The Winds and Clouds with Storms of Hail then powr's Thunder and Lightning down with Stygian Show'rs The Poles with Horrour shake the Heav'ns are quite Obscur'd the Earth is cover'd o're with Night The Tempest blinds their Eys and Rome though near To the approaching Fo doth disappear Flames from the Clouds upon the Army thrown Continue still their Noise and hiss upon Their blasted Limbs here Notus Boreas there And Africus with Cloudy Wings appear And War with such a Rage and Fury move As might suffice the Wrath and Minde of Iove Then sudden Cataracts of Water fall Mix'd with black Storms and Blasts and cover all The Neighb'ring Champagn with a foaming Flood Iove on the Top of all the Mountain stood And as He Thunder poiz'd in his Right-Hand It 'gainst the Shield of Hannibal His Stand Not yet resolv'd to quit with Fury throws His Lance's Head strait melts and His Sword flows As from the Forge it were but newly ta'ne At length His Arms thus burnt He doth restrain His Men declares the Vanity of all That secret Fire that from the Clouds did fall And Murmurs intermix'd with Winds But then After so many Miseries of His Men And Ruins pour'd from Heav'n the Fo not seen Nor Sword in all the Storms that there had been He bids His fainting Army to retire To Camp and sadly thus revives His Ire Well to the Winds and Winter-Storms Thou now Oh Rome the Safety of one Day dost ow But Thee the Morrow's Light shall not defend From Us though angry Iove himself descend To Earth to guard Thee And as this He spoke From the clear Heav'ns a sudden Lustre broke And all the Clouds dispers'd The purged Sky Shin'd out again the Romanes instantly Perceiv'd the God and straitway laying all Their Arms aside to the high Capitol Erect their humble Hands and Pious round The Sacred Hill their joyfull Laurel bound And then the chearfull Face of Iove bedew'd Of late with no small Sweat thus praying View'd Grant Father Iove say They Thou Chief of all The Gods O grant that Hannibal may fall By thine own Sacred Shaft in Fight for none Can Him destroy We fear but Thou alone As thus they pray'd the Ev'ning 'gan t' invest The Earth with Shades and Silence stop'd the rest But Night by Sol dispers'd as from the Sea He rais'd his Lamp and use of Life with Day Restor'd to Mortals Hannibal agen Came on nor did the Romane Youth within Their Trenches keep But when they came as near To fight as one might well have thrown a Spear Their Swords scarce drawn the Light of Heav'n began To fail thick Darkness suddenly o'reran The Skies the new-born Day was put to Flight And Iove began again to arm for Fight The Winds blew high and a thick Globe of Show'rs By Auster driv n along grew Hot Iove pou'rs His Thunder down by which he Atlas shakes With Taurus Pindus Rhodope the Lakes Of Erebus it heard and buried far In Darkness once again Celestial War Typhaeus saw Now Notus whistling loud Comes on and whirling round a pitchy Cloud Full fraught with Hail the Libyan charg'd in Vain Struggling and threatning and Him forc'd again Into His Camp but He no sooner there Had lai'd His Arms aside but strait a clear And joyfull Face of Heav'n again was shown Nor could you think mild Iove his Bolts had thrown Or had with Thunder torn the Peacefull Sky All this He vex'd endures with Constancy And oft affirming the ensuing Day No more should be against them Onely they Their Valour of their Countrey must assume And lest they should believe to ruin Rome Might prove a Sin Where was I pray said He The Thunder of their Conqur'ing Iove when We With these our Swords th' Aetolian Champagn strow'd With Slaughter when the Tyrrhen Pools o'reflow'd With Humane Blood If now the King of Gods Fights for the Romane Walls with so much Ods Of Thunder thrown Why strikes He not at Me Who fight against Him ' midst this Noise No We Most poorly turn Our Backs to Storms and Winde Oh! pray resume that Courage and that Minde Which while as yet the Leagues and the Decrees Of Senate were in Force did prompt Us these Our Arms to take in Hand Thus ev'ry Breast He fires till Sol his weary Steeds releast The following Night could not His Cares allay Sleep durst not once approach Him With the Day His former Rage returns and then agen He summons to the Fight His frighted Men And strikes His dreadfull Shield the Noise and Storms Of Heav'n so imitating with His Arms. But when He found that Rome so confident Was of the Gods that She Supplies had sent Unto the Betick Coast and that by Night The Troops march'd from the Walls full of Despight And Rage that the Besieg'd such Leisure had As now secure of Hannibal more Mad He presseth forward and Advanceth near The Walls when Iuno almost sick with Care Thus Iove with Counsel seeks to qualifie Sister said He and Wife most Dear to Me When wilt thou check this Tyrian Youth or when Wilt thou restrain this furious Man agen Let it suffice Sagunthus to destroy To level the high Alps and to annoy And Chains impose upon the Sacred Po And to pollute the Lakes He 's ready now Into Our Temples and Our Tow'rs to break Stop Him for you may see as now We speak How He prepares how He for Fire exclaims To imitate Our Thunder with His Flames To this Saturnia giving Thanks through Air Much troubled to the Earth descends and there Seising the Youth's Right-Hand Whither said She Thou Mad-Man dost Thou run and not to be Maintain'd by Mortals dost a War pursue 'T is Iuno speaks to Thee with that She drew Her Vail of Clouds away and shew'd her Face Thou hast not now with Phrygian Swains Alass Or the Laurentines to contend behold For ' I le remove the Mist awhile t' unfold All Things to Thee observe and see Thou where That Hill's high Top ascends into the Air The Palace call'd of the (a) Mount Palatine where King Evander the Arcadian dwelt and Apollo had a Temple Parrhasian King By Phoebus 't is possess'd who menacing Prepares his Ecchoing Quiver and his Bow For Fight but where upon the lofty Brow Of Neighb'ring Hills the (b) Another Hill in Rome where Diana had a Temple Aventine doth rise See! how Diana shakes before thine Eys Her Torches fir'd from Phlegethon how She Hath strip'd her Arms for Fight Then that way see How Mars in cruel Arms that (c) Campus Martius Field that bears His Name hath fill'd there Ianus furious Wars And here Quirinus ev'ry Deity Fights from his Hill but then observe with me How Iove his Aegis breathing Storms and Fire Shakes and with how great Flames he feeds his Ire Or this way turn thy Face and if Thou dare Behold the Thunderer what Tempests are Beneath his Nod or when he shakes his Head What Thunder falls
what dreadfull Flames are shed Against Thine Eys at length give Way unto The Gods nor such Titanian Wars pursue This said the Man intractable to Peace Or Rule yet wondring at the stormy Face And fiery Members of the Gods with Pain Away She drew and Peace to Heav'n again And Earth restor'd He looking still behinde Retires and to the Camp much vex'd in Minde Commands His Ensigns strait to march away And threatens to return another Day When through the Air a clearer Light displaies It self and Phoebus gilds the trembling Seas But when the Romanes from the Walls beheld Far off that Hannibal had left the Field And pull'd His Ensigns up they Silent view Each other's Face and Nodding onely shew That which as yet through Greatness of their Fear They durst not then believe nor willing were To think Him gone but rather that He then Practis'd His Punick Frauds and Arts agen In this Suspense each silent Mother stands Kissing her Children till the Punick Bands Quite vanish'd from their Eys and Fear remov'd All his suspected Plots but Fancies prov'd Then to the Sacred Capitol they throng And mutually imbracing chant a Song Of Triumph to Tarpeian Iove and there Adorn the Temple of the Thunderer Now all the Gates fly open ev'rywhere Those Joys which they so lately did despair The People rush to see these view the Place Where the Sidonian King's Pavilion was And where He proudly from a lofty Throne Spoke to his summon'd Troops those look upon The Place where Warlike Astur lay and where Fierce Getes and cruel Hanno Quarter'd were This done their Bodies purg'd in living Springs Each Hand its Aid to build up Altars brings To th' Anienian Nymphs and Joyfull then Hallowing the Wall return to Rome agen The End of the Twelfth Book Succedunt Simulacra virum concordia Patris Vnanimique Simul Patrui-ruit ipse per vmbram Oscula vana petens Iuuenis Fumoque volueri Et nebulis similes animas apprendere tentat Honoratissimo Dn. o DnÌ„o Ioanni Comiti Bathoniae Viceâ—omiti Lansdowne Baroni Grenuile de Kilkhampton Bideford Custodi Gardiano Stannariorum Capitali Seneschallo Ducatus Cormiciae Gromettae Stolae primo è Cubiculo Dâ—Ì„i Regis Generoso Tabula summâ cum Observantia D D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Thirteenth Book THE ARGUMENT Repuls'd by Storms and Lightning from the Gates Of Rome resolv'd to try again the Fates The Libyan returns Agrippa shows What Miseries and Plagues attended those That fought against the Places that contain'd The fam'd Palladium By this restrain'd Away He marcheth to the Rhegian Coast In the mean time besieged Capua's lost What Wealth and Trophies there the Romanes gain In Spain two Noble Scipioes are slain Grief for his Friends oppressing Him and Cares Young Scipio to Autonöe repairs Apollo's Priestess who by Magick Spels Cumaean Sybil's Ghosts doth raise which tells To Him ensuing Fates describeth Hell And where the Blessed Souls in Pleasure dwell THE Capitol's high Top He scarce discern'd In His slow March when strait the Libyan turn'd Towards the City His fierce Eys again Preparing to return and in that Plain Encamp'd where Bankless Thuria overflows The level Meadows and Inglorious goes Into the Thuscan Sea a silent Stream Here sometimes on his chiefest Friends the Blame Sometimes upon the God's commands he laies Then on Himself Tell me at length He saies Thou by whose slaughtring Hand the Lidyan Lake Increas'd who mad'st the Daunian Land to shake With Thunder of thine Arms discourag'd now Into what Countrey back again dost Thou Thine Ensigns bear What Sword Thy Breast what Spear Hath pierc'd Should Towred Carthage now appear Before thine Eys what Reason couldst Thou yield Souldier unwounded thus to quit the Field Wouldst Thou alledge from Storms dear Countrey I From Tempests mix'd with Blood and Thunder fly Let this Effeminate Stain be far Oh far From Tyrian People as unfit for War But in fair Weather and in Air that 's clear The Army though as yet a Panick Fear O' th' Gods possess'd them and a recent Smel Of Lightning on their Arms as yet did dwell And 'fore their Eys the Fight of angry Iove Yet still a Vigour to obey and move Whereever He should them command appears And by degrees diffus'd into their Ears By what He said Desire in ev'ry Breast To bear their Ensigns back again encreast As when a Stone the Water breaks it makes At first small Rings but as its Motion shakes The trembling Liquour while it still descends The numerous Orbs increase till it extends The curling Circle ev'ry Way so wide That it may touch the Banks on either side But contrary to this Agrippa who His fam'd Descent from Diomedes drew Among th' Oëtolian People much Renown'd And of a Noble Name with Riches Crown'd But Faithless and when Rome's Affairs declin'd With the successfull Libyan had joyn'd Revolving these Traditions that of old To him his Ancestours before had told Thus pleads When Teucrine Pergamus with long Protracted War was shaken and among The Grecian Souldiers unengag'd in Blood The God of War before the Rampires stood Calchas for this full oft at the Request Of (a) Daunus King of Apulia Father-in-Law to Diomed. Daunus kept within his faithfull Breast Amidst their Feasts did Diomed express Calcas assur'd the doubtfull Greeks unless The fatal (b) The Palladium was the Image of Pallas Image of the Warlike Maid Kept in the Arcenal they thence essai'd To gain the Spartan Arms should ne're prevail O're Troy nor should they with their Honour sail Back to Amycle For it was by Fate Ordain'd that none those Walls should penetrate That did possess that Image and then Our (c) Diomed. Tydides joyn'd with Ithacus the Tow'r (d) The Greeks admonished by Calchas that they should never take Troy nor return Home while the Palladium which was the Image of Pallas made of Wood continued there Diomed and Vlysses by Mines or Vaults passed by Night into the Tower where it lay and stole it thence This was generally received unless we should rather believe that to be the true Palladium which was found enclosed in a Wall by Fimbria in the War against Mithridates who as Appian affirms made a more sad Destruction in Troy then the Greeks under Agamemnon Of the Palladium see Virgil lib. 2. Aentil Entred by Stratagem and having slain The Guard just at the Entrance of the Fane Thence the Celestial Image strait convai'd And Troy unto our Fates was open lai'd But when on the Oënotrian Coast he built A City troubled at his former Guilt T' appease the Phrygian Goddess with His Pray'rs And Ilian Gods Devoutly He prepares Then on a lofty Tow'r a Temple strait To Trojan Pallas a most hatefull Seat Was rais'd When ' midst his Sleep the threatning Maid Discov'ring her great Deity thus said This Fabrick Diomed which here you raise Unworthy 's of the Honour of such Praise To Us Garganus nor the Daunian
