking him who he was that durst take upon himself the offence of them all Sthenes answered That it was himself who had perswaded his Friends and compelled his enemies to do what was done Pompey being much pleased to hear the frank speech and boldness of the man he forgave both him and all the Citizens After this Pompey being informed that his Soldiers did kill divers in the high-ways he caused all their Swords to be sealed up and whose seal soever was broken he punished them soundly for it Pompey being busy about these matters in Sicily he received instructions and a Commission from Sylla and the Senate at Rome to depart thence immediately into Africk with all his power to make War against Domitius who had a very great Army Pompey accordingly speedily prepared to take the Seas leaving Memmius his Sisters Husband to Govern Sicily and so imbarking in sixscore Gallies and eight hundred other Ships wherein he transported his Victuals Ammunition Money Engines for Battery and all other his Warlike provision he hoised Sail and Landed one part of his Army at Utica and the other at Carthage and presently after his landing there came to him seven thousand Soldiers from his enemies to take his part besides seven whole Legions that he brought with him Against him came Domitius with his Army in Battel array but before him there was a Quagmire that ran with a very swift stream very hard to get over Besides it had rained exceedingly all that morning so that Domitius judging it impossible then to fight bad his men truss up and be gone Pompey on the other side spying this advantage caused his men to advance and coming upon the enemy who was now out of order had a cheap Victory over them wherein he slew about seventeen thousand of them whereupon he was by his Souldiers saluted with the name Imperator or Emperour but he told them he would not accept of that honourable Title so long as he saw his enemies Camp yet standing whereupon they ran presently and assaulted it and took it by force and slew Domitius therein After this overthrow all the Cities in that Country came and submitted to Pompey and those that refused were taken by force They took also King Jarbas who had sided with Domitius and gave his Kingdom to Heimpsal But Pompey being desirous further to imploy his Army he went many days Journey into the main Land conquering all wheresoever he came making the power of the Romans dreadful to those Barbarous Nations who before made small account of them He caused also the Wild Beasts of Africk to feel his force bestowing some days in Hunting of Lyons and Elephants And in fourty days he conquered his enemies subdued Africk and setled the affaires of the Kings and Kingdoms of that part of the Country being then but twenty four years old Pompey being returned to Utica he received Letters from Sylla willing him to discharge his Army and to retain only one Legion with himself till the coming of another Captain that was to succeed him in the Government of that Country This grieved him not a little though he made no shew of it at all But the Souldiers were much offended at it and when Pompey prayed them to depart they gave out broad speeches against Sylla and told him directly that they were resolved not to leave him whatsoever became of them and that they would not leave him to trust to a Tyrant Pompey seeing that he could not prevail with them rose out of his seat and went into his Tent weeping But the Souldiers followed him and brought him again to his Chair of State intreating him to remain there and command them and he desired them to obey Sylla and to leave their mutinies In fine he seeing they were resolved to press him swore that he would kill himself rather then they should compel him yet scarce did they leave him thus Hereupon it was reported to Sylla that Pompey was rebelled against him which when he heard he said to his Friends Well I see then that it is my Destiny in my old age to fight with Children This he said because of Marius the younger who had done him much mischief and had greatly endangered him But afterwards understanding the truth and hearing that all generally in Rome would go to meet Pompey and receive him with all the honour they could he resolved to go beyond them all in shew of good will wherefore going out of his House to meet him he embraced him with great affection and welcomed him home calling him Magnus that is Great and commanded all that were present to give him that Name also After this Pompey required the honour of a Triumph which Sylla opposed affirming that this honour should be granted to none but to such as had been Consuls or at least Praetors He told him also that if he should stand for it he would oppose him Pompey was not discouraged herewith but boldly told him That all men did honour not the setting but the rising Sun Sylla heard not well what he said and therefore enquired and when it was told him he wondred at
Sons the tenth part of their Fathers Patrimony and to Daughters the twentieth part but few or none had any benefit by this promise yea on the contrary they sacked many of them that demanded these rights They exacted great sums of money in Rome and all over Italy and to encourage the Souldiers they gave them unmeasurable gifts and granted them daily new pillage The Legions they Wintered in the richest Cities upon free Quarter To be short men by fear and custome were so inured to slavery that they became more slaves than the Tyrants would have had them These three men having done what they would in Rome and knowing that Brutus and Cassius had a very great Army in Greece who called themselves the Deliverers of their Countrey saying that they would go and set Rome at liberty from Oppression Cassius having overthrown and slain Dolabella in Syria and being informed that by the assistance of their Friends they had gotten together eighteen Legions hereupon Mark Anthony and Octavian resolved to go against them wich the greatest Army that they could possibly make of old Souldiers and that Lepidus should stay to guard Rome and accordingly they departed and arrived in Greece and marching on they drew near to the place where Brutus and Cassius were encamped which was in Macedonia in the Philippick Fields Before they came to joyn Battel there were sundry Prodigies for Fowls of prey hovered about the Camp of Brutus as if it had been their own already and as they marched out to Battel a Blackmoor met them which they accounted an ill Omen Brutus being alone in his Tent at night a man sad and gastly appeared to him and being asked what he was he answered I am thy evil Genius and so vanished But on the contrary Birds and Beasts promised good success to Caesar. These Armies lying so near together had frequent skirmishes and at last came to a Battel where the Victory was strangely divided For Brutus on the one side of the Field did beat Octavian and put his Battalion to rout pursuing them into the Camp where many of them were slain and while Brutus was following his Victory his partner Cassius was overthrown by Mark Anthony though he did all that was possible to encourage his men and by reason of the clouds of Dust knew nothing of Brutus his Victory whereupon retiring to an high ground he there pitched his Tent and so standing and looking about he saw Brutus his Troops coming to his aid and to relieve him but he imagining that they came flying before their enemies commanded a slave of his whom he had made free to kill him who did it accordingly Octavians men that escaped by flight retired to Mark Anthonies Camp and had not Brutus his men busied themselves in ransacking Octavians Camp they had that day obtained an entire Victory for they might in due time have rescued and relieved Cassius and both of them being joyned together might easily have overthrown Mark Anthony but God had otherwise determined The Victory being thus divided the Generals of either party gathered their Forces together and of Brutus side were slain eight thousand men and of the Enemies side a far greater number Brutus did his best to encourage and comfort his Souldiers and the Gentlemen which followed Cassius and the next day though both Armies were put in battel Array yet they fought not but a few dayes after Brutus by his Souldiers was forced to come to another Battel who was of himself willing rather to delay and prolong the War knowing that his Enemies wanted Victuals and many other necessaries and because he reposed no great trust in the Forces of Cassius for he found that they were fearful and hard to be commanded because of their late overthrow When they came to the second encounter Brutus did all the Offices of an able General and of a Valiant Knight yet in the end his men were broken and overthrown by the Enemy Brutus having gathered his scattered Troops together found himself unable to make any farther resistance and being advised by some of his Friends to fly he told them That so he would yet not with his feet but with his hands and thereupon taking a Sword from a Servant of his called Stratus he slew himself Thus Octavian and Mark Anthony remained Victors and Masters of the Field and all things succeeded according to Caesars desire for whom God in his secret Counsel had reserved the Monarchy of the whole World which for the present was divided between three These Wars being ended and the Legions of Brutus and Cassius reduced to the obedience of the Conquerours Octavian and Mark Anthony agreed and resolved that Anthony should remain to govern Greece and Asia that Lepidus should go into Africk and that Octavian should return to Rome and accordingly Mark Anthony went into Asia where he gave himself up to sensuality and delights with the fair but wanton Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt and Octavian though with some hindrances by reason of his health at last came to Rome Not long after there arose new Wars and troubles for though Octavian was at peace with Lepidus who was now in Africk Octavian having under his command Spain France part of Germany Italy and Illyricum yet Lucius Antonius who at this time was Consul being provoked thereto by his Sister in Law Fulvia Wife to Mark Anthony began to oppose himself against Lepidus and Octavian seeking to overthrow the Triumvirat which contention brake out about the division of Fields which Caesar had made to the Souldiers which had served him in his Wars Some say that Fulvia made this stir that she might procure the return of Mark Anthony to her of whom she was jealous hearing of his familiarity with Cleopatra The discord in Rome grew to that height that they came to Arms and Lucius Antonius went from the City and levied an Army against Octavian who also marched towards him with his Forces But Lucius not daring to joyn Battel shut himself up in Perugia where Caesar immediately besieged him and Divorced himself from Claudia the Daughter of Fulvia and was married to his third Wife Scribonia by whom he had one onely Daughter Octavian being about twenty three years old so strictly besieged Perugia that Lucius and his men were brought to such straits for want of Victuals that he was forced to yield up himself to Octavian who pardoned him and used him kindly and thus this War was ended without bloudshed And so Octavian returned to Rome of which he was now sole Lord and from hence some reckon the beginning of his Empire which was about four years after the Death of Julius Caesar and about thirty eight years before the Incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar being now in quiet Fulvia by Letters and false Informations sought to stir up her Husband Mark Anthony against Octavian with which resolution she left Italy and
which consisted of Parthians yet he had joyned with him the Prince of Thanais without whom he could not do any thing Tamerlane also gave special commandment that the passages which were not many should be diligently guarded to the end that the King of China should not be advertised of these tumults and so giving to Odmar the leading of his Avantguard he hasted forwards And surely it was high time for him so to do or else all had been revolted for Calix having assembled a hundred thousand fighting men presented himself before the great City of Cambalu chief of the Province of Cathai the Inhabitants whereof came out to meet him receiving him with all the joy that might be Tamerlane in his March went to Caindu and from thence to Calatia where he expected to meet with the forces of his native Country of Sachetai yet did he not neglect to send forward his Army towards Cambalu which caused the Inhabitants to their great terrour to think that all his forces were already on their neck Calix perceiving that the Citizens began already to repent his entertainment thought it not safe to remain amongst them and therefore withdrawing himself he sent for his forces from all parts resolving to meet Tamerlane in the Field and to put all upon the event and hazard of a Battel He drew out of Cambalu fifty thousand men whereof twenty thousand were Citizens the other thirty thousand were the Garrison-Souldiers placed there by the old Emperour Calix having corrupted their Leaders and so procured them to joyn with him in this revolt In short having assembled all his forces his Army consisted of fourscore thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Footmen which he gathered from all parts In the mean time Tamerlanes Army marching forward his Scouts which were two thousand Horse had news of the Army of Calix which came forward directly towards them of which they speedily advertised the Emperour who thereupon presently sent two thousand Horse more to the end that they should keep the passages of a certain River called Brore by which River Victuals were conveyed to his Army as also to win time the Prince well knowing that the motions of a Civil War are furious at the beginning and that therefore it 's best to resist slowly always drawing them out at length if it be possible For when means money and victuals fail the people use to be sensible of their faults and to return home The old Emperour sent to him to adventure all upon a Battel delivering up into his hands the safety of his life and estate that thereby he might end his days in peace By this means forces came to Tamerlane on all hands whose Army daily encreased whereas on the contrary the Enemies Army was then in its chiefest force and began to feel the want of Victuals Calix was about forty years old a Captain renowned with the great Cham and one of the chiefest in dignity and place about him so that many of the Tartars had always respected him as a Person most worthy of the Empire if the glory of Tamerlane and his reputation had not so far exceeded The Armies began to be in view one of another about eight a clock in the morning and many skirmishes began betwixt them before they came to the main Battel The place wherein they met at that time was a great Plain with like advantage on either part Odmar led the Avantguard wherein were forty thousand Horse and eighty thousand Foot which he divided into three Squadrons the first whereof he sent before him to begin the Battel Tamerlane marched in the same order but his Squadrons were much stronger The Footmen of both made the right and left Wings Tamerlane had drawn out six thousand Parthian Horsemen and two thousand Tartarians for his Arearguard which he committed to his faithful Servant Axalla a man of great judgment quick of conceit and in great esteem amongst the Souldiers although he being a Christian worshipped God in another manner than they did and he had many other Christians with him whom he had drawn from the Georgians and the Euxine Sea who fought with great agility Calix on the other side who was a well spoken man was exhorting and encouraging his Souldiers to fight for his Fortune and the Liberty of their Nation He divided his Army into three main Battels himself remaining in the midst encompassed with his Footmen and so the Battels joyned where after a terrible fight Calix fell into Axalla's hands being taken fighting valiantly which Axalla caused to be presently proclaimed through the Army to the overthrow of the courage of all the Adversaries who hereupon immediately fled Calix was kept till the next day and then by a Council of War was adjudged to death whereupon Tamerlane caused his head to be stricken off the which he sent as a present to the Inhabitants of Cambalu The like he caused to be done to all the chief Leaders not out of a cruel disposition but enforced thereto by necessity knowing very well that the way to cut off the foot of Civil War is to punish the Heads of the same which as Hydra's grow up too fast After this Tamerlane with his Army marched into the Kingdom of Cathay a Country rich in grass and all kind of pastures abounding with great quantity of beasts and people which knew not what War meant and the Prince gave command that they should not be used as Enemies but as his good Subjects and whereas divers Cities had adhered to Calix they came now and humbled themselves before him craving pardon which he gave them enjoyning them only to provide victuals for his Army which also they willingly did This example of Lenity of was no small importance for the appeasing of others which had put all their hope in extremity resolving to sell their lives dear and especially the Inhabitants of Cambalu had taken this resolution but being informed of the Emperours clemency they changed their purpose Yet as the Army daily approached nearer their fears encreased but Tamerlane was daily informed by his Friends in the City that the Inhabitants resolved to obey the Conquerour and therefore leaving his Army at Gonsa he only sent thirty thousand to the City which was the ordinary Garrison and within two hours after entred the City himself where he was received with great magnificence yet would he not pronounce their pardon but referred all to the old Emperour and to the ordinary course of Justice For which end he sent one of his Favourites to the old Emperour to certifie him of his Victory of the death of Calix and that the chief of his Faction remained Prisoners with him as also to know what Justice he would appoint to be inflicted upon those Citizens which were the authors of the revolt of this City and so after eight days he departed and not many days after he had intelligence that the great Cham his
the way you must understand that about forty years before the Father of this present King of China had conquered this City and Countrey from the Tartars and had so planted the same with new Colonies that but few of the Tartarians remained except only in the flat Countrey and some small walled Towns who all came with their Keys and willingly submitted to Tamerlane whereby he had great plenty of victuals in his Army which made him hope for good success there being nothing that doth sooner overthrow great Armies than the want thereof Thus was Paguinfou besieged round the footmen lying within a flight-shoot the Walls the Citizens and Souldiers using their best endeavour for their defence and Tamerlane doing the like for their offence Axalla having viewed a great Suburb which was in length almost half a League supposed that the Citizens kept no watch there and therefore acquainting the Emperour with his purpose in the first watch of the night his men being all ready with scaling Ladders he assaulted the same in sundry places and after a great fight entred and cut in pieces at least eight thousand men which were within the same yet on one side where they expected to be assaulted he lost many of his men The taking of this Suburb did greatly astonish the Citizens who observing the valour of the Tartarians began to suspect their own safety By this Suburb there ran a River which being now under the command of Axalla he stopt all provision from going to the City In the mean time the King of China's Army approached which was very great whereupon the Emperour determined to go in person and meet him with the greatest part of his Horsemen but to leave most of his Foot to continue the siege being very desirous to take the City for the accelerating whereof he caused his Engines for battery to approach as Rams and such like so that the City was assaulted on two sides very couragiously and in the end through the valour of Axalla who gave an assault with twenty thousand of his best Souldiers he won the Wall and at the command of the Emperour lodged there who desired rather to have the City by Treaty than storm the City being great and rich and the Enemy but thirty Leagues from thence and therefore he feared lest his Army should be found in disorder and knowing also that rich Souldiers never fight well Besides he intended to draw out of that wealthy City such things as he stood in need of and to make it his Magazine for the time to come Yet though the Wall was won the Enemies wanted not heart to defend themselves valiantly hearing that their King was coming for their relief but it so happened that an Engine shooting a bullet slew the Governour whereupon the Citizens were so discouraged that they resolved to yield saving their lives and the Souldiers to march away with Horse and Arms. The conditions were admitted and there came out of the City eighteen thousand Souldiers almost all the Inhabitants remaining behind This siege had lasted two months and the City had in it at first thirty thousand Souldiers Axalla had the honour of winning this City and therefore was made Governour of it and all the Country belonging to it but he beseeched the Emperour to bestow it upon some other Person reserving for himself the hope of his Master in whose fortune he would take part This gave great content to Tamerlane who much desired the service of Axalla and upon his refusal the charge was conferred upon the Prince of Thanais with the Title of Vice-Roy Then did Tamerlane give notice of his affairs to the old Emperour and having paid his Souldiers and setled all things in the best manner he could he marched forward and taking a general Muster of his whole Army Horse and Foot he found them to be diminished ten thousand men only And so with his Army he spent one whole day in Prayer calling upon the immortal invisible invincible and incomprehensible God and then went directly to meet the Enemy who was at Sintehu with all his own and the forces of his Allies and as soon as he received news that Tamerlanes Army was advanced over the River of Chulifu the King of China marched directly towards them with great magnificence There was nothing to be seen in his Army but Gold and precious Stones He himself usually rode in a Chariot whereof every part shone with Gold Pearls Rubies and Diamonds He was of the age of about three and thirty and had been brought up in pleasures and not under the bloody Ensigns of Mars So that he was very insolent in threatnings brava does and defying to the Battel He often accused Tamerlane for surprizing him before he was ready not giving him warning c. The rumours of his riches so fired the spirits of the Tartarians that they longed to be at the Battel and so both sides hasted forwards and in the way there was a City called Tunichevoy surrendred to Tamerlane which afforded him much refreshing for his Army And thus the two Armies drawing near together Tamerlane made choice of a place in his judgment most advantageous for the Battel and having set down to Odmar the Order which he would have to be observed he longed to see his Enemy Then did he send before him five or six thousand Horse as Scouts under Calibes and himself went with them and having viewed the great confused Army of his Enemies which came continually forward he commanded Calibes to retire himself so soon as they drew near to him And bring saith he this great cloud to me which I hope soon to disperse and so retiring to his Army he encouraged them assuring them of the Victory He placed all his Foot-men which were about a hundred and twenty thousand along a Mountain planting great store of Artillery for their guard Many of his Foot-Souldiers were armed after the Christian manner who were all commanded by Axalla His Horsemen were in a Battalia in a great plain who upon any disadvantage could retire to the assistance of the Footmen the Horsemen were eighty thousand Calibes with the Scythians were in the Avantguard being thirty thousand Horse who were to receive Odmar when he should retreat from the Enemy as he was commanded thirty thousand more were appointed for Odmar and Tamerlane himself remained in the Arrear at one of the Wings of his Footmen His purpose was to let that sixty five thousand Horse under two such Gallant Captains to break the force of the Enemy hoping after them to have a good market causing his Foot to march forward and reserving with himself twenty thousand of his best Horse who of themselves were able to make a new Battel if any mischance should befal the former For he understood that it was the custom of the Kings of China to enclose themselves in the midst of their Chariots with their Footmen and not to
not the courage to return to their habitations too hastily much less to attempt any thing against Nebuchadnezzar but lived as miserable out-laws until the end of the seventy years which God had appointed for the desolation of their Countries as well as of the Land of Judaea When by a long course of Victory Nebuchadnezzar had brought into Subjection all the Nations of Syria and the bordering Arabians in such wise as that no enemy to himself or Friend to the Egyptian was left at his back that might either impede his proceedings or take advantage of any misfortune that might befall him then did he forthwith apply himself to the Conquest of Egypt upon which those other Nations had formerly been dependants Of this expedition and the Victorious issue thereof the three great Prophets Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel have written so plainly that it s altogether needless to seek after any other authority to confirm the same Long before it was prophesied by Isay that the King of Assyria or Babylon should lead away the Egyptians Prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt Isa. 20. 4. But Ezekiel and Jeremy as their Prophesies were neerer to the time of execution so they handled this Argument more plainly and precisely For Esekiel tells us cleerly that Egypt should be given to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his great service which he had done against Tyre Ezek. 29. 18 19 20. He recounteth also in particular all the chief Cities in Egypt saying that these by name should be destroyed and go into Captivity yea and that Pharaoh and all his Army should be slain by the Sword Ezek. 30. 4 10 c. Chap. 32. 2 c. And the Prophet Jeremy saith thus Behold I will visit the common people of Noe and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings even Pharaoh and all that trust in him and I will deliver them into the hands of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King òf Babel and into the hands of his Servants Jerem. 46. 25 26. Josephus accordingly saith that Nebuchadnezzar in three and twentieth year of his Raign and in the fifteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem did Conquer Egypt and kill the King thereof appointing a Vice-Roy to Govern it And it is evident that his Victories which followed his Conquest of Syria were such as did more enlarge his Dominions than all his former Wars had done For Ezekiel in his Thirtieth Chapter reckoneth up besides the whole Country of Egypt Phut and Lud with other Nations that may seem to have reached as far as into Mauritania which were conquered by him and added to his Empire And truly it is worth observation how Pharaoh King of Egypt was infatuated by God who thought himself most safe in his own Country by reason of the well-defenced situation thereof and therefore very unwisely suffered his enemies to make a cleer way to his own doors by the Conquest of all his Friends and Allyes in Syria For as the labour of this business did more harden than weary the Chaldean Army so the confidence and vain security of the Egyptians relying upon the difficulty of the passages which the enemy was to make through the Arabian Desarts and the great advantage which the River Nilus afforded did little avail them when the War came on Yea it did much astonish them as may justly be thought in the time of execution It being usually seen that the hearts of men fail when those helps deceive them in which they had reposed more confidence than in their own Virtue and Valour Until this time the Kingdom of Egypt had flourished under the Rule and Government of the Pharaohs for above the space of one thousand four hundred and eighty years But from this time forward it remained forty years without a King under the subjection of the Babylonians and then at lenghth it began to recover by little and little the former greatness Yet so that it was never dreadful unto others as it had been God having said of that people At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the People whither they were scattered and I will bring again the Captivity of Egypt and will cause them to return into the Land of Pathros into the land of their habitation and they shall be yet a base Kingdom It shall be the basest of the Kingdoms neither shall it exalt it self any more above the Nations For I will diminish them that they shall no more rule over the Nations and it shall be no more the confidence of the House of Israel Ezek. 29. 13 14 15 16. For whereas it had been said of Pharaoh I am the Son of the wise the Son of ancient Kings Isa. 19. 11. and whereas they had Vaunted the River is mine and I have made it Ezek. 29. 9. The Princes of Egypt now became fools the River failed them the King himself was now taken and slain and that ancient Linage was quite extinguished Of any Wars made by Nebuchadnezzar after such time as he returned from the Conquest of Egypt we read not except that against Ninive the destruction whereof was foretold by the Prophet Ninive indeed had been taken long before by Merodoch and together with the rest of Assyria made subject to Babylon Yet was it left under a peculiar King who rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar as Jehoiakim and Zedechias Tributary Kings of Judah had done was made partaker also of the same ruin That the destruction of Ninive followed the Conquest of Egypt is clear by the comparison which Nahum the Prophet made between this City that was to fall and the City of Noe in Egypt which was fallen already Nabum 3. 8 c. Art thou better than populous Noe that was situate amongst the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampire was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was infinite Put and Lubin were her helpers Yet was she carried away she went into Captivity Her young Children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains Thou also shalt be drunken thou shalt be hid thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy c. This Great Monarch having thus spent his younger days in inlarging his Dominions he betook himself to rest that he might reap the fruit of his former labours and the first thing that he applied himself to was to beautifie his Imperial City of Babylon adding a new City to the Old which he compassed about with three Walls and made in them stately Gates And neer the former Palace he built a New one more stately than it wherein he raised stone-works like unto Mountains which he planted with all manner of Trees He made
his Mother a Mede of whom this very Nebuchadnezzar at the hour of his Death uttered this Prophesie There shall come a Persian Mule who shall make use of your Devils as his Fellow-Souldiers to bring you into Bondage He calls Cyrus a Mule because he was to be born of a Father and Mother of two divers Nations THE LIFE and DEATH OF CYRUS THE GREAT The First Founder of the PERSIAN EMPIRE CYRUS was the Son of Cambyses King of Persia by Mandanes the Daughter of Astyages King of Media He was so named by the Prophet Isay almost two hundred years before he was born Isa. 45. 1 4. Thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus his anointed c. Cyrus his first Education was under his Father Cambyses with whom he lived till he was twelve years old and somewhat more at which time he was sent for together with his Mother Mandanes by his Grandfather Astyages into Media In Media he served Astyages first as one of his Halberdiers and then as one of his Armour-bearers till he was called home into Persia by his Father Cambyses when as yet he had one year to spend at School and when he had spent seventeen years at School amongst Boyes he spent ten years more amongst youths When Cyrus was now almost sixteen years old Evilmerodach the King of Assyria being about to marry a Wife called Nicotris made an in-rode with a great Army of Horse and Foot into the borders of Media there to take his pleasure in hunting and harrassing of the Countrey against whom Astyages and Cyaxares his Son and Cyrus his Grand-child who then first began to bear Arms being but about fifteen or sixteen years old marched out met with him and in a great Battel overthrew him and drave him out of his borders Indeed the Death of Nebuchadnezzar the Father of Evilmerodach gave courage to those that had found him a troublesome Neighbour to stand upon prouder terms with the Babylonians than in his flourishing estate they durst have used But Evilmerodach being too proud to digest this loss which he had received by the Medes and their Allies the Persians under Cyrus he drew unto his party the Lydians and all the people of the lesser Asia with great gifts and strong perswasions hoping by their assistance to overwhelm his enemies with a strong invasion whom in vain he had sought to weary out by a lingring War The issue of these great preparations made by Evilmerodach against the Medes was such as opened the way to the fulfilling divers Prophesies which were many years before uttered against Babel by Isay and Jeremy For the Babylonians and their Confederates who trusting in their numbers thought to have buried the Medes and Persians under their thick showers of Arrows and Darts were encountred with an Army of stout and well trained men weightily Armed for close fight by whom they were beaten in a great Battel wherein Evilmerodach was slain After which that great Empire that was raised and upheld by Nebuchadnezzar was grievously shaken and enfeibled under his unprosperous Son and left to be sustained by his Grand-child Belshazzar a man more like to have overthrown it when it was greatest and strongest than to repair it when it was in a way of falling Xenophon relates the matter thus When the Babylonian had enlarged his Empire with many Victories and was become Lord of all Syria and many other Countreys he began to hope that if the Medes could be brought under his Subjection there would not then be left any Nation adjoyning able to make head against him For the King of the Medes was able to bring into the Field sixty thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse to which the Forces of Persia being joyned made an exceeding great Army Considering therefore the strength of such a neighbour he invited Croesus King of Lydia a Prince very mighty both in men and Treasure and with him other Lords of Asia the less to his assistance alledging that those Eastern Nations were very powerfull and so firmly conjoyned by League and many Alliances that it would not be easie no nor possible for any one Nation to resist them With these suggestions backed with rich Presents he drew to himself so many adherents as he compounded an Army of two hundred Thousand Foot and sixty thousand Horse Of which ten thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot were brought by Croesus who had great cause of enmity against the Medes for that they had made great Wars against his Father Allyattes Whereupon Cyrus was by his Father Cambyses and the Council of the Kingdom made General of the Persian Army and sent away into Media with thirty thousand Souldiers and one thousand Commanders all of equal Authority under him and when he came thither he was also made by his Uncle Cyaxares who had sent for him General of the Median Forces and the management of the War against the Babylonian was wholly committed to him With this Army he marched against Evilmerodach and his associates and in a very bloody Battel overthrew them In which defeat Evilmerodach King of Babylon being slain so many of his Subjects revolted that Babylon it self could no longer be secured but by the help of Mercenaries waged with great sums of money out of Asia the less Egypt and other Countries which new levied Forces were also defeated and scattered by Cyrus who following his advantage possessed himself of a great part of the lesser Asia Those Persians which followed Cyrus and were by him levied are reckoned to be thirty thousand Foot of which one thousand were Armed Gentlemen the rest of the common sort were Archers and such as used the Dart or Sling Croesus notwithstanding the men lost and the Treasure spent in the quarrel of the Babylonians yet did he Conquer Aeolis Doris and Ionia Provinces possessed by the Greeks in Asia the less adjoyning to his Kingdom of Lydia He gave Laws also to the Phrygians Bithynians Carians Mysians Paphlagonians and other Nations He also enforced the Ephesians to acknowledge him for their Lord He also obtained a signal Victory against the Sacaeans a Nation of the Scythians All which he performed in fourteen years And being now confident by reason of his good successes and withall envious at Cyrus his Fame and Prosperity doubting also that his great Victories might in the end grow perillous to himself he consulted with the Oracle of Apollo whom he presented with marvellous rich gifts what success he might hope for in his undertakings against Cyrus from whom he received this ambiguous answer Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Croesus passing over the River Halys shall dissolve a great Dominion For the Devil being doubtful of his success gave him this Riddle which might be construed either way to the ruine of Persia or of his own Lydia Hereupon Croesus interpreting it as he most desired resolved to stop the course of Cyrus his progress
Trenches towards the River certain Banks or Heads uncut till he saw his opportunity Now Belshazzar finding neither any want or weakness within the City nor any possibility for his enemies without to approach the Walls by reason of the great River that surrounded them he prepared an exceeding sumptuous Feast Publick Plays and other Pastimes and thereto invited a Thousand of his Princes or Nobles besides his Wives Courtezans and others of that Trade This he did either to let the Besiegers know that his Provisions were sufficient not only for all needful uses but even for superfluity and excess Or because he hoped that his enemies by this time were discouraged and even broken under their manifold disasters Or else he made this Feast in honour of Bell his most adored Idol Or lastly because it was his Birth or Coronation Day Or for many or most of these respects Yea he was not contented to use and shew such Magnificence as no Prince else could Equal but he lifted up himself against the God of Heaven Dan. 5. 23. For he his Princes his Wives and his Concubines made carousing Cups of the Golden and Silver Vessels which his Grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple which was at Jerusalem and in contempt of the Lord of Heaven he praised his own Puppets made of Gold and Silver and Brass and Iron and Wood and Stone Whilst Belshazzar was thus triumphing and had his brains well filled with vapours he beheld a hand which by Divine power wrote upon the Wall that was opposite to him certain Words which he understood not wherewith so great a fear and amazement seized upon him that the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another Which Passion when he had in some measure recovered he cryed aloud to bring in the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers promising them great rewards and the third place of Honour in his Kingdom to him that could read and expound the Writing But it exceeded their Art and Skill In this disturbance and astonishment the Queen hearing what had passed came in and observing what distraction the King was in after Reverence done She used this Speech O King live for ever Let not thy thoughts trouble thee nor let thy countenance be changed there is a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy Gods and in the Days of thy Father light and understanding and Wisdome like the Wisdom of the Gods was found in him whom the King Nebuchadnezzar thy Father the King I say thy Father made Master of the Magicians the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers for as much as an excellent Spirit and knowledg and understanding in interpreting Dreams and shewing of hard Sentences and dissolving doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the King named Belteshazzar Now let Daniel be called and he will shew the Interpretation This Queen was either the Grandmother or the Mother of Belshazzar For it appears that She was not any of the Kings Wives because She was absent from the Feast and in regard of her age past banquetting and dancing Yet upon the report of the Miracle She came in to comfort and cheer up the King and whereas Daniel was forgotten and neglected by others of younger years and latter times this old Queen remembred well what Daniel had done in the days of Nebuchadnezzar Grandfather to this Belshazzar and kept in mind both his Religion and Divine gifts When Daniel was brought into the Kings presence he said unto him Art thou that Daniel which art of the Children of the Captivity of Judah whom the King my Father brought out of Jewry I have heard of thee that the Spirit of the Gods is in thee and that light and understanding and excellent Wisdom is found in thee and now the Wise men and the Astrologers have been brought in before me that they should read this Writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof but they could not do it And I have heard of thee that thou canst make Interpretations and dissolve doubts Now if thou canst read the Writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof thou shalt be clothed with Scarlet and have a chain of Gold about thy neck and shalt be the third Ruler in the Kingdom But Daniel made answer in a far differing stile from that which he had used to his Grandfather For the evil which he had foretold to Nebuchadnezzar he wished that it might befal his enemies But to this King whose contempt of God and vicious life he hated he answered in these Words Let thy gifts be to thy self and give thy rewards to another Yet I will read the writing to the King and make known to him the Interpretation which yet before he did he shewed him the cause of Gods Judgments against him and the reason of this terrible sentence whereof the King and all his Wise men were utterly Ignorant the substance whereof is this That Belshazzar forgetting Gods goodness to his Father whom all Nations feared and obeyed and yet for his Pride and neglect of those benefits as he had deprived him of his Estate and Understanding so upon the acknowledgement of Gods infinite power he restored him to both again And thou his Son said he O BelshazZar hast not humbled thy heart though thou knowest all this But hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven and they have brought thee Vessels of his House before thee and thou and thy Lords thy Wives and thy Concubines have drunk Wine in them and thou hast praised the Gods of silver and Gold c. and the God in whose hand thy â—reath is and whose are all thy wayes hast thou not Glorified Then was the part of the band sent from him and this writing was written Mene Mene Tekel Upharâ—in Whereof this is the Interpretation Mene God hath numbred thy Kingdom and finished it Tekel Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting Peres Thy Kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians The very Evening or Night of this Day wherein Belshazzar thus Feasted and wherein these things were done Cyrus either by his Espcials or being inspired by God himself whose Ensign he followed in these Wars finding the time and opportunity fit for him even whilst the Kings Head and and the Heads of his Nobility were no less distempered with the Vapours of Wine than their hearts were with the fear of Gods Judgments he caused all the Banks and Heads of his Trenches to be opened and cut down with all speed and diligence whereby that great River Euphrates was quickly drawn dry and himself with his Army passing through the Channel which was now dry without any opposition they easily made their entrance into the City finding none to disturb them Invadunt urbem somno Vinoque sepultam All the Town lay buried in Wine and Sleep and such as came in
