Coriolanus was who in all his warlike actions was never conquered but onlie by me The Volsques themselves whom he afterward commanded judged him not worthie of that emploiment but because by his hand was that Victorie plucked from them which they were readie to bear away in spight of Lartius his ressistance Who going to assault the Town of Corioles was so couragiouslie beat back by the besidged that they put all our trophues to the flight and all our armie into confusion That was the time wherein the passion that he ever had for the glorie of the Roman Empire made him surpass his own strength and by his example forced some of ours to turn head to the enemie This Generous design did so happilie succeed with him that he repulsed them to the walls of the Town and not contented with so brave an action he would have perswaded them who followed him that the gates of Corioles were not so open for these who fled as for them to enter But seeing their fear more prevalent then his discourse and that they thought more of retreating then fighting this unfortunate whom I lament did not forbear to pursue his design There did he see himself almost alone fighting against the whole inhabitants of a Town who fought through despair There his hardiness wrought terror upon his enemies His example reinforced the spirits of our Legions and by the strength of his arme he made them enter that fortified Town And in fine made them over come those who came to conquer them It was onlie then by his courage that Lartius had leasure to rallie his trophues to go and reap the fruits of that Victorie by finishing what he had so happilie begun And not being ignorant that the Consull Cominius who commanded the half of the Roman armie might be in hands with them who were coming to relieve the Town whieh he had taken He did cheerfullie re-take these same souldiers who having no desire to share in the hazard with him were amusing themselves with dividing the bootie which he had acquired to them But in vain did he set shame and glorie before them So that seeing their cowardliness he abandoned them and onlie followed by them who would willinglie accompanie him which were but a verie small number went diligentlie in search of a new subject to his Valor He arrived just at the Camp in the instant wherein Cominius was going to give Battle to the enemie And being all covered with blood and dust his arrivall did some what amaise the Consull But he had no sooner given account of the action he had done then the newes of his first Victorie did presage a second All the Souldiers reanimated their desires of fighting hope and joy adorned their foreheads And onlie by the sight of him did they banish that fear which had seised their hearts As for my Son as if he had been verie sorie that anie other should haue served the Reipublick better that day then he having asked the Consull what trophues of the enemie were the best An being informed that these of Antiates were the most couragious Because the Volsques had put them in the front of the Battle he desired in recompence of his taking Corioles permission to fight them You know Illustrious Romans that he obtained at that time what he had demanded That his arme couducted by the Gods had the first honor of breaking the enemies Squadrons that he alone did attaque an armie thereby to show the Romans how they must despise their life to make themselves Masters of that of an other And that his prodigious valor had a success which was likewaies so But when victorie had declared it self for us the Consull intreated my Son to consider the condition he was in And to remember that by the wounds he had received his blood dropped with that of his enemies But he answered him that Victores ought not to retire In Testimonie whereof joining effects to his words he pursued them who fled even till night And as he had been the first in the Battle he was the last in the Retreat It may be some will say to me that desire of reward inspired my Son with that valor but none can be ignorant that he refused everie thing that was presented to him On the contrare so great was his moderation that after he had taken a town by force gained a Battle saved the Honor of the armie and of the Reipublick he asked no recompence for his toillings but the libertie of one man who had formerlie been his Host and friend And who was then prisoner of Was among the Romans I remember verie well that the name Coriolanus which he did bear O Gods Can I speak in such termes I say I well remember that that name was given him at that encounter to eternise his action But I also remember that the verie same People who named him Coriolanus called him afterwards the disturber of the publick repose the enemie of Rome and the Senates Tirran Since that what hath he not also done in an other occasion Certainly you remember of that fatall year wherein it was thought that famine would have intirly desolated Rome When all the People Geminated wherein hunger made triumph of the poor Peoples deaths and wherein the richest themselves were exposed to the like danger You know I say that Coriolanus by his valor and courage brought back abundance into Rome revived the People And all this with the price of his blood And without desiring other recompence but that of having saved the lives of the Citizens Nevertheless for the reward of so manie services Of so manie brave actions Of so manie wounds that he received And of so much blood that he shed When he demanded the Consullship which was granted to manie others who did not merit it so well as he They treated him as infamous and as a criminall they put him in the hands of the Aedilles as the worst of men and banisht him his countrey O Heavens Could I ask favour for them who treated my Son sounworthilie and how could that unfortunate Son consent to me Further after so manie abuses that Coriolanus received what did he to revenge himself Hath it been discovered that he desired to suborn anie of our Consulls Hath he secretlie taken up money to make the armie of the Volsques subsist Hath he furnished them with Souldiers No Coriolanus hath done none of all those things He was content for his revenge of Rome to put onlie the faithfullest of the Citizens in the hands of his enemies But if that despare which forced him to it had succeeded happilie that he had found more Humanitie in the heart of Tullus whose Triumphing enemie he severall times was then in the hearts of all the People for the glorie of whom he vanquished the same Tullus would anie I say that by an extream ungratitude that he should have abandoned him in a just War and which he had undertaken in consideration
of letting me see him he is returned into Alexandria I say he hath not dessigned to offend Octavia but to please Cleopatra He has feared that the sight of me would give him other inclinations And doubtless he knows that he hath suficiently loved me already not to be able to endure my presence without confusion and repentance In fine my Lord his imbecility and his blindness must be pâ—â—â—ed and he not imitated in his fault The passion â—hat â—am 〈◊〉 â—o follow is yet more dangerous then that which possesses Anthonie And if it should 〈◊〉 from my heâ—â—t into yours doubtless you shall Act with more violence and with more unjustice then it does Because it will certainlie communicate to you a part of that furie that doth allwaies accompanie it The injurie that I have receved requires not the bloud of the Romanes to blot it out That will not be the way of restoring Anthonies affection to me to declare warr aginst him for my sake On the conrtare it will be ane authorising his fault and unconstancie Because it is certain that I should merit the treatment I receve if for banishing of me from his heart I should banish me from his house and should joyn with his enemies partie I know that I am a Roman and that I have the honor of being your sister but I also know that I am Anthonies wife That his interests ought to be mine And that though He hath not for me all the affection that He is oblidged to have My own vertue does not permit me to despense with that which I owe to him And if I use it any other way it will be the acknowledging of Clopatra for Anthonys lawfull wife and a voluntarie yeelding a quality to her which she cannot take from me Let me then conceal my greif and teares in the house of my husband My Lord let me then absconde my affliction and my resentment And if it be true that my interests are dear to you as you have alwayes testified to me Assist me in excuseing Anthonie to the Senate Tell that this Love is too violent to last long time And that as the great Jnlius Cesar had strength enough to dissipate the charmes of that fair Egyptian which had surprised him Anthonie having the same feeblnesse will at last have courage enough to break that enchantment as well as he But in fine my Lord see that that Love be not the beginning of war Remember that glorious day wherein my tears made the armes fall from the hands of the two greatest Emperors that ever was you was then environed with your Legions your armie was all in a readynesse to fight The three hundered ships which Anthonie led were in sight of your troupes Their was then to be seen in both parties that fervour which the sight of enemies gives in such encounters Desire of victorie was in the hearts of all the souldiers They had alreadie considered the richnesse of the bootie Eagles were seen against â—agles Romans agitnst Romans Citizens against Gitizens Freinds against freinds Relationes against relations And in fine to say all the battle of Pharsalta did make nothing more terrible to the sight then what my eyes saw at that time However though Anthonie appeared the agressor because he came to attaque you My tears my reasons and my prayers surpassed your resentment You embraced Anthonie in stead of fighting of him You receved him as the husband of your sister and not as your enemie And these two puissante armies which you had raised to destroy your selves served but to give you reciprocall marks of a perfect intelligence For you have not forgot that Anthonie gave you a hundred Galies and twentie Brigantines Also that you gave him two Legions And besides that you granted also to me for him a thousand of your best souldiers Think you my Lord that that first victorie doth not make me hope for a second You love me as much to day as you Loved me at that time The sight of your enemies does not acerberate your resentment You have no Legions about you who presle you to give them a new subject to their courage You are alone you are unarmed I am unfortunate and afflicted and my tears my reasones and my prayers should also be more powerful with you then they were that day because there is nothing in agitation but my interest Further it is casier to hinder ones self from taking up of armes then to quit them And it should have been then more difficult for you to have made peace with Anthonie then it can be to you now to begin a warr It is Anthonies passion and not his person that must be fought against And for that effect I ought to endure his unconstancy without complaining I ought to preserve my heart for him though he robbes me of his I ought to have compassion of his weakness I ought to have respect for him though he despises me I ought to dwell in his house â—o long as he does me the favour to suffer me there And to say all I ought to opposeyou every time that you would oblidge me to doethings which might be dishonorable to me If Anthonie would desire to carrie me on to a design of hurting you I should oppose him as I doe oppose you And with the same armes wherewith I fight you now would I fight his unjustice and his obstinacie Yes my Lord I shall alwayes be Cesars sister and Anthonies wife And let fortune doe what it will I shall never do any thing unworthie of these two glorious qualities pardon me then if I tell you boldlie that I will not go out of my Husbands house unless he command me And if it should also come to pass that Cleopatras Love doe even carrie him to such ane irregularity as to ordain me to quit it I shall abandon it with shedding as few tears as is possible for me for fear that the compassion that will be had for me doe not augment the hatred that will be had to him Behold my Lord what Octavias thoughts are and what they shall allwayes be And moreover to speak rationallie Anthonie is not ane ordinarie man The great qualities which are in him merits the excuse of his imbecillity And the brave actiones which he hath donein the wars should doubtless obtain from the equity of all men some indulgence for these which love makes him doe The affection that he alwayes had for the great Julius Cesar should oblidge you not condemn him slightlie Because being his sone by adoption and his lawful successor me thinks you should be heir to his inclinationes and to his friends as well as to his riches When Anthonie fought for Julius Cesoer He fought for you you ought to reward him for all that he did for him For in sine of all Cesares debts the most just and most glorious to paâ— are doubtless the good offices which his freinds have rendered to him Remember what Anthonie
