carried to the Sea side as a pack of stuff where he embarked and sailed into Sicily Coponius was saved by his Wife who lent her Body to Anthony for one night to save him whom she preferred before her honour But the Wife of Septimius having shamefully given her Body to one of Anthonies Familiars caused her Husband to be put into the number of the Poscripts that she might the more freely continue her Adulteries and her Husband was slaine by her meanes Q. Vettius Salussus was hidden in a very secret place but acquainting his Wife with it she betrayed him to the murtherers Fulvius was discovered by one of his slaves and his Concubine though he had made her free and given her goods wherewithall to maintaine her self P. Naso was betraid by his slave enfranchised with whom he had been too familiar but he revenged himself upon his slave whom he killed and then held forth his neck to the cut throats L. Lucceius had put into the hands of two of his Freedmen as much as would have relieved him in his Banishment but they ran away with all whereupon he delivered himself to the murtherers Haterius who had hid himself in a very secret place was sold and betrayed by his slave and killed Cassius Varus who was betrayed by a slave made free had his Head struck off Caius Plotius was hiden by his slaves but being given to Perfumes the sent thereof discovered him yet when the Souldiers could not find him they cruelly tormented his Servants to make them confesse where he was which yet they would not do But the Master pitting his faithfull servants came out of his secret place and delivered himself to the murtherers Appius Claudius changed his Gown with his slave who in that habit presented himself to the murtherers and was slain by them instead of his Master Another slave of Menius did the like for he went into his Masters Litter and offered his neck to the murtherers who cut off his Head and so his Master escaped into Sicily The slave of Urbinus Panopio hearing that the murtherers were comming to his Masters House took off his Gown and his Ring and gave him his own apparrel and put him out at a back doore then he went up and lay upon his Masters Bed where he boldly attended them that killed him for Panopio The slave of Antius Restio though his Master had soundly beaten him a few dayes before for some knavish tricks yet to save his Master meeting an old man by the way he struck off his Head and shewing that with his whippings to the murtherers he made them believe that thus he had revenged himself of his Master with whom he shortly after fled into Sicily The slaves of Martius Censorinus kept their Master secretly till he had oportunity to escape into Sicily to Sextus Pompeius Q. Oppius an honourable old man being very neere taking was rescued by his Son who conveying him out of Rome carried him upon his shoulders and sent him into Sicily where all the poor distressed Romans were courteously intertained by S. Pompeius who sent forth Ships and Galleys to lie upon the coast of Italy ready to receive all them that fled to him doubly rewarding those that saved any that was Proscribed He gave also honourable Offices to all that had been Consuls and comforting the rest with singular courtesie Many others fled into Macedonia to Brutus and Cassius others into Africk to Cornificius Statius Samnis an honourable Senator being about eighty years old that those Theeves might have no part of his Goods he gave them for a prey to whomsoever would take them then setting his House on fire he burnt himself in it Aponius having been long concealed by his slave grew weary of that confinement came out into the Market-place and yeilded his neck to the murtherers Cestius being in the like condition caused his slaves to make a great fire threw himself into it and died Sulpitus Rufus who had been Consul was murthred because he would not sell an Isle of his to Fulvia also Ampius Balbus was slaine because he would not give her a pleasant place of his M. Anthony put into the number of Proscripts a Senator called Nonius Struma onely to get from him an Emerod esteemed worth fifty Thousand Crowns but Nonius found a meanes to escape with his Emerod to the great grief of Anthony Some valiantly defended themselves as Atteius Capito who killed many Souldiers who came rudely running upon him but being at last oppressed with multitudes he was slaine Vetulinus assisted by his Son valiantly repulsed the murtherers but at last was slaine Sicilias Coranas hoping to escape put himself amongst the Mourners that followed a dead Corpse but being discovered was slaine The Triumviri caused the goods of the Proscripts to be sold by the Drum at such prizes as the Souldiers pleased yet most part of them was spoiled and given away They promised also to Widdowes their Joyntures and to 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 summes 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 Country saying that they would go and and set Rome at liberty from oppression Cassius having overthrown and slaine 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 with 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 neer to the place where Brutus and Cassius were encamped which was in Macedonia in the Philippick Fields Before they came to joyn Battell there were sundry Prodigies for fowles of prey hovered about the Camp of Brutus as if it had been their own already and as they marched out to Battell a Blackmoore 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 they evill Genius and so vanished But on the contrary Birds and Beasts promised good successe to Caesar These Armies lying so neere together had frequent skirmishes and at last came to a Battell where the Victory was strangely divided
