should be borne And so with suche persuasions he drewe on this woman to her full time of deliuerie But so soone as he perceyued she was neere her time he sent certaine to keepe her and to be present at her laboure commaunding them that if she were brought a bed of a daughter they should leaue her with the woman and if it were a sonne they should forthwith bring it to him in what place soeuer he was and what busines soever he had in hand It chaunced that she came euen about supper time and was deliuered of a sonne As he was sitting at the table with the other magistrates of the cittie his seruants entred the â—alle and presented to him the liâ—e babe which he tenderly tooke in his armes and sayed openly to them that were present beholde my lordes of SPARTA here is a Kinge borne vnto vs And speaking these wordes he layed him downe in the Kinges place and named him Charilaus as muche to saye as the ioye of the people Thus he sawe all the lookers on reioycing muche and might heare them prayse and extoll his synceritie iustice and vertue By this meanes he raigned only as King but eight moneths From thenceforth he was taken and esteemed so iust and syncere a man among the citizens that there were moe that willingly obeyed him for his vertue then for that he was the Kings regent or that he had the gouernment of the whole Realme in his hands NotwithstaÌ„ding there were some that bare him displeasure and malice who sought to hinder disgrace his credit and chiefly the friends and kinred of the Kings mothers whose power and honour were thought much impayred by Lycurgus authoritie In so much as a brother of hers called Leonidas entring boldly into great words with him on a daye dyd not sticke to say to his face I knowe for a certaintie one of these dayes thou wilt be King meaning thereby to bring him in suspition with the citizens Which thing though Lycurgus neuer ment yet of a subtill and craftie wit Leonidas thought by geuing out such words that if the young King happened to dye in his minoritie naturally it would be mistrusted that Lycurgus had secretly made him awaye The Kings mother also gaue out such like speaches which in the end dyd so trouble him with the feare he had what eueÌ„t might fall out thereof that he determined to departe his countrie and by his absence to auoyde the suspition that therein might growe vpon him any waye So he trauelled abroade in the worlde as a straunger vntill his nephew had begotten a sonne who was to succeede him in his kingdome He hauing with this determination taken his iorney went first of all into CRETA where he diligently obserued and considered the manner of their liuing the order of the gouernment of their CoÌ„mon weale and euer kept company with the best and euer was conferring with the most learned There he founde very good lawes in his iudgement which he noted of purpose to carie home to his countrie to serue when time should come He founde there other lawes also but of them he made no reckoning Nowe there was one man that aboue the rest was reputed wise and skilfull in matters of state gouernment who was called Thales with whom Lycurgus dyd so much by intreatie and for familier friendshippe that he persuaded him to goe with him vnto SPARTA This Thales was called the Poet Harper whereupon he had that title and name but in effect he sange all that the best and sufficientest gouernours of the worlde could deuise For all his songes were goodly ditties wherein he dyd exhorte and persuade the people to liue vnder obedience of the law in peace concorde one with the other His words were set out with such tunes countenance accents that were so full of swetenes harmony and pearsing that inwardly it melted mens heartes and drue the hearers of a loue to like the most honest things and to leaue all hatred enmitie sedition and diuision which at that time reigned sore amoÌ„g them So as it maye be sayed he it was that prepared the waye for Lycurgus whereby he afterwards reformed and brought the LACEDAEMONIANS vnto reason At his departing out of CRETA he went into ASIA with intent as it is sayed to compare the maÌ„ner of life and pollicie of those of CRETA being then very straight and seuere with the superfluities and vanities of IONIA and thereupon to consider the difference betwene their two manners gouernments as the physitian doth who to knowe the hole healthfull the better doth vse to compare them with the sicke diseased It is very likely it was there where he first sawe Homers works in the hands of the heires successours of Cleophylus finding in the same aswell many rules of pollicie as the great pleasure of Poets faining he diligently coppied it out and made a volume thereof to carie into GRECE It is true there was much fame