of all others And though my eyes had sometimes gained famous Victories and could have counted among their Captives Caesares and Halph gods Yet I trusted not to their Charmes I suspected my beautie at that time I thought it had not force enough to conquer you And as you was the most Magnificent of all men I did not wish that love should take possession of your heart but by Magnificencie And that the day of its Prâ—sall should seem rather to be a day of Triumph then of Battle I desired to dasle your eyes then by the beautie of my Armes for if you remember My dear Anthonie the first day that I say you I shinned in a ship whose Poupe was all of Gold the sails Purpell and the oares Silver which by their Equall Cadence imitated the sound of diverse instruments concording together I was under a Pavilion or wrought Gold and knowing your Birth was divine because you are descended of Hercules you are not ignorant that I had a Vesture like that which is given to Venus All my Women were Splendidlie Cloathed as Nymphes and a hundred Cupidons round about me Were also an effect of the desire I had to overcome you For in fine My dear Anthony that little Armour was only made against you It was not then without design that I overcame you I employed all things to that end And nothing that Beautie Skill or Magnificencie could do was fogot at that time I know verie well it is imprudence to speak to you of all those things in a time so differing from the felicitie of that but that day was so gloâ—ious to me that I can never loss the memorie of it And moreover to speak Rationallie that Remembrance is not unprofitable for my Vindication For to think any way that I my self would loss my conquests such thoughts never entered in the minde of any Conquerour Certainlie Alexander would have rather chosen to loss Macedonia then Persia That Kingdom was his Fathers Estate But this was truelie his own And by the same Reason I would have rather lost my self then lost you You know also if I be not mistaken that I was no severe Conqueress the Chains I gave you were of no weight my Lawes had nothing of Rudness in them and in the manner I used you it had been hard to know who was Victorious Since that what have I done Anthonie to make me be suspected It is true I forgot my own Glorie but it was for love of you Yes I have suffered my self to be opprobriated in Rome and although the pride of your Country that treats all strangers like Barbarians and all Queens like slaves hindered me from being your Wife the affection which I have for your Person is so strong that I have not left off to be yours Yes Anthonie I loved you more then my honor and more then my life I thought it could not be unjust to love a man worthie of being ranked among the gods And that the Passion which I had in my Soul had so noble a cause that it would render me excusable so that without considering what misfortuns were prepared for me I have most constantlie loued you ever since the fâ—â—st day that I gave you my promise Judge from that if I had power to betray you or to speak better if I would betray my self It is true I fled but generous Anthonie if I took the flight it was for love of you I slighted the Victorie to preserve your life And your person was dearer to me then your glorie or my own I Well see that this Discourse Astonishes and surprises you But for your comprehension permit me to tell what condition my Soul was in when in the midest of the Fight I saw you all covered with Darts and Flams The death which I saw in so manie places made me apprehensive of yours all the Enemies Javelines seemed by me to address themselves against you And in the manner that my imagination represented the affair to me I thought all Cesars Armie desired to fight none but Anthonie I manie times fancied that I saw you dragged by force into the enemies vessalls or fall dead at their feet And although those who were round about me assured me that I was deceived by my eyes and that the Victorie was still uncertain What did I not say in those fatal moments And what grief did I not feel Ah! my dear Anthonie did you but know the sorrows of a Soul that sees the Person beloved everie minute in hazard of dying you would find it the most terrible torment thar can ever be indured My heart received all the blows which were aimed at you I was captive everie time I thought you so and death it self hath nothing so rude as what I suffered at that time In that deplorable condition I found no remedie for my grief and my imagination using greater Ingenuitie for my Persecution after having perswaded me that all the enemies desired your death immediatlie perswaded me that they resolved to preserve your life thereby to make themselves Masters of your libertie The first thought did certainlie give me a little ease But the image of Cesars Triumph presenting it self all at once to me I relapsed into my former despaire It was not my dear Anthonie that I believed you capable of following a Conquerours Charriot But I thought that to shune that supream misfortune you would have recourse to death So that whatever way it was I alwayes found my self equallie unhappie I bethought me of what poison I should choice that I might follow you And there is no fatall Resolution which past not in my minde I thought more then twentie times to cast my self into the Sea to free me from the agonie I was in Yet because I could not die with out forsaking you I could not pursue that design But coming of a sudden to consider the strong Passion which you alwaies testified to me I thought if you should see me abandon the armie you would also forsake it by that found I the meanes of preserving your life and libertie together For said I to my self after framing that Resolution Cesar doth not seek Victorie so much as the life or libertie of Anthonie And upon condition that he have neither the one nor the other I shall be glad to loss the Battle In fine my dear Anthonie I did what my affection and despair councelled me to do And you did what I expected from your love I had no sooner seen you quit your Ship and take a Galley to follow me but my heart was seaâ—ed with a Surprisall of Joy Me thought it was I gained the Battle because I preserved you And beginning to think that Cesar would be content to exchange his for forâ—â—â—e for mine I was partlie comforted of all my disgraceâ— But that which yeelded me most satisfaction in that 〈◊〉 day was to see Anthonie capable of preferring Cleopatra to the desire of conquering his enemies that he loved
which shall oppress Rome The Gods are â—oo just not to chastise with rigout them who massacred the Father of his countrey and the protector of libertie Yes Lepidus the great Cesar trulie merited these two Glorious Titles and did not at all merit the treatment that he received Trulie I wonder that the Romans have so evillie explained his intentions since his whole life lets them see that he loved libertie And also that the greatest crimes he is accused of are the effects of his passionate desires to preserve it You know Lepidus that in his more tender years he declared himself enemie to Syâ—â— and consequenclie to Tirranie He was looked upon then as a Citizen too passionate for libertie and was constrained to hid himself and also to retire from Rome that he might escape the Ambuscadoes that were laid against his life After that he accused Dollâ—belâ— and Rigorouslie prosecuted him for having acted with too much Soveraignitie in the Government of his Province And by that action made it sufficientlie known that he approved not in him what he condemned in others In effect while he was Pretor there happned no disorder in the Republick Though that was the time wherein he might have rather made his wicked actions appear Because that charge was of greater importance then what he had formerlie possest However he did not abuse it He did everie thing with prudence and moderation And his verie enemies could not reproach him of anie thing of that time And to speak â—atronallie it never did anie thing but make the Romans power greater by making new conquests for it everie day hazarding his life in a thousand different occasions and generouslie opposing all the Tirrans who minded to usurpe the domination He did not regard their being his relations or allayes And did so much for the publick good that he no more considered his particular interests Trulie Lepidus everie time I remember what Cesar hath done for the Romans of the numbers of victories he hath gained or against their enemies or against their Tirrans I immediatlie believe that my memorie deceives me And that it altogether presents to me all the brave actions that have been done since the beginning of Ages I cannot I say think that one and the same person had interprised so manic things had accomplished so manic glorious designes had made so manic Conquests had given so manic Battles had so much hazarded his life had escaped so manic dangers and had not lived longer then others Nevertheless Lepidus you know that Cesar hath done more then I say although he hath lived but fistic six years And to recount onlie one part of his victories and of the brave actions which he hath done before I undertake to justifie him remember what he did in Spain He subingated the Callaciens and the Lusitanians even to the Ocean where the Romans had never been The conquest of the Gaules you know hath immortalised his glorie For there in less then ten years he did take either by composition or assault more then eight hundred Towns conquered three hundered different Nations And having seen before him in ranged Battle above three millions of armed men in manic encounters he killed more then one million and did take as manic prisoners O Cesar O Illustrious Conqueror Must the poigniard of an ungratefull Traytor make thee loss thy life But I am not yet come to the last of his Victories That famous Battle which he