also mocked him and went crying up and down My Masters I give you notice that you are like to eat no Tusculan Figs this year With these and many other such lewd Speeches they compelled Pompey to submit to their rash and giddy desires contrary to his more prudent purpose and determination which yet a General over so many Nations and Armies should not have done These little considered that he with whom he was to sight was Caesar who had taken a thousand Towns and Cities by assault had subdued above three hundred several Nations had won infinite Battels of the Germans and Gauls and was never overcome Had also taken a Million of men Prisoners and had slain as many in divers Battels Yet Pompeys men still vexing him with their importunity when they were come into the Fields of Pharsalia caused him to call a Counsel There Labienus the General of the Horsemen swore before them all that he would not return from the Battel till he had driven his Enemies out of the Field and the like Oath did all the rest of the Commanders take The Night before the fatal Battel there were heard sudden and fearful Noises in Pompeys Camp which awaked all the Souldiers At the changing of the fourth Watch there was seen a great light over Caesar Camp like unto a burning Torch which came and fell in Pompeys Camp In the morning Caesar intending to raise his Camp and to remove to the City of Scotusa whilst his Souldiers were busy in sending away their Bag and Baggage some brought Caesar word that they saw much Armour and many Weapons carryed too and fro in thier Enemies Camp and heard a great noise and bustling as of men that were preparing to fight His Scouts also brought him word that Pompeys Van was already set in Battel array Caesar much rejoyced when he heard this saying Now the day is come that we shall no longer sight with hunger and want but with men and thereupon gave order that they should presently put out the red coat of Arms upon his Tent which was the sign used amongst the Romans when they were to fight The Souldiers when they saw that left their Tents Carriages and all and with great shouts of Joy ran to arm themselves and so without noise or tumult they were by their Captains put into Battel array Pompey himself led the right Wing of his Battel against Anthony The middle Battle he gave to Scipio his Father in Law which was right against Domitius Calvinus His left Wing was led by Lucius Domitius Aenobarlius which was guarded by the men at Arms for all the Horsemen were placed there to distress Caesar if possibly they could and to overthrow the tenth Legion which contained the valiantest Souldiers that Caesar had and amongst whom himself always used to fight in Person Caesar seeing the lest Wing of his Enemies so strong with the guard of Horsemen brought six Company 's of Foot for a reserve and placed them behind the tenth Legion commanding them to stand close that they might not be discovered by the Enemy and commanded them when the Horsemen should charge upon them that they should not throw their Darts strait forward but upwards at their Faces For said he These brave Fellows and fine Dancers will not endure to have their Faces marred Pompey being on Horse-back rode up and dovvn to observe hovv both Armies vvere marshelled and perceiving that his Enemies stood still in their ranks expecting the signal of Battel and that his ovvn Battel vvaved up and dovvn disorderly as men unskilful in the Wars he feared that they would flie before they were charged Therefore he commanded his Van to stand steadily in their ranks and to defend themselves in a close fight when the Enemy should assault them But Caesar disliked this devise for thereby said he the force of their blows was lessened and by with-holding them from giving the charge that courage was taken away which the assailant carrieth with him when he comes on with fury it made them also more fainthearted in receiving the Enemies charge In Caesars Army there were about twenty two thousand fighting men and in Pompeys above twice so many When the signal of Battel was given on either side and the Trumpets sounded an Alarm every man began to look to himself But a few of the chiefest of the Romans and some Grecians that were amongst them that yet were not entred into the Battel perceiving the eminent danger began to bethink themselves to what a sad pass the ambition and contention between these two great Persons had brought the State of Rome unto where were Kinsmen against Kinsmen and Brethren against Brethren imbrewing their hands each in others blood Whereas if they could have been contented quietly to Govern what they had conquered the Roman Empire was big enough for them both Or if that could not have quenched their insatiable desires and thirst after Glory they had occasion enough offered them against the Germans and Parthians Or else they might have proceeded to conquer Scythia and India For what Scythian Horsemen or Parthian Arrows or Indian Riches could have withstood the power of seventy thousand Roman Souldiers especially being led by two such Captains as were Pompey and Caesar whose Names were famous through the World Now when the Fields of Pharsalia were covered over with Horse and Men in Arms after the Signal was given the first man of Caesars Army that advanced forward to give the charge was Caius Crassinius a Captain of one hundred twenty and five men and this he did to make good his promise to Ceasar who having asked him that morning what he thought of the event of the Battel he said Oh Caesar Thine is the Victory and this day thou shalt commend me either alive or dead Thereupon he brake out of his rank many others also followed him and ran into the midst of his Enemies making a great slaughter but as he still pressed forward one ran him through the neck and slew him Pompey did not make his left Wing to advance over suddenly but staid to see what his Horsemen would do who had already divided themselves intending to compass in Caesar and to force his Horsemen who were fewer in number to give back upon his squadron of Footmen and thereby to disorder them But on the other side Caesars Horsemen gave back a little and the six Companies of Footmen that he had placed secretly behind them being three thousand in number ran suddenly to charge the Enemy in the Flank and coming neer to Pompeys Horsemen they threw their Darts as Caesar had appointed them full in their Faces The young Gentlemen being raw Souldiers and little expecting such a manner of fight had not the hearts to defend themselves nor could abide to be hurt in their Faces but turning their Heads and clapping their hands on their Faces they fled shamefully They being thus routed Caesars men made no account to follow
Lacedemonians Then did the Lacedemonians send King Cleombrotus with an Army towards Thebes who being come near to Chaeronea with ten thousand Foot and a thousand Horse he pitched his Camp there staying for his Allies The Thebans being informed of the approach of the enemy chose Epaminondas to be their Captain General giving him the charge of this War with six other Counsellers to be assisting to him Now there came Oracles to Thebes from all parts some promising Victory and others threatning their overthrow and Epaminondas commanded them to set those on the right hand of the chair for Orations that promised Victory and the other on the left hand which being so disposed of he gat up into the chair and said to his Citizens If you will be obedient to your Captains and valiant against your enemies these Oracles on the right hand belong to you But if through faintness of heart ye refuse dangers those on the left hand shall be your Portion Then did he list the Names of all the Thebans which were able to bear Arms and chose out of some parts of Boeotia such as he thought fittest for the Wars His Presence exceedingly cheered up his Army and all the the time that he was Captain the Thebans never saw in their Camp any of those which they call sudden fears He used to say that there was no Death more honest and desirable than to die in the Wars and that the body of a Souldier should be hardened to endure any labour or pains He could not abide fat men and therefore cashired a whole Company of them as unprofitable burdens in his Army He had in all but six thousand fighting men and as they marched forwards they met with some unlucky signs as many esteemed them but he valued them not thinking that a resolution to fight in a good cause ought to be much stronger and of more force to raise in him good Hope than these evil signs that appeared to make him fear the worst As he was marching towards the Lacedemonians they heard it Thunder and they that were neer him asked him what that meant He answered that it betokened that the Enemies brains were troubled and beclouded who having places of advantage hard by them yet encamped in the plaines Indeed the Lacedemonians waited there for their Allies who yet failed them For all of them having at leasure considered of the speech of Epaminondas at Sparta began to distast the ambition of the Lacedemonians Epaminondas seeing his advantage caused his Army to march with speed and wan the straights by the City of Coronea and encamped there Cleombrotus underâ— standing that the Thebans had possessed themselves of that pass despairing to recover it he made his Army to march a great compass about the Country of Phocide going along the Sea Coast through a dangerous and troublesome way and so at the last he entered into the Country of Boeotia and as he went he took in some little Towns and certain Gallies that lay upon the Coast and at the last arrived at Leuctres and there sat down to refresh his men who were overwearied with their tedious march Then did Epaminondas presently advance that way to meet them and having passed over some little Mountains he discovered them in the plain of Leuctres where his men were much amazed to see so great an Army of their Enemies The six Counsellers came together to consider whether they should go forward and fight few against many or else retreat waiting for some better advantage In this Councel their opinions fell out to be equal Three judged it best to retreat the other whereof Epaminondas was one thought it best to fight and with these three Pelopidas who was Captain of the Sacred Band joyned whereupon they all agreed to give them Battel Epaminondas seeing his Souldiers somewhat affrighted at the former ill signs to put courage into them he suborned some that were newly come from Thebes to scatter a report that no man could tell at Thebes what was become of the Arms that hung up in the Temple of Hercules but it was commonly said that the Demigods their Ancestors had taken them away to aid their posterity at this present time He caused another also who was newly come from Trophonius hole to report that the God which gives his Oracles therein commanded him to tell the Boeotians that when they had overcome their enemies in the plain of Leuctres they should celebrate yearly Plays to the honour of Jupiter and to gain the more credit to these devices Leandridas a Spartan that was banished out of his own Country and now was assisting the Boeotians being brought before the Souldiers he encouraged them to fight valiantly that Day for he swore unto them that the Lacedemonians had many Oracles bidding them to beware of Leuctres Epaminondas also assembling his Army encouraged them with strong and lively reasons to shew their valour so that at last the Souldiers being freed from their superstitious fears longed for nothing more than to come to blows Epaminondas ever concluded his Orations to them with these Words O worthy men embrace sacred Death Advance your selves to a most honorable and famous Fight for your Country for the Tombs of your Ancestors and for your Holy things Just at this very time there came to the Thebans an aid of five hundred Horse and fifteen hundred Foot all Thessalians conducted by Jason This Jason endeavored to have made peace with both parties but could not prevail Also as Cleombrotus retired with his Army out of Boeotia he met a great supply of Lacedemonians and their Allies brought to him by Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus These he sent before thinking to daunt the courage of the Thebans with the sight of them and himself with the rest of his Army suddenly returned into the plain of Leuctres being fully resolved to fight and the Boeotians for their part shrunk not an inch back and so on both sides they set their men in Battel array Epaminondas ordered his Battel after a new fashion never practised by any Captain For having chosen out of his Army the best and most valiant Souldiers he placed them together in one of the Points of his Battel where himself meant to fight in Person seconded by Pelopidas and his three hundred chosen men called the Holy Band In the other Point he placed his weaker men commanding them expresly not to abide the charge of their enemies that should assail them in Front but fair and softly retire when they saw them come near them and it fell out as he wished and he hoped to determine the Battel by the Virtue and prowess of those where he had placed all the flower and choice of his Army Now the sign of Battel being given the Lacedemonians advanced with the two Horns of their Battel ordered in the form of a Crescent On the contrary one of the wings of the Battel of the Boeotians began to give
back and the other with great fury ran to charge the enemy in the Flank and soon they were come to the Swords point At the first because either side fought desperately the Victory for a time stood doubtful but at last Epaminondas his Troop brake in amongst the Lacedemonians and slew most of those that were about Cleombrotus Yet while the King was alive he kept back the Thebans from the Victory being accompanied with all the flower of his Army who fought very valiantly about him But after he fell dead to the ground having received and given an infinite number of wounds then thronged they together on all sides and there was a bloody and cruel fight about his Body where were heaps of men slain one upon another and though Epaminondas did all that possibly he could yet the Lacedemonians made such resistance that at last they forced the Thebans somewhat to give back whereby they conveyed the Body of the King out of the press But this continued not long For Epaminondas both by his words and example did so raise up and encourage the hearts of his men that they fought like Lions and gave so fierce a second charge upon their enemies that they wholly routed them and made them flie for life and Epaminondas fiercely pusuing the flying enemy made a great slaughter of them and obtained the most glorious Victory that ever Captain won having in a pitched Field overcome the most Noble and warlike Nation of all Greece and that with a far smaller number of men than his enemies had He also rejoyced more in this than in all his other Victories because it happened to him in his Fathers life-time and he often used to say that of all the honest and happy Fortunes that befel him nothing joyed his heart more than that he vanquished the Lacedemonians at Leuctres his Father and Mother living to see it and indeed he that day did not only preserve their lives but of all his Citizens besides the Lacedemonians having fully resolved utterly to destroy the Thebans Epaminondas used at all other times to come abroad fine and neat and with a pleasant countenance but the next day after this Battel he came out very sad heavy and pensive and when his Friends asked him whether he had heard any ill news which occasioned this posture he said No but said he I perceive by my self yesterday that being overjoyed with the Victory I obtained my heart was more elvated than it ought and therefore to day I correct that joy which yesterday exceeded its due bounds He knowing that it was the manner of the Spartans as much as possible to conceal their losses he suffered them not to carry away all their dead Bodies together but every City one after another by which it appeared that there were four thousand of them slain But of the Boeotians there were not found above three hundred dead This Battel was fought in the beginning of the second year of the hundred and second Olympiade The Lacedemonians having by this overthrow lost the greatest part of their honour which they had maintained so long yet lost not their courage but to keep their youth still in heart and to take away all fear from such as had escaped they sent Agesilaus with an Army into Arcadia who was contented to take a few small Towns of the Mantineans and so to return home again Some say that Lycomedes Captain of the Arcadians making an inrode neer to Orchomene slew in an encounter Politropus Captain of the Lacedemonians and two hundred Spartans with him which provoked the Lacedemonians against them and thereupon the Arcadians finding themselves too weak for them they sought alliance and aid from the Thebans Sure it is that these two States were now at enmity which occasioned the Arcadians and Thebans to joyn together who with their Allies being led by Epaminondas entred into Laconia with an Army of forty thousand men besides thirty thousand others that followed the Camp At this time the Athenians sent Captian Iphecrates with twelve thousand men to aid the Lacedemonians But before their coming Epaminondas was entered into Laconia and had sacked all the Country which had not been wasted by any enemy for six hundred years before The Spartans seeing their Country thus plundred and destroyed were desirous to have gone out with such Forces as they had but Agesilaus would not suffer them telling them how dangerous it was for them to leave their City and to set upon such a potent and numerous enemy This made them quiet and Epaminondas in the mean time marched with his Army towards the River Eurotas which at that time was risen very high because of the Winter rains He endeavoured all he could to draw forth Agesilaus to a Battel who beholding Epaminondas a great while marching with his Army in Battel aray along the River side at the Head of his Troops he wondered at his boldness and Valour but would by no means adventure out of his Fort So that when this Army had plundred all Laconia Epaminondas led them back again with a very rich Booty And though Agesilaus was commended for preserving his City in safety yet Epaminondas had by this inrode and especially by his Victory at Leuctres so impoverished the Country that Sparta could never after recover that loss nor grow into that reputation and power which it had before Yea notwithstanding the aid sent by the Athenians and the skill and experience of Iphecrates Epaminondas returned with his Army intire as he came Epaminondas that he might keep the Lacedemonians still underfoot and heap new troubles upon them gave Counsel to the Arcadians and their Allies to reedifie and replenish with People the City of Messina which the Lacedemonians had long before destroyed and when all the whole Councel had given their consents to it he forthwith by diligent enquiry sought out all that had been ancient Inhabitants in that City and in the space of eighty five Days having repaired the ruined Houses he raised again one of the most Noble and ancient Cities of Greece and left there a strong Garrison for their security This gat him as much if not more love and honour than any other service which he had ever done The Lacedemonians being freed from a great fear by his departure made an agreement with the Athenians leaving to them the chief command by Sea and reserving to themselves that by Land And afterwards by the assistance of the Athenians and that aid which came to them out of Sicily by little and little they recovered their Towns again The Arcadians to stop their proceedings assaulted the City of Pallene in Laconia and taking it by storm put all the Garrison therein to the Sword and then razed the Town and plundred all the Country there abouts And expecting that the Lacedemonians would seek revenge they sent for aid to the Thebans who sent Epaminondas and the other Counsellers to assist them with
slain Antigonus being in a rage caused the dead body of Joseph to be whipped though Pheroras his Brother offered fifty Talents to have redeemed it After this loss the Galileans revolting from their Governours drowned those that were of Herods party in the Lake In Idumaea also there were many innovations Anthony having made peace with his enemy commanded Caius Sosius to assist Herod against Antigonus with two Cohorts When Herod came to Daphne the Suburbs of Antioch he heard of his Brother Josephs deah which caused him to hasten his journey and coming to Mount Libanus he took thence with him eight hundred men and one Cohort of the Romans and so came to Ptolemais from whence in the night he passed with his Army through Galilee Here his enemies met him whom he overcame in fight and forced them into the Castle from whence they had issued the day before Them he assaulted but was compelled to desist by reason of the extremity of the weather and to retreat into some neighbouring Villages but upon the coming of another Cohort from Anthony they in the Castle were so affrighted that they forsook the same by night Herod then hastned to Jericho purposing to revenge his Brothers death and being come thither he feasted his Nobles and the feast being ended and his guests dismissed he retired into his chamber and presently the room wherein they had supped being now empty of company fell down without hurting any which made many to think that surely Herod was beloved of God who had so miraculously preserved him The next day six thousand of the enemies came down from the Mountains to fight with him and their forlorn-hope with darts and stones so terrified the Romans and some of Herods Souldiers that they fled and Herod himself received a wound in his side Antigonus desiring to have his strength seem greater than it was sent one of his Captains named Pappus with some forces into Samaria whilst himself went against Machaeras In the mean time Herod took in five Towns and therein put two thousand of the Garrison Souldiers to the sword and setting the Towns on fire he went against Pappus and was strengthened by many that came to him out of Jericho and Judea yet was the enemy so confident that he would joyn battel with him but in fight Herod overcame them and being inflamed with a desire to revenge his Brothers death he pursued them that fled slew many of them and followed them into a Village and there slew many more of them who retreated into houses the rest fled After which Victory Herod had presently gone to Jerusalem and put an end to the war had not the sharpness of the Winter hindred him for now Antigonus bethought himself to leave the City and fly elsewhere for safety Herod in the evening when he had dismissed his Friends to refresh themselves as yet hot in his Armour went into a chamber attended with one only servant to wash himself wherein some of his enemies armed whom fear had forced thither were hidden and whilst he was naked and washing himself first one and then a second and a third ran out armed with naked swords in their hands so astonished that they were glad to save themselves without profering the least hurt to the King The next day Herod amongst others cut off Pappus his head and sent it by way of revenge for his Brothers death to his Brother Pheroras for it was Pappus that with his own hand had slain Joseph Herod in the beginning of the third year after he had been declared King at Rome coming with an Army to Jerusalem encamped near the City and from thence removing to that place where the Walls were fittest to be assaulted he pitched his Tents before the Temple intending to attempt them as Pompey had done in times past and having encompassed the place with three Bulworks by the help of many workmen he raised his batteries fetching materials from all places thereabouts and appointing fit men to oversee the work and then himself went to Samaria to solemnize his Marriage with Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus who was formerly betrothed to him The Marriage ceremony being over Sosius came with an Army of Horse and Foot being sent by Anthony to the aid of Herod and Herod also took a great party with him from Samaria to Jerusalem so that the whole Army being come together consisted of eleven Legions of Foot and six thousand Horse besides the Syrian Auxiliaries which were very many and so they pitched on the North-side of the City Over this great Army were two Generals Sosius and Herod who purposed to displace Antigonus as an enemy to the people of Rome and to establish Herod in the Kingdom according to the Decree of the Senate The Jews being gathered together out of the whole Countrey and shut up within the Walls made a valiant resistance boasting much of the Temple of the Lord and saying that the Lord would not forsake his people in the time of danger By secret sallies also they burnt up and spoiled all provision without the City both for Man and Horse whereby the Besiegers began to be pinched but Herod provided against their excursions by placing ambushments in convenient places and sending parties to fetch in provision from afar off so that in a short time the Army was well furnished with all necessaries By reason of the multitude of Workmen the three bulworks were soon finished it being Summer time so that no untemperateness of weather hindred them and with his Engines Herod often battered the Walls and left nothing unassayed but the besieged fought valiantly and were every way as active and subtile to make void his endeavours often sallying forth and firing their Works both those that were finished and others that were but begun and coming to handistrokes with the Romans they were nothing inferiour to them but only in Martial skill The Sabbatical year now coming brought a Famine upon the besieged Jews notwithstanding which they built a new Wall within that which was beaten down by the battering Rams and so countermined the Enemies mines that many times they came to Handystrokes under ground and making use of despair instead of courage they held it out unto the last though Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple advised them to receive Herod into the City saying that they could not avoid his being their King by reason of their sins They held out the siege for five moneths space though there was so great an Army before the City but at length twenty of Herods choicest Souldiers got upon the Wall and after them the Centurions of Sosius So that the first Wall was taken on the forti'th day and the second on the fiftieth and some Galleries about the Temple were burnt down which Herod charged though falsly upon Antigonus thereby to bring him into hatred with the people When the outward part of
fell the Romans by heaps under their Enemies Swords and were beaten down as well fighting as flying so that of thirty six thousand there escaped no more than ten thousand of all sorts The remainder of this broken Army was collected by Scipio who got therewith into Placentia stealing away the same Night which was very rainy Sempronius escaped with great danger and fled to Rome where he did his Office in choosing new Consuls for the year following and then returned to his Province with a fresh supply against Hannibal The Winter proved very sharp and unfit for service which well pleased the Romans who lay warm in Placentia and Cremona Yet did not Hannibal suffer them to lie very quiet but vexed them with continual Alarms assaulting divers places and taking some He also wan the Lygurians to him who to testifie their faithful love presented him with two Roman Questors Treasurers two Collonels and five young Gentlemen the Sons of Senators These and all his other Prisoners Hannibal held in streight places loaden with Irons and miserably fed But there followers he intreated courteously and sent them to their own Countries without ransome protesting that he undertook the War in Italy to free them from the oppression of the Romans By these means he drew many to his party and assistance But some of the Gauls fearing that their Country should be made the seat of War conspired against his Life others discovered the danger to him who yet soon after were ready to practice the same which enforced Hannibal to use Perukes and false Beards the better to conceal himself from them At length when Summer was come he resolved to leave these giddy Companions and so passed the Appenine Hills that he might approach nearer to Rome So away he went having his Army much recruted with Ligurians and Gauls and to prevent the obstructions in the ordinary way he chose to travel through the Fennes of Tuscany In those Marshes and Bogs he lost all his Elephants save one with one of his own eyes through the moistness of the Air and by lodging on the cold Ground Yet at last with much ado he recovered the firm and fertile Plains and Quartered about Arretium where he somewhat refreshed his weary Army and heard news of the Roman Consuls C. Flaminius and Cn. Servilius were newly chosen Consuls for this year The first a tractable man wholly governed by the Senate the other a hot-headed man who fearing some obstruction gat him out of the City before the day of Election that he might as soon as he was chosen take possession of his Office fearing lest he should lose his Honour which he hoped to gain in the War The Senators were so displeased at this that they sent for him back but he neglected their Command and hasted to meet with the Carthaginians whom he found at Arretium Hannibal was well pleased with the fiery disposition of this Consul and therefore provoked him by many indignities hoping thereby to draw him to fight ere Servilius came with the rest of the Army For which end he put to Fire and Sword all the Country round about him even under the Consuls Nose By this Flaminius thought his Honour to be much impaired and therefore advanced towards the Enemy Many advised him to stay for his Colleague but he would not be perswaded Then he commanded the Army to march All the Territory of Cortona as far as to the Lake of Thrasymene was on a light Fire which whilst Flaminius thought to quench with his enemies blood he pursued Hannibal so unadvisedly that he fell with his whole Army into an Ambush from thence he was charged unaware from all sides so that he knew not which way to turn nor how to make resistance There was he slain in that place accompanied with the Carcasses of fifteen thousand of his Countrymen About six thousand of his Vantguard took courage out of desparation and breaking through their Enemies they recovered the tops of the Mountains but being discovered there Maharbal was sent after them who overtook them by Night in a Village and surrounded them with his Horse and so they yielded rendring up their Arms upon promise of life and liberty This accord Hannibal refused to confirm and so made them all Prisoners At this time he had about fifteen thousand Prisoners all that were not Romans he set free without ransome still protesting that for their sakes he came into Italy But the Romans he kept in streight Prison and held them to hard meat Presently after the Battel of Thrasymene C. Sempronius with four thousand Horse came neer to Hannibals Camp He was sent from Ariminum by Servilius the other Consul to encrease the strength of Flaminius but coming too late he only encreased the misadventure Hannibal sent out Maharbal to intercept him who finding them amazed at the ill news of the late loss charged and brake them killing almost half of them and drew the rest simply to yield to mercy Servilius hearing of the overthrow and death of his Colleague hasted to Rome for the defence of it Greatly were the Romans amazed at these disasters and their approaching danger Wherefore they had recourse to a remedy which had been long out of use and that was to choose a Dictator whose power was above the Consuls and scarcely subject to the Control of the whole City And now they chose Q. Fabius Maximus the best reputed Man of War in the City and Fabius chose M. Minutius Rufus Master of the Horse who was as the Dictators Lieutenant The first act of Fabius was the reformation of somewhat that was amiss in matter of Religion then were the Walls and Towers of Rome repaired and fortified the Bridges upon Rivers were broken down and all care taken for the defence of Rome it self Four Legions the Dictator raised in hast and from Ariminum he received the Army which Servilius had conducted thither With these he marched apace after Hannibal not to fight but to affront him He always lodged upon high grounds and of hard access knowing that the Roman Horse were far inferiour to the Numidians Hannibal in the mean while pursued his Victory and ranged over all the Countries using all manner of cruelty towards the Inhabitants especially those of the Roman Nation of whom he put all to the Sword that were able to bear Arms. Passing by Spoletum and Ancona he encamped upon the Adriatick shores refreshing his diseased and over travelled Army and armed his Africans after the Roman manner and made his dispatches for Carthage presenting his Friends which were very many with part of the Spoils that he had gotten Having refreshed his Army cured his wounded and fed his Horses he followed the course of the Adriatick Shore towards Apulia a Northern Province of the Kingdom of Naples spoiling all that lay in his way Yet took he not one City in all those Countries Indeed he assaied Spoletum but finding it
ever he used But Caesar marvelled that being in so strong a City and expecting his Army out of Spain and being Master of the Seas besides he vvould so easily forsake Italy Thus Caesar vvithin threescore days became Lord of all Italy vvithout bloodshed He was very desirous speedily to have followed Pompey but having no Ships ready he was forced to stay Then did he hasten into Spain to joyn Pompey's Army with his own Pompey in the mean space had gotten a marvellous great power together both by Sea and Land By Sea he had five hundred good Ships of War besides multitudes of Galliots Foists and Pinnaces By Land he had all the flower of the Horsemen of Rome and of all Italy to the number of seven thousand Valiant men and of great Houses But his Footmen were raw and untrained Souldiers whom Pompey continually exercised at the City of Beraea taking as much pains therein as if he had been in his youth It was great encouragement to others to see Pompey being fifty eight years old fighting on foot compleatly Armed and then speedily to mount on Horseback and in his full Career to draw and put up his Sword to cast his Dart with as much agility and strength and point blank that few young men could do the like To Pompey there came divers Kings Princes and Lords of great Countries and of Roman Captains who had born Office to the number of a vvhole Senate Amongst these there came also Labienus who formerly had been Caesars great Friend and an assistant to him in his Wars in Gaul There came also to him Brutus a very Valiant man vvho had never before spoken unto Pompey because he thought him guilty of his Fathers Murther but novv he vvillingly joyned with him as a defender of the Roman Liberties Cicero himself also vvho had Written and given counsel for Peace thought it a shame not to be amongst the number of those vvho would hazard their lives in the defence of their Country There came also Didius Sextus though he was an old man and lame of one of his Legs vvhom when Pompey savv coming though others laughed him to scorn yet he rose up and vvent to meet him judging it a sign of much love vvhen such old men chose rather to accompany him in danger than to remain at home in safety The chief of Pompey's Army sitting in Counsel decreed that no Citizen of Rome should be put to death but such as fell in Battel That no City subject to the Empire of Rome should be sackt vvhich made Pompey's part liked the better And most judged those Enemies both to the Gods and Men that did not vvish him the Victory Caesar also shevved himself very courteous and merciful for having taken all Pompey's Army in Spain he set all the Captains at liberty and only reserved the Souldiers to himself Then coming over the Alps again he passed through all Italy and came to Brundusium in the Winter time and from thence passing over the Sea he came to the City of Oricum and having Vibius one of Pompey's familiar Friends with him whom he had taken Prisoner he sent him to Pompey again to desire that they might meet and both of them disband their Armies within three days and being reconciled and having given their Faith each to other to return into Italy like good Friends together But Pompey durst not trust to these fair words judging them but snares to entrap him He therefore suddenly removed to the Sea coast and took all the places of strength neer to the Sea side safely to lodg his Camp in and all the Ports Harbours and Creeks fit for Ships to lie in so that whatsoever Wind blew it served his turn to bring him either men victuals or mony Caesar on the other hand was so distressed both by Sea and Land that he was driven to hasten to a Battel and to assail Pompey even in his own strength to force him to fight with him and for the most part he always had the better in most skirmishes saving one wherein he was in danger to have lost all his Army For Pompey had valiantly repulsed all his men and made them flie and had slain two thosand of them in the Field but he durst not enter pell mell with them into their Camp when they fled which made Caesar say to his Friends That his Enemy had won the Victory that day if he had known how to overcome This Victory did so encourage Pompeys men that they would needs hazard a Battel But Pompey though he wrote to many of his Friends and Confederates as if he had already beaten Caesar yet was he not willing to adventure all upon a Battel thinking it better by protracting time and cutting his Enemy short of Victuals to overcome him For this end Pompey perswaded his men to be quiet and not to stir But when Caesar after this last bickering being scanted of Victuals raised his Camp and departed to go into Thessaly through the Country of the Athamaneans then he could no longer bridle their courage who cryed out Caesar is fled let us follow him And others said let us return home into Italy And some sent their Friends and Servants to Rome to hire them Houses near the Market place intending at their return to sue for Offices Some in a jollity would needs sail to Lesbos where Pompey had left his Wife Cornelia to carry her the good news that the War was endeed Pompey calling a Counsel Affricanus thought it best to go into Italy and to win that as being the chiefest mark they shot at in this War For whosoever had that was sure of all Sicily Sardinia Corsica Spain and Gaul He said also that it was a dishonour to Pompey who should be very tender of his credit to suffer their Country to be in such bondage and subjection to Slaves and base flatterers of a Tyrant when as it offered it self as it were into their hands But Pompey thought it dishonourable for him to flie from Caesar and to make him follow him since he now had him in chase nor lawful before the Gods now to forsake his Father in Law Scipio and many others who had been Consuls and who were dispersed up and down Greece and Thessaly who by this means would certainly fall into Caesars hands together with their Riches and Armies He said also that they had care enough for the City of Rome by drawing their Armies farthest from it so as they remaing safe and quiet at home not feeling the miseries of War might joyfully welcome him home that remained Conquerour With this determination he followed Caesar not intending to give him Battel but to besiege him and so to cut him short of Victuals But whilst he pursued him fair and softly his men cryed out of him that he intended not to War against Caesar but against his own Country that he might still keep the authority in his hand Phaonius