Horsemen but presently from thence they went to seize upon the Capitol crying by the way as they went Liberty Liberty and imploring the favour and assistance of the People The rest of that day and all the next night Mark Anthony and Lepidus who took Caesars part were in Armes and there passed sundry massages and treaties between them and the Conspirators At last it was agreed that the Senate should sit whither Brutus and Cassius came M. Anthonies Sons by the perswasion of Cicero a great lover of Liberty remaining as Hostages for them In the Senate they Treated of Peace and concord and that all that was past should be buried in perpetuall oblivion whereunto Anthony who was Consul and the whole Senate agreed and the Provinces being divided there was algreat liklihood of Peace For the Senate approved and commended the murther and the People dissembled their thoughts For on the one side the authority of Brutus and Cassius and the name of Liberty seemed to give them some content and on the other side the hainousnesse of the fact and the love they bare to Caesar did move and excite them to hate the murtherers and so all was quiet for the present But Mark Anthony who affected the Tyranny took every oportunity to incense the People against them and Caesars Testament being opened wherein besides the adopting of his Nehpew Octavius and making him his Heire besides other bequests he bequeathed to the People of Rome certaine Gardens and Lands neere to the River of Tiber and to every Citizen of Rome a certaine summe of money to be devided amongst them which being known much encreased their love to Caesar and made his death more grievous to them Caesars Funerall being agreed upon his Body was burnt with great solemnity in the Field of Mars and Mark Anthony made the Funerall Oration in his Praise and took the Robe wherein Caesar was slaine being all bloudy and shewed it to the People using such speeches as provoaked them both to wrath aud commiseration so as before the Funerall solemnity was fully finished they all departed in great fury taking Brands in their hands from the fire wherein Caesar was burned and went to burnethe Houses of Brutus and Cassius and if they could have found them and the rest of the Conspirators they would certainly have slaine them and in their fury they unadvisedly slew Elius Cinna by mistaking him for Cornelius Cinna who was one of the Conspirators This tumult put Brutus and Cassius and their confederates into such feate that they all fled from Rome into severall parts and though the Senate having appeased the tumult inflicted punishment upon some of the seditions and had already committed some of them to Prison yet Brutus and Cassius durst not return to Rome but after a while went into Greece to Govern those Provinces which Caesar in his Life time had allotted unto them which were Macedonia to Brutus and Syria to Cassius And truly this was very remarkable that within the space of three years all the Conspirators dyed and not one of them of a naturall death Caesar in his fifth and last Consulship made an Edict that thanks should be ruturned to Hyrcanus the High-Priest and Prince of the Jewes and to the Nation of the Jewes for their affection to himself and the People of Rome And decreed also that the said Hyrcanus should have the City of Jerusalem and repair the Walls of it which Pompey had beaten down and should Govern it as he pleased himself He also granted to the Jewes that every second year there should an abatement be made out of their rents and that they should be free from Impositions and Tributes His Name of Caesar was so honourable that all his successors to this present day have assumed it into their Title and esteem it an honour to be called Caesars FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF OCTAVIANUS AUGUSTUS In whose Raign our LORD CHRIST was born _ 〈◊〉 Caesar who was afterwards called Octavianus Augustus was by the Fathers side descended of the Antient Family of the Octavij which was of great account in Rome even from the time of Tarquin their King By the Mothers side he was descended from the Regall Line His Mother was Accia the Daughter of Accius Balbus and Julia the Sister of Julius Caesar which Accia was married to the Father of Octavius He was born in the year of the Consulship of Cicero and Caius Antonius He was but four years old when his Father dyed and at twelve years old he made an Oration at the Funerall of his Grandmother Julia. When his Uncle Julius Caesar was Warring in Spain against the Sons of Pompey Octavius though he was but young followed him thither through many and great dangers and when that War was ended Julius Caesar intending to take him with him to the Parthian War sent him before to the City of Apollonia where he plyed his Book very diligently and on a time having a minde to see Theogenes a learned Astronomer he calculated his Nativity and promised him great matters which made Octavius conceive great hopes of himself and in memory thereof he caused certain Medals to be coined and would often boast of what Theogenes had told him Octavius in the sixth moneth after he went to Apollonia having intelligence from his Mother of the Death of his Uncle Julius Caesar he hasted out of Epirus to Brundusium where he was received by the Army that went to meet him as the adopted Son of Caesar and without any further delay he assumed the name of Caesar and took upon him to be his Heire and that so much the rather because he had brought with him good store of money and great forces that were sent him by his Uncle and so at Brundusium adopting himself into the Julian Family he called himself Caius Julius Caesar Octavius To this very Name as though he had been his true Son there came great store of partly of his Friends partly of freed men slaves and Souldiers by whom being more strengthened and imboldned by the multitude of them that flocked to him and by the authority of the Caesarian name which with the common People was in great reputation he took his journey towards Rome with a great traine which daily increased like a Floud On the fourteenth Kalends of May he entered into Naples where he gave Cicero a visit From thence as he was going to Rome there met him a vast company of his Friends and as he entered the City the Globe of the Sun seemed to compasse his Head round like unto a Bow as it were putting a Crown upon his Head who afterward was to be so great a man and at night calling together his Friends he commanded them to be ready the next morning with good store of followers to meet him in the Market-place which was done accordingly and he going to Caius the City Praetor and Brother to Anthony he told him that