gave to Ariovistus upon the banks of the Rhine where more then eightie thousand men died makes it suslicientlie seen that Conquerours are never wearie Further Cesar did not alwaies overcome with case He hath some times seen victorie flic above his enemies camp and same altogether readie to publish his desate But his single valour forced them to return to his partie The adventure of the Nervianes makes what I say abundantlie seen All the Romans were desated and the other were verie like to have been Masters of the field of battle when Cesar did cast himself alone amidst his enemies with his sword in his hand and a sheild upon his left arm And by an action worthie of Cesar deserved to conquer these who had almost conquered his People After that he was the first who passed the Rhine He was the first who sailed with an armie upon the Occidentall Ocean He conquered England which none believed was in being And carried his armes and Romes Glorie in places where the name of Romans had never been The famous prise of Alexia is none of Cesars least actions He saw in head of him an Armie of three hundered thousand men to make him raise the siedge But having as much prudence as courage he devided his armie and acted so skilfullie that they who lived before Alexia did not know there was a powerfull reliefe coming to the Town They did not know I say they were inclosed between two powerfull enemies untill Cesar had defated them And Vercingentorix who was in that place was rendered to that famous Conquerour Ah surelie After that I doubt not but Historie will one day say that he surmounted all ther Heroes Yes Lepidus whosoever would compare the great qualities of the most Illustrious with him will find that he hath excelled them The Fabianes Seipioes the Metalles and also they of his own time as Silla Marius the two invincible Lucullus and Pompey are inferiour to him in everie thing He surmounted one by the difficulties of the countreys he conquered The second by the extent of the Nations which he hath put under the Romans dominion The hird by the multitudes of enemies he hath defated An other by the feirceness of the People with whom he had to do and whom he behooved both to overcome and teach An other in sweetness in clemencie and in humanitie to them whom he conquered The last in magnificence and liberalitie to them who fought under him And all of them in gaining manic battles in defateing numbers of enemies and in practising manic vertues Behold Lepidus the Victories which the Romans could not dispute with Cesar They are reduable to him for all the blood that he shed in the many encounters he met with It was for them that he fought It was for them that he over came It was for them that he conquered so manic countreys And there were none to be found untill the passage of that famous River which Cesar traversed to come to Rome or to say better to come against the Tirran of Rome I say there was none to be found but who did agree that the Republick was much oblidged and indebted to Cesar But Lepidus I intend to show you this day that the other Victories which Cesar gained are these for which the Romans are more oblidged to him I intend to let you see that Cesar did never more stronglie testifie the passion that he had for libertie and the hatred that he had to tirranie Then when he fought and conquered Pompey But to resume
of ambition and unjustice And what was said against him at that time makes it sufficently seen that Pompey was the tyrran that Cesar was the Protector In effect he was no sooner in Rome then he courtiouslie treated all the senatores he with a sweet tenderness prayed them to Pacifie every thing and again proposed to them most just and most reasonable articles of peace thereby to make them agree with Pompey But they knowing that Pompey would be all or nothing They did not make it and excused themselves to Cesar But Lepidus when this Ilustrious Heros was created dictator gave he any markes of his having desires to aspire at tyrranie Non at all He recalled the banished Replaced in honor the children of them who had been con fiscated in the time of Silla who was a Tyrran and eleven dayes after voluntarlie demitted the dictatorship contenting himself with being Consulate with Servilius Jsauricus After that Lepidus can any say that Cesar was a tyrran and that Pompey was the defender of libertie But let us finish the giving account of his Illustrious Life in few words that we may have the more leasure to Lament his death Doubtless you remember all the artifice that Pompey used to shun fighting with Cesar and draw affairs to delay and they were so certainly visible and his ambitione so known that his verie souldiers boldlie said he continued not the warr but for to continue his authority In effect he knew that either victorious or conquered he must quitt the soveraign Power or altogether take of the Mask that concealed him to the halph of the Romaines But Cesar whose confidence was in the equity of his cause and in that of the gods searched after his enemies He seared not to assault and sight him He had nothing in his heart that reproached him of crime He knew that he revenged Rome by revenging himself And by freeing himself of an adversarie He freed Rome of a tyrran His hope of heaven did not deceive him He gained the battle and Pompey lost it That man who had been so much favoured by fortune whille he was innocent was abandoned by it when he became Criminal He did not anie more know aither to fight or overcome nor did somuch as know how to be overcome like a man of courage Howsoon his partie had gotten the worst in the battle of Pharsalia in sted of annimating them by his example he went into his tent without knowing almost what he said And knowing that affairs went still worse for him that his entrenchments were forced And that Cesar approached what said he all frightned even in our Camp and after he had spoken in this mannner he again fledd and abandoned all that remained of his Partie Yet me thinks it would have ben more glorious for him to have died by Cesars armes then by the sword of the traitour Septimius who formerlie commanded under him But this great man having in his heart hatred remorse repentance shame of being overcome and ambition We neid not wonder if losing hopes of reinging He in fine lost his reason But after we have seen that Cesar was skilful in the art of conquering I pray you Lepidus let us look if he did also know the use of victorie if he was inhuman or clement If he was just or rigorous If he was tyrran or Romane Citisen How soon the field of battle was left to him and the eagernesse he had to fight was mitigated when he saw such multitudes of dead souldiers round about him he shedd so many tears as he had caused them shedd bloud O gods cried he weeping Ye know it was their desyre and that they Compelled me to be their conqueror For Cesar after having gained so many Illustrious victories doubtless would have bein blamed if he had abandoned his armie Any other Conqueror but Cesar would shedd tears of soy after having gained the battle But for him He could not rejoyce in his Victorie because it had cost the lives of some of his citisens Believe me Lepidus Tyrrants do not weep for their ennemies And clemencie and pitty are sentiments which they know not at all However you know that Cesar almost pardoned all his He also had a particular care to cause search for that prefidious man who afterwards caused him loss his life And when the traytor Brutus rendred himself to him he treated him as if he had bein his son Woe is me me thinks I see my dear Cesar going from rank to rank asking from his people news of Brutus looking among the dead bodies if he was not yet there in condition to be suceoured and doing all things possible to save him who by a horrid ungratitude thrusted a poigniard into his breast O gods is it possible that Cesar could make so bad a choice That among all the Romans he loved his murtherer better then any other and that the gods who testified their having such particular care of his life did not advertise him that he whom he loved best of all men should of all men be the most cruell against him But it is not yet tyme to speak of Brutue his ungratitude The clemency and the goodness of Cesar furnishes me With too good a subject to leave it so soon And to let his affasinates cryme appear as great as it is his vertues must appear with all the splendour that they had Tyrrans have some times put a pryce upon the heads of their enemies they have promised abolitione of all sorts of crimes to these who would bring them And sometimes when they have been satisfied they have looked upon that fatall present with joy But Cesar used not his so He would not see that of Pompey He weeped bitterlie He treated him ignominiously who presented it to him and forced him to the necesity of making his recourse to flight thereby to save his life For me I find that actione more glorious for Cesar then if he had overcome Pompey But though he was alone to weep for his enemie He was not alone to fight Further He well testified that He did not so much regaird Pompey as to his own Particular then as to that of the Republick For he not only pardoned all them of his partie who would render themselves But he took a particular care of all Pompeys friends And by that made it seen that he hated not his person but only that He desyred to destroy his unjust and pernicious dessignes Any other but Cesar after having been victor would have considred his own security By banishing some by puting others to death and by putting himself in a condition to defie the rest But for him He considered nothing but the gathering the ruptures of Pompeyes naufrage It might have been said that it was his army that was defated And that He stayed in that place to railly his troups He testified so much swetnesse and goodness to them who came and listed themselves under his coulors He did also wreat to