with his Army marched towards Caria and Pisidia still giving it out that some Persons in those parts were grown unruly He had in his Army a great number of his own besides thirteen thousand Grecians when news of his approach was brought to the Court all was strait in an uproar Many accused the Queen-Mother as having a hand in it and all her Servants were vehemently suspected But that which troubled Parysatis most was Queen Statyra her Daughter in Law who stormed exceedingly when she saw this War begun against her Husband and cryed out on the Queen-Mother for it Parysatis hereupon being a cruel and malicious Woman so hated her hence forwards that she sought her Death by all means Cyrus in the mean time came on without resistance even to the City of Babylon And whereas Artaxerxes had determined to retire into the farthest parts of Persia Tiribazus was the first that durst tell him that he should not shun the fight lerving to his enemies the Kingdomes of Media Babylon and Susa considering that he had a greater Army than Cyrus and far more skilful Captains which words made the King to alter his mind and to resolve to give Battel so soon as he could Cyrus coming with his Army to the River Cayster received money from Epiaxa Wife to Syenesis the King of Cilicia wherewith he paid his Army full four months Wages and by her perswasion her Husband Syenesis gave him also a vast summ of money towards the maintenance of his Army and like a wise man at the same time he supplied Artaxerxes with necessaries for the War and having two Sons he sent one of them to Cyrus with a competent number of men for his service and the other he sent privily away to Artaxerxes to let him know that having such an Army come upon him he durst not but keep fair with Cyrus nevertheless that he continued a true Servant in heart to Artaxerxes and would fall to him so soon as he had opportunity At Tarsus the Grecians who were eleven thousand Corselets and two thousand Targateers told Cyrus plainly that they would march no farther but by the wisdom of Clearchus they were perswaded to go on and so they came to Issus the utmost City of Cilicia where Cyrus's Fleet met him bringing great supplies to him and the Straights of Syria being abandoned Cyrus marched without any stop to the place where the fight shortly after was Cyrus besides the Grecians before mentioned had in his Army one hundred thousand fighting men and two hundred hooked Chariots Of Artaxerxes his part there were four hundred thousand men and fifteen hundred hooked Chariots The place where the fight was was called Cyanaxa five hundred furlongs from Babylon Cyrus his men were marvelously astonished when they saw the Army of Artaxerxes in such excellent good order whereas themselves were dispersed here and there stragling without any order and ill armed trusting too much to themselves and dispising their enemies So that Cyrus had much ado to set his men in Battel array and yet was it with great noise and tumult But of all others the Grecians wondred most when they saw the Kings Army march in so good order of Battel without any noise for they thought to have seen them in great disorder and confusion and supposed that they would have made such a noise as one could not have heard another whereas Artaxerxes had marshalled his Army excellent well He had placed before his Battel his best Chariots armed with Sithes and drawn by the strongest and biggest Horses he had hoping by their fierceness and fury to disorder the ranks of his enemies Before the Battel began Clearchus General of the Grecians advised Cyrus to keep behind his Squadron and not to hazard his Person amongst his own men To whom Cyrus answered What saist thou Clearchus What wouldst thou have me who strive to be a King to shew my self unworthy to be a King But Clearchus himself committed as great if not a worse fault whenas he would not order his men directly against the Battel of the enemy where Artaxerxes was but pent them up by the Rivers side for fear least they should be compassed in behind whereas if the Grecians had been set in opposition to the King he had never been able to endure their charge but had either been slain or forced to fly wherefore if Artaxerxes would have chosen or wished a place where the Grecians might have done him less hurt he could not have devised a fitter place that was so far from him and from whence the Grecians could neither see nor hear what was done in the place where he was as afterwards appeared Cyrus being mounted upon an hot and hard mouthed Horse the Governour of the Province of the Caducians spyed him afar off and clapping spurs to his Horse he came with a full career to him crying out O Traytor and most unfaithful man Thou dishonourest the name of Cyrus for that thou hast brought such valiant Grecians upon so wicked an enterprise to spoil the Persians Goods and to destroy thy Soveraign Lord and only Brother who hath an infinite number of Slaves and Servants that are honester men than thy self and that thou shalt presently know by experience for thou shalt die before thou seest the Kings face and therewithall he threw his Dart at him with all his force But the Armour of Cyrus was so good that it pierced not yet the blow made him stagger on his Horse back Artagerses having given him this blow presently wheeled about But Cyrus threw a Dart at him so happily that he slew him the head of his Dart passing quite through his Neck Cyrus hereupon presently slew upon those that were neerest to the Kings Person and came so near the King that he flew his Horse under him But Tiribazus presently mounted the King upon another Horse and Cyrus clapping spurs to his Horse threw another Dart at the King and hit him But at the third charge Artaxerxes told them about him that he could not abide this and that he had rather die than suffer it and thereupon he spurred his Horse to charge Cyrus who also came fiercely against him and threw his Dart at him as also did all those that were about the King and so was Cyrus slain in this conflict Now after Cyrus was dead Artasyras one of the Kings Eunuchs passing by found his dead Body whereupon he gallopped apace to the King and with a smiling countenance told him the news Artaxerxes was so joyful that he would needs go to the place to see it But he was advised not to go in Person for fear of the Grecians who carried all before them and were killing those that had fled before them Upon this advice the King stayed and sent thirty men with Torches in their hands to seek him out The King was very ill both by reason of the great thirst he suffered as also by reason of a wound that he had received
to his People He also it was who intending to make War upon Egypt that he might have the more assistance therein from the Grecians he sent his Ambassadours into Greece to induce them to make a general Peace among themselves upon these terms that every City should from thenceforth live according to their own Laws and should have no Garrisons amongst them This motion all the Cities of Greece embraced save only the Thebans as you may see in the Life of Epaminondas THE LIFE and DEATH OF ALEXANDER the GREAT KING OF MACEDONIA A LEXANDER surnamed the Great was the Son of Philip King of Macedonia and of his Queen Olympias He was born on the sixth day of our June called by the Macedonians Lous Upon the very same day that the Temple of Diana in Ephesus was burned down whereupon the Priests Magicians and South-sayers ran about the City crying that some great Plague and mischief to Asia was surely born that day Three Messengers came to King Philip presently after he had won the City of Potidaea upon the same day who brought him great News the first that Parmenio his General had won a notable Battel of the Illyrians the second that his Horse had won the prize at the Olympian Games and the third that his Wife Olympias had brought him a Son that was named Alexander born at Pella in Macedonia Philip being marvellous glad to hear these Newses the South-sayers much added to his joy assuring him that his Son that was thus born should be invincible He had naturally a very fair white colour mingled with red which chiefly appeared in his face and breast His Skin had a marvellous sweet savour and his breath was very sweet which sheweth his excellent constitution He was naturally hot and Cholerick which made him to be addicted to drink and hasty and yet was chast withall His Father was very careful of his Education and therefote gat for him excellent Tutors as Leonidas which had the chiefest Government of him Then Lysimachus an Acarnanian and Aristotle the Best Philosopher of his time to whom Philip allowed a very honourable stipend He delighted much in hunting divers kind of wild Beasts and playing at the Staff On a time while he was young Ambassadors were sent to his Father from the King of Persia and it fell out that Philip was in some journey out of his Kingdom Alexander therefore intertained them familiarly not using any childish questions to them nor enquiring about trifling and trivial matters but what distance it was from one place to another and which way they went into the higher places of Asia Also about the King of Persia himself how he behaved himself towards his enemies and what power he had c. insomuch as they were ravished with delight to hear him judging him to be of great Courage and of a Noble mind and one that was like to attempt great enterprises When at any time news was brought him that his Father had taken some famous City or had won some great Battel he was no whit glad to hear it but would say to his Play-fellows Sirs My Father will do all I shall have nothing left me to Conquer with you that will be ought worth Upon a time Philonicus a Thessalian brought a brave Horse called Bucephalus to sell unto king Philip demanding thirteen Talents for him and they went into the Field to try him But the Horse was found to be so unruly and churlish that they which should have ridden him said that he would never be made serviceable For he would let no man get upon his Back nor abide any of the Gentlemens voices that were about Philip but would yerk at them with his heels whereupon Philip being afraid bad them take him away as a wild untamable and unprofitable Beast which they had done accordingly had not Alexander that stood by said O Gods what a Horse do they turn away for lack of skill and courage to handle and break him Philip heard what he said but held his peace Alexander often repeating those words and seeming sorry that the Horse should be sent back Philip said Why doest thou control them that have more skill and experience than thy self and that know better how to handle a Horse than thou doest Alexander answered and yet me-thinks I could handle him better than all they have done But if thou canst do no more than they replied Philip what wilt thou forfet for thy folly I am content said Alexander to forfeit the price of the Horse Every one laughed to hear his answer and the match was made between the Father and the Son Then ran Alexander to the Horse and took him by the Bridle and turned him towards the Sun It seems he had observed how mad the Horse was to see his own shadow which was before always before his eyes as he sturred too and fro Then Alexander speaking gently to the Horse and clapping him on the back with his hand till he had left his fury and snorting softly let fall his Cloak from him and lightly leaped on his back and so gat up without any danger and holding the reins of the Bridle hard without striking or stirring the Horse made him to be gentle enough And when he perceived that the fury of the Horse was calmed he put him forward and began to Gallop Then he put him to his full carrier spurring and switching him Philip at first seeing his Sons confidence began to fear lest he should catch any hurt But when he saw him readily to turn the Horse at the end of his carrier and shewing bravery for what he had done all the Spectators gave a great shoot for joy and the Father fell a weeping for joy and when Alexander was alighted from the Horse his Father went and kissed him saying O Son thou must have a Kingdom that is meet for thee for Macedonia is not sufficient for thee Considering also that he was not to be rigorously dealt with and that by gentle means and perswasions he could make him do what he would he ever sought rather to perswade than to command him what he would have done Alexander in these his younger days was very mild and of a patient disposition insomuch as being told that some of his Friends used in secret to speak against him he said Regium est malè audire câ—m benefeceris It s a Kingly thing to hear ill when one doth well King Philip being dead his Son Alexander succeeded being a Prince no less Valiant by Nature than by Education being well instructed and inriched with all sorts of Learning He began his Reign in Macedonia four hundred and seventeen years after Rome was built being himself about twenty years old Upon this change of the King the neighbour Nations whom Philip had oppressed adventured to endeavour the recovery of their former liberty by force of Arms the young years of Alexander giving some hope of prevailing and his
left And thus Alexander without hazard got both the entrance into Cilicia abandoned by the cowardliness of his enemies and also that whole Province whose minds were now alienated from the Persians through the imprudent carriage of Arsenes When Alexander with great speed was come to Tarsus taking pleasure in the River Cydnus which ran through the City all hot as he was he threw off his Armour and leaped into the cold water whereupon he grew instantly so benumb in all the Nerves of his Body that he lost the use of his Tongue and so far was he from hope of recovery that nothing was expected but present Death But one Philip a Physician gave him a Potion which he took and it cured him out of hand though Parmenio had forewarned him that this Philip was set on work to poison him In the mean time Darius approached having gathered together an Army of two hundred and ninety thousand men of divers Nations saith Q. Curtius or of three hundred thousand Foot and one hundred thousand Horse as Justine numbers them Or of six hundred thousand as Plutarch relates The manner of his coming was rather like a Masker than a man of War and like one that took more care to shew his Glory and Riches than to provide for his own safety For before his Army there were carried the holy Fire which the Persians worshipped for their God attended by their Priests and after them three hundred sixty and five young men answering to the days of the year clothed in Skarlet Then the Chariot of Jupiter drawn with white Horses with their Riders clothed in white and carrying Rods of Gold in their hands Next after them came the Horse of the Sun and after him ten sumptuous Chariots Inlay'd and garnished with Gold and Silver and then the Vaunt Guard of their Horse compounded of twelve several Nations which the better to avoid confusion did hardly understand one anothers Language and these marshelled in the head of the rest being beaten might serve very fitly to disorder all that followed them In the tail of these marched the Regiment of foot stiled by the Persians Immortal because if any died their place was presently supplied by others and these were armed with chains of Gold and theit Coats embroidered with the same having their sleeves garnished with Pearl Baits fit either to intice the poor Macedonians or to perswade them that it were great incivility to cut or deface such goodly Garments Then marched after them fifteen thousand more rich and glittering than the former but apparelled like Women and these were honoured with the Title of the Kings Kinsmen Then came Darius himself with the Gentlemen of his Guard-robe riding before his Chariot which was supported by the Gods of his Nation cast and cut in pure Gold the head of this Chariot was set with precious Stones with two Golden Idols covered with an open winged Eagle of the same mettal The hinder part being raised high whereon Darius sat had a covering of inestimable valew This Chariot of the Kings was followed with ten thousand Horsemen having lances plated with Silver and their heads guilt He had for the proper Guard of his own Person two hundred of the blood Royal blood too Royal and precius to be spilt in any Noble adventure and these were backed with thirty thousand Footmen after whom again were led four hundred spare Horses for the Kings own use Then followed the Rereward being led by Sisygambis the Kings Mother and by his Wife drawn in glorious and glittering Chariots followed by a great train of Ladies on Horseback with fifteen rich Wagons of the Kings Children and the Wives of the Nobility waited upon by two hundred and fifty Concubines and a World of Nurses and Eunuches most sumptuously apparelled Between these and a Company of slight Armed Slaves was the Kings Treasure loaden on six hundred Mules and three hundred Camels In this sort came this May-game King into the field encumbred with a most unnecessary train of Sumpters attended with Troops of divers Nations speaking divers Languages impossible to be well Marshalled by reason of their numbers and for the most part so effeminate and so rich in Gold and costly Garments as the same could not but have encouraged the Nakedst Nation against them When Alexander met with these effeminate Asiaticks it may easily be guessed what a cheap Victory he had over them Some say that he slew in this Battel sixty thousand Footmen and ten thousand Horsemen Q. Curtius saith an hundred thousand Foot with as many Horsemen and took forty thousand Prisoners whilest of Alexanders Army there miscarried but two hundred and eighty of all sorts of which number some Historians cut off almost one half He took Prisoners also Darius his Mother Wife Daughters and other the Kings Children Darius by this time found it true that Charidemus a banished Grecian of Athens had told him when he made a view of his Army about Babylon to wit That the multitude which he had assembled of divers Nations richly attired but poorly Armed would be found more terrible to the Countries through which they should pass than to the Macedonians whom they went to assail who being all old Well-disciplined Souldiers imbattelled in gross Squadrons which they called their Phalanx well covered with Armour for defence and furnished with advantagious Weapons for offence would make so little account of his delicate Persians ill Armed and worse Disciplin'd that except he would having such abundance of Treasure entertain a sufficient number of the same Grecians and so encounter the Macedonians with men of equal courage he would repent overlate as taught by the miserable success like to follow But so unpleasing was this discourse to Darius who used to hear nothing but his own praises that he caused this poor Grecian to be presently slain who whilst he was under the Tormentors hand said to the King that Alexander against whom he had given this good counsel should certainly revenge his Death and deservedly punish Darius for refusing this advise Darius likewise slighted the counsel given him by the Grecian Souldiers that served under him who intreated him not to fight in those streight places where Alexander could bring as many hands to fight as Darius could and these old Blades when Darius was overthrown with all his cowardly and confused Rabble under their Captain Amyntas held firm and made a brave retreat in despite of the vanquishers These Grecians also after their retreat advised Darius to draw back his Army into the plains of Mesopotamia where he might have environed the Macedonians on all sides with his multitudes they counselled him also to divide his huge Army into parts and not to cast his Empire upon one Battel c. But this advise was so contrary to the cowardly spirits of the Persians that they perswaded Darius to environ these Greeks with his Army and to cut them in pieces as Traitors But
Persian Empire that then it would please them to confer it on so just chast an enemy as was Alexander to whom once more before the last tryal by Battel he offered these conditions of peace That if he would marry his Daughter he would deliver and resign up to him all Asia the less with Egypt and all those Kingdoms between the Phaenician Sea and the River Euphrates That he would pay him for the Ransom of his Mother and other Daughters thirty thousand Talents and that for performance thereof he would leave his Son Ochus in Hostage and they sought by sundry Arguments to perswade Alexander to accept hereof Alexander causing the Ambassadors to withdraw advised with his Councel yet heard no man speak but Parmenio who was the very right hand of his good Fortune and he perswaded him to accept of such fair conditions He told him that the Empire between Euphrates and the Hellespont was a large addition to Macedonia That the retaining of those Persian Prisoners was a great cumber to him and that the Treasure offered for them was of far better use than their Persons with divers other Arguments yet Alexander rejected all though it was very probable that if he had followed his advice and set bounds to his ambition within those limits he might have been as famous for his virtue as he was for his great successes and might have left a successor of fit age to have enjoyed his estate which afterwards indeed he much enlarged rather to the greatning of others than himself who to assure themselves of what they had Usurped left not one of his issue alive within a few years after Besides Alexander by going so far into the East left behind him the reputation which he brought with him out of Macedonia of a just and prudent Prince A Prince temperate advised and grateful and learned by abundance of prosperity to be a lover of Wine of Flatterers and of extream cruelty But the Persian Ambassadors waited for their answer which was to this effect that what curtesies soever he had bestowed upon the Wife and Children of Darius proceeded from his own natural clemency and magnanimity without all respect to their Master but thanks to an enemy was improper That he made no Wars against adversity but against those that resisted him Not against Women and Children but against armed enemies And also that by the reiterated practices of Darius to corrupt his Souldiers and by great sums of money to debauch his Friends to attempt something against his Person he had reason to doubt whether the peace offered were really intended yet could he not were it true and faithful resolve in hast to accept of it seeing Darius had Warred against him not as a King vvith Royal and over forces but as a Traytor by secret and base practices Besides the Territories which he offered him were already his own and if Darius could beat him back again over Euphrates he would then believe that he offered him something that was in his power to give Otherwise he propounded to himself as a reward of his enterprizes all those Kingdoms which Darius as yet had in his possession wherein vvhether he was abused by his own hopes or no the Battel vvhich he meant to fight the day following should determine And in conclusion he told them that he came into Asia to give Kingdoms and not to receive them That the Heavens could not hold two Suns and therefore if Darius could be content to acknowledg Alexander his Superiour he might perchance be perswaded to give him condition fit for a second Person and an Inferiour The Ambassaders being returned with this answer Darius prepares to fight and sent Mazeus to defend a Pass which yet he never dared so much as to hazzard Alexander consulting with his Captains Parmenio perswaded him to force the Camp of Darius by night that the multitudes of his enemies might not affright his Macedonians being comparatively but a few But Alexander replied that he scorned to steal a Victory and resolved to bring with him Daylight to witness his Valour Indeed the success commended Alexanders resolution though the Counsel given by Parmenio was more sound Yet when he came to view the multitude of his enemies he began to stagger and entrenched himself upon a Ground of advantage which foolishly the Persians had abandoned And when as Darius for fear of a Camizado had stood with his men in Armour all the day and forborn all sleep in the Night Alexander on the contrary gave his men rest and store of food knowing that Souldiers do better stand to it in fight if they have their bellies full of meat and drink for hunger within fights more eagerly than steel without The numbers which Alexander had were about forty thousand Foot and seven thousand Horse which were of the Europaean Army And besides these he had Aegyptians Syrians Judaeans and Arabians which followed him out of those Countries He used but a short speech to his Souldiers to encourage them neither need he For one Victory begets another and puts courage into the Conquerors and taketh away spirits from those that have been beaten Some make large descriptions of this Battel fought at Gaugamela but in conclusion they tell us but of three hundred of Alexanders men that were slain and some say less but of the Persians there fell forty thousand But what can we judg of this great encounter other than as in the two former Battels at Granick and in Cilicia that the Persians upon the first charge ran away and that the Macedonians pursued them For if that every man whom Darius brought into the Field had but cast a Dart or a Stone the Macedonians could not have bought the Empire of the East at so easie a rate as six or seven hundred in three such notorious Battels Certainly if Darius had fought with Alexander upon the Banks of Euphrates and had Armed but fifty or sixty thousand of this great multitude only with Spades for most of his men were fit for no other Weapon it had been impossible for Alexander to have passed that River so easily much less the River of Tygris But as a man whose Empire God was putting a Period to he abandoned all places of advantage and suffered Alexander to enter so far into the bowels of his Kingdom as all hope and possibility of escaping by retreat being taken from the Macedonians they were put to the choise either to Die or Conquer to which Election Darius could no way constrain his men seeing they had many large Regions to run into from their Invaders Darius after the rout of his Army fled to Arbela that Night better attended in his flight than in the fight and to them that fled with him he propounded his purpose of retreating into Media perswading them that the Macedonians who were greedy of spoil and riches would rather attempt Babylon Susa and other Cities filled with
he had quieted marched on with his Army into Gabaza where it suffered so much Hunger Cold Lightning Thunder and such Storms that in one of them he lost a thousand men From hence he invaded the Sacans and destroyed their Country Then came he into the Territories of Cohortanes who submitted himself to him and presented him with thirty beautiful Virgins amongst whom Roxane afterwards his Wife was one which although all the Macedonians stomached yet none of them durst use any freedome of speech after the death of Clytus From hence he directed his course towards India having so increased his numbers as amounted to one hundred and twenty thousand Armed men In the mean while he would needs be honoured as a God whereunto that he might allure his Macedonians he implyed two of his Parasites Hagis and Cleo whom Calisthenes opposed For amongst many other honest Arguments which he used in the Assembly he told Cleo that he thought that Alexander would disdain the Title of a God from his Vassals That the opinion of Sanctity though it did sometimes follow the Death of those who in their Life-time had done the greatest things yet it never accompanied any one as yet living in the world He said that neither Hercules nor Bacchus were Deified at a Banquet and upon drink for this matter was propounded by Cleo at a carousing Feast but for the more than manly acts performed by them in their Life-time for which they were in succeeding Ages numbred amongst the Gods Alexander stood behind a partition and heard all that was spoken waiting but for an opportunity to be revenged on Calisthenes who being free of speech Honest Learned and a Lover of the Kings Honour was yet shortly after tormented to Death For upon occasion of a Conspiracy made against the King by one Hermelaus and others who confessed it he caused Calisthenes without confession accusation or tryal to be torn asunder upon the Rack This deed unworthy of a King is thus censured by Seneca Thus saith he is the eternal crime of Alexander which no Virtue or felicity of his in War shall ever be able to blot out For as often as any man shall say He slew many thousands of Persians it will be replied He did so and he slew Calisthenes too When it shall be said that he won all as far as to the very Ocean whereon also he adventured with unusual Navies and extended his Empire from a corner of Thrace to the utmost bounds of the East it shall be said withall But he killed Calisthenes Let him have out-gone all the ancient Examples of Captains and Kings none of all his Acts make so much to his Glory as the Death of Calisthenes to his reproach With the Army before mentioned of one hundred and twenty thousand Foot and Horse Alexander entred into the borders of India where such of the Princes as submitted themselves to him he entertained lovingly the others he enforced killing man woman and child where they resisted He then came before Nisa built by Bacchus which after a â—ew dayes was rendred to him From thence he removed to a Hill at hand which on the top had goodly Gardens filled with delicate fruits and Vines dedicated to Bacchus to whom he made Feasts for ten dayes together And when he had drank his fill went on to Dedula and from thence to Acadera Countries spoiled and abandoned by the Inhabitants by reason whereof Victuals failing he divided his Army Ptolomy led one part Cenon another and himself the rest These took in many Towns whereof that of greatest fame was Muzage which had in it three hundred thousand men but after some resistance it was yielded to him by Cleophe the Queen to whom he again restored it At the Siege of this City he received a wound in the leg After this Nola was taken by Polisperchon and a Rock of great strength by Alexander himself He won also a passage from one Eryx who was slain by his own men and his Head presented to Alexander This was the sum of his Actions in those parts before he came to the great River Indus And when he came thither he found there Ephestion who being sent before had prepared Boats for the transportation of his Army and before Alexanders arrival had prevailed with Omphis King of that part of the Country to submit himself to this great Conquerour And hereupon soon after Alexanders coming Omphis presented himself with all the strength of his Country and fifty six Elephants unto him offering him his service and assistance He told Alexander also that he was an enemy to the two next great Kings of that part of India named Abiasares and Porus wherewith Alexander was not a little pleased hoping by this their disunion to make his own Victory be the far more easie This Omphis also presented Alexander with a Crown of Gold the like did the rest of his Commanders and withall he gave him eight Talents of Silver coined which Alexander not only refused but to shew that he coveted Glory not Gold he gave Omphis a thousand Talents of his own Treasure besides other Persian rarities Abiasares being informed that Alexander had received his enemy Omphis into his protection he resolved to make his own peace also For knowing that his own strength did but equal that of Omphis he thought it but an ill match when Alexander who had already subdued all the greatest Princes of Asia should make himself a party and head of the quarrell So then now Alexander had none to stand in his way but Porus to whom he sent a command that he should attend him at the Borders of his Kingdom there to do him Homage But the gallant Porus returned him this manly answer That he would satisfie him in the first demand which was to attend him on his Borders and that well accompanied but for any other acknowledgment he was resolved to take counsel of his Sword To be short Alexander resolved to pass over the River of Hydaspes and to find out Porus at his own home But Porus saved him that labour attending him on the farther bank with thirty thousand Foot ninety Elephants and three hundred armed Chariots and a great Troop of Horse The River was half a mile broad and withal deep and swift It had in it many Islands amongst which there was one much overgrown with Wood and of good capacity Alexander sent Ptolomy with a good part of the Army up the River shrowding the rest from the sight of Porus under this Island by this devise Porus being drawn from the place of his first encamping set himself down opposite to Ptolomy supposing that the whole Army of Alexander was there intending to force their passage But in the mean while Alexander with his men recovered the the farther shore without resistance and ordering his Troops he advanced towards Porus who at first imagined them to be Abiasares his confederate come over Hydaspis to assist him
But finding it to be otherwise he sent his Brother Hagis with four thousand Horse and a hundred armed Chariots to entertain him Each Chariot had in it four to â—ight and two to guide it But they were at this time of little use by reason that much rain having fallen the fields were so foul that the Horses could hardly trot In this fight the Scythians and Dahans had Alexanders Vantguard who so galled the Indians with their Darts and Arrows that the Horses brake their reins and overturned the Chariots and those that were in them Perdiccas also charged the Indian Horsemen who were by him forced to recoil Then did Porus move forward with the Gross of his Army that his Vantguard who were scattered might retreat into his Rear Alexander being followed by Ephestion Ptolomy and Perdiccas charged the Indian Horsemen in the left wing commanding Cenon to set upon the right He directed also Antigonus and Leonatus to charge Porus his Battel of Foot strengthened with Elephants Porus himself riding upon one of the biggest of them By these Beasts the Macedonian Foot received the greatest dammage but the Archers and Darters being well guarded with the long and strong Pikes of the Macedonians so galled them that the Elephants being inraged turned Head and ran over their own Footmen that followed them In the end after a long and doubtful fight by the advantage of weapons and the skill and courage of the Macedonian Captains the Victory fell to Alexander who also far exceeded Porus in number of men For besides the Macedonians and other Eastern and Northern Nations Alexander was assisted by Porus his Confederates and Country people Yet for his own person he never gave ground otherwise than with his Sword towards his enemies till being weakned by many wounds and abandoned by his Army he became a Prisoner to the Conquerour from whom again he received his Kingdom with a great enlargement I forbear to mention other petty Victories which Alexander obtained after this in his sailing down the River of Indus The description of places about the Head and branches thereof are better known to us by reason of our late Navigations and Discoveries than they were in former times The magnificence and Rights of those Indian Kings we could in no sort be perswaded to believe till our own experience had taught us that there are many stranger things in the world than we see in our own Countrey Alexander having by this time over-wearied his Army he discovered the rest of India by Fame The Indian Kings whom he had subdued informed him that a King called Aggramenes ruled over many Nations beyond the River Ganges who was able to bring into the Field two hundred thousand Foot twenty thousand Horse three thousand Elephants and two thousand armed Chariots With this report though Alexander was more enflamed than ever to proceed in his Discoveries and Conquests yet all his Oratory could not prevail with his Souldiers to adventure over those waste Desarts beyond Indus and Ganges which were more terrible to them than the greatest Army that the East could gather Yet at last they were overcome by many perswasions to follow him towards the South to discover such parts of the Ocean as were nearer at hand unto which the River Indus was their infallible guide Alexander seeing it would be no otherwise devised a pretty trick by which he hoped to beguile after-ages and make himself seem greater than he was For which end he enlarged his Camp made greater Trenches greater Cabins for Souldiers greater Horse-stalls and higher Mangers than Horses could seed in Yea he caused all furniture both for Men and Horses to be made larger than would serve for use and scattered these Armours and Bridles about his Camp to be kept as Reliques and wondred at by those barbarous People Proportionable unto these he raised up twelve great Altars to be Monuments of his Journeys end This done he returned again to the Banks of Asesines and there determined to build his Fleet where Ausines and Hydaspes meet and to testifie by a surer Monument how far he had passed towards the East he built by those Rivers two Cities the one he called Nicaea and the other Bucephalon after the name of his beloved Horse Bucephalus Here again he received a new supply of six thousand Thracian Horse-men seven thousand Foot and from his Lieutenant of Babylon twenty five thousand Armours garnished with Silver and Gold which he distributed amongst his Souldiers About these Rivers he won many Towns and committed great slaughter on those that resisted It 's said that besieging a City of the Oxidracans he leaped from the top of the wall into it and fought long against all the Inhabitants till his Souldiers forcing a Gate came in to his rescue Finally he passed down the River with his Fleet at which time news was brought him of a Rebellion in Bactria and then of the arrival of a hundred Ambassadours from a King in India who submitted himself to him These Ambassadours he Feasted upon a hundred Beds of Gold with all the sumptuousness that could be devised who soon after their dispatch returned again and presented him with three hundred Horses and one hundred and thirty Wagons and in each of them four Horses a thousand Targets with many other things rare and rich Then sailed Alexander towards the South passing through many obscure Nations which all yielded to him either quietly or by force Amongst these he built another Alexandria Of the many places which he took in his passage one was called Samus the Inhabitants whereof fought against him with poysoned Swords with one of which Ptolomy afterwards King of Egypt was wounded and was cured by an Herb which Alexander dreamed he had seen in the mouth of a Serpent When he came near to the out-let of Indus being ignorant of the Tides of the Sea his Gallies on a sudden were shuffled one against another by the coming of the Flood and in the Ebb they were left on the dry ground and on the Sandy banks in the River wherewith the Macedonians were much amazed But after he had a few dayes observed the course of the Sea he passed out of the Rivers mouth some few miles and then offering Sacrifice to Neptune he returned and the better to inform himself he sent Nearchus and Onesicritus to discover the Coast towards the mouth of Euphrates Near the out-lets of this River he spent some part of Winter and from thence in eighteen dayes march he recovered Gredosia in which passage his Army suffered such misery through the want of food that of one hundred and twenty thousand Foot and twelve thousand Horse which he carried into India not a fourth part returned alive From Gredosia Alexander led his Army into Caramania and so drawing near to Persia he gave himself wholly unto Feasting and Drinking imitating the Triumphs of Bacchus And though this Swinish Vice be hateful
and by all possible means to repress and subdue them in us And when this is done there is also said he an exercise of justice against greedy Covetousness and a desire of getting which is not not to go rob our Neighbours Houses nor not to rob men by the High Way nor not to betray our Friends or Country for Mony for such an one opposeth not covetousness but possibility its Law or fear that bridleth his covetous desire to offend But that man that oftimes willingly abstains from just gains he it is that by exercise keeps himself far from unjust and unlawful taking of mony For it is impossible in great pleasures that are wicked and dangerous the Soul should contain it self from lusting after them unless formerly being oft at his choise to use them he had contemned them It s not easite to overcome them nor to refuse great Riches when they are offered unless a man long before hath killed in him this covetous desire of getting the which besides many other habits and actions is still greedily bent shamefully to gain pleasing himself in the pursuit of Injustice hardly forbearing to wrong an other so he may benefit himself But that man that disdaines to receive gifts from his Friends and refuseth Presents offered him by Kings and that hath rejected the bounty of Fortune putting by all covetous desires of glistering Treasures laid before him he shall never be tempted to do that which is unjust nor shall his mind be troubled but he will content himself quietly to do any thing that is honest having an upright heart finding nothing in it but that which is good and commendable Yet was the Life of Epaminondas far more excellent than his discourse as will appear by that which follows Diomedon the Cizicenian at the request of Artaxerxes King of Persia promised to win Epaminondas to take the Persians part To effect this he came to Thebes and brought a great mass of Gold with him and with three Thousand Crowns of it he bribed a young man called Mycethus who was greatly beloved by Epaminondas This young man went to him and told him the occasion of the other mans coming to Thebes But Diomedon being present Epaminondas said to him I have no need of mony If the King of Persia wish well to the Thebans I am at his service without taking one penny If he hath any other meaning he hath not Gold nor Silver enoâ—gh wherewith to corrupt me For I will not sell the love which I bear to my Country for all the Gold in the World and as for thee that dost now tempt me not knowing me but judging me like unto thy self I pardon thee for this time but get thee quickly out of the City lest thou corrupt others having failed to prevail over me and for thee Mycethus deliver him his mony again which if thou dost not presently I will send thee before a Justice Hereupon Diomedon besought him that he would let him go away in safety and carry that with him which he brought thither Yea said Epaminondas but it shall not be for thy sake but for my honour-sake lest thy Gold and Silver being taken from thee some man should accuse me that I had a share in that privately which I had refused openly Saying further whither wouldst thou that I should cause thee to be conveyed To Athens said Diomedon This was done accordingly and he had a strong convoy sent with him and that he might not be troubled by the way betwixt the Gates of Thebes and the Haven wherein he was to imbark himself Epaminondas gave Chabrias the Athenian charge of him that he should see him safe at his journeys end Though Epaminondas was very Poor yet would he never take any thing of his Citizens or Friends and being so inured to poverty he was enabled to bear it the more patiently by his study of Philosophy For on a time having the leading of an Army of the Thebans into the Country of Peloponnesus he borrowed five Crowns of a Citizen for the defraying of his necessary charges in that Journey Pelopidas being a man of great wealth and his very good Friend could never possibly force upon him any part of his Goods but he rather learned of him to love poverty For Epaminondas taught him to think it an honour to go plainly in his Apparrel to eat moderately to take pains willingly and in War to fight lustily Yet when he had occasion to relieve others he would make bold with his Friends goods which in such cases were common to him If any of his Citizens were taken Prisoners by the Enemy or if any Friend of his had a Daughter to be married and was not able to bestow her he used to call his Friends together and to assess every one of them at a certain sum after which he brought him before them who was to receive the mony and told him how much every one had bestowed upon him that he might return thanks to them all But once he went far beyond this For he sent a poor Friend of his to a Rich Citizen of Thebes to ask of him six hundred Crowns and to tell him that Epaminondas desired him to let him have them The Citizen being amazed at his demand went to Epaminondas to know what he meant to charge him so deeply as to make him to give six hundred Crowns to the other It is said Epaminondas because this man being an honest man is poor and thou who hast robbed the Commonwealth of much art rich He lived so soberly and was such an enemy to all superfluity and excess that being on a time invited to Supper to one of his Neighbours when he saw great preparation of dainty meats made dishes and perfumes he said unto him I thought thou hadst made a Sacrifice by this excess and superfluity and so immediatly went his way The like also he spake of his own Table saying that such an Ordinary was never guilty of Traitors and Treason On a time being at a Feast with some of his Companions he drank Vinegar and when they asked him what he meant by it and whether he drank it for his health or no I know not said he but this I am sure of it puts me in remembrance how I live at home Now it was not that his stomach was an enemy to dainty meats or that he lived so penuriously at home for he was marvelous noble minded But he did it that by his strict and unreprovable life he might bridle and restrain many insolencies and disorders which then raigned amongst the Thebans and to reduce them to the former temperance of their Ancestors Upon a time a Cook giving up an account to him and his Fellows of their ordinary expences for certain days he could find fault with nothing but the quantity of Oyl that was spent which his Companions marvelling at Tush said he it is not the expence which offends me but because we have poured