he resolved first to go into Spain which held for Pompey and where he had his best Legions under the command of Petreius and Afranius saying to his Friends Let us go against an Army which wants a Captain and afterwards we will go against a Captain that wants an Army For Pompeys Souldiers in Spain were very valiant and had been long exercised in Armes but their Commanders were neither Politick nor expert in War But on the contrary Pompey was a most Wise and Valiant Captain but his Souldiers were newly levyed and of small experience Caesar returning from Brundusium in sixty days space became Lord of all Italy and when he came to Rome the People were in great fear remembring the miseries they had suffered under Sylla But Caesar using his accustomed clemency hurt no man high nor low He called the Senators together which remained there comforting them with mild and good words and laying the whole fault upon Pompey he sought to justifie his own cause declaring how much he desired Peace with all requesting that Ambassadours might be sent to Pompey to procure the same And causing himself present to be chosen Consul he opened the Treasury though Metellus one of the Tribunes of the People opposed him and the Treasure which he took from thence which was very great he distributed amongst his Souldiers Then was he desirous to go into Spain first taking order for the civil Government and making choice of the Legions which should go with him he left the rest in Brundusium and Otranto and other strong places upon the Sea Coast to keep Pompey from landing if he should attempt to retùrn into Italy He also made Hortensius and Dolabella his Captains to provide Shipping to be brought into the Port of Brundusium there to be in a readiness against his return from Spain Quintus Valerius he sent with a Legion into Sardinia against Marcus Cotta which held the same for Pompey To Sicily he sent Curius and Marcus Cato with direction that having taken the same he should pass over into Africk Lepidus he sent to Rome as Prefect thereof and Mark Anthony he made Governour of all Italy And resolving to leave Lucinius Crassus in France with his accustomed celerity he went on his Journey finding no resistance neither in Italy nor France till he came to Marcelleis which held for Pompey This City he besieged and to avoid loss of time left Decius Brutus and Caius Trebonius with sufficient Forces who indured much in the siege himself hasted into Spain where being expected Afranius and Petreius attended him with four Roman Legions and the aid of their Friends between whom and Caesar the War continued for some while chiefly about the City of Lerida At first Caesar was in great danger and much distressed chiefly for want of Victuals as also for that the Winter was come on which troubled him with the swelling of Rivers before and after which there passed many great skirmishes between the two Armies And Caesar watching his opportunities at last brought his adversaries to such distress that they perished with hunger and were forced to come to a composition which was that the Legions should have liberty to go whither they pleased and so part of them took pay of Caesar the rest departed and Petreius and Afranius went to Pompey This War being ended and the Spring come Caesar that he might leave no Enemy behind him marched into the Province of Betica now Andaluzia with part of his forces commanding the rest to march whither he had appointed and there to stay for him because Marcus Varro held that Province for Pompey against Caesar with one good Legion But he not daring to oppose Caesar delivered up the Legion to him together with that Country and all was pacified there From thence Caesar went to Cordova where he called a Parliament of all the States of that Province in which he highly commended them and those of Sivil for taking his part and so marching forward he came to the Isle of Cadez where having gotten Ships in readiness he left Quintus Cassius with four Legions in that Province and so embarking he went to Taragona commanding his Legions to march by Land thither where having settled his affairs he advanced with his Army towards Narbona and from thence to Marcelleis which now yielded to him having endured many calamities during the Siege Caesar respecting the antiquity and fame of this City would not destroy it nor the Inhabitants but leaving a strong Garrison in it he ordered his Legions to march for Italy and himself with a sufficient guard and some of his Friends took passage by Sea to Rome Though all things succeeded thus well with Caesar yet some of his Captains had ill success For Caius Antonius whom he left with Dolabella for to command his Navy was overthrown and taken Prisoner in the Gulph of Venice by Octavius Lieutenant to Pompey In which overthrow this was very remarkable Anthony was faign to put his men into long Boats for want of Ships which were taken by a Strategem as in a toil by the Pompeians with Ropes under the Water One of them which had in it a thousand valiant young men being thus ensnared was assaulted by the Enemies whole Army against which they defended themselves bravely from morning till night and in the end being oppressed with the multitude by the perswasion of Valteius their Collonel they all slew one another rather than they would fall into the Enemies hand Dolabella was likewise overthrown near to the Island of Corcyra now Corfu and Curius who went with his two Legions into Africk though at first he had good success yet afterwards he was overthrown and most of his men slain by Juba King of Mauritania Pompeys Friend Caesar being come to Rome and made Dictator new Consuls were chosen whereof he being one layed aside his Dictatorship and provided Praetors for the Provinces as himself pleased He sent Marcus Lepidus into Spain Aulus Albinus into Sicily Sextus Peduceius into Sardinia and Decius Brutus into France and taking such further order as he thought good he departed from Rome in December towards Brundusium whither he commanded all his Forces to march there to take passage for Macedonia where he knew that Pompey staid with his Army who all that whole year that Caesar spent in his journey to Spain busied himself to provide a Navy wherein to return into Italy and in gathering Treasure and levying Souldiers having made an exceeding great provision of all things For there came unto him Ships money and men from sundry Kingdoms and Provinces both of Asia and Greece as from Syria Pontus Bithynia Cilicia Phoenicia Cappadocia Pomphilia Armenia Minor Aegypt Greece Thessaly Baeotia Achaia Epirus Athens Lacedemonia the Isles of Creet and Rhodes and from many other Countries There came also to his aid King Deiotarus and Aribarzanes of all which together with those which he brought with him from Italy
eight hundred Gallies and Ships of burthen two hundred whereof Cleopatra gave him together with all the Ammunition and Victuals necessary for the Fleet He also took her along with him contrary to the advise of all those which were of his Counsel Then sailed he to the Isle of Samos to which he had appointed all the Kings Tetrarchs and People which served under him in this War to come by a day prefixed The Kings that met him there were Tarcondemus King of the upper Cilicia Archalaus of Cappadocia Philodelphus of Paphlagonia Methridates of Comagena and others Besides those which sent there Forces as Herod King of Judaea Amyntas of Lycaonia and the Kings of Arabia Of the Medes and Palemon King of Pontus with some others So that he had one hundred thousand well trained Footmen and twenty two thousand Horse besides his Navy by Sea which consisted of five hundred Gallies besides Ships of burden which carried his Ammunition and Victuals If Anthony thus furnished had presently passed into Italy he had put Octavian into great hazard For then he had not sufficient Forces to have withstood him nor other necessary Provision for the Wars But Mark Anthony delaying the time at Athens let slip the opportunity and gave Octavian leasure to provide all things necessary from Italy France Spain and all other his Provinces from whence he levied eighty thousand choise Souldiers and above twenty thousand good Horse and seeing that Anthony stayed so long he sent him word that seeing he had Ships and other fit provision he should come for Italy where he staid in the Field to give him Battel promising to afford him good Ports and Havens where he might safely land without interruption To this Anthony answered that it would be more honourable if he would determine this quarrel in Person against him body to body which he would willingly accept though he was now old and crazed and the other young and lusty and if he liked not of this challenge he would stay for him with his Army in the Fields of Pharsalia in the same place where Julius Caesar fought with Cneius Pompey These Messages passing between them without effect Anthony drew his Army by Land and his Navy by Sea towards Italy and Octavian imbarked his Legions at Brundusium and crossed the Sea to a place called Torma in the Province of Epire now called Romania and after some notable exploits performed the two Armies drew neer together as also did the Navies Octavians Navy consisted of two hundred and fifty Gallies but better armed and swifter than were Mark Anthonies though his were more in number And Mark Anthony being perswaded by Cleopatra who in this also was the cause of his ruin thereby to have the better means to fly if the Battel should be lost would needs try his Fortune in a Sea fight though his Army by Land had a great advantage over the other Anthony chose twenty thousand out of his Army and put them aboard his Fleet and Octavian who refused not the Sea-fight made his provision also and so shipping himfelf in his Gallies he committed the charge of his Land Army to Taurus and Anthony left his Land Forces with Canidius and in the sight of both the Armies these two brave Captains with the best Navies in the World took the Seas where they fought for no less than the Empire of the World Yet was the Fight deferred for three days in dispite of both Parties the Seas rising so high that they could not Govern their Vessels The fourth day they came to an encounter at a Cape called Accius in Epire not far from the place where their Land Armies stood The Battel was one of the most cruellest that ever was heard of and lasted ten hours before Octavian obtained the Victory though Mark Anthony staid not so long in the fight For Cleopatra in the greatest fury of the Battel fled away in her Galley whom seventy of her other Galleys followed and unfortunate Mark Anthony who all his life time hitherto had been a valiant and brave Captain seeing Cleopatra fly on whom he had fixed his eyes and heart shifting out of his own Galley into a lighter followed her without regard of his Armies either by Sea or Land and overtaking her went aboard her Galley wherein he sailed three days without either seeing or speaking with her being confounded with shame for shewing so much weekness and at last they arrived in the Port of Alexandria in Aegypt His Navy which he left fighting though now Headless and without a Captain yet continued to make gallant resistance till five thousand of them were slain and at last they were overcome rather for want of a Commander then through any force of an Enemy though Octavians light and swift Galleys were a great help to him and so he remained Conquerour and granted life and pardon to the conquered getting into his hands three hundred of their Galleys In Anthonys Army by Land there wanted neither courage nor constancy to theit General though he had so unworthily deserted them and therefore they continued seven days in their Camp ready to give Battel without accepting any composition from the Enemy and they would have staid longer had not Canidius their Captain abused his trust flying secretly from the Camp to seek Anthony whereupon the Army being destitute of a General yielded to the Enemy who admitted them into his own Army being nineteen Legions of Foot and twelve thousand Horse The Senators Knights and Noble men that had served Anthony many of them he fined in great sums of Money many he put to death and some he pardoned Then did Caesar sail to Athens and being pacified with the Greeks he distributed the Corn that was left in the War to the Cities that were afflicted with Famine and that were dispoiled of their Money Servants and Horses And Anthony being arrived in Aegypt chose out one good Ship of good burden and fraught with store of Treasure and rich Plate of Gold and Silver and gave it to his Friends intreating them to divide it amongst them and to shift for themselves and he wrote to Theophilus the Governour of Corinth that he would provide them an hiding place till they might make their Peace with Caesar. And Caesar of the spoils of the Enemy dedicated ten Ships to Apollo Actius Anthony being come into Africk went into a desart place wandering up and down only accompanied with two Friends and after a while he sent to the General of the Army which he had formerly raised for the defence of Aegypt but he slew his Messengers and said that he would not obey Anthony whereupon he had thought to have killed himself but being hindered by his Friends he went to Alexandria and after a while he built him an House in the Sea by the Isle of Pharos and there lived from the Company of all men saying That he would live the life of Timon
hazard their Persons but upon extremity The Chinois failed not to march directly unto Calibes the whole Army following and setting upon him Calibes with his six thousand Scythian Horse after their usual manner in retreating gave many charges giving and receiving hurt The King of China marched with much gallantry with his Army which seemed to be twice so big as that of Tamerlanes He had very many armed Chariots wherein he put his principal trust they had much Gold and Silver as well in the trappings of their Horses as on their Armour which gistred exceedingly against the Sun to the Admiration of the Tartars Tamerlane who with a Troop of Horse beheld the Chinois marching after Calibes commended greatly the drawing forth of their men to compel Calibes to fight endeavouring to discover and note with his eye the place whereabouts the Kings person was having by him the Chinois Lord to instruct him who knew well the manner of their fight They had no Avantguard but were all in a gross commanded by the King inclosed within his Chariots which being shewed to Tamerlane by this Lord he turned to those Captains that were near him and said Yet must we disperse this guilded cloud and the King of China and my self must make a partition thereof Thus having sufficiently viewed the Enemy and observed their manner of marching he thought it not convenient to suffer them to take breath nor to rally being something disordered in their march whereupon he sent to Calibes to will him to begin the fight and when those that were with him should be weary to retreat to him But assoon as his Scythians heard this word Fight they required the first charge with a young Lord that commanded over them called Ziochabanes making it to appear to the Chinois to what end their former flight was charging very furiously upon the formost of the Enemies which occasioned the first beginning of the Battel And indeed there could not be seen a more Gallant onset wherein the Scythians desired to manifest the valour of their Nation and to procure honour to their Prince This fight endured a long hour before they had overthrown Calibes Tamerlane beheld all patiently saying that the great multitude how disorderly soever they were would at length carry it away from the order and valour of his Souldiers yet could there not be discerned any alteration of his countenance adversity and prosperity being both alike so indifferent to him Calibes being wounded retired himself near to the Emperour having with him two thousand Horse that were rallied again many more flocking to him The Emperour viewed his wound causing him to be conducted behind his Footmen and care to be taken for the dressing of his wound and of such others as were wounded with him Calibes with his thirty thousand Scythians was not able to charge through the Chinois but when they retreated Odmar with his Parthian Horsemen advanced forward and used them more roughly for he ran clean through them and returned by the right wing of the Army where he fought most valiantly and having beaten them within the Kings Chariots he thought he should not do wisely to attempt the breaking of such Forces The King of China coming forwards and the Horsemen that had been broken by Odmar joyning themselves to him Odmar sent to Tamerlane desiring him that the Footmen and Artillery might advance forward sending him word that he might assure himself of the Victory Hereupon Tamerlane commanded Axalla to advance with fifty thousand Foot and part of the Artillery requiring him to set upon the Chariots and to make an entrance The Artillery marching in the first place did greatly astonish the enemy for the Governours of the Horses belonging to the Kings Chariots could not rule them it made also a great spoil Axalla perceiving the disorder hasted forwards till they came to hand-blows The King of China had yet about his Person a hundred and fifty thousand men Yet Axalla full of courage fought so valiantly that they never beheld any man to do more bravely During this fight Odmar again charged the Horsemen that were retired to the Kings aid and put them to flight Then did Tamerlane himself march forward with the rest of the Footmen for the aid of Axalla and brake through even to the Person of the King of China who as yet was enclosed within a second rank of Chariots with about thirty or forty thousand men and after he had fought two or three hours the Horse assisting the Foot and they principally whom the Prince had kept as a reserve the King at length remained wounded in the power of Tamerlane The battel being won and the enemies Camp forced The fight endured eight hours and the night coming on saved the lives of many of the Chinois There were slain two Kings Allies to the King of China Inestimable riches were gotten in golden Vessels precious stones and as fair and rich Chariots as could possibly be seen The Emperour would not see the captive King till the next day but being mounted on horseback he rode about the field to stay the slaughter and to rally his men that the accustomed watch might be kept whereof he gave the charge unto Axalla commanding him also to keep the King of China in the midst of his Souldiers who was dressed of the wound which he had received in his right arm It was a strange sight to see the diversity of the Enemies Weapons and the variety of their Streamers and Ensigns which seemed afar off as beautiful as the diversity of colours plentiful The King of China's Army was very great consisting of a hundred and fifty thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Footmen but the greatest part of them were rude and barbarous people far inferiour to Tamerlan's in Valour who suffered themselves to be slain one upon another not marking their advantages and having little skill in warlike affairs Tamerlane continued on horseback till about two a clock in the morning when as they brought him a Tart and his Water for he never drank Wine and then lying down upon a Carpet he passed the rest of the night until morning After this so great a Victory there was never the least boasting or vaunting heard to proceed out of his mouth The next day after the burial of the dead he publickly gave thanks to God for his Victory Then caused he the wounded to be cured and amongst others Calibes who more through the distemperature of the air than from the danger of the wound found himself very ill yet would he not omit his duty in commanding the Van which was very grateful to Tamerlane for that he being a Scythian was greatly beloved of his Nation These things being dispatched he sent unto Axalla to bring forth his prisoner the King of China and when he approached the Emperour issued out of his Tent and went to receive him This King came
and Baruch to accompany them they went into Egypt and by the permission of Pharaoh they dwelt in Taphnes where when Ieremy often reproved them for their Idolatry foretelling the destruction of themselves and the Egyptians he was by these his own hard-hearted and ingrateful Country-men stoned to death and by the Egyptians who greatly reverenced him buried near the Sepulchre of their Kings Ier. 42. and 43. The nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars Reign it was when destroying utterly the great and mighty City of Ierusalem he exceedingly enriched himself with the spoils of it and the Temple and by that dreadful Example terrified all those that should dare to resist him From that time forward he to his three and twentieth year laboured in the Conquest of those adjoyning Countries which God had exposed unto his Sword and commanded to wear his Yoke namely the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Tyrians Sidonians and Egyptians though some of these were already become his followers and served under him when Ierusalem was taken and burnt But the Tyrians whose City was built upon an Island and therefore secure from the invasion of any land-Land-Army and whose Fleet was so strong that they needed not to fear any enemy at Sea were neither daunted with the fall of their neighbour City nor with the obstinate resolution of this mighty King imploying all his wit and power to work their subversion That the City of Tyre was rather well-pleased than any way discouraged with the destruction of Ierusalem it appeareth by the Words which Ezekiel condemneth as the common voice of Tyrus Ezek. 26. 2. Aha! the Gate of the People is broken it is turned unto me For seeing she is desolate I shall be replenished Yet at length that great work before mentioned began to appear above Water and so to threaten them with inevitable mischief Nebuchadnezzar still follows his work hard notwithstanding all discouragements and in the thirteenth year of the Siege and the nineteenth of his Reign he had brought it to such perfection that now the Citizens despaired of holding out against him whereupon all the chiefest of them imbarked themselves their Families and Treasures in their Fleet and escaped to the Isle of Cyprus but the poorer sort were left to the fury of the enemy who being inraged for being put to so much pains slew with the Sword not only such people of Type as dwelt on the Continent who are called her Daughters in the Field but the like execution was done in the streets into which with excessive labour the Chaldeans made way for his Horses and Chariots Thus Nebuchadnezzar made his Army serve a great service against Tyrus wherein every head was made bald and every shoulder was made bare yet had he no wages nor his Army Ezek. 20. 18. but was fain to rest contented with the Honour of having destroyed that City which in all mens Judgments had been held invincible The destruction of these two Great and powerful Cities having made the name of the Chaldeans dreadful in the ears of all the Nations round about Nebuchadnezzar used this advantage of that reputation which he had obtained by his victories already gotten to the getting of more and more profitable with less pains The Kingdom of Egypt was the mark which he chiefly aimed at A Country so abounding in Riches and pleasures that it might well have tempted any Prince finding himself strong enough to pick occasion of quarrel against it Besides it was so far an enemy to the Crown of Babylon that had it been far poorer yet it must have been subdued or the Conquest of Syria could not have been secured Yet was it needful that before he entred upon this business the Countries adjacent should be reduced into such tearms that either they should wholly stand at his devotion or at least be able not to work him any displeasure And herein the Decree of God concurred as in all prosperous enterprises with reason of State For the people of Moab Ammon Edom Damascus Kedar Hazor and other adjoyning Regions whom God for their sins had condemned to fall under the Babylonian Yoke were such as regarding only their own gain had some of them like Ravens followed the Chaldean Army to feed upon the carcasses that fell by the cruelty thereof Others taking advantage of their Neighbours miseries occupied the Countries which by his Victories belonged to Nebuchadnezzar all of them thinking that when the Babylonian had satisfied his fury he would be forced to forsake those desolated Countries and leave the possession of them to those who could first seize upon them Particularly the Edomites and Philistines had shewed much malice against the Iews when their City was taken Ezek. 25. 12 15. Whether they had done any good service to the Chaldeans it appears not if they did any its like to have been in reference to their own advantage wherein yet they were deceived The Ammonites were not contented to rejoyce only at the fall of Jerusalem but presently they entred upon the Country of God and took possession of it as if not the Chaldeans but they had subdued Israel Ezek. 25. 3. Jer. 49. 1. Neither can it be imagined what other design Baalis King of the Ammonites had when he sent Ismael a Prince of the Blood of Judah to murther Gedalia whom the King of Babel had made Governour over those that remained in Israel and to carry Captive into the Ammonites Country the People that abode in Mizpah than a desire of entangling Nebuchadnezzar with so many labours at once as should force him to retire into his own Country and abandon those wasted Lands to himself and others for whom they lay conveniently Such or the like Policy the Moabites also did exercise whose Pride and Wrath were made frustrate by God and their dissimulation condemned as not doing aright Ver. 40. 14. 41. 2. 10. 28 27 c All these Nations had the Art of ravening which is familiar to such as either live in or that border upon Desarts and now the time ministred occasion to them to shew the uttermost cunning of their Thievish wits But Nebuchadnezzar made void all their devices by sharp and sudden War upon them overwhelming them with unexpected ruin as it were in one night according to the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel who all foretold with little difference of Words the greatness and swiftness of the misery that should come upon them It appears not with which of them he first began but it seems that Moab was the last that felt his heavy hand For so many interpret that Prophesie of Isay threatning Moab with destruction after three years as having reference to the third year following the destruction of Jerusalem the next year after it being spent in the Egyptian expedition This is evident that all the principal Towns in these Countries were burnt and the people either slain or made captives few excepted who saved themselves by flight and had
not the courage to return to their habitations too hastily much less to attempt any thing against Nebuchadnezzar but lived as miserable out-laws until the end of the seventy years which God had appointed for the desolation of their Countries as well as of the Land of Judaea When by a long course of Victory Nebuchadnezzar had brought into Subjection all the Nations of Syria and the bordering Arabians in such wise as that no enemy to himself or Friend to the Egyptian was left at his back that might either impede his proceedings or take advantage of any misfortune that might befall him then did he forthwith apply himself to the Conquest of Egypt upon which those other Nations had formerly been dependants Of this expedition and the Victorious issue thereof the three great Prophets Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel have written so plainly that it s altogether needless to seek after any other authority to confirm the same Long before it was prophesied by Isay that the King of Assyria or Babylon should lead away the Egyptians Prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt Isa. 20. 4. But Ezekiel and Jeremy as their Prophesies were neerer to the time of execution so they handled this Argument more plainly and precisely For Esekiel tells us cleerly that Egypt should be given to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his great service which he had done against Tyre Ezek. 29. 18 19 20. He recounteth also in particular all the chief Cities in Egypt saying that these by name should be destroyed and go into Captivity yea and that Pharaoh and all his Army should be slain by the Sword Ezek. 30. 4 10 c. Chap. 32. 2 c. And the Prophet Jeremy saith thus Behold I will visit the common people of Noe and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings even Pharaoh and all that trust in him and I will deliver them into the hands of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King òf Babel and into the hands of his Servants Jerem. 46. 25 26. Josephus accordingly saith that Nebuchadnezzar in three and twentieth year of his Raign and in the fifteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem did Conquer Egypt and kill the King thereof appointing a Vice-Roy to Govern it And it is evident that his Victories which followed his Conquest of Syria were such as did more enlarge his Dominions than all his former Wars had done For Ezekiel in his Thirtieth Chapter reckoneth up besides the whole Country of Egypt Phut and Lud with other Nations that may seem to have reached as far as into Mauritania which were conquered by him and added to his Empire And truly it is worth observation how Pharaoh King of Egypt was infatuated by God who thought himself most safe in his own Country by reason of the well-defenced situation thereof and therefore very unwisely suffered his enemies to make a cleer way to his own doors by the Conquest of all his Friends and Allyes in Syria For as the labour of this business did more harden than weary the Chaldean Army so the confidence and vain security of the Egyptians relying upon the difficulty of the passages which the enemy was to make through the Arabian Desarts and the great advantage which the River Nilus afforded did little avail them when the War came on Yea it did much astonish them as may justly be thought in the time of execution It being usually seen that the hearts of men fail when those helps deceive them in which they had reposed more confidence than in their own Virtue and Valour Until this time the Kingdom of Egypt had flourished under the Rule and Government of the Pharaohs for above the space of one thousand four hundred and eighty years But from this time forward it remained forty years without a King under the subjection of the Babylonians and then at lenghth it began to recover by little and little the former greatness Yet so that it was never dreadful unto others as it had been God having said of that people At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the People whither they were scattered and I will bring again the Captivity of Egypt and will cause them to return into the Land of Pathros into the land of their habitation and they shall be yet a base Kingdom It shall be the basest of the Kingdoms neither shall it exalt it self any more above the Nations For I will diminish them that they shall no more rule over the Nations and it shall be no more the confidence of the House of Israel Ezek. 29. 13 14 15 16. For whereas it had been said of Pharaoh I am the Son of the wise the Son of ancient Kings Isa. 19. 11. and whereas they had Vaunted the River is mine and I have made it Ezek. 29. 9. The Princes of Egypt now became fools the River failed them the King himself was now taken and slain and that ancient Linage was quite extinguished Of any Wars made by Nebuchadnezzar after such time as he returned from the Conquest of Egypt we read not except that against Ninive the destruction whereof was foretold by the Prophet Ninive indeed had been taken long before by Merodoch and together with the rest of Assyria made subject to Babylon Yet was it left under a peculiar King who rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar as Jehoiakim and Zedechias Tributary Kings of Judah had done was made partaker also of the same ruin That the destruction of Ninive followed the Conquest of Egypt is clear by the comparison which Nahum the Prophet made between this City that was to fall and the City of Noe in Egypt which was fallen already Nabum 3. 8 c. Art thou better than populous Noe that was situate amongst the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampire was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was infinite Put and Lubin were her helpers Yet was she carried away she went into Captivity Her young Children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains Thou also shalt be drunken thou shalt be hid thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy c. This Great Monarch having thus spent his younger days in inlarging his Dominions he betook himself to rest that he might reap the fruit of his former labours and the first thing that he applied himself to was to beautifie his Imperial City of Babylon adding a new City to the Old which he compassed about with three Walls and made in them stately Gates And neer the former Palace he built a New one more stately than it wherein he raised stone-works like unto Mountains which he planted with all manner of Trees He made
with his Army marched towards Caria and Pisidia still giving it out that some Persons in those parts were grown unruly He had in his Army a great number of his own besides thirteen thousand Grecians when news of his approach was brought to the Court all was strait in an uproar Many accused the Queen-Mother as having a hand in it and all her Servants were vehemently suspected But that which troubled Parysatis most was Queen Statyra her Daughter in Law who stormed exceedingly when she saw this War begun against her Husband and cryed out on the Queen-Mother for it Parysatis hereupon being a cruel and malicious Woman so hated her hence forwards that she sought her Death by all means Cyrus in the mean time came on without resistance even to the City of Babylon And whereas Artaxerxes had determined to retire into the farthest parts of Persia Tiribazus was the first that durst tell him that he should not shun the fight lerving to his enemies the Kingdomes of Media Babylon and Susa considering that he had a greater Army than Cyrus and far more skilful Captains which words made the King to alter his mind and to resolve to give Battel so soon as he could Cyrus coming with his Army to the River Cayster received money from Epiaxa Wife to Syenesis the King of Cilicia wherewith he paid his Army full four months Wages and by her perswasion her Husband Syenesis gave him also a vast summ of money towards the maintenance of his Army and like a wise man at the same time he supplied Artaxerxes with necessaries for the War and having two Sons he sent one of them to Cyrus with a competent number of men for his service and the other he sent privily away to Artaxerxes to let him know that having such an Army come upon him he durst not but keep fair with Cyrus nevertheless that he continued a true Servant in heart to Artaxerxes and would fall to him so soon as he had opportunity At Tarsus the Grecians who were eleven thousand Corselets and two thousand Targateers told Cyrus plainly that they would march no farther but by the wisdom of Clearchus they were perswaded to go on and so they came to Issus the utmost City of Cilicia where Cyrus's Fleet met him bringing great supplies to him and the Straights of Syria being abandoned Cyrus marched without any stop to the place where the fight shortly after was Cyrus besides the Grecians before mentioned had in his Army one hundred thousand fighting men and two hundred hooked Chariots Of Artaxerxes his part there were four hundred thousand men and fifteen hundred hooked Chariots The place where the fight was was called Cyanaxa five hundred furlongs from Babylon Cyrus his men were marvelously astonished when they saw the Army of Artaxerxes in such excellent good order whereas themselves were dispersed here and there stragling without any order and ill armed trusting too much to themselves and dispising their enemies So that Cyrus had much ado to set his men in Battel array and yet was it with great noise and tumult But of all others the Grecians wondred most when they saw the Kings Army march in so good order of Battel without any noise for they thought to have seen them in great disorder and confusion and supposed that they would have made such a noise as one could not have heard another whereas Artaxerxes had marshalled his Army excellent well He had placed before his Battel his best Chariots armed with Sithes and drawn by the strongest and biggest Horses he had hoping by their fierceness and fury to disorder the ranks of his enemies Before the Battel began Clearchus General of the Grecians advised Cyrus to keep behind his Squadron and not to hazard his Person amongst his own men To whom Cyrus answered What saist thou Clearchus What wouldst thou have me who strive to be a King to shew my self unworthy to be a King But Clearchus himself committed as great if not a worse fault whenas he would not order his men directly against the Battel of the enemy where Artaxerxes was but pent them up by the Rivers side for fear least they should be compassed in behind whereas if the Grecians had been set in opposition to the King he had never been able to endure their charge but had either been slain or forced to fly wherefore if Artaxerxes would have chosen or wished a place where the Grecians might have done him less hurt he could not have devised a fitter place that was so far from him and from whence the Grecians could neither see nor hear what was done in the place where he was as afterwards appeared Cyrus being mounted upon an hot and hard mouthed Horse the Governour of the Province of the Caducians spyed him afar off and clapping spurs to his Horse he came with a full career to him crying out O Traytor and most unfaithful man Thou dishonourest the name of Cyrus for that thou hast brought such valiant Grecians upon so wicked an enterprise to spoil the Persians Goods and to destroy thy Soveraign Lord and only Brother who hath an infinite number of Slaves and Servants that are honester men than thy self and that thou shalt presently know by experience for thou shalt die before thou seest the Kings face and therewithall he threw his Dart at him with all his force But the Armour of Cyrus was so good that it pierced not yet the blow made him stagger on his Horse back Artagerses having given him this blow presently wheeled about But Cyrus threw a Dart at him so happily that he slew him the head of his Dart passing quite through his Neck Cyrus hereupon presently slew upon those that were neerest to the Kings Person and came so near the King that he flew his Horse under him But Tiribazus presently mounted the King upon another Horse and Cyrus clapping spurs to his Horse threw another Dart at the King and hit him But at the third charge Artaxerxes told them about him that he could not abide this and that he had rather die than suffer it and thereupon he spurred his Horse to charge Cyrus who also came fiercely against him and threw his Dart at him as also did all those that were about the King and so was Cyrus slain in this conflict Now after Cyrus was dead Artasyras one of the Kings Eunuchs passing by found his dead Body whereupon he gallopped apace to the King and with a smiling countenance told him the news Artaxerxes was so joyful that he would needs go to the place to see it But he was advised not to go in Person for fear of the Grecians who carried all before them and were killing those that had fled before them Upon this advice the King stayed and sent thirty men with Torches in their hands to seek him out The King was very ill both by reason of the great thirst he suffered as also by reason of a wound that he had received