Breast doth thus excite Their Rage and Stimulates the following Fight Do we stand still before a Captiv'd Foe Asham'd we have begun Asham'd to go On with this Omen goodly Valour Shall These be the first-Fruits of the General Must we fill Italie with such a Fame Premise such Fights as this Go on for shame This said with Fury they invade the Wall On which they leave their Hands and backwards fall With that in haste a Mount was rais'd above The Town whereon the Fighting Squadrons move But with an (q) This Engine is described by Livi Lib. 21. to have been very long smooth and round but square at the End out of which came a Pike of Iron like that of the â—omane Pile in length three Foot that it might penetrate both through the Arms and Bodies of the Enemy About it they fastened Flax and Pitch which kindled and gathering Flames in its Motion was not onely very hurtfull to all that stood in its way but terrible to those at Distance Engine that by many hands Was mov'd the brave Besieg'd the thronging Bands Drive from the Gates It was a mighty Oak Strange to behold which for defence they took From th' Pyrenaean Hills This strongly lin'd With num'rous Pikes of Steel could hardly finde By Walls resistance and about besmear'd With Sulphur and with unctious Pitch appear'd Like an huge Thunder-bolt and from the Walls Of their high Arcenal it swiftly falls Cutting with trembling Flames the yielding Air So Comets running with their bloody Hair From Heav'n to Earth cast a Prodigious light And with a furious Force that did affright Ev'n Hannibal upon the Armie flies Tossing their smoaking Members to the Skies Till fix'd to a vast Tower the active Flames (r) These were called Plutâ—i by the Latines and were made use of to cover Beams and Planks while the Souldiers were working to keep them from being fired by the Enemy Through the raw Hides consume the mighty Beams And there in burning Ruins both the Men And Arms involves The Carthaginians then Grown wise by loss through secret Mines convey Their Troops and so the City open lay That labour of Great Hercules the Wall To th' Earth with noise incredible doth fall And in its Ruin Stones immense doth roll That Eccho from the Alps unto the Pole So airy Rocks torn from their Native side By Storms with horrour do an Hill divide The Breach was soon with Heaps of Bodies slain Obstructing their Advance supply'd again Amidst those Ruins both with equal Rage Do meet before the rest in 's prime of Age Murrus ennobled by a Latine Line Himself a Greek his Mother Sagunthine Whose Parents in a Sacred League combin'd Dulichian Nephews to Italian joyn'd He as stout Vaidus his Companions calls Aloud unto the Fight upon him falls And wounds him where unarm'd he did appear Between his Cask and Corslet with his Spear Stopping his bold Attempts and as he lies Prostrate upon the Ground insulting cries Th' art down false Carthaginian surely thou As Conquerour didst fancy foremost now To climbe the Capitol but what could move Such bold Desires Go war with Stygian Iove Then as Iberus fiercely did advance To succour him fix'd in his Thigh his Lance And spurning Vaidus dying Face quoth he This to the Walls of Rome your Way must be O fear'd and valiant Hands you all must tread This Path whither soe're your Haste doth lead And as Iberus labour'd to renew The Fight his Target seis'd and pierc'd him through His naked Side Iberus rich in Land And Flocks unknown to Fame could well command His Dart and Bow against a flying Beast Happy in 's Private life had he possest Those Weapons still within his Father's Groves To succour him with speed now Ladmus moves On whom bold Murrus grimly smiling Thou Said he shalt tell Amilcar's Shade below That this right-Hand after the Vulgars fall Shall give you for Companion Hannibal Then rising high with 's Sword on 's Helmet struck Which through the very brasen Cover broke ' His cracking Scull Then Chremes who his Hair Unshorn like to a Cap on 's Brow did wear With Masulus and Harcalo though old Yet not unfit for War who with a bold And fearless Hand a teeming Lyoness Would stroke then Bragada whose Shield's Impress A River's Urn Hyempsal who the Wrack Of Ships from dang'rous Sands would boldly take As Spoils from raging Seas these sadly all Slain by his fatal Hand together fall And with them Atyr skilfull to disarm Serpents of Poison whose sole Touch could charm To sleep the banefull Adder and apply The Cerast all suspected Broods to try And thou Hyarba Garamantick born By Oracular Groves thy Helmet like an Horn Bending about thy Temples there wer 't slain Accusing Iove and Destinies in vain That often falsly thy Return express'd But now with Bodies slain the Heap encreas'd And with the yet-warm Streams of slaughter smoaks While Murrus to the Fight aloud provokes The General as when pursu'd by cries Of Spartan Dogs a Boar the Forest flies And met by Hunters on his Back doth rear The Ensigns of his Rage and his last War Attempts and as his foamy Blood he eats Groaning his Tusks against their Javelins beats But in another Quarter where Despair Had forc'd the Youth to sally free from fear That any Hand or Dart could work his fall Raging amidst the Troops was Hannibal And shakes his Sword that was not long before With Fire enchanted on th' Hesperian Shore Made by Old Temisus whose pow'rfull Skill Could temper with his Charming Tongue the Steel So in Bistonian Plains the God of War Brandish'd his Sword when in his Iron Car The Titans he pursu'd or with the Breath Of 's Steeds and Noise of 's Wheels extinguisheth The Flames of War Hoscus and Pholus now Lygdus and Dirius to the Shades below By him were sent To them Galesus fair The Twins Chronus and Gyas added were With Daunus who all other did excell In Pleading at the Bar and by his Skill Though a most Just Observer of the Laws Still gain'd the Hearers minds unto his Cause But furiously with Rage transported now This Language adds as he his Darts doth throw Whither proud Carthaginian will the Spite And Fury of thy Father thee incite Here are no Fabricks by a Womans Hand Erected purchas'd with a Price or Land To Exiles measur'd by an Oxe's Hide Here the Foundations of the Gods abide And Romane Leagues While thus he boasting speaks With a fierce Charge the Carthaginian breaks Into the fighting Ranks that him surround And seising on him Captive having bound His Hands upon his Back commands him strait In slowly-killing Pains to meet his Fate Then bids his Ensigns to Advance and through The Heaps of Slaughter'd Men the Way doth shew Exciting all by Name and gives away Sure of Success the City as their Prey But now inform'd by some that Fled that Heaven To Murrus in another Part had given The Day with Victory
See Book 14. Boy Who shall the Carthaginian recall To his own Countrey and before the Wall Of Carthage of his Arms shall him deprive Then Cytherea shall thy Iâ—sue live Long in Command Then by the Cures shall Coelestial Virtue to the Stars extoll Herself and by their Sacred Rites proclaim A large Addition to Iülus Name Then from a (a) Vespasian in whose Time and Domitian's the Poet lived Sabine Stock a Branch shall spring Whose Father shall enable him to bring Trophies from unknown Thule and shall be The first that Caledonian Woods shall see With his Victorious Troops who shall confine Within his hollow Banks the swelling Rhine Shall govern the rebellious African With Vigilance and when an aged Man Palm-bearing Idumea shall subdue Nor shall He after Death those Kingdoms view That are for ever Dark or th' Stygian Lake But of our (b) Vespasian Deâ—fied Honours and this Place partake Then shall a (c) Titus made Companion in the Empire with His Father Vespasian Youth excelling in his Strength Of Understanding on Himself at length Assume the Burthen of His Father's Care And in His Empire have an equal Share He the Iudaean War so full of Rage Shall quite extinguish in his tender Age. But thou (d) Xiphilin in this contradicts Suetonius who saies that he performed that Expedition with admirable-Felicity affirming that he returned without so much as seeing the Enemy Germanicus who though a Childe Thy Father's Acts transcendest and hast fill'd The yellow Germanes with an awfull Dread Fear not the Capitolian Fires (e) In the War between Vitellius and Vespasian Domitian then a Youth hid himself in a Chapel of the Capitol which by Chance was set on Fire In Memory of his miraculous Escape He when escaped Dedicated a Temple there to the Honour of Iupiter his Preserver thy Head Amidst those Sacrilegious Flames shall be Preserv'd Thou long and happy daies shalt see To thee Gangetick Youth their Bows unbent Shall offer up and Bactria shall present Her empty Quivers from the Icy North Thou shalt in Triumph bring thy Chariot forth And through the City ride then from the East Such Trophies gain as Bacchus ne're possest Thou frozen Ister scorning to give way To Dardan Ensigns shalt compell t' obey And in Sarmatick Limits shalt restrain Thou Romane Nephews that shall Honour gain By Eloquence shalt in thy Speech excell To Thee the Learned Sisters that do dwell Near Thespian Springs shall offer Sacrifice Thy Lyre shall sound more sweetly then did his That Hebrus made to stand and Rhodope To follow and shall utter things may be Admir'd by Phoebus Raised by thy Hand On the Tarpeian Rocks where Faith doth stand Ador'd of old Rich Capitols shall shine And to the Stars their lofty Turrets joyn But thou O born of Gods which shalt give Birth To future Deities the happy Earth Rule with thy Father's Power thy Fate shall be Retarded and these Heav'nly Mansions thee A late and Aged Guest shall entertain Quirinus shall give place and Thou shalt gain Between thy Brother and thy Sire a Throne And near Thee fix'd shall shine thy Starry Son While Iove the Series of Times to come Doth thus unfold the Libyan Captain from Th' unequal Hills through Waies perplex'd descends And dubiously on Quarries moist contends To fix his sliding Steps No furious Shocks Of Foes deterr him but the obvious Rocks Whose prone and threatning Cliffs obstruct the Way So as Besieg'd they stand and the Delay And Difficulties of their March lament Nor would the Time allow them to Foment With Rest their frozen Limbs They spend the Night In Labour and their Shoulders all unite With Speed the Forests from the Hills to bring The highest Mountains naked made they fling The Trees in Heaps together and surround With Flames the Rocks which with a dreadful sound Now yielding to their Bars of Iron breaks And to the weary Troops a Passage makes Into Latinus Kingdom When they'd past Through all these Miseries the Alps at last The General within the Taurine Plains His Tents doth pitch and there Encamp'd remains In the mean time from Garamantian Sands With Ammon's Oracles and dark Commands Bostar with Joy arrives and doth appear To glad their Hearts as Iove himself were there And thus begins Great Hannibal whose Hand Hath banish'd Bondage from thy Native Land We have through Libya pass'd where Sands arise Up to the Stars and lift us to the Skies Us Earth more furious then the Raging Main Had almost swallow'd up The barren Plain From the first Entrance to the farthest Bound Of Heav'n extends nor can an Hill be found By Nature rais'd in all that spacious Tract But what with hollow Clouds of Sand impact The nimble-turning Whirlwinds build or when Fierce Africus escaping from his Den To spoil the Earth or Corus that the Stars Doth with the Ocean wash with furious Wars Invade the Field and with congested Sand Make Heaps that there in stead of Mountains stand Observing Stars o're this inconstant Gâ—ound We sail for Day Our Voyage would confound And Cynosura that a faithfull Star Doth prove to the Sidonian Mariner The wand'ring Traveller who seems t' abide Still in the Midst through the deep Plain doth guid But when we weary to the Sacred Grove And Woody Empire came of horned Iove Where on large Columns stands the shining Fane With what a chearfull Brow our Entertain Arisbas gave the God's divining Priest Who to his House conducted Me his Guest (f) Of the Causes of the Changes of this Spring called by Diodorus Siculus lib. 17. The Fountain of the Sun see Lucretius lib. 6. Englished by Mr. Sandys in his Comment on Ovid Metamorph lib. 15. Near to the Temple in the Grove a Spring Doth rise a strange and memorable Thing Which at the Birth of Day and its Decline Is Warm when Sol in midst of Heav'n doth shine It soon grows Cold but in the Shades of Night That Heat is greater made that shuns the Light Full of the God these Places then he shews And Glebes made wealthy without Help of Plows And chearfully thus speaks This Shady Grove These Woods whose Tops do touch the Feet of Iove Connex'd to Heav'n here Prostrate falling down Bostar adore for unto whom unknown Are Iove's fam'd Gifts through all the World the Pair Of Doves that in the Top of Thebae were Of which the first that the Chaonian Land Did touch and on Dodona's Oak did stand Fill'd it with Prophecy But that which o're Carpathian Seas unto the Libyan Shore With Snowy Wings repair'd this sacred Seat (g) These Dâ—ves saith the Fable once gave their Oracles the most antient oâ— all Greece in a Grove sacred to Iupiter near Dodona a City in Chaonia but quitting that place one fled to Delphos the other to this Grove whence both Places became Oracular The Cytherean Bird did then create And where you Altars and dark Groves behold Standing between the Horns strange to
Garamantians up in Sand Or of the Nasamonians that command Their Dead to bury in the cruel Seas Upon the Libyan Coast The Celtae please Their empty Skuls with Gold about to ring And such for Cups unto their Tables bring But the Cecropians did by chance Ordain That such as in their Country's Wars were Slain Should be together Burn'd Oppos'd to these Time onely doth interr the Carcases Of Scythian People who on Stakes of Wood Impal'd hang melting with corrupted Blood As thus he talk'd Autonöe the Shade O' th' Sibyl rising Set a Period said To your Discourse Behold that Priestess who So much of Future things when living knew That ev'n the Gods that they knew more deny'd And now 't is time your Men should go aside That You and I the Beasts may burn This said With Myst'ries fill'd the old (s) Sibyl Cymaean Maid After the Sacrificed Blood her Mouth Had touch'd and tasted viewing well the Youth Whose Face was Beautiful began When I Etherial Light not idly did enjoy My voice was heard in the Cymaean Den To answer People and Thee Scipio then In future Ages and in Rome's Affairs Concern'd I sung But yet thy Father's Cares Scarce merited my Words for they nor made A due Enquiry after what I said Nor yet observ'd it But now mark since Thou Desir'st to know the Fates of Rome which now On Thine depend for I thy Diligence To take the Oracles of Life from hence Perceive and here thy Father's Manes see On th' arm'd Iberian Thou with Victory Thy Father shalt Revenge to Mars before Due years entrusted and thy Sword the Moor Shall of his Joys deprive Thou shalt rejoyce When Thee as Omen to the War the Voice Of Rome shall choose when in th' Iberian Land Carthage Thou shalt subdue Then to command More eminent Thou shalt be rais'd nor Iove From Thee his Care and Kindness shall remove Till the whole War He into Libya drive And there to Thee ev'n Hannibal shall give To be Subdu'd But oh Ingrateful Rome Which after all these Honours Thee of Home And (t) After Scipio had subdued Hannibal and broken the whole Force of Carthage and with his Brother overthrown Antiochus he was afterward accused by a Faction of defrauding the People of the wealthy Spoils of Antiochus whereupon He in a voluntary Exile retired to Linternum where he dyed commanding this Inscription to be set on his Tombe Ingrateful Country thou hast not so much as Bones Country shall deprive As this She spake She turn'd her Steps towards the Stygian Lake Whate're ill Chance of Life attends Me I The Youth replies will my Endeavours try Yet may my Breast be free from Guilt but now I pray thee since the onely Cause that Thou Didst live was Humane Labours here to Aid A while thy Steps restrain renowned Maid And unto Me the silent Shades report With all the Terrours of the Stygian Court She soon assents to that which he requir'd But Thou a Kingdom not to be desir'd Said She dost open (u) Hell described for the Darkness there People that once Innumerable were Inhabite and through endless Shadows fly And yet make up but One great Family I' th' midst a dark and airy Space of large Extent there is which common Death doth charge With all that from the Teeming World 's first Birth The fiery Air produc'd the Seas or Earth Thither all things descend what hath or shall Perish that gloomy Field devoureth all Ten Gates this Kingdom compass whereof One