before the City of Thespies which they surprized and put to the Sword two hundred of the Garrison and afterwards returned back with their Army to Thebes and Phaebidas the Lacedemonian who was then Governour of that City sallied out of the Town and charged upon the Thebans in their retreat who intertained him so hotly that he lost five hundred of his men and himself was slain in the Fight Not long after the Lacedemonians returned with their former Army to make War with the Thebans who having seized upon certain straights and places of advantage so blocked up the way that they could not over run the Country and spoil it as they had done before yet did Agesilaus so molest and trouble them that at last it came to a main Battel that held long and was very cruel and though at the first Agesilaus had the better yet the Thebans charged him so furiously that at the length he himself was wounded and forced to retire being well paid for teaching the Thebans Military Discipline And this was the first time that the Thebans knew themselves to be as strong and lusty as the Lacedemonians whereupon they Triumphed in sign of Victory and from that time forward they grew more couragious to make head against the Enemy and to present them battel But that which most encouraged them was the presence of Epaminondas who counselled commanded and executed very Wisely Valiantly and with great success At another time they went with a great number of chosen men before the City of Orchomene where yet they prevailed not because there was a strong Garrison of the Lacedemonians that sallied out upon them and the Fight was very sharp between them yet though the Lacedemonians were far more in number the Thebans gave them the overthrow which never happened to them before For all other Nations thought that they had done excellent well if with a far greater number they had overcome a small number of the Lacedemonians But this Victory and an other which fell out shortly after under the conduct of Pelopidas did so lift up and encourage the Thebans that they became more famous than ever they were before The year following Artaxerxes King of Persia intending to make War against Aegypt and therein to intertain diverse strangers laboured to make Peace amongst the Grecians in hope that they being at Peace amongst themselves would be the more willing to have Souldiers lcavied amongst them For which end he sent Ambassadours to all the Towns of Greece to perswade and intreat them to be at Peace amongst themselves The Greeks were very willing to harken hereto being wearied on all sides with such long Wars and so were easily drawn to make Peace wherein it was especially agreed and concluded that all the Cities of Greece should be free and use their own Laws and Commissioners were sent abroad to withdraw all the Garrisons where any were kept Unto this the Thebans only refused to agree that every Town should severally capitulate for it requesting that the Towns in the Country of Boeotia should be comprehended under the City of Thebes but the Athenians mightily opposed themselves against this and Calistratus one of their Orators made a notable Oration about it before all the States of Greece Epaminondas on the contrary made an excellent and vehement speech in defence of the right of the Thebans insomuch as this controversie was left undecided and the Treaty of Peace was universally agreed to amongst all the other Grecians the Thebans only excepted who were not comprised in it At this time the Athenians and Lacedemonians who had long contended amongst themselves about the Principality of Greece now agreed that the one should command by Sea and the other by Land And therefore they could not endure that the Thebans should aspire to be chief which made them seek to dismember the other Towns of Boeotia from them the rather for that the Thebans being strong and lusty of Body and much encouraged by their late Victories over the Lacedemonians would now contend with them for their superiority having a wonderful confidence in the Wisdom and Prowess of their Captains especially of Epaminondas Matters resting thus doubtful the Citizens of Plataees a Town of Boeotia were desirous to enter into League with the Athenians promising that if they would send them Souldiers they would put the Town into their hands But the Governours of Boeotia having intelligence of it and being desirous to prevent the Athenians brought a party of Souldiers against it who came before Plataees before the Citizens heard any news of them so that part of them were surprised in the Field by the Horsemen and the rest fled into the Town where having no aid they were faign to accept of such tearms as it pleased the Thebans to grant them which were presently to depart the Town with bag and baggage and never to return again into the Country of Boeotia Then did they raze the City to the ground and sacked the Town of Thespies which also was at enmity with them The Ambassadours of Persia again solicited the Greeks to a General Peace and Commissioners from every Town were to meet at Sparta about it Epaminondas was yet scarce known having laboured to conceal himself and in all his exploits of War had ever preferred the advancement of his great Friend and Companion in Arms Pelopidas before himself He was now chosen by the Thebans to go to Sparta where finding that the other Commissioners did much comply with Agesilaus he spake boldly and plainly not only in behalf of the Thebans but for all Greece also making it evident to all that War still encreased the greatness of Sparta only which kept all the other Towns of Greece under He therefore advised them to establish a firm Peace which would last the longer when all comprized in it should be equals Agesilaus perceiving all the Commissioners to be very attentive to and well pleased with this speech he asked him a loud if he thought it just and equal that all Boeotia should be set at liberty Epaminondas presently and boldly asked him if he thought it not also just and reasonable that all Laconia should be set at liberty Thereupon Agesilaus in great anger stood up and commanded him to answer plainly if they should not restore all the Towns in Boeotia to their Liberty and Epaminondas answered him as before This so displeased Agesilaus who had an old grudg to the Thebans that immediately he put their Name out of the List of those that should be comprized within the Treaty of Peace and proclaimed open War against them and now there was no remedy but the Thebans must bear the whole brunt alone for there was no one Town that durst send them any aid because they were all sworn to the Peace insomuch as all judged them to be utterly undone Friends pittied there estate and there enemies rejoyced verily believing that they could never stand before the
back and the other with great fury ran to charge the enemy in the Flank and soon they were come to the Swords point At the first because either side fought desperately the Victory for a time stood doubtful but at last Epaminondas his Troop brake in amongst the Lacedemonians and slew most of those that were about Cleombrotus Yet while the King was alive he kept back the Thebans from the Victory being accompanied with all the flower of his Army who fought very valiantly about him But after he fell dead to the ground having received and given an infinite number of wounds then thronged they together on all sides and there was a bloody and cruel fight about his Body where were heaps of men slain one upon another and though Epaminondas did all that possibly he could yet the Lacedemonians made such resistance that at last they forced the Thebans somewhat to give back whereby they conveyed the Body of the King out of the press But this continued not long For Epaminondas both by his words and example did so raise up and encourage the hearts of his men that they fought like Lions and gave so fierce a second charge upon their enemies that they wholly routed them and made them flie for life and Epaminondas fiercely pusuing the flying enemy made a great slaughter of them and obtained the most glorious Victory that ever Captain won having in a pitched Field overcome the most Noble and warlike Nation of all Greece and that with a far smaller number of men than his enemies had He also rejoyced more in this than in all his other Victories because it happened to him in his Fathers life-time and he often used to say that of all the honest and happy Fortunes that befel him nothing joyed his heart more than that he vanquished the Lacedemonians at Leuctres his Father and Mother living to see it and indeed he that day did not only preserve their lives but of all his Citizens besides the Lacedemonians having fully resolved utterly to destroy the Thebans Epaminondas used at all other times to come abroad fine and neat and with a pleasant countenance but the next day after this Battel he came out very sad heavy and pensive and when his Friends asked him whether he had heard any ill news which occasioned this posture he said No but said he I perceive by my self yesterday that being overjoyed with the Victory I obtained my heart was more elvated than it ought and therefore to day I correct that joy which yesterday exceeded its due bounds He knowing that it was the manner of the Spartans as much as possible to conceal their losses he suffered them not to carry away all their dead Bodies together but every City one after another by which it appeared that there were four thousand of them slain But of the Boeotians there were not found above three hundred dead This Battel was fought in the beginning of the second year of the hundred and second Olympiade The Lacedemonians having by this overthrow lost the greatest part of their honour which they had maintained so long yet lost not their courage but to keep their youth still in heart and to take away all fear from such as had escaped they sent Agesilaus with an Army into Arcadia who was contented to take a few small Towns of the Mantineans and so to return home again Some say that Lycomedes Captain of the Arcadians making an inrode neer to Orchomene slew in an encounter Politropus Captain of the Lacedemonians and two hundred Spartans with him which provoked the Lacedemonians against them and thereupon the Arcadians finding themselves too weak for them they sought alliance and aid from the Thebans Sure it is that these two States were now at enmity which occasioned the Arcadians and Thebans to joyn together who with their Allies being led by Epaminondas entred into Laconia with an Army of forty thousand men besides thirty thousand others that followed the Camp At this time the Athenians sent Captian Iphecrates with twelve thousand men to aid the Lacedemonians But before their coming Epaminondas was entered into Laconia and had sacked all the Country which had not been wasted by any enemy for six hundred years before The Spartans seeing their Country thus plundred and destroyed were desirous to have gone out with such Forces as they had but Agesilaus would not suffer them telling them how dangerous it was for them to leave their City and to set upon such a potent and numerous enemy This made them quiet and Epaminondas in the mean time marched with his Army towards the River Eurotas which at that time was risen very high because of the Winter rains He endeavoured all he could to draw forth Agesilaus to a Battel who beholding Epaminondas a great while marching with his Army in Battel aray along the River side at the Head of his Troops he wondered at his boldness and Valour but would by no means adventure out of his Fort So that when this Army had plundred all Laconia Epaminondas led them back again with a very rich Booty And though Agesilaus was commended for preserving his City in safety yet Epaminondas had by this inrode and especially by his Victory at Leuctres so impoverished the Country that Sparta could never after recover that loss nor grow into that reputation and power which it had before Yea notwithstanding the aid sent by the Athenians and the skill and experience of Iphecrates Epaminondas returned with his Army intire as he came Epaminondas that he might keep the Lacedemonians still underfoot and heap new troubles upon them gave Counsel to the Arcadians and their Allies to reedifie and replenish with People the City of Messina which the Lacedemonians had long before destroyed and when all the whole Councel had given their consents to it he forthwith by diligent enquiry sought out all that had been ancient Inhabitants in that City and in the space of eighty five Days having repaired the ruined Houses he raised again one of the most Noble and ancient Cities of Greece and left there a strong Garrison for their security This gat him as much if not more love and honour than any other service which he had ever done The Lacedemonians being freed from a great fear by his departure made an agreement with the Athenians leaving to them the chief command by Sea and reserving to themselves that by Land And afterwards by the assistance of the Athenians and that aid which came to them out of Sicily by little and little they recovered their Towns again The Arcadians to stop their proceedings assaulted the City of Pallene in Laconia and taking it by storm put all the Garrison therein to the Sword and then razed the Town and plundred all the Country there abouts And expecting that the Lacedemonians would seek revenge they sent for aid to the Thebans who sent Epaminondas and the other Counsellers to assist them with
fill his Purse with money he judged him unworthy to be a Souldier Upon a time he understood that his Target-bearer had received a great sum of money for the ransom of a Prisoner whereupon he said to him Give me my Target and go thy ways home and buy thee a Tavern wherein to spend the rest of thy life for I perceive thou wilt no more like an honest man put thy self in danger in the wars as formerly thou hast done because now thou art grown rich and wealthy Though Epaminondas was thus virtuous and unblameable in his life yet the aforementioned Meneclides would never cease contending and reproaching of him and one day he went so far as to upbraid him because he had no Children and was not married and that he magnified himself more than ever King Agamemnon had done To this Epaminondas answered Thou hast nothing to do to counsel me to marry and in this respect there is never a man here whose advise I would less make use of than thine and this he spake because the other was taken notice of to be an Adulterer And whereas thou thinkest that I envy the fame and renown of Agamemnon thou art fouly deceived Yet let me tell thee that whereas he was ten Years in winning one City I on the contrary by putting the Lacedemonians to flight in one day have delivered not only our own City but all Greece from their slavery But thanks be to you My Lords Thebans speaking to all the Assembly by your assistance I did it and thereby overthrew the power and government of our insulting enemies Yet after all his brave deeds both he and Pelopidas were ill rewarded for all their good service by their ingrateful Citizens For at their return from Laconia they with some other of the six Counsellers were accused that after the time that their Government was expired they retained their power four months after the time appointed by the Law With much ado Pelopidas was quitted But Epaminondas willed all his other Companions to lay the fault upon him who by his Authority forced them to it and instead of excusing himself he told them all the brave exploits which he had done at that time Adding withal that he was willing and ready to die if they so pleased Provided that they wrote upon his Tomb that Epaminondas was put to death because he had compelled the Thebans against their wills to burn the Country of Laconia which in five hundred years before had never been plundered That he had repeopled the City of Messina with Inhabitants two hundred and thirty years after it had been laid wast by the Lacedemonians That he had brought all the People and Towns of Arcadia to be as one Body in League together and had set all the Greeks at liberty and all these things said he we did in that Journey The Judges when they heard this worthy and true defence they all arose from their seats and laughed heartily and would not take up their Balls to Ballot against him But for the second accusation to wit that he had shewed favour to the Lacedemonians for his own particular honour he would make no particular answer to it before the People but rising out of the Theater he passed through the Assembly and went into the Park of Exercises Upon this the People being incensed against him refused to chuse him into Office as they had wont to do though there was a great need of him and created other Counsellers to go into Thessaly and the more as they thought to despite him they commanded him to go that expedition as a private Souldier which he refused not but went very willingly Pelopidas being sent a second time into Thessaly to make peace between the People and Alexander the Tyrant of Pheres was by this Tyrant not regarding that he was an Ambassadour and a Theban committed to Prison together with Ismenias Upon this the Thebans being justly offended sent an Army of eight thousand Foot and five hundred Horse against him howbeit under the conduct of unskilful Captains who wanting judgment to use their advantages thought good to return home without doing any thing But as they went back Alexander being stronger in Horse than they pressed hard upon their Reer killing some and wounding others so that the Thebans knowing neither how to go forward nor backward were in great distress and that which aggravated their misery was that their Victuals were almost spent Being thus almost out of hope ever to get home in safety Epaminondas being at that time a common Souldier among the Foot both the Captains and Souldiers earnestly intreated him to help to redress this disorder He thereupon chose certain Footmen that were light armed and all the Horsemen and with these putting himself into the Rere of the Army he so lustily repulsed the Enemy that the rest of the Army afterwards marched in great safety and still making Head as occasion served and keeping his Troops in good order he at last brought them all well home This brave Act Crowned him with new Glory confounded his enemies and made him well spoken of every where and by it he obtained the love and good will of the Citizens who set great Fines upon the heads of those Captains who had behaved themselves so unworthily in that expedition And now the People seeing that by so many worthy deeds he had stopped the slanderous mouths and confuted the accusations of his ill willers they chose him again their Captain General to conduct a new Army into Thessaly At his coming all the Country wonderfully rejoyced only the Tyrant with his Captains and Friends were exceedingly dejected and possessed with fear being Thunderstruck with the fame of so Noble a Captain and his Subjects had a good mind to rise up against him hoping that they should shortly see the Tyrant fully recompenced for all the wicked and cursed deeds that he had done amongst them Epaminondas when he came into Thessaly preferred the safety and deliverance of his Friend Pelopidas before his own Honour and Glory and fearing lest Alexander when he should see himself and his State in danger to be overthrown should in his rage revenge himself upon Pelopidas he therefore purposely drew this War out in length marching often about him but never setting upon him in good earnest often seeming to make preparations and yet still delaying and this he did to mollifie the heart of this Tyrant and not to provoke to the danger of his Friend the inhumane and unbridled passion of this cruel Bloud-sucker Yet he being a Monster compounded of cruelty and cowardliness was so afraid of the very name and reputation of Epaminondas that he presently sent some to him to excuse his fact and to crave Peace But Epaminondas was not willing that his Thebans should make Peace and Alliance with so wicked a man only he was content to grant him a Truce for thirty Days upon the delivering to him
Pelopidas and Ismenias So with them he returned back to Thebes and always continued a faithful Friend to Pelopidas so long as they lived together Yet would he never share with him in his Riches but did still persevere in his former strict Poverty and Discipline He was very bold and yet it was mingled with a winning sweetness and a lively grace as may appear in sundry Examples Besides his bold speech to Agesilaus mentioned before At another time the Argians having made a League with the Thebans the Athenians sent their Ambassadors into Arcadâ—a to see if they could gain the Arcadians to be their Friends And these Ambassadors began roundly and hotly to charge and accuse both the one and the other and Callistratus speaking for them reproached them with Orestes and Oedipus Epaminondas being present at that Assembly stood up and said My Lords we confess that in times past we had a man that killed his Father and in Argos one that killed his Mother but as for us now we have banished all such wicked Murtherers out of our Country and the Athenians have intertained them At another time when the Spartans had laid many great and grievous imputations to the charge of the Thebans he said If they have done nothing else my Lords of Sparta yet at least they have made you forget to speak little But that which was most excellent and observable in Epaminondas and which indeed did stop the mouth of envy it self was his moderation and temperance knowing how to use any state or condition and never to rage either against himself or others always bearing this mind that howsoever they took him and in what place soever they set him he was well contented so that he might but advance the good of his Country As may appear by this Example on a time his evil-willers thinking to bring him into disgrace and meerly out of spite made him superintendant or overseer of all the customs whilst others of his inferiors unworthy to be compared with him were placed in the most honourable Offices Yet despised he not this mean Office but discharged it very Faithfully For said he the Office or Authority shews not only what the man is but also the man what the Office is Shortly after Epaminondas was returned out of Thessaly the Arcadians were overcome by Archidamus and the Lacedemonians who in the fight lost not a man and therefore they called this journey the tearless Battel and Epaminondas foreseeing that the Arcadians would yet have another storm he gave them counsel to fortifie their Towns which they did accordingly and built that City which afterwards was called Megalopolis situated in a very convenient place Whilst the Thebans made War with the Elians their Neighbours the mind of Epaminondas was always lifted up to high enterprizes for the good of his Country wherefore in an Oration which he made to his Citizens he perswaded them to make themselves strong by Sea and to endeavour to get the principality and to make themselves the Lords thereof This Oration was full of lively reason whereby he shewed and proved unto them that the enterprize was both honourable and profitable which he made out by sundry Arguments telling them that it was an easie thing for them who were now the stronger by Land to make themselves also the stronger by Sea and the rather for that the Athenians in the War against Xerxes though they had armed and set forth two hundred Gallies armed and well appointed with men yet they willingly submitted themselves to the Lacedemonians He alleadged many other reasons whereby he prevailed so far that the Thebans were willing to undertake the enterprize and thereupon gave present order to build an hundred Gallies and an Arsenal with so many Rooms that they might lay them under covert in the Dock They ordered also to send to them of Rhodes and of Chio and of Byzantium to desire their furtherance in this enterprize for which end Epaminondas was sent with an Army unto these Cities In his Passage he met with Leches a Captain of the Athenians with a number of Ships in his Fleet who was set on purpose to hinder this design of the Thebans Yet Epaminondas so affrighted him that he made him retire back again and holding on his course he brought the aforenamed Cities to enter into League with the Thebans Shortly after the Thebans fell out with the City of Orchomene which had done them great hurt and mischief and having won it by assault slew all the men that were able to bear Arms and made all the women and children Slaves Some time after the death of Pelopidas certain private Persons of Mantinea fearing to be called to an account for their bad behaviours and robberies which they had committed if the Arcadians and Elians should agree they so brought it about that they raised a new quarrel in the Country which was divided into two Factons whereof the Mantineans were the chief on the one side and the Tageates on the other This quarrel went so far that the Parties would needs try it by Arms. The Tageates sent to request aid of the Thebans who accordingly chose Epaminondas their Captain General and sent him with a good number of men of War to aid the Tageates The Mantineans being terrified with this aid that came out of Boeotia to their enemies and at the reputation of their Captain they immediately sent to the Athenians and Lacedemonians the greatest enemies of the Boeotians for their assistance which both the Cities granted Upon this there fell out many and great skirmishes in divers parts of Peloponnesus and Epaminondas being not far off from Mantinea understood by some of the Country men that Agesilaus and his Lacedemonians were come into the Field and that they wasted all the Territories of the Tageates whereupon judging that there were but few men left in the City of Sparta to defend it he undertook a great exploit and dangerous and had certainly effected it if the marvelous good Fortune of Sparta had not hindred it His design was this He departed from Tegea by Night the Mantineans knowing nothing of it and taking a by way he had certainly surprised Sparta without striking a stroak had not a Post of Candia speedily carried word of it to Agesilaus who immediately dispatched away an Horse-man to give intelligence to them of Sparta to stand upon their guard and he himself speedily hasted after and arrived there a little before the coming of the Thebans who being very near the City a little before day they gave an assault to them that defended it This made Agesilaus to bestir himself wonderfully even beyond the strength of so old a man But his Son Archidamus and Isadas the Son of Phoebidas fought valiantly on all parts Epaminondas seeing how prepared the Spartans were to oppose him began then to suspect that his design was discovered yet notwithstanding he left not off to force them all he could
greatly rejoyced that there was one left to revenge his death The Parthians though they missed of the Women which they most of all desired yet having setled all things at Jerusalem with Antigonus when they departed took Hyrcanus along with them Prisoner into Parthia Herod not hearing of his Brother Phasaelius his death went to Malchus the King of the Arabians Nabathaeans who were obliged to him by many favours he had done them purposing so soon as possibly he could to redeem his Brother for three hundred Talents from the enemy For which cause he carried along with him young Phasaelus his Brothers Son about seven years old to leave him for a pledg with the Arabians But there met him some that were sent from Malchus to command him to depart from the bounds of his Kingdom for so the Parthians had required Yet he pretended that he did it by the request of his Noble men purposing to cozen him of that great treasure which his father Antipater had committed to his trust Herod taking this very heavily turned aside into a certain Temple where he had left many of his followers but the next day when he came to Rhinocorura he heard of his Brothers death Malchus upon second thoughts repenting of his ingratitude sent in all hast after to Herod but the Messengers could not overtake him for he was gon far on his journey towards Pelusium where the Marriners that were sailing to Alexandria refused to take him in There by the Magistrates of the City he was honourably intertained and brought to Cleopatra the Queen who could not prevail with him to stay at that time because he was hastening to Rome though the Sea was very tempestuous and as then the affairs in Italy were in no very good condition As he sailed from Alexandria towards Pamphilia he met with a very great storm which made him cast overboard much of his substance and scarcely got he to Rhodes At Rhodes two of his greatest Friends met him Sappinas and Ptolomaeus and finding that the City had suffered much in the War against Cassius he could not be restrained no not by his present poverty but that he would do something for it even beyond his ability After which he caused a Frigot to be built and embarking himself with his Friends in it he arrived at Brundusium in Italy and fom thence went to Rome declaring unto M. Anthony those things that had happened to himself and his Family and that thorough many tempests and dangers he had retired unto him as his only refuge in whom all his hope lay This Narration moved compassion in Anthony remembring also his Fathers friendship towards him but that which prevailed most was the promise of a great sum of mony if he would help him to the Kingdom Anthony also hated Antigonus as a man of a turbulent Spirit and an enemy to the Romans Caesar also partly for that Antipater Herods Father had been fellow Souldier with his Father in Aegypt and for other curtesies which he had shewed him and partly to gratifie Anthony whom he saw to be well affected to Herod was willing to promote his designs whereupon the Senate being assembled Messala and Atpatinus brought in Herod and after they had praised him reckoning up the love and services that both he and his Father had done for the Romans and accusing Antigonus both for former crimes and for that newly he had received the Kingdom of the Jews from the Parthians in contempt of the Romans and when Anthony also had declared to the Senate how much conducing it was to the Parthian War then in hand that Herod should be made King Antigonus was declared an enemy and the Kingly Title was devolved upon Herod by their general suffrage Whilest these things were transacting at Rome Ventidius the Roman General easily recovered Palestine Antigonus the King thereof being much afraid of him and he exacted great sums of money from all men but especially from Antigonus who in Herods absence had besieged his Family in Massada which place though it abounded with all other kinds of provision yet it wanted water so that Joseph Herods Brother who commanded in chief there with two hundred of his Friends intented to flie to the Arabians for that he heard that Malchus now repented him of his former ingratitude towards Herod But the very Night a great shore of Rain falling filled their Cisterns which made him change his purpose and the next morning making a gallant salley forth they killed many of Antigonus his men Ventidius encamped near to Jerusalem and drew from Antigonus a sufficient sum of money and to the intent that his fraudulent dealing should not be discovered he left one Silo there with part of his Forces under a pretence of helping Joseph who also was to be seed by Antigonus lest he should raise him some new troubles which Antigonus submitted to hoping that the Parthians would shortly come to his aid After the Senate was dismissed Anthony and Caesar went out leading Herod between them who also accompanied with the Consuls and other Magistrates and so they went all together up into the Capitol to sacrifice to the Gods and to place there the Decree of the Senate and the New King the first day of his Reign was Feasted by Anthony and within seven days after he was by Anthony dismissed out of Italy honoured with this unexpected felicity Shortly after Anthony being to go to the Parthian War had all his Acts as well past as to come confirmed by the Senate whereupon he sent to some Kings by his own authority to pay certain Tributes to him and he made Herod King both of the Idumaeans and Samaritans Herod being returned out of Italy to Ptolemais quickly gathered store of Souldiers both of such as he hired as also of his own Countrymen passing through Galile against Antigonus being aided by Silo and Ventidius who were commanded by Anthony to conduct him into his Kingdom and as he went on his Forces daily increased and all Galile except a few sided with him As Herod was marching towards Massada where he was necessarily to relieve his Kindred Joppa would not let him pass wherefore he was to reduce it lest he should leave so strong a place behind him in his passage to Jerusalem which occasion Silo taking hold on for he was not yet come to Herod dislodged his Army from about Jerusalem whom the Jews pursued but Herod meeting him with a small party saved Silo who fought very cowardly After he had taken Joppa he hasted to Massada to raise the Siege and his Army encreased daily many of the Country people joyning with him and having relieved his Friends in Massada he hasted towards Jerusalem and though Antigonus had laid ambushments for him in divers places yet he drew near to the City Silo following and the Jews being terrified with his power When he had encamped on
slain Antigonus being in a rage caused the dead body of Joseph to be whipped though Pheroras his Brother offered fifty Talents to have redeemed it After this loss the Galileans revolting from their Governours drowned those that were of Herods party in the Lake In Idumaea also there were many innovations Anthony having made peace with his enemy commanded Caius Sosius to assist Herod against Antigonus with two Cohorts When Herod came to Daphne the Suburbs of Antioch he heard of his Brother Josephs deah which caused him to hasten his journey and coming to Mount Libanus he took thence with him eight hundred men and one Cohort of the Romans and so came to Ptolemais from whence in the night he passed with his Army through Galilee Here his enemies met him whom he overcame in fight and forced them into the Castle from whence they had issued the day before Them he assaulted but was compelled to desist by reason of the extremity of the weather and to retreat into some neighbouring Villages but upon the coming of another Cohort from Anthony they in the Castle were so affrighted that they forsook the same by night Herod then hastned to Jericho purposing to revenge his Brothers death and being come thither he feasted his Nobles and the feast being ended and his guests dismissed he retired into his chamber and presently the room wherein they had supped being now empty of company fell down without hurting any which made many to think that surely Herod was beloved of God who had so miraculously preserved him The next day six thousand of the enemies came down from the Mountains to fight with him and their forlorn-hope with darts and stones so terrified the Romans and some of Herods Souldiers that they fled and Herod himself received a wound in his side Antigonus desiring to have his strength seem greater than it was sent one of his Captains named Pappus with some forces into Samaria whilst himself went against Machaeras In the mean time Herod took in five Towns and therein put two thousand of the Garrison Souldiers to the sword and setting the Towns on fire he went against Pappus and was strengthened by many that came to him out of Jericho and Judea yet was the enemy so confident that he would joyn battel with him but in fight Herod overcame them and being inflamed with a desire to revenge his Brothers death he pursued them that fled slew many of them and followed them into a Village and there slew many more of them who retreated into houses the rest fled After which Victory Herod had presently gone to Jerusalem and put an end to the war had not the sharpness of the Winter hindred him for now Antigonus bethought himself to leave the City and fly elsewhere for safety Herod in the evening when he had dismissed his Friends to refresh themselves as yet hot in his Armour went into a chamber attended with one only servant to wash himself wherein some of his enemies armed whom fear had forced thither were hidden and whilst he was naked and washing himself first one and then a second and a third ran out armed with naked swords in their hands so astonished that they were glad to save themselves without profering the least hurt to the King The next day Herod amongst others cut off Pappus his head and sent it by way of revenge for his Brothers death to his Brother Pheroras for it was Pappus that with his own hand had slain Joseph Herod in the beginning of the third year after he had been declared King at Rome coming with an Army to Jerusalem encamped near the City and from thence removing to that place where the Walls were fittest to be assaulted he pitched his Tents before the Temple intending to attempt them as Pompey had done in times past and having encompassed the place with three Bulworks by the help of many workmen he raised his batteries fetching materials from all places thereabouts and appointing fit men to oversee the work and then himself went to Samaria to solemnize his Marriage with Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus who was formerly betrothed to him The Marriage ceremony being over Sosius came with an Army of Horse and Foot being sent by Anthony to the aid of Herod and Herod also took a great party with him from Samaria to Jerusalem so that the whole Army being come together consisted of eleven Legions of Foot and six thousand Horse besides the Syrian Auxiliaries which were very many and so they pitched on the North-side of the City Over this great Army were two Generals Sosius and Herod who purposed to displace Antigonus as an enemy to the people of Rome and to establish Herod in the Kingdom according to the Decree of the Senate The Jews being gathered together out of the whole Countrey and shut up within the Walls made a valiant resistance boasting much of the Temple of the Lord and saying that the Lord would not forsake his people in the time of danger By secret sallies also they burnt up and spoiled all provision without the City both for Man and Horse whereby the Besiegers began to be pinched but Herod provided against their excursions by placing ambushments in convenient places and sending parties to fetch in provision from afar off so that in a short time the Army was well furnished with all necessaries By reason of the multitude of Workmen the three bulworks were soon finished it being Summer time so that no untemperateness of weather hindred them and with his Engines Herod often battered the Walls and left nothing unassayed but the besieged fought valiantly and were every way as active and subtile to make void his endeavours often sallying forth and firing their Works both those that were finished and others that were but begun and coming to handistrokes with the Romans they were nothing inferiour to them but only in Martial skill The Sabbatical year now coming brought a Famine upon the besieged Jews notwithstanding which they built a new Wall within that which was beaten down by the battering Rams and so countermined the Enemies mines that many times they came to Handystrokes under ground and making use of despair instead of courage they held it out unto the last though Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple advised them to receive Herod into the City saying that they could not avoid his being their King by reason of their sins They held out the siege for five moneths space though there was so great an Army before the City but at length twenty of Herods choicest Souldiers got upon the Wall and after them the Centurions of Sosius So that the first Wall was taken on the forti'th day and the second on the fiftieth and some Galleries about the Temple were burnt down which Herod charged though falsly upon Antigonus thereby to bring him into hatred with the people When the outward part of
Tetrarchy but he gave the Kingdom to his Son Archelaus To his sister Salome he gave Jamnia Azotus and Thasaelis with five hundred thousand Drachmaes To the rest of his Kindred he gave money and yearly Pensions To Caesar he gave ten Millions of Drachmaes of silver and all his Plate as well of Gold as of Silver and a great quantity of precious moveables and to Livia Caesars Wife and some certain Friends he gave five Millions of Drachmaes Having thus ordered these things five dayes after Antipater was put to death he dyed himself having enjoyed the Kingdom 34 years after the death of Antigonus but from the time that he was declared King by the Romans 37 years about the 25th of our November in the year of the world 4001 and after the Birth of Christ about two years THE LIFE and DEATH OF HANNIBAL THE GREAT HANNIBAL the Son of Amilcar was about twenty six years old when he was chosen General of the Carthaginian Forces in Spain He was elected by the Army as soon as Asdrabal their late General was dead and the election was approved and confirmed by the Senate or Carthage wherewith Hanno and his faction was nothing pleased This was now the third of the Barchine Family so called of Amilcar whose surname was Barcas that commanded in chief over the men of War Hanno therefore and his Partizans being neither able to tax the Virtue of their enemies nor to perform the like services to the Common-wealth had nothing left whereby to value themselves excepting the general reprehensions of War and cautelous advise of not provoking the Romans but they were little regarded For the Carthaginians saw apparently that the Oath of the Romans to the Articles of Peace was like to hold no longer than till the Romans could find some good advantage to renew the War It was therefore rather desired by the Carthaginians that whilst they were in a fit condition the War should begin rather than in some unhappy time of Famine or Pestilence or after some great loss in their Army or Fleet they should be driven to yield to the impudent demands of their insulting enemies This disposition of his Citizens Hannibal well enough understood Neither was he ignorant that in making War with the Romans it was no small advantage to get the start of them Could he but bring his Army into Italy he hoped to find Friends and assistance even from those People that helped to encrease the Armies of the Romans But his design must be carried privately or else it would be prevented He resolved therefore to lay Siege to Saguntum in Spain where he now was with his Army which might seem not greatly to concern the Romans and would highly please the Carthaginians Having resolved hereupon nevertheless he went orderly to work beginning with those that lay next in his way First therefore he entered into the Territory of the Olcades and besieging Althaea in a few days he became Master not only of it but of all the other Towns in their Country and the Winter coming on he rest his Army in New Carthage or Carthagena imparting liberally to his Souldiers of the Spoils that he had gotten in his late Conquests In the Spring he made War upon the Vaccaei and with little difficulty wan first Salamanca and after it Arbucala though not without a long Siege and much difficulty But in his return he was put to the height both of his Valour and Prudence For all such of the Vaccaei that could bear Arms being made desperate by the spoil of their Country with divers others that had escaped in the late overthrow joyning with the Toletans made up an Army of one hundred thousand able men waiting for Hannibal on the Banks of the River Tagus They knew that he was very adventurous and had never turned his back upon any enemy and therefore hoped that having him at such an advantage they should easily have foiled him But at this time our Great Man of War knew as well how to dissemble his Courage as at other times to make good use of it For he withdrew himself from the River side as seeming fearful to pass over it aiming thereby to draw over that great multitude from their Banks of advantage The Spaniards as Hannibal expected and desired thinking that he retreated out of fear thrust themselves in a disordered manner into the River to pursue him But when Hannibal saw them well near over he turned back his Elephants to entertain them at their landing and thrust his Horsemen both above and beneath them into the River who by the advantage of their Weapons slew almost all of those in the River without resistance and then pursued the rest who being amazed fled and so he made a very great slaughter of them The Saguntines perceiving the strom drawing near to them hastened their Ambassadours to Rome who complained that they were like to be undone only for their Friendship to the Romans This so moved the Senate that some would have War presently proclaimed both by Sea and Land and the Consuls sent with Armies one into Spain the other into Africk But others went more soberly to work according to the Roman gravity whereby it was concluded that Ambassadours should be sent into Spain to view the State of their Confederates These Ambassadours found Hannibal at Carthagena where they had Conference with him who carried himself so reservedly that they departed as doubtful as they came But whilst they were passing to and fro Hannibal prepared not only his Forces but some Roman pretences against Saguntum For the Tudetani who were Neighbours to the Saguntines complained to him of sundry wrongs that they had received from them of Saguntum Probably Hannibal himself had hatched some of them Having therefore such an occasion he sat down with his whole Army before Saguntum The Romans were glad of the Quarrel as hoping that Carthage with all belonging thereto would in short space become their own Yet were they not hasty to threaten before they were ready to strike but meant to temporize until they had an Army in readiness to be sent into Spain where they intended to make Saguntum the seat of War In the beginning of Hannibals Siege his Carthaginians were much discouraged by reason of the brave Sallies which the Saguntines made upon them in one of which Hannibal himself received a dangerus wound in the Thigh that made him unable to stir for many days Yet in the mean time he was not unmindful of his business but gave order to build certain movable Towers that might equal those upon the City Walls and to prepare to batter the Curtains and to make a breach These being sinished and applied had soon wrought their desired effect A large breach was made by the fall of some Towers whereat a hot assault was given But it was so gallantly defended by the besieged that the Carthaginians were not only beaten from the breach and out
