in his Breast by Cyrus One of his Eunuchs therefore called Satribarzenes ran up and down to see if he could get any Water for him and as he ran here and there he met with same poor Slaves of the Caunians amongst which one had in an old ragged Goats Skin about eight glasful of stinking naughty Water This he presently carried to the King who drank it up every whit and his Eunuch asking him afterwards if that naughty Water did him no hurt The King swore by the Gods that he never drank better Wine nor sweeter Water than that was nor that pleased him better and therefore said he I beseech the Gods if it be not my hap to meet with this man that gave thee this Water to reward him that yet it will please them to send him good Fortune As the King was thus talking with the Eunuches the thirty men with Torches returned who assured him of the death of Cyrus Multitudes also of his Souldiers gathered about him so that he began to be couragious and with an infinite number of Torches and lights about him he went to the place where the Body of Cyrus lay and caused his Head and right hand to be stricken off and taking the Head by the Hair he shewed it to his men who were yet flying they taking courage hereby so flocked about the King that in a short time he had seventy thousand Souldiers about him with whom he returned again towards the Camp of Cyrus which he rifled and there met with a Concubine of Cyrus a woman famous for wit and beauty She was a Phocaean born in Ionia her name at first was Mitto but Cyrus called her Aspasia She was brought bound to the King for which he was so angry that he imprisoned those that bound her and ever after esteemed her above all the Harlots he kept who were in number three hundred and sixty all choice beauties and most doted on her The Brigade of Grecians not knowing what had befallen Cyrus kept on fighting still and had beaten Tisaphernes and all his power But the King coming with the main of his Army to the relief of Tisaphernes fell upon the Grecians Camp and rifled it yet when they returned from the pursuit they recovered it and beat the King out again and lodged Supperless in it that night as well as Dinnerless the day before Artaxerxes after this Battel sent rich Gifts unto the Son of Artagerses whom Cyrus had slain with his own hands He caused also the poor Caunian Slave that had given him the stinking Water to be sought out and of a poor wretch and unknown before he made him a rich Nobleman He punished such severely as had offended against martial Discipline And one Arbaces a Median who at the first ran over to Cyrus and after his Death he returned to Artaxerxes again for punishment he compelled him to carry a whore on his back stark naked all day long about the Market place and for one who had yielded himself to his enemies and yet falsly boasted that he had slain two he caused his Tongue to be boared through in three places Artaxerxes thinking that himself had slain Cyrus and being desirous that all others should think so too he sent Presents to Mithridates who had first hurt him in the fore-head commanding the Messenger to tell him from the King The King sends thee these Presents because thou didst first find the Caparisons of Cyrus his Horse and broughtest them to the King The Carian likewise that had cut Cyrus his hamm which made him fall to the ground asked his reward also which the King gave him and bad the Messenger tell him The King gives thee this because thou wast the second Person that brought him the good news of the Death of Cyrus Now Mithridates though he was not well pleased with the message said nothing for the present but the unhappy Carian in a foolish vain being overjoyed with the rich Presents said that he would not take them as a reward for bringing the news but called the Gods to witness that he was the man and the onely man that slew Cyrus and that he did him great wrong to take that honour from him The King was so incensed hereby that he commanded some presently to strike off his head But Parysatis the Queen-Mother said Let me alone with the Villain I will chastise him well enough and withall she sent Serjeants who hung him in chains for ten dayes together then caused his eyes to be pulled out of his head and lastly poured molten lead into his ears and so killed him Not long after Mithridates was invited to a Fcast where many of the Kings and Queen-Mothers Eunuchs were and Mithridates fat in the Golden Gown which the King had sent him and after Supper as they were drinking freely one of the Queen-Mothers Eunuchs said to him Mithridates the King hath given thee a rich Gown Goodly chains and Carckenets of Gold and every Rich so that every one thinks thee a happy man with them Mithridates answered What meanest thou by this Sparamixes I deserved better than these when the Battel was fought Why said Sparamixes what so valiant an act was it to take up a Caparison of a Horse that fell to the ground and to carry it to the King Mithridates being a cholerick man and his brain heat with wine answered You may talk as long as you list of a Caparison of a Horse but I tell you plainly that Cyrus was slain with my own hands and with no mans else For I hit him not in vain as Artagerses did but full in the forehead hardby the eye which pierced through his head of which blow he died The envious Eunuch at his departure told this to Parysatis who went presently and told it to the King He was marvellously angry to lose the thing that was most honourable and that best pleased him in his Victory For he desired that all the world should believe that though his Brother hurt him yet he slew his Brother with his own hand He therefore commanded that Mithridates should suffer the Death by Boats which was thus They took two Boats of equal size and laying the offender in one of them upon his back they covered him with the other and fastned both Boats together that his feet hands and head came out at holes made on purpose then they gave him meat as much as he would eat which if refused they thrust awls into his eyes to force him and when he had eaten they gave him Honey and Milk to drink pouring it also all over his face and turned his face full into the Sun which was covered over with Flyes sucking at it In his excrements also that came from him Worms did breed which devoured his Flesh And when they see the man is dead they take off the upper Boat and find all his flesh devoured to his very intrails Mithridates thus miserably languished