Receives the Warlike Sons of Mars alone Another those that Famous Laws have made And the Foundations first of Cities lay'd The Third 's for Ceres harmless Tribe that go By Fraud unpoison'd to the Shades below Next Those that pleasant Arts did first invent And Way of Living full of all Content And which not Father Phoebus would Disdain Verses compos'd their proper Gate maintain The next the Shipwrack Port for so that Gate Is Nam'd is kept for such as meet their Fate In Winds and cruel Storms Another wide And near this stands for such as Guilty dy'd And there confess their Sins Their sev'ral Pains Ev'n at the Entrance Rhadamanth Ordains And empty Death inflicts The Sâ—venth to Bands Of Women that flock thither open stands Where her pale Groves the Chast Proserpina Maintains And near to this another Way And Gate there is well-known by Infants Cries To them assign'd and all those Companies That in the Port of Life extinguish'd are And Virgin Troops whose Nuptial Tapers were Turn'd into Fun'ral Flames But then remote From this there is another Gate of Note Which Night dissolving shines like rising Day And through the Shadow of a secret Way Leads to th' Elysian Fields Here nor to Hell Subjected nor in Heav'n the Pious dwell But quite beyond all Seas upon the Brink O' th' Sacred Fountain thither throng to Drink Forgetfulness of Minde in Lethe's Streams The Last with Gold refulgent feels the Beams Of Light and Shines as if the Moon were there This way the Blessed Souls to Heav'n repair And when a thousand Lustra Time hath past Forgetting Dis into their Bodies haste Death his black Jaws wide op'ning to and fro Through all these Ways and Ports doth wandring go Then a slow Gulph without a Body far Extended and dark muddy Lakes there are Where (x) The Rivers of Hell Phlegethon with swelling Waters burns The Banks on ev'ry side and Roaring turns The flaming Quarries up with Storms of Fire Then in another Quarter with as Dire A Rage (x) The Rivers of Hell Cocytus rolls black Waves of Blood And runs a Torrent with a foaming Flood But Styx which Iove himself and all the rest Of the Immortal Gods do still Attest Dreadful with Pitch and Sulphur smoaking Mud Drives through his Chanel But then These a Flood More dismal froathing with Corruption and Thick Poison Belching up the gelid Sand With horrid Murmurs Acheron through all The Pools with a black Stream doth slowly fall This Venom'd Three-mouth Cerberus desires This for her Drink Tisiphone requires This dire Megaera craves nor yet can they With all their Drink their raging Thirst allay But the last River breaketh out before The Entrance and inexorable Door Of Pluto's Palace from a Fount of Tears There a fourth Tribe in sev'ral Paths appears Of Monsters still to Watch and Terrifie The trembling Ghosts with their confused Cry Devouring Grief and Leanness that on ill Diseases waits with Sadness feeding still On Tears and Paleness without Blood with Cares Base Treachery old Age that nothing bares Without Complaint Envy with both her Hands Crushing her Throat and Poverty that stands Deform'd and Prone to any thing that 's Bad With wandring Errour and Dissension glad To mingle Seas with Heav'n Then Briareus That with his hundred Hands the Gates doth use Of Hell to open Cruel Sphynx with Blood Her Virgin-mouth Besmear'd the furious Brood Of two-formed Centaurs with fierce Scylla there And the Rebellious Giants
Near Palica now called Palicenia was a Temple dedicated to the Gods Palici in which were certain Springs called Cups not very large but extraordinary Deep the Water of a fiery Colour perpetually boiling up but never encreasing or diminishing The Religion of the Place was that when any eminent Controversie happened that could not be decided but by the Oaths of the Parties they were brought by the Priests to the Cups into which they cast Tablets on which they writ what they asserted by Oath The Tablets of such as swore Truth swum the other sunk and before the perjured got out of the Temple they were miraculously punished by Blindness Lameness or some other Judgment of Heaven upon them See Diodorus Siculus lib. 11. Palîci where the Perjur'd are Tortur'd by present Punishment and there Trojan Acesta was and m Acys who Through Aetna's Vales into the Sea doth flow His dear Nymph washing with a pleasant Stream Once in thy Flame a Rival Polypheme But while He fled thy Barb'rous Rage into Small Streams dissolv'd at once he scap'd his Fo And his victorious Waters mix'd among His Galathêa's Waves With These along Came Those that murm'ring Alabis and those That Hyspa drink and the perspicuous Flows Of clear Achates Vagedrusa too And Hypates whose Chanel runs so low Pantagya likewise easy to be past Through his small Current and which runs so fast The Yellow-Stream'd Simêthus Thermae then Of old enrich'd with Muses Arm'd her Men Where (y) Hymera rising out of the Mountain Nebrodes now called Maduvia runs North and South the Branches differing in their Nature That which runs North-ward and falls into the Libyck Sea is Salt and the other which falls into the Tyrrhen is Fresh Water Hymera descends into the Seas For it divides itself two sev'ral Ways And runs to East and West with equal Force Two-Crown'd Nebrodes keepeth this Divorce Then which no Hill with a Sicanian Shade Doth rise more Rich this lofty Enna made A sacred Fortress to the Groves of Gods Here a dark Path to Stygian Abodes A Cave that opens wide the gaping Ground Detects through which a strange new Lover found A Way to unknown Coasts Pluto this way Inflam'd with Lust durst venture up to Day And leaving doleful Acheron above On the forbidden Earth his Chariot drove Then having Ravish'd the (z) Proserpina Of which see the excellent Claudian Ennaean Maid In Haste retiring his black Steeds affrai'd To view the Face of Heav'n and flying Day Drove back to Styx and hid in Shades his Prey Petreia Romane Leaders then desir'd And Romane Leagues Callipolis requir'd And Eugion arch'd with Stone and there they see Hadranum and Hergentum Melitè Proud of her stately Webs and wealthy Store Of Wool Melactè with a Fishy Shore And Cephalaedias near the stormy Main Whose boist'rous Coast in the Coerulean Plain Feeds the vast Whales the Tauromenians too Where Ships by dire Charybdis in their view In quick-devouring Gulphs are swallow'd down And from the Bottom strait again are thrown Up to the Stars These Latine Arms approv'd And under the Laurentine Ensigns mov'd The rest of the Sicilian People there With (a) Libyan Elysaean Vows in Arms appear A thousand were the Agathyrnian Bands As many Strongylos that South-ward stands A thousand sent Fascellina the Seat Of the Thoantean (b) Diana Goddess Thrice as great A Number gave Panormos some that kill'd Wilde Beasts in Chase and some in Fishing skill'd And some that could the Birds from Heav'n allure Herbesos then nor Naulochum secure Of Danger sate nor with her Shady Plains Morgentia from this treach'rous War abstains Joyn'd with Nemaean Forces thither came Amastra thither Thisse small in Name Netum with these and Micitè combin'd With these Achetum and Sidonia joyn'd And Depane and vex'd with roaring Waves Helorus and (c) This Defection of the Slaves in Sicily came to that height that with an Army of more then twenty Thousand having wasted many Towns and Cities in that Country and among others Triochala or Tricala eminent for its Strength they made one Salvius to whom they gave the Name of Trypho their King and under his Conduct defeated Lucius Lucullus Trypho dying one Athenio succeeded and prevailed against Lucullus his Successour C. Servilius and continued thus in Arms four years till C. Acilius who was Consul with C. Marius subdued and totally suppressed them See Diod. Sic. 36. Triochala by Slaves Soon after Wasted Arabeia fierce Iëtas high and Tabas to converse With Arms most ready and Cossyra small And Mutè which not Megara at all◠Exceeds in Bigness came with joynt consent To Libya's Aid with Caulon eminent For her calm Sea when She the (d) The Bird called the King-Fisher Halcyon hears Singing and the scarce-moving Water bears The swimming Nests on Surges strangely still'd But the fam'd City Syracusa fill'd Her spacious Walls with various Arms and Men Collected from all parts The People then Facile and ready Tumults to desire Their Leaders with this boasting Language Fire That their four Tow'rs and Walls no Fo as yet Had entred That their Fathers saw how great A Cloud so inaccessible a Town Through situation of her Port had thrown Upon the (e) The Athenians after the vain Expedition of Xerxes became so powerfull that they freed all Greece from the Persian Yoak and after invaded Sicily where after several Conflicts in a Naval Fight before Syracusa under the Conduct of Nicias they were overthrown and their whole Force repulsed and beaten out of Sicily See Diodor. lib. 13. Salaminian Victories And Eastern Trophies when before their Eyes Three hundred Ships and Athens in whose Ayd The Ruins of the Persian King were made To serve in one great Wrack while they sustain No Loss at all were swallow'd in the Main Two (f) Hippocrates and Epicydes whose Grand-father was banished from Syracuse and fled to Carthage where they were born their Mother being a Carthaginian See Livy lib. 24. Brothers born in Carthage and ally'd To Carthaginians by the Mother's side Whose Father a Sicilian banished From Syracuse had them in Libya bred In whom Sicanian Levity conspir'd With Tyrian Fraud the giddy People fir'd Which when Marcellus saw and that no Cure The Wounds of their Sedition would endure The War still growing from the Fo more high He streight attests the Gods of Sicily Thy Fountains Arethusa and the Lakes And Rivers That unwillingly he takes The War in hand and that those Arms which He Ne're of himself assum'd the Enemy Forc'd him to bear With that the Wall he storms And Thunders on the City with his Arms. An equal Fury them together all Draws on on either side they Fight and Fall (g) Of this and other Engines made by Archimedes in opposition to Marcellus see Plutarch in the Life of Marcellus With many Cov'rings seeming to invade The Stars in height and by a (*) Archimedes Graecian made Ten Stories high which Shades of many a Grove
She vanishing at once Appears to draw him after Her and through The broken Gates to drive his Troops into The Field With that he wakes and Troubled stands With an enflamed Heart and then with Hands Lifted to Heav'n He prays the Earth and Night The scatter'd Stars and Moon with silent Light To be his Guides Then choosing proper Hands For such a Work through (i) The Larinates Frentani Marrucini all Borderers on the Vpper or Adriatick Sea Larinatian Lands Coasting upon the Vpper-Sea and where Hardy in War (i) The Larinates Frentani Marrucini all Borderers on the Vpper or Adriatick Sea Marrucine People were And the strict (i) The Larinates Frentani Marrucini all Bordeâ—ers on the Vpper or Adriatick Sea Frentane that his Faith maintains In Social Arms where the Praetutian Swains Pleas'd with their Labour dress their Vines he flyes Swift as a Bird as Lightning from the Skies As Torrents with Hybernal Billows flow Or Arrows from an (k) Parthian Achemenian Bow Each Man himself exhorts Go on and haste For in thy Feet the doubtful Gods have plac'd Rome's Safety whether She shall stand or fall Thus crying on they go the General Best Exhortation being Foremost gives While ev'ry one his Speed encreasing strives By following to equal him and Day And Night un-wearied nimbly March away But the Report of those encreasing Ills O' th' adverse War all Rome with Terrour fills That Nero hop'd too much they now complain That by one Wound that Life that did remain Might soon be lost Nor Money Arms nor Men Nor Blood to lose there now remain'd And then Who had not strength to deal with Hannibal Alone in Fight should fall on Hasdrubal That now again soon as the Libyan saw His Arms diverted from the Camp he 'd draw His Forces to their Gates That he was come Who in the Glory of destroying Rome Would strive with his Proud Brother With one mind Thus frets the Senate yet in Counsel joyn'd To keep their Honour and themselves to Free From threatned Chains and angry Gods to flee Amidst these Sighs Nero protected by An obscure Night unto the Camp drew nigh Where near to Hasdrubal within the Field (l) Marcus Livius had formerly been unjustly Censured and Banished by the People who now in want of such Captains recalled him and made him Consul with Nero with whom he afterward Triumphed for this Victory Old Livy lay He Warlike once and skill'd In Feats of Arms flourish'd in former Times Famous in War but falsly charg'd with Crimes By the Unequal Tribes in Discontent His Days obscurely in the Countrey spent But when a sadder Weight and Fears began Through nearer Dangers to require the Man After so many Valiant Captains slain Then to his Countrey call'd to Arms again His aged Valour He had vow'd But all These Plots of new Supplies to Hasdrubal Were known and what the Wings of Night conceal'd The Signs of Dust upon their Shields reveal'd Besides their hasty Running to and fro Their Horse and Men prepar'd and Trumpets show As they the Signal sound the Camp to be Commanded by two Gen'rals But said He If yet my Brother live how can they now Their Social Forces joyn Yet till I know The Truth it onely now remains that I The Time protract and Chance of Fighting fly Nor with base Fear this poor resolve of Flight Did he delay But when from Cares the Night Mother of Rest had freed the Breasts of Men And Darkness dreadful Silence nourish'd then Forth from his Camp he breaks and his mute Bands To follow with a silent March commands Who through the quiet Plain protected by The gloomy Night all Noise avoiding fly But shaken by a Motion so great Th' Italian Land perceiving their Deceit Involves them in dark Errours in the Place And Night conspiring in a narrow Space Still leads them round For where with winding Waves His crooked Banks the Flood obliquely laves And through rough Creeks returning falls again Into it self there toiling all in vain With fruitless Wandrings a small Circuit they Had made and in the Errours of their Way The Benefit of Night now lost the Light Comes on and to their Foes detects their Flight With that a furious Storm of Horse the Gates Thrown open and a Show'r of Steel dilates It self or'e all the Field Arms yet they none Nor Hands had mix'd But Shafts at distance thrown Drink Blood To stop the flying Libyans here Dictaean Arrows fly and Lances there Like a black Tempest and on whom they light They Death inflict And now all thoughts of Flight Quite lai'd aside about they frighted Face And close drawn-up their Hopes in Fighting place Amidst them all the Gen'ral mounted High For now He saw their sad Extremity On a tall Steed his Hands and Voice extends By all those Trophies gain'd by You my Friends Under the farthest Pole my Brother's Praise Make it appear I You beseech He says The Brother of Great Hannibal is come For Fortune labours now to give to Rome Sad Documents and shew how strong an Hand You that have conquer'd the Iberian Land And at Alcides Pillars us'd to War On the Rutulians turn Perhaps not far From hence my Brother to this Battel may Arrive Oh! hasten worthy him I pray A Spectacle with Bodies fill the Plain Each General is by my Brother slain That might be fear'd in War and now their sole Remaining Hope drawn from his skulking Hole Decrepit Livy a condemned Head Is offer'd to you Oh! go on strike Dead That General cut off his Feeble Age 'Gainst whom 'twere Shame my Brother should engage But Nero contrary exhorts Why are You slow the Labours of this mighty War To end (m) Nero having intercepted Hasdrubal's Letters to Hannibal marched very hard for several Nights together while Hannibal wasted the Countrys of the Larinates Frentani c. to joyn with Livy before Hasdrubal should enter farther into Italy or Hannibal have tidings of his Arrival Your Feet already Praise have gain'd Now crown these high Beginnings with the Hand The Camp you rashly all the Bars o'rethrown Have left except you perfect what is done By Victory Your Glory hasten show That your Arrival overthrew the Fo. But Livy in another Quarter where His Helmet taken off his hoary Hair Was seen to all cries Come my Lads and Me Observe in Fight and wheresoe're you see My Sword shall make your Way there enter so The Alps too open to the wastful Fo Shut with your Swords at length Unless we quite Destroy this Army by a sudden Flight That Thunder-bolt of Carthage Hannibal Will soon be here Then who is He of all The Gods that Us from Stygian Shades can free Then he resumes his Cask and instantly His Sword confirms his Words and 's Age from sight Again conceal'd He enters first the Fight Him through the thickest Bodies of the Field Breaking through closest Ranks who furious kill'd As many as he Shafts discharg'd with Dread The Macae