to become learned Otherwayes nature would be unjust in the dispensationes of her treasures Neverthelesse we see every day that uglinesse is seen in our Sex and stupidity in the other But if it were true that beauty was the only advantage which we receive from heaven All women would not onlie be fair but I also belve they would be so till death That time would respect in them what it destroyes every moment And that not being sent it to the world but to let their beautie be seen They would be fair so long as they should be in the world In effect this would be a strange destiny to survive ane age for one onlie thing that could render us recomendable And of the many years which doe conduct us to the tombe not to passe but five or six with glorie The things which nature seemes to have made for the ornament of the Universe do almost never lose that beautie which it hath once given them â—old Pearles Diamonds presetve their brighstnâ—â—â—eâ—o long as they have being And the â—â—cuix her self as is said of her dies with her beautie that it may resuscitate with her Let us say then after this that because we see no roses not lilies upon the faireâ—â— complexiones which the rigour of some winters will not blast that we see no eyes which after they have been brighter then the sun doe not coyer themselves with darknesse And which after they have made a hundered famous conquests do find themselves to be in condition of almost noâ— seeing any more the conquests of others I say let us say that since we see every instant of our life robbe us in spight of our selves and in spight of our cares of the finest things which we have That tine makes our youth impotent That these threeds of Cold wherwith so many hearts have been caught shall be one day no more then threeds of silver And in fine that this air of beautie that so agreeablie mixes with all the traits of a fair countenance and where a ray of divinity seemes to appear is not strong enough to conquer diseases time and old age Let us conclude I say that wein ust of necessity have other advantages then that And to speak rationalie of it beautie is in our Sex what valor is in that of men But as that quality doeth not hinder their loving the studie of good learning so this advantage does noâ— hinder us from learning and knowing of it But if there be any difference betwixt men and women it should onlie be in affaires of war It belongs to the beautie of my Sex to conquer hearts and to the valor and strength of men to conquer Kingdomes Natures intention does appear so clear in this encounter that it cannot be opposed I consent then that we let townes be taken battles given and armies conducted by them who are born for it But for things which doe onlie require fancie vivacity of spirit memorie and judgement I cannot endure that we should be deprived of them You know that men for the most part are wholly our slaves or our enemies if the chains which we cause them wear seem to be too weightie for them or if they break them they are the more irritated against us however let us not dispute neither the beautie of imagination the vivacitie of spirit nor the force of memorie But for judgement some have the unjustice to maintain that they have moâ—e of it then we Nevertheless I think that the moderation and modestie of our Sex makes it sufficientlie seen that we do not want it And moreover if it be true that we posiess these first advantages in the highest degree it is almost impossible for us not to possess the other But if our imagination demonstrat things to us as they are if our spirit understand them perfectlie And if our memorie serve us as it ought By consequence our judgement cannot erre The imagination when it is livelie it is a faithfull mirrour the spirit when it is enlightned doth so deeplie penetrate tâ—ings And the memorie when it is fortunate and cultivated Instructs so stronglie by example that it is impossible for the judgement not to form it self Believe me Erinna it is impossible to make ship-wrack when the Sea is calme the worst Pilor can enter the harbours And there are no rocks but may be shunned when they are seen and when the waves are not swelling For me I avouch to you that I do not comprehend how they who leave imaginarion spirit and memorie for our poâ—tion can boast of having more judgement then we For it is not to be thought that their imagination not showing them things as they are That their â—pâ—â—it not knowing them perfectlie and that their memorie not being fair full to them I say it is not to be thought that upon such false similitudes their judgement can act equitablie No Erinna that is not possible And that we may be more ration all then any among them Let us say that among them and among us there are persons who have both fancie spirit memorie and judgement It is not if I would but I could make appear by a strong and puissante inducement that our Sex can boast of being more richlie furnished with spiritual treasures then that of men For conside Erinna that almost universal order which is to be seen among all animals who live in woods and in caves you see that they who are born with strength and courage are verie often unskillfull and of litle understanding and ordinarlie the weak have a stronger instinct and come nearer to reason then they to whom nature hath given other advantages Judge you then that according to this order since Nature has given more strength and more courage to men then to women It should have also given more spirit and more judgement to us But again Erinna let us grant to them that they have as much as we provided that they also consent to our having as much as they Perhaps you will say to me that when by consent of all men I have obtained that declaration I shall not for all that be able to perswad that the knowledge of good learning is decent for a woman because by an established custome of men for fear of being excelled by us studie is as much forbidden to us as war making of verses is the same thing as to give battles if we will believe them And to say all we have nothing permitted to us but what should be rather forbidden to us See Erinna we have a good fancie a clear sighted spirit a fortunate memorie a solid judgement and must we employ all these things to frisle our hair and to seek after Ornaments which can add something to our beautie No Erinna that would be an unprofitable abuse of the favours which we recive from Heaven They who are born with eyes to make conquâ—… need not joyn art to graces of nature And that would be a giving of an
my Predecessours without shedding tears Because I could not do it in Justice at least in the quality of Herods Wife But you know that being unable to hinder a just Resentment which Reason and Nature hath given me I took all possible care to conceall my grief from you I endeavoured my self at that time to justifie you in my minde and seeing that you had Ambition without Cruelty I have rather pitted then accused you I called that Passion the error of great Spirits and the infallible signe of a Person born for great things How many times have I said to my self if fortune would give you lawfull Enemies you would be the greatest Prince of the Earth How many times have I wished that great and Marvellous Spirit which you have that invincible heart which makes you undertake all things might carrie you against a People over whom you might be a Conquerour and not an Usurper Alace did you know all the Vowes that I have made for your Glorie you would not believe me capable of having desires to Tenebrate its Splendor by forgetting my own And perhaps it is for that fault that Heaven punishes me yet I cannot wish that I had doue it and although I see my self to day in hazard of losing my Life I cannot repent for having preserved you by my Counsells when conâ—are to all appearance you would trust the Traitor Barsaphane I do not Reproach you of that good office I â—nlie Remember you of it thereby to let you see I have still done all I could But since that I avouch that I have no more lived so I have no more concilled my sorrows I have no more stopped my voice I have weeped I have cryed I have excessivly groaned and complained But what less could the Grand Daughter of Hircane do who is expired by your orders by your cruelties What less I say could the Sister of young Aristobulus doe who perished by your Inhumanitie for securing the Scepter in your hands Ah! No no Patience would have been Criminall at that time I was without doubt born for the Throne but I would not mount it because I could not without Treading on the Bodies of my Grand-Father and Brother That Throne was wett with their Blood I ought at least to wash it with my teares since it is not permitted me to shed that of their Enemies Wo is me what object worthie of compassion was that to see the Successor of so manie Kings that Reverend old man receive his death from him whom he had made his allay â— tremble with horrour onlie to think of it nor could I withdraw my thoughts if the image of young Aristobulus did not present it self to my eyes What had that unfortunate Youth done to merit such unhapiness He was Young he was Vertuous he was brave in all things and his greatest fault was doubtless that he resembled me But alace that fault should have been advantagious to him at such a time for if it was true that you had such Passionate Love for me as you would have coÌ„stantly perswaded me was in your heart though Aristobulus had not been my Brother though he had not been innocent you should have alwayes respected my Image in him The Resemblance of a person Beloved hath made Armes fall from most cruel hands and caused them change their designs But insensible that I am what do I to speak in this manner to him who would do so to my own Life And who not content with overturning tho Thrones of my Fathers causing kill my Grand-Father drown my Brother extirpating all my Race would also this day ravish me of Honour by unjustlie accusing me of three faults which I could never be capable of I have been so little Accustomed to commit them and am so innocent of those which are imposed upon me that I doubt if I can well Remember the Accusations which are made against me Nevertheless I think my Enemies say that I have sent my â—ictuâ—e to Aâ—thâ—ny that I have had too particular intelligence with Joseph and that I would have attempted your Life O! Heavens is it possible that Mariamne is oblidged to answer such things And may it not be sufficient to tell it is Mariamne whom they Accuse to say that she is Innocent No I will see that without remembring my state or my vertue I must put my self in condition of being unjustlie condemned And although my birthis such that I ought not to give accompt of my Actions but to God alone yet I must Vindicat my self before my Accusers my enemies and my Judges together You say then that I have sent my Picture to Anthonie whom I know not and who did never see me and without noticing any Circumstance if not that he was then in Aegypt yet you would have this Accusation passe for a constant truth But tell me a little what Limner drew it who was he who carried it who are they to whom Anthony has showen it where are the letters he writ to thank me for so great a favour For it is not to be believed that he has received so extraordinarie a Testimonie of my affection without giving me thanks The heart of Mariamne is not so little Glorious a conquest though there have been manie Kings in the Earth who would have esteemed it a Glorie to have done it and who would not have done all things for deserving it Nevertheless there appears no signs of the care that Anthonie has taken either to Conquer or to Preserve me And surelie in that Occasion I must not onlie have forgot my proper Glorie but altogether lost my Reason to have dreamed of such a crime as I am Accused of But if it had been in the time that you did all things for him even in sending all your Jewels to him and opposing the Roman Empire for his sake I had been somewhat judicious in my choise And I ought not to believe that Anthony who stimulates him self by Generositie should betray a man from whom he â—rath had so many Obligations for a person whom he knows not at all But if it be since that that you have not been well together by the divices of Cleopatra there is yet lesse appearance there And I should have been verie inconsideratâ— to have given armes my self to my Eneâ—â—ie for at that time your interest was also mine and moreover what seeming truth can there be if I were aâ— infamous as I am innocent that at the time when all the Earth was filled with the love of Anthony and Cleopatras I should have sent him my Picture Had Rome found that expedient to cure her of the charmes of that Aegyptian Had the Empire need of that Remedie or had I anie desire to Sacrifice my self to the vanitie of that unfortunat Princess whose jealousie would not have failled to have been most highlie Refulgent No Herod nothing of this is come to pass And the Innocencie of Mariamne is so great that her verie Enemies cannot