Persian Empire that then it would please them to confer it on so just chast an enemy as was Alexander to whom once more before the last tryal by Battel he offered these conditions of peace That if he would marry his Daughter he would deliver and resign up to him all Asia the less with Egypt and all those Kingdoms between the Phaenician Sea and the River Euphrates That he would pay him for the Ransom of his Mother and other Daughters thirty thousand Talents and that for performance thereof he would leave his Son Ochus in Hostage and they sought by sundry Arguments to perswade Alexander to accept hereof Alexander causing the Ambassadors to withdraw advised with his Councel yet heard no man speak but Parmenio who was the very right hand of his good Fortune and he perswaded him to accept of such fair conditions He told him that the Empire between Euphrates and the Hellespont was a large addition to Macedonia That the retaining of those Persian Prisoners was a great cumber to him and that the Treasure offered for them was of far better use than their Persons with divers other Arguments yet Alexander rejected all though it was very probable that if he had followed his advice and set bounds to his ambition within those limits he might have been as famous for his virtue as he was for his great successes and might have left a successor of fit age to have enjoyed his estate which afterwards indeed he much enlarged rather to the greatning of others than himself who to assure themselves of what they had Usurped left not one of his issue alive within a few years after Besides Alexander by going so far into the East left behind him the reputation which he brought with him out of Macedonia of a just and prudent Prince A Prince temperate advised and grateful and learned by abundance of prosperity to be a lover of Wine of Flatterers and of extream cruelty But the Persian Ambassadors waited for their answer which was to this effect that what curtesies soever he had bestowed upon the Wife and Children of Darius proceeded from his own natural clemency and magnanimity without all respect to their Master but thanks to an enemy was improper That he made no Wars against adversity but against those that resisted him Not against Women and Children but against armed enemies And also that by the reiterated practices of Darius to corrupt his Souldiers and by great sums of money to debauch his Friends to attempt something against his Person he had reason to doubt whether the peace offered were really intended yet could he not were it true and faithful resolve in hast to accept of it seeing Darius had Warred against him not as a King vvith Royal and over forces but as a Traytor by secret and base practices Besides the Territories which he offered him were already his own and if Darius could beat him back again over Euphrates he would then believe that he offered him something that was in his power to give Otherwise he propounded to himself as a reward of his enterprizes all those Kingdoms which Darius as yet had in his possession wherein vvhether he was abused by his own hopes or no the Battel vvhich he meant to fight the day following should determine And in conclusion he told them that he came into Asia to give Kingdoms and not to receive them That the Heavens could not hold two Suns and therefore if Darius could be content to acknowledg Alexander his Superiour he might perchance be perswaded to give him condition fit for a second Person and an Inferiour The Ambassaders being returned with this answer Darius prepares to fight and sent Mazeus to defend a Pass which yet he never dared so much as to hazzard Alexander consulting with his Captains Parmenio perswaded him to force the Camp of Darius by night that the multitudes of his enemies might not affright his Macedonians being comparatively but a few But Alexander replied that he scorned to steal a Victory and resolved to bring with him Daylight to witness his Valour Indeed the success commended Alexanders resolution though the Counsel given by Parmenio was more sound Yet when he came to view the multitude of his enemies he began to stagger and entrenched himself upon a Ground of advantage which foolishly the Persians had abandoned And when as Darius for fear of a Camizado had stood with his men in Armour all the day and forborn all sleep in the Night Alexander on the contrary gave his men rest and store of food knowing that Souldiers do better stand to it in fight if they have their bellies full of meat and drink for hunger within fights more eagerly than steel without The numbers which Alexander had were about forty thousand Foot and seven thousand Horse which were of the Europaean Army And besides these he had Aegyptians Syrians Judaeans and Arabians which followed him out of those Countries He used but a short speech to his Souldiers to encourage them neither need he For one Victory begets another and puts courage into the Conquerors and taketh away spirits from those that have been beaten Some make large descriptions of this Battel fought at Gaugamela but in conclusion they tell us but of three hundred of Alexanders men that were slain and some say less but of the Persians there fell forty thousand But what can we judg of this great encounter other than as in the two former Battels at Granick and in Cilicia that the Persians upon the first charge ran away and that the Macedonians pursued them For if that every man whom Darius brought into the Field had but cast a Dart or a Stone the Macedonians could not have bought the Empire of the East at so easie a rate as six or seven hundred in three such notorious Battels Certainly if Darius had fought with Alexander upon the Banks of Euphrates and had Armed but fifty or sixty thousand of this great multitude only with Spades for most of his men were fit for no other Weapon it had been impossible for Alexander to have passed that River so easily much less the River of Tygris But as a man whose Empire God was putting a Period to he abandoned all places of advantage and suffered Alexander to enter so far into the bowels of his Kingdom as all hope and possibility of escaping by retreat being taken from the Macedonians they were put to the choise either to Die or Conquer to which Election Darius could no way constrain his men seeing they had many large Regions to run into from their Invaders Darius after the rout of his Army fled to Arbela that Night better attended in his flight than in the fight and to them that fled with him he propounded his purpose of retreating into Media perswading them that the Macedonians who were greedy of spoil and riches would rather attempt Babylon Susa and other Cities filled with
fill his Purse with money he judged him unworthy to be a Souldier Upon a time he understood that his Target-bearer had received a great sum of money for the ransom of a Prisoner whereupon he said to him Give me my Target and go thy ways home and buy thee a Tavern wherein to spend the rest of thy life for I perceive thou wilt no more like an honest man put thy self in danger in the wars as formerly thou hast done because now thou art grown rich and wealthy Though Epaminondas was thus virtuous and unblameable in his life yet the aforementioned Meneclides would never cease contending and reproaching of him and one day he went so far as to upbraid him because he had no Children and was not married and that he magnified himself more than ever King Agamemnon had done To this Epaminondas answered Thou hast nothing to do to counsel me to marry and in this respect there is never a man here whose advise I would less make use of than thine and this he spake because the other was taken notice of to be an Adulterer And whereas thou thinkest that I envy the fame and renown of Agamemnon thou art fouly deceived Yet let me tell thee that whereas he was ten Years in winning one City I on the contrary by putting the Lacedemonians to flight in one day have delivered not only our own City but all Greece from their slavery But thanks be to you My Lords Thebans speaking to all the Assembly by your assistance I did it and thereby overthrew the power and government of our insulting enemies Yet after all his brave deeds both he and Pelopidas were ill rewarded for all their good service by their ingrateful Citizens For at their return from Laconia they with some other of the six Counsellers were accused that after the time that their Government was expired they retained their power four months after the time appointed by the Law With much ado Pelopidas was quitted But Epaminondas willed all his other Companions to lay the fault upon him who by his Authority forced them to it and instead of excusing himself he told them all the brave exploits which he had done at that time Adding withal that he was willing and ready to die if they so pleased Provided that they wrote upon his Tomb that Epaminondas was put to death because he had compelled the Thebans against their wills to burn the Country of Laconia which in five hundred years before had never been plundered That he had repeopled the City of Messina with Inhabitants two hundred and thirty years after it had been laid wast by the Lacedemonians That he had brought all the People and Towns of Arcadia to be as one Body in League together and had set all the Greeks at liberty and all these things said he we did in that Journey The Judges when they heard this worthy and true defence they all arose from their seats and laughed heartily and would not take up their Balls to Ballot against him But for the second accusation to wit that he had shewed favour to the Lacedemonians for his own particular honour he would make no particular answer to it before the People but rising out of the Theater he passed through the Assembly and went into the Park of Exercises Upon this the People being incensed against him refused to chuse him into Office as they had wont to do though there was a great need of him and created other Counsellers to go into Thessaly and the more as they thought to despite him they commanded him to go that expedition as a private Souldier which he refused not but went very willingly Pelopidas being sent a second time into Thessaly to make peace between the People and Alexander the Tyrant of Pheres was by this Tyrant not regarding that he was an Ambassadour and a Theban committed to Prison together with Ismenias Upon this the Thebans being justly offended sent an Army of eight thousand Foot and five hundred Horse against him howbeit under the conduct of unskilful Captains who wanting judgment to use their advantages thought good to return home without doing any thing But as they went back Alexander being stronger in Horse than they pressed hard upon their Reer killing some and wounding others so that the Thebans knowing neither how to go forward nor backward were in great distress and that which aggravated their misery was that their Victuals were almost spent Being thus almost out of hope ever to get home in safety Epaminondas being at that time a common Souldier among the Foot both the Captains and Souldiers earnestly intreated him to help to redress this disorder He thereupon chose certain Footmen that were light armed and all the Horsemen and with these putting himself into the Rere of the Army he so lustily repulsed the Enemy that the rest of the Army afterwards marched in great safety and still making Head as occasion served and keeping his Troops in good order he at last brought them all well home This brave Act Crowned him with new Glory confounded his enemies and made him well spoken of every where and by it he obtained the love and good will of the Citizens who set great Fines upon the heads of those Captains who had behaved themselves so unworthily in that expedition And now the People seeing that by so many worthy deeds he had stopped the slanderous mouths and confuted the accusations of his ill willers they chose him again their Captain General to conduct a new Army into Thessaly At his coming all the Country wonderfully rejoyced only the Tyrant with his Captains and Friends were exceedingly dejected and possessed with fear being Thunderstruck with the fame of so Noble a Captain and his Subjects had a good mind to rise up against him hoping that they should shortly see the Tyrant fully recompenced for all the wicked and cursed deeds that he had done amongst them Epaminondas when he came into Thessaly preferred the safety and deliverance of his Friend Pelopidas before his own Honour and Glory and fearing lest Alexander when he should see himself and his State in danger to be overthrown should in his rage revenge himself upon Pelopidas he therefore purposely drew this War out in length marching often about him but never setting upon him in good earnest often seeming to make preparations and yet still delaying and this he did to mollifie the heart of this Tyrant and not to provoke to the danger of his Friend the inhumane and unbridled passion of this cruel Bloud-sucker Yet he being a Monster compounded of cruelty and cowardliness was so afraid of the very name and reputation of Epaminondas that he presently sent some to him to excuse his fact and to crave Peace But Epaminondas was not willing that his Thebans should make Peace and Alliance with so wicked a man only he was content to grant him a Truce for thirty Days upon the delivering to him
though he fought with great disadvantage considering the places wherein he was yea he continued fighting courageously till the Army of the Lacedemonians came on and till the Night approached whereupon he sounded a retreat Then being informed that the Mantineans came on also with their Forces he withdrew his Atmy somewhat father off from the Town and there Camped After which he caused his men to refresh themselves with Victuals and leaving certain Horsemen in the Camp he commanded them to make fires in the moring and in the mean time himfelf with the rest of his men went to surprize Mantinea before any should discover that he was departed Yet herein also he failed of his purpose the prosperity of the Thebans being come to its height and the course of Epaminondas his Life drawing neer to an end whereby Greece was deprived of this Noble and Famous Captain from whom was taken a most notable Victory and that twice by strange accidents For at the second time when he was come neer to Mantinea that was left without guard and defence just then on the other side of the Town there arrived six thousand Athenians conducted by their Captain Hegelecus who having put sufficient force into the Town ordered the rest of his Army in Battel array without the Walls and immediately also came the Mantineans and Lacedemonians together who prepared to put all to the hazard of a Battel and therefore sent for their Allies from all parts and when they were come together they were in all twenty five thousand Foot and two thousand Horse The Arcadians Boeotians and their partakers were thirty thousand Foot and three thousand Horse When they came to the Battel first the Horse charged with great Fury and the Horsemen of the Athenians encountering with the Thebans proved too weak for them not because they were less valiant or hardy than the other but because they had not so good Chieftains and had few Archers amongst their Troops The Thebans on the other side were all excellently well appointed and had Thessalians amongst them men very skilful in their Bows who so plied the Athenians that they wholly brake them and put them to the rout yet in their flight they did not run amongst their Foot-men which made them somewhat recover their Honour which they had lost by running away On the contrary part as they fled they met with some Companies of Negropont whom the Arcadians had sent to take in certain Hills hard by the plain where the Battel was fought whom they put all to the Sword The men at Arms of the Thebans seeing them turn their backs did not pursue them at all but presently gave charge upon a great Battalion of Foot-men forcing them all they could to break and run through them So the fight was very cruel and sharp yet in the end the Athenians were forced to quit the place whereupon a Collonel of Horsemen of the Elians who stood as a reserve to guard the Rere defended them and encountering with the Boeotians he resisted them and made them give back which reinforced the fault of the left point of their Army But in the right point after the Horse-men had charged one another the fight was soon determined For by reason of the great number of men at Armes of the Thebans and Thessalians the Mantineans and their partakers were soon put to rout and having lost a great number of their men they sheltered themselves under the Battalion of their Foot-men and this was the issue of the fight between the Horse-men As for the infantry after they came once to the Sword it was a marvellous bloody and cruel fight For never before that time was there so many Greeks in the Field one against another nor so great and expert Captains nor such Valiant Souldiers as were now The two Nations that at that time bare the Name to be the bravest Footmen in all the World to wit the Thebans and Lacedemonians were now set in Front one against the other and they began to charge neither sparing Life nor Limb. The first charge they gave was with their Pikes which being soon broken with the huge blows they gave each other then they came to it with their Swords and lustily laying about them Body to Body Death raged in every place and there was a mighty carnage made for neither part shrunk back or gave over with weariness but stood to it like undaunted men And so continued this dangerous Fight for a long time by reason of the valiantness of either party the Victory stood doubtful for a great while and it could not be judged which side was like to have the upper hand For every one that fought had this resolution in his heart not to fear Death whatsoever befel them But rather desiring to make proof of their utmost Valour they willingly parted with their lives to lye in the Bed of Honour By reason whereof though the fight was sharp and cruel yet the event remained for a long space so uncertain that it could not be discerned to which side the Victory should fall But at last Epaminondas seeing no other remedy but that the issue of this doubtful Fight depended upon his own Virtue and Valour he resolved with himself to adventure his life upon it and presenty gathering about him all the best and choisest men of his Army and of them having compounded a Company of stout and resolute Blades he ran with great fury into the thickest and greatest press of all his enemies marching himsels the foremost man in all his Troop with a Spear in his hand with the which at the first blow he gave he slew the Captain of the Lacedemonians and straightway the rest of his Company began to assail their enemies But Epaminondas laying about him like a lion slew so many in the place where he stood with his own hands that at last he opened the Battel of the Lacedemonians whom he pursued and laid on them so lustily that they being unable any longer to defend themselves against the irresistable fury of himself and his followers were enforced to give back and leave the place to the Boeotians who yet followed them at their heels beating them down so eagerly that in a short space the whole Field was covered with dead Bodies lying on heaps one upon another But in the end the Lacedomonians seeing that they could no way save themselves gathered courage out of despair and a Company of them joyning together all set upon Epaminondas throwing an infinte number of Darts at him of which some he avoided others he received upon his Target but yet there were many that stuck in his Body which he pulled out and fought with the same Weapons against those that had thrown them at him At last when he had done more than a man and beyond all humane strength thereby to win Honour to his Country by gaining them the Victory a certain Laconian called Anticrates thrust him into the Breast
the West side of the City they upon the Walls shot at him with Darts and Arrows others also sallying out in Troops beat up some of his quarters Then did Herod by an Herald proclaim round about the Walls that he came for the publick good and to preserve the City from ruin and withal he promised pardon for all former actings On the other side Antigonus directing his Speech to Silo and the Romans told them that it was unjustly done of the Senate to give the Kingdom to Herod a private man and an Idumaean and so but an half-Jew whereas by custom it was to be given to one of the High-Priests line His men also shooting valiantly from the Towers drave the enemy from the Walls and Silo who was beforehand bribed by Antigonus suborned some of his Souldiers to demand of Herod more provisions and larger pay and to be withdrawn into commodious Winter-quarters The Army being thus troubled and beginning to dislodg Herod intreated the Captains and Souldiers of Silo's Army that they would not now forsake him he being sent both by Anthony Caesar and the Senate to take possession of the Kingdom and withal he sent into all the Country and brought in such store of provisions that there was no occasion for Silo and his Army to complain He commanded his Friends also that inhabited about Samaria that they should bring to Jericho Corn Wine Oyl Cattle and other necessaries that the Souldiers for the future might have plenty Antigonus having intelligence hereof sent forth some to intercept the Victualers but Herod taking with him some Cohorts viz. five of the Romans and as many of the Jews with some forreign Souldiers and a few Horse mixed with them flew out to Jericho and found the City forsaken of the Inhabitants and five hundred Families of them were fled to the tops of the Hills whom he took and dismissed in safety But the Romans entring the City plundered it where they found all sorts of precious movables Herod leaving a Garrison there returned to his Camp before Jerusalem and then dismissed the Romans sending them into Winter-quarters in Idumaea Samaria and Galile which Countries were lately surrendred to them But Antigonus by bribes obtained of Silo that part of the Roman Army should he quartered in Lydda currying thereby favour with Anthony and thus the Romans lived in plenty and without bearing Arms. But Herod could not be idle For sending his Brother Joseph into Idumaea with a thousand Foot and four hundred Horse himself went into Samaria and there setled his Mother and the rest of his kindred whom he had drawn out of Massada Then did he march into Galile where he surprized some places which were yet held by Antigonus his Garrisons and when he came to Sephorus in snowy weather Antigonus his men fled away and there he found great store of necessaries From thence he sent a Troop of Horse and three Companies of Foot against some Thieves that dwelt in Caves not far from the Village Arbela by which means he kept them from doing mischief Then he marched with his whole Army whom the enemy met and encountred resolutely inso much as Herods left wing began to waver till himself coming on with the main body encouraged his own men to stand their ground and caused the enemy to flee whom he followed as far as Jordan by which Victory he brought all Galile into his subjection except those that dwelt in the Caves and so giving to every one of his Souldiers a hundred and fifty Drachmes and more to his Captains he dismissed them into their Winter-quarters There came Silo to him with his Captains who had wintered with Antigonus and who now would maintain them no longer commanding the Inhabitants thereabout to spoil the Country of all Victuals and to retire to the mountains that the Romans might perish through famine But Herod committed the charge of provisions to his Brother Pheroras and withal commanded him to rebuild Alexandrium who in a short time furnished the Souldiers with abundance of all necessaries and built again Alexandrium that had formerly been dismantled Ventidius in Syria sent for Silo to assist him against the Parthians but commanded him first to assist Herod and to bring Herod and the rest of the Auxiliaries of those Provinces along with him But Herod sending Silo to him went himself with his Souldiers against the Thieves that lived in Caves and in the mean time made Ptolomy Governour of the Country which fell out ill for him for being set upon by those who had formerly disturbed the Country he was slain by them after which they retired into Fens and inaccessible places infesting with their inrodes and robberies all the Country But when Herod returned he made them pay dear for their Thieveries for some of them he killed others flying to their fortified places he pursued and having taken them put them to death and razed their strong holds and sined the Cities in an hundred Talents About this time Anthony commanded Ventidius to send Machaeras to aid Herod with two Legions and a thousand Horse but when he came being corrupted by Antigonus with money he would needs go to him against Herods mind under a colour of observing his actions but Antigonus suspecting him denied him admittance and drave him away with slings whereby he found that Herod had given him good counsel and blamed himself for not following of it whereupon he retired to Emmaus and in his march killed all the Jews that came to hand without distinction of Friend or Foe being provoked by Antigonus his dealing At which cruelty Herod was much grieved intending to go to Anthony and saying that he needed other manner of men than those who did him more hurt than his enemies whereas of himself he was able to subdue Antigonus but Machaeras overtaking him intreated him to stay or if he was resolved to go on yet at least that he would leave with him his Brother Joseph that with their united Forces they might make war upon Antigonus Thus after much intreaty he was reconciled to Machaeras and so leaving his brother Joseph with his Army he commanded him in his absence that he should not put all to the hazard of a Battel but himself hasted to Anthony whom he found besieging Samosata a City near to the River Euphrates and carried along with him some Auxiliaries both of Horse and Foot Anthony entertained him very honourably and much praised him for his valour Joseph unmindful of his Brothers command taking with him his own Forces and five Roman Cohorts that were given him by Machaeras went towards Jericho purposing to reap the enemies Corn now that it was ripe and encamped in the mountains because the Roman Cohorts were raw Souldiers most of them being lately taken up in Syria yet there he was circumvented by the enemy in the midst of those fastnesses and having lost six Cohorts he himself valiantly fighting was
Tetrarchy but he gave the Kingdom to his Son Archelaus To his sister Salome he gave Jamnia Azotus and Thasaelis with five hundred thousand Drachmaes To the rest of his Kindred he gave money and yearly Pensions To Caesar he gave ten Millions of Drachmaes of silver and all his Plate as well of Gold as of Silver and a great quantity of precious moveables and to Livia Caesars Wife and some certain Friends he gave five Millions of Drachmaes Having thus ordered these things five dayes after Antipater was put to death he dyed himself having enjoyed the Kingdom 34 years after the death of Antigonus but from the time that he was declared King by the Romans 37 years about the 25th of our November in the year of the world 4001 and after the Birth of Christ about two years THE LIFE and DEATH OF HANNIBAL THE GREAT HANNIBAL the Son of Amilcar was about twenty six years old when he was chosen General of the Carthaginian Forces in Spain He was elected by the Army as soon as Asdrabal their late General was dead and the election was approved and confirmed by the Senate or Carthage wherewith Hanno and his faction was nothing pleased This was now the third of the Barchine Family so called of Amilcar whose surname was Barcas that commanded in chief over the men of War Hanno therefore and his Partizans being neither able to tax the Virtue of their enemies nor to perform the like services to the Common-wealth had nothing left whereby to value themselves excepting the general reprehensions of War and cautelous advise of not provoking the Romans but they were little regarded For the Carthaginians saw apparently that the Oath of the Romans to the Articles of Peace was like to hold no longer than till the Romans could find some good advantage to renew the War It was therefore rather desired by the Carthaginians that whilst they were in a fit condition the War should begin rather than in some unhappy time of Famine or Pestilence or after some great loss in their Army or Fleet they should be driven to yield to the impudent demands of their insulting enemies This disposition of his Citizens Hannibal well enough understood Neither was he ignorant that in making War with the Romans it was no small advantage to get the start of them Could he but bring his Army into Italy he hoped to find Friends and assistance even from those People that helped to encrease the Armies of the Romans But his design must be carried privately or else it would be prevented He resolved therefore to lay Siege to Saguntum in Spain where he now was with his Army which might seem not greatly to concern the Romans and would highly please the Carthaginians Having resolved hereupon nevertheless he went orderly to work beginning with those that lay next in his way First therefore he entered into the Territory of the Olcades and besieging Althaea in a few days he became Master not only of it but of all the other Towns in their Country and the Winter coming on he rest his Army in New Carthage or Carthagena imparting liberally to his Souldiers of the Spoils that he had gotten in his late Conquests In the Spring he made War upon the Vaccaei and with little difficulty wan first Salamanca and after it Arbucala though not without a long Siege and much difficulty But in his return he was put to the height both of his Valour and Prudence For all such of the Vaccaei that could bear Arms being made desperate by the spoil of their Country with divers others that had escaped in the late overthrow joyning with the Toletans made up an Army of one hundred thousand able men waiting for Hannibal on the Banks of the River Tagus They knew that he was very adventurous and had never turned his back upon any enemy and therefore hoped that having him at such an advantage they should easily have foiled him But at this time our Great Man of War knew as well how to dissemble his Courage as at other times to make good use of it For he withdrew himself from the River side as seeming fearful to pass over it aiming thereby to draw over that great multitude from their Banks of advantage The Spaniards as Hannibal expected and desired thinking that he retreated out of fear thrust themselves in a disordered manner into the River to pursue him But when Hannibal saw them well near over he turned back his Elephants to entertain them at their landing and thrust his Horsemen both above and beneath them into the River who by the advantage of their Weapons slew almost all of those in the River without resistance and then pursued the rest who being amazed fled and so he made a very great slaughter of them The Saguntines perceiving the strom drawing near to them hastened their Ambassadours to Rome who complained that they were like to be undone only for their Friendship to the Romans This so moved the Senate that some would have War presently proclaimed both by Sea and Land and the Consuls sent with Armies one into Spain the other into Africk But others went more soberly to work according to the Roman gravity whereby it was concluded that Ambassadours should be sent into Spain to view the State of their Confederates These Ambassadours found Hannibal at Carthagena where they had Conference with him who carried himself so reservedly that they departed as doubtful as they came But whilst they were passing to and fro Hannibal prepared not only his Forces but some Roman pretences against Saguntum For the Tudetani who were Neighbours to the Saguntines complained to him of sundry wrongs that they had received from them of Saguntum Probably Hannibal himself had hatched some of them Having therefore such an occasion he sat down with his whole Army before Saguntum The Romans were glad of the Quarrel as hoping that Carthage with all belonging thereto would in short space become their own Yet were they not hasty to threaten before they were ready to strike but meant to temporize until they had an Army in readiness to be sent into Spain where they intended to make Saguntum the seat of War In the beginning of Hannibals Siege his Carthaginians were much discouraged by reason of the brave Sallies which the Saguntines made upon them in one of which Hannibal himself received a dangerus wound in the Thigh that made him unable to stir for many days Yet in the mean time he was not unmindful of his business but gave order to build certain movable Towers that might equal those upon the City Walls and to prepare to batter the Curtains and to make a breach These being sinished and applied had soon wrought their desired effect A large breach was made by the fall of some Towers whereat a hot assault was given But it was so gallantly defended by the besieged that the Carthaginians were not only beaten from the breach and out
the Banks against him yet such as remained being willing to free their Countrey from such unwelcome Guests they helped him to make Boats informed him of a better passage higher up the River and sent him Guides When his Boats were ready he sent Hanno the Son of Bomilcar up the River to the Ford and himself in the mean time made a shew of entring the Ford below that Hanno charging the Gauls on their own side and himself at the same time passing the River in their faces might win the further Bank which was done accordingly though with some difficulty and thereby the enemies were dispersed Having passed this first brunt and overcome both the rage of the River and those that defended it he was visited by the Princes of the Cisalpine-Gauls that inhabited Piemout and Milan who had lately revolted from the Romans These informed him that the passage over the Alps was not so difficult as report made it and gave him Guides with many other encouragements Yet found he himself extremly incumbred by the Savoyards and lost more of his Carriages and Carthaginians than he could well spare For he was twice strongly assaulted by them before he could recover the Plains on the other side He was fifteen dayes passing over the Alps wherein besides the trouble of his enemies he was much assaulted by foul weather and Snow it being now the beginning of Winter But the fair and fertile plains which they now were entring into with the assistance and encouragement of the Cisalpine Gauls gave them much comfort having nothing else of difficulty remaining but that which from the beginning they made account to overcome by their proper Valour and Resolution namely the Roman Armies and resistance The Roman Ambassadours who had denounced War at Carthage in their return homewards took Spain in their way with a purpose to draw into their Alliance as many Cities and Princes as they could The first that they attempted were the Volcians from whom they received this answer that they would never joyn with them who had forsaken the Saguntines in their greatest need and that themselves had found the Carthaginians such good Neighbours that they meant still to adhere to them From Spain the Ambassadours passed through Gaul perswading them not to suffer Hannibal to pass through their Countrey and gloried much in their own strength But the Gauls laughed them to scorn and had scarce Patience to hear them speak telling them that they meant not to set their own Houses on fire to save the Romans from burning that the Carthaginians had never offended them as the Romans had done who had already forced some of them out of their habitations and made others Tributaries who were as free as themselves With these unpleasing answers the Ambassadours returned home carrying no good news of Friends like to help them but rather that the Gauls intended to take part with their enemies And accordingly when the Cisalpine-Gauls heard that the Carthaginians had passed Iberus and were marching towards Rome the Boij and Insubrians rose up against the Romans Their quarrel was the late planting of Roman Colonies at Cremona and Placentia within Territories Relying therefore upon the Carthaginian succour which they thought to be at hand laying aside all regard of those Hostages that they had lately given to the Romans they fell upon those Colonies The Towns they could not win but they forced the Roman Commissioners which were abroad to fly into Modena where they besieged them But the Gauls having little skill in besieging Cities grew weary and were desirous of Peace This they did on purpose to draw on some meeting that laying hands on the Roman Deputies they might with them redeem their Hostages and it fell out in part according to their wish For Ambassadours coming to them from Rome to treat with them they made them Prisoners Manlius the Praetor hearing of this outrage marched with his Army to relieve the Besieged But the Gauls laid an Ambush in his way that falling upon him utterly routed him and slew most of his Army except a few that escaped into a defensible place upon the River Po. This being heard of at Rome C. Atilius the other Praetor hasted with another Army to relieve the besieged But as the Gauls were too hastly so the Romans were too slow in the beginning of this War For they could not believe that Carthage which had almost servilely endured so many indignities from them in the late peace durst be so bold on a sudden as to attempt the Conquest of Italy it self Wherefore they appointed one of their Consuls to make War in Spain and the other in Africk Titus Sempronius went into Africk with one hundred and sixty Gallies of five to an Oar which preparations seemed to threaten Carthage her self P. Cornelius Scipio the other Consul hasted towards Spain and by the way touching at Massilia he was there informed that Hannibal had passed the River Rhodanus whom he had thought to have found busie in Spain Hannibal also heard of the Consuls arrival with whom he meant to have nothing to do Yet both sent forth Scouts Hannibal sent out five hundred Numidians and Scipio three hundred of his best Horse They met and fought and the Romans had the better of it But when Scipio drew near thinking to have met with the Carthaginians he found that they were gone three dayes before with an intent to see the Walls of Rome Scipio hereupon sent his Brother Cn. Cornelius Scipio into Spain with the greatest part of the Army against Asdrubal and himself with the choicest returned back and landing at Pisa he marched through Tuscany and Lumbardy where he drew together the broken Bands of Manlius and Atilius who were lately beaten by the Gauls intending therewith to oppose the enemy thinking to find them tired with their long Journey Five moneths Hannibal had spent in that tedious march from Carthagena When he had passed Rhodanus he had in his Army but thirty eight thousand Foot and eight thousand Horse the rest having perished with Diseases Enemies Rivers and Mountains Having newly passed the Alps and scarce refreshed his wearied Army in Piemont he sought the Friendship of the Taurini who being at this time in War with the Insubrians his good Friends the Taurini refused it whereupon he besieged their chief Town and in three dayes wan it the spoil whereof did much encourage his Army and the othere Calamity terrified their Neighbours Most of those parts would willingly have joyned with Hannibal but when the Consul Scipio came amongst them they began to be better advised This wavering affection amongst the People made the Generals to hasten to a Battel Their meeting was at Ticinum now Pavia where each of them wondred at the others expedition The Senate at Rome were much amazed at Hannibals arrival in Italy wherefore they sent presently to Sempronius and the other Consul now in Sicily to give him notice of it