To raise their lasting Name unto the Stars His slothfull Rest and Resolution curbs And by infused Fears His Sleep disturbs And now Cyllenius through the humid Shade Of Night His Father 's high Commands convai'd And lighting on the Earth thus sharply He The sleeping Youth upbraids 'T is base to see A General in Sleep consume the Night They must be Vigilant would stand in Fight The Seas oppress'd with Navies Thou shalt see And the Ausonian Youth insulting flee O're all the Ocean while Thou dost stand At first Attempts in the Iberian Land Is it an Action of sufficient Fame Or Valour to commemorate Thy Name That with so great Attaques Sagunthus fell Awake if any Thing within Thee dwell Fit for brave Actions rise and go with Me And where I call Thee bear Me Company But I forbid Thee to look back for this By th' greater Thunderer commanded is And if Thou dost obey Thou shalt become A Conquerour before the Walls of Rome With that He seem'd to lead Him by the Hand With Speed and full of Joy to Saturn's Land When strait a Noise breaks forth with a loud Crack Like Thunder round about and at His Back The Hiss of direfull Tongues the waving Air Shakes and repells while He with sudden Fear Surpriz'd no more retaineth in His Minde The Precepts of the God but looks behinde When dragging Groves from hills with the Strokes Of His vast Bulk eradicating Oaks And bearing Rocks along through invious Waies A Serpent black as Night his Tongue displaies With dreadfull Hissing and to 's Eys appears As big as that which the unequal Bears In num'rous Foldings doth at once behold And both the Constellations unfold So large his Jaws immanely he distends And lifting up his Head in Height ascends Equal to Hills Heaven's Rage ingeminates The Noise and mix'd with Hail new Fear creates He with his Monster frighted for nor Sleep Nor Night did then their former Empire keep And with his Wand the God had put to Flight The Darkness and with Sleep had mingled Light What mighty Plague it was demands and where 'T would fall or whither that vast Body bear That then the Burthen of the Earth was made Or gaping what sad People 't would invade To whom Cyllenius answers Thou dost see The War so much desir'd and sought by Thee Thee greatest Wars attend the dreadfull Fall Of Woods and Forests with high Storms that all The Face of Heav'n disturb the Slaughter Thee And Death of Men the great Calamity Of the Idaean Race and saddest Fate Do follow and upon Thee daily wait As great and terrible as that dire Snake Which now the Mountains with his scaly Back Depopulates and drives the Forests through The Fields before him and doth Earth imbrue With frothy Poison Such thou having past And overcome the Alps with War shalt wast All Italy and with a Noise as great The Cities and their Walls shalt ruinate Thus wounded with these Stings the God and Sleep At once forsake him and cold Sweat doth creep O're all his Limbs while in a wofull Fright His Dreams revolving he retracts the Night And now with happy Omens to the King Of Gods and Mars they Holy Off'rings bring But first a Snow-white Bull devoutly they To Hermes on deserved Altars lay And all these Rites perform'd He strait commands His Ensigns to advance With that the Bands Whose Languages and Manners different were With Clamours shake the Camp and fill the Air. But now Calliope declare to Fame What and how many valiant Nations came Rais'd by his dire Attempts to Italy What Cities with untam'd Iberians He Did arm what Troops on th' Paretonian Shore Libya presum'd to muster and before Great Rome to challenge to her self the Reins Of Rule and on the Earth impose new Chains No Tempest raised by impetuous Storms Went on so furiously no dire Alarms Of War when twice five hundred (f) Xerxes his Navy consisting of a thousand Ships when he made that unhappy Expedition against Greece and boasted to make a Bridg over the Hellespont Ships o're-spread The Sea and fill'd the trembling World with Dread The Carthaginian Youth the Chief of all Their Ensigns spread of Body light not tall Of Stature but of that proud Grace depriv'd Apt for Deceit they readily contriv'd Their secret Frauds A Round unpolish'd Shield With a short Sword their Arms and in the Field They Bare-foot march'd ungirt with Garments reâ— They cunningly conceal'd the Blood was shed Captain to these in Purple splendid tall Above the rest Brother to Hannibal Mago in 's Chariot with the Noise alarms The Fo and 's Brother imitates in Arms. Next these divided in Sidonian Bands Built before Towr's of antient Byrsa stands Old Vtica Then Aspis which the Shore Encompass'd with Sycanian Walls whose Store Of crooked Turrets that a Warlike Shield Resembled all the Neighbr'ing Sea beheld But young Sychaeus drew the Eys of all Upon himself whom Son to Hasdrubal With a vain Pride his Mother's high Descent Had fill'd and 's Uncle Hannibal content With no less Pride still to repeat his Name Near these the Warlike Souldier that came From watry Berenicis and the Bands That with long (g) Dolon was a sort of Weapon not alwaies of one Fashion being a long Staff with an head of Iron sometimes a short Sword fastned to it sometimes a Dagger and sometimes a Whip Dolons arm'd among the Sands Of thirsty Barce dwell Then to the Fight Cyrene sprang from Pelops doth excite The false Battiades whom once extoll'd And by Amilcar fam'd Ilertes old In War but young in Counsel did command With Tabraca then Tyrian People and Sarranian Leptis Oea too combin'd Trinacrian Colonies with Africk joyn'd And Tingis sent from a Tempestuous Sea By Lixus Vaga and Hippo fam'd to be The Love of Kings and their Delight of old And Ruspina that doth from far behold Unequal Billows rising on the Main With (h) Zama a small City five days journey distant from Carthage made famous by the Overthrow given by Scipio to Hannibal Zama where the Libyan Troops were slain By valiant Scipio (i) See the Continuation of the second Book Thapsus too that stood Renown'd as oft imbru'd with Romane Blood These Nations both in Arms and Body great Whose Name and Deeds did still perpetuate Alcides Honour taller by the Head Then all his following Bands (k) Antaeus a Libyan King slain by Hercules Antaeus led Then came the Aethiopians not unknown To fruitfull Nile who that mysterious Stone Do cut that draws untouch'd the distant Steel With Mibians whose parched Bodies feel The Fury of the Sun not wont to wear Helmets or Coats of Mail or Bows to bear Accustom'd when in Fight they did contend With Flax their Heads and Bodies to defend And in some deadly Poison to imbrue Their Swords or to infect the Darts they threw Then first Cinyphian Macae did begin To learn Phoenician Warlike Discipline Their squallid Beards their Faces
Such Brothers future Times shall wish to see And your last valiant Acts your Memory Shall crown with Honour if our Verses live Or miserable Nephews that survive Shall read these Monuments your Virtues claim And great Apollo envy not Our Fame But now his Troops dispers'd through all the Plains The Consul with his Voice from Flight restrains While He could use His Voice Whither d' ye bear Those Ensigns How are you destroy'd by Fear If the first Place of Battel you affright Or you want Courage in the Front to fight Behinde Me stand but lay aside your Fear And see Me fight Their Fathers Captives were From whom you fly What Hopes can we pretend If once subdu'd Shall we the Alps ascend Oh! think you see Tower-bearing Rome whose Head Her Walls do crown submissively now spread Her Hands while her proud Foes her Sons enchain Daughters are ravish'd and their Parents slain And in their Blood me thinks I see the Fire Of holy Vesta now alass expire Oh! then prevent this Sin Thus having said His Jaws with Dust and Clamour weary made His Left Hand snatching up the Reins the Right His Sword his Breast to those that fled the Fight He doth oppose now threatens Them and then Himself to Kill unless they turn agen These Armies when from high Olympus Iove Beheld the noble Consul's Dangers move His Mind to Pitty Then he calls his Son The God of War and to Him thus begun My Son I fear that gallant Man 's not far From Ruin if thou tak'st not up the War Withdraw him full of Fury from the Fight Forgetfull of Himself through the Delight Of Slaughter Stop the Libyan General Who will more glory in the Consul's Fall Then all those Numbers that He doth destroy Thou seest besides how soon that (h) Young Scipâ—o Warlike Boy His tender Hands in Battel doth engage And strives by Action to transcend his Age Thinking it tedious to be young in War Thou guiding (i) Scipio Africanus who but fourteen years old in this Fight rescued his Father and at twenty five years undertook the War of Spain and never relinquished it till he had subdued Hannibal Him he shall hereafter dare T' attempt Great things and his first Trophie shall Be to prevent his Noble Father's Fall Thus Iove strait Mars from the Odrysian Field His Chariot summons and assumes his Shield Which like a gloomy Thunder-bolt its Beams Scatters abroad his Helmet too that seems To other Deities a Weight too great And 's Breast-Plate that with so much Toil and Sweat The lab'ring Cyclops form'd then shakes his Spear Stain'd with the Blood of Titans through the Air And with his Chariot fills the dusty Plain The dire Eumenides and dreadfull Train Of Furies him attend and ev'ry where Innumerable Forms of Death appear While fierce Bellona who doth guid the Reins Whips on his Steeds and all Delay disdains Then from the troubled Heav'n a Tempest forth Doth break and in dark Clouds involves the Earth His Entrance ev'n the Court of Iove doth shake And Rivers by his Chariots Noise forsake Their Banks and struck with Horrour backward fly To their first Springs and leave their Chanels dry The Garamantian Bands now ev'ry where Invest with Dars the Consul and prepare New Presents for the Tyrian Prince the Spoils Of his rich Arms his Head through many Toils Of that sad Day bedew'd with Sweat and Blood While He not to give way to Fortune stood Resolv'd and then more fierce with Slaughter grown Returns the num'rous Darts against him thrown Till over all his Limbs the Blood of Foes Mix'd with his own in Streams diffused flows And then his Crest declining in a Ring More closely girt the Garamantians fling Their steeled Shafts with nearer Aim and all Like Storms of Hail at once about him fall But when his Son perceiv'd a Dart to be Fix'd in his Father's Body as if He Had felt the deadly Wound his pious Tears Bedews his Cheeks and Paleness strait appears To run o're all his Body and with Groans That pierce the Skies his Danger he Bemoans Twice he Attempted to anticipate By piercing his own Breast his Father's Fate As oft the God of War converts his Rage Against the Fo with whom he doth engage And Fearless through the armed Squadrons flies And in his furious Speed doth equalize The Deity his Guid. The Troops that round His Father fight give Way and on the Ground A Tract of Blood appears Where er'e he goes Protected by the Heavenly Shield he mows Whole Squadrons down On heaps of Arms he Slew Such as oppos'd his Rage with him that Threw The Dart who dy'd before his Father's Eys With many more as pleasing Sacrifice Then snatching from the Bones the fixed Spear Upon his Neck from Danger he doth bear His fainting Sire The Troops at such a Sight Amazed stand the Libyans cease to fight Th Iberians all give way A Piety So great in tender Years turns ev'ry Eye Upon him to Admire what they beheld And strikes deep Silence through the dusty Field Then said the God of War Thou Dido's Towers Hereafter shalt destroy and Tyrian Powers Compell'd by Thee a League shall entertain Yet never shalt thou greater Honour gain Then this Go on brave Youth go on and prove Thy self to be indeed the Son of Iove Go on for greater Things reserved be Though better never can be giv'n to Thee This said the Sun now stooping to the Main The Deity returns to Heav'n again Involv'd in Clouds Darkness the Fight decides And in their Camps the weary Armies hides But when in her declining Wain the Night Phoebe withdrew and by her Brother's Light The rosie Flames from the Eöan Main Gilded the Margent of the Skies again The Consul fearing that the Plain might be A great Advantage to the Enemy To Trebia and the Mountains takes his Way And now the winged Hours advanc'd the Day When with much Toil the Bridg was broken down O're which the Romane Army pass'd and thrown Into the Flood when to the Rapid Stream Of swift Eridanus the Libyan came Seeking by marching round through various Waies The Fords and where its Course the River staies Trees from the Neighb'ring Groves at length he takes And to transport his Troops a Navy makes The valiant Consul from the antient Line (k) Sempronius Gracchus had then the Command of the Romane Navy to guard Sicily and the Coast of Italy from the Carthaginians whose Fleet he had dispersed and leaving Sicily under the Care of King Hiero on the Fame of Hannibal's entring Italy came with his Forces to Trebïa and joyned with Cornelius Scipio Of his Death see Book 12. O' th' Gracchi sprang whose Ancestours did shine In Monuments with noble Titles crown'd For Valour both in Peace and War Renown'd Thither from high Pelorus came by Sea Incamping near the Banks of Trebia The Carthaginians likewise in the Plain The River over-pass'd encamp'd remain Encourag'd by Success of their Affairs