abroad of Homers poesies among the GRECIANS howbeit there were fewe of them brought together but were scattered here there in diuers mens hands in pampflets peces vnsowed without any order but the first that brought them most to light amoÌ„g men was Lycurgus The AEGYPTIANS saye that he was in their countrie also that hauing founde thereone notable ordinaunce among other that their souldiers aad men of warre were separated from the rest of the people he brought the practise of it into SPARTA where setting the marchants artificers labourers euery one a parte by them selues he did establish a noble CoÌ„mon wealth So the AEGYPTIAN historiographers and some others also of GRECE doe write He was also in AFRICKE and in SPAYNE as farre as INDIA to conferre with the wise men there that were called the philosophers of INDIA I knowe no man that hathe written it sauing Aristocrates that was Hipparchus sonne The LACEDAEMONIANS wished for him often when he was gone and sent diuers and many a time to call him home who thought their Kings had but the honour and title of Kings and not the vertue or maiestie of a prince whereby they dyd excell the common people But as for Lycurgus they thought of him thus that he was a man borne to rule to coÌ„maund and to geue order as hauing in him a certaine naturall grace and power to drawe men willingly to obeye him Moreouer the Kings them selues were not vnwilling to haue him to returne home bicause they hoped that his presence would somwhat brydle restrayne the people from their insolencie disobedieÌ„ce towards them Whereupon Lycurgus returning home in this opinion and affection of men it fell out that he was no sooner arriued but he beganne to deuise howe to alter the whole gouernment of the common weale throughout to chaunge the whole course and order of the state thincking that to make only certaine particular lawes were to no purpose
him that it was an ill signe Alexander thereuppon gaue order straight that they shoulde doe sacrifice for the health of Clitus and speciallie for that three dayes before he dreamed one night that he sawe Clitus in a mourninge gowne sittinge amongest the sonnes of Parmenio the which were all dead before This notwithstanding Clitus did not make an ende of his sacrifice but came straight to supper to the kinge who had that day sacrificed vnto Castor and Pollux At this feast there was olde drinking and all the supper time there were certaine verses song and made by a Poet called Pranichus or as others say of one Pierion against certaine Captaines of the MACEDONIANS which had not long before bene ouercome by the barbarous people and only to shame them and to make the companie laugh With these verses auncient men that were at this feast became much offended and grewe angrie with the Poet that made them and the minstrell that song them Alexander on thother side and his familliars liked them verie well and commaunded the minstrell to sing still Clitus therewithall being ouer-taken with wine and besides of a churlish nature prowde and arrogant fell into greater choller and sayd that it was neither well nor honestlie done in that sorte to speake ill of those poore MACEDONIAN Captaines and speciallie amongest the barbarous people their enemies which were farre better men then they that laughed them to scorne although their fortune much worse then theirs Alexander then replied and sayd that saying so he pleaded for him selfe calling cowardlinesse misfortune Then Clitus standing vp sayd againe but yet this my cowardlynes saued thy life that callest thy selfe the sonne of the goddes when thou turnedst thy backe from Spithridates sword and the blood which these poore MACEDONIANS did shedde for thee and the woundes which they receiued of their bodies fighting for thee haue made thee so great that thou disdainest now to haue king Philip for thy father and wilt needes make thy selfe the sonne of Iupiter Hammon Alexander being moued with these words straight replied O villen thinkest thou to scape vnpunished for these prowde words of thine which thou vsest continually against me making the MACEDONIANS rebell against Alexander Clitus aunswered againe too much are we punished Alexander for our paines and seruice to receiue such reward nay most happy thinke we them that long sence are dead and gone not now to see the MACEDONIANS scourged with roddes of the MEDES compelled to curry fauor with the PERSIANS to haue accesse vnto their king Thus Clitus boldly speaking against Alexander and Alexander againe aunswering and reuiling him the grauest men sought to pacifie this sturre and tumult Alexander then turning him selfe vnto Xenodochâ—s .. CARDIAN and Artemius COLOPHONIAN doe you not thinke sayd he that the GRAECIANS are