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
also Pensile Gardeus one of the Worlds wonders born upon Arches foursquare each square being four hundred Foot long filled above with Earth whereon grew all sorts of Trees and Plants The Arches were built one above another in a convenient-heigth still increasing as they ascended The highest which did bear the walls on the top were fifty Cubits high so that they equalized the highest Mountains He made also Aquaeducts for the watering of this Garden which seemed to hang in the air This most sumptuous frame which out-lasted all the remainder of the Assyrian and all the Persian Empire is said to have been reared and finished in fifteen Days He erected also an image of Gold in the Plain of Dura sixty Cubits high and six broad commanding all his Servants and Subjects to fall down and Worship it Dan. 3. 1 c. But of all this and other his Magnificence we find little else recorded save that which indeed is most profitable for us to consider to wit his over-valewing of his own greatness which abased him to a condition inferior to the poorest of men For whereas God had honoured him not only with many great and glorious Victories and much happiness in his own life but with a rare discovery of things that were to come after him yea and had manifested the certainty of his Dreams by the miraculous reducing of it into his Memory and given him the interpretation thereof by the Prophet Daniel He notwithstanding became so forgetful of God whose wonderful power he had seen and acknowledged that he caused that Golden Image to be set up and Worshipped appointing a cruel Death for them that should dare to disobey him which was utterly unlawful and repugnant to the Law of him that is King of Kings And thus he who so lately had Worshipped Daniel the servant of God as if he had been God himself now commanded a Statue to be erected unto himself wherein himself might be worshipped as God From this impiety it pleased God to recall and reclaim him by the wonderful and miraculous delivery of those three blessed Saints out of the fiery Furnace who being thrown bound into the midst of it for refusing to commit that abominable Idolatry were preserved from all hurt of the fire loosened from their Bonds accompanied by an Angel and at last called out by the King and restored to their former honour Nebuchadnezzar being amazed at the Miracle made a Decree tending to the honour of God whom by the erection of his Image he had dishonoured Yet was not this devotion so rooted in him that it could bring forth fruit answerable to his hasty zeal Therefore was he fore-warned of God in a Dream of a terrible Judgement which hung over his Head which Daniel expounding withall counselled him to break off his sin by righteousness and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor that there might be a lengthening of his tranquility Dan. 4. 27. Whence it seems that injustice and cruelty were his faults for which he was thus threatned But neither did the Dream nor advice of Daniel so prevail For probably he believed it not but looked upon it as an idle Dream for that it seemed altogether unlikely that so great a Monarch should be driven from amongst men yea compelled to dwell with the Beasts of the Field and made to eat Grass as the Oxen this was altogether incredible in mans Judgment and therefore giving so little heed to it it s no marvel that he had forgotten it by the years end One whole year was given to this haughty Prince wherein to repent which respiting of the execution may seem to have bred in him forgetfulness of Gods sentence For at the end of twelve months as he was walking in his Royal Palace in Babel he was so overjoyed and transported with a vain contemplation of his own seeming happiness that without all fear of Gods heavy Judgment pronounced against him he uttered these proud words Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the Honour of my Majesty But his proud speeches were not fully ended when a voice from Heaven told him that his Kingdom was departed from him c. And the same hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar And he was driven from men and did eat grass as Oxen and his Body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hair was grown like Eagles Feathers and his nails like Birds Claws Dan. 4. 33 c. This his punishment was singular and unexpected For he ran amongst Beasts in the Fields and Woods where for seven years he lived not only as a salvage man but as a salvage Beast for a Beast he thought himself to be and therefore fed himself in the same manner and with the same food that Beasts do Not that he was changed in his external shape from a man to a Beast For as St. Jerome well expounds it when he saith vers 34. that his understanding was restored unto him he shewed that he had not lost his humane shape but his understanding being stricken with a Frenzy or deep Melancholy which made him think himself a Beast Seven years being expired Nebuchadnezzar was restored both to his Understanding and to his Kingdom and saith he I blessed the most High and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom is from Generation to Generation And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven and amongst the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou At the same time my reason returned unto me and for the Glory of my Kingdom mine honour and brightness returned unto me and my Counsellors and my Lords sought unto me and I was established in my Kingdom and excellent Majesty was added unto me Now therefore I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extoll and honour the King of Heaven all whose works are truth and his way is Judgement and those that walk in Pride he is able to abase Dan. 4. 