wrongfully sustained Upon Fabius his approach Hannibal retired Fearing as he said to be well wet with the Cloud that had hung so long upon the Hill-tops Minutius forthwith submitted himself to Fabius by whose favour he acknowledged that his life was preserved Thence forward the War went on slowly whilst Fabius his Dictatorship lasted and the year following also when he had delivered up his charge to to the Consuls that followed his instructions With little pleasure did they of the poorer sort in Rome hear the great commendations which were given to Fabius by the principal Citizens because the War was not finished nor much done tending thereto And this affection was very helpful to Terentius Varro in his suit for the Consulship and farther to help him he had a kinsman Bibius Herennius Tribune of the People He boldly affirmed that Hannibal was drawn into Italy and suffered there to range at his pleasure by the Noblemen that without a Plebeian Consul the War would never be ended c. By which perswasions the multitude were won to be wholly for Terentius to the great vexation of the Nobles who could not endure such an upstart But nothing could hinder the choise of Terentius Wherefore the Nobles to ballast this hot-headed man set up L. Aemilius Paulus a gallant man and a brave Captain to stand for the other Consuls place and he easily carried it These new Consuls Varro and Paulus omitted no diligence in preparing for the War wherein though Varro made the greatest noife boasting what wonders he would do if he could but once see Hannibal yet the care and prudence of Paulus did tend much more towards the effecting of it He wrote to the two old Consuls to forbear fighting and yet to ply the Carthaginians with daily Skirmishes and so to weaken them by degrees that when he and his Fellow Consul came with the new Army they might find the four old Legions well accustomed to the Enemy and the Enemy well weakened These new Consuls raised an Army of above eighty thousand Foot and six thousand Horse Hannibal all this while lay at Geryon where all his provision and store was The Romans to be neer him lodged about Canusium laying up most of their provisions in the Castle of Cannae This place Hannibal wan and thereby not only furnished himself but compelled his Enemies to want many necessaries Hereby he also enabled himself to stay in that open Country fit for the service of the Horse Of this mishap when Servilius had informed the Senate it then seemed needful to them to 〈◊〉 Battel with the Carthaginian rather than to suffer him thus to roo◠himself in Italy When all things vvere ready in the City and the season of the year commodious the two Consuls with their Army set forward against Hannibal This was done with great solemnity Sacrifices and solemn Vows were made to Jupiter and the other Gods for good success and Victory and the Generals were accompanied with a great number that brought them out of the City and dismissed them with Friendly leave-taking and good wishes These new Generals arriving at the Camp dismissed M. Atilius one of the last years Consuls because of his age and retained Servilius with them as their assistant Aemilius laboured to encourage his men telling them that the enemy had stole all the former Victories by his Ambushes that otherwise the Romans were far beyond them in Valour c. and therefore he exhorted them to play the men and do their best This set them on fire to be dealing with the Carthagiuians and herein Varro concurred with them longing for an opportunity to get the honour which he promised to himself having now such a numerous Army By this means the Romans fell into a great inconvenience by the disagreement of their Generals Varro would fight and Aemilius would not for the present hoping for better advantage ere long when the enemy should be forced to dislodg out of the plain Country The Consuls command in turns every day Aemilius lodged six miles from Hannibal where the ground was uneven Terentius the next day descended into the plains his Colleague beseeching him to stay but could not prevail He sat down neer to the Carthaginian who yet gave him but a rude vvelcome and entertainment The Carthaginian Horse and light Armature fell upon the Roman Vaunt-Courriers and put the whole Army into a tumult whilst it was yet in its march but the Carthaginians were beaten off though not without loss The next day Aemilius who could not securely draw back the Army encamped upon the River Aufidus sending part of his Forces over the River where they encamped themselves with the rest he fortified and kept within his Trenches Varro was perswaded that it concerned him in honour to make good his word to the People of Rome When therefore it was his turn to Command at the break of Day he began to pass the River without staying to bid his Colleague good morrow But Paulus came to him labouring by all means to disswade him Terentius had norhing to answer but that his honour was engaged Hannibal had twice or thrice braved them which must not be endured When Aemilius perceived that he could not prevail he was careful that what must be done might be done well Ten thousand Foot he caused to be left behind in the Camp opposite to the Carthaginians to the intent that Hannibal might be forced to do the like or else when they were in fight these might fall upon his Camp and take it with all the wealth therein which would much distract the Carthaginians This done the Consuls drew forth their Army over the Water and ranged them in order of Battel This Hannibal was very glad of and therefore without any delay passed over the River also leaving in his own Camp enow to defend it and no more To encourage his men he told them how fit the ground was wherein they were to fight and that therefore they were to thank the Gods who had so infatuated the enemies as to choose such a place where the stronger in Horse was sure to prevail Besides said he These are the men whom you have beaten as often as you have seen them and now you are to fight for their Cities and all the Riches that are in them and ere many hours pass ye shall be Lords of all that the Romans enjoy This set his men 〈◊〉 to be it and at the same time came his Brother Mago whom he had sent to view the countenance of the Enemy to whom he said What news What works are we like to have Work enough answered Mago for they are a horrible Company As horrible a many as they be said Hannibal I tell thee that amongst them all there is not one man whose name is Mago and therewith he fell a laughing which all the Souldiers also took for a good Omen In this great day the Carthaginian excelled himself expressing abundance of Military skill
effeminate than before About this time Hannibal sent his Brother Mago to Carthage vvith the joyful nevvs of this great Victory He told the Carthaginian Senate vvith hovv many Roman Generals his Brother had fought hovv many Consuls he had chased vvounded or slain Hovv the Romans vvho never used to shun a Battel vvere novv grown so cold that they thought their Dictator Fabius the only good Captain That not vvithout reason their spirits were thus abated since Hannibal had slain above two hundred and six thousand of them and taken above fifty thousand Prisoners He told them how many States in Italy followed the Fortune of those great Victories He told them that the War was even at an end if they vvould follovv it close and give the Romans no time of breathing He wished them to consider that the War was carried into an enemies Country that so many Battels had diminished his Brothers Army that the Souldiers that had deserved so well ought to be well rewarded and that it was not good to burden their new Italian Friends with exactions of Mony Corn c. But that these must be sent from Carthage Lastly he caused the Gold Rings taken from the Fingers of the Roman Knights that were slain to be powred out before them which being measured filled three Bushels This errand of Mago for the present found extraordinary good welcome And large supplies vvere voted to be sent to him But his old enemy Hanno obstructed them and the too much Parsimony of the Citizens was the cause that there was very little done and that which was done came too late However Mago brings the news of the great supply which was decreed to be sent which much rejoyced Hannibal and his new confederates The Spring drew on vvhen the supply was expected but there came no more than a few Elephants and Hannibal was forced to rest contented with them Then did he take the Field and sought to make himself Master of some good Haven Town that might serve to intertain the Carthaginian Fleet when it should arrive with the supplies For this end he sent Himilco who by the help of his good Friends the Brusians won Petilia he won also Concentia and Crotan and the City of Locri and many other places only the Town of Rhegium over against Sicily held out against him The Romans at this time were in such a case that Hannibal vvith a little help from Carthage might have reduced them to great extremity But his own Citizens suffered him to languish with expectation of their promised supplies which being still deferred from year to year caused as great opportunities to be lost as a Conqueror could have desired But whatsoever Hannibal thought he was faign to apply himself to his Italian Friends and to feed them with Hopes and to trifle way his time about Nola Naples Cumae c. being loath to weaken his Army by a hard Siege that was to be reserved for a vvork of more importance Many offers he made upon Nola but always vvith bad success Once Mercellus fought a Battel with him there under the Walls of the City having the Citizens to assist him vvherein Hannibal lost a thousand men which was no great marvail his forces being then divided and imployed in sundry parts of Italy at once At this time T. Sempronius Gracchus and Q. Fabius Maximus the late famous Dictator were chosen Consuls But Fabius was detained at Rome about matters of Religion or Superstition rather vvherewith the City vvas commonly especially in the times of danger very much troubled so Gracchus alone vvith a Consular Army waited upon Hannibal amongst the Campanes not able to meet him in the Field yet attentive to all occasions that should be presented The Slaves that lately had been Armed were a great part of his followers These and the rest of his men Gracchus continnally trained and had not a greater care to make his Army skilful in the exercises of War than in keeping it from quarrels that might arise by their upbrading one another vvith their base condition Gracchus at this time had a bickering vvith the Capuans upon whom he came at unawares and slew above two thousand of them and took their Camp but staid not long to rifâ—le it for fear of Hannibal that lay not far off By this his Providence he escaped a greater loss than he brought upon the Capuans For vvhen Hannibal heard hovv things vvent he presently marched thither hoping to find these young Souldiers and Slaves busied in loading themselves vvith the Booty But they were all gotten safe into Cumae which so angred Hannibal that at the earnest request of the Capuans he assailed it the next day Much labour and vvith ill success he spent about this Town He raised a Woodden Tower brought it close to the Walls thereby to assault it but they vvithin built a higher Tower vvhence they made resistance and found means to set Hannibals Tower on fire and vvhilst the Carthaginians were busie in quenching the fire they issued out charged them valiantly and drove them to their Trenches The Consul vvisely sounded a retreat in time or Hannibal had requited them The day following Hannibal presented Battel to them but Gracchus refused it Seeing therefore no likelyhood to prevail he raised his Siege and departed About this time Fabius the other Consul took the Field and recovered some small Towns that Hannibal had taken and punished the Inhabitants severely for their revolt the Carthaginians Army vvas too small to Garrison all the Towns that had yielded to them and withall to abide as it must do strong in the Field Wherefore Hannibal attending the supply from Carthage that would enable him to strike at Rome it self vvas driven in the mean time to alter his course of War and instead of making as he had formerly done a general invasion upon the vvhole Country he vvas faign to vvait upon occasions that grevv daily more commodious to the Enemy than to him When Hannibal vvas gone to Winter into Apulia Marcellus vvasted the Country of the Hirpines and Samnites the like did Fabius in Campania The People of Rome vvere very intentive upon the Work they had in hand they continued Fabius in his Consulship and joyned vvith him Cladius Marcellus Of these two Fabius vvas called the Shield and Marcellus the Roman Sword The great Name of these Consuls and the great preparations which they made put the Campans in fear that Capua it self should be besieged wherefore at their earnest request Hannibal came from Arpi and having comforted his Friends on a sudden he fell upon Puteoli a Sea-town of Campania about vvhich he spent three days in vain there being six thousand in Garrison vvherefore he left it and marched to Tarentum vvherein he had great intelligence In the mean time Hanno made a journy against Beneventum where T. Gracchus met him Hanno had vvith him about seventeen thousand Foot Brutians and Lucans
upon these conditions That they should render up all the Prisoners and all their Renigadoes and Slaves That they should withdraw their Armies out of Italy and Gaul That they should not meddle with Spain nor with any Islands betwixt Italy and Africk That they should deliver up all their Ships of War save twenty That they should pay him a great sum of Money with some hundred thousand Bushels of Wheat and Barley All these they assented to whereupon he granted them a Truce that they might send their Ambassadors to the Senate of Rome But the truth was they desired only to get time till Hannibal might come back in whom they reposed all their confidence And therefore they took occasion to pick new Quarrels with the Romans which they were the rather encouraged to hearing news that Hannibal was already landed in Africk by whose means they hoped either to drive the Romans out of Africk or to procure better tearms of Peace Hannibal departed out of Italy no less passionate then men are wont to be when they leave their own Countries to go into Exile He looked back to the shore accusing both Gods and Men and cursing his own dulness in that he had not led his Army from Cannae hot and bloodied as it was to the Walls of Rome Arriving in Africk he disembarked his Army at Leptis almost one hundred Miles from Carthage He was ill provided of Horse which he could not easily transport out of Italy From thence he passed through the inland Country gathering Friends by the way Tychaeus a Numidian Prince that had the best Horses he allured to joyn with him and one Mazetallus another Prince brought him a thousand Horse The Carthaginians in the mean time neglected to make those preparations that would have secured the Victory and yet they sent to Hannibal requiring him without delay to do what he could Hannibal answered that they were his Lords and therefore might dispose of him and his Army but since he was General of their Forces he desired that he might have leave to make choise of his own time Yet to please them he made long marches to Zama and there encamped From Zama he sent forth his Scouts to learn where the Romans lay and what they were doing Some of these were taken and brought to Scipio who shewed them all his Camp and so dismissed them Hannibal admired at his Generosity and had a very great desire of an interview that he might talk with him and this he signified by a Messenger Scipio imbraced the motion and sent him word when and where he might meet with him Accordingly the two Generals rode forth with each of them a Troop of Horse till they met and then their men were bid to stand off Each of them had his Enterpreter and when they met they stood silent for a while viewing one the other with mutual admiration Then began Hannibal to salute the Roman to this effect That it had been better for Carthage and Rome if they could have contained their ambition within the shoars of Africk and Italy for that the Countries of Sicily and Spain were no sufficâ—ent recompence for so many Fleets as had been lost and so much blood as had been shed in making those costly purchases But since what was past could not be recalled he said That it was time for them at the length to put an end to those contentions and to Pray the Gods to endue them with more Wisdom for hereafter To which peaceable disposition his own years and long tryal of Fortune both good and bad made him inclinable But he feared that Scipio for want of such experiences would rather fix his mind upon uncertain hopes than upon the contemplation of that mutability whereunto all humane affairs are subject Yet said he my own example may peradventure teach thee moderation For I am that same Hannibal that after my Victory at Cannae wan the greatest part of Italy and devised what I should do with your City of Rome which I hoped verily to have taken Once I brought my Army to your Walls as thou hast since brought thine to ours of Carthage But see the change I now stand here intreating thee for Peace This may teach thee Fortunes instability I fought with thy Father Scipio He was the first Roman General I met with in the Field I did then little think that the time would come when I should have such business with his Son and thou maist have experience of the like in thy self who knows how soon what saist thou Canst thou be content that we leave to you Spain and all the Islands between Italy and Africk By effecting this thou shalt have Glory enough and the Romans may well be glad of such a bargain and we will be faithful in observing the Peace with you If thou refusest this consider what an hazzard thou must run to get a little more If thou stayest but till tomorrow Night thou must take such Fortune as the Gods shall allot The issue of Battels is uncertain and oft beguiles expectation Let us therefore without more ado make Peace Say not that some false-hearted Citizens of ours dealt fraudulently of late in the like Treaty It s I Hannibal that now desire Peace which I would never do but that I think it expedient for our Country and judging it expedient I will always maintain it To this Scipio answered That he was not ignorant of the mutability of Fortune That without any note of insolence he might well refuse the conditions offered But said he if thy Citizens can be contented besides what I proposed and they formerly assented to to make such reparation for these late injuries as I shall require then I will further advise what answer to give you otherwise prepare for War and expect the issue Hereupon they brake off and each returned to his own Camp bidding ther Souldiers to prepare for Battel wherein should be decided the quarrel between Rome and Carthage The next Morning at broak of Day they issued into the Field each of them ordering their Men as they judged most convenient After which Scipio rode up and down his Army bidding them remember what they had atchieved since they came into Africk He told them that if they wan the Day the War was at an end and this Victory would make them Lords of all the World for after this none should be able to resist them But if they were beaten there was no possibility of escaping they must either conquer or die or be miserable Slaves under most merciless enemies Hannibal was far the weaker in Horse and a great part of his Army were raw Souldiers yet his Lords of Carthage would brook no delay He encouraged therefore his men as was most furtable to their qualities To the Mercenaries he promised bountiful rewards The Carthaginians he threatned with inevitable servitude if they lost the day but especially he animated his old fellow Souldiers by
the many Victories which they had gotten over those that far exceeded them in number He bad them look on their Enemies and see whether they were not by far fewer than that huge Army they had â—laughtered at Cannae He bad them remember that it was the Father of this Scipio whom they had made to run away c. Wherefore he intreated them upon whose virtue he meant wholly to repose himself that they would strive that day to make good their honour and to purchase the fame of Men Invincible When the Armies drew neer the Numidian Horse-men on both sides began to Skirmish the Trumpets and other Instruments sounded to Battel Hannibals Elephants which were always an uncertain kind of help were to break upon the Romans But some of them ran back upon their own Horse which they so disordered that Massanissa taking the advantage before they could re-ally charged them and drave them quite out of the Field The rest of these Beasts made a great spoil amongst the Roman Velites but being wounded they ran back upon the right point of their own Battel and disordered the Carthaginian Horse that were in the Wing vvhich gave such advantage to the Roman Horse that charging them vvhen they vvere in disorder they drave them away likewise Then did the Battels of Foot advance and ran one at the other and the Mercenaries at the first seemed to have the better of the Romans But at length the Roman Discipline prevailed against boisterous strength And whereas the Romans were seconded by their Friends these Mercenaries received no help from those that should have seconded them For the new raised Africans when they saw the Mercenaries give back they retired also which made the hired Souldiers think themselves betrayed whereupon they declined the fight The Carthaginian Battel was herewith more terrified than before so that refusing to give way to the Mercenaries they fell out amongst themselves and forbore to make head against their Enemies Thus were many of them beaten down and slain through their own indiscretion And this gave the Romans such advantage that they made a great slaughter both of the Carthaginians and Mercenaries who could neither sight nor easily flie Such as could ran towards Hannibal who kept his ground and would not stir to help these run-aways Then did Scipio advance against Hannibal who intertained him after another manner than ever he had been received in his Life before All the former days work seemed but a Pastime in comparison of this The Romans were encouraged because they had prevailed all the day before they were also far more in number But Hannibals old Blades were fresh and the better men They fought with such obstinate resolution that no man gave back one Foot but rather chose to die than to lose their ground so that for a long time the Victory was uncertain But the return of Massanissa and Laeli is with the Horse from the pursute of the Enemies was to the Romans most happy and in a needful time These upon a suddain charging Hannibal upon the Reer overbore them with meer violence and put them to rout Hannibal with a few Horse saved himself by flight and staid not till he came to Carthage where coming into the Senate he told them plainly that there was no other way left but to make such a Peace as could be procured Amongst other things it was agreed that the Carthaginians should pay to the Romans two hundred Talents a year for fifty years together Which mony when it came to be collected there was pitious lamentation amonst the People the Roman Yoak beginning to pinch them already that some of the Senators could not forbear Weeping but Hannibal could not refrain from Laughter For which Asdrubal Haedus one of Hanno's faction checked him saying that it ill becommed him to laugh since he had been the cause why all others did Weep He answered that Laughter did not always proceed from Joy but sometimes from indignation Yet said he My Laughter is more seasonable and less obsurd than your Tears For you should have wept when you gave up your Ships and Elephants and when you bound up your hands from use of Arms without the good leave of the Romans This miserable condition keeps us under and holds us in assured servitude But of these things you had no feeling Now when a little mony is wrung from you you are very sensible of that God grant that the time come not wherein you shall acknowledg that it was the least part of your misery for which you have shed these Teares Afterwards Hannibal in the Civil administration of the City gave an overthrow or two to the Judges which at that time bore all the sway in Carthage having all the lives goods and fame of the rest in their power Shortly after Hannibal was chosen Praetor by virtue of which Office he was superiour to them for that year He sent upon an occasion for one of the Treasurers to come to him but he proudly refused whereupon Hannibal sent a Pursevant for him and brought him in Judgment before the People accusing not only him but the rest of the Judges for their insolency and unbridled Power withall propounding a Law that the Judges should be chosen from Year to Year He found also that they had robbed the Treasury which caused the Taxes to be laid upon the common People whereof he made such plain demonstration that they were compelled to restore with shame what they had gotten by Knavery This so irritated his Enemies who were of the Roman Faction that they complained to the Roman Senate that the Barchine Faction grew strong again and that Hannibal would shortly be in Arms For he was like a Wild Beast that could never be tamed that he held secret intelligence with King Antiochus who was an enemy to the Romans c. Hereupon the Senate sent three Ambassadors to Carthage to demand Hannibal but he kept such good espial upon the Romans that he was informed of their intentions against which he was never unprepared And therefore when Night was come he stole out of the City accompanied with two Friends whom he could trust and having Horses in a readiness he rode all Night and came to a Tower of his own by the Sea side and having provided a Ship in a readiness he bad Africk farewel lamenting the misfortune of his Country more than his own and shaped his course to Tyre which was the Mother City of Carthage There he was intertained Royally in whose worth and honour the Tyrians thought themselves to have interest because of the affinity between the Cities Thence went he to Antiochus who was exceeding glad of his coming intending War against the Romans To him Hannibal gave excellent advice how he might carry on his War against the Romans vvith best advantage but Antiochus hearkned more to his Courtiers than to him and so was shamefully beaten by the Romans at
purchased it by his Noble and Valiant deeds The time for his Triumph being come the stateliness and magnificence was such that though he had two days to shew it yet lacked he time to produce all For there were many things prepared for the shew which were not seen and would have set forth another Triumph First the Tables were carried wherein were written the Names of the Nations for which he Triumphed as the Kingdoms of Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Media Colchis Iberia Albania Syria Cilicia and Mesopotamia As also the People that dwell in Phoenicia Palestina Judaea and Arabia And all the Pirats that he had overcome by Sea and Land In all these Countries he had taken a thousand Castles and neer nine hundred Towns and Cities Of Pirats Ships eight hundred Moreover he had replenished with Inhabitants thirty nine desolate Towns These Tables also declared that the Revenue of Rome before these his conquests arose but to five thousand Myriads but now he had improved them to eight thousand and five hundred Myriads Besides he now brought into the Treasury to the value of twenty thousand Talents in Silver Gold Plate and Jewels besides what had been distributed already among the Souldiers of which he that had least had fifteen hundred Drachma's for his share The Prisoners that were led in this Triumph were the Son of Tygranes King of Armenia with his Wife and Daughter The Wife of King Tygranes himself called Zozime Aristobulus King of Judaea The Sister of Methridates with her five Sons And some Ladies of Scythia The Hostages of the Iberians and Albanians as also the Kings of the Commagenians Besides a great number of Marks of Triumph which himself and his Lieutenants had won in several Battels But the greatest honour that ever he wan and which no other of the Consuls ever attained to was that his three Triumphs were of the three Parts of the World to wit his first of Africk his second of Europe And his third Asia and all this before he was forty yeards old But from this time forward Pompey began to decline till with his Life he had lost all his Honour Lucullus at his return out of Asia was well received by the Senate and much more after Pompey was come to Rome For the Senate cncouraged him to deal in affairs of State being of himself slow and much given to his ease and pleasure because of his great Riches So when Pompey was come he began to speak against him and through Catoes assistance gat all things confirmed which he had done in Asia and which had been undone by Pompey Pompey having such an afront put upon him by the Senate had recourse to the Tribunes of the People the vilest of whom was Clodius who closed with him and had Pompey ever at his Elbow ready to second what motion soever he had to make to the People He also desired Pompey to forsake Cicero his ancient Friend but Clodius his utter Enemy By this means Cicero was brought into danger and when he required Pompey's assistance he shut the door against him and went out at a back-door whereupon Cicero was forced to forsake Rome At this time Julius Caesar returning from his Praetorship out of Spain laid such a plot as quickly brought himself into favour but tended to the ruin of Pompey He was now to sue for his first Consulship and considering the enmity between Pompey and Crassus he considered that if he joyned with one he made the other his Enemy he therefore made them Friends which indeed undid the Commonwealth For by this means Caesar was chosen Consul who strait fell to flattering of the People and made Laws for their advantage distributing to them Lands which embased the Majesty of the chief Majestrate and made a Consulship no better than the Tribuneship of the People Bibulus his Fellow Consul opposed him what he could and Cato also till Caesar brought Pompey into the Pulpit for Orations where he asked him whether he consented to the Decree which he had set forth Pompey answered That he did und that he would defend it with the Sword This gat him much ill will Not many days after Pompey married Julia the Daughter of Caesar formerly betrothed to Servilius Caepio and to pacifie Caepio Pompey gave him his own Daughter in marriage whom yet he had promised to Faustus the Son of Sylla Caesar also married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso. Afterwards Pompey filling Rame with Souldiers carried all by force For as Bibulus came to the Market place accompanied with Cato and Lucullus they were basely abused and many were wounded and when they were driven away they passed the Act for dividing of the Lands as they pleased The People being encouraged hereby never stuck at any matter that Pompey and Caesar would have done And by this means all Pompey's former Acts were confirmed though Lucullus opposed what he could Caesar also was appointed to the Government of both Gauls with four whole Legions Then were chosen Consuls Piso Father in Law to Caesar and Gabinius Pompey's great flatterer Pompey now so doted on his young Wife that he suffered himself wholly to be ruled by her and leaving all publick affairs he went with her to Country Houses and places of pleasure which encouraged Clodius a Tribune of the people to despise him and to enter into seditious attempts For when he had driven Cicero out of Rome and sent away Cato to make War in Cyprus and Caesar was occupied in Gaul finding that the people were at his beck because he flattered them he then attempted to undo some things that Pompey had established Amongst others he took young Tygranes out of prison and carried him up and down with him and continually picked quarrels against Pompey's Friends Pompey coming abroad one day to hear how a matter of his was handled this Clodius having gotten a company of desperate Ruffians about him gat up into a high place and asked aloud Who is the most licentious Captain in all the City They answered Pompey And Who said he is he that scratched his head with one finger They again answered Pompey clapping their hands with great scorn This went to Pompey's heart who never used to be thus abused and he was yet more vexed when he saw that the Senate was well pleased with this his disgrace because he had forsaken and betrayed Cicero Upon this a great uprore was made in the Market place and many were hurt whereupon Pompey would come no more abroad whilst Clodius was Tribune but advised with his Friends how he might ingratiate himself with the Senate they advised him to put away his Wife Julia to renounce Caesars Friendship and to stick again to the Senate Some of these things he disliked yet was content to call home Cicero who was Clodius his mortal Enemy and in great favour with the Senate Hereupon Pompey brought Cicero's Brother into the Market place to move the matter to
the People with many men about him and they fell to blows so that many were slain yet he overcome Clodius and Cicero was called home by the Decree of the People who also brought Pompey into favour with the Senate and caused a Law to be made whereby to enable Pompey to bring Corn to Rome and thus by Cicero's means Pompey had once again power given him both by Sea and Land over all the Roman Territories For all the Havens Marts and Fairs and all Store-houses and Merchandizes yea and Tillage came into his hand For this Clodius accused him saying that the Senate had made this Law not because of a dearth of Victuals but that they made a dearth that so the Law might pass for restoring Pompey's power which was almost come to nothing Pompey having now full Authority to cause Corn to be brought to Rome he sent his Friends and Lieutenants abroad and himself went into Sicily and when he was ready to return again there arose such a storm that the Mariners feared to weigh their Anchors but he commanded them to do it saying It s necessary that the People should have Corn but it s not necessary that I should live Thus by his prudence and courage he filled all the Markets with Corn and the Seas with Ships and so great plenty of Provision was brought in as fully furnished not only Rome but all Italy About this time Caesars great conquests in Gaul wan him much credit But whilst they thought him to be Warring afar off he appeared in the midst of the People at Rome and much opposed Pompey in the weightiest matter of the Commonwealth For he had the power of an Army which he hardened with pains and continual exercise not only to fight against the Barbarous People but to make himself invincible and dreadful to the World Moreover by that infinite quantity of Gold and Silver and other Treasures that he gat from the Enemy he purchased many Friends to himself sending great Presents to Rome to the Aediles Praetors Consuls and their Wives therefore when he was come back over the Alps and Wintered in the City of Luca multitudes of the People yea two hundred of the Senate themselves amongst whom were Crassus and Pompey went out of Rome unto him All these Caesar returned back again some with store of mony others with good Words But with Pompey and Crassus he agreed that they two should sue to be Consuls and that himself would send good store of voices upon the day of Election and that if they were chosen they should get a Decree of the People that they should have some new Provinces and Armies assigned to them and withal that they should procure his Government to continue for five years longer This Plot being discovered and spread abroad gave great distast to honest men and many who had intended to sue for the Consulship gave it over Only Lucius Domitius being encouraged by Cato stood for it For said he Thou doest not contend for the Consulship but to defend the liberty of thy Country against two Tyrants Pompey fearing Catoes faction thought it not safe to let Domitius come into the Market place He sent therefore armed men against him who slew the Torch-bearer that came before him and made all the rest to flie amongst whom Cato was the last man that retired who whilst he defended Domitius was wounded in the Elbow Thus Pompey and Crassus came to be Consuls wherein they carried themselves very dishonestly For the People being about to choose Cato Praetor Pompey perceiving of it brake up the Assembly falsly alleadging that he had certain ill signs and afterwards corrupting the Tribes they chose Antias and Vatinias Praetors and then by Trebonius a Tribune of the People they published an Edict that Caesar should hold his Government five years longer Unto Crassus they appointed the Province of Syria and to make War against the Parthians Unto Pompey they allotted Africk and both the Spains with four whole Legions of the which at Caesars request he sent him two to assist him in his Wars in Gaul Crassus at the going out of his Consulship departed into Syria and Pompey remained in Rome to dedicate the Theater which he had built where he caused many goodly Plays to be made and caused Wild Beasts to be baited and hunted amongst which five hundred Lions were killed but the most terrible fight of all was amongst his Elephants This he did to gratifiâ— the People though to his very great cost and he procured much love to himself thereby But he got more envy from others by committing the Government of his Provinces and Legions unto his Lieutenants whilst himself with his Wife took their pleasure up and down Italy At an Election of the Aâ—diles on a sudden there was a great hurly-burly Swords were drawn and many were slain about Pompey so that he was saign to send home his Garments that were sprinkled with their blood and to fetch others His young Wife that was great with child seeing his clothes bloody was so frighted that she fell into a swound that they had much ado to recover her At another time being with child again she fell in labour and died in childbirth and as Pompey was carrying her into the Country to bury her neer unto the City of Alba at his Country House the people took her corps and carrying it into the Field of Mars buried it there and this they did more for Caesar than for Pompey's sake This alliance between Pompey and Caesar being thus broken which rather covered than bridled their ambition to Rule there arose a new stir in Rome and every mans mouth was full of seditious words About which time news came that Crassus was overcome and slain in Parthia who was the only bar to hinder these two from civil War for they both feared him and therefore kept themselves quiet Yet they thought the Empire of Rome was too little for them Pompey thinking that Caesar would not disband his Army sought to strengthen himself against him by procuring Offices in the City and when he could not procure them the people being bribed by Caesar he left the City without a Magistrate so that there were none to command or whom the people might obey Hereupon a rumour was spread that a Dictator must be chosen and that Pompey must be the man This Cato opposed with all his power Bnt when Pompey's Friends excused him saying that he neither sought nor would accept of it then Cato highly commended him and pray'd him to see good order kept in the Commonwealth which accordingly he undertook Then were Domitius and Massala chosen Consuls but after a while one of them died vvhereupon many vvere earnestly bent to have a Dictator and Cato fearing great disorders was willing that Pompey should have some Office to keep him from that vvhich was more Tyrannical Bibulus a chief man in the Senate and
his Army Yet Curio Anthony and Piso procured that the Senate should decide the matter saying All they that would have Caesar disband his Army and Pomey to keep his let them go to the one side of the House and such as would have them both to disband let them stand on the other by this means it was carried against Pompey Curio much rejoyced at the Victory and going into the Market place he was there received by his faction with shouts of joy and clapping of hands and Nosegays of Flowers thrown upon him Pompey was not present to see the good will of the Senators to him but Marcellus stood up and said that he would not stand trifling and hearing Oration when he knew that ten Legions were already passed over the Alps intending to come in Arms against them and that he would send a man that should defend their Country well enough And so going through the Market place unto Pompey being followed by all the Senators he said openly Pompey I command thee to help thy Country with that Army thou hast already and also to leavy more to aid thee Lentulus also used the same Speech to him who was chosen for the year following When Pompey went to leavy Souldiers in Rome some would not obey him and others went very unwillingly the most part of them crying out Peace Peace Anthony also against the Senators minds read a Letter to the People sent from Caesar vvherein he seemed to make reasonable requests to draw the affections of the common People to him For he moved that both Pompey and he should resign their Governments and dismiss their Armies referring themselves wholly to the Judgments of the People and to deliver up unto them an account of their doings Cicero vvho was lately returned from Cilicia endeavoured to bring them to an agreement propounding that Caesar that should leave the Goverment of Gaul and his Army reserving only two Legions and the Government of Illyria attending his second Consulship Pompey liked not this motion and so all treaty of Peace was cut off In the mean time news came to Rome that Caesar had won Ariminum a large and strong City in Italy and that he came directly to Rome with a great power But the truth was he came but with three thousand Horse and five thousand Foot and would not stay for the rest of his Army that was not yet come over the Alps but hasted rather to suprise his Enemies on the sudden who were all in a hurly-burly not expecting him so soon than to stay till they were fully ready to fight with him When he came to the River of Rubicon which was the utmost bound of the Province which he had the charge of in Italy he made an Alt pondring with himself the great enterprise he took in hand At last he cryed out to them that were by Jacta est alea let the Die be cast Or let us put all to the hazard and so passed on with his Army News hereof coming to Rome never was there such a consternation and fear seen amongst them For all the Senate ran immediately to Pompey together with all the rest of the City Magistrates and Tullus asked him what power he had in readiness to resist Caesar He answered but something faulteringly that he had his two Legions that came from Caesar and with those that he had levied in hast he thought he should make up thirty thousand fighting men Then Tullus cryed out Ah! thou hast mocked us Pompey and thereupon ordered Ambassadours to be sent to Caesar. Phaonius also a bold man said Stamp now with thy Foot upon the Ground Pompey and make those Armies come which thou hast promised Pompey patiently bore this mock Then Cato thought good that they should make Pompey Lieutenant General of Rome with full and absolute Power to command all saying They that knew how to do the greatest mischief know best how to remedy the same And so immediately he departed to his Government in Sicily Also all the other Senators went to the Provinces whereunto they were appointed Thus all Italy being in Arms no man knew what was best to be done For such as were out of Rome came flying thither out of all parts and such as were in Rome fled out as fast where all things were in disorder They which were willing to obey were very few and they who by disobedience did hurt were too many neither would they suffer Pompey to order things as he would because every one followed his own fancy yea in one day they were in divers minds All this while Pompey could here no certainty of his Enemies the reports being so various and when he saw the tumult and confusion so great at Rome that there was no possibility of pacifying it he commandéd all the Senators to follow him declaring all such as staid behind to be Caesars Friends The two Consuls fled also without Sacrificing to the Gods as their manner was when they went to make War And Pompey in his greatest danger and trouble had great cause to think himself happy because he had every mans good will Shortly after Pompey was gone out of the City Caesar came into it who spake very friendly to all whom he found there labouring to quiet their fears Only he threatened Metellus one of the Tribunes because he would not suffer him to take any of the Treasure of the Commonwealth saying That it was not so hard a thing for him to kill him as to speak it Thus having put by Metellus and taken what he pleased out of the Treasury he prepared to follow Pompey intending to drive him out of Italy before his Army should come to him out of Spain Pompey in the mean time took Brundusium and having gotten some Ships together he caused the two Consuls presently to embark with thirty Compays of Footmen which he sent before to Dyrrachium He sent also his Father in Law Scipio and his Son Cneius Pompeyius into Syria to provide him Ships Then did he fortifie Brundusium and guarded the Walls with Souldiers commanding the Citizens not to stir out of their Houses He cast up Trenches also within the City at the end of all the streets saving those two which led to the Haven and filled those Trenches with sharp pointed stakes and when at leasure he had imbarked all the rest of his Souldiers he by a sign called off those vvhich guarded the Walls and having received them into his Ships he hoisted Sails and departed Caesar finding the Walls of Brundusium unguarded presently suspected that Pompey was fled and rushing into the City he had certainly faln into the Pits but that the Brundusians gave him warning of them whereupon he fetched a compass about to go to the Haven and coming thither he found all the Ships under sail save two vvherein were a few Souldiers Some judged this departure of Pompeys the best Stratagem of War that