Of Warlike Sacrifice prepare For now They with clear Promises great things allow Which having seen dear Countrey-men you may Into your native City home convey The End of the Fourth Book Obiuitur telis Nimboque Ruente per Auras Contectus Nulli dextrâ jactare reliquit Flaminum cecidisse sua nec pugna perempto Vlteriorâ— Ductore fuit finem que dedere Illustriss mo Celsissimoque Principi Willelmo Frederico Principi Arausionensium Comiti Nassoviae Cattimel Viand c Marchion Vlissingiae Bredae c Faederati Belgij Terra Marique Imperatorâ— Tabula humillime Dicata SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Fifth Book THE ARGUMENT Flaminius rash Valour at the Lake Of Thrasimenus The Sidonians take The Hills for Ambush Prodigies foreshow Before the Fight the Roman's Overthrow Both Armies while an Earthquake overthrew Cities and Rivers turn'd the Fight pursue But the Sicilian Troops that basely fly The Field and climb the Trees for Safety dy Together by Sichaeus whose sad Fall Soon after by Flaminius slain by all The Libyans is bewail'd Scout Appius kill'd By Mago whom he wounds what Slaughters fill'd All Quarters how Flaminius bravely dy'd Whose Corps the Romanes slain about him hide NOW Hannibal preparing for the Fight With secret Ambush in the dead of Night The Mountains of Hetraria did invest And all the Passes of the Woods possest On the Left Hand there was a Lake that swell'd Like a vast Sea and all the Neighb'ring Field O're-flowing cover'd with tenacious Slime Here Faun-got Aunus reign'd in Antient time But now 't is known by Thrasimenus Name Whose Sire (a) Tyrrhenus was the Son of Atys King of Maeonia who fearing a Famine resolved to disburden his own Countrey by transplanting some of his People under the Conduct of one of his two Sons Lydus and Tyrrhenus the Lot which was to determine it fell upon Tyrrhenus who planted himself in that Part of Italy which is now called Tuscany He built twelve Cities and was so prudent in Establishing his Affairs that he was feigned to be gray-headed from his Youth He is said to have invented the Trumpet and his People improved so eminently in civil Government that from them the Romanes borrowed all their Triumphal and Consular Ornaments with their Rods Axes other Ensigns of Authority as likewise Musick Augury and Rites of Sacrificing See Strabo lib. 5. Tyrrhenus Lydian Tmolus Fame To the Italian Coasts that since do bear His Name Maeonian Colonies from far By Sea did bring and is by all Renown'd For having taught those Nations first to sound The Trumpet and their Silence broke in Fight Yet not content with this he doth excite His Son to greater things But fir'd with Love Of the fair Boy who with the Gods above For Beauty might compare now Chaste no more (b) Agylle a small City in Tuscany Agylle snatch'd him walking on the Shore Into the Stream This Nymph's Lascivious Minde Was still to Love of beauteous Boys inclin'd And the Italian Darts soon warm'd her Breast But him the carefull Naiades carest Within their mossy Caves while He the Place Abhors and seeks to shun their fond Embrace From hence the Lake a Dowry to his Fame Still conscious of his Rape retains his Name And now the Chariot of the Dewy Night Its Bounds approach'd although the Morn her Light Not yet from her bright Chambers did display But from the Threshold onely breath'd a Ray And Men could less affirm that Night had run Her Course then that the Day its Race begun When through by-Ways the Consul March'd before His Ensigns after Him the Horse no more In Order haste Next in Confusion go The light-arm'd Bands the Foot disorder'd too Forsake their Ranks with them though us'd in War Unfit for Fight the Sutlers mixed are And Ominous Tumults through all Places spread Advancing to the Fight as if they fled While from the Lake a Vapour black as Night Arose and quite depriving them of Sight In a dark Mantle of condensed Clouds Involves the Skies and Day desired shrouds But (c) Hannibal understanding the Temper of Flaminius as a Person rash and violent waited all the Countrey between Cortona and the Lake Thrasimenus with all the Miseries of War thereby to provoke his Enemies to fight Flaminius not enduring it as dishonourable raised his Camp before Aretium and Marched towards him But he no sooner came between the Hills and the Lake but he found himself encompass'd by Hannibal's â—orces and unable to draw his Men into Order they were totally defeated and the Consul slain Liv. Book 22 Hannibal pursues His Fraud the while And in His Ambush closely sitting still Would not permit them in their Haste to be Oppos'd while all the Shore appeareth free From Danger and neglected by the Fo Who to their Fall permits them on to go For they advancing through a narrow Way Before design'd their Safety to betray A double Ruin found The Waters here Contract their Passage there steep Rocks appear And on the Mountain's Top within the Wood T' engage them there a Libyan Party stood Ready to fall on any that should â—ly To a Retreat So when a Fisher by A Chrystal Brook an Osier Wee l doth twine The Entrance large he makes but binds within The Tonnel Close contracting by Degrees The yielding Tops into a Pyramis Through which deceitfull Hole the Fish with Ease Do enter but return not to the Seas In the mean time the furious Consul lost His Reason in this Storm of Fates in Haste He calls his Ensigns on untill from Sea The Sun 's bright Horses re-advanc'd the Day And Rosie Titan to revive the World The Clouds that o're the Face of Heav'n were hurl'd Had quite dispers'd and sensibly to Hell By his clear Rays resolv'd the Darkness fell And then a Bird which as an old (d) Our Ancestours saith Tully lib. De Divinat never enterpriz'd a War before they had first consulted their Augurs This kind of Augury for they were several was frequently us'd among them and if the Birds which were commonly Chickens kept in a Coop refused the Meat thrown before them the Augur pronounced the Enterprize not pleasing to the Gods but if greedily devoured it they encouraged it Presage The Latines us'd before they did engage In Fight he took t' explore the Gods Intent And what should be the following Fight 's Event The Bird Divining future Miseries Refus'd her Meat and from it crying flies With that a Bull a sad Presage before The Holy Altars ceased not to roar And waving with his Neck the fatal Stroak O' th' falling Ax the Sacred Place forsook Besides as they endeavour'd where they stood To pull their Ensigns up the Earth black Blood Into their Faces spouts as to foretell That Slaughter which them afterwards befell Then Iove the Sea and Land with Thunder shook And snatching Bolts from Aetna's Forges strook The Thrasâ—â—enian Lake that smoaking seems To burn and Flames to live within the Streams
the Eagles in the Air Comets the Fall of Kings with flaming Hair Shine fatally and salvage Beasts by Night Break through the Camp and Works and in the sight O' th' frighted Souldiers through the Neighb'ring field Scatter the Limbs o' th' Centinel they kill'd Deluded by the Image of their Fear From their dark Graves the Ghosts of Gauls appear To break and then the high Tarpeian Rock As torn from its Foundation often shook The Temples of the Gods with Streams of Blood Were wet Quirinus Statue as it stood Wept largely Allia greater then before Swells higher then the Banks the Alps no more Stand still nor Apennine which Night and Day Shook with vast Ruptures and where Libya Extended lyes ev'n from the very Pole 'Gainst Italy the flaming Meteors roll Such horrid Thunder-Claps the Heav'ns above Divide that they detect the Face of Iove The Lemnian God his Lightning likewise threw From Aetna and as broken Quarries flew Up to the Clouds as in the Giant 's Wars Knock'd his Phlaegraean Head against the Stars But ' midst them all as conscious of the Fight He looks and Sense-distracted with the Fright With horrid Cries the Camp a Souldier fills And panting thus express'd the future Ills. Spare us ye cruel Gods the Fields I see Too little for the Heaps of Slaughter be Through thickest Ranks the Libyan Captain flies And His swift Chariot over Companies Of Men and Arms drives on and drags along Their Limbs and Ensigns while the wind with strong Impetuous Blasts a furious War doth make Against our Eys and Faces From thy Lake Sad Thrasimen unmindfull of his Years In vain Servilius now reserv'd appears Whither Oh whither is' t that Varro flies Oh Iove among the Stones see Paulus lies The last great Hope of Rome's declining State These Ruins Trebia now exceed thy Fate Behold a Bridg is made of Bodies flain And silent Aufidus into the Main Rolls mangled Corps o're all the Plains I see The Elephants insult with Victory Our Consul's Axes and our Fasces stain'd With Blood a Tyrian Lictor in his Hand After our Custom bears To Libya The Pomp of Romane Triumph's born away Oh Grief Yet this ye Gods that we behold Is your Command while by congested Gold Torn from left Hands victorious Carthage sees (s) Mago sent to Carthage with the Tidings of this Victory carryed with him a Bushel saith Livy others more of Gold Rings then worn onely by Romane Gentlemen The Measure of the Romane Miseries The End of the Eighth Book In Vacuas vitam senior disperserat auras At Solimus simul ense fodit praecordia et atrum Sustentans vulnus mananti sanguine signat In clâ—peo mandata Patris fuge praelia Varro Ac summi tegmen suspendit Cuspide teh Defletumque super prostemit membra Paâ—enteÌ„ Honoratissimo Domino Dn o. Thomae Comiti Southampton Baroni Wriothesley de Tichfeild SumÌ„o totius Angliae Thesaurario c Sanctioribus Regis Caroli 2 â—i Consilijs atque Inclyti Ordinis Periscelidis Equiti c. Tabula sumÌ„a cum observantia DDD SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Ninth Book THE ARGUMENT The Consul Paulus as advis'd declines The Fight forbidden by unhappy Signs Rash Varro urgeth for a Day A Son In that sad Night before the Day begun His Father flying from the Libyan Side Vnhappy kills who bids him as he dy'd Forewarn the Romanes to avoid the Fight His Son this Warning on his Shield doth write And kills himself for Grief The fatal Field Is fought the Romans miserably kill'dâ— The Libyans have the Day While 'fore his Eys His Men are slain the Coward Varro flies WHILE Italy thus vext with Prodigies The Signs in vain of future Ruin sees Discover'd by the Gods as if they might Prove happy Omens of the following Fight The Consul waking spends the Night and now Throws in the Dark his Jav'lins then as slow Upbraids his Colleague and while yet 't was Night Would have the Trumpets sound a Charge and fight The Libyans no less eager to engage Urg'd by the adverse Fates with sudden Rage Out from the Camp they sally and begin To Skirmish For the Macae that had bin Disperst for Forage through the Neighb'ring Plain A winged Showr of Shafts like sudden Rain Pour on the Romanes and before the rest Mancînus who to be the first had prest To dip in Hostile Blood his Weapon dy'd And with him many gallant Youth beside Nor yet though Paulus sadly did declare How cross the Auspicies and Entrails were Would Varro from the Battel have abstain'd (a) It had antiently been a Custom amoâ—g the Romanes where both the Consuls were together to command alternately by Moneths but Varro and Paulus had otherwise agreed to command the Army by Alternate Daies Paulus on his Day kept the Army from engaging but soon as Varro took his turn he without consulting his Colleague immediately gave Battel to the Libyans Unless the Lot by which they did command The Camp by Turns had thwarted his Desire And forc'd the hasty Fates a while retire But yet no longer then a Day could be Between a thousand Deaths and their Decree Allow'd Into the Camp the Troops return Again while Paulus ceaseth not to mourn Seeing the Reins of the next Day 's Command Were to be trusted in a frantick Hand And that those Souls were then preserv'd in Vain From Slaughter For enrag'd and mad again For that he had the Battel then delai'd Dost Thou thus now Aemilius Varro said Thy Gratitude and the Reward repay Of that thy guilty Head Or else have they From Thee deserved such a base Return Who snatch'd Thee from the Laws and threatning Urn Command them to surrender to the Fo Their Arms and Swords or when to fight they go Cut all their Right-Hands off But you whom I Have often Weeping seen commanded by The Consul to retire or shun the Fo No more expect the Signal when you go To fight or slow Commands let ev'ry Man Be his own Leader and go boldly on In his own Ways When first the Sun shall shed His Morning Rays upon Garganus Head These Hands the Ports shall open for you all Then charge them quickly and this Day recall Which you have lost Thus he with mad Desires To Fight the discontented Camp inspires When Paulus not the same in Mind or Face But as if after Fight he 'd seen the Place Strew'd with his slaughter'd Friends and as if there In View the Miseries ensuing were As when all Hope of her Son's Life is past In Vain his yet-warm Body in her last Embrace a Mother huggs and seems to be Sensless with Grief By Rome's dear Walls said He So often shaken by those Souls which now Night with a Stygian Shade surrounds and know No Guilt forbear I pray to run upon Your Ruin till the Wrath of Heav'n be gone And Fortune's Fury be consum'd 'T will be Enough if our New Men shall dare to see The Fo without a