34 35 36 37. How long he lived after this is uncertain but all agree that he reigned about twenty months co-partner with his Father in the Kingdom and about three and forty years by himself alone Whilst Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon reged in Judaea God prepared a Worm which in due time should eat out this spreading Tree by reason of the cry of his poor people which entred into his ears According to that of the Psalmist Psal. 137. 8 9. O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones For in this very year was Cyrus the Perso-Median born whose Father was a Persian and
the Persians way were put to the Sword unless they saved themselves by flight as some did who ran away crying and filled the Streets with an uncertain tumult Such of the Assyrian Lords as had formerly revolted from Belshazzar to Cyrus did now conduct a selected company to the Kings Palace which being easily forced by them they rushed strait into the Chamber where the King and his Princes were Banquetting and there slew both him and them without mercy who strove in vain to keep those lives which God had newly threatned to take away Now was that Prophesie fulfilled Jer. 51. 30 31 32. The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight they have remained in their holds their might hath failed they became as women they have burnt their dwelling-places Her barrs are broken One Post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end And that the passages are stopped viz. of the River Euphrates and the Reeds they have burnt with fire and the men of War are affrighted The Prophet Isay also two hundred years before this subversion of Babylon in his forty seventh Chapter and elsewhere describeth this destruction so feelingly and lively as if he had been present both at the terrible slaughter there committed and had seen the great and unfeared change and calamity of this great Empire Yea and had also heard the sorrows and bewailings of every surviving Soul thereunto subject which Prophesie he begins with these words Come down and sit in the dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon sit on the Ground there is no Throne O Daughter of the Chaldeans For thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate c. And though it cannot be doubted that God used Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans as his Instruments to punish the Idolatry and wickedness of the Iews yet did he not forget that in the Execution of Gods Judgments they had used much rigour and extremity as we see Isa. 47. 6. I was wroth with my people I have polluted mine Inheritance and given them into thine hand Thou didst shew them no mercy Upon the Ancient hast thou very heavily laid the yoke And again I will rise up against them saith the Lord of Hosts and will cut off from Babel the Name and the remnant and the Son and the Nephew meaning Evilmerodach and Belshazzar And again Isa. 13. 15 c. Every one that is found shall be thrust thorow and every one that is joyned to them shall be slain with the Sword their Children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes their Houses shall be spoiled and their Wives ravished Behold I will stir up the Medes against them which shall not regard Silver and as for Gold they shall not delight in it their Bowes also shall dash the young men to pieces and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the Womb their eye shall not spare children And Babylon the Glory of Kingdoms and beauty of the Chaldees excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah c. Read also Chapter fourteenth No Historian that was either present at this Victory of Cyrus or that received the report from others truly as it was could better describe and leave the same to posterity after it was acted than Isay hath done in many parts of his Prophesie which were written two hundred years before any of these things were attempted The Greatness and Magnificence of Babylon were it not by divers grave Authors recorded might seem altogether Fabulous For it is reported for truth that one part of the City knew not that the other was taken three dayes after which is not impossible if we consider the vast Circumference of it Diodorus Siculus saith that it was in compass three hundred and sixty Furlongs which make forty five Miles The Walls were so thick that six Chariots might pass in front thereon and they were three hundred sixty and five Foot high and were adorned and beautified with one hundred and fifty Towers Strabo gives a greater circuit adding twenty five Furlongs more to the former compass reckoning it at three hundred eighty five Furlongs which makes forty eight Miles and one Furlong Herodetus finds the compass yet to be greater namely four hundred and eighty Furlongs in circuit the thickness of the Wall he measures at fifty Cubits and the height at two hundred of the same Regal Cubits For entrance it had a hundred Gates of Brass with Posts and Hooks to hang them on of the same Metal and therefore did the Prophet Isay rightly intitle Babylon The Princess and Glory of Kingdoms Isa. 47. 5. 13. 