also mocked him and went crying up and down My Masters I give you notice that you are like to eat no Tusculan Figs this year With these and many other such lewd Speeches they compelled Pompey to submit to their rash and giddy desires contrary to his more prudent purpose and determination which yet a General over so many Nations and Armies should not have done These little considered that he with whom he was to sight was Caesar who had taken a thousand Towns and Cities by assault had subdued above three hundred several Nations had won infinite Battels of the Germans and Gauls and was never overcome Had also taken a Million of men Prisoners and had slain as many in divers Battels Yet Pompeys men still vexing him with their importunity when they were come into the Fields of Pharsalia caused him to call a Counsel There Labienus the General of the Horsemen swore before them all that he would not return from the Battel till he had driven his Enemies out of the Field and the like Oath did all the rest of the Commanders take The Night before the fatal Battel there were heard sudden and fearful Noises in Pompeys Camp which awaked all the Souldiers At the changing of the fourth Watch there was seen a great light over Caesar Camp like unto a burning Torch which came and fell in Pompeys Camp In the morning Caesar intending to raise his Camp and to remove to the City of Scotusa whilst his Souldiers were busy in sending away their Bag and Baggage some brought Caesar word that they saw much Armour and many Weapons carryed too and fro in thier Enemies Camp and heard a great noise and bustling as of men that were preparing to fight His Scouts also brought him word that Pompeys Van was already set in Battel array Caesar much rejoyced when he heard this saying Now the day is come that we shall no longer sight with hunger and want but with men and thereupon gave order that they should presently put out the red coat of Arms upon his Tent which was the sign used amongst the Romans when they were to fight The Souldiers when they saw that left their Tents Carriages and all and with great shouts of Joy ran to arm themselves and so without noise or tumult they were by their Captains put into Battel array Pompey himself led the right Wing of his Battel against Anthony The middle Battle he gave to Scipio his Father in Law which was right against Domitius Calvinus His left Wing was led by Lucius Domitius Aenobarlius which was guarded by the men at Arms for all the Horsemen were placed there to distress Caesar if possibly they could and to overthrow the tenth Legion which contained the valiantest Souldiers that Caesar had and amongst whom himself always used to fight in Person Caesar seeing the lest Wing of his Enemies so strong with the guard of Horsemen brought six Company 's of Foot for a reserve and placed them behind the tenth Legion commanding them to stand close that they might not be discovered by the Enemy and commanded them when the Horsemen should charge upon them that they should not throw their Darts strait forward but upwards at their Faces For said he These brave Fellows and fine Dancers will not endure to have their Faces marred Pompey being on Horse-back rode up and dovvn to observe hovv both Armies vvere marshelled and perceiving that his Enemies stood still in their ranks expecting the signal of Battel and that his ovvn Battel vvaved up and dovvn disorderly as men unskilful in the Wars he feared that they would flie before they were charged Therefore he commanded his Van to stand steadily in their ranks and to defend themselves in a close fight when the Enemy should assault them But Caesar disliked this devise for thereby said he the force of their blows was lessened and by with-holding them from giving the charge that courage was taken away which the assailant carrieth with him when he comes on with fury it made them also more fainthearted in receiving the Enemies charge In Caesars Army there were about twenty two thousand fighting men and in Pompeys above twice so many When the signal of Battel was given on either side and the Trumpets sounded an Alarm every man began to look to himself But a few of the chiefest of the Romans and some Grecians that were amongst them that yet were not entred into the Battel perceiving the eminent danger began to bethink themselves to what a sad pass the ambition and contention between these two great Persons had brought the State of Rome unto where were Kinsmen against Kinsmen and Brethren against Brethren imbrewing their hands each in others blood Whereas if they could have been contented quietly to Govern what they had conquered the Roman Empire was big enough for them both Or if that could not have quenched their insatiable desires and thirst after Glory they had occasion enough offered them against the Germans and Parthians Or else they might have proceeded to conquer Scythia and India For what Scythian Horsemen or Parthian Arrows or Indian Riches could have withstood the power of seventy thousand Roman Souldiers especially being led by two such Captains as were Pompey and Caesar whose Names were famous through the World Now when the Fields of Pharsalia were covered over with Horse and Men in Arms after the Signal was given the first man of Caesars Army that advanced forward to give the charge was Caius Crassinius a Captain of one hundred twenty and five men and this he did to make good his promise to Ceasar who having asked him that morning what he thought of the event of the Battel he said Oh Caesar Thine is the Victory and this day thou shalt commend me either alive or dead Thereupon he brake out of his rank many others also followed him and ran into the midst of his Enemies making a great slaughter but as he still pressed forward one ran him through the neck and slew him Pompey did not make his left Wing to advance over suddenly but staid to see what his Horsemen would do who had already divided themselves intending to compass in Caesar and to force his Horsemen who were fewer in number to give back upon his squadron of Footmen and thereby to disorder them But on the other side Caesars Horsemen gave back a little and the six Companies of Footmen that he had placed secretly behind them being three thousand in number ran suddenly to charge the Enemy in the Flank and coming neer to Pompeys Horsemen they threw their Darts as Caesar had appointed them full in their Faces The young Gentlemen being raw Souldiers and little expecting such a manner of fight had not the hearts to defend themselves nor could abide to be hurt in their Faces but turning their Heads and clapping their hands on their Faces they fled shamefully They being thus routed Caesars men made no account to follow
was contrary to an express Law But when he perceived that many of the Senators being Caesars Friends favoured his request he cunningly sought all he could to prevent them whereupon Caesar resolved rather to give over his suit for the Triumph than to lose the Consulship So he came into the City and outwitted all but Cato His device was this Pompey and Crassus were the two greatest Persons in Rome and at jar between themselves Caesar affecting to make himself greater than either of them sought to make them Friends and thereby to get the power of them both For indeed they both affected his Friendship that by his help they might supplant one another And in the end by his endeavours a peace was concluded betwixt them yet being still jealous one of another and fearing to lose Caesar they both sought to gratifie him and by this means he made himself equal to either of them and that power which they two had formerly usurped was now divided between three and in the end Caesar hereby got the sole command This league being made betwixt them Caesar demanded the Consulship being brought into the Assembly for the Election betwixt these two Noble Persons and was there chosen Consul together with Calphurnius Bibulus without the contradiction of any And when he was entered into his Office he began to put forth Laws meeter for a sedicious Tribune than for a Consul because by them he preferred the division of Lands and distributing Corn to every Citizen Gratis and all to please the People And vvhen the Senators opposed it he took the advantage Protesting that the Senate by their austerity drave him against his will to cleave to the People and thereupon he asked Crassus and Pompey in the open Assembly if they gave their consents to his Laws They answered yea Then he prayed them to stand by him against those that threatned to oppose him with the Sword Crassus said he would and Pompey did the like adding that he would come with his Sword and Target both against such which gave great offence to the Senate but the common People much rejoyced Caesar to oblige Pompey more to him gave him his Daughter Julia in Marriage who was made sure before to Servilius Caepio promising him in her stead Pompeys Daughter who also was made sure unto Faustus the Son of Sylla And shortly after Caesar himself Married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso whom he caused to succeed him in the Consulship Cato then cryed out and called the Gods to witness that it was a shameful thing that they should make such havock in the Commonwealth by such horribly Bawdy matches hereby dividing amongst themselves the Government of Provinces and great Armies And Bibulus perceiving that he did but contend in vain Caesar being too potent for him and that his Life was in danger for opposing these Laws he kept his House all the rest of his Consulship Pompey having married Julia he filled the Market-place with Souldiers and by open force authorised the Laws which Caesar had made in favour of the People He procured also that Caesar had both the Gauls and all Illyria with four Legions granted him for five years and when Cato stood up to speak against it Caesar bad his Officers to lay hold on him and carry him to Prison thinking that he would have appealed to the Tribunes but Cato said no more but went his way And Caesar seeing that not only the Nobility but the Commons also were offended at it out of respect to Cato's virtues he secretly prayed one of the Tribunes that he would take Cato from his Officers which was done accordingy Many of the Senators refused to be present in the Senate under him but left the City because they could not endure his doings whereupon one Considius an old man told him that the Senators durst not meet because of his Souldiers Why then said Caesar dost not thou also keep home out of the same fear Because said he My age takes away my fear from me for having so short a time to live I care not to prolong it further Caesar preferred Clodius a base fellow to be Tribune who sought the Office for no other end but to destroy Cicero who had discovered his Villanies and Caesar would not go to his Province till he had set them two together by the ears and driven Cicero out of Italy Yet did he deserve the name of as brave a General as any that went before him if we consider the hard Countries which he adjoyned to the Empire of Rome The multitude and power of the Enemies whom he overcame The rudeness and Valour of the men with whom he had to do whose manners yet he molliâ—ied and civilized His courtesie and clemency to those whom he overcame His great bounty and liberallity to those that served under him As also if we consider the number of Battels that he fought and the multitude of Enemies that were slain by him For in less then ten years he took by assault above eight hundred Towns He conquered three hundred Nations and having at several times above thirty hundred thousand Souldiers against him he slew a Million of them and took as many more Prisoners He was so intirely loved of his Souldiers that to do him service and to advance his honour they were invincible As appears by the example of Acilius who in a Sea-fight before the City of Marseiles boarding one of the Enemies Ships had his right hand cut off and yet he ran upon his Enemies thrusting them in their faces with his Target on his left hand and so prevailed that he took their Ship One Cassius Scaeva also in a fight before the City of Dyrrhacium having an eye put out with an Arrow his shoulder stricken through with a Dart and his thigh with another having received thirty Arrows upon his Shield called to his Enemies as if he would yield to them but when two of them came running to him he cut off one of their armes by the shoulder and wounded the other in the face and made them give back till he was fetched off by some of his fellows In Brittain also when some of his Captains were driven into a bog full of mire and dirt the Enemies fiercely assaulting them there Caesar viewing the Battel he saw a private Souldier thrust in amongst the Captains where he fought so valiantly that at length he forced the Barbarous People to fly and thereby saved the Captains who otherwise had perished there And then this Souldier being the hindmost of all the Captains marched through the bog sometimes swimming and sometimes on foot till he gat to the farther side only he lost his Target Caesar wondring at his valour ran and imbraced him But the poor Souldier hanging down his head with tears in his eyes fell at Caesars feet begging pardon for leaving his Target behind him In Africk also Scipio having taken one of Caesars Ships slew all
that were in it save Petronius a Treasurer to whom he profered life But Petronius answered him that Caesars Souldiers used to give others their lives and not to have their lives given them and thereupon slew himself with his own Sword Now Caesar bred this courage in them by rewarding them bountifully and honouring them He also gave them a good example by adventuring himself upon manifest dangers and putting his body to extream pains when there was occasion which filled them with admiration As for his constitution he was lean white and soft skin'd and often troubled with the Head-ach and sometimes with the falling sickness yet yielded he not to his sickness but rather took pains as a Medicine to cure it travelling continually living soberly and commonly lying abroad in the Fields Most nights he slept in his Coach and in the days travelled up and down to see Cities Castles and strong-holds He had always a Secretary with him in his Coach who writ as they went by the way and a Souldier behind him that carryed his Sword He made such speed when he had gotten his Office at Rome that in eight days he came to the River of Rhone He was an excellent Rider from his youth for holding his hands behind him he would run his Horse upon the Spur. In his Wars in Gaul or France he used to exercise himself in inditing Letters by the way wherein he was so nimble that he imployed two Secretaries or more at one time He made very little account of his Diet Supping one night in Millane with his Friend Valerius Leo there was served at Table some Sperage with some perfumed oyl instead of Sallet oyl he eat it and found no fault blaming his Friends who were offended at the mistake saying that if they liked it not they should have let it alone and that it was not good manners hereby to shame their Friend At another time in his Journey he was forced by foul weather to shelter himself in a poor Cottage that had but one Cabbin and that so narrow that one could scarce lye in it whereupon he said to his Friends the greatest rooms are fittest for the greatest men and Beds for sick persons and so caused Oppius that was sick to lye there and himself with the rest of his Friends lay without doors The first War that Caesar made in Gaul was against the Helvetians or Swissers and the Tigurines who having set fire of their own Cities and Houses came to invade that part of Gaul which was subject to the Romans These were a very War-like and Valiant People and in all they were three hundred thousand souls whereof there were one hundred and ninety thousand fighting men yet were they overthrown by Labienus Caesars Lieutenant at the River Arax And when the Heluetians afterwards came suddenly to set upon Caesar he made hast to get into some place of strength and there ordered his Battel against them and when one brought him his charging Horse he said when I have overcome mine enemies then I will get upon him to pursue them and so marching against thâ—m on foot he fiercely charged them The Battel continued long before he could make them fly yet had he more ado to take their Camp and to break the strength that they had made with their Carts For not only those that were fled into it made head again but their Wives and Children also fought stoutly for their lives till they were all slain and the Battel was scarce ended by midnight Presently after above one hundred thousand of those that had escaped from this Battâ—l were forced by Caesar to return into their own Country again and to the Towns which they had burnt and this he did lest the Germans should come over the Rhine and settle themselves in that Country being void The next War that Caesar made was in defence of the Gauls against the Germans though himself had before admitted Ariovistus their King to be received as a confederate of the Romans Notwithstanding which they were grown very unquiet Neighbours watching but an opportunity to possess themselves of the rest of Gaul Caesar perceiving that some of his Captains much feared them especially the young Gentlemen of Noble Families who went along with him as to some Pastimes he commanded all that were afraid to return home and not endanger themselves against their wills But for himself he said he would set upon those Barbarous People though he had left him but the tenth Legion only Upon this the tenth Legion sent their Officers to thank him for the good opinion he had of them and all the other Legions blamed their Captains for their backwardness and followed him cheerfully till they came within two hundred Furlongs of the Enemies Camp Ariovistus his courage was well cooled when he saw Caesar so near whereas they thought that the Romans were afraid of them His Army also was in a great amaze But that which discouraged them most was the Prophesies of some foolish women who observing the terrible noise which the Water in the River made advised the Germans by no means to fight and they being possessed with a superstitious fear sought to avoid the fight Yet Caesar skirmished with them every day and sometime followed them to their Forts and little Hills where they lay whereby he so provoked them that at last they came down with great fury to fight In this Battel he overcame them and pursued them very eagerly making a great slaughter of them even to the River of Rhine filling all the Fields with dead Bodies and spoiles Ariovistus himself flying speedily got over the River and escaped with some few of his men At this Battel there were slain about eighty thousand Germans After this Battel Caesar left his Army to winter amongst the Sequanes and himself thinking of the affairs of Rome returned over the Alps to a place about the River Po whilst he lay there he laboured to make Friends at Rome and when many came to visit him there he granted all their suits and sent them back some with liberal rewards and others with large promises whereby he engaged them to him During all the time of Caesars great conquests in Gaul Pompey did not consider how Caesar conquered the Gauls with the Roman weapons and wan the Romans with the Riches of the Gauls At this time Caesar being informed that the Belgae who were the most War-like Nation of all the Gauls were all up in Arms and had raised a very great Power he presently made towards them with all possible speed and found them overrunning and plundering the neighbour Countries and confederates of the Romans wherefore he gave them Battel and overthrew their chiefest Army and slew so many of them that the Lakes and Rivers were died with their blood and filled with their dead Bodies that the Romans passed over on foot upon them After this overthrow such of them as dwelt near the Sea
yielded themselves and from thence he conducted his Army against the Nervians the stoutest Souldiers of all the Belgae These dwelling in a Woody Country had conveyed their Wives Children and Goods into a very great Forrest remote from their Enemies and being above eighty thousand fighting men they watching their opportunity set upon Caesar when his Army was out of order and little expecting them At the first charge they brake the Roman Horsemen and encompassing the seventh and twelfth Legions they slew all the Captains and had not Caesar himself with his Shield on his Arme run amongst them making a lane as he went and the tenth Legion seeing him in that danger followed him with all speed there had not a Roman escaped alive that day But looking upon Caesars Valour his men fought desperately even beyond their abilities and yet could they not make the Nervi fly but they fought it out bravely till most of them were slain in the Field five hundred only of them escaping Yet was it a bloody Battel to the Romans for that of four hundred Gentlemen and Counsellers of Rome there were but three saved The Senate of Rome made great signs of joy for these Victories by sacrificing to the Gods Plays c. and as Caesars fame was encreased hereby so he wan upon the Peoples love And always when his affairs would permit he used to Winter by the River Po to give direction about his affairs at Rome And truly not only such as sued for Offices at Rome obtained them by Caesars money and therefore imployed all their power to promote his Interest but the chiefest also of the Nobility went to Luke unto him insomuch as at one time there have been seen before his Gates one hundred and twenty Sergeants carrying Rods and Axes before the Magistrates that have waited upon him and two hundred Senators besides Here they held a Councel wherein it was agreed that Pompey and Crassus should again be chosen Consuls for the year following and that Caesar should have more money delivered him to pay his Army and that his Government should be prorogued for five years longer Then Caesar returning into Gaul to his Army found there a great War begun For two Potent Nations of the Germans having passed over the River of Rhine to conquer new Lands Caesar fought with them which himself thus discribeth These Barbarous People saith he after they had sent Ambassadours to me to desire peace contrary to the Law of Armes came and set upon me as I travelled by the way insomuch as eight hundred of their men overthrew five thousand of my Horse-men who nothing at all expected their comming and going on to describe their farther proceedings he saith that they again sent Ambassadours to him to mock him whom he kept Prisoners and then setting upon the Enemies who were about four hundred thousand Persons he slew most of them saying a few that flying gat back over the River of Rhine and so escaped Caesar taking this occasion and being ambitious to have the honour of being the first Roman that ever passed this River with an Army he built a Bridg over it though the River were very broad and ran with a violent stream and especially there where he built the Bridg and the Barbarians casting great Trees into the River they were carried down with such violence that by their great blows they did sore shake the Posts of the Bridg to prevent which and to abate the fury of the stream Caesar caused a Pile to be made a good way above the Bridg which was forcibly rammed into the bottom of the River so that in ten days space he had finished his Bridg of goodly Carpenters work A very rare invention as could be possibly devised Then passing his Army over this Bridg he found none that durst fight with him For the Suevians who were the most War-like People of the Germans had retired themselves and Goods into great Valleys Bogs Woods and Forrests Caesar therefore having burnt up the Enemies Country and confirmed the League with the confederates of the Romans he returned back into Gaul About this time also he made a Journey into England being the first that sailed the Western Ocean with an Army and that passed through the Atlantick Sea to make War in this great and Famous Island and was the first that enlarged the Roman Empire beyond the habitable Earth For he twice passed the Seas out of France into England where he fought many Battels with the Brittans in which he did more hurt to the Enemies than enrich his own men therefore this War had not such success as he expected which made him only to take pledges of the King and to impose a yearly Tribute upon him and so returned back into Gaul He was no sooner landed there but he met with Letters which advertised from Rome of the death of his Daughter the Wife of Pompey for which they both of them were very sorrowful and by this means the league betwixt Pompey and Caesar was broken to the great prejudice of the Common-wealth Caesars Army being very great he sent it into several Garrisons for their Winter Quarters and returned into Italy as he used to do During which time all Gaul rebelled again and had raised great Armies who were led by one Ambiorix These did first set upon the Garrisons of Catta and Titurius whom they slew together with all their men Then they went with sixty thousand men and besieged the Garrison which Quintus Cicero had in charge and had almost taken it by storm Ciceroes Souldiers being all wounded yet they shewed such valour that they did more than men in their own defence This news comming to Caesar who was far off he returned with all possible speed and levying seven thousand Souldiers he hasted to relieve Cicero that was in great distress The Gauls that besieged him hearing of Caesars comming arose and went to meet him making little account of his small number Caesar to entrap them still drew back making as though he fled from them but still lodging in places of safety and commanded his men that they should not stir out to skirmish with them but rather to raise the ramparts of his Camp and to fortifie the Gates as men affraid that their Enemies might the less esteem them But at length he took the opportunity when the Enemies came in a disordered manner to assault his Camp and then sallying out he routed and slew a great number of them This Act suppressed all the rebellions of the Gauls in those parts Himself also went in the midst of Winter in those places where they did Rebel for now he had a new supply out of Italy of three whole Legions to fill up the rooms of those that were slain of which Pompey lent him two and the other Legion was raised about the River Po. Shortly after there brake out the greatest and most dangerous War that ever he had
him Caesar seemed to be very reasonable in what he requested For he said that whilst they required him to lay down Arms for fear of a Tyranny and yet permitted Pompey to keep his they went about to establish a Tyranny Curio in the name of Caesar moved before all the People that both should be commanded to lay down Arms which motion was entertained with great joy and clapping of hands by the People who threw Nose-gays and flowers upon him for it Then Anthony one of the Tribunes brought a Letter from Caesar and read it before the People in spite of the Consuls wherein he desired that they would grant him Gaul on this side the Alps and Illyria with two Legions only and then he would desire no more But Scipio the Father in Law of Pompey moved in the Senate that if Caesar did not dismiss 〈◊〉 Army by a day appointed that then he should be proclaimed an Enemy to Rome Marcellus also added that they must use force of Arms and not Arguments against a Thief whereupon the Senate rose without determining any thing and every one put on his mourning apparel as in the time of a common calamity Cicero being newly come from his Government in Cilicia took much pains to reconcile them together and perswaded Pompey all he could who told him that he would yield to whatsoever he desired so he would let him alone with his Army But Lentulus the Consul shamefully drave Curio and Anthony out of the Senate who were in such danger that they were faign to flie out of Rome to Caesar disguised in a Carriers coat This gave Caesar great advantage and much incensed his men when they saw and heard how his Friends were abused Caesar at this time had about him but five thousand Foot and three thousand Horse having left the rest of his Army on the other side of the Alps to be brought after him by his Lieutenants Judging it better suddenly to steal upon them at Rome then to assail them with his whole Army which would require time and give his Enemies opportunity to strengthen themselves against him He therefore commanded his Captains to go before and to take in the City of Ariminum a great City on this side the Alps with as little bloodshed as might be Then committing the rest of those Souldiers which he had with him to Hortensius he spent a whole day in seeing the Sword Players exercise before him At Night he went unto his lodging where having bathed himself a little he came into the Hall and made merry with those whom he had bidden to Supper Then rising from the Table he prayed his Guests to be merry and he would come again to them presently howbeit he had secretly before directed his most trusty Friends to follow him not all together but some on way and some another Himself in the mean time took a Coach that he had hired and pretending at first to go another way he suddenly turned towards Ariminum But when he came to the River of Rubicorn which divides the hither Gaul from Italy he suddenly made a stop for if he once passed that there could be no hope of peace considering with himself of what importance this passage was and what miseries would ensue upon it Some say that he spake thus to his Friends Doubtless if I forbear to pass over this River it will be the beginning of my ruin if I pass it the ruin will be general Then turning towards the River he said it is yet in our power to turn back but if we pass the River we must make our way with our Weapons Some say that Caesar standing thus doubtful he was encouraged by the apparition of a man of very great stature piping upon a Reed whereupon many of the Souldiers and some Trumpeters went neer to hear him and that he catching one of their Trumpets leaped into the River sounding to the Battel with a mighty blast and so passed on to the farther side of the River Whereupon Caesar with a furious resolution cryed out Let us go whether the Gods and the injurious dealing of our Enemies do call us The Dice are cast I have set up my Rest Come what will of it After which he set spurs to his Horse and passed the River his Army following him Caesar having passed the River and drawn his Army together he made an Oration to them shedding some tears and tearing his Garment down the Breast laying before them the equity of his cause and craving their assistance To whom having with a general applause and consent made answer that they were ready to obey his will he presently marched on and came the next day to Ariminum upon which he seized The like he did to all the Towns and Castles as he passed on till he came to Corfinium which was held by Domitius who in a factious tumult had been nominated for his successour in the Government of Gaul This being taken he pardoned the Souldiers and Inhabitants and used Domitius kindly giving him leave to depart who went straight to Pompey by which clemency he purchased to himself much honour These thirty Cohorts he kept with him Caesars resolution being known at Rome it troubled Pompey amazed the Senate and terrified the common People Pompey now found himself deceived who before could not believe that Caesar would thrust himself into so great danger or that he could be able to raise sufficient forces to resist him but the success proved otherwise For though Pompey had authority from the Consuls and Senate to leavy Souldiers to call home his Legions and to send Captains for the defence of those Cities in Italy by which Caesar should pass yet all this was not sufficient to resist his fury and the power that he brought with him The fame of Caesars coming increasing daily Pompey with the whole Senate left Rome going to Capua and from thence to Brundusium a Sea Town seated at the mouth of the Gulph of Venice where he ordered the Consuls to pass to Dyrrhachium now Durazzo a Sea Town of Macedonia there to unite all their Forces being out of hope to resist Caesar in Italy who had already taken Corfinium where having drawn Domitius's thirty Cohorts to serve him he marched on and hearing that Pompey and the Consuls were at Brundusium he hasted towards them with his Legions with all possible speed But Pompey though he had fortified the Town sufficiently for his defence yet when Caesar began to invest the Town he imbarked himself and his men in the night time and so passed over to Dyrrachium to the Consuls Thus Caesar injoyed Italy without opposition yet was he doubtful what to resolve on He would gladly have followed Pompey but wanted Shipping and it being Winter he knew that Ships could not be procured so soon as was requisite and considering with all that it was not safe to leave an Enemy behind him which might cause an alteration in France or Italy
he compounded a very great Army by Land and a very great Fleet of Ships and Gallies by Sea It being now the depth of Winter Pompey presuming it improbable if not impossible for Caesar to pass the Seas to him having also intelligence that Caesar was in Rome he disposed of his Army to their Winter Quarters in Macedonia and Thessaly and himself retired farther from the Sea commanding his Sea-Captains of whom Marcus Bibulus was chief to guard the Sea-coast But Caesar knowing that in the speedy execution consisted his greatest hopes of Victory and that occasion once lost could hardly be recovered he departed from Rome and came to Brundusium though all his Legions were not as yet come to him There he embarked seven of his best Legions in such ships as were ready sending a Command to the rest which were coming to hasten to Brundusium whither he would send for them with all possible speed And so departing he crossed the Seas with a prosperous gale of Wind and the third day after arrived upon the coast of Macedonia before Pompey had any intelligence of his embarking There he safely landing his men in dispite of Pompeys Captains and commanded his Ships and Gallies presently to return to Brundisium to fetch the rest of his Army Presently after his first landing he seized upon the Cities of Appallonia and Erico driving from thence Lucius Torquatus and Lucius Straberius who held them for Pompey Pompey hearing of Caesars arrival sent for his Troops which were neerest hand with all speed possible with whom he marched towards Dirrachium where his Victuals ammunition and other provisions for the War lay lest Caesar should go and surprise them which indeed he attempted but in vain the situation of the place making it inexpugnable Pompey being come their Camps were lodged within a few furlongs each of other where he passed many adventurous skirmished and also some Treaties of Peace offered by Caesar but rejected by Pompey so consident he was of his own power In the interim Caesar daily expected the coming of the other Legions who staying longer than he expected he resolved in Person with three confident Servants secretly to embark himself in a Brigandine and to pass that streight of the Sea and to fetch them hoping to perform the same without the knowledg of any And accordingly passing down the River to the Sea he found it so troublesome and tempestuous that the Master of his Brigandine not knowing whom he carried durst not adventure forth but would have returned Then Caesar discovering his face said Perge avdactèr Caesarum enim fers fortunam Caesaris Bear up bravely and boldly against the Winds and Waves for thou carriest Caesar and all his Fortunes The Master herewith encouraged strove all that possibly he could to proceed in his Voyage but the force of the Tempest was so great and the Wind so contrary that do what possibly they could they were driven back again When Caesars Army heard of these passages they much wondred grieved and were troubled at it Commending him more for his Valour than for his Wisdom But within few days after M. Anthony arrived with four of those Legions which were left behind in Italy presently returning the Ships back for the rest Anthony after some adventures joyned with Caesars Army near to Dirrachium where we lately left him Frequent skirmishes still continued between the two Armies and many were slain on both sides and one day the skirmish was so hot supplies being sent from both sides that it almost came to a just Battel wherein Caesars men were so beaten that they fled before the Enemies and could not be made to stand by any intreaties or menaces till they were come into their Camp which they had strongly fortified yet many durst not trust to that but fled out of it But Pompey either because he imagined their flight to be faigned to draw him into an Ambush or because he thought there needed no more to be done and that Caesar could no more resist him he neglected to prosecute his Victory causing a retreat to be sounded without assaulting Caesars Camp which probably he might have taken and made an end of the War that day Whereupon Caesar said to his Friends Truly this day had ended the War if our Enemies had had a Captain that had known how to overcome At this time Caesar lost a great number of his men amongst whom were four hundred Roman Knights ten Tribunes or Collonels and thirty two Centurions or Captains and his Enemies took from him thirty two Ensigns Upon this Victory Pompey sent news thereof to divers parts of the World holding himself for an absolute Conquerour Caesar much blamed some of his Captains and Ensign beà rers for their cowardize and his Army were so grieved and ashamed that they much importuned him to lead them forth again to Battel But he thought it not fit so soon to lead them forth against a Victorious Army He therefore sent his sick and wounded men to the City of Apolonia and departed by night with as great silence as could be from the place where he was and marched towards Thessaly intending there to refresh and encourage his Army and to draw his Enemies farther from the Sea coast where their chief strength lay and where their Camp was well fortified and victualled or at least he intended to attempt the overthrow of Scipio who as he heard was coming to joyn with Pompey Pompey finding Caesar was departed followed him for some few days and then taking Councel what to do he resolved to leave a lufficient Navy to guard the Seas and with the rest to return into Italy and to seize upon it together with France and Spain and afterwads to go against Caesar But the Roman Lords that were with him and the importunity of his unskilful Captains and Souldiers forced him to alter his determination and presently to pursue Caesar who made an Alt in the Fields of Pharsalia which are in Thessaly making his retreat with so much prudence and in so good order that upon all occasions that were offered he ever had the better till at length seeing his men full of resolution and courage he resolved no longer to defer the Fight Concerning which Battel the ordering and event of it the flight of Pompey into Egypt and how basely and barbarously he was murthered there see it before in the Life of Pompey the Great Julius Caesar having obtained this great and glorious Victory used therein his accustomed Clemency not suffering any Roman either to be slain or hurt after the Battel was ended but pardoned all those that were either taken in the Fight or found in the Camp amongst whom was Marcus Tullius Cicero After which being informed which way Pompey was fled he pursued him with the lightest and swiftest of his Army and in the way subduing all the Cities he at last came to the Sea side where he gathered together
all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Aegypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers only When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised and Pompey coming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandment basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeius were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Arms he wept considering the end and success of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in AEgypt he found the Country imbroiled in Civil Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdom wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Eunuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay near the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to do by Caesar as they had done by Pompey so that within a few days there began between Caesar and his small Army both in the City and in the Harbour where the Ships and Gallies lay the most cruel and dangerous encounter that ever Caesar met with for he was often forced to fight in his own Person both within the City whereof the Enemies held the greater part and also in the Harbour with his Ships and was sometimes in so great peril and danger that he was forced to leap out of the Boat into the Water and by swimming to get one of the Gallies at which time he held his Commentaries in one hand above Water and carry his Robe in his teeth and to swim with the other hand But when his other Forces were come to him from Asia and other parts he at the end of nine months for so long these Wars lasted became Victorious as in all other his enterprises he had been and the young King Ptolomy was slain in fight In this War Caesar did such exploits and behaved himself so gallantly that for the same only he well deserved the fame and name of a brave Captain The Pride of the Aegyptians being thus tamed Caesar put to death the murtherers of Pompey and established the fair Cleopatra the Queen and Governess of Aegypt whom during his stay there he intertained for his Friend and had a Son by her called Caesarion And when he had quitted and settled all things in Aegypt he departed thence into Asia and travelled through Syria now Soria being informed that during his troubles in Aegypt King Pharnaces the Son of that mighty King Methridates thought it a fit time whilst the Romans were embroiled in Civil Wars to recover what his Father had lost For which end having overthrown Domitius whom Caesar had sent to govern those parts and having taken by force of Arms the Provinces of Bithynia and Cappadocia expelling thence King Ariobarzanes a Friend and Subject of Rome and beginning to do the like in Armenia the less which King Deiotarus had subjected to the Romans Caesar I say being informed hereof went with his Army sooner than Pharnaces imagined though he expected him and had intelligence of his appproach so that in few days they came to a Battel in which the King was soon overthrown and put to slight with great slaughter of his People yet himself escaped Caesar was very joyful for this Victory because of his earnest desire to return to Rome where he knew that many scandals were raised and many insolencies were committed for want of his presence He knew also that Pompeys eldest Son had seized upon a great part of Spain and had raised great Forces of those which Marcus Varro had left there and of his Fathers Troops He also understood that in Africa many Principal Romans who had escaped from the Battel of Pharsalia were gathered together whereof M. Cato surnamed Uticensis was the chief and Scipio Pompeys Father in Law and that these went thither with the greatest part of the Ships and Galleys which belonged to Pompey and with the greatest power that they were able to leavy and that joyning with Juba King of Mauritania they had subdued all that Country and had a great Army in a readiness to oppose him having chosen Scipio for their General because that Cato would not take that office upon him and for that the Name of Scipio had been so fortunate in Africa Caesar having intelligence of all these things within the space of a few days with great celerity and diligence recovered all that Pharnaces had usurped and chasing him out of Portus he regained all those Countries and so leaving Celius Minucius for General with two Legions to guard that Province pacifying the controversies and contentions in the rest and rewarding the Kings and Tetrachs which continued firm in their Leagues and amity with the Romans without any longer aboad he departed out of Asia and in a short space arrived in Italy and so passed to Rome within little more than a year after he went thence which was a very short time for the performance of so great matters and so long a Journey Presently after his comming to Rome he caused himself to be chosen Consul the third time and reforming so much as the time and his leasure would permit all disorders in Rome being troubled and not able to endure that his Enemies should possess Africk with great expedition he prepared all things necessary and from Rome took his way towards Africk commanding his Army to follow him First he went into Italy from whence taking Ship he passed over into Africk and though neither his Navy nor his Army arrived with him trusting to the valour of those that he had with him and his own good Fortune he landed with small Forces near to the City of Adrumentum and from thence marched to another City called Leptis