behold all the Testimonies of good wil that he has got from me no bodie sales that we have had too private correspondence together No bodie saies he hath come often to my appartments and in fine I have done nothing for him but what his most cruel enemie might have done if they had known the same thing surlie I should have rewarded him ill to treat him thus You say also that hatred and vengeance caused me to favour Joseph after having known your design but know that great Spirits never fail by example The erimes of others gives them so much horrour that they are never more stronglic confirmed in good then when they see evil committed and for me I think I should have been less innocent if you had been less unjust In fine for conclusiones if Mariamne descended from so manie Illusturous Kings had desired to give her affection to any it should not have been to the husband of Salome nor to the favorite of Herod And if for the punishing of others crimes she had been capable she had not caused him be put to death whom she believed would preserve her life You know too well what was my wonder when after the discourse which I made to you I knew by your answer all was true I was so surprised that I almost lost my speech Nevertheless I did not foresee the Accusation which is this day made against me And the onlie knowledge of your crime and of Josephs innocencie whom I exposed to your cruelties caused all my grief Since that Salome improving that misfortune for my Ruine as she designed long agoe hath doubtless perswaded you that I would attempt your life and behold the onlie crime wherein there can be a witness found against me but if I be not deceived she does more justifie then convict me For what liklie-hood is there that in a design of this Importance I should have trusted a man of so low condition And what seeming truth is there if it were true that I had correspondence with Joseph but that it was â—â—ther he then I made this proposition Used I to 〈◊〉 with such Persons Hath this man come to my Appartment Have I set him beside you Is he come of my Familie Is he a Relation to any of My Officers In what place have I spoken to him in what manner have I suborned him Let him show the Jewels that I have given him Make him let the money be seen that he has gotten for so great a design For it is not Rationall to think that upon simple hope he would undertake the hazard of his life It may be he will answer that since he had no design to do the deed but on the contrare to adverise you he did not think of a reward But I can say to that impostore that not to give me reason of suspecting him he alwayes accepted what I offered to him And that also not having spoken and not being able to show is a strong and convincing perswasion of his lie for in fine Gold is the Complice of all Crimes and Hope is the onlie Portion of great Spirits But for the Base and Mercenarie they must be moved by the sight of a certain reward otherwaies that sort of People will not serve you And too manie Examples of your Reign should have taught you what I say Yet though it be true that it cannot be made appear that either I or mine have had anie dealing with that man it is not so of Salome your heart and my enemie It is a long time since my Women foretold me of it that contrarie to the Custome and Decorum of the qualitie she keeps to day he often went to entertain her even in her Closer However because I could never stoop to take notice of such things and by excess of vertue did not easilie suspect others I heard that Discourse without making anie Restection upon it But if you would oblidge them to give account of so manie Conversations as they had together I am assured that you would not find them answer you punctuallie And moreover in what place have I taken poison who prepared it from whence caused I bring it And wherefore if I had such intentiones was it necessar to have emploied that man was is not easie for me when we have eat so manie times together to have poisoned you with my own hand without trusting 〈◊〉 bodie Why should not I have attempted it at your return from Laodicea as well as they pretend I have done after your return from Rhodes since the unhappie Joseph discovered to me then your cruel Intentiones as walk as when the unfortunate Son hath told me since In fine Herod all those things are without likeliehood and there is no Spirit so ignorant who sees not clearlie that if I were not descended from the Kings of Judea If I were not vertuous I should have no enemies and my Death should not be resolved upon I should not have sent my Picture to Anthonie I should not have had Intelligence with Joseph I should not have attempted your life and consequentlie mine should have been secure But because I am of too Illustrious blood and because my Soul is too great to suffer the baseness and unworthiness of my enemies Mariamne must die she must perish she must be sacrificed to the hatred of her Persecutores they desire it so and she is resolved to it Think not unjust and cruel Herod that I speak with intention to incline you to pittie I think of preserving my Reputation and not of moving your heart For as I said in the beginning of my discourse it is neither fear of death nor desire of life that makes me speak to day The first prepares Crowns for me and the other can give me nothing but troubles It is not then hope of escaping from the danger I am in that makes me take care to justifie my self I know my sentenee is signed my Executioners are readie to strik off my head and that my Tomb is alreadie opened to receive me But that which moved me to it was to the end that all who hear me may let Posterity know that my verie enemies could not with all their malice stain the vertue of Mariamne Nor find a plausible pretext for condemning her If I obtain this favour from them who hear me I die almost without grief and I shall absolutlie say without Regrate if the Children I leave you were Banished their paternall house For I doubt not because they are Vertuous but that they will acquire your hatred as well as I. The complaints that they shall make for my death will be crimes against you You will believe they design against your life by lamenting the loss of mine Wo is me I see them alreadie Maltreated by that slave who was your first wife I see them submit to the violent humor of your Son Antipater to the calumnies of Solome to the outrages of 〈◊〉 and to your own crueltie And perhaps
Licippess who owing their felicitie and Glorie to you shall also bestow their Labour upon yours All future Ages that shal see the pictures which these Famous men will leave of you either by their writings or by their tablets or by their statues shall doubtless envie that of the great Alexander All the Vertues of that time shall wish to have been in this You shall be the Modell of great Pinces and the foil of perverse And while there shall be men you shall be spoken of as a god I certainlie wonder an more that our great Xerxes with all his power could not perfect what designs he had conceived For since Greece ought to Educate you The gods had reason to preserve the Conquest of the World for you If Xerxes had accomplished his enterprise perhaps he should have been called the Tyrran and whip of the Universe But for you you are the Legitimate Prince of all the People whom you have Conquered You are sent from Heaven for the Worlds felicitie And there was just Subject for Hamnon the Oracle of Jupiter to say That you was his Son and was Invincible No Alexander none can exceed you neither in War nor in Vertue And after the design you have made to day of replacing Darius on the the Throne by dividing it with his Daughter Statira There is nothing more remains for you to do and nothing more for me to wish but the Continuance of your Glorie It is not that I fear it can be taken from you No there is no such thought in my mind But I fear that mens unjustice will render them unworthie of having you long for their Master Or that the gods jealous of our happiness recall you to themselves If which come to pass I do assure you O invincible Alexander not to stay in the World after you I could live after Darius who was my Son But after all the Obligations which I have had from you I shall not survive Alexander I had not told you such sad thoughts in a day of rejoicing if I had not believed that it would be advantageous to you that it should be known there was a Princess that there was I say a Mother and if I dare say a Vertuous Mother who without baseness and without unjustice hath loved you better then her own Son though you was her enemie Pardon me then so dolefull a thought because it is Glorious to you And believe that when my wishes are exhausted not onlie shall your Glorie be immortall but likewaies your Person THE EFFECT OF THIS HARRANGUE ALexander must be known if the Effect of this Discourse be questioned That great and Generous Soul did again redouble his good Offices to that Illustrious Princess And did so gain her Heart That when soon after the death of this invincible Conquerour came to pass in Babylon she failled not to keep her promise for she died of sorrow And certainlie that death was a Glorious sign of Alexanders goodness And when some Excellent Orator shall employ all his Art to make him a Famous Elogie when he has I say Magnificently Exaggerated all his brave Actions I believe I shall say something Greater and more Extraordinarie When I onlie say that Sisigambes endured the death of her Son Darius and could not bear with that of the great Alexander She lived after the one and died after the other And Vertue was of more force with her then Nature O the brave Panegirick But why it was Alexander SOPHONISBA TO MASSINISSA THE FIFTH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT AFter that by the Romans assistance Massinissa had Re-conquered the Kingdom of his Fathers and taken Siphax prisoner who had Vsurped it He Beseidged and took the town of Sirthe where Sophonisba Wife of this Captive King was retired The charms of that fair African made strong impressions in his heart and the Numideans being Naturalie inclined to Love he was no sooner Victorious but he began to feel himself Conquered But coming to make Reflections upon the Austere Humor of Scipio he questioned not his being desirous to have that Beautifull Captive Queen led in Triumph to hinder which he Married her the same day not thinking that after that any hodie would make Triumph of the Wife of a King allied to the Roman People But scarcely was this sudden Marriage celebrated when Scipio being informed of it sent by Lellius to ordaine Massinissa to come to him and give account of his Victorie But Sophonisba who had a Naturall aversion to the Romans and more also to bondage having seen something in the eyes of Lellius that threatned Triumph did in this manner speak to Massinissa at his going to part from her SOPHONISBA TO MASSINISSA MY LORD I Well see by Lellius Procedure that fortune is not yet wearie of Persecuting me That after having in one and the same day lost my Crown my Husband and my Libertie and by a Capricio of that inconstant thing found again my Libertie and Illustrious Husband and a Crown I well see I say that it is yet readie after such strange accidents to make me loss all things Lellius looking upon me hath doubtless judged me sufficientlie prettie to honour Scipios Trumph and to follow his Chariot I have seen in his eies the Idea of what he bears in his minde and the disigne which he has in his heart But perhaps he has not discovered what I have in mine He knows not that desire of Libertie is much stronger in me then that of Life And that for preserving the first I am capable of losing the other with joy Yes I clearlie perceive my dear Massinissa that You are going to fight against strong enemies The Austeritie of Scipios Humor joined to the Roman Austeritie shall doubtless make him give You a sharp Reprimand he will think it strange that in the verie day of your Victorie and in the verie day of your Re-taking the Crown which belonged to You. You should have thought of Marriage And have chosen for you Wife not onlie that of your Enemie but a Captive a Carthaginean the Daughter of Hasdruâ—â—ll and the Enemie of Rome Nevertheless my Lord remember that at this time You should not look upon me nor as the Wife of Siphax nor as a Captive nor as a Carthaginean nor as Hasdruballs Daughter nor as Enemie of Rome though I Glorie in being so But as the Wise of the Illustrious Massinissa Remember also that I consented not to receive that honour till after that you promised me that I should not fall in the Romans power You have engaged your word be sure then not to faill I desire not that You expose your self to the loss of the Senats Friendship for preserving me because your hard Fortune hath made You need it But I onlie desire that in pursuance of what You have sworn to me you will hinder me from falling alive in Scipios power I doubt not but Siphax in the condition he is in will say to his Conqerour that I am the