19. But when Cyrus had won her he stript her out of her Princely Robes and made her a slave dividing not onely her goodly Houses and her whole Territory with all the Riches therein contained amongst his Souldiers but also bestowed the Inhabitants themselves as Bondslaves upon those that had taken possession of their goods Cyrus having obtained this great and Signal Victory the glory of which was a reward for his service done for him who was the Author of it and of all goodness and thereby translated the Empire of the Chaldeans to himself according to the Prophesies which went afore of him in this first year of his Empire he made a Decree that the Captive Jews should return again into their own Countrey of Judea and that they should build again the House of God in Jerusalem having now endured and finished the seventy years Captivity foretold by the Prophet Jeremy The tenour of which Decree was thus Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth and hath charged me to build him an House at Jerusalem which is in Judah Who is there among you of all his people Let his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the House of the Lord God of Israel He is God which is at Jerusalem And whosoevèr remaineth in any place where he â—â—journeth let the men of his place help him with Silver and with Gold and with goods and with Beasts besides the free-will Offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem Ezra 1. 2 3 4. He also brought forth and restored the Vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of the Temple at Jerusalem and had put them into the House of his gods These were brought forth and numbred unto Sheshhazzar the Prince of Judah and this is the number of them Thirty Chargers of Gold a thousand Chargers of Silver nine and twenty Knives thirty Basins of Gold Silver Basins of a second sort four hundred and ten and of other Vessels a thousand All the Vessels of Gold and Silver were five thousand and four hundred The number of Jews that then returned out of Chaldea
left And thus Alexander without hazard got both the entrance into Cilicia abandoned by the cowardliness of his enemies and also that whole Province whose minds were now alienated from the Persians through the imprudent carriage of Arsenes When Alexander with great speed was come to Tarsus taking pleasure in the River Cydnus which ran through the City all hot as he was he threw off his Armour and leaped into the cold water whereupon he grew instantly so benumb in all the Nerves of his Body that he lost the use of his Tongue and so far was he from hope of recovery that nothing was expected but present Death But one Philip a Physician gave him a Potion which he took and it cured him out of hand though Parmenio had forewarned him that this Philip was set on work to poison him In the mean time Darius approached having gathered together an Army of two hundred and ninety thousand men of divers Nations saith Q. Curtius or of three hundred thousand Foot and one hundred thousand Horse as Justine numbers them Or of six hundred thousand as Plutarch relates The manner of his coming was rather like a Masker than a man of War and like one that took more care to shew his Glory and Riches than to provide for his own safety For before his Army there were carried the holy Fire which the Persians worshipped for their God attended by their Priests and after them three hundred sixty and five young men answering to the days of the year clothed in Skarlet Then the Chariot of Jupiter drawn with white Horses with their Riders clothed in white and carrying Rods of Gold in their hands Next after them came the Horse of the Sun and after him ten sumptuous Chariots Inlay'd and garnished with Gold and Silver and then the Vaunt Guard of their Horse compounded of twelve several Nations which the better to avoid confusion did hardly understand one anothers Language and these marshelled in the head of the rest being beaten might serve very fitly to disorder all that followed them In the tail of these marched the Regiment of foot stiled by the Persians Immortal because if any died their place was presently supplied by others and these were armed with chains of Gold and theit Coats embroidered with the same having their sleeves garnished with Pearl Baits fit either to intice the poor Macedonians or to perswade them that it were great incivility to cut or deface such goodly Garments Then marched after them fifteen thousand more rich and glittering than the former but apparelled like Women and these were honoured with the Title of the Kings Kinsmen Then came Darius himself with the Gentlemen of his Guard-robe riding before his Chariot which was supported by the Gods of his Nation cast and cut in pure Gold the head of this Chariot was set with precious Stones with two Golden Idols covered with an open winged Eagle of the same mettal The hinder part being raised high whereon Darius sat had a covering of inestimable valew This Chariot of the Kings was followed with ten thousand Horsemen having lances plated with Silver and their heads guilt He had for the proper Guard of his own Person two hundred of the blood Royal blood too Royal and precius to be spilt in any Noble adventure and these were backed with thirty thousand Footmen after whom again were led four hundred spare Horses for the Kings own use Then followed the Rereward being led by Sisygambis the Kings Mother and by his Wife drawn in glorious and glittering Chariots followed by a great train of Ladies on Horseback with fifteen rich Wagons of the Kings Children and the Wives of the Nobility waited upon by two hundred and fifty Concubines and a World of Nurses and Eunuches most sumptuously apparelled Between these and a Company of slight Armed Slaves was the Kings Treasure loaden on six hundred Mules and three hundred Camels In this sort came this May-game King into the field