into which he was received and after some conflicts that passed his Legions being come to him and certain other Troops of Horse and Companies of Foot he began the War which continued four months He first began with Petreius and Lubienus and then with Scipio and King Juâ—a who brought to those Wars eight thousand men the one half whereof were Horse In this War were many encounters and Battels in which Caesar was in great danger but at last his good Fortune still attending him he overcame them in a great Battel wherein there were slain of the Enemies ten thousand and Caesar remained Master of the Field and in a short time after subjected all the Country to him Scipio and all the chief Captains with him died sundry deaths and Juba escaping by flight from the Battel finding no place of security Afranius and he resolved to dye fighting one against the other in which combate King Juba being the stronger man slew Asranius and then commanded one of his Salves to kill him and so he died desperately Marcus Cato who was in the City of Utica hearing that Caesar was marching thitherward though he knew that he would not put him to death but but rather had a desire to pardon him and to do him honour yet resolving neither to receive life nor honour from his Enemy he slew himself In whose death there passed many remarkable accidents recorded by Historians Florus saith thus of it Cato saith he hearing of the death of his Partners he dallyed not at all but joyfully hastened his end For after he had embraced his Son and his Friends and bad them good night and then rested a while upon his bed having first perused Plato's Book of the immortality of the Soul then about the relieving of the first watch he got up drew his Sword and therewith thrust himself through after which the Phisicians applied plaisters to his wounds which he indured whilst they were in the room but then he pulled them away and the blood following abundantly he left his dying hand even in the wound Scipio who had been General in this War escaped also from the Battel by flight entered into some Gallies which being met with by Caesar Navy that he might not fall into his Enemies hand after he had given himself some wounds he threw himself into the Sea and so vvas drowned Caesar having obtained so great and absolute a Victory spent some few days in settling and ordering the Provinces of Africa making the Kingdom of Juba a Province and then marched to Utica vvhere he imbarked June the third and came to the Isle of Sardinia and after some short stay there he arrived at Rome the tvventy fifth day of July At his comming thither there vvere granted unto him four Triumphs First for his conquests and Victories in France in vvhich vvere carried the Portraictures of the Rivers of Rhodanus and the Rhine vvrought in Gold The second Triumph vvas for the conquest of Aegypt and of King Ptolomy vvhere vvere set the River of Nilus and the Pharus burning The third vvas for the conquest of Pontus and of King Pharnaces vvherein in regard of his speedy Victory vvas placed a vvriting vvith these vvords Veni Vidi Vici I come I savv I overcame The fourth Triumph vvas for the Province of Africa vvherein King Jubas Son vvas led Captive and in this Triumph vvere given Jevvels and Armes to Octavius Caesars Nephevv vvho succeeded him in the Empire As for the Battel vvherein he conquered Pompey he vvould not Triumph because it vvas against a Citizen of Rome These Triumphs being ended he gave great revvards to his Souldiers and entertained the People vvith Feasts and bountiful gifts and then caused himself to be chosen the fourth time Consul And so to the end that there should be left no place wherein he would not be obeyed he resolved to go for Spain hearing that Gneius Pompeius the Son of Pompey was retired with the rest of the Army which had escaped out of Africk to go to his Brother Sextus Pompeius who was in possession of a great part of Spain as we heard before together with the famous Cities of Sivil and Cordova and many others of those parts many Spaniards also comming to their aid Caesar in this Journey carryed with him his most valiant and most experienced Souldiers and made so good speed that in few days space he arrived in Spain in which Journey his Nephew Octavius followed him Entering into Spain he came to the Province of Betica now Andaluzia where were Sextus Pompeius with his Brother Gneius and such Legions and Souldiers as they had gotten together and there began betwixt Caesar and them a most cruel and bloody War the end whereof was that neer to the City of Munda Caesar and Gneius Pompeius for Sextus was then at Cordova joyned Battel which was one of the most obstinate and most cruel fights that ever was in the World For Caesar being a most excellent Captain and the Souldiers which he brought with him most brave and valiant men and fleshed with so many Victories held it out with great resolution and on the other side the bravery and courage of young Pompey and his men was such and they fought in such manner as Caesars Squadrons began to give ground and were ready to forsake the Field and at the very point to have been wholly overthrown and the matter came to this issue that Caesar was about to have slain himself because he would not see himself overcome Yet taking a Target from one of his Souldiers he rushed into the midst of his Enemres saying with a loud voice If ye be not ashamed leave me and deliver me into the hands of these Boyes For this shall be the last day of my Life and of your Honour with which words and his example his Souldiers took heart in such manner that recovering the ground which they had lost the Battel became equal which lasted almost a whole day without any sign of Victory to either party sometimes seeming to incline to the one sometimes to the other side until at the length Caesar and his men did so great exploits as that the evening being come his Enemies began to faint and fly and the Victory was apparently Caesars There died of the Enemies above thirty thousand in this Battel and Caesar lost above a thousand men of account besides common Souldiers Caesar esteemed so much of this Victory and so gloried in the danger which he had escaped that ever after he used to say That in all other Battels he had fought for honour and Victory and only that day he fought for his life Young Pompey after he had performed all the offices of a Prudent General and Valiant Souldier was foreed to fly and wandering through many places was at last taken and slain by some of Caesars Friends who carried his head to Caesar. His other Brother Sextus Pompeius fled from Cordova and
a time having a mind to see Theogenes a learned Astronomer he calculated his Nativity and promised him great matters which made Octavius conceive great hopes of himself and in memory thereof he caused certain Medals to be coined and would often boast of what Theogenes had told him Octavius in the sixth month after he went to Apollonia having intelligence from his Mother of the Death of his Uncle Julius Caesar he hasted out of Epirus to Brundusium where he was received by the Army that went to meet him as the adopted Son of Caesar and without any further delay he assumed the name of Caesar and took upon him to be his Heir and that so much the rather because he had brought with him good store of mony and great forces that were sent him by his Uncle and so at Brundusium adopting himself into the Julian Family he called himself Caius Julius Caesar Octavius To this very Name as though he had been his true Son there came great store of partly of his Friends partly of freed-men slaves and Souldiers by whom being more strengthened and imboldned by the multitude of them that flocked to him and by the authority of the Caesarian name which with the common People was in great reputation he took his journey towards Rome with a great train which daily increased like a Floud On the fourteenth Kalends of May he entered into Naples where he gave Cicero a visit From thence as he was going to Rome there met him a vast company of his Friends and as he entered the City the Globe of the Sun seemed to compass his Head round like unto a Bow as it were putting a Crown upon his Head who afterward was to be so great a man and at night calling together his Friends he commanded them to be ready the next morning with good store of followers to meet him in the Market-place which was done accordingly and he going to Caius the City Praetor and Brother to Anthony he told him that he did accept of the Adoption For it was the Roman custom in Adoptions to interpose the authority of the Praetor which acceptance being Registred by the Scribes from thence he presently went to Mark Anthony the Consul who behaved himself proudly towards him and scarcely admitting him into Pompeys Gardens gave him time to speak with him Octavianus had a great mind to revege the Death of Julius Caesar but by his Mother and Philip his Father in Law he was advised to conceal his purpose for a time both because the Senate had approved his Death and because Mark Anthony who was principally to assist him therein did not shew himself very friendly to him Octavianus understanding that Mark Anthony had in his custody all the Treasure that was left by Julius Caesar he desired him to command it to be delivered to him therewith to pay his debts and to distribute it as Caesar had appointed in his Will But Anthony with greater Pride than Octavianus could well bear not only refused what he demanded but reproved him for desiring it whereupon discords presently arose betwixt them and Octavianus strengthened himself with the Counsel of Cicero a great Enemy to Anthony and one whose authority at that time by reason of his Wisdom and Eloquence was very great Anthony being Overseer of those things which Caesar had commanded to be done what by corrupting the Notes and changing them at his pleasure did what himself listed as if it had been the appointment of Caesar by this means gratifying Cities and Governours and heaping vast sums of money to himself selling not only Fields and Tributes but freedoms and immunities even of the City of Rome and that not only to particular Persons but to whole Provinces and of these things there were Tables hung up all over the Capitol Octavianus being nineteen years old at his own charges gathered an Army and sought the favour of the People and prepared Forces against Anthony for his own and the Commonwealths safety He allo stirred up the old Souldiers who by Julius Caesar had been planted in Colonies so that Anthony being afraid of him by the mediation of Friends had a conference with him in the Capitol and they were for the present reconciled but within a few days through the whisperings of some their enmity brake out again and Anthony not thinking himself strong enough and knowing that the Legions of Macedonia were the best Souldiers and six in number with whom also were many Archers light harnessed men and Horsemen these he sought to draw to himself who because of their neerness might presently be brought into Italy and thereupon he caused a rumour to be spread that the Getae wasted Macedonia by their inrodes and upon that occasion he demanded an Army of the Senate saying that the Macedonian Army was raised by Caesar against the Getae before he intended the Parthian War whereupon he was chosen General of those Forces and he obtained a Law for the change of Provinces whereby his Brother Caius Anthony challenged Macedonia which before by lot fell to Marcus Brutus On the seventh of the Ides of October Anthony went to Brundusium there to meet four of the Macedonian Legions whom he thought to draw to himself by money Thither also Octavianus sent his Friends with money to hire these Souldiers for himself and himself posted into Campania to engage those Souldiers which were in Colonies to take his part and first he drew to him the old Souldiers of Galatia then those of Casilinum on both sides of Capua giving to each man five hundred pence by which means he gat together about ten thousand men who marched with him under one Ensign as a guard In the mean while the four Legions of Macedonia accusing Anthony for his delays in revenging Caesars Death without any acclamations conducted him to the Tribunal as it were to hear an account of this matter and there continued silent Anthony taking this ill upbraded them with their Ingratitude and complained that they had not brought to him some disturbers of the Peace who were sent from that malapert young man for so he called Octavian and to ingratiate himself with them he promised an hundred pence to each of them which niggardly promise was intertained with laughter which he took so ill that being returned to his Quarters in the presence of his most covetous and most cruel Wife Fulvia he put to death some Centurions out of the Martian Legion When those of Caesars party that were sent to corrupt the Souldiers saw that they were more exasperated by this deed they scattered Libels about the Army wherein they disgraced Anthony and extolled the liberality of Caesar And when some sided with Octavian and others with Anthony the Army as if it had been set to sale at an outcry addicted themselves to him that would give most And because that Decius Brutus who commanded Gallia Cisalpirea now Lombardy opposed Anthony he went to
went towards him and at the same time Mark Anthony departed from Alexandria in Aegypt and came to the Isle of Rhodes where he was informed of all that had happened to his Brother Lucius From thence he went into Greece and at Athens he found his Wife Fulvia sick yet vehemently inveighing against Octavian wherefore leaving her there he went with two hundred Gallies into Italy and landed at Brundusium where the Wars began between him and the Forces of Octavian who was yet at Rome But news coming of Fulvia's death some Friends interposed to reconcile them and at last it was agreed that Arbitrators should be chosen to compose their differences Octavian chose Mecoenas and for Mark Anthony was Asinius Pollio and these brought it to this issue that Mark Anthony should have all the East from Italy beginning from the Jonian Sea which is the entry into the Venetian Gulph unto the River of Euphrates wherein were included all the Provinces of Graecia and Asia with all the Islands within these limits To Octavian was allotted from the said Jonian Sea to the Western or Spanish Sea wherein were contained Spain France Italy Germany and Britain To Lepidus was confirmed Africa where he then was with all the Provinces thereof And for the strengthening of this League Mark Anthony now a Widower was to marry with Octavia the Sister of Octavian by the Fathers side formerly married to Marcus Marcellus by whom she had one Son called also Marcellus whom Octavian adopted And this marriage was dispensed with by the Senate because in Rome Widows were not permitted to marry till they had lived ten months in Widowhood which she had not done This being concluded Octavian and Mark Anthony went to Rome where the Wedding was solemnized and they were seemingly good Friends but their Peace was disquieted by the Neighbourhood of Sextus Pompeius who commanded the Seas from Sicily where he lived and with his Ships and Pyrates he disquieted Caesars Friends who thereupon resolved to ruine him But at the request of the Senate and of Mark Anthony he hearkened to Peace and by the mediation of Friends it was agreed that all matters past should be forgotten and that they should live like good Neighbours and Friends and that Sextus Pompey should enjoy Sicily Sardinia and Corsica which he had in possession and that he should clear the Seas from Pyrates that Merchants and Passengers might pass safely and that he should furnish Rome yearly with a certain quantity of Corn. This being concluded they agreed upon a meeting of all three upon the Sea side in the Straight of Messina in a Fortress built for that purpose which reached into the Water whither Sextus Pompey might come with his Galleys and be in safety which accordingly was performed with great joy and solemnity and Sextus Pompey feasted them in his Galleys and they likewise him by Land From hence Sextus Pompey returned into Sicily and Octavian and Mark Anthony to Rome where for a while they remained in great Familiarity and then Mark Anthony preparing for his journey into the East sent Venditius before him with a great Army against the Parthians wherein he had so good success that he overcame and defeated Pacorus the Parthian Kings Son and slew twenty thousand of his men and thereby sufficiently revenged the Death of Marcus Crassus for which he afterwards Triumphed at Rome Mark Anthony departed from Rome with his new Wife and wintered with her in Athens Octavian in the mean time in Rome growing mighty and in high esteem was yet very pensive being troubled at the Neighbourhood of Sextus Pompey in Sicily attending an occasion to War against him for which purpose he prepared a great Fleet pretending that Sextus with his Ships and Gallies hindred the coming of Corn into Italy These Sicilian Wars continued for some years in the beginning whereof Octavian had ill success yet more from storms and tempests than from the force of his Enemies and if Sextus Pompey had been as prudent and able to offend his Enemy as he was to defend himself and as he was Valiant if he had been as Wise and Politick he might have greatly distressed Octavian in all matters concerning Italy yet the matter was so handled that at Octavians request Mark Anthony came twice out of the East into Italy to assist him in these Wars The first time he came to Brundusium where not finding Octavian according to appointment he returned without seeing him upon some jealousies which grew betwixt them But Octavian having lost most of his Fleet in a storm he sent his intire Friend Mecenas to Mark Anthony at whose intreaty he returned into Italy with three hundred Ships and Gallies giving it out that he came to Caesars aid And though there were some difference between them yet Octavia so laboured between her Husband and Brother that she reconciled them and so they met in the mouth of the River near Tarentum where Mark Anthony gave to Octavian one hundred and twenty of his Gallies for his Wars and Octavian gave to him some of the Italian Souldiers and they renewed their Triumvirat for other five years Which done Mark Anthony returned to the East to prosecute his Wars against the Parthians his Wife Octavia and her Children remaining in Rome Anthony being gone Octavian resolving to prosecute the Wars against Sextus Pompey with all his Forces armed two Navies whereof Agrippa was the Admiral of the one and himself of the other He sent also to Lepidus intreating his aid who accordingly came and brought with him a thousand Ships little and great and eighty Gallies wherein he transported five thousand Horse and twelve Legions of Foot Souldiers Sextus Pompey hearing what great preparations were made against him did strongly fortifie all the Sea-coasts of Sicily and on the frontiers of Africk near to Lilibaeum he placed Plinius a good Captain with good Companies of Souldiers and his whole Fleet by Sea he drew into the Port of Messina purposing to mannage his Wars by Sea having neither experience nor power to do it by Land and so he attended the coming of his Enemies Lepidus loosing with his whole Fleet from Africk was encountered with a tempest wherein with the loss of a great part of his Navy he with the rest landed at Lilybaeum and took in certain places thereabout but having small judgment and experience in the Wars he made a greater noise then did hurt to Pompey Octavius also being at Sea in a tempest lost thirty of his Gallies besides small Ships and with much difficulty returned to Italy and Taurus who commanded the Gallies which Anthony left landed at Tarentum though with great loss and danger Octavian was so grieved at these losses that he had thoughts of giving over the War for that year but changing his mind he repaired his Fleets and ordered Agrippa with one of them to pass into Sicily and there to make War both by Sea and land and
eight hundred Gallies and Ships of burthen two hundred whereof Cleopatra gave him together with all the Ammunition and Victuals necessary for the Fleet He also took her along with him contrary to the advise of all those which were of his Counsel Then sailed he to the Isle of Samos to which he had appointed all the Kings Tetrarchs and People which served under him in this War to come by a day prefixed The Kings that met him there were Tarcondemus King of the upper Cilicia Archalaus of Cappadocia Philodelphus of Paphlagonia Methridates of Comagena and others Besides those which sent there Forces as Herod King of Judaea Amyntas of Lycaonia and the Kings of Arabia Of the Medes and Palemon King of Pontus with some others So that he had one hundred thousand well trained Footmen and twenty two thousand Horse besides his Navy by Sea which consisted of five hundred Gallies besides Ships of burden which carried his Ammunition and Victuals If Anthony thus furnished had presently passed into Italy he had put Octavian into great hazard For then he had not sufficient Forces to have withstood him nor other necessary Provision for the Wars But Mark Anthony delaying the time at Athens let slip the opportunity and gave Octavian leasure to provide all things necessary from Italy France Spain and all other his Provinces from whence he levied eighty thousand choise Souldiers and above twenty thousand good Horse and seeing that Anthony stayed so long he sent him word that seeing he had Ships and other fit provision he should come for Italy where he staid in the Field to give him Battel promising to afford him good Ports and Havens where he might safely land without interruption To this Anthony answered that it would be more honourable if he would determine this quarrel in Person against him body to body which he would willingly accept though he was now old and crazed and the other young and lusty and if he liked not of this challenge he would stay for him with his Army in the Fields of Pharsalia in the same place where Julius Caesar fought with Cneius Pompey These Messages passing between them without effect Anthony drew his Army by Land and his Navy by Sea towards Italy and Octavian imbarked his Legions at Brundusium and crossed the Sea to a place called Torma in the Province of Epire now called Romania and after some notable exploits performed the two Armies drew neer together as also did the Navies Octavians Navy consisted of two hundred and fifty Gallies but better armed and swifter than were Mark Anthonies though his were more in number And Mark Anthony being perswaded by Cleopatra who in this also was the cause of his ruin thereby to have the better means to fly if the Battel should be lost would needs try his Fortune in a Sea fight though his Army by Land had a great advantage over the other Anthony chose twenty thousand out of his Army and put them aboard his Fleet and Octavian who refused not the Sea-fight made his provision also and so shipping himfelf in his Gallies he committed the charge of his Land Army to Taurus and Anthony left his Land Forces with Canidius and in the sight of both the Armies these two brave Captains with the best Navies in the World took the Seas where they fought for no less than the Empire of the World Yet was the Fight deferred for three days in dispite of both Parties the Seas rising so high that they could not Govern their Vessels The fourth day they came to an encounter at a Cape called Accius in Epire not far from the place where their Land Armies stood The Battel was one of the most cruellest that ever was heard of and lasted ten hours before Octavian obtained the Victory though Mark Anthony staid not so long in the fight For Cleopatra in the greatest fury of the Battel fled away in her Galley whom seventy of her other Galleys followed and unfortunate Mark Anthony who all his life time hitherto had been a valiant and brave Captain seeing Cleopatra fly on whom he had fixed his eyes and heart shifting out of his own Galley into a lighter followed her without regard of his Armies either by Sea or Land and overtaking her went aboard her Galley wherein he sailed three days without either seeing or speaking with her being confounded with shame for shewing so much weekness and at last they arrived in the Port of Alexandria in Aegypt His Navy which he left fighting though now Headless and without a Captain yet continued to make gallant resistance till five thousand of them were slain and at last they were overcome rather for want of a Commander then through any force of an Enemy though Octavians light and swift Galleys were a great help to him and so he remained Conquerour and granted life and pardon to the conquered getting into his hands three hundred of their Galleys In Anthonys Army by Land there wanted neither courage nor constancy to theit General though he had so unworthily deserted them and therefore they continued seven days in their Camp ready to give Battel without accepting any composition from the Enemy and they would have staid longer had not Canidius their Captain abused his trust flying secretly from the Camp to seek Anthony whereupon the Army being destitute of a General yielded to the Enemy who admitted them into his own Army being nineteen Legions of Foot and twelve thousand Horse The Senators Knights and Noble men that had served Anthony many of them he fined in great sums of Money many he put to death and some he pardoned Then did Caesar sail to Athens and being pacified with the Greeks he distributed the Corn that was left in the War to the Cities that were afflicted with Famine and that were dispoiled of their Money Servants and Horses And Anthony being arrived in Aegypt chose out one good Ship of good burden and fraught with store of Treasure and rich Plate of Gold and Silver and gave it to his Friends intreating them to divide it amongst them and to shift for themselves and he wrote to Theophilus the Governour of Corinth that he would provide them an hiding place till they might make their Peace with Caesar. And Caesar of the spoils of the Enemy dedicated ten Ships to Apollo Actius Anthony being come into Africk went into a desart place wandering up and down only accompanied with two Friends and after a while he sent to the General of the Army which he had formerly raised for the defence of Aegypt but he slew his Messengers and said that he would not obey Anthony whereupon he had thought to have killed himself but being hindered by his Friends he went to Alexandria and after a while he built him an House in the Sea by the Isle of Pharos and there lived from the Company of all men saying That he would live the life of Timon
hazard their Persons but upon extremity The Chinois failed not to march directly unto Calibes the whole Army following and setting upon him Calibes with his six thousand Scythian Horse after their usual manner in retreating gave many charges giving and receiving hurt The King of China marched with much gallantry with his Army which seemed to be twice so big as that of Tamerlanes He had very many armed Chariots wherein he put his principal trust they had much Gold and Silver as well in the trappings of their Horses as on their Armour which gistred exceedingly against the Sun to the Admiration of the Tartars Tamerlane who with a Troop of Horse beheld the Chinois marching after Calibes commended greatly the drawing forth of their men to compel Calibes to fight endeavouring to discover and note with his eye the place whereabouts the Kings person was having by him the Chinois Lord to instruct him who knew well the manner of their fight They had no Avantguard but were all in a gross commanded by the King inclosed within his Chariots which being shewed to Tamerlane by this Lord he turned to those Captains that were near him and said Yet must we disperse this guilded cloud and the King of China and my self must make a partition thereof Thus having sufficiently viewed the Enemy and observed their manner of marching he thought it not convenient to suffer them to take breath nor to rally being something disordered in their march whereupon he sent to Calibes to will him to begin the fight and when those that were with him should be weary to retreat to him But assoon as his Scythians heard this word Fight they required the first charge with a young Lord that commanded over them called Ziochabanes making it to appear to the Chinois to what end their former flight was charging very furiously upon the formost of the Enemies which occasioned the first beginning of the Battel And indeed there could not be seen a more Gallant onset wherein the Scythians desired to manifest the valour of their Nation and to procure honour to their Prince This fight endured a long hour before they had overthrown Calibes Tamerlane beheld all patiently saying that the great multitude how disorderly soever they were would at length carry it away from the order and valour of his Souldiers yet could there not be discerned any alteration of his countenance adversity and prosperity being both alike so indifferent to him Calibes being wounded retired himself near to the Emperour having with him two thousand Horse that were rallied again many more flocking to him The Emperour viewed his wound causing him to be conducted behind his Footmen and care to be taken for the dressing of his wound and of such others as were wounded with him Calibes with his thirty thousand Scythians was not able to charge through the Chinois but when they retreated Odmar with his Parthian Horsemen advanced forward and used them more roughly for he ran clean through them and returned by the right wing of the Army where he fought most valiantly and having beaten them within the Kings Chariots he thought he should not do wisely to attempt the breaking of such Forces The King of China coming forwards and the Horsemen that had been broken by Odmar joyning themselves to him Odmar sent to Tamerlane desiring him that the Footmen and Artillery might advance forward sending him word that he might assure himself of the Victory Hereupon Tamerlane commanded Axalla to advance with fifty thousand Foot and part of the Artillery requiring him to set upon the Chariots and to make an entrance The Artillery marching in the first place did greatly astonish the enemy for the Governours of the Horses belonging to the Kings Chariots could not rule them it made also a great spoil Axalla perceiving the disorder hasted forwards till they came to hand-blows The King of China had yet about his Person a hundred and fifty thousand men Yet Axalla full of courage fought so valiantly that they never beheld any man to do more bravely During this fight Odmar again charged the Horsemen that were retired to the Kings aid and put them to flight Then did Tamerlane himself march forward with the rest of the Footmen for the aid of Axalla and brake through even to the Person of the King of China who as yet was enclosed within a second rank of Chariots with about thirty or forty thousand men and after he had fought two or three hours the Horse assisting the Foot and they principally whom the Prince had kept as a reserve the King at length remained wounded in the power of Tamerlane The battel being won and the enemies Camp forced The fight endured eight hours and the night coming on saved the lives of many of the Chinois There were slain two Kings Allies to the King of China Inestimable riches were gotten in golden Vessels precious stones and as fair and rich Chariots as could possibly be seen The Emperour would not see the captive King till the next day but being mounted on horseback he rode about the field to stay the slaughter and to rally his men that the accustomed watch might be kept whereof he gave the charge unto Axalla commanding him also to keep the King of China in the midst of his Souldiers who was dressed of the wound which he had received in his right arm It was a strange sight to see the diversity of the Enemies Weapons and the variety of their Streamers and Ensigns which seemed afar off as beautiful as the diversity of colours plentiful The King of China's Army was very great consisting of a hundred and fifty thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Footmen but the greatest part of them were rude and barbarous people far inferiour to Tamerlan's in Valour who suffered themselves to be slain one upon another not marking their advantages and having little skill in warlike affairs Tamerlane continued on horseback till about two a clock in the morning when as they brought him a Tart and his Water for he never drank Wine and then lying down upon a Carpet he passed the rest of the night until morning After this so great a Victory there was never the least boasting or vaunting heard to proceed out of his mouth The next day after the burial of the dead he publickly gave thanks to God for his Victory Then caused he the wounded to be cured and amongst others Calibes who more through the distemperature of the air than from the danger of the wound found himself very ill yet would he not omit his duty in commanding the Van which was very grateful to Tamerlane for that he being a Scythian was greatly beloved of his Nation These things being dispatched he sent unto Axalla to bring forth his prisoner the King of China and when he approached the Emperour issued out of his Tent and went to receive him This King came
with a very proud and haughty countenance and approaching near to the Emperour he by his Interpreter asked of Axalla which was he and being shewed him he spake in an haughty language after this manner The gods whom I worship being provoked against my Nation and People have conspired against my good fortune and made me this day thy prisoner But forasmuch as it is reported over all the world that Tamerlane maketh war for the honour of his Nation thou shouldst be content with this thy glory that the Lord of the world and child of the Sun is in thy power to receive such Laws as thou pleasest to subscribe unto him This he spake in a brave manner without any other humbling of himself The Emperour on the other side saluting him very courteously led him into his Tent. This King of China was a great Prince having two hundred famous Cities within his Kingdom which also is a fruitful and plentiful Countrey wherein are Mines of Gold and Silver much Musk and Rliubarb It abounds in Fish and Fowl and hath much Silk and Porclane with Cotton and Linnen c. Then did Tamerlane assemble his Captains to consult about the disposal of the King and how the Victory should be best improved At the same time he received news by Odmar that the Kings Brother who escaped out of the battel was at Quantou which he had strongly fortified and that great store of forces began to adjoyn themselves to him Hereupon he commanded two thousand Parthian horse to convey the King to Paguinfou and from thence to Burda where he was to be kept carefully Then did he resolve upon the besieging of Quantou and if it were possible to shut up the Kings Brother therein it being one of the principal seats that belonged to the King of China It was forty Leagues from the place where the battel was fought Thither therefore he sent a good party of his Army under Odmar who pitched his Tents about the City But the Kings Brother was gone The Emperour in the mean time summoned and took in many lesser Cities which yielded wholly to his mercy making great lamentation for their captive King yet the gentleness of the Conquerour made them to take all their losses with patience and the rather because they heard that he used their King courteously The Kings brother also sent Ambassadours to Tamerlane craving leave to see the King and to know of his health which the Emperour willingly assented to Now the Kings brother hearing of the estate of the besieged in Quantou he resolved either to relieve it or to fight a battel for which end he advanced strait unto Porchio making a bridge of Boats to pass over the River But Odmar being informed that about fifty thousand of his men were come over he suddenly set upon them being out of order and not informed of their enemies approach also to prevent the coming over of the rest to their assistance he sent a fire-boat down the stream against their bridge of Boats which brake it in sunder and where it was resisted set all on fire and so in a great battel overthrew them The King of Cauchin-China who was amongst them fighting valiantly was slain The Kings Brother who was on the other side of the River not yet come over saw his men slain and drowned and could not relieve them This second overthrow was of no small importance though it was but the third part of the Kings brothers Army For the Citizens of Quantou hearing of it and despairing of relief sent out some Proposals for their surrender Axalla which received them presently dispatched away a faithful messenger to the Emperour to know his pleasure therein This was more welcome news to him than the overthrow of his Enemies wherefore he referred all to the sufficiency and fidelity of Axalla So that upon Treaty the City was surrendred to Axalla who caused the Garrison to come out and received the inhabitants into the Emperours protection and all that would might continue in it unarmed afterwards he entred into it and was received with great signs of joy by the Inhabitants who resolved to entertain the Emperour with all the solemnity that might be Axalla put thirty thousand men into it for a Garrison injoyning the Citizens to pay the Emperours Army four hundred and fifty thousand Crowns Presently after he received a command from the Emperour to stay in the City himself and to send all the rest of his Footmen unto him which he commanded the rather because he understood that Ambassadours were coming to him from the Kings Brother to treat of Peace and he presumed the sight of all his Army together ready to march would strike such a terrour into them as would cause them the readilier to assent to good terms The Ambassadours sent by the Kings Brother were of their chiefest men whom Tamerlane entertained with all humanity causing his greatness to appear to them as also the activity of his Horsemen whereby they might discern that it would tend to the destruction of their Country if they agreed not with him Then did the Ambassadours deliver their message which consisted of two branches One was for the delivery of their King the other for the preservation of their Countrey The Emperour answered that they should deliver their message in writing and he would give a speedy answer Their Propositions were that they would leave Paguinfou and all the Country beyond it with all the Fortresses of the mountains in Tamerlanes possession That they would pay all the charges of his Army from that day forward And that they would give two millions of gold for the ransome of their King To this the Emperour answered that he would keep that which he had conquered within the Countrey being his own as taken by his arms That he would have the River by which his Army was now encamped and so along to the Sea to be his Frontiers That the King of China should pay him yearly two hundred thousand Crowns which should be delivered at Paguinfou for acknowledgment of his submission to his Empire That he should pay five hundred thousand Crowns in ready money for the charge of his Army That the King of China should be delivered and that all the other Chinois prisoners should pay ransomes to particular men that took them except those which carried the names of Kings who should pay ten thousand Crowns for their liberty and peace And that no Chinois should be kept for a slave nor sold for such hereafter being under the Emperours obedience That Traffick and intercourse of Merchants should be free between both the Nations That the King of China should deliver his Brother and two other called Kings with twelve principal men of the Countrey for Hostages to secure the Peace These conditions after they had consulted together were accepted of hoping that time would restore again their ancient liberty and in the