Reader and because I endeavour to divect you be at least so complacent as not to approve of the action of the insensible and too wise Massinissa ZENOBIA TO HER DAUGHTERS THE SIXTH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT THis Discourse and the Precedent lets us clearly see that all things have two Faces And that we may arrive at the same end by different wayes I mean at Vertue Sophonisba would die the Valiant Zenobia would live And both would live and die by Principels of Generositie The one beholds Libertie as the Chief good The other believes that Chief good consists in Soveraign Wisdom The one could not indure the Idea of a Chariot because she believed it Ignominious to its Followers The other followed the Chariot without trouble because she thought nothing shamefull but crime The one beheld a Conquerors Triumph with dispair as a mightie disgrace The other considered it with disdain as a chance of Fortune The one died the other lived The one searched Glorie where the other believed it Infamie However as I have said the one and the other had a Vertuous Subject So true is it that all things have diverse Faces according to the byass they are regarded You have heard the Reasons of the one hear also the other and then judge of both ZENOBIA TO HER DAUGHTERS IT is now a long time dear unfortunat Princesses that I have seen your tears trickle in vain My Constancie hath to no purpose taught you that Heroick Spirits can endur great sorrows without despaire The Idea of the Throne which you have lost and of the chariot which you have followed being alwaies fresh in your memorie makes my example Fruitless And all the days of your life renew your affliction You still carrie in your hearts the Irons which you had on your hands that cursed day wherein you entred Rome And without losing anie of that Noble pride which Illustrious Birth inspires in them who are born with that advantage Aurellian Triumphs yet over you everie time you call to minde his Triumph I am verie sorrie O my Daughters that having made you partakers of my disgraces I cannot give you constancie necessar to support them Yet it s the onlie heritage I can leave you a dying and I do most affectionatlie wish that that Vertue may pass from my heart into yours To the end that being unable to live as Queens you may at least reign over your selves If through excess of misfortune anie could with Reason despaire it is certain Zenobia may do it For as she has had more Glorie then anie of her sex could ever obtain So her misfortunes have been more deplorable then any was ever heard of You know that on my side you may reckon the Ptolomees Kings of Aegypt for your fore Fathers and that I am come of the Illustrious Blood of Cleopatra But alace It may be said that the Triumphant Chariot which Augustus appointed for her is come to me by right of succession And that I have onlie followed what was prepared for her Yet Fortune hath treated me with greater inhumanitie For you are not ignorant that I followed a chariot which I thought I led and which I had caused do with design to make Triumph of him who Triumphed over me You also know that the beginning of my life was full of happiness The Valiant Odenat your Father and my dear Lord After he had given me the Crown of Palmiranea would also make me partaker of his Glorious conquests And I can say without vanitie and without wronging that Heros that if he gave to Zenobia the Crown which she carried She did also with her own hand add leaves of Laurell to that which Victorie had put upon his head Yes my Daughters I can say without offending the memorie of Odenat that we together conquered all the East And being encouraged by just resentments we did undertake to revenge upon the Persians the indignities they made the Emperour Valerian suffer whom Sapor keeped prisoner When in the interim the infamous Galienus his Son abandoned himself to all sorts of delight Yet Odenat did not forebear to send him all the prisoners we made in that War We took the best places in Mesopotamia Carres and Nisibea rendered to my dear Lord And pursueing the Victorie we routed at Ctesiphont an innumerable multitude of Persians We made manie Satrapps prisoners their King also fled away And continuing almost whollie Victorious in all our Encounters Renown made such Proclamations of Odenates Valour that Galienus in fine roused himself Then stimulated by fear rather then gratitude he made him Colleague in the Empire And to give him also more honour you know he caused Medalles be made wherein my dear Odenat dragged the Persians captives ever till then I had felicitie Victorie and Fortune equallie favoured me But alace And must I say it When my dear Odenat was assasined with the eldest of my Children I past from one extreamitie to an other And became as miserable as I had been happie Then was it my Daughters that I had need of all my Vertue to endure that misfortune And certainlie Odenates death is that which hath made the loss of my freedom the less rude I had more trouble to follow my dear Lord to the Tomb then I had to follow Aurelians chariot And his lamentable Pompe made me shed mere tears then did all the Magnificence of the Triumph was made of me But though my grief was excessive I spent not too long time in weeping I thought of preserving the Empire for my Children and of washing of the Blood which he shed with that of his enemies And as it might have been said that Valor was the Soul of that Heros I made vows to pass my Life time in gathering Palms to put upon his Tomb That it might be one day said my hand alone had revenged his death Preserved the Empire for his Children And Elevated a Trophie to his Glorie I believed I say that it was more worthie to hang above his Coffine the spoils of these enemies I should conquer then to drown his Ashes with my tears And being this resolved I took armes in one hand and the reins of the Empire in the other I was alwaies of the opinion my Daughters that all Vertues could not be incompatible That it was not impossible for one Person to possess them all That those of men might be Practised by Women That true Vertue affects no Sex That one may be both chaste and Valiant testifie great courage at one time and humilitie at an other Be severe and meek at severall Occasions Command and obey Know how to carrie Irons and a Crown with the same countenance It is by this consideration my Daughters that I have done things so appearentlie different though I have ever been what I am to day But to recount all my life to you you know that death which robbed me of my dear Odenat did not take the happiness of his armes from me On the contrate I
did for that Excellent man it was he who did generouslie oppose Pompeyes faction when it would have had Cesar lay down his armes and his enemie not lay down his He spake zealouslie at that time and feared not the exposing of himself to receve an outrage as in effect he was unworthâ—lie used in consideration of that And was constrained to disguise himself like a slave to goe and seek a refuge in the Camp of him whom he had protected But what He did at that time He did also at a hundered others as important He hath repayed with his blood and with his person the friendship that Cesar did bear to him He was seen severall times to rallie his troupes bring them back to the battle and render them victorious when they were almost ready to be conquered He was seen at the battle of Pharsalia command the right wing of Cesars armie fight for glolrie and expose his life to secure in his hands that soveraign Power which at last hath come to yours Further if he fought for Cesar dureing his life he hath also caused Cesar conquer after his death His eloquence did that which the valour of anie other had not power to doe For you are not ignorant that without that fervent zeal that made him speak the Roman people dared not to testifie how near the blood of Cesar did touch them They would have bein contented with shedding of tears and would not have set fire to the houses of his murtherers You see then my Lord in what manner he erected the first stepp by which you obtained the power that you have But if after what he hath done for Cesar it be permitted to put in account what he hath done for the common cause both against Cassjus and against Brutus You will find that he was alwaies their conqueror And that in some encounters wherein you was not in condition to fight he was as advantageous to you as he was to your freinds Because that without his valor they should have doubtlesse gained a victorie which perhaps would have put them in condition of not being anie more conquered I well know my Lord that since that you have not still being equallie well together And that this noble jealousie that inseparablie followes them who are lovers of glorie and who aspyre at great things hath altered your freindship But if I be not mistaken this kind of hatred should not so much as reach the person Ane enemie must be excelled in grandour of courage and in generositie He must be opposed if he attempts to destroy us But for particular causes the publick repose must never be troubled nor for everie flight reason should a warr be begun whose successe is allwaies dubious Hatred is a pass on for particulars And if it be permitted to persones who have the supreame power to have it it should be a hatred of vice of slaverie and of infamie Other wayes if they fight not against that passion and if they let it bear sway with them they shall doubtlesse be capable of all sort of unjustice For revenging their own injuries they will make no difficultie to violate the lawes of men to forget naturall equitie to infringe the justest Lawes to destroy their countrey and to despise the power of the gods Behold my Lord the disorders that hatred may cause sometimes in the most steaddie mind And to hinder you from falling in the like misfortune consider a little what ane excesse of love makes the unfortunat Anthonie doe Think you my Lord that â—atred can give you juster sentiments And that jealousie if I were capable of it permitts me to act with lesse violence No my Lord these three passiones