encumbred with a most unnecessary train of Sumpters attended with Troops of divers Nations speaking divers Languages impossible to be well Marshalled by reason of their numbers and for the most part so effeminate and so rich in Gold and costly Garments as the same could not but have encouraged the Nakedst Nation against them When Alexander met with these effeminate Asiaticks it may easily be guessed what a cheap Victory he had over them Some say that he slew in this Battel sixty thousand Footmen and ten thousand Horsemen Q. Curtius saith an hundred thousand Foot with as many Horsemen and took forty thousand Prisoners whilest of Alexanders Army there miscarried but two hundred and eighty of all sorts of which number some Historians cut off almost one half He took Prisoners also Darius his Mother Wife Daughters and other the Kings Children Darius by this time found it true that Charidemus a banished Grecian of Athens had told him when he made a view of his Army about Babylon to wit That the multitude which he had assembled of divers Nations richly attired but poorly Armed would be found more terrible to the Countries through which they should pass than to the Macedonians whom they went to assail who being all old Well-disciplined Souldiers imbattelled in gross Squadrons which they called their Phalanx well covered with Armour for defence and furnished with advantagious Weapons for offence would make so little account of his delicate Persians ill Armed and worse Disciplin'd that except he would having such abundance of Treasure entertain a sufficient number of the same Grecians and so encounter the Macedonians with men of equal courage he would repent overlate as taught by the miserable success like to follow But so unpleasing was this discourse to Darius who used to hear nothing but his own praises that he caused this poor Grecian to be presently slain who whilst he was under the Tormentors hand said to the King that Alexander against whom he had given this good counsel should certainly revenge his Death and deservedly punish Darius for refusing this advise Darius likewise slighted the counsel given him by the Grecian Souldiers that served under him who intreated him not to fight in those streight places where Alexander could bring as many hands to fight as Darius could and these old Blades when Darius was overthrown with all his cowardly and confused Rabble under their Captain Amyntas held firm and made a brave retreat in despite of the vanquishers These Grecians also after their retreat advised Darius to draw back his Army into the plains of Mesopotamia where he might have environed the Macedonians on all sides with his multitudes they counselled him also to divide his huge Army into parts and not to cast his Empire upon one Battel c. But this advise was so contrary to the cowardly spirits of the Persians that they perswaded Darius to environ these Greeks with his Army and to cut them in pieces as Traitors But
and very observable that at Christs coming and at the first preaching of the Gospel the Devil in this and in all other his Oracles became speechless From the Temple of Hammon Alexander returned to Memphis where among many other learned men he heard the Philosopher Psammones who understanding that he affected the Title of Jupiters Son told him that God was the Father King of all men and refining the Pride of this haughty King he brought him to acknowledg that God was the Father of all mortal men but that he acknowledgeth none for his Children save good men The charge of the several Provinces of Egypt Alexander gave to several Governours following therein the Rules of his Master Aristotle that a great Dominion should not be continued in the hands of any one man Then gave he order for the building of Alexandria upon the most Westernly branch of Nilus and thus having setled as he could the State of Egypt with the Kingdoms of the Lesser Asia Phoenicia and Syria he Conducted his Army towards Euphrates which passage though the same was committed to Mazeus to be defended by him yet did he abandon it and Alexander without resistance passed it From thence he marched towards Tygris a River for the swiftness thereof called by the Persians The Arrow here might Darius easily have repelled him for the violent course of the stream was such as it drave before it many weighty stones and those that moved not but lay in the bottom were so round and smooth by continual rolling that no man was able to fight upon so slippery a standing Nor were the Macedonian Footmen able to wade through the River otherwise than by joyning their hands and interlacing their Arms each in others making thereby one intire and weighty Body to resist the impetuousness of the stream and besides this the Channel was so deep towards the Eastern Shore where Darius should have opposed him that the Footmen were enforced to lift their Bows Arrows and Darts over their Heads to keep them from being made unserviceable by the Water Indeed it cannot be denied that as all Estates of the World by the surfeit of misgovernment have been subject to many grievous and sometimes mortal diseases So had the Empire of Persia at this time brought it self into a burning Feavour and thereby became frantick and without understanding foreshewing manifestly the death and dissolution thereof But Alexander had now recovered the Eastern Shore of Tygris without any opposition but what the Nature of the River made where Mazeus who had the charge to defend the banks both of Euphrates and it presented himself to the Macedonians being attended with certain Troops of Horsemen as if with uneven forces he durst have charged them upon even ground when as with a multitude far exceeding them he forsook those advantages which no valour of the enemy could easily have overcome But it s