in the Consul's Fall To cruel Arms the Headless (f) Paulus who commanded the Right Wing and Servilius who led the Left being both slain and Varro flying at the first Decline of their Fortune the Army was Destitute of Commanders Army yield Their Backs Victorious Africk through the Field Rageth in Blood Picenian Cohorts here And Warlike Vmbrians fall Sicanian there And Hernick Troops those Ensigns scatter'd are Upon the Ground which Samnites fierce in War Which the Sarrastes and the Marsi brought There Targets pierc'd quite through as they fought Broke each 'gainst others Shields and Helmets lay With useless Swords and Bridles torn away From the fierce Horse's Mouths the Neighb'ring flood Throws up his Billows swelling high with Blood Into the Fields and all the Bodies slain Returns with Fury to the Banks again See a (g) Aegyptian Lagaean Ship that Island-like Floats on the Sea if it by Chance do strike Upon a Rock while cloudy Eurus blows And Shipwrack over all the Ocean throws Strait Planks with Oars and Tackle and tall Masts Pendants and Sails torn with impetuous Blasts And miserable Sea-men that again Spew up the Waves are scatter'd on the Main The Libyan by His Slaughters in the Fight Had measur'd out the Day but as the Night The Aid of Light to His great Rage deny'd At length he lai'd the cruel War aside And from the Toil of Slaughter spar'd his Men But yet with Cares his Mind still wak'd nor then Amidst such Favour of the Gods could He Endure to rest His Thoughts continually Prompt him to enter Rome and the next day Thence with drawn Swords in Haste to march away Is his Design while yet their Blood was warm And Slaughter stain'd the Troops Now with His Arm The Gates He seiseth fires the Walls and seems To mix with Cannae the Tarpeian Flames Conscious of Iove's Displeasure and the Fate Of Italy Saturnia troubled at What He design'd endeav'ring to restrain The Youth 's rash Heat and in Desires so vain To curb his greedy Hopes strait from His deep And silent Empire She the God of Sleep By whose Assistance She had often clos'd Iove's weary Eys and them to Rest compos'd Summons and smiling said I call not Thee Great God to hard Designs nor that to Me Thou give up Iove by thy soft Wings subdued Do I require nor that thou shouldst delude And shut in Stygiâ—â— Night his thousand Eys That Iö kept and did thy Power despise But into Hannibal nâ—w Dreams inspire Nor now â—o visit Rome let Him desire Or Walls forbid where Iove denies that He Should enter Her Commands he instantly Pursues and Poppy in a crooked Horn Mix'd with some other Juice through Darkness born He silently descends and to the Tent Of the Barcêan Prince directly went Then hov'ring o're his drooping Head he spreads His drowsy Wings and Slumber gently sheds Like Dew into His Eys and with his Hand Unto His Temples the Lethean Wand Applies when suddenly prodigious Dreams Possess his furious Breast and now he seems To compass Tyber with his num'rous Bands But as insulting at the Walls he stands Of Rome he frighted sees Immortal Iove Shining on the Tarpeian Rock above And in his threatning Hand he Thunder shook While all the Neighb'ring Fields with Sulphur smoak Blew Anyo in cold Waters trembling lies And oft a dreadfull Sight before his Eys Flashes of Lightning fly then through the Air A Voice was spread Thy Progress Youth forbear Thy Honour 's great enough that doth arise From Cannae Thou as soon our Marble Skies May'st cleave as through those Sacred Walls when storm'd By Thee break way Thus Iuno's Will perform'd Sleep left Him terrifi'd with what He then Had seen and fearing greater Wars nor when The Night was done did Day absolve his Mind From that dire Image which it left behind A midst these Troubles of His Sleep and vain Disturbance Mago tells Him they had ta'ne The Romane Camp by Night and brought away With their remaining Troops a wealthy Prey (h) Livy attributes this Advise to Maharbal whose Counsel to march away immediately with his Horse and to prevent the Fame of his Victory by appearing at the Gates of Rome before they apprehended His Coming when Hannibal rejected he replyed Thou knowest Hannibal how to conquer but not how to use Thy Victory To Him then promising a joyfull Feast Within the Capitol when to devest The World of Day the fifth Night should arise The General concealing the Advise Of Heav'n and His own Fears their Wounds in Fight And Strength exhausted pleads and that they might Not be too Confident of their Success The Youth dejected from his Hopes no less Then if he had commanded Him to flee Ev'n from the Walls and draw from Victory His Ensigns said With all this Toil not Rome As She believ'd but Varro's overcome By what sad Fate so great Success in Fight Dost Thou neglect and thus Thy Countrey slight Let the Horse march with Me and I will Pawn My Head the Iliack Walls shall be Thine Own The Gates shall open'd be without a War While these by furious Mago urged are And by his wary Brother not believ'd The Latine Souldiers flying were receiv'd Within (i) They were not above four thousand Foot and two hundred Horse that fled in a Body and were received into Canusium The rest came scattered several Waies and had onely Lodging given them by the Citizens But all other Provisions were bestowed on them by a Noble Lady called Paula Busa who the War ended was publickly honoured by the Romane Senate for her seasonable Bounty Canusium's Walls and there apace Began to fortifie Inglorious Face Of sinking Fortune there no Eagles stand No Ensigns 'mong the Troops no high Command Of Consuls nor by Lictours Axes born But faint with Fear and as with Ruin torn And maim'd their Bodies on weak Members strive To keep their Stand oft sudden Clamours rive The Air and oft deep Silence with their Eys Fix'd on the Ground here naked Companies With broken Targets stand the Valiant there Want Swords then all the Horsemen wounded are From their high-crested Casks their glorious Pride Was torn and Mars his Honour lai'd aside Their Corslets pierc'd with many Spears and in Their Mails Maurusian Shafts were sometimes seen To hang sometimes they sadly call upon Their Friends were lost here Galba they bemoan Piso and Curio worthy of a far More Noble Fate and Scaevola in War Most fierce all these of Course but Paulus Fate As of a common Father they regrate How He ne're ceas'd with Truth their present Woes To Prophesie and Varro's Minde oppose How oft in Vain that Day from Rome He sought To turn and then how valiantly He fought But such who Care of future Things do take Either are busi'd 'bout the Walls to make Their Trenches or to fortifie the Gates As Need requir'd and where the Field dilates A plain and easie Entrance to the Foes Firm in the
My Bowels pierce My tardy Age Contemn not Thou My Body I 'le engage Against Thee and that Sword which cannot be Extorted now I by My Death from Thee Will force With that He wept and Hannibal By Heav'ns great Care reserved was to fall By Scipio's Arms. Nor then did Conscious Fate Allow a forein Hand should perpetrate An Act so Great But of what Praise was He Depriv'd whose Glorious Magnanimity Worthy to Act in Deeds most famous won So much Renown for what He would have done Then both together to the Feast they went Again and clear'd their Brows from Discontent Till Sleep dissolv'd their Banquet and their Mirth But as the next bright Morning to the Earth The fiery Steeds of Phaëthon did raise His Chariot on the Surface of the Seas Reflecting fam'd Amilcar's Active (*) Hannibal Son Already on His great Affairs begun To think Fierce Mago's Order'd to repair To Carthage to the Senate to Declare What Hannibal had done With Him the Prey And Captivated Men are sent away And Spoils that to the Gods Devoted are As Sacrifices of a prosp'rous War The next Part of His Care was to convey Brave Decius Alass to Libya Reserv'd at his Return a Sacrifice To his slow Rage had not the Deities Pittying his undeserved Punishment The Youth by Storms to (*) Cyrene Battus City sent Here (k) The Ship driven by Tempest into the Port of Cyrene then under Ptolomy King of Aegypt Decius fled to the King's Statue for Sanctuary which obliged his Keepers to carry him to Alexandria to Ptolomy who understanding the Injustice of his Captivity released him Liv. lib. 23. Ptolemy's Pelléan Pow'r the Man Rescu'd from their dire Menaces that than His Keepers were and freed his Neck from Chains But the same Land that sav'd his short Remains Of Life from Slavery soon after gave His Bones inviolate a quiet Grave In the mean Time the Paphian Goddess findes The wish'd-for Hour t' involve the Libyans Mindes In secret Ruin through Prosperity And their insulting Hearts by Luxury To tame and therefore She her Sons commands Enticing Darts to scatter from their Hands Abroad and silent Flames to send into Their Breasts Then smiling on the wanton Crew Now let proud Iuno Us despise said She And 't is no Wonder for now What are We Let Her go on driv'n with propitious Gales She with her Hands She with her Arms prevails We small Shafts onely from a Childish Bow Expell and from Our Wounds no Blood doth flow But now be doing now 's your Time take Aim My Sons and with your silent Darts enflame The Tyrian Youths that Army which nor Fire Nor Sword nor Mars with slackest Reins can tire With store of Wine Embraces and by Sleep Must be subdu'd Into His Bowels deep Let Hannibal imbibed Pleasures drink To ly on painted Beds let Him not think It Shame and with Assyrian Sweets his Hair Perfume let Him that in Hybernal Air Boasted to lengthen out His Sleeps delight In Houses rather to consume the Night And let Him Learn to give the Idle Day To Bacchus and when cloy'd with Feasts He may Be charm'd with Musick and Luxurious Nights Or sleeping spend or waking in Our Rites This Venus which the wanton Troops commend And strait from Heav'n with Snowy Wings descend The Libyan Youths soon feel their fiery Darts And the discharged Shafts inflame their Hearts Now Bacchus Gifts and Banquets they desire And warbling Songs to the Piërian Lyre Now through the Plains no sweating Courser flies No Lance thrown through the Air doth exercise Their naked Arms in gentle Baths to rest Their lazy Limbs they cherish and opprest With miserable Wealth rough Valour 's gone The General Himself but breath'd upon By flattering Desire begins to Feast Anew and oft invited 's made a Guest And by Degrees degenerate His Minde Corrupted by those secret Shafts declin'd His Countrie 's Arts. With equal Honour all Now Capua another Countrey call Another Carthage Their Affections free Before to greedy Vice through Victory Now yield Nor do the Capuans Measure keep In Luxury but drown'd in Riot heap Lust upon Lust and in their Feasts between Each Course add Sports and often change the Scene So 'bout the Lotos on Laegaean Banks The Phrygian Minstrels with lascivious Pranks Spartan Canopus fill And first their Ears With his sweet Eyrs while Hannibal appears Extremely pleas'd fam'd Teuthras for his Skill Most eminent Delights with Voice and Quill And when he saw the Libyan Prince admire The warbling Nerves then the Aönian Lyre With Praise he celebrates and as he sung His well-tun'd-Harp conspiring with his Tongue The Musick that of dying Swans exceeds And those sweet Lays 'mong many for the Deeds Of antient Heroes best the Ear affect Most pleasant for the Banquet doth select Once by the Argive People strange to tell A Lute was heard that did the Rocks compell To follow and the flying Stones to stand Fix'd into Walls Touch'd by Amphion's Hand This rais'd the Theban Walls while to the Skies Flints of themselves in Heaps congested rise T' enchanted Tow'rs Another by his Lays The Phocae tam'd becalm'd the raging Seas And Protheus drew through all his Shapes and bore Arion on a Dolphin's Back to Shore But that whose Sound in the Pelîack Cave A Bridle to the Minds of Heroes gave And great Achilles Thoughts the (l) The Centaure Chiron Tutour to Achilles Centaure lov'd And when upon the Strings his Finger mov'd Hell's or the Ocean's Fury 't would allay He Chaos and the World once wanting Day Or Light a starless Lump and then how God Diffus'd the Waters of the Deep abroad And bound the Globe of Earth amidst the Frame How high Olympus to the Gods became By his appointment a Secure Abode And chaster Age of Father Saturne shew'd But those sweet Nerves by Orpheus touch'd to whom The Gods and Shades below did listning come Their Quill emerited now shine among The brightest Stars His Mother his sweet Song Admir'd and her Aönian Sisters too His Musick the Pangaean Hills pursue Hemus and farthest Thrace Beasts with their Woods Him follow and the Mountains with their Floods Unmindefull of their Nests Flight lai'd aside Birds Captiv'd in th' unshaken Air abide And when the Pegasaean Ship before The Sons of Earth were skill'd beyond the Shore Refus'd the Sea to enter by His Song Entic'd up to the Poop the Waters throng He those pale Kingdoms whither Ghosts retire And Acheron that with Eternal Fire And Flames still Ecchoes by His Lays alone Subdu'd and fix'd the ever-rolling (m) The Stone which Sisyphus rolls in Hell Stone Thus Teuthras with His Thespian Lays their Hearts Hard'ned in War to softer Ease diverts But in the mean time with propitious Gales Mago unto the Coast of Libya sails And the desired Port with Lawrel bound The Vessel enters as in Triumph Crown'd With captive Arms the lofty Prow displaies A Lustre over all the Neighb'ring Seas The Seamen in
the Hearts of Men the Women stand Resolv'd to equal them and to require A Share in Glory Then their Antique Tire And Gems which did their Heads and Hands adorn And Carkanets that from their Necks were torn The joyfull Matrons bring and to the War With Emulation Sacrifice nor are The Men unwilling they should share so great A Lot of Praise and to perpetuate That Act rejoice to give them Place Next whom A Noble Troop of Senatours doth come And all into the Publick Treasure heap Their private Riches none desire to keep A secret Stock in Store for better Days But ev'n the Vulgar strive the Banks to raise And with the Spoils of their poor Lares come Thus all her Limbs and Her whole Body Rome At once employing rais'd again to Heav'n Her Bloodless Face besides the Answer giv'n At (o) This Answer of the Oracle was brought by Q. Fabius Pictor who â—â—â—â—ructed by the Priest wore a Wreath of Laurel as he entred the Temple to enquire the Oracle and when he recieved Answer went directly to his Ship on the Poop whereof he placed it and never removed it untill he arrived in Rome where it was deposited on the Altar of Apollo with great Solemnity Liv. lib. 23. Cyrrha adds new Hopes and seems t' allay Their Woes the Messengers reporting they Had joyfull Tidings heard when from the Den A Sacred Voice like Thunder broke and when Inspir'd by Phoebus the Prophetick Maid This bellow'd out Let all your Fears be lai'd Aside fair Venus Race Whate're remain'd Of Misery in your sad War sustain'd Exhausted is Light Labours are behinde And without Dangers Fears be still inclin'd To Pray'rs and to the Gods Devotions pay Warm Sacrifices on their Altars lay Nor yield to Misery for Mars will you Assist and the p Cyrrhaean Prophet who Was ever prompt to ease the Trojans Woes Will all those Ills that threaten you oppose But let an hundred Altars first of all Be Crow'nd with Fire as many Victimes fall To Iove He this dire Cloud and Storms of War Shall Violent to Libya drive From far Your selves shall see Him shaking for the Fight His Aegis which shall all the World affright When this at Cyrrha sung they did Proclaim And to the People's Ears Apollo came Up to the Capitol they flock amain There prostrate to the God the Holy Fane With Blood they Honour Paeans sing and Iove Entreat the Answer may Authentick prove In the mean time Torquatus old in Arms Sardinia with his Countrey 's Force Alarms For there his Name from Trojan Blood deriv'd (q) The Sardinians had yielded to the Obedience of the Romanes at the End of the first Punick War and now at the instigation of Hanno not the Enemy of Hannibal's Family rebelled under the Conduct of Oscus and Hasdrubal In two several Conflicts the Sardinians lost the Day and in the later twelve thousand men were slain among them the King's Son Oscus three thousand two hundred taken Prisoners and with them Hasdrubal Magâ— and Hanno three eminent Carthaginians and the Island reduced to its former Obedience Hapsagoras unto the War reviv'd The Tyrians call'd brave Oscus was His Son Worthy a better Father who upon His forward Youth relying train'd His Young And tender Years as Custom was among Those Barb'rous Nations