being put in opposition to one another as they will be in this encounter will be capable of destroying the whole earth Doe not engadge your self then in such a perverse designe but how ever if you will revenge your self of Anthonie abandone him to his own judgement and to the charms of Cleopatra Let him preserve that fair conquest in repose And doe not fear that he will attempt to oppose yours if you let him enjoy that peaceablie But my Lord consider if you doe jrritate him he may parhaps give you much trouble Anthonies first valour is not dead it is but benumed Perhaps it may at last rouse it self with furie And without quitting the passion that reignes in his soul he may oppose your designs with all the fervour that man can have who fights to defend himself to revenge himself for his own glorie and to preserue his Mistress Make not then a redoubtable enemie of ane unfortunat freind I conjure you never to let me see you undertake a warr wherein it will not be permitted me to have the power of wishing you to gain the victorie Consider I pray you in what condition my soul will find it self if I should again see you ready to come to shedding of blood But with this cruel difference from the first that that was but for love to you and that this will be for love of me No No revenge not the injurie that is done to me and seek not a remedie worse then the desease The sole thought of seing my brother and my husband ready to give death to each other for my sake transports me with horror I almost know no more what I say And in so greata trouble I am ready to give my blood and my life to preserve yours and that of Anthonies But since you would naither accept of my blood nor of my life see my tears with with compassion At least hear my prayers and my sighs And since by your command I am Anthonies wife Doe not command inâ—e to quit his house as that of my enemie Consider I am mother of Anthonies children And that in that quality I should natther forsake them nor make them goe out of their fathers house That will be almost to say that they are not legittimat successors if â—â— should cause them depart And it will be also my giving of armes to destroy my self to all Anthonies flatterers and to Cleopatras â—â—aves But I am verie well assured not to use it so my patience shall laâ—â—â—onger then Anthonies love And let the contempt he has of me goe to what height it can my vertue shall yet goe further yes my Lord though his affection should never return to me And though he should live and die in Cliopatras armes I shall shed tears for his death His memorie shall be dear to me The children of Fulvia and also of Cleopatra shonld become mine I will take care of their education and of their fortune And so long as Octavia shall be alive she shall never forbear to give new proofes of her constancie Since I am of a Sex to whom valor is forbidden at least patience may be permitted me and that that vertue may serve me for courage There is sometimes as much generosity in knowing how to endure misfortunes as
will be known that the excess of your crimes and that of his Vertues are the true causes of his death I shall make no stope O Generous Romans to repass exactlie to you what all the enemies of Germanicus were It is not that fear doth hinder me from naming of them for Agripina is incapable of it But it is because I know that they are all known to you You know the cause of their hatred nor do I speak to you this day but of the pittifull effects of that dangerous passion But ye Gods How is it possible that Germanicus could be hated What had he done in all his life That could have acquired enemies to him Let us repass it I conjure you Let us be rigid Judges to him And let us see if he could have merited the punishment that he suffered First as to abmition never was anie man so voide of it And all the earth hath seen that the more opportunitie he had to pretend to the Empire The greater affection did he testifie to Tiberius and did deviate himself the more from what would have conducted him to the Throne Ah! would to the Gods That he had rather followed my counsells then his own inclinations It was he who caused present an oath of fidelitie to the Bdlgiks a Neighbouring Nation of Germanie It was he who appeased the revolr of the Legions and who rather then listen to the offers which they made to him of following him everie where would peirce his heart with the blow of a dager Behold Romans what Germanicus did for Tiberius at that time He would die for him And perhaps by another way and by other sentiments hath he had the same destinie But though it be so let us not continue upon such a doleful discourse Let us remember that Germanicus commanded me a dying to lose some of that noble serocity that innocence gives me and the illustrious Blood from which I am descended Let us â—ay then simply that without lying it may be affirmed that Germanicus preserved the Empire for Tiberius because it was he who remitted obedience and military Discipline among the greatest part of the Legions with out whom the Emperours could not have enjoyed the Soveraign power The disorder was so great the complaints which were made against Tiberius so injurious the demands of the Souldiers so insolent their proceedings accompanied with so much violence that Germanicus was conitrained to cause me go out of the Camp searing I might receive an abuse in it However I did what I could that I might not be separated from him at that time For as I have already told you fear had no place in the heart of Agrippina and no humane power could oblidge her either to be silent or to speak until that it pleased her and that Reason required it But generous Romans Germanicus did not only appease the sedition of the Souldiers but he caused the same Souldiers who would no more know a Commander who only followed their own fancies who would hear nothing but their own fury who did not arm themselves but to oppose the Emperours will return under their Colours render themselves capable of Reason hear the commands of Germanicus and take up their armes to follow him with fervency in all the dangers wherein he exposed himself at that time and from which he retired with glory It was with these same Souldiers that he revenged the defate of Varus that he did retake the Eagle of the nineteenth Legion that he past thorow the Brustores that he wholly ransacked all that is betwixt the Rivers Amisa and Luppia and unsatisfied with testifying his valour in the Wars he did let his piety be seen as well as his courage For coming to the same place where Varrus had been defated and where there is yet to be seen an infinite number of blanched bones scattered upon the plain or cumulated together in great heaps according as the Souldiers fled or fought Where I say there is yet to be seen shivered launces and quantities of other broken armes horses heads tied to trees altars whereon the Barbarians had immolated the Tribunes and the Centurians where they who had escaped from the defate shewed the places where the Commanders had received their deaths wounds where the Eagles had been taken where Varrus had received his first wounds and where quickly after he died by his own hand I say Germanicus being come to that horrid place and there seeing such fatal Reliques of a Roman army expelled bloody sighs poured out tears and abandoned his invincible Soul to sorrow and compassion He exhorted the Souldiers to render the last duties to these unfortunate men of whom some had been their Relations and their Freinds he inspires their hearts with sadness thereby to carry them on afterwards with the more zeal to revenge and with his own hand did lay the first turf to the tomb that was builded for these unfortunate worthies However Tiberius did not approve of that laudable action He did not comprehend that a man could be equally valiant and pious give burial to his Freâ—nds and conquer his Enemies and in sine he belived that Piety was a Vertue unworthy of a great Spirit he wished that Germanicus had trode upon these dead mountains without remembering that they had been Romans like himself that they had fought as he was going to fight that the same â—nemies waited for him that to render him victorious over them who had conquered these he must make the Gods propitious to him and infuse desire of vengeance into the souls of his Souldiers thereby to encrease that of fighting and of gaining the victory But the maximes of Tiberius and these of Germanicus were very different they did also lead them to very different wayes Romans Tiberius reignes and Germanicus is dead Render to him at least the same honours which he gave to Varrus his Souldiers and because he had courage enough to revenge their death be you at least so generous as to mourn for his Nevertheless let us not leave him any longer in the shad of this terrifying field all covered with dead bodies let us behold him in hisconquests let us lock how the Valiant Arminius dares not wait for him and let us see with what skill what conduct and with what courage he pursued and excelled so generous an enemy Germanieus at that time joyned prudence with valour And surprising the Cattaneans when they least thought of him he ransacked all their countrey took the town of Martium Capitoll of the Province He set it on fire he had many prisoners in it And after he had carried terrour everie where he retook the way to the Rhine without the enemies dareing to follow him From thence he relived Segesta which they of his countrey hold besidged in favours of Arminius who afterward by a tromperie of war seemed rather to flee then to retire But it was onlie untill Germanicus was arrived at an Ambusca doe that was laid for him and
I wish from heaven that he had so happilie evited all the ambushes which were laid a gainst his life He payed for his valour at that time And seeing the Germans who followed his partie going to cast themselves in a Marrish most advantageous for the enemies he caused all the Legions advance in Battalion which did put terrour among all Arminius this troupes and assurance among â—urs Germanicus his good-fortune went even to Cecina his Lieutenent For he surpassed all difficulties which he encountered Fought with glorie the troupes of Inguiomere and these of Arminius and in fine the Roman armes were but too fortunate at that time Because if Germanicus had acquired less glorie he would have been less suspected I have cheiflie known that I contributed somewhat to his death His valour was thought to be as contagious as vice is in this age And that he had communicate a part of it to me it has been thought I say 〈◊〉 since he had made me couragious he would make Heroes of all the Souldiers who fought for him â—ut they who believe that remember member no more that Agrippina is of the blood of Augustus Aud that Germanicus had more trouble to retain her courage then to excit it And moreover at that time I did nothing that could give anie shadow It is true that when the noise did run that the Roman armie was beaten and that the enemie were coming to pillage the Gaules I hindered that anie who was too fearfull of that false news should break the bridge that crossed the Rhine And by that means I did in some manner serve the Roman Legions It is also true that when they were returning I keeped my self at the end of the bridge to thank the Souldiers To praise some assist others comfort the wounded and in the end â—o do everie thing that compassion and Generositie counselled me to do in favours of them who had fought for the