commonly seen that timorous and cowardly Persons do ever follow those ways and counsels whereof the opportunity is already lost It s true that he sets all provisions on fire wherewith the Macedonians might be assisted in their passage over Tygris thinking thereby greatly to have distressed them but the execution of good counsel is fruitless when unseasonable For now was Alexander so well furnished with carriages that no conveniences were wanting to the Army which he conducted Those things also which Mazeus now sought to destroy Alexander being in sight by his Horsemen saved and recovered them This Mazeus might have done some days before at good leasure yea at this time he might have done it with so great a strength of Horsemen as the Macedonians might not have dared to pursue leaving the Body of their Foot out of sight and so far behind Darius upon Alexanders first return out of Egypt had assembled all those Forces which the Countries next to him could afford and now also were the Arians Scythians Indians and other Nations come to him Nations saith Curtius that rather served to make up a number than to make resistance Some reckon them to amount to the number of ten hundred thousand Foot and four hundred thousand Horse besides armed Chariots and some few Elephants Curtius numbers them but two hundred thousand Foot and about fifty thousand Horse which is more probable And yet seeing Darius had more confidence in the number than in the Valour of his Souldiers probably he had brought together some three or four hundred thousand of all sorts with which he hoped in those fair plains of Assyria to have overborn the small number of the invading Army But it s most true That in every Battel skil and practice do more towards attaining the Victory than multitudes and rude audacity Whilest Alexander rested and refreshed his Army after their hard passage over Tygris their happened an Eclipse of the Moon at which the Macedonians being ignorant of the cause and reason of it were much troubled taking it as a certain presage of their ruin and destruction insomuch as they began not only to murmur but to speak boldly that to satisfie the ambition of one man and of such a one as disdained Philip for his Father and would needs be called the Son of Jupiter they should all perish For he enforced them not only to War against a world of enemies but against Rivers Mountains and the Heavens themselves Hereupon Alexander who was now ready to advance made an halt and to quiet the minds of the multitude he led before him the Aegyptian Astrologers that by them the Souldiers might be assured that this Eclipse of the Moon was a sure presage of his good success But they never informed them that it came to pass by natural causes but reserved that as a secret fit to be kept among themselves These Astrologers gave no other reason for it than this That the Grecians were under the Aspect of the Sun and the Persians under that of the Moon and therefore the Moon losing her light did foreshew that the state of Persia was now in danger of falling and their Glory of being obscured This being noised through all the Army every man was satisfied and quieted and their courage redoubled As Alexander drew near the Persian Army certain Letters were intercepted written by Darius to the Grecians proffering and promising them a great sum of money if they would either kill or betray Alexander But these by the advice of Parmenio were suppressed About this time also Darius his beautiful Wife being oppressed with sorrow and wearied with travel died which accident Alexander seemed to bewail no less then Darius who upon the first report of it suspected that some dishonorable violence had been offered to her but being satisfied by an Eunuch of his own that attended her of Alexanders kind and Kingly respect towards her from the very time of her being taken he prayed the immortal Gods that if they had decreed to set a new Master over the
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
rapines and for rasing and robbing their Temple Yet was Herod nothing herewith terrified being ready to answer for himself But Caesar used him curteously and was nothing alienated from him for all these tumultuous complaints The Gadarens therefore perceiving the inclination of Caesar and his Friends towards Herod despairing of good success and fearing to be delivered into Herods hands some of them cut their own Throats others fearing torments brake their own Necks or drowned themselves in the River and thus seeming to forejudg themselves Caesar absolved Herod from all their accusations Zenodorus also having his bowels burst through much blood that came from him ended his life at Antioch in Syria whereupon Augustus Caesar gave his Tetrarchy to Herod he made him also one of the Governours of Syria commanding the rest of the Governours of that Province to do nothing without his advice Herod bestowed upon his Brother Pheroras a hundred Talents out of the revenues of his Kingdom and begged a Tetrarchy for him of Caesar to the intent that if himself should happen to die Pheroras estate might be secure and not subject to Herods Children Caesar coming into the East having setled his affairs there Herod conducted him to the Sea-side and so returned into his own Kingdom where he built a goodly Temple in honour of Caesar all of white Marble near to Panion at the foot of which mountain were the spring-heads of Jordan He also remitted to his Subjects some part of their Tribute under pretence that he would ease them after the great dearth but indeed to appease the minds of his Subjects who were offended at his vast works which seemed to tend to the destruction of Religion and good manners as was commonly talked As also to prevent these reports he forbad all private meetings in the City and to frequent