abundantly he left his dying hand even in the wound Scipio who had been Generall in this War escaped also from the Battell by flight entered into some Gallies which being met with by Caesar's Navy that he might not fall into his enemies hand after he had given himself some wounds he threw himself into the Sea and so was drowned Caesar having obtained so great and absolute a Victory spent some few dayes in settling and ordering the Provinces of Africa making the Kingdome of Juba a Province and then marched to Utica where he imbarked June the third and came to the Isle of Sardinia and after some short stay there he arrived at Rome the twenty fifth day of July At his comming thither there were granted unto him four Triumphs First for his conquests and Victories in France in which were carried the Protractures of the Rivers of Rodanus and the Rhine wraught in Gold The second Triumph was for the Conquest of Aegypt and of King Ptolomy where were set the River of Nilus and the Pharus burning The third was for the Conquest of Pontus and of King Pharnaces wherein in regard of his speedy Victory was placed a writing with these words Veni Vidi Vici I came I saw I overcame The fourth Triumph was for the Province of Africa wherein King Jubas Son was led Captive and in this Triumph were given Jewels and Armes to Octavius Caesars Nephew who succeeded him in the Empire As for the Battell wherein he Conquered Pompey he would not Triumph because it was against a Citizen of Rome These Triumphes being ended he gave great rewards to his Souldiers and intertained the People with Feasts and bountifull gifts and then caused himself to be chosen the fourth time Consul And so to the end that there should be left no place wherein he would not be obeyed he resolved to go for Spain hearing that Gneius Pompeius the Son of Pompey was retired with the rest of the Army which had escaped out of Africk to go to his Brother Sextus Pompeius who was in possession of a great part of Spain as we heard before together with the famous Cities of Sivil and Cordova and many others of those parts many Spaniards also comming to their aid Caesar in this journey carryed with him his most valiant and most experienced Souldiers and made so good speed that in few dayes space he arrived in Spain in which journey his Nephew Octavius followed him Entering into Spain he came to the Province of Betica now Andaluzia where were Sextus Pompeius with his Brother Gneius and such Legions and Souldiers as they had gotten together and there began betwixt Caesar and them a most cruel and bloudy Warre the end whereof was that neere to the City of Munda Caesar and Gneius Pompeius for Sextus was then at Cordova joyned Battell which was one of the most obstinate and most cruel fights that ever was in the world For Caesar being a most excellent Captain and the Souldiers which he brought with him most brave and valiant men and fleshed with so many Victories held it out with great resolution and on the other side the bravery and courage of young Pompey and his men was such and they fought in such manner as Caesars Squadrons began to give ground and were ready to forsake the Field and at the very point to have been wholly overthrown and the matter came to this issue that Caesar was about to have slain himself because he would not see himself overcome Yet taking a Target from one of his Souldiers he rushed into the midst of his enemies saying with a loud voice If ye be not ashamed leave me and deliver me into the hands of these Boyes For this shall be the last day of my Life and of your Honour with which words and his example his Souldiers took heart in such manner that recovering the ground which they had lost the Battell became equall which lasted almost a whole day without any signe of Victory to either party sometimes seeming to incline to the one sometimes to the other side untill at the length Caesar and his men did so great exploits as that the evening being come his enemies began to faint and fly and the Victory was apparently Caesars There died of the enemies above thirty thousand in this Battell and Caesar lost above a thousand men of account besides common Souldiers Caesar esteemed so much of this Victory and so gloried in the danger which he had ascaped that ever after he used to say That in all other Battels he had fought for honour and Victory and onely that day he fought for his life Young Pompey after he had performed all the offices of a Prudent Generall and Valiant Souldier was forced to fly and wandering through many places was at last taken and slaine by some of Caesars Friends who carried his head to Caesar. His other Brother Sextus Pompeius fled from Cordova and afterwards forsook Spain Caesar recovered Sivil and Cordova and all the rest of the Country after which ordering his affaires in Spain after his pleasure he returned to Rome and Triumphed for these Victories which was his fifth and last Triumph