advantage of their countrey for the safitie of Tiberius and for the glorie of Germanieus But if I be not deceived I ought rather to have been thanked for that action then to have been looked upon as an enemie Further the freindship that the Legions had both for Agrippina and for Germanicus hath onlie served for the advantage of his enemies For though he knew as well as I that they had but verie unjust inclinations for him He made use of that freindship or the Legions to engaâ—ge them â—â— his designs And his designs had no other object but the glorie of them who loved him not It is true he was obstinate for the German War But it was onlie because he beleived it convenient to do it for the publick good As in effect the event at last made what I say appear For after the valiant Arminius and the generous Inguiomere had done their last endeavours to raise an armie capable of conquering that of Germanicus And that by all stratagemes of warr which great Captains do use they had considered how to takefull advantages which the scituation of the place could give them Germanicus ceased not to gain so manic Victories as he made fights or as he gave battles Never were enemies seen defend themselves more obstinatly It seemed that they did not sometimes flee but to return with the greater courage to fight The defaiting of their troupes did on lie augment their courage And the nearer they seemed to be conquered the more they to put themselves in condition of being victorious It might have been said that the valor of the Souldiers who were killed past into the hearts of their companions ro revenge their death And therefore Germanicus merits not a little glorie for having conquered such enemies Among the things which were found in the bootie that was taken from them after one of the battles which was lost There were a great manic chains to be seen which they caried with them to fetter the Roman Souldiers whom they should take prisoners For they doubted not that they should gain the victorie However after that Germanicus by his valor and conduct had revenged the death of Varrus The loss of his Legions had again found the lost coulors And caried horror amongst all the Barbarians What did he for his particular interest What did he for his own glorie Shall I rell it generous Romans Yes let us tell it for his honour and for the â—ame of his enemies He erected a Magnificent Trophie with an inscription that simply said That Tiberius Cesars armie had consecrated these monuments to Mars to Jupiter and to Augustus For the victorie that it had obtained against these Nations which inhabitated bet wixt the Rhine and Albis And all that Romans without speaking of himself more then of the meâ—â—st Souldier of the armie that he commanded I shall not tell you exactlie all the actions which Germanicus hath done Fame hath reached you it And the hatred that hath been had to him should also perswade you that he merited your freindship Further when Tiberius judged that it was convenient for the designs which he had that Germanicus should return to Rome to receive the honor of the Triumph That unfortunate Heroe did well know that they desired they should Triumph before the victorie nevertheless he did not forbear to obey them he left that imperfect war which he was going to finish so profitablie and so gloriously for you And without desiring to use all his prudence he listned onlie to his generositie You saw him invincible Romans in the Triumphing Chariot But in the verie instant wherein you was sheding tears of joy perhaps there was some of the Magicians of which Rome is plentifullie furnished who then foretold that you should verie soon shed tears of sorrow upon the Ashes of Germanicus You also know that he was not recalled to his countrey to permit him to live in it On the contrare he was sent to a place verie far off And it was found convenient or to speak better necessar Whither for the publick good or for particular reasons To banish him from Rome upon some honorable pretext Let it be what it would he did what he was desired he was as fortunate in pacifying the interests of the princes allyed to the Roman people as he had been in fighting his ene mies and if the treacherous Piso and the ambitious Planeina had not attempted his death Perhaps they might have had rouble enough to have brought it to pass Germanicus was so unversallie beloved that it would have been a hard matter for them who put him to death to have encreased the number of their complices He knew what was thought of him And the esseem that he had acquired could not make him suspected For everie time that he went into the warr he was accustomed to go alone in the night disguised like a simple Souldier from tent to tent to hear what was said of him yet it was not that he delighted in hearing the praises which were given to his valour
On the contrare he said he searched to be instructed of his faults that he might amend them Behold Romans what Germanicus was His Soul was whollie Noble and Generous And under whatsoever form death did present it self he looked upon it with a fixed countenance he hath seen tempest disperse his armie and drive his ship against the rocks without having anie other fear then that of seeing the Roman Legions perish He has beenseen after ship-wrack repay to all the Souldiers who escaped what the storme had made them loss He was seen while he livedserve his greatest enemies And that which is morestrange and more mervalous he is dead without having said anie thing against the chief of the conspiracie that was done against his life And he is contented with having prayed his friends to cause punish the complices Me thinks Romans that it is the least thing can be granted to the Ashes of Anthonies Nephew of Augustus his grand-son and of Agrippinaes husband yes Romans if Tiberius were chief of that conspiration which none among you dare say that it be by his order that Germanicus is put to death Being a great Politician as he is he ought alwaies to put the complices of his crime to death Piso and Plancina should be sacrificed to Germanicus though it should be but for to hinder them from speaking and to dry up your tears their blood ought to be shed All they who concern themselves with doing of horrid Villanies have alwaies used to let the executioners of their wicked designs be lost to the end that they be not suspected Piso hath alreadie had the audacity to say to Marsus Vibius by an insolent rallerie that seems to be like a person whom I name not because I have more respect then he that he would come to Rome to justifie the death of Germanicus when the Praetor informed of the poisons had summoned there all the criminals and all the accusers Yes Romans I tell you again that whatsoever way Germanicus was put to death Piso should die And I have so much hope from the prudence of Tiberius that I doubt not but Piso shall die And that in some manner the death of Germanicus will be revenged But to obtain this satisfaction employ your tears and prayers Let the name of Germanicus be heared over all Do not enclose your sorrow in the tomb of Augustus with those pittifull Reliques which we are carieing to it Follow me Romans Let us go to the Senat and demand justice for Germanicus Let us represent that it will be disgracefull to it not to revenge the death of a man for whom Triumphant Arches were erected Who was seen enter Rome in a Triumphant Chariot And who past among all Nations and among the Barbarians themselves for the most accomplished among mortals Let us not use charmes nor enchantments for destroying our enemies as they have done to destroy Germanicus Let us not revenge his death by the same armes which caused it let us trust to the justice of the Gods to the prudence of Tiberius and to the Senats authoritie The justice that we desire cannot be refused to us You Souldiers who have followed him ask the blood of Piso to revenge the death of your Captain Recount to the Senate the perills wherein you did accompanie him show the wounds you received in the fights where he was Tell truelie the things which you was witnesses of And in fine desire that the death of the Father of his Legions and your Generall may be revenged You generous Citizens who hear me desire boldlie that the death of Germanicus may be revenged Remember what he was Remember his vertue his modestie his goodness his courage his liberalitie and his moderation Say that he was the Modell by which you hoped to regulate the lives of your children to hinder them from following the perniciousexamples which they see everie day Tel that you have lost your Supporter and your upholder And desire at least that they may revenge on the person of the treacherous Piso him who is taken from you in fine who ever you be that hears my voice employ yours in asking this equitable vengeance Echo over all the names of Julius Cesar of Anthonie of Marcellus and of Augustus thereby to obtain what you desire Speak of Tombs of Urnes and of Ashes to excit compassion in the most cruel heart Joyn also some menaces with prayers if they be unprositable And forget nothing of all that can cause Piso his death comfort Agrippina and â—â—venge Germanicus THE EFFECT OF THIS HARRANGUE THis Harrangue failed not of an advantageous Effect all the Senate and all the Roma People were sensibly touched with it The one and the other shed tears breathed complaints and abandoned themselves to forrow And it was said that all the glorie of Rome entered the Tomb with the Ashes of Germanicus Everie on called Agrippina the honour of her countrey the blood of Augustus the onlie and last example of the ancient Roman Vertue And everie one prayed the Gods that they would preserve her Race and make her live beyond and after the intire ruine of these wicked men In fine the publick zeal was so arduous for Germanicus and for Agrippina that Tiberius was constrained to abandone â—iso to the rigour of justice But he prevented his judgement by the wound of a sword which he gave himself in the throat and whereof he instantly dyed SAPHO TO ERINNA THE TWENTIETH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT YOw are to hear that Illusticus Woman speak of whom all ages have said so much Whom Plato himself admired whose image was engraven like that of a great Prince of whom we have yet remaining a species of Poesie whose verses are called Saphick because it was she who invented their measure and whom two great men of Antiquity a Grecian and a Roman called the tenth Muse I cause her take occasion to exhort her freind to make verses as she did thereby to make it appear that Ladies are sapable of it And that they wrong themselves by neglecting such an agreealâ— occupation It is the Argument of this Harrangue that I give in particular to the glorie of this fair Sex as in generall I have given all this Volumn SAPHO TO ERINNA I Must Erinnae I must this day overcome in your mynd that disttrust of your self and thatfalse shame that hinders you from employing yourmind with things which it is Capable of But before I speak to you particularlie of your merit I must let you see that of our Sex in general that by the knowledge thereof I may the more easily bring you to what I would They who say that beauty is the portion of women And thatfine arts good learning and all the sublime and eminent sciences are of the domination of men without our having power to pretend to any part of them Are equallie differing from justice and vertue If it were so all women would be born with beautie and â—ll men with a strong disposition