Feastings He had spies also who would mingle themselves in all Companies and mark what People said yea himself would go about in the Night in the habit of a private Person and mingle himself in the company of People to hear what they thought of him and such as peremptorily disliked his doings he would punish without all mercy the rest of the multitude he bound to him by Oath requiring that they should not depart from their fidelity and duty Yea he required this Oath of many of the Pharisees as of Pollio and Sameas c. which though he could not get them to take yet did he not punish them as he did others in regard of that respect that he bore to Pollio Neither did he impose it upon the Esseans whom he much esteemed for one Manaherus sake who was a Prophet and when Herod was but a Boy he saluted him King of the Jews and foretold that he should Reign above thirty years Herod in the eighteenth year of his Reign propounded to the Jews his building the Temple at Jerusalem whom when he saw troubled least when he had pulled down the old he should not be able to finish a new one he told them that the old Temple should remain whole as it was till all the materials necessary for the new Fabrick should be fully prepared neither did he deceive them for he provided a thousand Wagons to carry stones and he chose out of all the Artificers ten thousand that were the most exquisite Work-men and a thousand Priests clothed in their Priestly Garments at his cost who were not altogether ignorant of the Masons and Carpenters Art to oversee them All necessary materials for this stately work being provided in the space of two years Herod began to build the Temple at Jerusalem forty six years before the first Passover of the Ministry of Christ and therefore that Text Joh. 11. 20. should be thus translated This Temple hath been built forty six years hitherto So the learned Primate of Ireland and our Country-man Lydiat read it Indeed the building of the Temple under Zorobabel began in the first year of the Monarchy of Cyrus and after some interruptions was finished in twenty years space viz. in the sixth year of Darius Hystaspes but the magnificent building of it begun by Herod at this time was finished in nine years space and an half and truly the riches of Herod alone were not sufficient to perfect so magnificent a structure but all the holy treasures of many ages that were sent to them from all the parts of the World to Jerusalem were spent about it Not long after Herod set sail for Italy to salute Caesar and to see his Children at Rome and as he passed through Greece he was not only present at but Judg of the Olympick exercises where observing that they did not answer the resort that was to them through the poverty of the Elienses he bestowed towards them a yearly revenew that so their Sacrifices might be made the more splendid as also other things that tended to the gracing of so great a meeting For which bounty he was declared perpetual Judg of those exercises When he came to Rome Caesar intertained him courteously and delivered to him his Sons sufficiently instructed in the Liberal Sciences and so from thence he went into Galatia At Jerusalem by the diligence of the Priests the building of the Temple properly so called that contained the Holy and the Holy of Holies was finished in a year and a half during which time it is reported that it never rained in the day time but only in the Nights and in the eight years following the Porches the Ranges and the rest of the buildings about the Temple were all finished When Alexander and Aristobulus were returned into Judea and had gained all mens love Salome the Sister of Herod and her Faction fearing that at some time or other they would revenge their Mothers death cast out a rumour amongst the people that they hated their Father because he had caused their Mother to be slain But Herod as yet suspecting no ill used them with all Honour as they deserved and because they were now grown to mens estate he provided them Wives for Alexander Bernice the Daughter of Salome and for Aristobulus Glaphira the Daughter of Archelaus the King of the Cappadocians Then Herod hearing that Agrippa was again come into Asia he went to him and begged of him that he would come into his Kingdom as to his Friend and Guest and as he came he entertained him in all the Cities that he had newly built shewing him the publick buildings and presenting both to himself and friends all kind of delights which might set forth his magnificence at Sebaste and the Port of Caesarea and in the Castles of Alexandrion Herodion and Hyrcania He brought him also into the City of Jerusalem where all the People met him in their best and Festival attire and with acclamations of joy Agrippa also sacrificed an Hecatombe to God and feasted the People and though he would willingly have stayed longer there yet
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
the Fields commanding them to disperse themselves abroad which accordingly they did and Perpenna took the opportunity and charged upon them and had them in chase but Pompey tarrying for them at a Foord was ready with his Army in good order gave them Battel and obtained the Victory and thus ended all the War For most of the Captains were slain and Perpenna himself taken Prisoner whom he presently put to Death Perpenna shewed to Pompey Letters from the greatest Noblemen of Rome who were desirous of change of Government willing him to return into Italy But Pompey fearing that they might occasion great commotions in Rome put Perpenna presently to Death and burned all the writings not so much as reading any one of them Pompey after this remained in Spain till he had pacified all tumults and then went with his Army back into Italy and arrived just when the War of the Bondmen and Fencers