Samercand to confer with him about the setting forward of his Army For although he was still accompanied with renowned Princes and famous Captains yet were they no body in comparison of Axalla whose sound Judgment and Counsel had won him such credit with his Lord and Master as by his advice he did all things and without him nothing which his so great Authority and Favour with his Prince wanted not the envy of the Court but that his great Vertues and rare-found Courtesie in so great fortune together with so many great services as he had done supported him against the malice of the same He upon this command from Tamerlane leaving the charge of the Army at Ozara with the Prince of Thanais came to Samercand and there discoursed with him at large concerning the estate and order of his Army and so shortly after they all departed to Ozara where a new consultation was held by which way he should conduct his Army as whether it was better to lead them by the coast of the Muscovite directly towards Capha or on the other side of the Calpian Sea by the skirts of Persia and after much discourse and sundry opinions with their reasons delivered it was resolved although the way were the longer to pass by the Muscovite so to come to the Georgians and to Trepizond and from thence to enter into the Ottamans Kingdom This being resolved on they marched forward till at length they came to Maranis where he stayed three dayes looking for the China Forces whereof they received news There also Tamerlane mustered and paid his Army He had also news of fifteen thousand Horsemen sent him by the Muscovite with a sum of money with leave for him to pass through so much of his Territories as should be necessary being glad that he set upon others rather than on himself and that such great preparations should fall upon them whose greatness was as dreadful and dangerous to him as any other Tamerlane caused a great quantity of Victuals and most part of the furniture of his Army to be sent along the Caspian Sea which was a great case and commodity to his men which marching by Land was of necessity to pass some twenty Leagues through places destitute both of Victuals and Water Himself all the way coasting along the Sea-shore passed his time in Hunting and Hawking to make the journey less tedious his Army not coming near him by ten Leagues which was so great that it extended it self full twenty Leagues Coming to the River Edel he stayed at Zarazich whilst his Army passed the River at Mechet and over two other Bridges that he had caused to be made of boats for that purpose Now the Circassians and Georgians hearing of the approach of Tamerlane with his huge Army by their Ambassadors offered him all the help and assistance they could afford him in his Journey as he passed that way These Georgians were and yet are Christians a great and Warlike people of long time tributaries to the Greek Emperours and afterwards sometime tributaries and sometimes confederates to the Persians but alvvayes enemies to the Turks and therefore glad they were of Tamerlanes coming against them Of these Warlike people Axalla drew great numbers to the service of his Prince who not a little esteemed of them being all tall men very beautiful of great strength and courage and withall most expert souldiers as having many times resisted the power of the Ottoman Kings by reason of the advantage of their Country which was rough mountainous and hard to come to These people every where kindly entertained Tamerlane and plentifully relieved his Army with all necessaries In passing through which and other Countries he took such order with his Souldiers that none of the people by whom they passed were any whit injured by them insomuch that if a souldier had taken but an Apple or any other trifle he died for it And one of his souldiers having taken a little milk from a Countrey-woman and she thereof complaining he caused him presently to be hanged and his stomack to be ript where the milk that he had lately drank being found he payed the woman for it who had otherwise without mercy died for her false accusation Which his great severity was indeed the preservation of his Army being so great as that it was thought impossible to provide it with Victuals whereof yet there was no want nor of any other thing necessary for the relief of man his Camp being still as a most populous and well-governed City stored with all manner of things whereunto both Artificers and Merchants resorted from far Countries with their Commodities as to some famous Mart and the Country people from every place without fear brought in their Country-commodities for which they received present money and so departed in peace So marching on he at length came to Bachichich where he stayed to refresh his Army eight dayes and there again took a general muster of them finding as some write four hundred thousand Horse and six hundred thousand Foot but others that were present with him say three hundred thousand Horse and five hundred thousand Footmen of all Nations There also he generally payed them and as his manner was made an oration to them informing them of such Orders as he would have observed with much other Military Discipline whereof he was very curious with his Captains In the mean time Bajazet would not believe that Tamerlane durst once look towards him yea so exceeding barbarous was he that he would not so much as suffer any man to speak of him or his Army to him by reason of his pride He also strictly forbad all the bordering people to make any Vows or Prayers for Tamerlanes prosperity But he was soon after awakened out of this Lethargy as we shall presently hear Indeed Tamerlane could hardly be perswaded that Bajazet having subdued the greatest part of Grecia and much distressed the Greek Emperour and having so great means to recover whatsoever he should lose in Asia would be so adventurous as to come over the streights out of Europe to try the fortune of a battel with him but rather warily to protract the time to weary him with wants that in a strange Country drew such a world of people after him wherein yet he found himself much deceived for when he had passed the Georgian Country and was come to Buisabuich Axalla whom he had not seen in eight dayes before because he commanded the Avantguard of the Army came to him with such news as he knew would be most grateful to him Which was that Bajazet had raised his siege before Constantinople to come and defend his new Conquests in Asia and that he was certainly resolved to come to a pitched Battel with him not so much trusting to the multitude of his men as to the experience and valour of his souldiers being long trained up in the Wars At which unexpected news
Tamerlane greatly rejoyced yet without insolency and vaunting but rather with the countenance of such an one as judged the event of Battels to be alwayes doubtful saying sometimes That a small number well conducted did carry away the victory from the confused multitude Three dayes after he stayed at Buisabuich causing his souldiers continually to march forward who at two places passed over the River Euphrates which he did the rather to maintain his Army upon the spoil of the Enemies countrey chusing rather there to attend Bajazets coming then amongst his friends and allies All the Cities that yielded to him in the way as he marched he favourably received the other that refused to submit themselves to his obedience he used with all extremity especially the great and strong City of Sebastia where certain of the forerunners of his Army were by the Turks that kept Garrison in it cut off and slain and to despite him the more the City gates were set open in contempt of him Whereupon being justly offended he sent out certain Tartarian Horsemen charging them upon pain of his displeasure so to behave themselves against their Enemies that at his coming up to them he might find either the City taken or at least the Gates shut up against him And he had his men at so great command that no danger was unto them more dreadful than his displeasure neither did he punish any thing so severely as cowardize Now the Turks in Sebastia seeing these Tartarian Horsemen marching towards the City making little account of them because their number was not great issued out to meet them where they were so furiously charged by these few Horsemen that they were glad to retire and for hast to shut the Gates against some of their own men lest the Enemy should have entered pell mell with them which Turks were there slain at the Gates of the City Shortly after came Tamerlane with all the rest of his Army and sat down before the City where he lay still seven days not making any shew of violence at all The defendants because the City was of great strength thought that his purpose was by a long Siege to distress the same But about the eighth day the Towers and Walls being undermined in sundry places suddenly fell down leaving large breaches for the Enemy to enter wherewith the Turks being dismayed surrendred the City to Tamerlane in hope so to have saved their lives but he caused them all to be buried quick and the City utterly to be razed and then calling the Governour whose life he had spared for that end he bade him go and tell his Master what had happened to his strong City of Sebastia and what himself had seen there of which Tragical action when the Governour had made report to Bajazet he demanded of him whether of the two Armies he thought bigger or stronger for he had now assembled a mighty Army of three hundred thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Footmen whereunto the Governour having first craved pardon answered That it could not be in reason but that Tamerlane had the greater Army for that he commanded over far greater Countries wherewith proud Bajazet being offended replied in great Choller Out of doubt the sight of the Tartarian hath so affrighted this coward that he thinks every Enemy to be two As Bajazet marched forward he heard a Country Shepherd merrily pleasing himself with his homely Pipe as he sate on the side of a Mountain feeding his small flock whereupon he stood still and listned to him to the admiration of many and at last brake forth into these words O happy Shepherd which hadst no Sebastia to lose bewraying therein his own discontentment and yet withal shewing that worldly bliss consisted not so much in possessing of much subject unto danger as in enjoying content in a little devoid of fears The rest of the Cities as Tamerlane marched forwards warned by the destruction of Sebastia yielded to him the Citizens whereof he used courteously especially the Christians whom he set at liberty for the Greek Emperours sake whom he sought therein to gratifie But Tamerlane had not gone far into the Turks dominions before he was certainly informed that Bajazet was coming against him with a mighty Army and was now within thirty Leagues of him which caused him from thence forward to march with his Army more close together Axalla leading the Van sent forth Chianson Prince of Ciarchan with four thousand Parthian Horsemen to get knowledg of the Turkish Army and where Bajazet lay as also what manner of Countrey it was beyond Sennas and if he could learn any thing thereof to make relation of it to him This Prince of Ciarchan was Tamerlanes near Kinsman a man of great reputation and next to Axalla in whose absence he had the command of the Avantguard who also sent before him another Parthian Captain with five hundred Horsemen who having advanced about ten Leagues and surprized Sennas was certainly informed there of the state of Bajazets Army which was now at Tataeia and so marching forward which Tamerlane being informed of commanded him not to retire from that place till he saw the arrival of the enemy and thereof to give him advertisement every hour resolving himself to pass on no further being encamped in a fair large plain which was very advantageous for him his Army being bigger then Bajazets which made him make choise of those large plains His Army also being compounded of sundry Nations he considered that he was not to fight against the Chinois a soft effeminate people as of late but against the Turks a most warlike Nation and well acquainted with all manner of fights and warlike stratagems and therefore he judged it necessary to proceed warily against them Upon this consideration he presently sent for Axalla with him to view the said place and to have his opinion whether it would be advantageous for him to stay there or no Axalla not misliking his choice of the place yet withal advised him to keep Sennas as long as possible he could and accordingly he sent word to them at Sennas that when they could keep the place no longer they should set fire on it and so retreat and this he did that the Enemy should have no desire to encamp there but to march forward to those plains where Tamerlane desired to fight the rather because he was stronger in Horse than Bajazet Accordingly the Prince of Ciarchan sent out a hundred Horse toward the Turks then divided he the rest of his Forces into two parts commanding the former that as soon as they perceived the Enemy to pursue the hundred Horse whom he had commanded to fly disorderly before them that they should receive them into their Squadrons and so retire altogether He in the mean time with the other part stood close in a Valley near unto a Wood-side wholly unseen where having suffered two thousand
Tamerlane dost thou use such cruelty towards them whom thou overcomest without respect of Age or Sex That did I said he to strike the greater terrour into mine Enemies Then did Tamerlane ask him if he had ever given thanks to God for making him so great an Emperour No said he I never so much as thought upon any such thing Then said Tamerlane It s no wonder that so ungrateful a man should be made a spectacle of misery For you saith he being blind of an Eye and I lame of a Leg was there any worth in us that God should set us over two such great Empires to command so many men far more worthy than our selves But said Tamerlane what would thou have done with me if it had been my lot to have fallen into thy hands as thou art now in mine I would said Bajazet have enclosed thee in a Cage of Iron and so have carried thee up and down in Triumph through my Kingdom Even so said Tamerlane shalt thou be served And so causing him to be taken out of his presence turning to his followers he said Behold a proud and cruel man who deserves to be chastised accordingly and to be made an example to all the proud and cruel of the World of the just wrath of God against them I acknowledg that God this day hath delivered into my hands a great Enemy to whom therefore we must return thanks which he also caused publickly to be performed the same day for the Battel was ended about four a clock and there were divers hours yet of day-light The next day he caused the dead to be buried where amongst the rest was found the body of the Prince of Ciarchan dead in the midst of the Janizaries where he lay enclosed with their dead bodies shwing that he died not unrevenged whose untimely death Tamerlane much lamented causing his dead body to be Embalmed and with two thousand Horse and divers Turkish Prisoners chained together to be conveyed to Samercand until his coming thither All other dead bodies were with all honour that might be buried at Sennas This great bloody Battel was fought in the year of our Lord 1397. not far from Mount Stella where formerly the great King Methridates was by Pompey the Great in a great Battel overthrown It continued from seven a clock in the morning till four in the afternoon victory as it were all the while hovering with doubtful Wings over both Armies as uncertain where to light until at length the fortune of Tamerlane prevailed whose wisdom next unto God gave him the days Victory for that the politick tiring of the strong Forces of Bajazet was the safeguard of his own whereas if he had gone unto the Battel in one front assuredly the multitude finding such strong opposition had put it self into confusion but this successive manner of aiding his men made them all unto him profitable The number of the slain is variously reported The Turks themselves say that Bajazet lost there his noble Son Mustapha with two hundred thousand of his men and Tamerlane not many fewer Others say that the Turks lost about sixty thousand and Tamerlane not past twenty thousand But likely it is that the carnage was very great in so long a fight between two such Armies as probably never before met in a field together By this days event is plainly seen the uncertainty of worldly things and what small assurance even the greatest have in them Behold Bajazet the terrour of the World and as he thought superiour to fortune in an instant by the event of one Battel thrown into the bottom of misery and despair and that at such a time as he thought least of it even in the midst of his greatest strength It was three days before he could be pacified but as a desperate man still sought after death and called for it Neither did Tamerlane after he had once spoken with him at all afterwards use him courteously but as of a proud and insolent man made small account of him And to manifest that he knew how to curb the haughty he made him to be shackled in fetters and chains of Gold and so to be shut up in an Iron Cage made like a grate that he might be seen on every side and so carried him up and down as he passed thorow Asia to be made a scorn and derision to his own people over whom he had before Tyrannized And to his further disgrace upon Festival days he used him for a footstool to tread upon when he mounted on Horseback and at other times scornfully fed him like a Dog with fragments that fell from his Table A rare example of the uncertainty of worldly honours and greatness that he unto whose ambitious mind Asia and Europe two great parts of the World were too little should now be carried up and down cooped up in a little Iron cage like a dangerous wild beast How might he have taken up that speech of Hecuba in Seneca Quicunque Regno fidit magna potens dominatur in aula me videat Non unquam tulit Documenta Fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi Tamerlane used this severity not so much out of hatred to the man as to manifest the just Judgment of God against the arrogant folly of the proud And when on a time he was requested by one of his Nobles to remit some part of this rigour to so great a man he answered I do not use this rigour against him as a King but rather to punish him as a proud amibitious Tyrant polluted with the bloud of his own brother and many other innocents This so great an overthrow brought such a fear upon all the Countries possessed by Bajazet in Asia that Axalla being sent before Tamerlane with Forty thousand Horse and a hundred thousand Foot without carriages to prosecute the Victory came without resistance to Prusa whither all the remainder of Bajazets Army was retired with Bassa Mustapha all places as he marched along still yielding to him Yea the great Bassa with the rest hearing of his coming and not thinking themselves in safety in Asia fled over the streight of Hellespont to Callipolis and so Hadrianople Axalla coming to Prusa had the City without resistance yielded to him which by his Army was plundered and there with other of Bajazet's Wives and concubines he took prisoner the fair Despina Bajazet's best beloved Wife to the doubling of his grief Emanuel Paleologus now hearing of Tamerlane's coming to Prusa sent honourable Ambassadours thither before to Axalla by whom they were entertained till the coming of Tamerlane who received them with all the honour that might be shewing them all his magnificence and the order of his Camp to their great admiration For it resembled a most populous and well governed City by reason of the order that was therein which brought it plenty of victuals and of
all manner of merchandise as well for delight as necessity By these Ambassadours the Greek Emperour yielded his Empire together with his Person unto Tamerlane as his most faithful Subject and Vassal Which as he said he was bound to do for that he was by him delivered from the most cruel Tyrant of the World as also for the long journey he had undertaken for his sake and the discommodities he had endured with the hazard of his Person and loss of his Subjects which could not be otherwise compensated but with the offer of his own and his Subjects lives to him which for ever he therefore dedicated to his service with all the fidelity and loyalty that so great a benefit might deserve besides that his so many virtues and rare endowments which made him famous through the world did oblige him the more hereunto and that therefore he would attend him in his chief City to deliver it into his hands as his own together with all the Empire of Greece Now these Ambassadours expected no less than to fall into the bondage of Tamerlane judging that which they offered to be so great and delicate a morsel as that it would not be refused especially of such a Victorious Prince as was Tamerlane and that the acceptance thereof in kindness and Friendship was the best bargain they could make therein But they received at answer from this Worthy Prince far beyond their expectation For he with a mild countenance beholding them answered thus That he was not come from so far a countrey nor undertook such pains for the enlargement of his Dominions big enough already too base a thing for him to put himself into so great danger and hazard for but rather to win honour and to make his name famous to future Posterities And that he would make it appear to the World that he came to assist their Master as his Friend and Ally at his request and that his upright intentions therein were the greatest cause that God from above had favoured him and made him instrumental to bruise the head of the greatest and fiercest enemy of mankind that was under heaven and therefore to get him an immortal name his purpose was to make free so great and flourishing a City as was Constantinople governed by so noble and ancient a House as the Emperours That he had alwayes joyned Faith to his Courage which should never suffer him to make so great a breach into his reputation as that it should be reported of him that in the colour of a Friend he should come to invade the Dominions of his Ally That he desired no more but that the service he had done for the Greek Emperour might remain for ever engraven in the memory of his posterity to the end they might for ever wish well to him and his Successors by the remembring the good he had done for them That he wished that long might the noble Emperour live happily to govern his estate and that before his return he would so well consider of the establishing of the same as that he should not lightly fall into the same jeopardy Easie it is to judge what joy the Ambassadours did conceive upon hearing this so gracious an answer from the mouth of Tamerlane who rather than he would break his Faith refused an Empire offered him together with one of the stateliest and magnificentest Cities in the World After the testification of their joy and thankfulness these Ambassadours were by the command of Tamerlane royally feasted by Axalla having all the honour done to them that might be And one of them being sent back to carry this unexpected news to the Emperour filled both him and all the City of Constantinople with exceeding joy and gladness which both he and all his subjects testified by making of Bonefires and other signs of joy and pleasure And the Emperour the more to shew his gratitude by the advice of his Counsellours passed over the streight into Asia to see Tamerlane in Prusa and in person himself to give him thanks who hearing of his coming and being glad thereof presently sent Prince Axalla to meet him and to certifie him of the joy he conceived to have the good hap to see him as also to conduct him to Prusa where those two great Princes with the greatest magnificence that might be met and so spent one whole day in conversing together and the Greek Emperor the next daytaking his leave was by Tamerlane with much honour conducted out of the City Now had Tamerlane himself conceived a great desire to see the famous City of Constantinople from which he was not now far yet would he not go thither as a Conquerour but as a private person which by the means of Axalla was accomplished and he thereinto by the Greek Emperour privately received and with all familiarity possible entertained the Emperour shewing unto him all the rare and excellent things that were contained therein and the other Greek Princes devising all the means they could to do him pleasure and them that were with him who were all in a manner cloathed after the Greek fashion The Greek Emperour was curious to shew him all the beautiful Gardens along the Sea-coast and so privately conducting him about spent five or six dayes with all the mirth that might be Tamerlane by the way often saying that he had never seen a fairer City and that of all others considering the scituation of it it was right worthy to command all the World He wondred at the costly buildings of the Temples the fair engraven Pillars the high Piramides and the excellent Gardens afterwards saying often that it nothing repented him to have undertaken so long and dangerous a journey if it had been only to preserve so notable a City from fire and sword In the Greek Emperour he greatly commended his mild nature and courtesie who knowing that above all things he took pleasure in fair serviceable Horses gave unto him thirty of the fairest strongest and readiest that were possibly to be gotten all most richly furnished He sent likewise great Presents to all the Princes and great Commanders of the Army and bountifully caused to be delivered to them all things which he thought necessary for the Army So after these great kindnesses and a strict bond of Friendship made and by solemn Oath confirmed by these two great Princes Tamerlane with great contentment took leave of the Emperour and returned to his Army at Prusa wherewith now at pleasure he spoiled and wasted all the dominions of Bajazet in Asia no man daring to make head against him The Winter now drawing on Tamerlane dispersed his Army into divers Provinces of the lesser Asia expecting daily when some of Bajazet's sons or great Friends should make suit to him for his deliverance but none came most fearing the fierce nature of Bajazet who if he had been delivered was like enough to have taken severe revenge upon all that forsook
learned man to instruct him in the Greek and Latin Tongues and one Aymon to read to him Philosophy and the Mathematicks Himself also trained him up in Feates of Arms and Warlike exercises But above all and as the ground of all virtues he was careful to have him trained up and well instructed in Religion which all his life after he loved and honoured with great Reverence the Church and Pastors thereof He called the study of Humane Sciences his Pastimes and the companions of his Sword and did sometimes recreate himself therein He loved Learning and learned men by Nature He delighted in Poesy as some of his Writings do shew but especially in History wherein he was exceeding well read Charity Temperance Equity care of Justice to relieve his Subjects to keep his Faith and promise both to Friend and Foe and to use a Victory modestly were the notable effects of his excellent knowledg as remarkable in him as in any Prince that ever lived The Universities of Paris and Pisa either Founded or endowed by him witness the great love and honour that he did bear to learning During the Life of his Father Pepin he shewed how much he had profited in Arms under so good a Schoolmaster having great Commands under him which he discharged with notable reputation and the improvement of his skill and ability after he came to his Kingdom shew plainly that there was never any Souldier that carried Sword with more valour nor great Captain that commanded with more obedience or that performed Noble Actions with greater success or that used his Victories with more mildness and judgment Neither did ever King or Prince rule with more authority nor was more reverently obeyed by this Subjects and Souldiers than our Charles who therefore well deserved the name of Charlemagne or Charles the Great by reason of his great virtues He was of a lively disposition quick active and vehement Quicquid egit valdè egit Yet modesty and wisdom did so season and moderate his vivacity and vehemency as gave a great lustre to both and kept them within their due bounds And this mixture of divers humours so tempered with moderation made him as admirable for his Judgment as venerable in his Person and countenance There appeared in him a grave sweet Majesty in a goodly Personage His Body was large and strong He was very patient of labour Had a quick spirit was cleer and sound both in apprehension memory and judgment Resolution never failed him in difficulties nor a Reply in Discourses Terrible he was to some Amiable to others according to the Cause Persons and Occurrents which virtues purchased him such great esteem as that he was beloved respected and reverenced of all men which effects the story of his raign will shew For having received a great Kingdom from his Father he enlarged it with wonderful success God having raised him up to be a Bulwork to Christians against the inundation and rage of Barbarous Nations in the decay and ruin of the Empire And in prosecuting the Narrative hereof I shall first set down his actions during the Life of his Brother Caroloman then what he did from the the time of his death till he was made Emperour and lastly what his Deportment was from thence to his Death Caroloman being Crowned King at Soissons as Charles was at Wormes began to be extream jealous of his Brothers greatness whom with grief he saw to be beloved honoured and obeyed by all the French and that deservedly for his singular virtues and endowments both of Body and mind This jealousie too ordinary a concomitant of Princes made him seek by all means to undermine and overthrow the affairs of Charlemagne whose Eyes were fixed upon Italy as the fittest and most glorious Theatre wherein to exercise his valour and to maintain his authority and power amongst Christians and Caroloman did all that possibly he could to cross his designs therein But before I bring him upon that stage give me leave to shew you what at this time was the State of Italy and Rome Rome sometimes the Head of the World was of late become the Chios of all confusion the Randevouz of all Barbarous Nations as if they had vowed the ruin thereof by turns having already sackt it three times For under the Empire of Honorious Anno Christi 414. The Goths under their King Alaricus after two years siege took it and sackt it but did not dismantle it Forty five years after during the Empire of Martian Anno Christi 459. the Vandales under the conduct of Genserick their King took it again sackt it spoiled and disgraced it leading the Widow of the Emperour Valentinian the third away in Triumph And in the time of Justinian the Emperour the Goths under the command of Totila having weakned it by a long siege took it sackt and dismantled it Thus Rome was no more Rome but a spectacle of horrid confusion after so many devastations retaining nothing of her antient beauty but only the traces of her old buildings and the punishment of her Idolatry and Tyranny Afterwards the Longobards or Lombards held Italy for the space of two hundred years till by our Charlemagne they were subdued and expelled Presently after the Death of Pepin the Church of Rome fell into great confusions by the pactices of Didier King of Lombardy who having corrupted some of the Clergy caused Constantine Brother to Toton Duke of Nepezo to be chosen Pope which he persecuted with such violence that he procured Philippicus who ws already Canonically chosen to be deposed But the better party seeing themselves contemned by the Lombards assembled together and by common consent chose Steven the third a Sicilian by birth Pope who being conscious to his own weakness resolved to call in the King of France and to oppose him against his too-powerful enemies Charles being thus sollicited by the Pope sent twelve Prelates speedily to Rome that he might strengthen the Popes party against the other intending in a greater need to apply a greater remedy and the matter succeeded according to his desire For a Counsel being assembled at Lateran they confirmed Steven lawfully chosen and deposed Constantine who was set up by disorder and violence But Didier would not rest satisfied with this affront and seeing that force had succeeded no better he rosolved to try Policy intending to undermine Steven with fair pretences For which end he sent to congratulate his Election purged himself in reference to the Anti-Pope Constantine now degraded accused both him and his Brother Toton of ambition and protested to live with Steven in amity and to manifest this his good meaning he desired him to be pleased with his repair to Rome that there he might confer with him in private The Pope who never seeks to the French but in case of necessity was easily perswaded by Didier who came to Rome confered with the Pope and made great Protestations of his Obedience
to him But these his fair shews continued not long There was at this time at Rome a Governour for the Eastern Emperour called Paul Ephialte him Didier corrupted and the administration of Justice being in his hands he made use of him so cunningly as that in the presence of Pope Steven he caused him to seize upon two of his chief Secretaries Christopher and Sergius whom Didier accused of some pretended crimes and presently to hang them in an infamous manner Their greatest offence was because they favoured the French Neither did he rest here but caused all the principal Citizens to be banished whom he observed to be of the French faction that so having removed all hinderances he might be Master of Rome in despite of the Pope Steven was not so dull but he discovered the Lombards practice exceedingly to tend to his prejudice whereupon he sent to Charlemagne beseeching him to prepare an Army against Didiers force This Charlemagne easily assented to and fully resolved upon But Didier had provided a divertisement in France by the means of Caroloman to stop Charles his passage into Italy making work for him in Guienne where there arose a perilous War upon this occasion Though the Country of Guienne depended upon the Crown of France yet were there many Tumults raised by the practices of some Noblemen of the Country who frequently stirred up the people mutinous enough of themselves to Rebellion The cause of these Troubles was the abuse of the former Kings Clemency and Bounty who suffered such people as he conquered to enjoy their priviledges and liberties Eudon a Nobleman of Guienne began first under Martel Jeffery and Hunalt his Children and heirs of his discontent had continued it under Pepin and Jeffery being now dead Hunalt succeeded him with the like hatred which Caroloman fomented that he might imploy him against his Brother Charles Guienne was a part of Charles his portion But Hunalts design was to withdraw that Country wholly from the Crown of France and for that end he pretended a Title to the Dukedom thereof labouring to procure the people to Elect him having the promise and assistance of Caroloman to further him therein Indeed the countenance of Caroloman could do much but the wisdom and courage of Charlemagne prevailed more For being advertised of Hunalts practice and of his Brothers secret designs he armed with such speed as that he surprised the Towns of Poictiers Xante and Angoulesm and all the Country adjoyning Hunalt who had reckoned without Charles finding himself thus prevented fled to a Noble man of that Country called Loup whom he held not only to be firm to his faction but also his trusty and affectionate friend Charlemagne being informed hereof sent presently to Loup requiring him to deliver Hunalt into his hands who was guilty of high Treason and in the mean time he built a Fort in the midst of the Country where the Rivers of Dordonne and Lisle do joyn which he called Fronsac the better to secure his Country against such Invaders Loup not daring to refuse delivered up Hunalt and all his Family into the hands of Charles who pardoned Loup and all that obeyed him thus ending a dangerous War without blows And to Hunalt he granted life and liberty and the enjoyment of his goods leaving a memorable example to all Princes how to carry themselves in a Civil War preventing a mischief by prudence and diligence and not to thrust their vanquished Subjects into despair by rigour Caroloman seeing his practices against his Brother to succeed so ill undertook a journy to Rome with an intent to cause some alterations there which yet he covered with a pretence of devotion He also took his Mother Berthe along with him and in their passage they were hourably entertained by Didier King of the Lombards where Berthe treated and concluded a marriage between her Son Charlemagne and Theodora Sister or Daughter to this Didier who was one of the greatest enemies to her Sons good fortune Yet Charlemagne to please his Mother received his Wife but soon after put her away as neither suiting with his affects or affairs and so that which was intended as a cause of love bred a greater hatred betwixt these two Princes Caroloman having affected nothing at Rome answerable to his desire but only discovered his foolish and malicious jealousie too apparent under his feigned devotion returned into France and there soon after died Anno Christi 770. Leaving the intire Kingdom to his Brother who had how no Corrival Charlemagne having put away his Wife Theadora upon suspition of incontinency he married Hildegard or Ildegrade Daughter to the Duke of Sueve his Vassal by whom he had Charles Pepin and Lewis and three Daughters Rotrude Berthe and Gille who were the Nursery of his Noble Family But Carolomans jealousie died not with him but survived in his Wife Berthe who being impatient of her present condition and thrust headlong with a spirit of revenge against her Brother in Law Charles retired with her two Sons to Didier King of Lombardy as to the most bitter and irreconcilable enemy of her Brother Charles Didier intertained her and her Children very courteously hoping by them to promote his design But it proved the leaven of his own destruction His practice together with the Widows was to procure the present Pope who Steven being dead was one Adrian a Roman Gentleman to Crown and confirm the Sons of Caroloman for Kings of France wherein the Lombard had two designs First by this means to bring the Pope in disgrace with Charlemagne that he might the easilier suppress him being destitute of the French aides whereon he chiefly relyed and Secondly to set France in a flame by setting up new Kings in it Didier therefore earnestly besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake But Adrian well acquainted with the Lombards humour was so resolute in denying his request as that they fell into open hatred And Didier being much displeased with this repulse took Arms and with his Forces entred into the Exarchy being a Signory under the Popes jurisdiction and besieged Ravenna the chief City of the Exarchy Whereupon the Pope sent his Nuncio to him to expostulate the cause of this so sudden War against his Subjects desiring him to restore what he had taken and not to procced in this Hostile manner without any reasonable cause and that upon the pain of Excommunication At the same time there fell out a great occasion to encrease the hatred between Charlemagne and Didier For that Hunalt who had been before vanquished in Guienne and to whom Charles had shew'd so much favour very ingratefully retired himself to Didier who did not only receive him courteously but honoured him by making him General of his Army which he had raised against the
like a Deluge threatned to over-run all Christendom I shall intermit the former till I have spoken something of this latter that I may proceed with the more clearness in the remainder of this History The motive of the Spanish War was more upon pleasure than necessity But Zeal of Religion gave a colour and shew of necessity to the Heroical designs of Charlemagne who sought to enlarge the limits of the French Monarchy by his Arms. But this his Spanish War as it was undertaken upon lighter grounds so was it more painful more dangerous and less successful then that of Italy whereunto necessity and duty had drawn Charlemagne yet did his wise and wary proceeding in the action warrant him from all blame The occasions which moved him to bend his Forces against the Sarazins in Spain were the assurance of good success the quiet and peace of his Realm that he might have opportunity to imploy his Souldiery the hate of the Spaniards against the Sarazins and the general fear of all Christians least these Caterpillars should creep further into Europe This was the estate of Spain at this time The Sarazins had conquered a great part of it and were divided under divers Commands which had the Title of Kingdoms Yet these divers Kings being apprehensive of their common danger resolved to unite their forces against Charlemagne their common enemy and foreseeing the Tempest they sought to prevent it and to cross the designs of Charlemagne For which end they suborned King Idnabala a Sarazin being a very subtile and crafty man to insinuate himself into the acquaintance and familiarity of Charlemagne which stratagem prevailed more then all their power and forces Charlemagne was much quickned to this War by Alphonso surnamed the Chast King of Navar and by the Aâ—turians and Gallizians Christian People of Spain who suggested to him that the War would be easie profitable and honourable and therefore most worthy the Valour and Fortune of Charlemagne This Idnabala also under a shew of friendship laboured to hasten him to the execution of this enterprise from which he knew well he could not divert him that he might the better betray him by discovering his Counsels to the Sarazins Charlemagne being well-affected of himself and thus excited by others assembled a Parliament at Noyon and there concluded a War against the Sarazins in Spain The Army which he employed in this action was very great both for number of men and Valour of Commanders and Chieftains being the most choice and Worthy Captains in all Christendome amongst whom these were of the chiefest note Milon Earl of Anger 's Rowland the Son of Milon and Berthe Sister to Charlemagne Renald of Montaubon The four Sons of Aymon Oger the Dane Oliver Earl of Geneva Arnold of Belland Brabin and many others The Valour of which Persons hath been fabulously related by the Writers of those dark times who for the most part were Friars concerning whom the Proverb was A Friar a Lyar with the addition of a thousand ridiculous tales so that the truth is hardly picked out from the midst of so much errour Yet what is most probable and can be gathered out of the most authentick Authors shall here be set down They say that Charlemagne to make this undertaking more honourable in shew did at this time institute the Order of the twelve Peers of France Charlemagne being entred into Spain with his brave Army found no object for them whereon to exercise their Valour For the Sarazins resolving to make a defensive rather than an offensive War had withdrawn themselves into their Cities which they had fortified strongly The most renowned of the Sarazin Kings at this time were Aigoland Bellingan Denises Marsile and Idnabala But this last as was said before made shew of much Friendship to Charlemagne and of open hatred against the other Sarazin Kings with whom notwithstanding he held secret and strict intelligence to betray Charlemagne unto them The first City that the French attempted was Pampelune in the Kingdom of Navarr the which they took by force but with much pains danger and loss Having sackt this City and put all the Sarazins in it to the Sword they marched to Saragoce which yielded to them upon composition as did also many other small Towns being terrified with the example of Pampelune This prosperous beginning encouraged Charlemagne to advance forward relying on his wonted Fortune and good success But as he passed through the Provinces of Spain like a Victorious Prince without any opposition he divided his Army and gave part of it to be conducted by Milon of Anger 's his Brother in Law who in his march near unto Bayon was set upon by Aigoland the Sarazin King who in this common danger had thrust an Army into the Field and now assaulted Milon and his Troops little expecting any Enemy and took him at such an advantage as he defeated him This loss was very great For Writers say that forty thousand of the French here lost their lives Milon himself being also slain for a confirmation of the Sarazins Victory Charlemagne was at this time afar off and so not able by any diligence to prevent the loss Yet he suppressed his grief and trouble least he should discourage the whole Army and so hastening thitherward he gathered up the remainder of those broken and dispersed Troops withall keeping the conquered Cities and such as were Friends in their due Obedience But after this there fell out another accident Aigoland being puffed up with Pride through his late Victory marched with his Army into Gascoine and besieged Agen to divert Charlemagne from his pursuit and to draw him home to defend his own Country So as Charlemagne fearing least his own absence and the Sarazins late Victory should cause any alteration in the minds of them of Guienne being then Subjects of whom he had no great assurance he returned into France Aigoland had now continued some moneths at the siege of Agen yet had prevailed little but only in over-running the Country which he did freely without any considerable resistance even unto Xaintonge the Country-men in the mean time retiring into the Walled Towns expected the return of Charlemagne their King Aigolands Army was very great and puffed up with the remembrance of their late Victory So as Charlemagne returning with his Forces from Spain well tired he maintained his Countries more through his authority than by present force yet did he give life to the courage of his Subjects with his presence and bridled the proud Sarazin who could not be ignorant with whom he had to deal nor where he was being environed with the enemies on all sides and in an enemies Country Hereupon Aigoland pretending an inclination to Peace gave Charlemagne to understand that he had been the first Invader and that his own comming into France was only to draw his Enemy out of Spain and to cause him to leave to the