and to require him speedily to return with his Army for the safeguard of Italy which accordingly he did Scipio and Hannibal were now so near that fight they must e're they could part and therefore each of them encouraged their Souldiers by the best Arguments they had Hannibal assuring his men that there was no mean betwixt Victory and Death When the Armies approached near each to other Scipio sent forth his Horsemen of the Gauls to begin the fight lining them with his Darters for their assistance himself with his men at Arms followed slowly in good order The Gauls being in their Generals sight behaved themselves gallantly and were as bravely opposed but their Darters at the very first ran cowardly away without casting a Dart for fear of being trodden down by the enemies Horse Yet did the Gauls maintain it stoutly and did more hurt than they received neither was Scipio unmindful to relieve them wherefore he adventured him self so far that he received a dangerous wound and had there perished if his Son afterwards called Africanus had not brought him off Whilst the Romans were busie in helping their Consul an unexpected storm assailed them at their backs Hannibal had appointed his Numidian Horsemen to charge the Romans in their Flank so and to compass them about whilst he with his men at Arms sustained their charge and met them in the face The Numidians performed it well cutting in pieces the scattered Foot that ran away at the first encounter and then falling on the backs of those that charged Hannibal by this impression the Romans were shuffled together and routed betaking themselves to their heels and leaving to their enemies the honour of the day Scipio perceiving how things were like to go almost stole the Retreat with most of his Footmen yet unbroken and recovered the Bridge over Ticinus but notwithstanding his hast he lost six hundred of his men which brought up his Rear and should have broken down the Bridge It was two dayes after e're Hannibal could pass the River Scipio in the mean time refreshing his men and easing himself of his wound in Placentia But when Hannibal presented them Battel again and they durst not accept of it the Gauls which before assisted the Romans out of fear took courage and left them and thinking that now the time was come for the recovery of their Liberty that night they fell upon the Roman Camp wounded and slew many especially of those that kept the Guard with whose Heads in their hands they fled over to the Carthaginians and presented their service Hannibal received them exceeding courteously and sent them to their own homes that they might perswade the rest of the Nation to become his Confederates The same night the Consul stole a retreat as he had done before but not with the like success For Hannibal had an eye upon him and e're he was gone far he sent his Numidians after him and himself followed with the Body of his Army Then had the Romans received a great blow but the Numidians greedy of prey fell to ransacking their Camp and thereby gave them liberty of escaping only some in the Rear were either slain or taken Prisoners Scipio being unable to travel by reason of his wound and judging it meet to stay for the coming of his fellow Consul intrenched himself strongly upon the Banks of the River Trebia which so diminished his Reputation that every day more of the Gauls fell to Hannibal amongst whom came in the Boij that brought with them the Roman Commissioners Hitherto they had kept them as Pledges wherewith to recover their own Hostages but now they delivered them to Hannibal as tokens of their affection to him Hannibal being in great want of Victuals he attempted the taking of Clastidium wherein the Romans had laid all their Store and Ammunition and a Brundusian that had the keeping of it surrendred it to him for a little money The news of these disasters coming to Rome filled the Senate and People with a desire of revenge their Foot wherein their greatest strength lay being yet entire they therefore hasted away Sempronius with his Army who by speedy marches came to Scipio upon the Banks of Trebia The Consuls took Counsel what was fittest to be done now that their Armies were conjoyned Sempronius was eager to fight before Scipio recovered of his wound that he might get the whole glory of the Victory He also feared the election of new Consuls his time being almost expired But Scipio perswaded the contrary by many arguments yet would not Sempronius be taken off wherewith Hannibal was exceedingly pleased who feared nothing so much as delays To further the desire of Sempronius the Gauls that inhabited near to Trebia complained of injuries done to them by the Carthaginians Indeed they neglected to supply Hannibal with necessaries and therefore he was bold to be his own Carver Hereupon Sempronius sent forth a thousand Horse which coming unlooked for upon Hannibals Forragers who were heavy laden they cut many of them in pieces and chased the rest even to their Camp This indignity made the Carthaginians to sally out who caused them to retire faster than they came Sempronius relieved his own men and Hannibal did the like So that at length the Roman Army was drawn forth and Battel offered if the Carthaginians had not refused it This Victory for so the Consul would name it made the Romans very desirous to try it out in open Field notwithstanding Scipios diswasion from it This Hannibal was informed of by the Gauls that were in the Roman Camp therefore he resolved to secure the Victory by adding a Stratagem to his Forces He found in a hallow place overgrown with Reeds a fit Trench to cover an Ambush Therein he cast his Brother Mago with a thousand choise Horse and as many Foot The rest of his Army when he had well fed and refreshed them he led into the Field and marched towards the Consuls Early in the morning he had sent over the River some Numidian Horsemen to brave the enemy and draw him forth to a bad Dinner before he had broken his Fast. Sempronius readily embraced the opportunity of fighting and forthwith sent over the River in a miserable cold day his Footmen who were almost to the Arm-holes which together with the want of Food did much enfeeble them The Romans were stoing in Foot having in all thirty six thousand The Mass of those were ranged in a gross Battalion guarded on the Flanks with three thousand Horse thrusting their light armed and Darters in loose Companies before the rest in the nature of a Vaunt-guard The Carthaginians equalled them in Foot and exceeded them in Horse when therefore the Roman Horse were broken by the Numidians when their Foot were charged both in Front and Flank by the Spaniards Gauls and Elephants and when all were pressed in the Rear by Mago and his Men out of the Ambush then
wrongfully sustained Upon Fabius his approach Hannibal retired Fearing as he said to be well wet with the Cloud that had hung so long upon the Hill-tops Minutius forthwith submitted himself to Fabius by whose favour he acknowledged that his life was preserved Thence forward the War went on slowly whilst Fabius his Dictatorship lasted and the year following also when he had delivered up his charge to to the Consuls that followed his instructions With little pleasure did they of the poorer sort in Rome hear the great commendations which were given to Fabius by the principal Citizens because the War was not finished nor much done tending thereto And this affection was very helpful to Terentius Varro in his suit for the Consulship and farther to help him he had a kinsman Bibius Herennius Tribune of the People He boldly affirmed that Hannibal was drawn into Italy and suffered there to range at his pleasure by the Noblemen that without a Plebeian Consul the War would never be ended c. By which perswasions the multitude were won to be wholly for Terentius to the great vexation of the Nobles who could not endure such an upstart But nothing could hinder the choise of Terentius Wherefore the Nobles to ballast this hot-headed man set up L. Aemilius Paulus a gallant man and a brave Captain to stand for the other Consuls place and he easily carried it These new Consuls Varro and Paulus omitted no diligence in preparing for the War wherein though Varro made the greatest noife boasting what wonders he would do if he could but once see Hannibal yet the care and prudence of Paulus did tend much more towards the effecting of it He wrote to the two old Consuls to forbear fighting and yet to ply the Carthaginians with daily Skirmishes and so to weaken them by degrees that when he and his Fellow Consul came with the new Army they might find the four old Legions well accustomed to the Enemy and the Enemy well weakened These new Consuls raised an Army of above eighty thousand Foot and six thousand Horse Hannibal all this while lay at Geryon where all his provision and store was The Romans to be neer him lodged about Canusium laying up most of their provisions in the Castle of Cannae This place Hannibal wan and thereby not only furnished himself but compelled his Enemies to want many necessaries Hereby he also enabled himself to stay in that open Country fit for the service of the Horse Of this mishap when Servilius had informed the Senate it then seemed needful to them to 〈◊〉 Battel with the Carthaginian rather than to suffer him thus to roo◠himself in Italy When all things vvere ready in the City and the season of the year commodious the two Consuls with their Army set forward against Hannibal This was done with great solemnity Sacrifices and solemn Vows were made to Jupiter and the other Gods for good success and Victory and the Generals were accompanied with a great number that brought them out of the City and dismissed them with Friendly leave-taking and good wishes These new Generals arriving at the Camp dismissed M. Atilius one of the last years Consuls because of his age and retained Servilius with them as their assistant Aemilius laboured to encourage his men telling them that the enemy had stole all the former Victories by his Ambushes that otherwise the Romans were far beyond them in Valour c. and therefore he exhorted them to play the men and do their best This set them on fire to be dealing with the Carthagiuians and herein Varro concurred with them longing for an opportunity to get the honour which he promised to himself having now such a numerous Army By this means the Romans fell into a great inconvenience by the disagreement of their Generals Varro would fight and Aemilius would not for the present hoping for better advantage ere long when the enemy should be forced to dislodg out of the plain Country The Consuls command in turns every day Aemilius lodged six miles from Hannibal where the ground was uneven Terentius the next day descended into the plains his Colleague beseeching him to stay but could not prevail He sat down neer to the Carthaginian who yet gave him but a rude vvelcome and entertainment The Carthaginian Horse and light Armature fell upon the Roman Vaunt-Courriers and put the whole Army into a tumult whilst it was yet in its march but the Carthaginians were beaten off though not without loss The next day Aemilius who could not securely draw back the Army encamped upon the River Aufidus sending part of his Forces over the River where they encamped themselves with the rest he fortified and kept within his Trenches Varro was perswaded that it concerned him in honour to make good his word to the People of Rome When therefore it was his turn to Command at the break of Day he began to pass the River without staying to bid his Colleague good morrow But Paulus came to him labouring by all means to disswade him Terentius had norhing to answer but that his honour was engaged Hannibal had twice or thrice braved them which must not be endured When Aemilius perceived that he could not prevail he was careful that what must be done might be done well Ten thousand Foot he caused to be left behind in the Camp opposite to the Carthaginians to the intent that Hannibal might be forced to do the like or else when they were in fight these might fall upon his Camp and take it with all the wealth therein which would much distract the Carthaginians This done the Consuls drew forth their Army over the Water and ranged them in order of Battel This Hannibal was very glad of and therefore without any delay passed over the River also leaving in his own Camp enow to defend it and no more To encourage his men he told them how fit the ground was wherein they were to fight and that therefore they were to thank the Gods who had so infatuated the enemies as to choose such a place where the stronger in Horse was sure to prevail Besides said he These are the men whom you have beaten as often as you have seen them and now you are to fight for their Cities and all the Riches that are in them and ere many hours pass ye shall be Lords of all that the Romans enjoy This set his men 〈◊〉 to be it and at the same time came his Brother Mago whom he had sent to view the countenance of the Enemy to whom he said What news What works are we like to have Work enough answered Mago for they are a horrible Company As horrible a many as they be said Hannibal I tell thee that amongst them all there is not one man whose name is Mago and therewith he fell a laughing which all the Souldiers also took for a good Omen In this great day the Carthaginian excelled himself expressing abundance of Military skill
and of greatness of spirit and courage He so marshalled his Army that all hands were brought to fight where every one might do the best service His Darters and Slingers he sent before to encounter the Roman Velites His Africans Armed after the Roman manner made the two Wings very deep in File Between these he ranged the Gauls and Spaniards armed the first vvith broad Swords and the other vvith short and vvell-pointed Blades The Gauls vvere strong of Body and furious in giving the Charge but soon vvearied spending their violence at the first brunt The Spaniards vvere less eager but more wary These Hannibal caused to advance leaving void the place wherein they had stood and into vvhich they might fall back if they vvere overhardly pressed Between the left Batallion by the River side vvere the Gauls and Spanish Horse under Asdrubal On the right Wing vvas Maharbal vvith the Numidian Horse Hannibal himself vvith his Brother Mago led the Rear His Army this day vvas ten thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot His Enemies had two to one against him in Foot and he five to three against them in Horse The Roman Army vvas marshelled after their usual manner On the right hand vvere the Roman Horsemen under the Consul Paulus On the left Wing vvas Varro with the rest of the Horse vvich were of the Latines and other associates and Servilius had the leading of the Battel The Sun was newly riâ—en and offended neither part the Carthaginians having their faces Northward and the Romans Southward After some light Skirmirshes betvveen the tvvo Forlorns Asdrubal brake in upon the Consul Paulus and after a rough charge and much execution done the Roman Horse vvere overborn and driven by plain force to a staggering recoil When the Battels came to joyning the Roman Legionaries found vvork enough and more than enough to break that Body upon vvhich at first they fell yet at last Hannibals men vvere forced to a hasty retreat But vvhilst the Legions follovving their supposed Victory rushed on upon those that stood before them and thereby engaged themselves deeply vvithin the principal strength of the Enemy the two African Battalions on either side advanced so far that getting beyond the Rear of them they almost vvholly inclosed them Asdrubal having broken the Troops of the Roman Horse follovved them along upon the River side beating dovvn and killing most of them vvithout regard of taking Prisoners The Consul Paulus left his Horse and cast himself amongst the Legions as hoping by them to make good the day But he failed of his expectation Yet did he cheer up his men as vvell as he could both by Words and Example slaying many vvith his ovvn hands The like did Hannibal amongst his Carthaginians in the same part of the Battel but vvith better success For the Consul received a blovv from a Sling that vvounded him much and though a Troop of Roman Gentlemen did their best to save him from further harm yet vvas he so hardly laid at that by vvounds and vveakness he vvas compelled to forsake his Horse vvhereupon all his Company also allighted Hannibal being near and seeing this said pleasantly I had rather he would have delivered them to me bound hand and foot meaning that he had them almost as safe as if they had been so bound All this vvhile Varro vvith his associates in the left Wing vvas marvellously troubled with Maharbal and his Numidians who beating up and down upon the great Sandy plain raised a foul dust which by a strong South wind was driven into the eyes and mouths of the Romans These using the advantage both of their number and lightness wearied the Consul and his followers exceedingly neither giving nor sustaining any charge but continually making offers and then wheeling about Yet at the first they seemed to promise him a happy day of it For when the Battels were even ready to joyn five hundred of these Numidians came pricking away from their Fellows with their Shields on their backs as was the manner of those which yielded and throwing down their Arms yielded themselves Varro had no leasure then to examine them but bad them to rest quietly behind his Army till all was done These crafty Marchants did as he bad them for a while till they had opportunity to put their design in execution Under their Jackets they had short Swords and Poniards with which and other Weapons that they gathered up of those that were slain they flew upon the hindmost of the Romans whilst all eyes were bent another way where they did much mischief and raised great terrour Thus Hannibal in a plain ground found means to lay an Ambush at the back of his enemies The last blow that put an end to all was given by the same hand that gave the first Asdrubal having routed and slain all the Roman Horse save the Company of A milius that joyned themselves to the Foot did not stay to charge upon the face of the Legions but fetching a compass he came up to the Numidiâ— ns with whom he joyned and gave upon Terentius This fearful Cloud prognosticated a dismal storm wherefore Terentius his followers having wearied themselves much in doing little and seeing more work towards then they were like to sustain thought it their saffest way to secure themselves by present flight The Consul also was as careful to provide for his own security as were they Now he found that it was one thing to talk of Hannibal at Rome and another to encounter him Close at the heels of him and his flying Troops were Numidians appointed by Asdrubal to the pursute as fittest for that service Asdrubal himself with his Gauls and Spanish Horse fetching a compass fell upon the backs of the Romans who were almost surrounded and much distressed before Here began a miserable slaughter the vanquished multitude thronging each other not finding which way to turn Aemilius who could not sit his Horse before whilst the spaces were open by which he might have withdrawn himself was now unable to fly his way being stopt by a throng of his miserable followers and heaps of Bodies that fell apace in that great Carnage In this terrible overthrow dyed all the Roman Foot save two or three thousand who escaped into their lesser Camp and the Night following about four thousand Foot and two hundred Horse fled into Canusium The Camps were both yielded to Hannibal by those who yet remained in them Terentius the Consul recovered Venusia with seventy at most in his Company the rest of his Troops were scattered over the Fields and gathered up by the Numidians and made Prisoners There died in this great Battel of Cannae besides the Consul Paulus two of the Roman Questors twenty one Collonels eighty Senators or such as had born Office amongst whom was Servilius the last years Consul and Minutius late Master of the Horse and about eight thousand were taken Prisoners Hannibal lost about four thousand Gauls fifteen hundred
Romans The bravest of the Senators foresavv what the issue vvould be and therefore one of them invited the rest home to Supper telling them that vvhen they had Feasted themselves he vvould begin to them such a health as should for ever free them from the malice of their enemies the Romans Tvventy seven of the Senators imbraced the motion and vvhen they had Supped drank Poyson vvhereof they died The rest hoping for mercy yielded to discretion So a Gate vvas opened whereat a Roman Legion entred disarmed the Citizens and made the Carthaginians Prisoners The Senators vvere laid in Irons and presently after Fulvius caused all the Campane Prisoners to be bound to stakes and scourged a good vvhile vvith Rods after which he struck off their heads The like rigor Fulvius used to all the Towns of the Campanians most of the Inhabitants with their Wives and Children he sold for Slaves the rest were banished after which the Glory of Hannibal began to shine more dim and most of Italy by the terrible example of the Capuans had a General inclination upon good conditions to return to the Roman side Marcellus and Levinus being chosen Consuls Levinus went into Sicily and Marcellus was to make War vvith Hannibal They vvere busy in raising Soldiers but wanted mony extreamly many ways were proposed how to supply that want At last the Consuls said that no perswasions would be so effectual with the People as good examples wherefore they propounded and it was presently resolved that every one should bring and put into the Treasury all the mony Jewels and Plate that they had and none reserve more than one Salt and a Bowle wherewith to make their offerings to the Gods as also a Ring for himself and some other small Ornaments for his Wife and Children and this was accordingly done by all with much cheerfulness Then went forth Marcellus against Hannibal whose Army was now greatly diminished by long and hard service His credit also amongst his Italian Friends was much weakned by the loss of Capua This put him upon pillaging those Towns which he could not keep thinking that the best way both to enrich himself and to preserve it from his enemies but this farther alienated them from him whereupon Salapia yielded to Marcellus and betrayed to him a gallant Regiment of Numidians the very best that Hannibal had After this the Consul took two Cities of the Samnites wherein he slew above three thousand of Hannibals men which Hannibal could not prevent the Romans being grown stronger in the Field than he But now came news that Massanissa was at Carthage with five thousand Horse ready to set sail for Spain whither when he came he was to accompany Asdrubal the Brother of Hannibal into Italy This did not more comfort Hannibal and his followers than it terrified the Romans At this time Hannibal was informed that Cn. Fulvius a Roman Praetor lay neer to Herdonea to get the Town by practice Hannibal made great marches thitherward and when he came offered Battel to Fulvius who readily embraced it The Roman Legions made good resistance a vvhile till they vvere compassed round vvith the Carthaginian Horse then fell they to rout and a great slaughter was made of them Fulvius with twelve Collonels and about thirteen thousand were slain and Hannibal set Herdonea on fire because it was appointed to be delivered up to the Romans Marcellus hearing this hasted thither At Venusia they met and fought a Battel from Morning till the Night parted them and ended with uncertain Victory Many more skirmishes they had but none of importance Then Q. Fabius Maximus and Q. Fulvius were again chosen Consuls and Fabius resolved to besiege Tarentum which if he could win like it was that scarce any one good City would remain true to Hannibal and in the mean time he desired Fulvius and Marcellus with their Army to press Hannibal so hard that he might have no leisure to help Tarentum Marcellus was glad of this opportunity judging that no Roman was so fit to deal with Hannibal as himself He followed him therefore from place to place desiring ever to come to Battel but upon unequal terms Hannibal only entertained him with skirmishes meaning to keep his Army intire till Asdrubal came to him But Marcellus was so importunate that he could not be rid of him wherefore Hannibal bad his men to beat soundly this hotspur Roman Captain of whom he could not be rid till he had let him blood Then followed a Battel wherein Hannibal had the Victory took six Ensigns and slew about three thousand of the Romans Marcellus rated his men exceedingly and called them cowards which did so shame them that they asked pardon and desired him to lead them forth again against the enemy Hannibal was angry to see that nothing would make them quiet and so they fought again and though the Romans had the better of it fighting very desperately yet they lost so many men that they had little cause to boast of the Victory Only this advantage they had that hereby Fabius got time to prosecute his Siege at Tarentum without disturbance Fulvius the other Consul this vvhile took in diverse Towns of the Hirpines Lucans and Volscentes that vvillingly rendred themselves and betrayed Hannibals Garrisons to him Fabius by the Treason of a Brusian Captain in Tarentum had the Town delivered into his hands and yet vvhen he vvas entered he put all to the Sword Brutians as vvell as others vvhereby his credit vvas much impaired All the Riches of the Town he sought out vvhich vvas very great and sent it to the Treasury at Rome vvhere there vvas much need of it Hannibal having gotten cleer of Marcellus fell upon those that besieged Caulonia all vvhom he slew or took Prisoners and then he hasted to relieve Tarentum But vvhen he came vvithin five miles he heard that it vvas lost This grieved him yet he said no more than this The Romans have also their Hannibal We have lost Tarentum in like sort as we got it But lest he should seem to retreat out of fear he encamped there four or five days and thence departing to Metapont he bethought himself how to take Fabius in a Trap. He caused the chief of Metapont to write to Fabius offering to betray it into his hand These letters were sent by two young men of the City who did thir errand so well that the Consul wrote back and appointed the day when they should expect him Hannibal being glad of this at leasure made ready his Ambushes for the wary Fabius but something hindred him from coming and so all was frustrated M. Claudius Marcellus and T. Quintus Crispinus were chosen Consuls who had a strong desire to make War upon Hannibal assuring themselves of Victory Crispinus had also a desire to make his Consulship Famous by taking some good Town as Fulvius and Fabius had done by taking of Capua and Tarentum
wherefore he went and besieged Locri the best City in Italy that held for the Carthaginian bringing all sorts of Engins to promote the work But Hannibal was not slow to relieve the City at whose approach Crispinus rose and retreated to his fellow Consul Thither followed Hannibal to whom the Consuls offered Battel He refused it yet dayly entertained them with Skirmishes waiting for some advantage and reserved his Army to a time of greater imployment when his Brother Asdrubal should come into Italy Marcellus was not well pleased with this and therefore sought to force him to fight for which end he commanded a Navy by Sea and the Garrison of Tarentum again to besiege Locri But Hannibal had an eye behind him and by the way laid an Ambush for those of Tarentum slew three thousand of them and made the rest to fly back into Tarentum As for the Consuls Hannibals desire was to wast them by little and little Betwixt him and them was a little Hill overgrown with Bushes amongst them he hid some Numidians willing them to attend every advantage To this Hill the Consuls thought fit to remove their Camp thither therefore they rode to view the place taking with them the Son of Marcellus a few Collonels and other principal men and about two hundred Horse The Numidian Centinel gave warning of their approach and the other discovered not themselves till they had surrounded the Consuls and their Company The Consuls defended themselves hoping to be quickly relieved from the Camp that was neer at hand But all their Horse save four forsook them and fled Marcellus was slain with a Lance Crispinus had his deaths wound and young Marcellus was wounded yet got to the Camp the rest were all slain Hannibal gave an honourable Funeral to Marcellus bestowing his ashes in a Silver pot covered with a Crown of Gold and sent it to his Son to be interred where he pleased Then Licinius the Roman Admiral laid hard Siege to Locri wherefore Hannibal went thither again but as soon as his Vant-couriers appeared the Romans ran in confused heaps to their Ships leaving all their Engins and whatsoever was in their Camp to Hannibal C. Claudius Nero and M. Livius were chosen Consuls at which time Asdrubal was already come into France and was approaching towards Italy Livius would not stir against him but with a considerable Army and those of the choisest men and Claudius with another Army was sent against Hannibal By this time news came that Asdrubal was passing the Alps and that the Ligurians and those about Genoa were ready to joyn with him When all was ordered according to the Consuls minds they went forth of the City each his several way The Citizens were full of fears there being another Son of Amilcar come into Italy and one that in this expedition seemed to be of more sufficiency than Hannibal For whereas in that long and dangerous march through so many Barbarous Nations over great Rivers and Mountains Hannibal had lost a great part of his Army Asdrubal in the same Journey had increased his descended from the Alps like a rowling Snowball far greater than when he came over the Pyrenes This made the People wait upon their Consuls out a Town like a pensive train of Mourners Asdrubal at his first coming into Italy set upon Placentia but there he lost a great deal of time and yet was faign at last to leave it whereby he gave the Roman Consuls leasure to make ready for him and caused his Brother Hannibal to make no hast to meet him knowing that Placentia would not be taken in hast Nero made what speed he could to meet with Hannibal and stop him from joyning with his Brother He had with him fourty thousand Foot besides Horse with which he oft offered Hannibal Battel and in diverse Skirmishes had the better of him At Grumentum Hannibal fought with him but was worsted yet gat he off and marched away to Venusia vvith Nero still at his heels Thence he vvent to Canusium and sat dovvn there near the place where he had obtained his most memorable Victory There also Nero sat down by him thinking it enough to hinder him from joyning with his succours There was he advertised of Asdrubals approach by Letters that were going to Hannibal which he intercepted wherefore he resolved that it was better to run some desperate adventure than to suffer them to joyn together He therefore took six thousand Foot and a thousand Horse all of his choisest men and away he posted as fast as he could to assist his Fellow Consul Livy at that time lay encamped neer to Serea Gallica and Asdrubal within half a Mile of him In six days Nero finished his journy thither and by the way his company was encreased by some voluntaries The next day after his coming they consulted together and resolved to fight the Enemy Asdrubal perceiving that both the Consuls were now together and thereupon feared that Hannibal was slain and though before he was forward to fight yet now he thought it no shame to retreat farther from them So he dislodged secretly by Night intending to get over the River Metaurus but being misled by his Guides he had not gone far before Nero was at his heels with all the Horse which hindred him from going any farther and the other Consuls followed with the Legions in order of Battel Asdrubal seeing a necessity to fight omitted no care or circumspection His Gauls he placed in the left Wing upon a Hill which the Enemy could not ascend without much difficulty In the right Wing he stood himself with his Africans and Spaniards His Lygurians he placed in the midst and his Elephants in the Front of the Battel On the Romans side Nero had the right Wing Livius the left and Portius led the Battel Livy and Portius found strong opposition and with great slaughter on both sides prevailed little of nothing Nero laboured much in vain against the steep Hill where the Gauls stood out of his reach wherefore taking part of his Forces he led them round behind Livy and Portius and charged Asdrubal in the Flank which made the Victory incline to the Romans For Nero ran all along the depth of Asdrubals Battel and put it to rout Of the Spaniards and Africans the greatest part were slain the Ligurians and Gauls saved themselves by flight Of the Elephants only four were taken alive the rest were slain most by their Riders the Guide having in readiness a mallet and a chissel wherewith he gave a stroak between the Ears in the joynt next the Head wherewith he killed the Beast upon a sudden Asdrubal strove with great Patience and against many difficulties and performed all the duties of a worthy General and stout Souldier and when he saw the loss irreparable he rode manfully into the thickest of the Enemies where fighting bravely he was slain The number of the slain on both sides is variously
the many Victories which they had gotten over those that far exceeded them in number He bad them look on their Enemies and see whether they were not by far fewer than that huge Army they had â—laughtered at Cannae He bad them remember that it was the Father of this Scipio whom they had made to run away c. Wherefore he intreated them upon whose virtue he meant wholly to repose himself that they would strive that day to make good their honour and to purchase the fame of Men Invincible When the Armies drew neer the Numidian Horse-men on both sides began to Skirmish the Trumpets and other Instruments sounded to Battel Hannibals Elephants which were always an uncertain kind of help were to break upon the Romans But some of them ran back upon their own Horse which they so disordered that Massanissa taking the advantage before they could re-ally charged them and drave them quite out of the Field The rest of these Beasts made a great spoil amongst the Roman Velites but being wounded they ran back upon the right point of their own Battel and disordered the Carthaginian Horse that were in the Wing vvhich gave such advantage to the Roman Horse that charging them vvhen they vvere in disorder they drave them away likewise Then did the Battels of Foot advance and ran one at the other and the Mercenaries at the first seemed to have the better of the Romans But at length the Roman Discipline prevailed against boisterous strength And whereas the Romans were seconded by their Friends these Mercenaries received no help from those that should have seconded them For the new raised Africans when they saw the Mercenaries give back they retired also which made the hired Souldiers think themselves betrayed whereupon they declined the fight The Carthaginian Battel was herewith more terrified than before so that refusing to give way to the Mercenaries they fell out amongst themselves and forbore to make head against their Enemies Thus were many of them beaten down and slain through their own indiscretion And this gave the Romans such advantage that they made a great slaughter both of the Carthaginians and Mercenaries who could neither sight nor easily flie Such as could ran towards Hannibal who kept his ground and would not stir to help these run-aways Then did Scipio advance against Hannibal who intertained him after another manner than ever he had been received in his Life before All the former days work seemed but a Pastime in comparison of this The Romans were encouraged because they had prevailed all the day before they were also far more in number But Hannibals old Blades were fresh and the better men They fought with such obstinate resolution that no man gave back one Foot but rather chose to die than to lose their ground so that for a long time the Victory was uncertain But the return of Massanissa and Laeli is with the Horse from the pursute of the Enemies was to the Romans most happy and in a needful time These upon a suddain charging Hannibal upon the Reer overbore them with meer violence and put them to rout Hannibal with a few Horse saved himself by flight and staid not till he came to Carthage where coming into the Senate he told them plainly that there was no other way left but to make such a Peace as could be procured Amongst other things it was agreed that the Carthaginians should pay to the Romans two hundred Talents a year for fifty years together Which mony when it came to be collected there was pitious lamentation amonst the People the Roman Yoak beginning to pinch them already that some of the Senators could not forbear Weeping but Hannibal could not refrain from Laughter For which Asdrubal Haedus one of Hanno's faction checked him saying that it ill becommed him to laugh since he had been the cause why all others did Weep He answered that Laughter did not always proceed from Joy but sometimes from indignation Yet said he My Laughter is more seasonable and less obsurd than your Tears For you should have wept when you gave up your Ships and Elephants and when you bound up your hands from use of Arms without the good leave of the Romans This miserable condition keeps us under and holds us in assured servitude But of these things you had no feeling Now when a little mony is wrung from you you are very sensible of that God grant that the time come not wherein you shall acknowledg that it was the least part of your misery for which you have shed these Teares Afterwards Hannibal in the Civil administration of the City gave an overthrow or two to the Judges which at that time bore all the sway in Carthage having all the lives goods and fame of the rest in their power Shortly after Hannibal was chosen Praetor by virtue of which Office he was superiour to them for that year He sent upon an occasion for one of the Treasurers to come to him but he proudly refused whereupon Hannibal sent a Pursevant for him and brought him in Judgment before the People accusing not only him but the rest of the Judges for their insolency and unbridled Power withall propounding a Law that the Judges should be chosen from Year to Year He found also that they had robbed the Treasury which caused the Taxes to be laid upon the common People whereof he made such plain demonstration that they were compelled to restore with shame what they had gotten by Knavery This so irritated his Enemies who were of the Roman Faction that they complained to the Roman Senate that the Barchine Faction grew strong again and that Hannibal would shortly be in Arms For he was like a Wild Beast that could never be tamed that he held secret intelligence with King Antiochus who was an enemy to the Romans c. Hereupon the Senate sent three Ambassadors to Carthage to demand Hannibal but he kept such good espial upon the Romans that he was informed of their intentions against which he was never unprepared And therefore when Night was come he stole out of the City accompanied with two Friends whom he could trust and having Horses in a readiness he rode all Night and came to a Tower of his own by the Sea side and having provided a Ship in a readiness he bad Africk farewel lamenting the misfortune of his Country more than his own and shaped his course to Tyre which was the Mother City of Carthage There he was intertained Royally in whose worth and honour the Tyrians thought themselves to have interest because of the affinity between the Cities Thence went he to Antiochus who was exceeding glad of his coming intending War against the Romans To him Hannibal gave excellent advice how he might carry on his War against the Romans vvith best advantage but Antiochus hearkned more to his Courtiers than to him and so was shamefully beaten by the Romans at