led by Spartacus was in the greatest fury Upon Pompey's coming Crassus being sent General against them made hast to give them Battel wherein he overcame them and slew twelve thousand and three hundred of these fugitive Slaves Yet Fortune intending to give Pompey some part of the honour five thousand of these Bondmen who escaped from the Battel fell into his hands whom he overcame and wrote to the Senate at Rome that Perpenna had overcome the Fencers in Battel and that he had plucked up this War by the roots The Romans receiving these Letters were very glad of the news for the love which they bore to him Yet for all the great honour and love they did bear to him they suspected and were afraid of him because he did not disband his Army fearing that he would follow Sylla's steps and rule over them by force Hereupon as many went forth to meet him out of fear as out of good will But when he told them that he would disband his Army so soon as he had Triumphed then his ill-willers could blame him for nothing but that he inclined more to the People than to the Nobles and because he desired to restore the Tribuneship to the People which Sylla had put down Indeed the common People at Rome never longed for any thing more than they did to see the Office of the Tribunes set up again and Pompey was very glad that he had such an opportunity thereby to ingratiate himself with them and to requite the love which they had shewed to him This was the second Triumph and the first Consulship which the Senate decreed to Pompey which made him neither the greater nor the better man Yet was it such an honour as Crassus the richest greatest and eloquentest man in Rome durst not demand before he had requested Pompey's good will therein And truely Pompey was very glad of the request having of a long time sought an opportunity whereby to gratifie him and therefore he made earnest suit to the People for him assuring them that he would as much thank them for making Crassus his fellow-consul and Colleage as he would for making himself Consul Yet when Pompey had obtained his request and they were both created Consuls they were in all things contrary one to the other and never agreed in any one thing whilst they ruled together Crassus had the more authority with the Senate and Pompey with the People for he restored to them the Office of Tribunes and passed by Edict that the Knights of Rome should have power again to Judge in causes both civil and criminal This wonderfully pleased the people when himself came in Person to the Censors and pray'd that he might be dispensed with for going into the Wars At this time Gellius and Lentulus were the Censors who being honourably set in their Tribunal seats taking a view of all the Roman Knights that mustered before them they marvelled when they saw Pompey comming with all the Ensigns of a Consul born before him and himself as other Knights did leading his Horse by the Bridle and when he came near he commanded the Sergeants that carried the Axes before him to make room for him to pass by the Barrs with his Horse where the Censors sate This made the People to flock about him wondring and rejoycing with great silence the Censors themselves also were marvellous glad to see him so obedient to the Law and did him great reverence Then did the elder of the Censors examine him thus Pompey the Great I pray thee tell me if thous didst serve so long in the War as the Law doth appoint Pompey answered aloud Yes verily have I done and that under no Captain but my self The People hearing this shouted aloud for joy and the Censors themselves came down from their seats and accompanied Pompey to his House to please the great multitude that followed him clapping their hands for joy At the end of their Consulship grudges growing higher between Crassus and Pompey there was one Gaius Aurelius a Knight who till then had never spoken in the publick Assembly He getting up into the Pulpit for Orations told the People openly that that night Jupiter had appeared to him and commanded him to tell both the Consuls from him that they should not leave their Office before they were reconciled together Yet for all this Pompey stirred not But Crassus took him by the hand and spake thus before the People My Lords I think it no dishonour to me to give place to Pompey sith you your selves have thought him worthy to be called the Great befor he had any hair on his face and to whom you granted the honour of two Triumphs before he came to be a Senator Having thus spoken they were reconciled together and so gave up thier Office Crassus after this retired to his former manner of life and Pompey as much as he could avoided pleading mens causes in publick and by degrees withdrew himself from frequenting the Market-place and came seldom abroad but when he did he had always a great train following him It was a rare thing to see him to be familiar with any one or to come abroad but with a great company of attendants The power of the Pirats upon the Seas began in Cilicia of which at first there was no great account made till they grew bold and venturous in King Methridates Wars being hired to serve him and when the Romans engaged in Civil Wars at home they neglected looking after them which made them more audacious For they did not only rob and spoil all Merchants by Sea but plundred Islands and Citics upon the Sea-coast insomuch as men of great Nobility and Wealth joyned with them and they set up store-houses in divers places and had Beacons to give warning by fire all along the Sea-coasts which were well watched they had also great Fleets of Ships well furnished with excellent Galliots skilful Pilots and Marriners their Ships were swift of Sail and Pinnaces for discovery All the Sea-coast over
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