in Arms. When He Torquatus saw Advancing furiously With hasty Ensigns greedy to begin The Fight strait fallying forth experienc'd in Th' Advantage of the Place a nearer Way He takes and where thick Forests did display Their shady Heads through devious Paths He flies And in an hidden Vale in Ambush lies The Isle Man's Foot resembling by the Sea Encompass'd and assaulted ev'ry Way By Billows and by Waves compress'd contains Vast Tracts of Land at first the Graecian Swains Call'd it Ichnusa But soon after these Boasting His Blood from Libyan Hercules From Himself Sardus on the Land His Name Impos'd the Teucri likewise thither came And there dispers'd through all the Sea when Troy Was overthrown did forc'd Abodes enjoy Then likewise Iölaus to the Land No little Fame didst add when with a Band Of Thespians in thy Father's Navy there Thou didst arrive 'T is said when Cynthia Fair Was by Actaeon in the Fountain seen And all his Members torn his Crime had been Sadly Reveng'd affrighted at his strange Unusual Fate and his prodigious Change His Father Aristaeus fled by Sea And to Sardinia came they tell the Way Unto that Coast to Him before unknown Was by His Mother fam'd Cyrene shown The Countrey is from Serpents free and void Of Poison but with Bogs and Fens annoy'd The Air 's unwholsom where it looks upon Th' Italian Shore with Rocks and Hills of Stone It breaks the sparkling Waves Within the Plains With sultry South-Winds when hot Cancer reigns Are Pale and too much parch'd but all the rest Is Fertile and with Ceres Favours blest Through this rude Tract of Land Pathless Groves The Fo Torquatus oft deluding moves And in Expectance of Iberian Aid And Tyrian Weapons for the Battel stay'd At Length the Fleet arriving and his Men Encourag'd more without Delay agen He from his Covert leaps and then at large The adverse Troops drew out and seem to charge And joyn though Distant and no Space between For hasty Darts at Distance could be see Till trustier Weapons their try'd Swords they drew And then a cruel Slaughter doth ensue They kill and fall alternately and on Their fatal Points descend to Acheron I cannot hope their num'rous Slaughters and So many horrid Acts for a Command So High so Great to utter as I ought Or equal with my Words their Rage that fought But Thou Calliope my Labours bless That to Eternity I may express Our Poët's Noble Deeds but little known As yet and Consecrate His due Renown Ennius of King Mesâpus antient Line Who to the Honour of the Latine Vine Did by His Valour add led the Forlorn To fight sent thither from Calabria born Among the antient Rudiae now known In His surviving Memory alone He as of old the (*) Orphsue Thracian Singer who When Cizycus with War shook Argos threw His Rhodopeian Darts when He had lai'd His Quill aside with no small Slaughter made Himself to be observ'd when first he Charg'd And from the Slaughters of his Hand enlarg'd His Fury Oscus hoping if that Stain He wip'd away Immortal Praise to gain Upon Him flies and at Him throws his Spear With all His Force Apollo sitting near Within a Cloud derides what He design'd And driving far the Shaft into the Winde Fond Youth said He Alass Thou dost aspire Loo high to let His Spoils be thy Desire He 's Sacred and the Muses greatest Care A Poët worthy Phoebus who shall dare The first in Noble Verse Italian Wars To sing and raise their Captains to the Stars He Helicon with His Immortal Lays Shall make to Eccho nor shall He in Praise Or Fame unto the Old (*) Heâ—iod Ascraean
But all Force so far With greater Weight the Romane General Depress'd as Phoebe's Light surpasseth all The lesser Stars as Sol doth Her excell As Atlas other Hills as Nile doth swell 'Bove other Rivers or the Ocean The Narrow-Seas exceeds While he began T' encamp as Ev'ning with Un-equal Shades Olympus veil'd the Romane him invades And in the sudden Tumult ev'ry where Th' imperfect Works are overthrown and there The weighty Turf and Earth oppressing those That fell the Honour of a Grave bestows But with a Courage that might worthy be Of more then One and which Posterity Deserves to know and to commend to Fame Is worth our Pains Cantabrian Larus came Who for his Minde and Bodie 's Bulk might be A Terrour though Unarm'd Most fiercely He After his Country's Custom his right-Hand Arm'd with an Ax the Combat still maintain'd And though the routed Bands about him round And his one Country Troop destroy'd he found The Place of those were slain supply'd Alone And if he fought at hand would oft upon The Forehead wound his Fo. And when aside They him assail'd with oblique Blows employ'd His Ax reflex'd If he assaulted were Behinde a furious Conqu'rour free from Fear His Fatal Weapon he could Backward throw In ev'ry part o' th' Fight a dreadful Fo. At him with mighty Force the Brother to The General his Lance Young Scipio threw Which with his Cap of Fence his flowing Hair Cast down For driven strong the Fatal Spear Sunk deep and far the lifted Ax was thrown At which the Youth whose Anger now was grow'n A mighty Weapon leaping on him gives A Shout and Home the Barb'rous Weapon drives The Armies trembled while his batter'd Shield Sounds with that Warlike weight through all the Field Nor was 't in vain For with his Sword as from His Stroak the Spaniard drew his Right-hand Home Cut off and Dead with its lov'd Weapon down It fell Which Wall when it was overthrown The Trembling Troops an Universal Flight Scatters through all the Plain No shew of Fight But the sad Face of Punishment of those That fell on ev'ry side by Conqu'ring Foes But now behold the Libyan Prince his Hands Behinde him bound through midst of all the Bands Is dragg'd along and begg'd Oh flatt'ring Light Of Heav'n that Captivate in Chains he might Have longer Life To whom the Romane thus See these are they who once requir'd or'e Us So great a Pow'r to whom thy Sacred Race Must yield Quirinus and the Gown give Place But to submit to Bondage if you are So Easy why did you begin the War As this he spake an Horsman Tidings brought That (f) Hasdrubal the Son of Giscon the last of the Carthaginian Generals in Spain and Father of Sophonisba See Livy Hasdrubal not knowing they had fought Came on with Speed to joyn his Arms and Fate Scipio snatch'd up his ready Ensigns strait And when or'ejoy'd he saw the Fight so much Desir'd approach and Troops to Death with such A furious Speed advancing to the Sky Lifting his Eyes No more Ye Gods do I Of you this Day require since now I see This Fugitive is drawn to Fight said He Our other Wishes by our Valour may Be gain'd Then haste Companions go I pray Behold my Father here my Uncle there With Rage upon you call Oh you that are My Deities in War our Leaders be I 'le follow you Assist and you shall see If my presaging Minde deceive me not A Slaughter worthy of your Name For what Shall else give Period to our Fighting here In the Iberian Land When shall appear That glorious Day when at the fierce Alarms Of the approaching War and these mine Arms I Carthage thee shall trembling see This said Hoarse Trumpets with shrill Murmurs strait invade The Stars with Eccho With fierce Clamours then They meet with such a Violence as when Notus and Boreas or fell Auster raves By Sea and drown whole Fleets in swelling Waves Or when his deadly Flames the Dog expires And burns the fainting World with wasting Fires Such Slaughters their fierce Fury by the Sword Commits the gaping Earth could not afford A Space the Ruins of the Fight to hide No Rage of Salvage Beasts had er'e destroy'd So many in their Fatal Dens And now With Blood the Fields and Vallies overflow Their Weapons all are dull'd The Libyans are Cut off and the Iberi that in War Delight And yet though shatter'd much a Band There was that struggled still and kept their Staâ—d Where Hasdrubal did with his Spear contend Nor had their constant Valour made an End That Day but that an Arrow chanc'd to fall Upon his Breast-plate's top The Wound though small Perswaded him to fly Then strait he quits The Fight and on his nimble Courser gets To Shelter and along the Shore by Night To the Tartessîack Ports directs his Flight The next to him in Arms and Valour there To th' Fight He the Massylian Scepter bare For 's League and Friendship to the Romane Name Soon after famous (g) Masanissa after his defection to the Romanes maintained Inviolable Friendship with them during his whole Life See more in the Continuation second Book Masanissa came Upon his radiant Head as tyr'd with Flight By Night he slept a sudden shining Light Appear'd to compass with a gentle Flame His curled Hair and to diffuse the same Upon his rugged Brow His Servants strait Run in and haste the Fire that did dilate It self about his Breast with Water to Suppress But his old Mother who foreknew The Omens of the Gods Your Wonders cries Thus thus still hide propitious Deities Long may that Light abide upon his Head Neither do Thou my Masanissa dread Those happy Wonders of the Gods nor fear When 'bout thy Temples Sacred Flames appear This Fire a League with the Dardanian Race And Empire greater then thy Father 's was Doth promise and at length shall give to Thee And with the Latine Fates thy Name shall be Involv'd Thus spake the Prophetess The Minde O' th' Youth to these clear Prodigies inclin'd Ner'e thought on Honours from the Libyan Side For â—is great Valour And besides the Pride Of Hannibal in Arms now less became And ev'ry Day the War decreas'd in Fame From the dark Heav'ns the Morn began to chace The Clouds and scarce had Crimson-dy'd the Face Of the Atlantick Sisters when he goes To the Ausonian Camp as yet his Foes Where when he enter'd and kinde Entertain Receiv'd from Scipio thus the King began Th' advice of Heav'n my Mother's Prophecies And thy great Valour to the Deities So dear Brave Romane me have hither brought Most willingly from those for whom I fought If 'gainst thy Thunder I 've appear'd to stand With Courage here I offer Thee an Hand Worthy thy Name thou Son of Iove nor Me Do wav'ring Thoughts or vain Inconstancy Of Minde to this invite I Treachery And perjur'd from their Birth a People fly And when Thou at Alcides Bars
Fraight The lofty Gally through the River drew With fast'ned Cords Then round about them through The Air the hollow Sounds of tinkling Brass With the harsh Timbrel's Noise contending pass And dancing Satyres which inhabit where (b) Chast from the Goddess Cybele whose Rites were there most solemnly performed Chast Dindymus two lofty Hills appear And use in the Dictaean Caves to Sport And unto Ide and silent Woods resort Amidst this Noise the Sacred Vessel known By Chearful Shouts refusing to go on Retracts the Ropes and on a sudden stood Immoveable and fix'd within the Flood With that the Priest as in the Ship he stands Exclaims Forbear with your Polluted Hands To touch the Cords and I advise you farr From hence Oh! farr depart whoever are Prophane nor in this Chaster Labour joyn While it sufficeth that the Pow'r Divine Gives this Advise but if there any be That in her chaster Minde excells if She Be Conscious to her self Her Bodie 's Pure Her Hand alone this Pious Task secure May undertake Here (c) Claudia was of the Sabine Patrician Family which first incorporated themselves with the Romanes She was a Vestal Virgin and suspected of Incontinency made this Miracle the Test of Her Chastity and was ever after Honoured as the most Virtuous Matron of her Time Claudia who her Name From th' antient Clausi drew by common Fame Traduc'd unto the Ship her Hands and Eyes Converting said Mother of Deities Thou Powr Divine who didst for Us give Birth To all the Gods whose Off-spring Heav'n and Earth The Seas and Shades below do rule by (d) The Lot between Iupiter Neptune and Pluto by which each of them received his Empire Lot If this my Body be without a Spot Great Goddess be my Witness and let Me By this thy easy Bark absolved be Thus having said the Cable free from Fear She seiz'd and suddenly they seem to hear The Lion's Murmur and a Sound more Grave Untouch'd by any Hand the Timbrels gave The Ship advanc'd so fast you 'd think the Winde Had forc'd it on and Claudia's left behinde Though 'gainst the Stream it ran And Hopes that far All else exceed chear up their Hearts the War And all their Fears at length shall ended be For active Scipio leaving Sicily Hid with his winged Ships the spatious Seas But with an off'red Bull did first appease The God on whose blew Waves the Entrails swum Then Thunder-bearing Birds descending from The Gods Abodes through the clear Air in view Begin to lead the Navy and to shew Their Course by Sea A Joyful Augury Their Cries afford and as they foreward fly Under a liquid Cloud the Ships pursue As far as they could keep them in their View And the Perfidious Coast of Cadmus Land Attain Nor yet did Africk Idle stand But since so great a Storm upon her came A dreadful Pow'r under a mighty Name Against their Fury had prepar'd to bring The Arms and Force of the (e) Of Syphax See the Continuation Book the First Massylian King Libya's sole Hope and Latium's onely Fear Syphax the Fields and Valleys ev'ry where And Shores had fill'd with Nomades that scorn Their nimble Steeds with Trappings to adorn Who with their singing Shafts that as they flie Through Air like Clouds surcharg'd obscure the Skie Of the Right-Hand which he had giv'n before And League that He upon the Altar swore Unmindeful Rites of Hospitality And Feasts that what was done could Testifie His Faith and Trust chang'd by an Impious Flame Of Love He had infring'd and 's Crown became The purchase of his Bed Great Hasdrubal A Virgin Daughter had Esteem'd by all As Beautiful as her Descent was fam'd She taken to his Bed as if inflam'd With his first Nuptial Taper suddenly His Forces all to Carthage turn'd The (f) Of this League see above in the Sixteenth Book Ty Of Amity with Rome He violates And to the Fo his Dotal Arms translates But Scipio careful to advise the King Bids him be Faithful to observe the thing That he had Sworn and not to violate The Laws of Peace but firmly to his State And Kingdom stand To call the Gods to Minde And Deeds that Hospitality did binde That farr his Nuptials farr his Tyrian Bride Would be 'mong Romane Arms if He deny'd What they demanded he should quickly finde That weak Obedience of too soft and kinde A Husband and his Bed's so ardent Heats Should stand in Blood Thus intermixing Threats Scipio advis'd the King whose (g) Sophoâ—isbae Wife before Had stop'd his Ears And when Advice no more Took place He summons all his Swords agen Attesting the Chast Altars of the then Polluted League and in the War proceeds With various Arts. With Huts of slender Reeds And Fenny Flags such as the Rustick Moor Selects to thatch his Homely Cottage or'e The Libyan Camp was fillâ—d This he assail'd By Stealth and secret Flames with Targets vail'd Scatter'd in Dead of Night which as they run Diffus'd like a Contagion and begun With mighty Noise through th' Unctuous Food their Way To make through all the Air their Light display And by their active Heat the Rafters fall The Hostile Mischeif like a Storm through all The Camp goes on and on the arid Reeds With frequent Cracks devouring Vulcan feeds Sad burnings in all Quarters rise and some Before they could perceiv 't excited from Their Sleep are seiz'd by Fire and as for Aid In vain they call their Faces Flames invade The Lemnian God appears in ev'ry Place A Conquerour and in his dire Embrace Destroys both Arms and Men. The Plague swells High And through the Clouds the half-burnt Camp doth fly In glowing Ashes Then with dismal Sounds And a prodigious Leap the Fire surrounds (h) The Assault of the Romanes setting the Huts of the Numidians Camp on Fire was so sudden that Syphax fled Naked out of his Bed and very hardly escaped their Hands after which he joyned his Camp with the Carthaginians The King's Pavilion and had sadly there Devour'd the Man had not his Guards through Fear Of Danger while amaz'd He much enquir'd Him from his Sleep and Bed by Force retir'd But when within one Camp the Tyrian and Syphax their Strength had joyn'd and through the Land Call'd thither all in Arms the Youth agen The Wounds of that sad Night had eased then Shame Anger and a third pernicious Fire His Wife into his Minde new Rage inspire And now He threatning storms his Face should be Blasted by burning of his Camp that He Should Naked hardly scape the Fo by Flight Amidst his trembling Troops But in the Light In clearer Day and less perfidious View Of Heav'n no mortal Syphax could subdue Thus Foolishly he rants while Fate his Pride And Breath concluding would no more abide But cuts the Thread of this vain swelling Tongue For soon as He like Floods that draw along Whole Groves and Rocks and like swift Torrents go Through