a Boy that came from School but the other day must now in hast be a Captain the rest of the Citizens were so incensed against him that they ran upon him and slew him Thus Pompey being but twenty three years old not tarrying for Commission from any man took upon himself Authority and causing a Tribunal to be set up in the midst of the Market place of Auximum a great and populous City he commanded the two Brethren called the Ventidians the chiefest men of the City but his Enemies presently to avoid the City Then began he to leavy men to constitute Captains Lieutenants Sergeants and such other Officers as appertain to an Army And from thence he went to the other neighbouring Cities where he did the like so that in a short space he had gotten three compleat Legions together as also Ammunition Carts and all other necessaries for them In this sort did Pompey advance towards Sylla not in hast as a man that was afraid to be met with by the way but by small Journeys lodging still where he might have the best advantage against an Enemy causing the Cities wheresoever he came to declare against Carbo and for Sylla Yet three Captains who adhered to Carbo Carinna Caelius and Brutus did in three several places compass him in on every side thinking to have destroyed him Pompey was nothing amazed hereat but marshalling his Army he first set upon Brutus having placed his Horsemen amongst whom himself was in Person before the Battel of his Footmen and when the Men at Arms of his Enemy who were Gauls came to charge upon him he singled out the chiefest amongst them and ran him through with his Spear and slew him The other Gauls seeing their Champion slain turned their backs and in their flight over ran their own Footmen so that at last they all fled for their lives Then the Cities round about being terrified with this overthrow came in and yielded themselves to Pompey Afterwards Scipio also the Consul coming against Pompey to fight him when the Battels were ready to joyn before they threw their Darts Scipio's Souldiers saluted Pompey and went over to his side whereupon Scipio was faign to fly And lastly Carbo himself sending divers Troops of Horse against him by the Riuer Arsis Pompey charged them so furiously and drave them into such a place of disadvantage that being neither able to fight nor fly they delivered up themselves with their Horses Arms and all to his mercy Sylla all this while heard nothing of these overthrows which Pompey had given to his Enemies but understanding his danger being environed with so many Arms fearing lest he should miscarry he made hast and marched to his relief Pompey being informed of Sylla's approach commanded his Captains to Arm themselves and to set their Army in good array that their General Sylla might see how bravely they were appointed For he expected that Sylla would do him great honour as indeed he did even beyond his expectation For when Sylla saw him afar off coming towards him and his Army marshelled in such good order of Battel and his men so bravely advancing themselves being elated with their late Victories he allighted from his Horse and when Pompey came to do his duty to him and called him Emperour or Soveraign Prince Sylla resaluted him with the same Title which made all that were present to wonder that he would give so honourable a name to so young a man as Pompey was who as yet was not made a Senator Considering also that Sylla himself did now contend for that Title and Dignity with Marius and Scipio The intertainment also that Sylla gave him afterwards was every way answerable to the first kindness that he shewed him For when Pompey at any time came to him he would rise up and put off his Cap to him which he did not to any other Noble Man that was about him Yet was not Pompey puffed up with all this nor the prouder for it Shortly after Sylla would have sent Pompey into Gaul now France because that Metellus the Roman General there was thought to have done no exploit worthy of so great an Army as he had with him But Pompey answered that there was no reason to displace an ancient Captain that was of greater fame and experience then himself Yet said he if Metellus himself be contented and will desire it of me I will willingingly go and help him to end this War Metellus being informed hereof wrote for him to come Pâ—mpey then entering Gaul did of himself wonderful exploits and so revived the courage and valour of old Metellus that the War prospered exceedingly in their Hands But these were but Pompey's first beginnings and were wholly obscured by the luster of those many Wars and great Battels which he fought afterwards When Sylla had overcome all Italy and was proclaimed Dictator he rewarded all the great Captains and Lieutenants that had taken his part and advanced them to honourable places and Dignities in the Commonwealth freely granting whatsoever they requested of him But for Pompey highly esteeming him for his Valour and thinking that he would be a great support to him in all his Wars he sought by some means to ally him to himself Metella his Wife being also of the same opinion they both perswaded him to put away his Wife Antistia and to marry Aemilia who was Daughter to Metella by a former Husband though she was married to another and now with child by him These marriages were wicked and Tyrannical fitter for Sylla's time than agreeable to Pompey's nature and condition And truly it was a shameful thing for Pompey to forsake his Wife Antistia who for his sake a little before had lost her Father that was murthered in the very Senate House upon suspition that he took part with Sylla for his Son Pompey's sake and to take Aemilia from her lawful Husband by whom she was great vvith child and to vvhom she had been married not long before vvhich also caused the Mother of Antistia to lay violent hands upon her self seeing her Daughter to receive such open and notorious wrong But God who hates such injustice and cruelty followed Pompey vvith this Judgment that his Wife Aemilia died miserably presently after in childbirth in his House About this time news was brought to Sylla that Perpenna was gotten into Sicily and had brought all that Island into subjection to him where he might safely intertain all Sylla's Enemies That Carbo also kept the Seas thereabouts with a certain number of Ships That Domitius was gone into Africk to whom resorted many other Noblemen who were escaped from the proscriptions and outlaries of Sylla Against all these was Pompey sent by his Father in Law with a great Army who no sooner was arrived in Sicily but Perpenna fled and left the Island to him Then did Pompey deal friendly and favourably with all the Citizens vvhich before
had endured great troubles and misery and set them again at liberty the Mamertines only excepted who dwelt in Messina they despising his jurisdiction and Government pleaded the ancient priviledges of the Romans which had been formerly granted unto them But Pompey ansvvered them angerly What do you prating to us of your Law that have our Swords by our sides He dealt also too cruelly vvith Carbo in his misery for he might have killed him in hot blood when he first fell into his hands with less blame But Pompey when he was taken caused him to be brought before him though he had been thrice Consul and to be publickly examined sitting himself in his Tribunal and condemned him to dye in the presence of them all to the great distast and offence of all that were present Yet he bad them take him away to execution which was done accordingly Pompey dealt as cruelly also with Quintus Valerius a man of rare parts and excellent Learning who being brought to Pompey he took him aside and walked a few turns with him and when he had learned what he could of him he commanded his Guard to take him away and dispatch him Pompey indeed was compelled to make away all Sylla's enemies that fell into his hands But for the rest all that he could suffer secretly to steal away he willingly connived at it and would not take notice of it yea himself did help many to save themselves by flight Pompey had determined to have taken sharp revenge of the City of the Himerians who had stoutly taken the enemies part But Sthenes one of the Governours of the City craved audience of Pompey told him boldly that he should do great injustice if he should pardon him who was the only offender and destroyed them who were not guilty Pompey then asking him who he was that durst take upon himself the offence of them all Sthenes answered That it was himself who had perswaded his Friends and compelled his enemies to do what was done Pompey being much pleased to hear the frank speech and boldness of the man he forgave both him and all the Citizens After this Pompey being informed that his Soldiers did kill divers in the high-ways he caused all their Swords to be sealed up and whose seal soever was broken he punished them soundly for it Pompey being busy about these matters in Sicily he received instructions and a Commission from Sylla and the Senate at Rome to depart thence immediately into Africk with all his power to make War against Domitius who had a very great Army Pompey accordingly speedily prepared to take the Seas leaving Memmius his Sisters Husband to Govern Sicily and so imbarking in sixscore Gallies and eight hundred other Ships wherein he transported his Victuals Ammunition Money Engines for Battery and all other his Warlike provision he hoised Sail and Landed one part of his Army at Utica and the other at Carthage and presently after his landing there came to him seven thousand Soldiers from his enemies to take his part besides seven whole Legions that he brought with him Against him came Domitius with his Army in Battel array but before him there was a Quagmire that ran with a very swift stream very hard to get over Besides it had rained exceedingly all that morning so that Domitius judging it impossible then to fight bad his men truss up and be gone Pompey on the other side spying this advantage caused his men to advance and coming upon the enemy who was now out of order had a cheap Victory over them wherein he slew about seventeen thousand of them whereupon he was by his Souldiers saluted with the name Imperator or Emperour but he told them he would not accept of that honourable Title so long as he saw his enemies Camp yet standing whereupon they ran presently and assaulted it and took it by force and slew Domitius therein After this overthrow all the Cities in that Country came and submitted to Pompey and those that refused were taken by force They took also King Jarbas who had sided with Domitius and gave his Kingdom to Heimpsal But Pompey being desirous further to imploy his Army he went many days Journey into the main Land conquering all wheresoever he came making the power of the Romans dreadful to those Barbarous Nations who before made small account of them He caused also the Wild Beasts of Africk to feel his force bestowing some days in Hunting of Lyons and Elephants And in fourty days he conquered his enemies subdued Africk and setled the affaires of the Kings and Kingdoms of that part of the Country being then but twenty four years old Pompey being returned to Utica he received Letters from Sylla willing him to discharge his Army and to retain only one Legion with himself till the coming of another Captain that was to succeed him in the Government of that Country This grieved him not a little though he made no shew of it at all But the Souldiers were much offended at it and when Pompey prayed them to depart they gave out broad speeches against Sylla and told him directly that they were resolved not to leave him whatsoever became of them and that they would not leave him to trust to a Tyrant Pompey seeing that he could not prevail with them rose out of his seat and went into his Tent weeping But the Souldiers followed him and brought him again to his Chair of State intreating him to remain there and command them and he desired them to obey Sylla and to leave their mutinies In fine he seeing they were resolved to press him swore that he would kill himself rather then they should compel him yet scarce did they leave him thus Hereupon it was reported to Sylla that Pompey was rebelled against him which when he heard he said to his Friends Well I see then that it is my Destiny in my old age to fight with Children This he said because of Marius the younger who had done him much mischief and had greatly endangered him But afterwards understanding the truth and hearing that all generally in Rome would go to meet Pompey and receive him with all the honour they could he resolved to go beyond them all in shew of good will wherefore going out of his House to meet him he embraced him with great affection and welcomed him home calling him Magnus that is Great and commanded all that were present to give him that Name also After this Pompey required the honour of a Triumph which Sylla opposed affirming that this honour should be granted to none but to such as had been Consuls or at least Praetors He told him also that if he should stand for it he would oppose him Pompey was not discouraged herewith but boldly told him That all men did honour not the setting but the rising Sun Sylla heard not well what he said and therefore enquired and when it was told him he wondred at
the confidence of so young a man and cryed out twice Let him then Triumph on Gods Name Yet many were offended at it but Pompey to anger them more would be brought in his Triumphant Chariot drawn by four Elephants many of which Beasts he had taken from the Kings and Princes whom he had subdued Howbeit the City Gates being to narrow for them he was faign to leave his Elephants and to be drawn in with Horses Now his Souldiers that had not all they looked for nor that was promised to them sought to hinder his Triumph which being reported to him he said That he would rather lose all his preparations than be forced to flatter them He might have been made a Senator if he had sought after it but in that he did not being so young it pleased the People exceedingly especially when after his Triumph they saw him still amongst the Roman Knights On the other side Sylla was much vexed to see him come so fast forward and so soon to rise to so great credit yet being ashamed to hinder him he suppressed it till Pompey contrary to his mind brought in Lepidus to be Consul through the good will of the People that furthered his desire Hereupon Sylla seeing Pompey returning cross the Market place after the election with a great train of followers he said to him O young man I see thou art glad of this Victory and so thou hast cause for questionless it s a brave thing that through the favour of the People thou hast brought in Lepidus the vilest person of all other to be Consul before Catulus the honestest man in the City But let me advise thee to look well to thy self for thou hast advanced one that will be a dangerous enemy to thee Sylla also discovered his ill will to Pompey in that when he made his Will he gave Legacies to every one of his Friends and left Pompey wholly out yet did Pompey take it well enough and whereas Lepidus with some others after Sylla's Death would have kept his Body from being Buried in the Field of Mars and from Funeral solemnities Pompey prevailed to bury him honourably Shortly after Sylla's Death his Prophecy to Pompey concerning Lepidus proved true For Lepidus openly usurping the power which Sylla had raised an Army of those of Marius his faction whom Sylla had hitherto suppressed which put Pompey upon his best skill and experience For which end he presently took part with the Nobility and the honester part of the People by whom he was imployed to raise an Army against Lepidus who had already the greatest part of Italy and by the help of Brutus kept Gaul on this side the Mountains the rest Pompey easily subjected to himself only he was somewhat long in besieging Brutus in Modena During which time Lepidus brought his Army to the Gates of Rome demanding his second Consulship which much affrighted the People But they were soon comforted by a Letter which Pompey sent wherein he informed them that he had ended his Wars without bloodshed For Brutus had yielded himself to Pompey who had slain him Shortly after Lepidus was driven out of Italy into Sardinia where he fell sick and died At this time Sertorius was in Spain who kept the Romans in great awe being a valiant Captain and one to whom all the Fugitives resorted He had already overthrown many inferiour Captains and was now grapling with Metellus Pius who in his youth had been a Noble Souldier but now being old and too wary he neglected many opportunities which Sertorius by his dexterity took out of his hands Hereupon Pompey keeping his Army together endeavoured by the help of his Friends to be sent into Spain as an assistant to Metellus and at last by the endeavour of Lucius Philippicus he obtained the Government of that Country When Pompey was arrived in Spain Sertorius gave out bitter jeers against him saying That he would use no other weapons against the young Boy but Rods and that if he were not afraid of the old woman meaning Metellus much less was he afraid of him Yet for all these brags he stood better upon his guard and went stronger to fight than he did before being afraid of Pompey In this War the success was very various yet nothing grieved Pompey more than Sertorius his winning the City Lauron Yet shortly after in a set Battel near the City of Valentia he slew Herennius and Perpena both Gallant Souldiers and Lieutenants to Sertorius with ten thousand of their men This Victory so encouraged Pompey that he hasted to fight with Sertorius himself before Metellus came to him that he might have the sole Glory of the Conquest So they both met by the River of Sucron in the evening both fearing the comming of Metellus the one that he might fight alone the other that he might fight with one alone But when it came to trial the Victory fell out doubtful for either of their wings had the upper hand Sertorius waâ— great honour in this Battel bearing all before him wheresoever he went and Pompey encountering a great man at Armes cut off one of his hands yet he escaped by turning up his Horse with very rich caparisons amongst Pompey's followers and whilst they were contending about the Horse he escaped The next morning very early both the Generals brought their Armies again into the Field to confirm the Victory which either of them supposed that he had gotten But Metellus coming to Pompey at that present Sertorius retreated and dispersed his Army Pompey going to meet Metellus when they came near he commanded his Sergeants and Officers to put down their bundles of Rods and Axes which they carried before him to honour Metellus the more being a better man than himself But Metellus would not suffer it but in every thing made Pompey his equal only when they Camped together Metellus gave the watch word to all the Army Sertorius with a running Army cut them short of Victuals spoiling the Country and keeping the Sea-side so that they were forced to divide themselves and to go into other places for Provision Pompey in the mean time having spent most of his estate in this War sent to Rome for mony to pay his Souldiers threatning that if they would send him no money he would return with his Army into Italy Lucullus being now Consul though he was Pompey's enemy yet procured the money for him that himself might the better prevail to be sent against King Methridates For he feared that if Pompey returned into Italy he would procure to have that imployment In the men time Sertorius died and Perpenna who was chiefest man about him supplied his room But though he had the same Army the same means and the same power yet had he not the same wit and skill to use it Pompey therefore marching directly against him quickly discovered his insufficiency and laid a bait for him sending ten Troops to prey in
the People with many men about him and they fell to blows so that many were slain yet he overcome Clodius and Cicero was called home by the Decree of the People who also brought Pompey into favour with the Senate and caused a Law to be made whereby to enable Pompey to bring Corn to Rome and thus by Cicero's means Pompey had once again power given him both by Sea and Land over all the Roman Territories For all the Havens Marts and Fairs and all Store-houses and Merchandizes yea and Tillage came into his hand For this Clodius accused him saying that the Senate had made this Law not because of a dearth of Victuals but that they made a dearth that so the Law might pass for restoring Pompey's power which was almost come to nothing Pompey having now full Authority to cause Corn to be brought to Rome he sent his Friends and Lieutenants abroad and himself went into Sicily and when he was ready to return again there arose such a storm that the Mariners feared to weigh their Anchors but he commanded them to do it saying It s necessary that the People should have Corn but it s not necessary that I should live Thus by his prudence and courage he filled all the Markets with Corn and the Seas with Ships and so great plenty of Provision was brought in as fully furnished not only Rome but all Italy About this time Caesars great conquests in Gaul wan him much credit But whilst they thought him to be Warring afar off he appeared in the midst of the People at Rome and much opposed Pompey in the weightiest matter of the Commonwealth For he had the power of an Army which he hardened with pains and continual exercise not only to fight against the Barbarous People but to make himself invincible and dreadful to the World Moreover by that infinite quantity of Gold and Silver and other Treasures that he gat from the Enemy he purchased many Friends to himself sending great Presents to Rome to the Aediles Praetors Consuls and their Wives therefore when he was come back over the Alps and Wintered in the City of Luca multitudes of the People yea two hundred of the Senate themselves amongst whom were Crassus and Pompey went out of Rome unto him All these Caesar returned back again some with store of mony others with good Words But with Pompey and Crassus he agreed that they two should sue to be Consuls and that himself would send good store of voices upon the day of Election and that if they were chosen they should get a Decree of the People that they should have some new Provinces and Armies assigned to them and withal that they should procure his Government to continue for five years longer This Plot being discovered and spread abroad gave great distast to honest men and many who had intended to sue for the Consulship gave it over Only Lucius Domitius being encouraged by Cato stood for it For said he Thou doest not contend for the Consulship but to defend the liberty of thy Country against two Tyrants Pompey fearing Catoes faction thought it not safe to let Domitius come into the Market place He sent therefore armed men against him who slew the Torch-bearer that came before him and made all the rest to flie amongst whom Cato was the last man that retired who whilst he defended Domitius was wounded in the Elbow Thus Pompey and Crassus came to be Consuls wherein they carried themselves very dishonestly For the People being about to choose Cato Praetor Pompey perceiving of it brake up the Assembly falsly alleadging that he had certain ill signs and afterwards corrupting the Tribes they chose Antias and Vatinias Praetors and then by Trebonius a Tribune of the People they published an Edict that Caesar should hold his Government five years longer Unto Crassus they appointed the Province of Syria and to make War against the Parthians Unto Pompey they allotted Africk and both the Spains with four whole Legions of the which at Caesars request he sent him two to assist him in his Wars in Gaul Crassus at the going out of his Consulship departed into Syria and Pompey remained in Rome to dedicate the Theater which he had built where he caused many goodly Plays to be made and caused Wild Beasts to be baited and hunted amongst which five hundred Lions were killed but the most terrible fight of all was amongst his Elephants This he did to gratifiâ— the People though to his very great cost and he procured much love to himself thereby But he got more envy from others by committing the Government of his Provinces and Legions unto his Lieutenants whilst himself with his Wife took their pleasure up and down Italy At an Election of the Aâ—diles on a sudden there was a great hurly-burly Swords were drawn and many were slain about Pompey so that he was saign to send home his Garments that were sprinkled with their blood and to fetch others His young Wife that was great with child seeing his clothes bloody was so frighted that she fell into a swound that they had much ado to recover her At another time being with child again she fell in labour and died in childbirth and as Pompey was carrying her into the Country to bury her neer unto the City of Alba at his Country House the people took her corps and carrying it into the Field of Mars buried it there and this they did more for Caesar than for Pompey's sake This alliance between Pompey and Caesar being thus broken which rather covered than bridled their ambition to Rule there arose a new stir in Rome and every mans mouth was full of seditious words About which time news came that Crassus was overcome and slain in Parthia who was the only bar to hinder these two from civil War for they both feared him and therefore kept themselves quiet Yet they thought the Empire of Rome was too little for them Pompey thinking that Caesar would not disband his Army sought to strengthen himself against him by procuring Offices in the City and when he could not procure them the people being bribed by Caesar he left the City without a Magistrate so that there were none to command or whom the people might obey Hereupon a rumour was spread that a Dictator must be chosen and that Pompey must be the man This Cato opposed with all his power Bnt when Pompey's Friends excused him saying that he neither sought nor would accept of it then Cato highly commended him and pray'd him to see good order kept in the Commonwealth which accordingly he undertook Then were Domitius and Massala chosen Consuls but after a while one of them died vvhereupon many vvere earnestly bent to have a Dictator and Cato fearing great disorders was willing that Pompey should have some Office to keep him from that vvhich was more Tyrannical Bibulus a chief man in the Senate and
Pompey's Enemy was the first man that moved that Pompey might be chosen Consul alone For said he by this means the Common-vvealth shall be rid of present trouble or it shall be in bondage to an honest man It vvas expected that Cato vvould have opposed this motion but rising up he told them that he vvould not first have made this motion but seeing it vvas propounded by another he thought it meet and reasonable to be follovved For said he Its better to have an Officer to command whatsoever he be than to have none at all and that there was none so sit to command in so troublesome a time as Pompey All the Senate consented hereto and ordained that Pompey only should be Consul and that if he savv it needful to have the assistance of an other he might name whom he saw good yet not till two months vvere past Pompey being thus made Consul alone he carried it very friendly unto Cato and thanked him for the honour he had done him intreating his assistance in the execution of his Office Cato replied that he had no reason to thank him for what he had done he had not done it for his sake but out of his respect to the publick good and that if he asked his counsel in any thing he would give it him privately if not that he would openly speak that which he thought best Pompey then married Cornelia the Daughter of Metellus Scipio the late Wife of young Publius Crassus slain with his Father in Parthia This Lady was of excellent beauty and gifts well learned skilful in Musick Geometry and Philosophy she was modest and sober free from brawling or foollish curiosity Her Father was Noble both by Birth and deportment Yet many disliked Pompey's marrying so young a Wife and giving himself to Feasting and Jollity when he should have looked to his Consulship in so troublesome a time Pompey proceeded sharply against those that by Bribery and indirect means came to their Offices He made Laws and Ordinances for the administration of Justice and himself dealt uprightly in all things and took order that Judgment should be administred with silence safety and gravity But when his Father in Law was accused he sent for three hundred and sixty Judges home to his House praying them to help him which the accuser of Scipio understanding let fall his suit Plancus also being accused Pompey contrary to the Law spake in his commendation whereupon Cato who was one of the Judges stopped his Ears saying that he would not hear an offender praised being contrary to the Law Plancus was condemned by all the Judges to the great shame of Pompey Yet otherwise he set all things in good order and chose his Father Scipio for his fellow Consul for the five last Months Then he caused the Government of his Provinces to be assigned to him for four years more with commission to take out of the Treasury a thousand Talents yearly for to defray the charges of his Wars Caesars Friends seeing this moved that some consideration might be had of him also who made great Wars for the Commonvvealth and by his good service had deserved either to be chosen Consul again or else that they should prolong his charge and Goverment that no other successor might reap the fruit of his labours Much stir arose about this matter But Pompey said that he had received Letters from Caesar by which he requested a successor and to be discharged of this War adding that he thought it fit they should grant him the priviledg to demand the second Consulship though he was absent This Cato stoutly withstood saying that leaving his Army he must return home as a private man and in his own Person crave recompence of his Country Pompey replying nothing hereto made many think he bore no great good vvill to Caesar the rather because he had sent to him for the two Legions which he had lent him under colour of his War against the Parthians Though Caesar smelt his design yet he sent his Souldiers and rewarded them liberally About this time Pompey fell dangerously sick at Naples whereof he yet recovered again and the Neapolitans sacrificed to the Gods for his recovery the like also did their Neighbours round about and it ran so generally through Italy that there was no City or Town wherein they did not make open Feasting and rejoyced for many days together The infinite number of People also which went to meet him out of all places was such that there was not room enough for them all but the High-ways Cities Towns and Ports were full of People Feasting and sacrificing to the Gods for his recovery Divers also went to meet him that were Crowned with Garlands casting Nosegays and Flowers upon him Yet some thought that this was the cause of the civil Wars that ensued For hereupon he grew so proud to see himself thus honoured that forgetting his former Government he began to despise Caesar thinking that he could easily overcome him when he pleased Besides Appius that brought him his two Legions from Caesar out of Gaul reproached much his doings there and gave out many foul words against Caesar. For he said that Pompey knew not his own strength who might overcome Caesar with his own Legions for that when they saw Pompey they would forsake Caesar and turn to him These flattering Speeches made Pompey so secure that he laughed them to scorn who were afraid of War and such as said that if Caesar came to Rome they knew not how his power could be resisted he smilingly bad them take no thought for if he did but stamp on the ground he could fill Italy with Armies both of Horse and Foot out of all places In the mean time Caesar increased his Army and drew neer to Italy and sent some of his Souldiers daily to Rome to be present at the election of Magistrates and many of those that were in Office he wan with mony amongst whom was Paulus one of the Consuls whom he drew to his side by giving him fifteen hundred Talents The like he did to Curio a Tribune of the People by paying his vast debts and he gained thereby Mark Anthony who was engaged for a great part of Curio's debt A Captain also sent from Caesar being at the Senate door and understanding that they would not prolong Caesars Government as he desired clapping his hand on his Sword he said Well! this shall give it him Curio requested in the behalf of Caesar that they would either cause Pompey to disband his Army or else licence Caesar to have his Army as well as he For said he being private men they will either agree between themselves or both being of like strength neither will seek any alteration for fear of the other But Marcellus the Consul opposed this hotly calling Caesar Thief and saying that he would proclaim him an open Enemy to Rome if he did not disperse
his Army Yet Curio Anthony and Piso procured that the Senate should decide the matter saying All they that would have Caesar disband his Army and Pomey to keep his let them go to the one side of the House and such as would have them both to disband let them stand on the other by this means it was carried against Pompey Curio much rejoyced at the Victory and going into the Market place he was there received by his faction with shouts of joy and clapping of hands and Nosegays of Flowers thrown upon him Pompey was not present to see the good will of the Senators to him but Marcellus stood up and said that he would not stand trifling and hearing Oration when he knew that ten Legions were already passed over the Alps intending to come in Arms against them and that he would send a man that should defend their Country well enough And so going through the Market place unto Pompey being followed by all the Senators he said openly Pompey I command thee to help thy Country with that Army thou hast already and also to leavy more to aid thee Lentulus also used the same Speech to him who was chosen for the year following When Pompey went to leavy Souldiers in Rome some would not obey him and others went very unwillingly the most part of them crying out Peace Peace Anthony also against the Senators minds read a Letter to the People sent from Caesar vvherein he seemed to make reasonable requests to draw the affections of the common People to him For he moved that both Pompey and he should resign their Governments and dismiss their Armies referring themselves wholly to the Judgments of the People and to deliver up unto them an account of their doings Cicero vvho was lately returned from Cilicia endeavoured to bring them to an agreement propounding that Caesar that should leave the Goverment of Gaul and his Army reserving only two Legions and the Government of Illyria attending his second Consulship Pompey liked not this motion and so all treaty of Peace was cut off In the mean time news came to Rome that Caesar had won Ariminum a large and strong City in Italy and that he came directly to Rome with a great power But the truth was he came but with three thousand Horse and five thousand Foot and would not stay for the rest of his Army that was not yet come over the Alps but hasted rather to suprise his Enemies on the sudden who were all in a hurly-burly not expecting him so soon than to stay till they were fully ready to fight with him When he came to the River of Rubicon which was the utmost bound of the Province which he had the charge of in Italy he made an Alt pondring with himself the great enterprise he took in hand At last he cryed out to them that were by Jacta est alea let the Die be cast Or let us put all to the hazard and so passed on with his Army News hereof coming to Rome never was there such a consternation and fear seen amongst them For all the Senate ran immediately to Pompey together with all the rest of the City Magistrates and Tullus asked him what power he had in readiness to resist Caesar He answered but something faulteringly that he had his two Legions that came from Caesar and with those that he had levied in hast he thought he should make up thirty thousand fighting men Then Tullus cryed out Ah! thou hast mocked us Pompey and thereupon ordered Ambassadours to be sent to Caesar. Phaonius also a bold man said Stamp now with thy Foot upon the Ground Pompey and make those Armies come which thou hast promised Pompey patiently bore this mock Then Cato thought good that they should make Pompey Lieutenant General of Rome with full and absolute Power to command all saying They that knew how to do the greatest mischief know best how to remedy the same And so immediately he departed to his Government in Sicily Also all the other Senators went to the Provinces whereunto they were appointed Thus all Italy being in Arms no man knew what was best to be done For such as were out of Rome came flying thither out of all parts and such as were in Rome fled out as fast where all things were in disorder They which were willing to obey were very few and they who by disobedience did hurt were too many neither would they suffer Pompey to order things as he would because every one followed his own fancy yea in one day they were in divers minds All this while Pompey could here no certainty of his Enemies the reports being so various and when he saw the tumult and confusion so great at Rome that there was no possibility of pacifying it he commandéd all the Senators to follow him declaring all such as staid behind to be Caesars Friends The two Consuls fled also without Sacrificing to the Gods as their manner was when they went to make War And Pompey in his greatest danger and trouble had great cause to think himself happy because he had every mans good will Shortly after Pompey was gone out of the City Caesar came into it who spake very friendly to all whom he found there labouring to quiet their fears Only he threatened Metellus one of the Tribunes because he would not suffer him to take any of the Treasure of the Commonwealth saying That it was not so hard a thing for him to kill him as to speak it Thus having put by Metellus and taken what he pleased out of the Treasury he prepared to follow Pompey intending to drive him out of Italy before his Army should come to him out of Spain Pompey in the mean time took Brundusium and having gotten some Ships together he caused the two Consuls presently to embark with thirty Compays of Footmen which he sent before to Dyrrachium He sent also his Father in Law Scipio and his Son Cneius Pompeyius into Syria to provide him Ships Then did he fortifie Brundusium and guarded the Walls with Souldiers commanding the Citizens not to stir out of their Houses He cast up Trenches also within the City at the end of all the streets saving those two which led to the Haven and filled those Trenches with sharp pointed stakes and when at leasure he had imbarked all the rest of his Souldiers he by a sign called off those vvhich guarded the Walls and having received them into his Ships he hoisted Sails and departed Caesar finding the Walls of Brundusium unguarded presently suspected that Pompey was fled and rushing into the City he had certainly faln into the Pits but that the Brundusians gave him warning of them whereupon he fetched a compass about to go to the Haven and coming thither he found all the Ships under sail save two vvherein were a few Souldiers Some judged this departure of Pompeys the best Stratagem of War that