Caesar now came to be the most mighty the most redoubted and the most highly esteemed man in the World having conquered and subdued the greatest part thereof in as little time as it might seeme that another man might be able to travel through those Countries by reasonable journeys He then made himself perpetuall Dictator and so without opposition he finished the making of himself the Soveraigne Lord and Monarch of the Empire of Rome within lesse than five years after he first attempted the same And this was the Originall and beginning of the Roman Emperours For Julius Caesar would not be called King that Name being odious to the Romans above all things ever since Kings were first driven from Rome but contented himself to be called Perpetuall Dictator and Emperour which Title was usually given to the Roman Generals upon their obtaining any signall Victory But after Julius Caesar all his successors took that title glorying to be called Emperour which hath evere since been held for the highest Title and Dignity in the World Caesar having now attained to that absolute power which he had so ambitiously saught after he shewed in all his Deportment much clemency and Magnanimity honouring and rewarding his Friends and easily forgiving and very cheerfully pardoning all those that had been his Adversaries Thus he pardoned Brutus Cassius Cicero Marcellus and many others Yea some of them he admitted to his company and private familiarity and to Offices and Dignities and amongst the many virtues wherewith he was endued his clemency and liberality were most glorious But all this prevailed not with the Romans to quench their desires after the recoverie of their lost liberty neither to asswage the hatred and malice conceived against him by his adversaries as afterwards appeared And
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 Galleys but better armed and swifter then 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 ruine thereby to have the better meanes to fly if the Battell 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 two 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 himself in his Galleys 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 Captaines which the best Navies in the World took the Seas where they fought for no lesse then the Empire of the World Yet was the Fight deferred for three dayes 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 Battell was one of the most cruelest 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 Battell 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 abord her Galley wherein he sailed three dayes with out either seeing or speaking with her being confounded with shame for shewing so much weaknesse and at last they arrived in the Port of Alexandria in Aegypt His Navy which he left fighting though now Headlesse and without a Captain yet continued to make gallant resistance till five thousand of them were slaine 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 Anthonies Army by Land there wanted neither courage nor constancy to their Generall though he had so unworthily deserted them and therefore they continued seven dayes in their Camp ready to give Battell without accepting any composition from the enemy and they would have staid longer had not Canidius their Captaine abused his trust flying secretly from the Camp to seek Anthony whereupon the Army being destitute of a Generall yeilded 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 summs 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 Corne that was left in the War to the Cities that were afflicted with Famine and that were despoiled 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 spoiles 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 Generall 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 hindred 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 the Man-hater because he was abused by his Friends and had experience of their ingratitude and he called this house Timonion Yet at length he left this place and went to the Pallace where he spent his time in Feasting and jollity And Cleopatra got together diverse sorts of deadly poisons of poisonsome Creatures whereof she made triall upon many condemned persons and amongst all she liked the biting of the Aspe best for it brought a sleepinesse without any contraction of the members or groaning onely causing a gentle sweating of the face and a languishing stupidity of the senses At Rome many things were decreed in honour of Caesar for this Victory at Sea First a Triumph was granted him for Cleopatra and a Triumphal Arch was erected at Brundusium and another at Rome The base of the Julian Temple was adorned with the Beakes of the Shipshe had taken There were Playes decreed to be kept every fifth year in honour of him Processions were always to be made on his Birth day and on the day wherein the newes of his Victory was first brought That the vestall Virgins the Senate with their Wives and Children should go and meet him at his returne that all the Ornaments of Anthony should be demolished and cast down that his birth day should be accounted unlucky and that none of his Famely should ever have the forename of Marcus About this time Anthony and Cleopatra sent Ambassadours to Caesar into Asia Cleopatra demanded the Kingdom of Aegypt for her Children and without Anthonies knowledge sent him a Scepter Crown and Chaire all of Gold as it were delivering her Kingdom over to him and Anthony demanded that he might live a private life at Athens if he might not continue in Aegypt Caesar accepted of Cleopatra's gifts accounting them as good Omens but he would afford no answer to Anthony and privately he promised impunity and her Kingdom to Cleopatra if she would kill Anthony They sent also