Sepultos Atque Novis pandit Velox sua Carbasa Fatis Dignissimo Viro Gervasio Holles de Grimsby in Comitatu Lincoln Armig Flagrante Rebellione Regijs in Exercitibus fortiss mo Chiliarcho extincta tanaâ— Libellorum Supplicum Regis Magistro Tabula Observantiss D.D.D. A CONTINUATION OF SILIUS ITALICUS To the DEATH of HANNIBAL` The First Book THE ARGUMENT The Romane Piety and Zeal to pay At Scipio's Return the Vows which they In War had made King Syphax Captive dies By voluntary Famine The sad Cries Of Carthaginian Dames Their Citie 's quite Disarmd â—milce's parting Tears By Night Great Hannibal his Treach'rous Country flies Sails to Cercinna and in Sacrifice A Day consumes Fearing to be betray'd Those whom he dâ—ubts by Wine asleep are lay'd NOW had great Scipio brought his Trophies Home And with loud Triumphs fill'd the Streets of Rome The People to their num'rous Altars bring Their pleasing Off'rings and glad Paeans sing Such Store of Sweets in ev'ry Temple smoak As if not Libya onely felt the Yoak Of this great Conquest but Arabia there Her Tribute gave and the Sabaeans were Their Vassals Or as if to Prophesie That all the World in Time to come should be By them subdu'd and Rome Triumphant stand The wealthy Store-house of each conquer'd Land Bulls that with Snow for Whiteness might contend Wash'd in (a) Clitumnus a River in Tuscany in the Territories of the Falisci now called Civita Castellana where such Bulls as were designed for Sacrifice in Triumphs were washed and became White Plin. lib. 2. cap. 103. asserted by Virgil Georg. 2. Hinc Albi Clitumne greges c. But this Virtue vanishing they supplyed the want of White with Red Bulls White Heards and Victims of the best Esteem Bulls wash'd Clitumnus in thy Sacred Stream The Romane Triumphs to the Temples lead But this Virtue c. Clitumnus sacred Streams ascend The Capitol their curled Foreheads Crown'd With flowry Wreaths their Horns with Fillets bound These all in solemn Order round the Hill Thrice slowly lead the Joyfull People fill The trembling Air with Shouts then enter while The Gods seem pleas'd and in their Statues smile Pleas'd that Devotion with Success they see So duely mix'd and grateful Piety (b) It was a Laudable Custom among the Romanes after a Victory obtained to command a Festival of Nine Days wherein all the People abstained from Work and Sacrificed to the Gods for their Success Polyb. lib. Excerpt Legat. cap. 16. To pay those holy Vows which first arose From Fears of Ruin and insulting Foes First to the Queen of Gods a Purple Vest Whose rich Embroid'ry all the Art exprest Of the Sidonian Dames and then a Crown Of Gold which hapless Syphax overthrown His Sophonisba wore the Matrons bring And Off'ring at her Shrine thus Pious sing Sister and Wife of Iove Celestial Queen Whom we so long so full of Wrath have seen That Rome almost despairing of her Fate Saw these her Walls besieg'd let not thy Hate To Trojan Blood still prompt Thee to despise Our Piety but with serener Eyes Behold Us now and hear Us when We pray And our Oblations on thine Altars lay Why should thy Love to Libya still enflame Thy Rage 'gainst Us who from Aenêas came Let it suffice We to this very Time Have expiated with our Blood that Crime Of Paris Oh! believe him now to be In Us repenting his Disdain of Thee Be then appeas'd thy Mercy will no less Then doth thy Power thy Deity confess And if at length with other Gods and Fate Thou wilt comply to bless the Romane State As Thou on the Supreamest Throne above The Heav'ns art seated so here next to Iove Thou shalt be worshipp'd and the World shall come To bring their Off'rings unto Thee at Rome The Flamen while they thus invoke his Hands Display'd to Heav'n at Iove's high Altar stands And thus exhorts Oh! may We ever see Religion thus to Crown thy Victory Quirinus Progeny these Pious Charms Oh Rome will force the Gods to bless thine Arms. Then O then let thy Piety encrease As now when War is ended and thy Peace Confirm Impiety alone the Fates Provokes and flingeth open (c) The Temple of Ianus was alwaies open while the Romanes were in War and never shut but when in Peace with all the World it is observed not to have been shut above thrice First by Numa Secondly after the Second Punick War and Lastly by Augustus Caesar. Ianus Gates This said an hundred Bulls at once are slain Which with their Blood an hundred Altars stain Their Entrails all enquir'd for what 's to come Promise a lasting Happiness to Rome That She the Head of all the World should stand And next to Iove the Universe command (d) Though as Plutarch observes some other Triumphs had exceeded this of Scipio in their Pomp and Wealth yet none was entertained with so much Joy the Romanes being not onely absolved from the Despair of forcing Hannibal out of Italy but Carthage likewise wholy subdued The Gods thus serv'd they all begin to Feast And in their costly Banquets spend the rest O' th' Day The Senate seated are alone And to great Scipio's Honour one by one A stately Goblet quaff of Massick Wine His Cheeks mean while with modest Blushes shine As if they 'd Fire the Laurel on his Brow Unwilling those Just Praises to allow So in the Gyants War when Heav'n again Was free from Fear and mighty Typhon slain To Mirth themselves the Gods dispos'd and round The Tables Hebè with Nepenthè crown'd Their Cups while all Apollo's Skill proclaim Commend his Bow his Shafts and certain Aim By which the Gyants fell when they upon The Stars had seiz'd and Iove's Celestial Throne Almost possess'd But back again to Hell Struck with these Heav'nly Arms the Rebels fell The solemn Day thus spent the Night succeeds Inviting all to Rest. While Syphax bleeds Within the Trumpet which their Triumphs sounds Grates on his Ears strikes to his Heart and wounds His very Soul Sometimes He thinks upon His former (e) Syphax was the greatest of all the Kings of Libya having besides his own Inheritance of the Massili and Mauritania usurped part of Masanissa's Kingdom of Numidia which moved Masanissa to revolt to the Romanes State when sitting on a Throne Of Native Ivory He did command Those Nations which the Aethiopian Land And Nasamon confines with those that by The Carthaginian Bounds and Hammon ly With all that South-ward dwell near Nile and those Where the Herculean Sea 'gainst Calpè throws Its foaming Waves when he could summon to The War whole Myriads of Horsemen who On naked Steeds did ride and gave them Law And between Rome and Carthage when he saw The World disputed was that He had been The Umpire of their Quarrel and had seen Them both his Friendship seek until his Flame Of Love the Ruin of his Throne became Sad with these Thoughts that in his troubled Breast
that while Stratonica was present his Pulse and Spâ—â—its were stronger discovered the Cause of his Malady to his Father who readily assented to his Desires and from them came the race of this Antiochus Of Stratonîca had the hidden Flame Reveal'd to shew how much a Noble Minde 'Bove Cupidinean Shafts prevails resign'd Into his Arms his Love and rescu'd from The hand of Fate a Race of Kings to come Hence to our Royal Line this solemn Day We consecrate and grateful Honours pay Thus the Iönian sung and as among The rest the lofty Subject of His Song The Libyan applauds the Romane thus To him began Though 'twixt the Gods and Us Great is the difference yet Virtue may Raise Men to those Felicities which they In Heav'n enjoy and none so worthy are Of that high Bliss as those whose Name in War Hath plac'd them here on Earth above the rest Of Humane Race Fate cannot such devest Of Immortality For with Applause The World adores them and obeys their Laws From these all Arts and Virtues that the Minde Of Man enrich at first took Birth and finde Their just Rewards For when Immortal Iove Had fram'd the World though all the Stars above In Order plac'd and strugling Nature saw All things created here her certain Law And Times obey yet guided by their Will Mankinde among themselves a Chaos still Retain'd No Bounds of Justice to repress The Hand of Rapine Vices in Excess Reign'd in all Mindes the Names of Right and Wrong Unknown to all the Virtuous were the Strong Nor then did Man to greater Good aspire Then what seem'd such suggested by Desire But lest a Custom in Licencious Deeds The use of Reason and Celestial Seeds Should quite deprave that true Promethean Fire The Breasts of some Brave Heroes did inspire Those Monsters to subdue and to compel The too Licencious under Laws to dwell The Ill to punish and the Good to Crown With due Rewards Hence Honour and Renown The Mindes of Mortals first from baser Earth Rais'd towards Heav'n from whence they took their Birth But since Lyaeus and Alcides Wars The World with Trophies and the Heav'n with Stars Adorn'd who tell me hath the greatest Name In Arms deserv'd and an Immortal Fame If such their Praise if such their Merits are The Libyan replies No Hand in War So worthy Fame so mighty things hath done As the Pellaean Youth whose Valour won More Victories then Time had Years to Crown His Life allow'd The Force of whose Renown His Laws on farthest Nations did obtrude And Kingdoms which he never saw subdu'd For who that heard how great his Conquests were How small his Force would not with Reason fear compast round Those Arms which Persia's (p) When some of Alexander's Captains saw the vast Number of his Enemies they adviseth him to fall upon them by Night but He replyed he scorned to steal a Victory Quintus Curtius Monarch With Troops so numerous that all the Ground 'Twixt Tigris and Euphrates scarce could yield Them room to stand subdu'd in open Field Scorning to Fortune or to Night to ow A Victory He in full Day the Fo Assails while God and Men together stand Spectatours of the Wonders of his Hand And see each Macedonian Souldiers bring A Nation captivated to their King But not to speak of Battels where his Skill And Conduct all subjected to his Will No Town no City though the Sea and Land Conspir'd against his Force could Him withstand (q) The City of Tyre was so obstinate in holding out against Alexander's whole Force that he resolved once to raise the Siege but fearing it might stain the Glory of his former Victories after seven Months Siege and many terrible Attacks wherein He lost a great part of his Army He took it See Quintus Curtius in his Fourth Book Our Tyrian Walls alone the Glory have To have resisted well and that They gave A longer Stand to th' Torrent of his Rage Then all the Persian Pow'rs that did engage Against his Arms. No Object was above His Courage whose Example would remove All Obstacles that others might deterr And though in great Designs he would confer The Best he follow'd his own Thoughts alone And so made all his Victories his Own And may He have the Praise for none hath more In Arms deserv'd perhaps no God before Next him that Noble Epirote that came To the Tarentines Aid the Crown may claim His Courage when a Youth Pantauchus found Above his Strength though for his Strength renown'd While in two Armies View as once before His mighty Ancestour on Xanthus Shore Great Hector slew He his proud Fo subdu'd And to the wondring Macedonians shew'd All things that they had seen in former Times (r) Pyrrhus was invited into Italy by the Tarentines to assist them against the Romanes He was a Prince eminent for his Valour and Esteemed by the Macedonians as the likest Alexander of any of his Successours He slew Pantauchus Demetrius his Lieuteâ—ant in single Combat See Plutarch in the Life of Pyrrhus In their so glorious Prince except his Crimes Nor were his Victories by Arms alone Where Fortune more then Virtue oft is known To give the Bays His Wisdom Conquest findes Where his Sword could not reach and or'e the Mindes Of Men his Triumph gains and thus he drew From Romane Leagues Italian People to His side They thought themselves more Safe within His Camp then they in fenced Towns had bin Under the Romane Laws For he first taught That Art and Camps to their Perfection brought But if a Third you Seek who hath no less Then these deserv'd though Envious Gods Success Deny'd Me here Me Hannibal behold Who with as early Courage and as bold Attempts a War against the Romane Name Pursu'd and from the farthest Gades came To seek a Fo which future Times might call Most Worthy to contend with Hannibal Not soft Sabaeans or Arabians or A People that the Rites and Toils of War So little knew that charg'd with rich Perfume More then with Sweat or Dust did more presume On Numbers then their Arms or such whose Ease And Lusts must prove the Conquerour's Disease And future Ruin I through Nations born In War and nurtur'd in it with a Scorn Of Fate and Fortune or'e Pyrene o're The dreadful Alps Victorious Ensigns bore And found that Fo with whom I might contend With greater Fame who boast that they descend From Mans himself and to the World no less Appear by their great Valour and Success (s) As when Tarentum Capua and other Cities contended for Superiority with Rome and gave Opportunity to forein Enemies to enter Italy when Hannibal came against them all parts of Italy with Sicily Sardinia c. united under the Roman Laws Nor was it when some other Citie 's Pride With Rome for Empire strove and did divide Their scatter'd Force but when all Italy Her Strength united to encounter Me. I shall not open those deep