them but went presently and charged his Infantry and especially where they had no guard of Horsemen by which means they might be the easiler compassed about Thus they being charged by these in the Flank and in the Van also by the tenth Legion finding themselves contrary to their expectation compassed about by their Enemies whereas they thought to have environed them they could no longer make resistance but were put to the rout also When Pompey saw the dust flying up in the air and thereby conjectured the flight of his Horsemen he was like a man amazed and at his wits end forgetting that he was Pompey the Great and so retiring into his Camp he fat silent for a good while till such time as his Enemies entered pell mell into it together with his men that fled and then he said no more but What! Into our Camp And so rising up he put on a Gown fit for his sad condition and secretly stole out of the Camp His other Legions also fled and Caesars men made a huge slaughter of the Tent keepers and of their Servants that guarded the Camp there were slain about six thousand But at the taking of the Camp Caesars Souldiers plainly saw the madness and folly of Pompeys men For their Pavillions and Tents were full of Nosegays and Garlands of Mirtle and their Couches covered with Flowers their Tables full of Bowls of Wine as men prepared to sacrifice for joy rather than to arm themselves to fight When Pompey was gone a little way from his Camp he forsook his Horse having very few with him and perceiving that none pursued him he walked fair and softly on Foot having his head full of thoughts For he for thirty four years together used always to be Victorious and therefore now it was strange to him to flie He now law how in one hours space he had lost all that Glory and Riches which he had purchased by so many great Victories He that not long before was followed and obeyed by so many thousand men of War by so many Nations and Horsemen by such a great Fleet upon the Sea was now faln into a low and poor estate with so small a train that his very Enemies who sought him knew him not When he had thus passed the City of Larissa he came into the Valley of Tempe where being a thirst he fell down on his belly and drank of the River then rising up he went and came to the Sea side and lay all Night in a Fishers Cottage The next Morning by break a day he went into a little Boat upon the River having some Freemen with him and as for his Slaves he dismissed them and bad them go boldly unto Caesar and not to be afraid Thus rowing up and down the shore side in this little Boat he espied a great Ship in the Sea lying at Anchor which was ready to sail away The Master of the Ship was one Peticius a Roman who though he was not acquainted with Pompey yet he knew him well by sight Some of the Marriners told Peticius that they saw a little Boat coming towards them wherein were some men that held up their hands and made signs to them Peticius looking knew Pompey and commanded his Marriners to let down the Boat wherewith giving Pompey his hand he received him into the Ship and those that were with him and then hoised Sail. With Pompey their were both the Lentuli and Faonius Presently after they espied King Dejotarus coming in a Boat towards them and making signs to be taken in which accordingly they did At Supper time the Master made ready such meat as he had aboard And Faonius seeing Pompey for want of attendants washing himself he ran to him and anointed him and ever after waited upon him doing such Offices as Servants do to their Masters washing his Feet and preparing his food for him Pompey then passing by the City of Amphipolis sailed to the Isle of Lesbos to fetch his Wife Cornelia and his Son who were at Mitilene and having there cast Anchor in the Rode he sent a Servant into the City to his Wife whose Message did not answer her expectation For she had still been put in hope by Letters of her Husbands good success and that the War was well ended The Messenger finding her thus confident thought not fit to salute her but rather by his Tears discovered the great misfortune of Pompey and at last told her that she must dispatch quickly if she would see her Husband with one Ship only and that not his own but borrowed The young Lady hearing this fell down in a swound before him but after she was come to her self remembring that it was now no time to weep and lament she went speedily through the City to the Sea side There Pompey meeting her took her in his Arms and embraced her But she finking under him fell down and at last said Out alas Wo worth my hard Fortune not thine good Husband who now see thee with one poor Ship who before thou marriedst me the Unfortunate Cornelia was wont to sail in these Seas attended with five hundred Alas Why art thou come to see me and didst not rather leave me to my accursed destiny seeing my self am the cause of this thy evil Alas How happy had I been if I had died before I heard of the death of my first Husband Publius Crassus slain in the Parthian War And how wise had I been if according to my determination I then had slain my self whereas I yet live to bring this misfortune upon Pompey the Great To this Pompey answered Peradventure my Cornelia thou hast known a better fortune which hath also deceived thee because she hath continued longer with me than her manner is But since we are born men we must patiently bear these troubles and once more try what she will do For it is not impossible for us again to change this adversity for prosperity no more than it was to fall from our late prosperity into this Calamity When Cornelia heard him say so she sent into the City for her houshould stuff and Family The Metilenians also came to salute Pompey praying him to come and refresh himself in their City But Pompey refused and advised them to obey the Conquerour for said he Caesar is of a just and curteous Nature Then Pompey turning to Cratippus the Philosopher who came amongst the Citizens to visit him made his complaint to him and reasoned a little with him about Divine Providence Then taking his Wife and Friends he hoised sail and departed staying no where but to take in fresh provision and water The first City that he touched at was Atalia in the Country of Pamphilia Thither came to him some Gallies out of Cilicia and many of his Friends and Souldiers insomuch as he had now sixty Senators in his Company Then understanding that his Army by Sea was yet whole and that Cato
had gathered together a great number of his Souldiers after the overthrow whem he had transported with him into Africk he complained to his Friends for that they had compelled him to fight by Land and not suffered him to make use of his Fleet wherein he was the stronger and that he kept not his Army neer to the Sea that in case he miscarried at Land he might presently have repaired to his Fleet at Sea and thereby have resisted his Enemy Thus Pompey being driven to attempt somewhat according to his small ability to some Cities he sent Ambassadours to others he went himself to gather mony wherewith he armed and manned some Ships But fearing the sudden approach of his Enemy before he could be in readiness to resist him he bethought himself to what place he might retire for his better safety and resolved that there was never a Province of the Romans that was able to secure him and for other strange Nations he thought none safer for him to retire into than Parthia which was able to aid and help him Some advised him to go into Africk unto King Juba But Theophanes the Lesbian said that it was great folly to decline Egypt that was but three days sail from thence and where Ptolomy was who was lately come to mans estate and was infinitely bound to Pompey for the late favours which he shewed to his Father and not put himself into the hands of the Parthians the most unfaithful Nation in the World He thought it also an ill part for him to carry his young Wife of the Noble Family of Scipio amongst such barbarous People who care not how basely they abuse any strangers The Speech altered Pompeys mind and made him resolve to flie into Egypt and so with his Wife Cornelia he departed from Cyprus in a Galley of Seleucia The rest of his Train imbarked also some in Gallies other in Merchant Ships and so passed the Sea vvithout danger When Pompey heard that King Ptolomy was in the City of Pelusium with his Army vvarring against his Sister he steered that way and sent a Messenger before to the King to certifie him of his arrival and to entreat him to give him entertainment King Ptolomy was at this time but a young man and under him the whole Realm was governed by one Photinus He therefore assembled a Councel of the chiefest and wisest of his Court and when they were met Photinus in the Kings name commanded every man to declare his Judgment about the reception of Pompey whether they should intertain him or not and truly it was a sad thing that Photinus an Eunuch and Theodotus of Chio vvho was the Kings Schoolmaster for Rhetorick and Achillas an Egyptian should consult amongst themselves what they should do vvith Pompey the Great All this vvhile Pompey rode at Anchor near to the shore expecting the resolution of this Councel amongst vvhom their opinions vvere various some were for others against his reception But Theodotus the Rhetorician to shevv his eloquence perswaded them that neither the one nor the other was to be done For said he if we receive him we shall make Caesar our Enemy and Pompey our Lord If we receive him not Pompey will blame us and Caesar also for not keeping him Our safest way therefore is to kill him for thereby we shall win the good will of the one and not sear the displeasure of the other Adding that Mortui non Mordent A dead man bites not This they all resolved upon and accordingly gave Achillas Commission to do it This being concluded Achill as took vvith him Septimius vvho had sometimes served under Pompey and Salvius a Centurion and two or three other Souldiers and so made to wards Pompeys Galley about vvhom there were at this time the chiefest of his Train to see vvhat vvould be the issue of this matter But vvhen they favv vvhat intertainment he was like to have and that they came not in that Princely manner answerable to the hopes that Theophanes had put them in seeing so few men coming tovvards him in a Fisherboat they began to mistrust the sequel and advised Pompey to turn back and to launch again into the Sea vvhilst he was yet out of the reach of their Darts In the mean time the Fisherboat drevv near and Septimius rose up and saluted Pompey in the Roman Tongue by the name of Imperator or Emperor Achillas also spake to him in Greek vvishing him to come into his Boat the shore being full of mud and sand banks so that his Galley could not carry him to the shore At this time they saw afar off divers of the Kings Gallies which were arming vvith all speed possible and all the shore vvas full of Souldiers so that though Pompey and his Friends vvould have altered their minds yet they could not tell hovv to escape and if they had diseovered their mistrust of them they had given the Murtherers a cloak for their cruelty Pompey therefore taking his leave of his Wife Cornelia vvho lamented his Death before his end he commanded tvvo of his Centurions to go dovvn before him into the Boat and took vvith him only Philip one of his Slaves enfranchised vvith another Slave called Scynes When Achilles reaching out his hand to receive Pompey into his Boat he turned him to his Wife and Son and repeated these Verses of Sophocles The Man that into Court comes free Must there in state of bondage be These were the last Words which he spake to them The Land being far off when he saw never a man in the Boat speak friendly to him he said unto Septimius Methinks my Friend I should know thee for thou hast served under me heretofore the other nodded with his head but gave him no answer Pompey observing these things took a little Book into his hand wherein he had written an Oration that he ment to make to King Ptolomy and began to read it As they approached to the shore Cornelia with her Friends about her stood up in great fear to see what would become of Pompey and she hoped well when she saw many of the Kings People on the shore coming towards Pompey as it were to receive and honour him at his landing But even as Pompey took Philip by the hand to rise more easily Septimius came behind him and thrust him through with his Sword Salvius and Achillas also made at him with their Swords Pompey did no more but took up his Gown with which he covered his face and took the wounds in a manly manner only sighing a little Thus ended he is Life the very next day after his Birth being fifty nine years old They which rode at Anchor in their Ships when they saw him thus Murthered gave such a fearful cry that it was heard to the shore And weighing their Anchors with speed they hoised Sail and departed having a lusty gale of Wind to help them The Aegyptians had thought to pursue
yielded themselves and from thence he conducted his Army against the Nervians the stoutest Souldiers of all the Belgae These dwelling in a Woody Country had conveyed their Wives Children and Goods into a very great Forrest remote from their Enemies and being above eighty thousand fighting men they watching their opportunity set upon Caesar when his Army was out of order and little expecting them At the first charge they brake the Roman Horsemen and encompassing the seventh and twelfth Legions they slew all the Captains and had not Caesar himself with his Shield on his Arme run amongst them making a lane as he went and the tenth Legion seeing him in that danger followed him with all speed there had not a Roman escaped alive that day But looking upon Caesars Valour his men fought desperately even beyond their abilities and yet could they not make the Nervi fly but they fought it out bravely till most of them were slain in the Field five hundred only of them escaping Yet was it a bloody Battel to the Romans for that of four hundred Gentlemen and Counsellers of Rome there were but three saved The Senate of Rome made great signs of joy for these Victories by sacrificing to the Gods Plays c. and as Caesars fame was encreased hereby so he wan upon the Peoples love And always when his affairs would permit he used to Winter by the River Po to give direction about his affairs at Rome And truly not only such as sued for Offices at Rome obtained them by Caesars money and therefore imployed all their power to promote his Interest but the chiefest also of the Nobility went to Luke unto him insomuch as at one time there have been seen before his Gates one hundred and twenty Sergeants carrying Rods and Axes before the Magistrates that have waited upon him and two hundred Senators besides Here they held a Councel wherein it was agreed that Pompey and Crassus should again be chosen Consuls for the year following and that Caesar should have more money delivered him to pay his Army and that his Government should be prorogued for five years longer Then Caesar returning into Gaul to his Army found there a great War begun For two Potent Nations of the Germans having passed over the River of Rhine to conquer new Lands Caesar fought with them which himself thus discribeth These Barbarous People saith he after they had sent Ambassadours to me to desire peace contrary to the Law of Armes came and set upon me as I travelled by the way insomuch as eight hundred of their men overthrew five thousand of my Horse-men who nothing at all expected their comming and going on to describe their farther proceedings he saith that they again sent Ambassadours to him to mock him whom he kept Prisoners and then setting upon the Enemies who were about four hundred thousand Persons he slew most of them saying a few that flying gat back over the River of Rhine and so escaped Caesar taking this occasion and being ambitious to have the honour of being the first Roman that ever passed this River with an Army he built a Bridg over it though the River were very broad and ran with a violent stream and especially there where he built the Bridg and the Barbarians casting great Trees into the River they were carried down with such violence that by their great blows they did sore shake the Posts of the Bridg to prevent which and to abate the fury of the stream Caesar caused a Pile to be made a good way above the Bridg which was forcibly rammed into the bottom of the River so that in ten days space he had finished his Bridg of goodly Carpenters work A very rare invention as could be possibly devised Then passing his Army over this Bridg he found none that durst fight with him For the Suevians who were the most War-like People of the Germans had retired themselves and Goods into great Valleys Bogs Woods and Forrests Caesar therefore having burnt up the Enemies Country and confirmed the League with the confederates of the Romans he returned back into Gaul About this time also he made a Journey into England being the first that sailed the Western Ocean with an Army and that passed through the Atlantick Sea to make War in this great and Famous Island and was the first that enlarged the Roman Empire beyond the habitable Earth For he twice passed the Seas out of France into England where he fought many Battels with the Brittans in which he did more hurt to the Enemies than enrich his own men therefore this War had not such success as he expected which made him only to take pledges of the King and to impose a yearly Tribute upon him and so returned back into Gaul He was no sooner landed there but he met with Letters which advertised from Rome of the death of his Daughter the Wife of Pompey for which they both of them were very sorrowful and by this means the league betwixt Pompey and Caesar was broken to the great prejudice of the Common-wealth Caesars Army being very great he sent it into several Garrisons for their Winter Quarters and returned into Italy as he used to do During which time all Gaul rebelled again and had raised great Armies who were led by one Ambiorix These did first set upon the Garrisons of Catta and Titurius whom they slew together with all their men Then they went with sixty thousand men and besieged the Garrison which Quintus Cicero had in charge and had almost taken it by storm Ciceroes Souldiers being all wounded yet they shewed such valour that they did more than men in their own defence This news comming to Caesar who was far off he returned with all possible speed and levying seven thousand Souldiers he hasted to relieve Cicero that was in great distress The Gauls that besieged him hearing of Caesars comming arose and went to meet him making little account of his small number Caesar to entrap them still drew back making as though he fled from them but still lodging in places of safety and commanded his men that they should not stir out to skirmish with them but rather to raise the ramparts of his Camp and to fortifie the Gates as men affraid that their Enemies might the less esteem them But at length he took the opportunity when the Enemies came in a disordered manner to assault his Camp and then sallying out he routed and slew a great number of them This Act suppressed all the rebellions of the Gauls in those parts Himself also went in the midst of Winter in those places where they did Rebel for now he had a new supply out of Italy of three whole Legions to fill up the rooms of those that were slain of which Pompey lent him two and the other Legion was raised about the River Po. Shortly after there brake out the greatest and most dangerous War that ever he had
him Caesar seemed to be very reasonable in what he requested For he said that whilst they required him to lay down Arms for fear of a Tyranny and yet permitted Pompey to keep his they went about to establish a Tyranny Curio in the name of Caesar moved before all the People that both should be commanded to lay down Arms which motion was entertained with great joy and clapping of hands by the People who threw Nose-gays and flowers upon him for it Then Anthony one of the Tribunes brought a Letter from Caesar and read it before the People in spite of the Consuls wherein he desired that they would grant him Gaul on this side the Alps and Illyria with two Legions only and then he would desire no more But Scipio the Father in Law of Pompey moved in the Senate that if Caesar did not dismiss 〈◊〉 Army by a day appointed that then he should be proclaimed an Enemy to Rome Marcellus also added that they must use force of Arms and not Arguments against a Thief whereupon the Senate rose without determining any thing and every one put on his mourning apparel as in the time of a common calamity Cicero being newly come from his Government in Cilicia took much pains to reconcile them together and perswaded Pompey all he could who told him that he would yield to whatsoever he desired so he would let him alone with his Army But Lentulus the Consul shamefully drave Curio and Anthony out of the Senate who were in such danger that they were faign to flie out of Rome to Caesar disguised in a Carriers coat This gave Caesar great advantage and much incensed his men when they saw and heard how his Friends were abused Caesar at this time had about him but five thousand Foot and three thousand Horse having left the rest of his Army on the other side of the Alps to be brought after him by his Lieutenants Judging it better suddenly to steal upon them at Rome then to assail them with his whole Army which would require time and give his Enemies opportunity to strengthen themselves against him He therefore commanded his Captains to go before and to take in the City of Ariminum a great City on this side the Alps with as little bloodshed as might be Then committing the rest of those Souldiers which he had with him to Hortensius he spent a whole day in seeing the Sword Players exercise before him At Night he went unto his lodging where having bathed himself a little he came into the Hall and made merry with those whom he had bidden to Supper Then rising from the Table he prayed his Guests to be merry and he would come again to them presently howbeit he had secretly before directed his most trusty Friends to follow him not all together but some on way and some another Himself in the mean time took a Coach that he had hired and pretending at first to go another way he suddenly turned towards Ariminum But when he came to the River of Rubicorn which divides the hither Gaul from Italy he suddenly made a stop for if he once passed that there could be no hope of peace considering with himself of what importance this passage was and what miseries would ensue upon it Some say that he spake thus to his Friends Doubtless if I forbear to pass over this River it will be the beginning of my ruin if I pass it the ruin will be general Then turning towards the River he said it is yet in our power to turn back but if we pass the River we must make our way with our Weapons Some say that Caesar standing thus doubtful he was encouraged by the apparition of a man of very great stature piping upon a Reed whereupon many of the Souldiers and some Trumpeters went neer to hear him and that he catching one of their Trumpets leaped into the River sounding to the Battel with a mighty blast and so passed on to the farther side of the River Whereupon Caesar with a furious resolution cryed out Let us go whether the Gods and the injurious dealing of our Enemies do call us The Dice are cast I have set up my Rest Come what will of it After which he set spurs to his Horse and passed the River his Army following him Caesar having passed the River and drawn his Army together he made an Oration to them shedding some tears and tearing his Garment down the Breast laying before them the equity of his cause and craving their assistance To whom having with a general applause and consent made answer that they were ready to obey his will he presently marched on and came the next day to Ariminum upon which he seized The like he did to all the Towns and Castles as he passed on till he came to Corfinium which was held by Domitius who in a factious tumult had been nominated for his successour in the Government of Gaul This being taken he pardoned the Souldiers and Inhabitants and used Domitius kindly giving him leave to depart who went straight to Pompey by which clemency he purchased to himself much honour These thirty Cohorts he kept with him Caesars resolution being known at Rome it troubled Pompey amazed the Senate and terrified the common People Pompey now found himself deceived who before could not believe that Caesar would thrust himself into so great danger or that he could be able to raise sufficient forces to resist him but the success proved otherwise For though Pompey had authority from the Consuls and Senate to leavy Souldiers to call home his Legions and to send Captains for the defence of those Cities in Italy by which Caesar should pass yet all this was not sufficient to resist his fury and the power that he brought with him The fame of Caesars coming increasing daily Pompey with the whole Senate left Rome going to Capua and from thence to Brundusium a Sea Town seated at the mouth of the Gulph of Venice where he ordered the Consuls to pass to Dyrrhachium now Durazzo a Sea Town of Macedonia there to unite all their Forces being out of hope to resist Caesar in Italy who had already taken Corfinium where having drawn Domitius's thirty Cohorts to serve him he marched on and hearing that Pompey and the Consuls were at Brundusium he hasted towards them with his Legions with all possible speed But Pompey though he had fortified the Town sufficiently for his defence yet when Caesar began to invest the Town he imbarked himself and his men in the night time and so passed over to Dyrrachium to the Consuls Thus Caesar injoyed Italy without opposition yet was he doubtful what to resolve on He would gladly have followed Pompey but wanted Shipping and it being Winter he knew that Ships could not be procured so soon as was requisite and considering with all that it was not safe to leave an Enemy behind him which might cause an alteration in France or Italy
he compounded a very great Army by Land and a very great Fleet of Ships and Gallies by Sea It being now the depth of Winter Pompey presuming it improbable if not impossible for Caesar to pass the Seas to him having also intelligence that Caesar was in Rome he disposed of his Army to their Winter Quarters in Macedonia and Thessaly and himself retired farther from the Sea commanding his Sea-Captains of whom Marcus Bibulus was chief to guard the Sea-coast But Caesar knowing that in the speedy execution consisted his greatest hopes of Victory and that occasion once lost could hardly be recovered he departed from Rome and came to Brundusium though all his Legions were not as yet come to him There he embarked seven of his best Legions in such ships as were ready sending a Command to the rest which were coming to hasten to Brundusium whither he would send for them with all possible speed And so departing he crossed the Seas with a prosperous gale of Wind and the third day after arrived upon the coast of Macedonia before Pompey had any intelligence of his embarking There he safely landing his men in dispite of Pompeys Captains and commanded his Ships and Gallies presently to return to Brundisium to fetch the rest of his Army Presently after his first landing he seized upon the Cities of Appallonia and Erico driving from thence Lucius Torquatus and Lucius Straberius who held them for Pompey Pompey hearing of Caesars arrival sent for his Troops which were neerest hand with all speed possible with whom he marched towards Dirrachium where his Victuals ammunition and other provisions for the War lay lest Caesar should go and surprise them which indeed he attempted but in vain the situation of the place making it inexpugnable Pompey being come their Camps were lodged within a few furlongs each of other where he passed many adventurous skirmished and also some Treaties of Peace offered by Caesar but rejected by Pompey so consident he was of his own power In the interim Caesar daily expected the coming of the other Legions who staying longer than he expected he resolved in Person with three confident Servants secretly to embark himself in a Brigandine and to pass that streight of the Sea and to fetch them hoping to perform the same without the knowledg of any And accordingly passing down the River to the Sea he found it so troublesome and tempestuous that the Master of his Brigandine not knowing whom he carried durst not adventure forth but would have returned Then Caesar discovering his face said Perge avdactèr Caesarum enim fers fortunam Caesaris Bear up bravely and boldly against the Winds and Waves for thou carriest Caesar and all his Fortunes The Master herewith encouraged strove all that possibly he could to proceed in his Voyage but the force of the Tempest was so great and the Wind so contrary that do what possibly they could they were driven back again When Caesars Army heard of these passages they much wondred grieved and were troubled at it Commending him more for his Valour than for his Wisdom But within few days after M. Anthony arrived with four of those Legions which were left behind in Italy presently returning the Ships back for the rest Anthony after some adventures joyned with Caesars Army near to Dirrachium where we lately left him Frequent skirmishes still continued between the two Armies and many were slain on both sides and one day the skirmish was so hot supplies being sent from both sides that it almost came to a just Battel wherein Caesars men were so beaten that they fled before the Enemies and could not be made to stand by any intreaties or menaces till they were come into their Camp which they had strongly fortified yet many durst not trust to that but fled out of it But Pompey either because he imagined their flight to be faigned to draw him into an Ambush or because he thought there needed no more to be done and that Caesar could no more resist him he neglected to prosecute his Victory causing a retreat to be sounded without assaulting Caesars Camp which probably he might have taken and made an end of the War that day Whereupon Caesar said to his Friends Truly this day had ended the War if our Enemies had had a Captain that had known how to overcome At this time Caesar lost a great number of his men amongst whom were four hundred Roman Knights ten Tribunes or Collonels and thirty two Centurions or Captains and his Enemies took from him thirty two Ensigns Upon this Victory Pompey sent news thereof to divers parts of the World holding himself for an absolute Conquerour Caesar much blamed some of his Captains and Ensign beà rers for their cowardize and his Army were so grieved and ashamed that they much importuned him to lead them forth again to Battel But he thought it not fit so soon to lead them forth against a Victorious Army He therefore sent his sick and wounded men to the City of Apolonia and departed by night with as great silence as could be from the place where he was and marched towards Thessaly intending there to refresh and encourage his Army and to draw his Enemies farther from the Sea coast where their chief strength lay and where their Camp was well fortified and victualled or at least he intended to attempt the overthrow of Scipio who as he heard was coming to joyn with Pompey Pompey finding Caesar was departed followed him for some few days and then taking Councel what to do he resolved to leave a lufficient Navy to guard the Seas and with the rest to return into Italy and to seize upon it together with France and Spain and afterwads to go against Caesar But the Roman Lords that were with him and the importunity of his unskilful Captains and Souldiers forced him to alter his determination and presently to pursue Caesar who made an Alt in the Fields of Pharsalia which are in Thessaly making his retreat with so much prudence and in so good order that upon all occasions that were offered he ever had the better till at length seeing his men full of resolution and courage he resolved no longer to defer the Fight Concerning which Battel the ordering and event of it the flight of Pompey into Egypt and how basely and barbarously he was murthered there see it before in the Life of Pompey the Great Julius Caesar having obtained this great and glorious Victory used therein his accustomed Clemency not suffering any Roman either to be slain or hurt after the Battel was ended but pardoned all those that were either taken in the Fight or found in the Camp amongst whom was Marcus Tullius Cicero After which being informed which way Pompey was fled he pursued him with the lightest and swiftest of his Army and in the way subduing all the Cities he at last came to the Sea side where he gathered together
all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Aegypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers only When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised and Pompey coming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandment basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeius were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Arms he wept considering the end and success of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in AEgypt he found the Country imbroiled in Civil Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdom wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Eunuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay near the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to do by Caesar as they had done by Pompey so that within a few days there began between Caesar and his small Army both in the City and in the Harbour where the Ships and Gallies lay the most cruel and dangerous encounter that ever Caesar met with for he was often forced to fight in his own Person both within the City whereof the Enemies held the greater part and also in the Harbour with his Ships and was sometimes in so great peril and danger that he was forced to leap out of the Boat into the Water and by swimming to get one of the Gallies at which time he held his Commentaries in one hand above Water and carry his Robe in his teeth and to swim with the other hand But when his other Forces were come to him from Asia and other parts he at the end of nine months for so long these Wars lasted became Victorious as in all other his enterprises he had been and the young King Ptolomy was slain in fight In this War Caesar did such exploits and behaved himself so gallantly that for the same only he well deserved the fame and name of a brave Captain The Pride of the Aegyptians being thus tamed Caesar put to death the murtherers of Pompey and established the fair Cleopatra the Queen and Governess of Aegypt whom during his stay there he intertained for his Friend and had a Son by her called Caesarion And when he had quitted and settled all things in Aegypt he departed thence into Asia and travelled through Syria now Soria being informed that during his troubles in Aegypt King Pharnaces the Son of that mighty King Methridates thought it a fit time whilst the Romans were embroiled in Civil Wars to recover what his Father had lost For which end having overthrown Domitius whom Caesar had sent to govern those parts and having taken by force of Arms the Provinces of Bithynia and Cappadocia expelling thence King Ariobarzanes a Friend and Subject of Rome and beginning to do the like in Armenia the less which King Deiotarus had subjected to the Romans Caesar I say being informed hereof went with his Army sooner than Pharnaces imagined though he expected him and had intelligence of his appproach so that in few days they came to a Battel in which the King was soon overthrown and put to slight with great slaughter of his People yet himself escaped Caesar was very joyful for this Victory because of his earnest desire to return to Rome where he knew that many scandals were raised and many insolencies were committed for want of his presence He knew also that Pompeys eldest Son had seized upon a great part of Spain and had raised great Forces of those which Marcus Varro had left there and of his Fathers Troops He also understood that in Africa many Principal Romans who had escaped from the Battel of Pharsalia were gathered together whereof M. Cato surnamed Uticensis was the chief and Scipio Pompeys Father in Law and that these went thither with the greatest part of the Ships and Galleys which belonged to Pompey and with the greatest power that they were able to leavy and that joyning with Juba King of Mauritania they had subdued all that Country and had a great Army in a readiness to oppose him having chosen Scipio for their General because that Cato would not take that office upon him and for that the Name of Scipio had been so fortunate in Africa Caesar having intelligence of all these things within the space of a few days with great celerity and diligence recovered all that Pharnaces had usurped and chasing him out of Portus he regained all those Countries and so leaving Celius Minucius for General with two Legions to guard that Province pacifying the controversies and contentions in the rest and rewarding the Kings and Tetrachs which continued firm in their Leagues and amity with the Romans without any longer aboad he departed out of Asia and in a short space arrived in Italy and so passed to Rome within little more than a year after he went thence which was a very short time for the performance of so great matters and so long a Journey Presently after his comming to Rome he caused himself to be chosen Consul the third time and reforming so much as the time and his leasure would permit all disorders in Rome being troubled and not able to endure that his Enemies should possess Africk with great expedition he prepared all things necessary and from Rome took his way towards Africk commanding his Army to follow him First he went into Italy from whence taking Ship he passed over into Africk and though neither his Navy nor his Army arrived with him trusting to the valour of those that he had with him and his own good Fortune he landed with small Forces near to the City of Adrumentum and from thence marched to another City called Leptis