twenty thousand men to see the conditions performed And to make his passage into France the more easie he commanded him to lodge in a place of advantage in the Pyrenean mountains called Roâ—cevaux and so the French Army marched backwards to France under the conduct of Charlemagne who little dreamed of such an affront as he shortly after met with Whilst the French Army were upon their retreat Marsile and Bellingand slept not but gathering together all the Forces they could they lodged them secretly in the hollow Caves of those Mountains being places inaccessible and wholly unknown but only to the Inhabitants of those Countries They had intelligence given them by Ganes what number of men Charlemagne had left in Spain under the command of Rowland to whom the reputation of his Uncle and the good will of the People of Spain in the chiefest Towns was of more use than his twenty thousand men although they were the choice of all the Army Rowland had no fear of an Enemy whenas returning to his Garrison he was suddenly set upon by the Sarazins who were far more in number than the French who seeing themselves thus treacherously assaulted and compassed in defended themselves valiantly against those miscreants But still fresh Troops of Sarazins issued forth of these Caves on every side in so great numbers as that in the end the French tired and spent in so long and painful a conflict were oppressed by the multitudes rather than overcome by the Valour of their Enemies Rowland in so great and extream a danger gathering together the pieces of his shipwrack performed both the Duty of a good Commander and of a valiant and resolute Souldier fighting gallantly and having beaten down a great number where the Enemies were thickest he at length came where King Marsile was whom he slew with his own hands But Belingand holding the Victory absolutely his own pursued the French with great violence insomuch as Rowland not able to hold out any longer retired himself apart and finding his Death approaching he endeavoured to break his good Sword Durandall but his strength failing him he died of Thirst through so long and difficult a combate in that hot Country and with him died Oliver Oger the Dane Renald of Montaubon Arnald of Belland and other Noble Personages who are the subject of many fabulous stories Yet the Fame of their singular Virtues and Prowess is engraven in the Original of true Histories where it shall never be blotted out Charlemagne having intelligence brought him of this great and unexpected loss returned suddenly to take his revenge upon the Sarazins of whom â—he killed an infinite number in several places and being informed of the Treason of Ganes he caused him to be drawn in pieces by four Horses as the only author of this miserable defeat And being transported with a just disdain and indignation for this so base an affront he had purposed to have passed on in Spain to take further revenge But the great and weighty affairs of his other estates called him back into France to attend upon them And so ended his Spanish Wars with small success having troubled Charlemagne at divers times for the space of fourteen years For God had appointed the limits of his designs as reserving to himself a Sovereign power over all mens enterprizes even of the greatest Charlemagne made a Tomb for his Nephew Rowland and honoured the memory of those other worthy Warriers who died in the Bed of Honour with Monuments after which he was necessitated to undertake divers other Wars both in Italy and Germany in all which it pleased God to give him better success Italy during Charles his troubles in Spain had rebelled being provoked thereto by Adalgise Duke of Beneventum who endeavoured to repossess the Race of Didier but that attempt was soon suppressed by Charlemagne to the cost of the Lombard Rebells Yet shortly after ensued another War in Germany The like occasion also bred a War in Bavaria For the King Tassillon who was Son in Law to Didier King of Lombardy being eagerly pressed by his Wife and wonderfully discontented with Charlemagne shaked off the yoke of subjection and betook himself to Arms But Charlemagne surprized him with such celerity that Tassillon was forced to sue for Peace which Charlemagne granted upon condition of his subjection and loyalty But again Tassillon not able to contain himself raised a new War in another place as when we stop one breach it finds vent by another He stirred up the Huns and Avars a neighbouring People to Austria which was one of the Estates of the French Monarchy against Charlemagne who yet suppressed them with happy success and Tassillon himself being again vanquished by Charlemagne and found guilty of Rebellion and Treason was condemned to lose his Estate according to the Salique Law and with him the Kingdom of Bavaria ended being now wholly incorporated into the Crown of France The Huns and Avars of whose names joyned together the word Hungary hath been made were also punished by Charlemagne and brought under the yoke of the French Monarchy They had formerly attempted by War to disquiet the Country of Austria whom Charlemagne had at divers times opposed by his Forces so that the War at times had continued for the space of eight years and the final issue was that all the Countrey obeyed him The Danes also the Sorabes and Abrodites and the Westphalians who had all joyned in this War of Hungary were also brought under the obedience of Charlemagne The limits of the Northern Kingdom called Austrasia were so enlarged that it was divided into two Kingdoms and the Realm of Austria which joyns upon France was called Westriech that is to say the Realm of the West and that which is towards Danubius was called Ostriech that is the Kingdom of the East Austria being then of a greater command than at this day For it contained all Hungary Valachia Bohemia Transylvania Denmark and Poland Then was the French Monarchy of a vast extent But all these Nations have since either returned to their first beginning or new Lords have seized upon them Thus the French Monarchy was greatly enlarged by the Prowess and Valour of Charlemagne and his children were grown up as in age so in knowledge and experience through the careful education which their prudent Father gave them who framed them to the management of affairs intending them to provide that they might first succeed him in his Virtues and afterwards in his Kingdoms But man purposeth and God disposeth France Italy Germany Spain and Hungary made the Roman Empire in the West and Charlemagne being Master of these goodly Provinces was in effect an Emperour but only wanted the Title and the solemn Declaration of this dignity And shortly after the Providence of God that gave him the former ministred opportunity to him for the enjoyment of the latter which came thus to pass Leo was at this
other Doctors of the Church He resided also at Paris that he might have opportunity of conferring with learned men There he erected a goodly University which he furnished with as learned men as those times could afford and endowed it with great priviledges For he had an exceeding great care to make it a Nurcery for the holy Ministry that from thence the Church might be supplied with able Teachers whence also grew so many Colleges of Cannons with sufficient revenues annexed thereunto Thus Charlemagne spent three years happily in the only care of his Soul leaving an illustrious example to all Princes to moderate and ennoble their greatness with Piety and so to enjoy their Temporal estates as in the mean time not to neglect their eternal concernments and to think of their departure out of this Life in time Foreseeing his Death whereunto he prepared himself by these exercises he made his last Will and Testament leaving his Son Lewis the sole Heir unto his great Kingdoms and bequeathed to the Church much Treasure But all things and Persons in this World have an end His Testament was but the Harbinger to his Death for presently after he was taken with a pain in his side or Plurisie and lay sick but eight days and so yielded up his Spirit unto God that gave it Anno Christi 814. and of his Age seventy one and of his Reign forty seven including fifteen years of his Empire His Body was interred in a sumptuous Church which he had caused to be built in the City of Aquisgrave or Aix la Capelle where he was born and his memory was honoured with a goodly Epitaph He was one of the greatest Princes that ever lived His virtues are a pattern to other Monarchs and his great successes the subject of their wishes The greatness of his Monarchy indeed was admirable For he quietly enjoyed all France Germany the greatest part of Hungary all Italy and a good part of Spain At the time of his Death he was in peace with the other Kings of Spain as also with the Kings of England Denmark Bulgary with the Emperour Leo of Constantinople and with all the Princes of that time This Noble Prince was endued with so many excellent Virtues that we read of very few in antient Histories that excelled him so that he may be justly compared with the best of them For in Martial Discipline in Valour in Dexterity in Feats of Arms there are none that exceeded him He obtained as many Victories fought as many Battels and subdued as many fierce and Warlike Nations as any one we read of and that both before and after that he was Emperour He was tall of Stature very well proportioned in all his members passing strong of a fair and grave countenance valiant mild merciful a lover of Justice liberal very affable pleasant well read in History a great Friend of Arts and Sciences and sufficiently seen into them and a man who above all loved and rewarded Learned men He was very charitable in his Kingdoms yea in his very Court he harboured and relieved many Strangers and Pilgrims In matters of Faith and Religion he was very zealous and most of the Wars which he made were to propagate and enlarge the Christian Faith He being mis-led by the darkness of the times wherein he lived superstitiously honoured and obeyed the Church of Rome and the Pope that was Bishop thereof together with other Bishops and Prelates commanding his Subjects also to do the like He was also very devout and spent much of his time in Prayer Hearing and Reading In his Diet he was very temperate and a great enemy to riot and excess and though he was Rich and Mighty yet fed he his Body with what was necessary and wholesome not rare costly and strange And yet his Virtues were not without their blemishes as the greatest commonly are not without some notable Vices For in his younger dayes he was much given to Women adding Concubines to his lawful Wives by whom he had divers children but this was in the time of his Youth For afterwards he contented himself with his Wife and for a remedy of this imperfection though he was three or four times a Widower yet he ever married again the Daughter of some great Prince or other To conclude all he was an excellent Emperour that loved and feared God and died when he was very Old and full of Honour leaving Lewis the weakest of his Sons the sole heir of his great Empire but not of his Virtues So that this great building soon declined in his posterity He had engraven upon his Sword Pro Deo Religione For God and Religion He used to set his Crown upon the Bible as our Canutus sometime put his Crown upon the Rood both of them thereby intimating that as all honour was due to God so true Religion was the best Basis of Government and that Piety was the best Policy The Epitaph which I spake of was this Sub hoc conditorio situm est Corpus Caroli Magni atque Orthodoxi Imperatorisqui Regnum Francorum nobiliter ampliavit per annos Quadraginta septem foeliciter tenuit Decessit Septuagenarius Anno Domini 814. Indicti one 7. Quinto Calend. Febr. Under this Tomb lieth the Body of Charles the Great and Catholick Emperour who most Nobly enlarged the Kingdom of the French and most happily ruled it for the space of forty and seven years He died in the seventy and one year of his Age In the year of our Lord eight hundred and fourteen the seventh Indiction on the fifth Calend of February He had five Wives the first was called Galcena the Daughter of the King of Galistria by whom he had no Children The second was Theodora the Sister or as others say the Daughter of Didier King of Lombardy whom he kept not long but repudiated her for sundry reasons The third was Hildebranda Daughter of the Duke of Suevia whom he loved exceedingly and had by her three Sons viz. Charles his Eldest whom he made King of the greatest and best part of France and Germany Pepin his Second whom he made King of Italy Bavaria c. Lewis his Youngest to whom he left the Empire intire his Brothers being both dead in their Fathers Life time This Lewis was sirnamed Debonaire or the Courteous He had also three Daughters the Eldest was called Rothruda the Second Birtha and the Youngest Giselia who would never marry His fourth Wife he had out of Germany called Fastrada And his fifth and last was also a German Lady called Luithgranda of the Suevian Race by whom he had no Children He shewed his love to Religion by having one during his Meal-times that either read to him some part of the Holy Scriptures or else some part of Saint Augustines Books especially that De Civitate Dei or some History He was also a great Friend to Learning and therefore erected three
Darius his second message Rejected by Alexander Gaza besieged and taken Alexanders cruelty He goes to Jerusalem and Worships the High Priest His Vision His favour to the Jews Egypt delivered to him Zach. 14. 18. His Pride The power of the Gospel Alexandria built He passeth Euphrates And Tygris Base cowardize Darius his new Army An Eclipse frightens the Macedonians Darius his Wife died Proposals to Alexander Alexanders answer His Ambition His Valour They prepare to fight A Battel Darius beaten and flies Arbela taken and much Treasure Babylon taken Base cruelty Susa taken Gross folly Alexander beaten Barbarons cruelty Persepolis taken A foolish enterprize Alexander turns Drunkard Persepolis burnt Darius his last Army The Treason of Bessus The fidelity of the Greeks Darius Discharges his Attendants Darius made a Prisoner and abused Gods Justice Alexander pursues him Darius is wounded His last words Alexanders Ambition He goes into Hircania Divers submit to him Queen of the Amazons comes to him He affects a Deity For which he is scorned of his Friends He burns all the spoils Rebellion against him Treason against him It 's discovered to Alexander Philotas accused Alexander's dissimulation Philotas accused by the King Philotas condemned and tortured to death Alexanders cruelty Parmenio mutthered Alexander marches forward Builds a City Wants water Bessus taken Alexanders 〈◊〉 Bessus slain He is wounded He is wounded again He builds a City Menedemus slain A Rebellion Clytus slain The effect of Drunkenness Deadful storms His Ambition Calisthenes speaks against it And is tormented to Death He marches into India His Feasts to Bacchus He conquers many Countries His Proâ—ligality He sends to Porus. A Battel Porus beaten He is restored to his Kingdom His Policy He builds two Cities His Conquest He builds a City He wants food His debauchedness He punishes his Officers He visits the Sepulchre of Cyrus His cruelty Calanus burnt himself His Marriage and Feasting Harpalus slain His Army discontented He sends for Antipater Ephestion dyes Alexander dyes His Will The vanity of all earthly things The confusions after his death Gods Justice His character His love to his Mother His Ambition Flattery He degenerated after his victories His bounty His Temperance His Chastity His Parentage Education His Parts He exercises and studies His Discourse with a Philosopher His contempt of Riches His Poverty His Charity His Sobriety His Vigilance His Valour Tyrants in Thebes His prudence The Tyrants slain His Modesty He is advanced to Honour The Spartans beaten A Batâ—el The Spartans beaten Peace among the Greeks The Thebans are excepted Plataees destroyed His Wisdom His Courage His Prudence Fat men cashired His Prudence And Policy A Battel The Spartans beaten His Humility He plunders Laconia He bravos the Spartans Messina reedified Pallene destroyed Peloponnesus fortified He beats the Spartans His Clemency He is envied His prudence Heis accused and abused Pelopidas imprisoned by a Tyrant His Policy His Prudence Pelopidas released His witty Speeches Hâ—s Humility Megalopolis built The Thebans build a Navy New Wars A notable attempt Another but frustrated A Battel He is deadly wounded The Spartans beaten His advice to the Thebans His Death His Character His Poverty Herods Pedegree Herod is made Governour of Galilee He puts Esekias to death He is cted before the Sanhedrim Appears with his Guard Sameas his boldness A prediction Herod slyes Refused to appear when again cited Is made Governour of Calosyria Is confirmed in it Antipater poysoned Herod goes to Jerusalem He is excited to revenge his Fathers death Malichus slain A sedition at Jerusalem Herod's valour His Policy He overcomes Antigonus Herod accused to Anthony But acquitted War between Antigonus and Herod Herod prevails The Parthians falshhood Herod flies from Jerusalem He would have killed himself Jerusalem plundered Anigonuâ— made King of the Jews Cuts off Hyrcanus ears Phasaelus kills himself Herod flies to Melchus King of Arabia Is rejected by him Herod goes in to Egypt From thence into Italy He comes to Rhodes So into Italy Anthony favours him And Caesar. The Senate make him King Herods Family besieged A special providence He returns homeward Herods Kingdom enlarged Herod relieves Silo. He takes Joppa Besieges Jerusalem Herod takes Jericho His activity He pursues the Thieves Subdues Galile Alexandrium rebuilt Ptolomy slain Herod beats the Thieves Machaeras his cruelty Herod goes to Anthony Joseph is slain Herod overcomes his enemies A special providence Herod beats his enemies A special providence Pappus slain Herod besieges Jerusalem Marries Mariamne Herods great Army The Jews fight valiantly A Famine in Jerusalem Jerusalem taken by Herod Cruelty Antigonus imprisoned Herod sayes the City Rewards the Romans Herods cruelty Who were spectators of it Anthony slew Antigonus Hyrcanus honoured in Babylon Herods subtilty Hananeel made High-Priest Alexandra takes it ill Anthony sends for Aristobulus Aristobulus made High-Priest Alexandra confined She complains to Cleopatra She is surprized by Herod Aristobulus highly honoured He is drowned Herods subtilty Alexandra complains to Cleopatra Herod questioned by Anthony But cleared by his Bribes Herods return Ioseph put to death Gardens of Balsom Herod prepares to assist Anthony A great Earthquake Herod overcomes the Arabians Alexandra's restlesness Herod goes to Caesar. His cruel command Caesar honours him His Wife and Mother are full of discontents Herods bounty to Caesar and his Army Herod is jealous of his Wife He meets Caesar Caesar enlarges his Government Herods suspicions of his Wife are enencreased Mariamne condemned to death Her Mothers Hypocrisie Mariamnes Death Herods excessive grief for her A great Plague follows Herods Melancholy and sickness Alexandra's Treason and Death Herod grows cruel Salome leaves her Husband and comes to Herod Herods cruelty He instituted Games to the discontent of the Jews A conspiracy against Herod The Conspirators are put to Death Herods cruelty He fortified Samaria and built a Temple there He built several Castles Plague and Famine Herods care to provide for the People His bounty to strangers He sends aid to Caesar He built himself a Pallace He makes a new High Priest and marries Mariamne He built another Pallace And Sebaste and a stately Haven He sent his Sons to Caesar. Caesar enlarged his Kingdom He represented the Thieves He went to Agrippa 〈…〉 Caesar still enlarged his Dominions Herod builâ— a Temple and eased his Subjects His jealousies He rebuilt the Temple at Jerusalem Nine years it was in building He goes into Italy His bounty Herods Sons married Herod entertains Agrippa Herods great bounty His love to Agrippa Agrippa's love to him Herods favour to the Jews in Jonia Herod ingratiates himself with the Jews He is incensed against his Sons He visits Agrippa Antipaters subtility Herod accuseth his Sons Caesars favours to Herod Thieves subdued Herod returns with his Sons Agrippa born Herods great bnildings He robs Davids Sepulchre Antipaters sâ—btilty Alexander reconciled to his Father Herod goes again to Rome He returns and dedicates the Temple Thieves do much mischief Herod destroys thâ— Thieves Caesar
write Thalestris Queen of the Amazons come to visit him and her suit was which she easily obtained that she might accompany him till she proved with child by him which done she refused to go along with him into India but returned into her own Country Now as Alexander had begun to change his conditions after the taking of Persepolis so at this time Prosperity had so much corrupted his Virtue that he accounted Clemency to be but baseness and the Temperance which all his life before he had used to be but a poor and abject humour rather becoming the instructers of his youth than the condition and state of so mighty a King as the World could not equal For he perswaded himself that he now represented the greatness of the Gods and he was pleased when those that came before him would fall down on the ground and adore him He wore the Garments and Robes of the Persians and commanded his Nobles to do the like He entertained into his Court and Camp the same shameless Rabble of Curtizans and Catamites as Darius had done whom he imitated in all the proud voluptuous and detested manners of the Persians whom he had vanquished and became a more foul and fearful Monster than Darius from whose Tyranny he vaunted to have delivered so many Nations Insomuch as they that were nearest and dearest to him began to be ashamed of him entertaining each other with this or the like scornful discourse That Alexander of Macedonia was become one of Darius's licentious Courtiers That by his Example the Macedonians after so many and tedious travels were more impoverished in their Virtues than enriched by their Victories and that it was hard now to judge whether the Conquerors or conquered were the baser slaves Neither were these things so whispered in corners but that they came to Alexanders ears He therefore with great Gifts sought to stop the mouthes of the better sort and of such of whose judgments he was most jealous Then did he make it known to the Army that Bessus had assumed the title of a King and called himself Artaxerxes and that he had compounded a great Army of the Bactrians and other Nations whereby he perswaded them to go on to the end that all which they had already gotten together with themselves so far engaged might not be cast away and lost And because they were pestered with the plunder of so many rich Cities that the whole Army seemed but the guard of their Carriages he commanded that every mans Fardel should be brought into the Market place which when it was done he together with his own caused all to be consumed with fire This in probability might have proved very dangerous unto him For the Common Souldiers had more interest in that which they had purchased with their painful travel and with their blood than in the Kings Ambition had not this happy temerity overcome all difficulties As he was upon his march news was brought that Satribarzanes whom he had established in his former Government over the Arians was revolted Whereupon leaving the way of Bactria he sought the Traytor out But the Rebell hearing of his coming fled with two thousand Horse to Bessus Then marched Alexander on against Bessus and by setting a great Pile of wood on fire with the advantage of a strong wind he won a passage over an high an unaccessible Rock which was defended against him by thirty thousand Foot the extremity of the fire and smoke forcing them to quit the place which otherwise had been invincible After which he found no resistance till he came into Aria on the East of Bactria where the chief City of that Province called Artacoana was a while defended against him by the revolt of Satribarzanes but in the end he received the Inhabitants to mercy At this place his Army was recruited with a new supply of five thousand and five hundred Foot and near five hundred Horse out of Greece Thessaly and other places At this time it was that the Treason of Dimnus was discovered of which Philotas the Son of Parmenio was accused at least as accessary if not principal This Dimnus with some others having conspired against the life of Alexander went about to draw Nicomacus a young man whom he loved into the conspiracy The youth although he was first bound by Oath to secresie when he heard so foul a matter uttered began to protest against it so vehemently that his Friend was like to have slain him to secure his own life and so constrained by fear he made shew as if he had been won by perswasion and by seeming at length to like well of the business he was told more at large who they were that had undertaken it There were nine or ten of them all men of rank whose Names Dimnus the better to countenance the enterprize reckoned up to him Nicomachus had no sooner freed himself from the company of this Traytor Dimnus than he acquainted his own Brother Ceballinus with the whole design whereupon it was agreed between them that Ceballinus who might do it with the least suspition should go to the Court and utter all Ceballinus meeting with Philotas told him the whole business requesting him to acquaint the King with it which he promised to do but yet did not Two dayes passed and Philotas never brake with the King about the matter but still excused himself to Ceballinus by the Kings want of leisure This his coldness bred suspition and caused Ceballinus to apply himself to one Metron Keeper of the Kings Armory who forthwith brought him to Alexanders presence Alexander finding by examination what had passed between Ceballinus and Philotas fully perswaded himself that this concealment of the Treason argued Philotas to have a hand in it When Dimnus therefore was brought before him he asked him only this Question Wherein have I so offended thee that thou shouldst think Philotas more worthy to be King than my self Dimnus when he was first apprehended perceiving how the matter was like to go had so wounded himself that he lived no longer than to give his last groan in the Kings presence Then was Philotas sent for and charged with the suspition which his silence might justly breed His answer was that when the Treason was revealed to him by Nicomachus he judged it to be but frivolous and therefore forbore to acquaint Alexander with it till he could procure better information This errour of his if it were but an errour though Alexander for the notable services done by his Father Parmenio and his Brother Nicanor lately dead and by Philotas himself had freely pardoned him and given him his hand for assurance Yet by the instigation of Craterus he falsified his Princely promise and made the Enemies of Philotas his Judges Craterus indeed perswaded himself that he could never find a better occasion to oppress his private enemy than by pretending Piety and Duty to his Prince Whence a
them but when they saw they were past their reach they let them go Then striking off Pompeys Head they threw his Body overboard where it was a miserable spectacle to all that desired to behold it Philip his infranchised Bondman stirred not from it till the Aegyptians had glutted themselves with looking upon it Then having vvashed it with Salt water and wrapped it up in an old Shirt of his own he sought about the Sands and at last found a piece of an old Fisher-boat scarce enough to burn all the Body and as he was gathering the pieces of this Boat together there came to him an old Roman who in his Youth had served under Pompey saying O Friend what art thou that preparest the Funerals of Pompey the Great Philip answered that he was a Bondman of his infranchised Well said he thou shalt not have all this honour alone Pray thee let me accompany thee in this devout deed that I may not altogether repent me that I have dwelt so long in a strange Country where I have endured much misery but to recompence me let me have this good hap to touch Pompeys Body and to help to bury this most famous Captain of the Romans The next day Lucius Lentulus not knowing what had happened coming out of Cyprus sailed by the shore side and perceiving a Funeral fire and Philip standing by it he asked him whose Funeral it was But straight fetching a great sigh alas said he perhaps it is Pompeys the Great Then he landed a little and was presently slain This was the deplorable end of Pompey the Great Caesar not long after came into Aegypt where there were great Wars at which time Pompeys Head was presented to him but he turned aside and would not see it abhorring him that brought it as a detestable Murtherer Then looking on his Signet Ring whereon was engraven a Lion holding a Sword he burst out a weeeping Achillas and Photinus he put to death King Ptolomy being overthrown in Battel by the River Nilus vanished away and was never after heard of Theodotus escaped Caesars hands and wondred up and down Aegypt in great misery dispised of every man And afterwards Marchus-Brutus who slew Caesar when he conquered Asia met with this Theodotus by chance and putting him to all the torments he could possibly devise he at last slew him The Ashes of Pompeys Body were afterwards brought to his Wife Cornelia who buried them in a Town of hers near the City of Alba. THE LIFE and DEATH OF JULIUS CAESAR The First FOUNDER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE JULIUS CAESAR by the Fathers side was of a very Noble and ancient Family and by the Mothers side he descended from the Kings of Rome who were extracted from the Trojan Aeneas When he was a youg man Sylla having gotten the Lordship of Rome would have had him put away his Wife Cornelia who was the Daughter of Cinna the Dictator but he could not prevail with him either by promises or threats to do it whereupon he took away her Joynter from him Sylla being very busie in putting to Death many of his Enemies yet passed by Caesar whom he contemned for his youth And Caesar was not contented to retire in safety in those stormy times but came and made suit to the People for the Priesthood which was then void when he had scant any hair on his Face but by Syllâ—s means he suffered a repulse who was so irritated hereby that he determined to have killed him and when some of Syllas Friends told him that it was to no purpose to put so young a man to Death he answered That they did not consider that there were many Marius 's in that one Boy Caesar being informed of his danger secretly fled from Rome and hid himself a long time amongst the Sabines wandering from one place to another yet at length he fell into the hands of a party of Syllas Souldiers who sought for him but he bribed their Captain with two Talents and so escaped Then went he unto the Sea side and taking Ship he passed into Bythinia unto King Nicomedes And after a while he took Sea again and fell into the hands of some Pirates who at that time kept all the Sea-coast with a great Fleet. They asked him twenty Talents for his Ransom Caesar laughed them to scorn as not knowing what a man they had taken and of himself promised them fifty Talents and sent some of his men to get him this mony so that he was almost left alone amongst these Thieves which were the cruellest Butchers in the World having only one of his Friends and two Slaves with him Thus he continued thirty eight days amongst them not as a Prisoner but rather waited upon as a Prince by them For he boldly exercised himself amongst them in their sports He would make Orations and call them together to hear them and if they seemed not to understand or regard them he would call them Blockheads and Beasts and laughing would threaten to hang them and they took all in good part thinking that it proceeded from his Boyish simplicity When his Ransome was come he paid it them and so was dismissed and presently arming and manning some Ships out of the Haven of Miletum he followed these Thieves and finding them yet at Anchor he took most of them and got a great Booty and carryed their Persons to the City of Pergamus and there imprisoned them whilst himself went to Jumus the Governour of Asia to whom the execution of these Pirats did belong But he desiring to get the mony because there was good store of it said that he would consider of theâ—e Prisoners at better leasure Caesar hereupon returned back to Pergamus and there hung up all the Thieves openly upon the Cross as he often had threatened that he would do when they thought that he was but in jest When Syllas power began to decay Caesars Friends wrote to him to return to Rome But he first went to Rhodes to study there for a time under the Tuition of Apollonius an honest man and excellent Rhetorician whose Schollar also Cicero had been Caesar had an excellent gift to speak well naturally which was much holpen by his Studies so that he was very Eloquent and might have been second to none but that he applied himself rather to follow the Wars and to mannage great matters than to pleading of causes When he was returned again to Rome he immediately wan the good will of the People by his Eloquence and courteous speaking to every man being more ceremonious in his deportment than could be expected from one of his years Besides he ever kept a good Table and fared well and was very liberal which much encreased his estimation with the People And his Enemies presuming that when he could not hold out that charge and expence the favour of the People would quickly decay they suffered him to go on
till by degree he was grown very great and powerful So that though some of them foresaw that his power would at last turn to the destruction of the Commonwealth of Rome yet now they knew not how to prevent it Indeed Cicero was the first man who mistrusting his dealings found out his subtilty and malice which he cunningly cloaked under a shew of courtesie and familiarity Yet said he When I consider how finely he combeth his fair bush of hair and how smooth it lyeth and that I see him scratch his Head with one finger my mind gives me then that such a man should not be so wicked as to design the ruin of the Commonwealth The first time that he made proof of the good will of the People was when he stood in competition with Pompey to be chosen a Collonel of a thousand Foot Souldiers and carryed it against him but a more manifest proof of it was at the Death of his Aunt Julia the Wife of Marius the elder For then he solemnly made an Oration in her commendations in the Market place and at her Burial did boldly shew forth the Images of Marius which was the first time that they were seen after Syllas Victory over him at which time Marius and all his partakers had been proclaimed Traytors and Enemies to the Commonwealth And whereas some cryed out upon Caesar for doing it the People on the other side applauded and thanked him for it And whereas there was an ancient custom that the Romans used to make Funeral Orations in commendation of old Ladys but not of young Women Caesar was the first that praised his own Wife in an Oration at her Funeral which much engaged the People to him seeing him of so kind and loving a nature Shortly after he was made Treasurer under Antistius Vetus the Praetor for which he ever after honoured him so that when he himself came to be Praetor he made his Son Treasurer under him and when he came out of that Office he married his third Wife whom was Pompeia and married his Daughter Cornelia which he had by his first Wife to Pompey the Great He further ingratiated himself with the People by disbursing a great sum of his own mony in mending the Appian way vvhen he was made Overseer thereof as also for that vvhen he was chosen an Aedile he shewed the People the pastime of three hundred and twenty couple of Sword Players and exceeded all others in the sumptuousness of his Feasts and sports vvhich he made for the delight of the People vvhich made them daily to give him new Offices by way of requital Not long after the High Priest Metellus died and Isauricus and Catulus two of the chiefest men and of the greatest authority in Rome contended for the place Caesar also presented himself to the People and sued for it and Catulus fearing the event sent a great sum of money to Caesar to procure him to leave off his suit Caesar sent him word that he vvould disburse a greater sum than that to maintain the suit against him and vvhen the Day of Election came his Mother bringing him to the Door Caesar vveeping kissed her and said Mother This day thou shalt see thy Son chief Bishop of Rome or banished from Rome and accordingly he carried it by the suffrages of the People insomuch as the Senate and Noble men vvere all affraid of him judging that from henceforth he vvould make the People do vvhat he pleased Afterwards Caesar going into the Senate to cleer himself of some accusations that vvere brought against him the Senate keeping him somewhat longer than ordinary the People come to the door and called for him bidding them let him out Whereupon Cato fearing an insurrection of the poor and needy Persons who put all their hopes in Caesar moved that a frank distribution of Corn for a month should be made amongst them vvhich indeed put the Commonvvealth to the charge of fifty five hundred Myriads but it quenched the present danger and did haply scatter the best part of Caesars strength and that at such a time vvhen he was made Praetor and had thereby opportunity of doing much mischief Yet all the the time of that Office he never attempted to make alteration in the Common-vvealth About this time Clodius vvas suspected of too much familiarity vvith Pompeia vvherefore Caesar put her avvay The Government of Spain being faln unto Caesar as he vvas Praetor his Creditors came with great importunity calling for their debts But he being unable to satisfie them went to Crassus the richest man in Rome who stood in need of Caesars bloldness and courage to withstand Pompeys greatness who became his surety to his greadiest Creditors for eight hundred and Thirty Talents whereupon he was suffered to depart to his Province As he passed over the Alps he came to a little poor Village where his Friends that did accompany him asked him merrily if there were any contending for Offices in that Town and whether there were any strife amongst the Noble-men for honour Caesar answered I cannot tell but for my part I had rather be the chiefest man here than the second person in Rome Another time in Spain reading the History of Alexander he was sorrowful a good while after and at last burst out into weeping His Friends marvelling at it asked him what was the cause of his sorrow He answered Do you not think that I have good cause to be sorry when Alexander being no older than my self had conquered so many Nations and Countries whereas hitherto I have done nothing worthy of my self When he first came into Spain he followed his business close and in a short time had joyned ten new Ensigns of Foot Souldiers unto the other twenty which he had before Then marching against the Gallicians and Lusitanians he conquered all before him as far as to the Atlantick Ocean subduing those People which before knew not the Romans for their Lords and then did as wisely take order for the establishing of Peace For he reconciled the Cities together made them Friends But especially he pacified all suits of Law betwixt Debtors and Creditors which arose by usury Ordaining that the Creditors should take yearly two parts of the revenew of their Debtors till such time as they had paid themselves and that the Debtors should have the other third part to live upon By this he won great estimation to himself and returned from his Government very wealthy his Souldiers also were full of rich spoils The Romans had a custom that such as desired the honour of Triumph should stay without the City whereas they that sued for the Consulship must of necessity be there in Person Caesar coming home just at that time when Consuls were to be chosen he sent to request the Senate that he might be permitted to sue for the Consulship by his Friends Against this Cato at first did vehemently invey alleadging that it
him in the battel and therefore they never interceeded for him Whereupon Tamerlane one day passing by him said I marvel that none of thy sons nor friends either come to see thee or to intreat for thee it must needs be that thou hast evil deserved of them as thou hast of others But what thinkest thou if I should set thee at liberty would they receive thee again as their Lord and Sovereign or not To whom Bajazet stoutly answered Were I at liberty thou shouldest quickly see that I want neither courage nor means to revenge all my wrongs and to make the disobedient to know their duties better This proud answer made Tamerlane to keep a stricter hand over him In this great War the Sultan of Egypt as we said before had aided Bajazet which Tamerlane took in so evil part that he resolved revenge For as to his Friends he was most kind and courteous so to his Enemies most terrible and dreadful Yet before his departure he restored to the poor Mahometan Princes that had fled to him for refuge all their ancient Inheritances with something more out of bounty as also he did divers Cities and Countreys of Natolia to the Greek Emperour for the yearly Tribute of four hundred thousand Ducats of Gold and eight hundred thousand Franks of Silver And thus having enriched his Army with the spoils of the Ottoman Empire he turned his Forces against the Egyptian Sultan and so passing through Caramania he entred into Syria then part of the Sultans Kingdom where near unto Aleppo before yielded to him there was fought between them a great and mortal battel the Sultan having in his Army a hundred thousand Foot and seventy four thousand Horse whereof there were thirty thousand Mamelukes accounted the best Horsemen in the World In which Battel Axalla with the Avantguard of Tamerlane's Army was hardly distressed and Axalla himself taken but presently rescued by Tamerlane who had he not by his coming on with fresh Forces speedily restored the battel that day was like enough to have put a period to his Fortunes But Victory after a long and cruel fight wherein were eighty thousand of both sides slain inclining to Tamerlane the Sultan fled Tamerlane pursuing him for the space of three Leagues After this Victory Tamerlane dividing his Army sent Axalla with forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Foot to pursue the Sultan along the Sea-coast of Arabia The Sultan made divers Alts with four thousand Horse to have stopped Axalla who having the smallest Forces followed him the nearest whilst Tamerlane with sixty thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Foot marched along those Coasts having all the Cities as he went surrendred to him only the strong City of Damasco refused to receive him whereinto the Sultan had put the Prince Zamudzen with a strong Garrison who did what might be done to defend the same but all in vain For Tamerlane having by battery overthrown a great part of the Wall took the City by storm only the Castle yet remained which was accounted impregnable but at the taking of the City such a multitude pressed into it as that it was not possible for them long to subsist therefore within a short time being pinched with hunger and many already dead the rest upon promise of their lives offered to yield But Tamerlane would not receive them to mercy to make them sensible what it was to hold out against him So that most of them dying of famine the rest yielded at pleasure and were most of them put to the Sword for their obstinacy which severity of his caused all the Cities within the space of thirty Leagues to bring their Keyes to him in token of their submission whom he no way molested otherwise than in contributing to the charge of his Army From thence he turned directly towards Jerusalem at which time they of the City had turned out the Sultans Garrison as had almost all they of Judea submitting themselves unto Tamerlane at Chorazin was a Garrison of six thousand who at first pretended to defend the place but when they perceived that Tamerlane was resolved to have it they submitted and found mercy There Tamerlane left a Garrison of his own to repress the Mamelukes who with frequent incursions troubled his Army Himself with some of his Horsemen rode to Jerusalem to visit the Sepulchre so much reverenced of all Nations By the Inhabitants he was joyfully received and having sought out all the antiquities of that ancient City he would be conducted to all the places where Christ had preached and coming to the Sepulchre he gave there many rich gifts to the great content of all only the Jews much blamed him for so doing but he regarded them not calling them the accursed of God There had he news that the Sultan having gathered together all his Forces was fortifying his Cities in Egypt especially Alexandria and the Grand Caier whereupon Tamerlane commanded his Army to march towards Egypt to Damietta which strong City he thought not good to leave behind him though by some he was perswaded so to do for that it was thought impregnable both by reason of the strong Castle and great Garrison placed therein by the Sultan But he whose Fortune nothing could hinder would needs go thither And having commanded Axalla to attempt it followed himself after with the rest of his Army Now Axalla having summoned the City declared to the Inhabitants who were most of them Christians the mildness and courtesie of Tamerlane as also who himself and of what Religion he was causing many of his Greek Captains to speak to them and to tell them what misery they endured under the Moors and Mameluks which so far prevailed with them that they resolved to adventure their lives to put the Mameluks out of the City and the night after taking Arms made themselves Masters of one quarter of the City opening one of the Gates to Axalla whereby he entring put all the Mameluks to the Sword or took them prisoners and so became Master of that strong City Whereof Tamerlane hearing hoped by so prosperous a beginning to find an happy end of his Wars in Egypt For he knew that the Haven of Damietta might furnish him with Victuals out of all parts of Greece as the Emperour Emmanuel had promised him and wherein he nothing failed him Then did Tamerlane enter the City leaving therein a Garrison of two thousand of the Emperour of Greece his Souldiers with a Governour of whom he took an Oath for their obedience And having staid a while at Damietta he caused his Avantguard to march towards Alexandria and having passed over the River he suddenly turned directly towards Grand Caire to the great astonishment of the Sultan who provided for the defence of Alexandria as nearest to the Enemy But understanding this news used such diligence that he entred into Caire with forty thousand Horse and sixty thousand Foot even