Sons the tenth part of their Fathers Patrimony and to Daughters the twentieth part but few or none had any benefit by this promise yea on the contrary they sacked many of them that demanded these rights They exacted great sums of money in Rome and all over Italy and to encourage the Souldiers they gave them unmeasurable gifts and granted them daily new pillage The Legions they Wintered in the richest Cities upon free Quarter To be short men by fear and custome were so inured to slavery that they became more slaves than the Tyrants would have had them These three men having done what they would in Rome and knowing that Brutus and Cassius had a very great Army in Greece who called themselves the Deliverers of their Countrey saying that they would go and set Rome at liberty from Oppression Cassius having overthrown and slain Dolabella in Syria and being informed that by the assistance of their Friends they had gotten together eighteen Legions hereupon Mark Anthony and Octavian resolved to go against them wich the greatest Army that they could possibly make of old Souldiers and that Lepidus should stay to guard Rome and accordingly they departed and arrived in Greece and marching on they drew near to the place where Brutus and Cassius were encamped which was in Macedonia in the Philippick Fields Before they came to joyn Battel there were sundry Prodigies for Fowls of prey hovered about the Camp of Brutus as if it had been their own already and as they marched out to Battel a Blackmoor met them which they accounted an ill Omen Brutus being alone in his Tent at night a man sad and gastly appeared to him and being asked what he was he answered I am thy evil Genius and so vanished But on the contrary Birds and Beasts promised good success to Caesar. These Armies lying so near together had frequent skirmishes and at last came to a Battel where the Victory was strangely divided For Brutus on the one side of the Field did beat Octavian and put his Battalion to rout pursuing them into the Camp where many of them were slain and while Brutus was following his Victory his partner Cassius was overthrown by Mark Anthony though he did all that was possible to encourage his men and by reason of the clouds of Dust knew nothing of Brutus his Victory whereupon retiring to an high ground he there pitched his Tent and so standing and looking about he saw Brutus his Troops coming to his aid and to relieve him but he imagining that they came flying before their enemies commanded a slave of his whom he had made free to kill him who did it accordingly Octavians men that escaped by flight retired to Mark Anthonies Camp and had not Brutus his men busied themselves in ransacking Octavians Camp they had that day obtained an entire Victory for they might in due time have rescued and relieved Cassius and both of them being joyned together might easily have overthrown Mark Anthony but God had otherwise determined The Victory being thus divided the Generals of either party gathered their Forces together and of Brutus side were slain eight thousand men and of the Enemies side a far greater number Brutus did his best to encourage and comfort his Souldiers and the Gentlemen which followed Cassius and the next day though both Armies were put in battel Array yet they fought not but a few dayes after Brutus by his Souldiers was forced to come to another Battel who was of himself willing rather to delay and prolong the War knowing that his Enemies wanted Victuals and many other necessaries and because he reposed no great trust in the Forces of Cassius for he found that they were fearful and hard to be commanded because of their late overthrow When they came to the second encounter Brutus did all the Offices of an able General and of a Valiant Knight yet in the end his men were broken and overthrown by the Enemy Brutus having gathered his scattered Troops together found himself unable to make any farther resistance and being advised by some of his Friends to fly he told them That so he would yet not with his feet but with his hands and thereupon taking a Sword from a Servant of his called Stratus he slew himself Thus Octavian and Mark Anthony remained Victors and Masters of the Field and all things succeeded according to Caesars desire for whom God in his secret Counsel had reserved the Monarchy of the whole World which for the present was divided between three These Wars being ended and the Legions of Brutus and Cassius reduced to the obedience of the Conquerours Octavian and Mark Anthony agreed and resolved that Anthony should remain to govern Greece and Asia that Lepidus should go into Africk and that Octavian should return to Rome and accordingly Mark Anthony went into Asia where he gave himself up to sensuality and delights with the fair but wanton Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt and Octavian though with some hindrances by reason of his health at last came to Rome Not long after there arose new Wars and troubles for though Octavian was at peace with Lepidus who was now in Africk Octavian having under his command Spain France part of Germany Italy and Illyricum yet Lucius Antonius who at this time was Consul being provoked thereto by his Sister in Law Fulvia Wife to Mark Anthony began to oppose himself against Lepidus and Octavian seeking to overthrow the Triumvirat which contention brake out about the division of Fields which Caesar had made to the Souldiers which had served him in his Wars Some say that Fulvia made this stir that she might procure the return of Mark Anthony to her of whom she was jealous hearing of his familiarity with Cleopatra The discord in Rome grew to that height that they came to Arms and Lucius Antonius went from the City and levied an Army against Octavian who also marched towards him with his Forces But Lucius not daring to joyn Battel shut himself up in Perugia where Caesar immediately besieged him and Divorced himself from Claudia the Daughter of Fulvia and was married to his third Wife Scribonia by whom he had one onely Daughter Octavian being about twenty three years old so strictly besieged Perugia that Lucius and his men were brought to such straits for want of Victuals that he was forced to yield up himself to Octavian who pardoned him and used him kindly and thus this War was ended without bloudshed And so Octavian returned to Rome of which he was now sole Lord and from hence some reckon the beginning of his Empire which was about four years after the Death of Julius Caesar and about thirty eight years before the Incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar being now in quiet Fulvia by Letters and false Informations sought to stir up her Husband Mark Anthony against Octavian with which resolution she left Italy and
which consisted of Parthians yet he had joyned with him the Prince of Thanais without whom he could not do any thing Tamerlane also gave special commandment that the passages which were not many should be diligently guarded to the end that the King of China should not be advertised of these tumults and so giving to Odmar the leading of his Avantguard he hasted forwards And surely it was high time for him so to do or else all had been revolted for Calix having assembled a hundred thousand fighting men presented himself before the great City of Cambalu chief of the Province of Cathai the Inhabitants whereof came out to meet him receiving him with all the joy that might be Tamerlane in his March went to Caindu and from thence to Calatia where he expected to meet with the forces of his native Country of Sachetai yet did he not neglect to send forward his Army towards Cambalu which caused the Inhabitants to their great terrour to think that all his forces were already on their neck Calix perceiving that the Citizens began already to repent his entertainment thought it not safe to remain amongst them and therefore withdrawing himself he sent for his forces from all parts resolving to meet Tamerlane in the Field and to put all upon the event and hazard of a Battel He drew out of Cambalu fifty thousand men whereof twenty thousand were Citizens the other thirty thousand were the Garrison-Souldiers placed there by the old Emperour Calix having corrupted their Leaders and so procured them to joyn with him in this revolt In short having assembled all his forces his Army consisted of fourscore thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Footmen which he gathered from all parts In the mean time Tamerlanes Army marching forward his Scouts which were two thousand Horse had news of the Army of Calix which came forward directly towards them of which they speedily advertised the Emperour who thereupon presently sent two thousand Horse more to the end that they should keep the passages of a certain River called Brore by which River Victuals were conveyed to his Army as also to win time the Prince well knowing that the motions of a Civil War are furious at the beginning and that therefore it 's best to resist slowly always drawing them out at length if it be possible For when means money and victuals fail the people use to be sensible of their faults and to return home The old Emperour sent to him to adventure all upon a Battel delivering up into his hands the safety of his life and estate that thereby he might end his days in peace By this means forces came to Tamerlane on all hands whose Army daily encreased whereas on the contrary the Enemies Army was then in its chiefest force and began to feel the want of Victuals Calix was about forty years old a Captain renowned with the great Cham and one of the chiefest in dignity and place about him so that many of the Tartars had always respected him as a Person most worthy of the Empire if the glory of Tamerlane and his reputation had not so far exceeded The Armies began to be in view one of another about eight a clock in the morning and many skirmishes began betwixt them before they came to the main Battel The place wherein they met at that time was a great Plain with like advantage on either part Odmar led the Avantguard wherein were forty thousand Horse and eighty thousand Foot which he divided into three Squadrons the first whereof he sent before him to begin the Battel Tamerlane marched in the same order but his Squadrons were much stronger The Footmen of both made the right and left Wings Tamerlane had drawn out six thousand Parthian Horsemen and two thousand Tartarians for his Arearguard which he committed to his faithful Servant Axalla a man of great judgment quick of conceit and in great esteem amongst the Souldiers although he being a Christian worshipped God in another manner than they did and he had many other Christians with him whom he had drawn from the Georgians and the Euxine Sea who fought with great agility Calix on the other side who was a well spoken man was exhorting and encouraging his Souldiers to fight for his Fortune and the Liberty of their Nation He divided his Army into three main Battels himself remaining in the midst encompassed with his Footmen and so the Battels joyned where after a terrible fight Calix fell into Axalla's hands being taken fighting valiantly which Axalla caused to be presently proclaimed through the Army to the overthrow of the courage of all the Adversaries who hereupon immediately fled Calix was kept till the next day and then by a Council of War was adjudged to death whereupon Tamerlane caused his head to be stricken off the which he sent as a present to the Inhabitants of Cambalu The like he caused to be done to all the chief Leaders not out of a cruel disposition but enforced thereto by necessity knowing very well that the way to cut off the foot of Civil War is to punish the Heads of the same which as Hydra's grow up too fast After this Tamerlane with his Army marched into the Kingdom of Cathay a Country rich in grass and all kind of pastures abounding with great quantity of beasts and people which knew not what War meant and the Prince gave command that they should not be used as Enemies but as his good Subjects and whereas divers Cities had adhered to Calix they came now and humbled themselves before him craving pardon which he gave them enjoyning them only to provide victuals for his Army which also they willingly did This example of Lenity of was no small importance for the appeasing of others which had put all their hope in extremity resolving to sell their lives dear and especially the Inhabitants of Cambalu had taken this resolution but being informed of the Emperours clemency they changed their purpose Yet as the Army daily approached nearer their fears encreased but Tamerlane was daily informed by his Friends in the City that the Inhabitants resolved to obey the Conquerour and therefore leaving his Army at Gonsa he only sent thirty thousand to the City which was the ordinary Garrison and within two hours after entred the City himself where he was received with great magnificence yet would he not pronounce their pardon but referred all to the old Emperour and to the ordinary course of Justice For which end he sent one of his Favourites to the old Emperour to certifie him of his Victory of the death of Calix and that the chief of his Faction remained Prisoners with him as also to know what Justice he would appoint to be inflicted upon those Citizens which were the authors of the revolt of this City and so after eight days he departed and not many days after he had intelligence that the great Cham his
the way you must understand that about forty years before the Father of this present King of China had conquered this City and Countrey from the Tartars and had so planted the same with new Colonies that but few of the Tartarians remained except only in the flat Countrey and some small walled Towns who all came with their Keys and willingly submitted to Tamerlane whereby he had great plenty of victuals in his Army which made him hope for good success there being nothing that doth sooner overthrow great Armies than the want thereof Thus was Paguinfou besieged round the footmen lying within a flight-shoot the Walls the Citizens and Souldiers using their best endeavour for their defence and Tamerlane doing the like for their offence Axalla having viewed a great Suburb which was in length almost half a League supposed that the Citizens kept no watch there and therefore acquainting the Emperour with his purpose in the first watch of the night his men being all ready with scaling Ladders he assaulted the same in sundry places and after a great fight entred and cut in pieces at least eight thousand men which were within the same yet on one side where they expected to be assaulted he lost many of his men The taking of this Suburb did greatly astonish the Citizens who observing the valour of the Tartarians began to suspect their own safety By this Suburb there ran a River which being now under the command of Axalla he stopt all provision from going to the City In the mean time the King of China's Army approached which was very great whereupon the Emperour determined to go in person and meet him with the greatest part of his Horsemen but to leave most of his Foot to continue the siege being very desirous to take the City for the accelerating whereof he caused his Engines for battery to approach as Rams and such like so that the City was assaulted on two sides very couragiously and in the end through the valour of Axalla who gave an assault with twenty thousand of his best Souldiers he won the Wall and at the command of the Emperour lodged there who desired rather to have the City by Treaty than storm the City being great and rich and the Enemy but thirty Leagues from thence and therefore he feared lest his Army should be found in disorder and knowing also that rich Souldiers never fight well Besides he intended to draw out of that wealthy City such things as he stood in need of and to make it his Magazine for the time to come Yet though the Wall was won the Enemies wanted not heart to defend themselves valiantly hearing that their King was coming for their relief but it so happened that an Engine shooting a bullet slew the Governour whereupon the Citizens were so discouraged that they resolved to yield saving their lives and the Souldiers to march away with Horse and Arms. The conditions were admitted and there came out of the City eighteen thousand Souldiers almost all the Inhabitants remaining behind This siege had lasted two months and the City had in it at first thirty thousand Souldiers Axalla had the honour of winning this City and therefore was made Governour of it and all the Country belonging to it but he beseeched the Emperour to bestow it upon some other Person reserving for himself the hope of his Master in whose fortune he would take part This gave great content to Tamerlane who much desired the service of Axalla and upon his refusal the charge was conferred upon the Prince of Thanais with the Title of Vice-Roy Then did Tamerlane give notice of his affairs to the old Emperour and having paid his Souldiers and setled all things in the best manner he could he marched forward and taking a general Muster of his whole Army Horse and Foot he found them to be diminished ten thousand men only And so with his Army he spent one whole day in Prayer calling upon the immortal invisible invincible and incomprehensible God and then went directly to meet the Enemy who was at Sintehu with all his own and the forces of his Allies and as soon as he received news that Tamerlanes Army was advanced over the River of Chulifu the King of China marched directly towards them with great magnificence There was nothing to be seen in his Army but Gold and precious Stones He himself usually rode in a Chariot whereof every part shone with Gold Pearls Rubies and Diamonds He was of the age of about three and thirty and had been brought up in pleasures and not under the bloody Ensigns of Mars So that he was very insolent in threatnings brava does and defying to the Battel He often accused Tamerlane for surprizing him before he was ready not giving him warning c. The rumours of his riches so fired the spirits of the Tartarians that they longed to be at the Battel and so both sides hasted forwards and in the way there was a City called Tunichevoy surrendred to Tamerlane which afforded him much refreshing for his Army And thus the two Armies drawing near together Tamerlane made choice of a place in his judgment most advantageous for the Battel and having set down to Odmar the Order which he would have to be observed he longed to see his Enemy Then did he send before him five or six thousand Horse as Scouts under Calibes and himself went with them and having viewed the great confused Army of his Enemies which came continually forward he commanded Calibes to retire himself so soon as they drew near to him And bring saith he this great cloud to me which I hope soon to disperse and so retiring to his Army he encouraged them assuring them of the Victory He placed all his Foot-men which were about a hundred and twenty thousand along a Mountain planting great store of Artillery for their guard Many of his Foot-Souldiers were armed after the Christian manner who were all commanded by Axalla His Horsemen were in a Battalia in a great plain who upon any disadvantage could retire to the assistance of the Footmen the Horsemen were eighty thousand Calibes with the Scythians were in the Avantguard being thirty thousand Horse who were to receive Odmar when he should retreat from the Enemy as he was commanded thirty thousand more were appointed for Odmar and Tamerlane himself remained in the Arrear at one of the Wings of his Footmen His purpose was to let that sixty five thousand Horse under two such Gallant Captains to break the force of the Enemy hoping after them to have a good market causing his Foot to march forward and reserving with himself twenty thousand of his best Horse who of themselves were able to make a new Battel if any mischance should befal the former For he understood that it was the custom of the Kings of China to enclose themselves in the midst of their Chariots with their Footmen and not to
with a very proud and haughty countenance and approaching near to the Emperour he by his Interpreter asked of Axalla which was he and being shewed him he spake in an haughty language after this manner The gods whom I worship being provoked against my Nation and People have conspired against my good fortune and made me this day thy prisoner But forasmuch as it is reported over all the world that Tamerlane maketh war for the honour of his Nation thou shouldst be content with this thy glory that the Lord of the world and child of the Sun is in thy power to receive such Laws as thou pleasest to subscribe unto him This he spake in a brave manner without any other humbling of himself The Emperour on the other side saluting him very courteously led him into his Tent. This King of China was a great Prince having two hundred famous Cities within his Kingdom which also is a fruitful and plentiful Countrey wherein are Mines of Gold and Silver much Musk and Rliubarb It abounds in Fish and Fowl and hath much Silk and Porclane with Cotton and Linnen c. Then did Tamerlane assemble his Captains to consult about the disposal of the King and how the Victory should be best improved At the same time he received news by Odmar that the Kings Brother who escaped out of the battel was at Quantou which he had strongly fortified and that great store of forces began to adjoyn themselves to him Hereupon he commanded two thousand Parthian horse to convey the King to Paguinfou and from thence to Burda where he was to be kept carefully Then did he resolve upon the besieging of Quantou and if it were possible to shut up the Kings Brother therein it being one of the principal seats that belonged to the King of China It was forty Leagues from the place where the battel was fought Thither therefore he sent a good party of his Army under Odmar who pitched his Tents about the City But the Kings Brother was gone The Emperour in the mean time summoned and took in many lesser Cities which yielded wholly to his mercy making great lamentation for their captive King yet the gentleness of the Conquerour made them to take all their losses with patience and the rather because they heard that he used their King courteously The Kings brother also sent Ambassadours to Tamerlane craving leave to see the King and to know of his health which the Emperour willingly assented to Now the Kings brother hearing of the estate of the besieged in Quantou he resolved either to relieve it or to fight a battel for which end he advanced strait unto Porchio making a bridge of Boats to pass over the River But Odmar being informed that about fifty thousand of his men were come over he suddenly set upon them being out of order and not informed of their enemies approach also to prevent the coming over of the rest to their assistance he sent a fire-boat down the stream against their bridge of Boats which brake it in sunder and where it was resisted set all on fire and so in a great battel overthrew them The King of Cauchin-China who was amongst them fighting valiantly was slain The Kings Brother who was on the other side of the River not yet come over saw his men slain and drowned and could not relieve them This second overthrow was of no small importance though it was but the third part of the Kings brothers Army For the Citizens of Quantou hearing of it and despairing of relief sent out some Proposals for their surrender Axalla which received them presently dispatched away a faithful messenger to the Emperour to know his pleasure therein This was more welcome news to him than the overthrow of his Enemies wherefore he referred all to the sufficiency and fidelity of Axalla So that upon Treaty the City was surrendred to Axalla who caused the Garrison to come out and received the inhabitants into the Emperours protection and all that would might continue in it unarmed afterwards he entred into it and was received with great signs of joy by the Inhabitants who resolved to entertain the Emperour with all the solemnity that might be Axalla put thirty thousand men into it for a Garrison injoyning the Citizens to pay the Emperours Army four hundred and fifty thousand Crowns Presently after he received a command from the Emperour to stay in the City himself and to send all the rest of his Footmen unto him which he commanded the rather because he understood that Ambassadours were coming to him from the Kings Brother to treat of Peace and he presumed the sight of all his Army together ready to march would strike such a terrour into them as would cause them the readilier to assent to good terms The Ambassadours sent by the Kings Brother were of their chiefest men whom Tamerlane entertained with all humanity causing his greatness to appear to them as also the activity of his Horsemen whereby they might discern that it would tend to the destruction of their Country if they agreed not with him Then did the Ambassadours deliver their message which consisted of two branches One was for the delivery of their King the other for the preservation of their Countrey The Emperour answered that they should deliver their message in writing and he would give a speedy answer Their Propositions were that they would leave Paguinfou and all the Country beyond it with all the Fortresses of the mountains in Tamerlanes possession That they would pay all the charges of his Army from that day forward And that they would give two millions of gold for the ransome of their King To this the Emperour answered that he would keep that which he had conquered within the Countrey being his own as taken by his arms That he would have the River by which his Army was now encamped and so along to the Sea to be his Frontiers That the King of China should pay him yearly two hundred thousand Crowns which should be delivered at Paguinfou for acknowledgment of his submission to his Empire That he should pay five hundred thousand Crowns in ready money for the charge of his Army That the King of China should be delivered and that all the other Chinois prisoners should pay ransomes to particular men that took them except those which carried the names of Kings who should pay ten thousand Crowns for their liberty and peace And that no Chinois should be kept for a slave nor sold for such hereafter being under the Emperours obedience That Traffick and intercourse of Merchants should be free between both the Nations That the King of China should deliver his Brother and two other called Kings with twelve principal men of the Countrey for Hostages to secure the Peace These conditions after they had consulted together were accepted of hoping that time would restore again their ancient liberty and in the
Tamerlane greatly rejoyced yet without insolency and vaunting but rather with the countenance of such an one as judged the event of Battels to be alwayes doubtful saying sometimes That a small number well conducted did carry away the victory from the confused multitude Three dayes after he stayed at Buisabuich causing his souldiers continually to march forward who at two places passed over the River Euphrates which he did the rather to maintain his Army upon the spoil of the Enemies countrey chusing rather there to attend Bajazets coming then amongst his friends and allies All the Cities that yielded to him in the way as he marched he favourably received the other that refused to submit themselves to his obedience he used with all extremity especially the great and strong City of Sebastia where certain of the forerunners of his Army were by the Turks that kept Garrison in it cut off and slain and to despite him the more the City gates were set open in contempt of him Whereupon being justly offended he sent out certain Tartarian Horsemen charging them upon pain of his displeasure so to behave themselves against their Enemies that at his coming up to them he might find either the City taken or at least the Gates shut up against him And he had his men at so great command that no danger was unto them more dreadful than his displeasure neither did he punish any thing so severely as cowardize Now the Turks in Sebastia seeing these Tartarian Horsemen marching towards the City making little account of them because their number was not great issued out to meet them where they were so furiously charged by these few Horsemen that they were glad to retire and for hast to shut the Gates against some of their own men lest the Enemy should have entered pell mell with them which Turks were there slain at the Gates of the City Shortly after came Tamerlane with all the rest of his Army and sat down before the City where he lay still seven days not making any shew of violence at all The defendants because the City was of great strength thought that his purpose was by a long Siege to distress the same But about the eighth day the Towers and Walls being undermined in sundry places suddenly fell down leaving large breaches for the Enemy to enter wherewith the Turks being dismayed surrendred the City to Tamerlane in hope so to have saved their lives but he caused them all to be buried quick and the City utterly to be razed and then calling the Governour whose life he had spared for that end he bade him go and tell his Master what had happened to his strong City of Sebastia and what himself had seen there of which Tragical action when the Governour had made report to Bajazet he demanded of him whether of the two Armies he thought bigger or stronger for he had now assembled a mighty Army of three hundred thousand Horse and two hundred thousand Footmen whereunto the Governour having first craved pardon answered That it could not be in reason but that Tamerlane had the greater Army for that he commanded over far greater Countries wherewith proud Bajazet being offended replied in great Choller Out of doubt the sight of the Tartarian hath so affrighted this coward that he thinks every Enemy to be two As Bajazet marched forward he heard a Country Shepherd merrily pleasing himself with his homely Pipe as he sate on the side of a Mountain feeding his small flock whereupon he stood still and listned to him to the admiration of many and at last brake forth into these words O happy Shepherd which hadst no Sebastia to lose bewraying therein his own discontentment and yet withal shewing that worldly bliss consisted not so much in possessing of much subject unto danger as in enjoying content in a little devoid of fears The rest of the Cities as Tamerlane marched forwards warned by the destruction of Sebastia yielded to him the Citizens whereof he used courteously especially the Christians whom he set at liberty for the Greek Emperours sake whom he sought therein to gratifie But Tamerlane had not gone far into the Turks dominions before he was certainly informed that Bajazet was coming against him with a mighty Army and was now within thirty Leagues of him which caused him from thence forward to march with his Army more close together Axalla leading the Van sent forth Chianson Prince of Ciarchan with four thousand Parthian Horsemen to get knowledg of the Turkish Army and where Bajazet lay as also what manner of Countrey it was beyond Sennas and if he could learn any thing thereof to make relation of it to him This Prince of Ciarchan was Tamerlanes near Kinsman a man of great reputation and next to Axalla in whose absence he had the command of the Avantguard who also sent before him another Parthian Captain with five hundred Horsemen who having advanced about ten Leagues and surprized Sennas was certainly informed there of the state of Bajazets Army which was now at Tataeia and so marching forward which Tamerlane being informed of commanded him not to retire from that place till he saw the arrival of the enemy and thereof to give him advertisement every hour resolving himself to pass on no further being encamped in a fair large plain which was very advantageous for him his Army being bigger then Bajazets which made him make choise of those large plains His Army also being compounded of sundry Nations he considered that he was not to fight against the Chinois a soft effeminate people as of late but against the Turks a most warlike Nation and well acquainted with all manner of fights and warlike stratagems and therefore he judged it necessary to proceed warily against them Upon this consideration he presently sent for Axalla with him to view the said place and to have his opinion whether it would be advantageous for him to stay there or no Axalla not misliking his choice of the place yet withal advised him to keep Sennas as long as possible he could and accordingly he sent word to them at Sennas that when they could keep the place no longer they should set fire on it and so retreat and this he did that the Enemy should have no desire to encamp there but to march forward to those plains where Tamerlane desired to fight the rather because he was stronger in Horse than Bajazet Accordingly the Prince of Ciarchan sent out a hundred Horse toward the Turks then divided he the rest of his Forces into two parts commanding the former that as soon as they perceived the Enemy to pursue the hundred Horse whom he had commanded to fly disorderly before them that they should receive them into their Squadrons and so retire altogether He in the mean time with the other part stood close in a Valley near unto a Wood-side wholly unseen where having suffered two thousand
of the Enemies Horse the Vant-curriers of the Turks Army to pass by him he following them in the tail charged them home the other also which before retired now turned again upon them so that the Turks seeing themselves thus beset and hardly laid to both before and behind as men discouraged fled but in their flight were most of them slain the rest of them were taken Prisoners This was the first encounter between the Turks and the Parthians All the Prisoners taken were by the Prince sent as a Present to Tamerlane and amongst the rest the Bassa of Natolia who led those Troops of whom Tamerlane earnestly demanded what caused his Master Bajazet so little to esteem him as to shew so great a contempt of his Army Which saith he he shall find strong enough to abate his Pride To this the Bassa answered That his Lord was the Sun upon Earth which could not endure any corrival And that he rather was astonished to see how he from so far a Country had undertaken so dangerous a journey to hinder the fortune of his Lord in whose favour the heavens as he said did bend themselves to further his greatness and unto whom all the world subjected it self and that he commited great folly in going about to resist the same Unto this proud Speech Tamerlane replied That he was sent from heaven to punish his insolency and to teach him that the proud are hated of God whose promise is to pull down the mighty and to advance the lowly As for thy self said he thou hast already felt though I pity thy mishap what the valour of my Parthian Horse is against thy Turkish and I have already caused thy Master to raise his Siege before Constantinople and to look to his affairs here in Asia He also asked him whether his Master did come resolved to give him Battel Assure your self said he that there is nothing that he more desireth and would to God that I might acknowledg your greatness in giving me leave to assist my Lord in that Battel Good leave have thou said Tamerlane go thy ways and tell thy Lord that thou hast seen me and that in the Battel he shall find me on Horse-back there where he shall see a green Ensign displayed The Bassa thanked him and swore that next unto his Lord he vowed unto him his service And so returning he related unto Bajazet how he had seen Tamerlane and reported to him truly all that he had willed him to say not forgetting above all to praise his courtesie and bounty who besides that he had frankly set him at liberty had also given him a very fair Horse well furnished although he well knew that he was to serve against himself To this Bajazet answered no more but that he would shortly make trial of him and that he doubted not but before he had done with him he should make him acknowledg his folly The next day the two Armies drew neer together and encamped within a league the one of the other where all the night long you might have heard a noise of Horses which filled the heavens with their neighings and the air with sounds and every man thought the night long that they might come to the trial of their valours and the gaining of their desires The Scythians a people no less greedy than needy talked of nothing but the spoil the proud Parthians of attaining honour the poor Christians of their deliverance from an insulting adversary all which was to be gained by the next days Victory Every man during the night-time speaking according to his humour All which Tamerlane walking privately up and down in the Camp heard and much rejoyced to see the hope which his Souldiers had already conceived of the Victory and so after the second watch returning into his Pavilion and there casting himself upon a Carpet he purposed to sleep a while but his cares not suffering him so to do he then as his manner was called for a Book wherein was contained the Lives of his Fathers and Ancestors and of other valiant Worthies which he used ordinarily to read in as then also he did not vainly to deceive the time but to make use of it by imitating that which by them was worthily done and declinining such dangers as they by their rashness or oversight fell into After which having slumbred a little he commanded Axalla to be sent for to him who presently came accompanied with divers other Great Lords and Captains of the Army with whom after he had consulted a while about the order of the Battel himself presently mounted on Horseback and sent each of them to their charge to see their orders put in execution At which very instant he received intelligence that the Enemy was marching forwards and come to chuse his Ground for the Battel whose order of marching Tamerlane was very desirous to see that so he might marshal his own Army accordingly For said he I do not so much trust to the Lions skin wherein I wrap mine arm but that withall I will make use of the Foxes therein to wrap my head which my Grandfather neglected to his overthrow in a Battel against the Persians For being in a place of advantage he went out of it to seek his Enemy that was lodged strongly contrary to the advise of all his Captains which proved his ruin Then did he cause three thousand Horsemen to advance forward with charge to begin the skirmish himself following after to lodg every part of his Forces in such places as he had foreseen to be fittest for his advantage And seeing the Turkish Janizaries marching in a square Battel in the midst of the Army and upon the two Frons two great squadrons of Horsemen which seemed to be about thirty thousand and another which advanced before and covered the Battalion of the Janizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and therefore turning himself to Axalla he said I had thought this day to have fought on foot but I see that it behoves me now to fight on Horseback to encourage my Souldiers to open that great Battalion of the Enemies And my will is that my men come forwards to me so soon as may be for I will advance forward with a hundred thousand Footmen fifty thousand upon each of my two wings and in the midst of them forty thousand of my best Horsemen and my pleasure is that after I have tried the force of these men they come back into my Avantguard of whom I will dispose and fifty thousand Horsemen more in three bodies whom thou shalt command which I will assist with eighty thousand Horse wherein shall be mine own person having an hundred thousand Footmen behind me who shall march in two Squadrons and for my Arearward I appoint forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Footmen who shall not march but to my aid And I will make choise of
ten thousand of my best Horse whom I will send into every place where I shall think needful within my Army for to impart my commands Over the first forty thousand Horse the Prince of Ciarchan commanded over the formost Footmen was the Lord Synopes a Genovois Kinsman to Axalla and his Lieutenant over the Footmen a Captain of great estimation The Prince Axalla's charge consisted of five Squadrons of Horsemen Bajazet's Army also being fair and great came bravely still on forwards towards their Enemies who stirred not a whit from the place which they had chosen for the Battel except certain light-Horsemen Scythians Parthians and Muscovites who being sent out as loose men hotly skirmished between the two Armies Tamerlane was informed by a spie that Bajazet was on foot in the midst of thirty thousand Janizaries his principal men of War and greatest strength amongst whom he ment that day to fight and in whom he had repoled his greatest hope His Battel of Horse was very fair amounting to the number of one hundred and forty thousand all old Souldiers the Sultan of Egypt also had sent to his aid thirty thousand Mamelukes all excellent good Horsemen with thirty thousand Footmen so that his Army marching all in a front in the form of a half Moon seemed almost as great as Tamerlanes These Turks with infinite number of horrible cries still advanced forwards Tamerlanes Souldiers all the while standing still with great silence Never was there a more furious charge than the Turks gave upon the Prince of Ciarchan who was commanded not to fight till the Enemy came unto him neither could there have been chosen a fairer Plain and where the skilful choice of the place gave less advantage either to the one or to other only Tamerlane had a River on the left side of his Army serving him to some small advantage Now this young Prince of Ciarchan with his forty thousand Horse was in the first encounter almost wholly overthrown yet having fought right valiantly and entred even in the midst of the Janizaries where the Person of Bajazet was putting them into disorder he was himself there slain About which time Axalla set upon them with his squadrons but not with the like danger for having overthrown one of the Enemies Wings and cut it all to pieces and his Footmen coming to joyn with him as was appointed he faced the Battalion of the Janizaries who right valiantly behaved themselves for the safety of their Prince This furious fight continued an hour and yet you could not have seen any scattered but the one still resolutely fighting against the other You might there have seen the Horsemen like mountains rushing together and infinite numbers of men dying crying lamenting and threatning all at the same instant Tamerlane had patience all this while to see the event of this so mortal a fight but perceiving his men at last to be begin to give ground he sent ten thousand of his Horse to joyn with the ten thousand appointed for the Rereward commanding them to assist him when they saw that he had need and so himself gave a furious Charge and made them to give him room causing the Footmen also to charge over whom the Prince of Thanais commanded who gave a gallant charge upon the Battalion of Janizaries wherein was yet the Person of Bajazet who before had sustained a great burden Now Bajazet had in his Army a great number of Mercinary Tartars called Destenses with many thousands of other Souldiers taken up in the Countries of the poor exiled Mahometan Princes in whose just quarrel and the Greek Emperours Tamerlane had chiefly undertaken that War These Tartarians and other Souldiers seeing some their friends and other some their natural and loving Princes in Tamerlanes Army stricken with the terrour of disloyalty and abhorring the cruelty of the proud Tyrant in the heat of the Battel revolted from Bajazet to their own Princes which much weakned Bajazets Forces who nevertheless with his own men of War especially the Janizaries and the help of the Christian Souldiers brought to his aid from Servia and other places of Europe with great courage maintained the fight But the multitude rather than true valour prevailed for as much as might be done by valiant and couragious men was by the Janizaries the Mamelukes and the rest performed both for the preservation of their Prince and for gaining the Victory But in the end the Horsemen with whom Tamerlane himself was giving a fresh charge and his Avantguard being rallied and joyning with him he with much ado obtained the Victory Bajazet himself being wounded when he saw all desperate mounted on Horseback thinking to have escaped but falling into Axalla's hands he yielded himself to him supposing him to have been Tamerlane neither did Axalla for a while know him but took him for some great Commander in the Turks Army Musa sirnamed Zelabi or the Noble one of Bajazets Sons with divers other of his great Captains were there taken also and amongst the rest George Despot of Servia who notwithstanding his misfortune had that day by his valour gained the reputation of a great and valiant Captain insomuch as Tamerlane in the very heat of the Battel marvelled to see him and his Servians and the other Christians that he had brought to the aid of Bajazet to fight so valianty whereupon turning to some of his Captains that were near him he said See how valiantly these Religious fight supposing them by their strange attire to have been some of the Turks superstitious Votaries But the Despot being now taken and afterwards brought to Tamerlane he was by him courteously entertained yet withal reproved for that he had assisted Bajazet against him who was come in favour to the Christian Emperour and the other poor oppressed Princes such as the Despot himself was who thereupon boldly answered That indeed it was not according to his profession but according to the prosperity of Bajazet unto whom it seemed that all the world should bend and that he did it for his own safety Whereupon Tamerlane excused him and without any more ado gave him liberty at his own pleasure to depart Bajazet himself Being afterwards brought to Tamerlane as a Prisoner was by him courteously entertained who never shewed any token of submission at all but according to his proud nature without respect of his present state answered him presumptuously to whatever he demanded of him Wherewith Tamerlane being somewhat moved told him that it was in his power to take his life from him whereto he answered no more but Do it for that loss will be my greatest happiness Then Tamerlane demanded of him what made him so proud as to enterprize to bring so noble a Prince as the Greek Emperour into his subjection He answered Even the same cause which moved thee to invade me namely the desire of glory and sovereignity But wherefore then said
as Tamerlane's Army approached to it By this unexpected coming of the Sultan the great City that before was ready to have revolted was again confirmed in his obedience to the great prejudice of Tamerlanes affairs For to remain long before it was impossible through want of Victuals for so great an Army in an Enemies Countrey Yet this discouraged not Tamerlane from approaching to it and with all his Army to encamp near unto the same having caused a great Trench to be made for the security of his Horsemen and therein to lodge his Army more safely during which time he caused divers attempts to be made as well to try the enemies confidence as to see how the people of the City especially the slaves which in that populous City are in great numbers were affected towards him who indeed were glad to see the state of his Army and the proud Mamelukes still put to the worst but farther strirred not During this siege he thought good one day to draw forth his Army before the City to try whether the enemy had any mind to come to a battel as also to view his own Forces and so indeed to seek occasion to fight hoping that if the Sultan should come forth with his Army some revolt might happen at the same time in the City as well by the slaves unto whom by secret Spies he had promised liberty as by the Citizens themselves who were much discontented with the insolency of the Mamelukes and by whom Tamerlane by the same Spies had made it known that he came not to hurt them but to deliver them from the tyranny of his and their enemies But standing thus in Battel array none stirred out of the City neither was there any tumult raised within according as he expected For the Sultan being plentifully provided with all things in that rich City resolved to weary out Tamerlane by lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battel Tamerlane perceiving his Design yet resolved not to depart till he was Victorious whereupon he thought fit also to attempt him in his greatest strength and in the heart of his greatest City though it could not be done without great hazard such confidence had he in the Valour and Multitude of his Army Now his purpose was first to take one of the Cities for Caire is divided into three and therein encamping himself by little and little to advance forwards as he could find opportunity Upon this resolution he commanded a strong assault to be given and having conducted his Footmen to the place chosen by him for the onset for the City was not Walled but only fortified with Ditches and Trenches he commanded the Prince of Thanais with fifty thousand men to begin the Assault even in the face of the Enemy which he most valiantly performed which occasioned a great and terrible fight Axalla in the mean time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn the greatest part to his Forces to that place fetched a compass about and in another part of the City with small resistance passed the Trenches where he presently left thirty thousand men to fill up the Ditches thereby to make way for the Horsemens entrance himself with the rest advancing forwards against twenty thousand sent by the Sultan to oppose his farther passage the Prince of Thanais being at the same time almost beaten back by the Mamelukes But the Ditches being presently levelled ten thousand Horsemen entred who charged upon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himself was there were likewise seconded by ten thousand more sent in by Tamerlane himself following after with all his power Hereupon the Sultan retreated into a second strength which he had made in the next City This fight continued full seven hours wherein were slain of the Sultans men above sixteen thousand and of Tamerlane's between seven and eight thousand Tamerlane being well contented that he had dislodged his enemy and gained one of the Cities caused a retreat to be sounded hoping the next day to win all the rest as indeed he did For the next morning the Prince of Thanais storming the Trenches in one part as Axalla did in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himself hardly pressed by the obstinate Enemy and unable longer to hold out retreated abandoning the City and encamping himself along the River Nilus resolving to retire to the City of Alexandria his second strength and only refuge which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his Horsemen who only were in order and some few Foot hardly drawn from the City which their fellows were in plundering Tamerlane promising them both to regard and reward their good service Against these the Sultan upon a narrow cawse-way had opposed twelve or fifteen thousand men to favour his passage who being of his best Souldiers maintained their ground stoutly the place being much for their advantage yet at length their enemies still increasing and pressing hard upon them they were forced to cast themselves into the great River and made a most honourable retreat every man having his Weapon in one hand and swimming with the other hand to the farther Bank The Sultan flying with about eighteen thousand Horse the rest being either drowned or dispersed is said to have comforted his flying men by telling them they were not men but gods that had vanquished them Divers of the Mamelukes that were taken Prisoners being brought before Tamerlane were by him courteously used and asked if they would be content to serve him seeing their Master was fled and gone This they all utterly refused whom notwithstanding for their fidelity Tamerlane set at liberty to go again to their Master being no less desirous to be admired by his Enemies for his Goodness and Bounty than to be feared for his Force and Valour The wonderful wealth of this so great and famous a City became a prey to his Souldiers who for the space of twenty four hours had the spoil thereof At the end of which time every man was straitly charged by open Proclamation to retire to his Quarters Tamerlane would not suffer any of the Citizens to be taken Prisoners and such as were he released and so leaving ten thousand good Souldiers with many others that followed his Camp for the Guard of the City and taking with him all such persons as he thought might hurt him he caused his Army to pass over the River and to follow the Sultan to Alexandria that so his Victory might be compleated Axalla hasted before with the Avantguard to hinder the Sultan from gathering up his Forces together The rest of the Army was conducted by the Prince of Thanais Tamerlane himself with an infinte number of Boats and many Souldiers to attend him went by Water greatly delighting to behold that fair River of Nilus sometimes running with a swift course other sometimes very calm and scarce moved The Citizens of Alexandria
Pope And Didier suffered himself to be so far abused by the insinuations and perswasions of Hunalt touching the means to attempt something against the Estates of Charlemagne that holding Italy undoubtedly for his own he plotted a War and assured himself of a certain Victory in France Thus Ambition and Covetousness hastens mens ruin The Pope having no other defence to secure his Estate but his Excommunication which against Didier proved but Brutum fulmen a meer scare-crow he was forced to have recourse to Charlemagne as to his Sacred Anchor or last Hope intreating speedy aid from him in this his great necessity Charlemagne had great reason to Arm against Didier who had always crossed his affairs fed and fomented his Brothers jealousies entertained his Widow and Children and laboured to have them chosen Kings of France and all to trouble or ruin his estate He had also received his rebellious Subjects and with their aid practice to make a War against him The sollicitation and request also of the Roman Church was a great incentive to induce him to Arm against him who professed himself to be an open Enemy to the Christian Religion whereof the former Kings of France had shewed themselves Protectors and Guardians But that he might not attempt any thing rashly he first sent his Ambassadours to the Pope to assure him of his good will and promising not to be wanting to him in his necessity Yet withal to tell him that he thought it best first to use mildness before he attempted force against the Lombard He therefore sent also his Ambassadours to Didier to summon him to restore what he had taken from the Pope and to suffer him to live in Peace Didier who relied much upon his Policy gave good words to the Ambassadours promising them to perform all that Charles required but in effect he would have the Pope to accept of conditions of Peace from him and that the Children of Caroloman should be declared Kings of France These demands were judged so unreasonable that the Treaty was broken and the French Ambassadours returned home And Didier prosecutes his War against the Church more eagerly than he did before and having spoiled all the Territories of Ravenna he took Faenza Ferrara Comachia Campagnia and Romandiola Towns of the six Governments or Hexarchy Charlemagnes Ambassadours upon their return inform their Master that the War with the Lombard could not be avoided and they found Charles in a Posture fit to invade Italy For he had Levyed a goodly Army to suppress the rebellious Saxons who impatient of the French yoke revolted daily from his Obedience which Army was now ready to be imployed against the Lombard Yet was not Charlemagne willing to attempt any thing in a matter of such importance without the advise of his Estates and therefore he presently summoned a Parliament and being loath to lose time in the mean season he caused his Army to march and to make their Rendevouz at Geneva a Town under his Obedinece and in the way to Italy and having divided his Army into two Parts he seized upon the Passages of Mount Cenis and St. Bernard which are the two entrances from France into Italy The Estates at their meeting having found the Causes of War against Didier King of Lombardy to be just Charlemagne caused his Army to advance with all speed and to adjoyn near to Verceil There Didier attended him and gave him Battel But at the first encounter he was vanquished by Charlemagne After which the Lombard rallying and re-enforcing his Army fights him again and was again beaten and so shattered were his Troops that he was enforced to suffer his Enemy to be Master of the Field which proved an infallible Harbinger to his total ruin Thus having tumultuously trussed up what he could in such haste he sent his Son Aldegise to Verona with the Widow and Children of Caroloman and cast himself into Pavia which he had diligently Fortified as the Fortress or Dungeon rather of his last Fortune Charlemagne pursues him at the heels and with all his Forces besieged him in Pavia resolving to have it at what price soever And to make his resolution the more manifest he sent for his Wife and Children into Italy to the end that the Italians who hitherto were doubtful to whom to adhere might know his mind and without attending any new occurrents might resolve to obey the Victor Having thus cooped up Didier in Pavia and seised upon all the avenues he resolved to attempt Verona also which they held to be the strongest place in all Lombardy So leaving his Uncle Bernard to continue the siege of Pavia he marched with part of his Army to Verona His beginnings being so successful and this Check given to Didier who was now as it were shut up in Prison gave a great alteration to the affairs of either party amongst these people of divers humours The Spoletines and Reatines and those of Ancona of Fermo and of Ossino striving as it were which should be first yielded to Charlemagne and detested the wretched and forelorn estate of Didier as a worthy reward of his Treachery Injustice and Violence The Venetians who were Neuters and Spectators of this Tragedy and had never dealt in any sort with Didier offered amity and succours to Charlemagne who desired them to keep the Seas quiet lest the Emperour of Constantinople should espouse Didiers quarrel and cause any new disturbance Charlemagne staid not long about Verona before the City began to think of yielding and Berthe the Widow of Caroloman was the chief Instrument to draw them to a surrender the French Forces being as she said very formidable Aldegise the Son of Didier seeing the Citizens so unanimous in their resolutions to open their Gate to the Conquerour and being unable to relieve his Father he secretly stole away and fled to the Emperour of Constantinople Then did Verâ—na yield to Charlemagne upon composition who received both the Inhabitants and Berthe to mercy keeping his agreement punctually with them upon Berthe and her Children he inflicted no punishment but only blamed them for their uncivil rashness and enjoyned them to return into France there to do better and to live more honourably This being about Easâ—er Charlemagne took the opportunity to go to Rome where yet he stayed only eight days to visit the most remarkable places and to confer with Pope Adrian The Pope made Charles a Patrician of Rome which was a step to mount him to the Empire From thence he hasted and came to Pavia which had now been besieged for the space of then months and being pressed by War without and by the Famine and Pestilence within it at last yielded upon composition and Didier who had hated Charles without cause and attempted War rashly fell into his enemies hands who yet shewed himself Prudent in undertaking the War and mild and modest in his use of the Victory Thus Charlemagne having begun
like a Deluge threatned to over-run all Christendom I shall intermit the former till I have spoken something of this latter that I may proceed with the more clearness in the remainder of this History The motive of the Spanish War was more upon pleasure than necessity But Zeal of Religion gave a colour and shew of necessity to the Heroical designs of Charlemagne who sought to enlarge the limits of the French Monarchy by his Arms. But this his Spanish War as it was undertaken upon lighter grounds so was it more painful more dangerous and less successful then that of Italy whereunto necessity and duty had drawn Charlemagne yet did his wise and wary proceeding in the action warrant him from all blame The occasions which moved him to bend his Forces against the Sarazins in Spain were the assurance of good success the quiet and peace of his Realm that he might have opportunity to imploy his Souldiery the hate of the Spaniards against the Sarazins and the general fear of all Christians least these Caterpillars should creep further into Europe This was the estate of Spain at this time The Sarazins had conquered a great part of it and were divided under divers Commands which had the Title of Kingdoms Yet these divers Kings being apprehensive of their common danger resolved to unite their forces against Charlemagne their common enemy and foreseeing the Tempest they sought to prevent it and to cross the designs of Charlemagne For which end they suborned King Idnabala a Sarazin being a very subtile and crafty man to insinuate himself into the acquaintance and familiarity of Charlemagne which stratagem prevailed more then all their power and forces Charlemagne was much quickned to this War by Alphonso surnamed the Chast King of Navar and by the Aâ—turians and Gallizians Christian People of Spain who suggested to him that the War would be easie profitable and honourable and therefore most worthy the Valour and Fortune of Charlemagne This Idnabala also under a shew of friendship laboured to hasten him to the execution of this enterprise from which he knew well he could not divert him that he might the better betray him by discovering his Counsels to the Sarazins Charlemagne being well-affected of himself and thus excited by others assembled a Parliament at Noyon and there concluded a War against the Sarazins in Spain The Army which he employed in this action was very great both for number of men and Valour of Commanders and Chieftains being the most choice and Worthy Captains in all Christendome amongst whom these were of the chiefest note Milon Earl of Anger 's Rowland the Son of Milon and Berthe Sister to Charlemagne Renald of Montaubon The four Sons of Aymon Oger the Dane Oliver Earl of Geneva Arnold of Belland Brabin and many others The Valour of which Persons hath been fabulously related by the Writers of those dark times who for the most part were Friars concerning whom the Proverb was A Friar a Lyar with the addition of a thousand ridiculous tales so that the truth is hardly picked out from the midst of so much errour Yet what is most probable and can be gathered out of the most authentick Authors shall here be set down They say that Charlemagne to make this undertaking more honourable in shew did at this time institute the Order of the twelve Peers of France Charlemagne being entred into Spain with his brave Army found no object for them whereon to exercise their Valour For the Sarazins resolving to make a defensive rather than an offensive War had withdrawn themselves into their Cities which they had fortified strongly The most renowned of the Sarazin Kings at this time were Aigoland Bellingan Denises Marsile and Idnabala But this last as was said before made shew of much Friendship to Charlemagne and of open hatred against the other Sarazin Kings with whom notwithstanding he held secret and strict intelligence to betray Charlemagne unto them The first City that the French attempted was Pampelune in the Kingdom of Navarr the which they took by force but with much pains danger and loss Having sackt this City and put all the Sarazins in it to the Sword they marched to Saragoce which yielded to them upon composition as did also many other small Towns being terrified with the example of Pampelune This prosperous beginning encouraged Charlemagne to advance forward relying on his wonted Fortune and good success But as he passed through the Provinces of Spain like a Victorious Prince without any opposition he divided his Army and gave part of it to be conducted by Milon of Anger 's his Brother in Law who in his march near unto Bayon was set upon by Aigoland the Sarazin King who in this common danger had thrust an Army into the Field and now assaulted Milon and his Troops little expecting any Enemy and took him at such an advantage as he defeated him This loss was very great For Writers say that forty thousand of the French here lost their lives Milon himself being also slain for a confirmation of the Sarazins Victory Charlemagne was at this time afar off and so not able by any diligence to prevent the loss Yet he suppressed his grief and trouble least he should discourage the whole Army and so hastening thitherward he gathered up the remainder of those broken and dispersed Troops withall keeping the conquered Cities and such as were Friends in their due Obedience But after this there fell out another accident Aigoland being puffed up with Pride through his late Victory marched with his Army into Gascoine and besieged Agen to divert Charlemagne from his pursuit and to draw him home to defend his own Country So as Charlemagne fearing least his own absence and the Sarazins late Victory should cause any alteration in the minds of them of Guienne being then Subjects of whom he had no great assurance he returned into France Aigoland had now continued some moneths at the siege of Agen yet had prevailed little but only in over-running the Country which he did freely without any considerable resistance even unto Xaintonge the Country-men in the mean time retiring into the Walled Towns expected the return of Charlemagne their King Aigolands Army was very great and puffed up with the remembrance of their late Victory So as Charlemagne returning with his Forces from Spain well tired he maintained his Countries more through his authority than by present force yet did he give life to the courage of his Subjects with his presence and bridled the proud Sarazin who could not be ignorant with whom he had to deal nor where he was being environed with the enemies on all sides and in an enemies Country Hereupon Aigoland pretending an inclination to Peace gave Charlemagne to understand that he had been the first Invader and that his own comming into France was only to draw his Enemy out of Spain and to cause him to leave to the
Sarazins their conquered Countries free and therefore said he the Treaty of an accord is easie seeing all the question is only to leave to every man his own and to suffer him to enjoy it quietly the World being wide enough for us all But to the end this Treaty might take good effect after many messages to and fro they resolve to come to a Parlee and upon Charlemagne's Faith given Aigoland came to his Camp Charlemagne either really moved with a zeal for Religion or at least making it the colour of his Actions gave the Sarazin to understand that he should have his Friendship if he would leave his Pagan Superstition be Baptized and make open profession of Christianity The Sarazin although he had a goodly Army yet not willing to hazard any thing and content with his former revenge upon Charlemagne desired nothing more than to return quietly into Spain And being now in the midst of his Enemies Camp to maintain his reputation he made no shew at all of fear but talking to his own advantage as if no Force but only reason should move him he entred into a serious and cunning discourse with Charlemagne shewing That unnecessary Wars were the ruin of Mankind and that he was grieved to see so much Blood spilt That he had not begun but followed being urged by necessity to defend himself and his Countrey against the Forces of Charlemagne That he was not yet so dejected nor his Forces so weak as to refuse the Battel But for that it would be an infinite loss to hazard the lives of so many men he desired rather to make tryal of the right by some Troops and they that vanquished should be deemed to have the right and true Religion on their side Protesting to yield to that Religion which should appear to be the best upon this tryal This Proposal and condition was accepted by Charlemagne The combate was fought the proof made and the Christian Troop vanquished that of the Sarazin Then did Aigoland protest openly that he would become a Christian but in heart he had no such meaning and therefore took this opportunity to fly from his promise He gives Charlemagne a visit and finds him at the Table well accompanied with his chief followers for then it was the custome of Kings not to sit and eat alone but casting his eye aside he saw twelve poor men ill apparelled sitting upon the ground near to the Table of the Noblemen and demanded what those poor miserable creatures were which did there feed apart One answered That they were the servants of God He then replied Surely your God is of small account whose servants are so miserable and contemptible And thereupon takes an occasion to retire himself having lost nothing but made great advantage by this Treaty Having hereby qualified the force of Charlemagne viewed his Army made shew of his own courage and dexterity and all without an Ambassadour Charlemagne on the other side seeing himself thus deluded and affronted was resolved to take revenge for so notable a loss of men and so bold an attempt of the Sarazin so that with all speed he raised an Army of a hundred and thirty thousand men and being thus fraught with Choler and indignation he returned into Spain His first entry was prosperous For in the encounter he defeated Aigolands Army near to Pampelune and for a Seal of his Victory he carried away the head of Aigoland his Enemy who was slain by the hand of Arnold of Belange a Noble and Valiant Knight But the sequel was not answerable to the beginning For notwithstanding the overthrow of the Sarazin Troops all the rest in Spain were not vanquished where there were more Kings and more men of War who kept correspondence with Amurath King of Babylon which place was their Nursery and Store-house Marsile and Belingand two Brethren were the chief of thè remainder of the Sarazin Army wherein there was a great Babylonian Gyant called Ferragat of an exceeding stature him did Rowland slay who was Nephew to Charlemagne after which the Sarazins gathered together the relicts of their broken Troops and made a shew of resolute men vowing to sell their lives at a dear rate to Charlemagne being favoured by many great and good Towns in the Countrey Charlemagne makes a sudden stop and pursues not his Victory God reserving to himself a Sovereign power over all mens designes yea over the greatest and in matters of greatest consequence to the end that all may learn to ask Counsel and success of him and it was his will and pleasure that the French Forces should not conquer and possess Spain the which he had reserved as a portion for another Nation Thus Charles who should have prosecuted his late Victory vigorously grew remiss which encouraged Idnabala the Sarazin who had free access into the Camp to make a motion of Peace He was a good Secretary of his own Companions minds what shew soever he made of speaking of himself Charlemagne finding by his late experience that the event of War is uncertain and doubtful and that this War tended to the loss of his Subjects who imployed both their lives and goods for the purchase of an uncertain Victory and seeing himself overburdened with great affairs in his other Estates to the preservation whereof reason did summon him rather than to seek for new he seemed not unwilling to hearken to the motion of Idnabala who assured him that he found the Sarazins affairs to be so desperate that they would be glad to embrace his friendship at whatsoever rate they purchased it The Treaty hereupon began and the chief Article was propounded which was that they should embrace the Christian Religion and this Charlemagne seemed to urge with great vehemency but finding the Sarazins obstinate in their refusal he was content to grant them peace paying him some great sums of money as a token that they had been vanquished by him And accordingly he sent a Noble man of his Court named Ganes to treat with them who being by bribes corrupted by Marsile and Belingand undertook so to order businesses that Charlemagne should return into France and by the way should receive a notable disgrace yet they seemed to make such a composition and agreement which in shew was very honourable for Charlemagne to whom they promised to pay as an Homage and acknowledgment for the Peace he should grant them what sums of money he would appoint and that thereupon he should retire with his Army into France yet leaving such Forces in Spain as he pleased to see the condition which should be agreed upon performed But Ganes had discovered to them that Charlemagne upon other accounts was necessitated to return and therefore desired to leave the smallest Forces that he could in Spain The Agreement being thus concluded Charlemagne departed with his Army attending a better opportunity to effect what he had designed and he left his Nephew Rowland only with
twenty thousand men to see the conditions performed And to make his passage into France the more easie he commanded him to lodge in a place of advantage in the Pyrenean mountains called Roâ—cevaux and so the French Army marched backwards to France under the conduct of Charlemagne who little dreamed of such an affront as he shortly after met with Whilst the French Army were upon their retreat Marsile and Bellingand slept not but gathering together all the Forces they could they lodged them secretly in the hollow Caves of those Mountains being places inaccessible and wholly unknown but only to the Inhabitants of those Countries They had intelligence given them by Ganes what number of men Charlemagne had left in Spain under the command of Rowland to whom the reputation of his Uncle and the good will of the People of Spain in the chiefest Towns was of more use than his twenty thousand men although they were the choice of all the Army Rowland had no fear of an Enemy whenas returning to his Garrison he was suddenly set upon by the Sarazins who were far more in number than the French who seeing themselves thus treacherously assaulted and compassed in defended themselves valiantly against those miscreants But still fresh Troops of Sarazins issued forth of these Caves on every side in so great numbers as that in the end the French tired and spent in so long and painful a conflict were oppressed by the multitudes rather than overcome by the Valour of their Enemies Rowland in so great and extream a danger gathering together the pieces of his shipwrack performed both the Duty of a good Commander and of a valiant and resolute Souldier fighting gallantly and having beaten down a great number where the Enemies were thickest he at length came where King Marsile was whom he slew with his own hands But Belingand holding the Victory absolutely his own pursued the French with great violence insomuch as Rowland not able to hold out any longer retired himself apart and finding his Death approaching he endeavoured to break his good Sword Durandall but his strength failing him he died of Thirst through so long and difficult a combate in that hot Country and with him died Oliver Oger the Dane Renald of Montaubon Arnald of Belland and other Noble Personages who are the subject of many fabulous stories Yet the Fame of their singular Virtues and Prowess is engraven in the Original of true Histories where it shall never be blotted out Charlemagne having intelligence brought him of this great and unexpected loss returned suddenly to take his revenge upon the Sarazins of whom â—he killed an infinite number in several places and being informed of the Treason of Ganes he caused him to be drawn in pieces by four Horses as the only author of this miserable defeat And being transported with a just disdain and indignation for this so base an affront he had purposed to have passed on in Spain to take further revenge But the great and weighty affairs of his other estates called him back into France to attend upon them And so ended his Spanish Wars with small success having troubled Charlemagne at divers times for the space of fourteen years For God had appointed the limits of his designs as reserving to himself a Sovereign power over all mens enterprizes even of the greatest Charlemagne made a Tomb for his Nephew Rowland and honoured the memory of those other worthy Warriers who died in the Bed of Honour with Monuments after which he was necessitated to undertake divers other Wars both in Italy and Germany in all which it pleased God to give him better success Italy during Charles his troubles in Spain had rebelled being provoked thereto by Adalgise Duke of Beneventum who endeavoured to repossess the Race of Didier but that attempt was soon suppressed by Charlemagne to the cost of the Lombard Rebells Yet shortly after ensued another War in Germany The like occasion also bred a War in Bavaria For the King Tassillon who was Son in Law to Didier King of Lombardy being eagerly pressed by his Wife and wonderfully discontented with Charlemagne shaked off the yoke of subjection and betook himself to Arms But Charlemagne surprized him with such celerity that Tassillon was forced to sue for Peace which Charlemagne granted upon condition of his subjection and loyalty But again Tassillon not able to contain himself raised a new War in another place as when we stop one breach it finds vent by another He stirred up the Huns and Avars a neighbouring People to Austria which was one of the Estates of the French Monarchy against Charlemagne who yet suppressed them with happy success and Tassillon himself being again vanquished by Charlemagne and found guilty of Rebellion and Treason was condemned to lose his Estate according to the Salique Law and with him the Kingdom of Bavaria ended being now wholly incorporated into the Crown of France The Huns and Avars of whose names joyned together the word Hungary hath been made were also punished by Charlemagne and brought under the yoke of the French Monarchy They had formerly attempted by War to disquiet the Country of Austria whom Charlemagne had at divers times opposed by his Forces so that the War at times had continued for the space of eight years and the final issue was that all the Countrey obeyed him The Danes also the Sorabes and Abrodites and the Westphalians who had all joyned in this War of Hungary were also brought under the obedience of Charlemagne The limits of the Northern Kingdom called Austrasia were so enlarged that it was divided into two Kingdoms and the Realm of Austria which joyns upon France was called Westriech that is to say the Realm of the West and that which is towards Danubius was called Ostriech that is the Kingdom of the East Austria being then of a greater command than at this day For it contained all Hungary Valachia Bohemia Transylvania Denmark and Poland Then was the French Monarchy of a vast extent But all these Nations have since either returned to their first beginning or new Lords have seized upon them Thus the French Monarchy was greatly enlarged by the Prowess and Valour of Charlemagne and his children were grown up as in age so in knowledge and experience through the careful education which their prudent Father gave them who framed them to the management of affairs intending them to provide that they might first succeed him in his Virtues and afterwards in his Kingdoms But man purposeth and God disposeth France Italy Germany Spain and Hungary made the Roman Empire in the West and Charlemagne being Master of these goodly Provinces was in effect an Emperour but only wanted the Title and the solemn Declaration of this dignity And shortly after the Providence of God that gave him the former ministred opportunity to him for the enjoyment of the latter which came thus to pass Leo was at this