amongest the MACEDONIANS as demy goddes that walke among brute beastes Clitus for all this would not geue ouer his impudency and mallapertnesse but cried out and bad Alexander speake openlie what he had to say or else not to bidde free men come to suppe with him that were wont to speake franckely if not to keepe with the barbarous slaues than honored his PERSIAN girdell and long white garment Then coulde Alexander no longer hold his choller but tooke an apple that was vpon his table and threw it at Clitus and looked for his sworde the which Aristophanes one of his gard that waited on him had of purpose taken from him And when euerie man came straight about him to stay him and to pray him to be contented he immediatly rose from the borde and called his gard vnto him in the MACEDONIAN tongue which was a signe of great trouble to followe after it and commaunded a trompetor to sound the allarme But he drawing backe would not sound whereuppon Alexander strake him with his fist Notwithstanding the trompetor was greatly commended afterwards for that he only kept the campe that they rose not All this could not quiet Clitus whereupon his frends with much a doe thrust him out of the halle but he came in againe at an other dore and arrogantly and vnreuerently rehearsed this verse of the Poet Euripides out of Andromaches tragedie Alas for sorovv euill vvayes Are into Grace crept novv a dayes Then Alexander taking a partisan from one of his gard as Clitus was comming towardes him and had lift vp the hanging before the dore he ranne him through the body so that Clitus fell to the ground and fetching one grone died presently Alexanders choller had left him straight and he became maruelous sorowfull and when he saw his frendes round about him say neuer a word he pluckt the partisan out of his body would haue thrust it into his owne throte Howbeit his gard about him caught him by the hands caried him perforce into his chamber there he did nothing all that night but weepe bitterly the next day following vntill such time as he was able to crie no more but lying on the ground onely laie sighing His frendes hearing his voice no more were afraid and came into his chamber by force to comfort him But Alexander would heare none of them sauing Ariftâ—nder the Soothesayer who remembred him of his dreame he had of Clitus before which was prognostication of that which had happened whereby it appeared that it was his desteny before he was borne This seemed to comfort Alexander Afterwardes they brought in Callisthenes the philosopher akinsman of Aristotles and Anaxarchus borne in AEDERA Of these two Callisthenes fought by gentle talke not mouing any matter offensiue to comfort Alexanders sorow But Anaxarchus that from the beginning had taken a way by him selfe in the studie of philosophie being accompted a braine sicke man and one that despised his companions he comming into Alexanders chamber also with him cryed out at the dore as he came in See yonder is Alexander the great whom all the world lookes apon and is affraid of See where he lies weeping like a slaue on the ground that is affraid of the lawe and of the reproche of men as if he him selfe should not geue them law and stablish the boundes of iustice or iniustice sithence he hath ouercome to be Lord and master and not to be subiect and slaue to a vaine opinion Knowest thou not that the poets saie that Iupiter hath Themis to wit right and iustice placed of either hand on him what signifieth that but all that the prince doth is wholy right and iust These wordes of Anaxarchus did comfort the sorowfull harte of king Alexander at that time but therewithall they made Alexanders maners afterwardes more fierce and dissolute For as he thereby did maruelously grow in fauor with the king euen so did he make the company of Callisthenes who of him selfe was not very pleasaunt bicause of his grauery and sowrenes much more hatefull and misliked then before It is written also that there was certain talke one night at
from an other not straggling out of order and shaking their pikes speaking neuer a word But so soone as the allarom was giuen the horsemen sodainly turned head vpon the PARTHIANS and with great cries gaue charge on them who at the first receiued their charge coragiously for they were ioined nerer thē within an arrowes shoote But when the legions also came to ioine with them showting out alowde ratling of their armors the PARTHIANS horses and them selues were so affrayed and amazed withall that they all turned taile and fled before the ROMANES could come to the sword with them Then Antonius followed thē hard in chase being in great good hope by this conflict to haue brought to end all or the most part of this warre But after that his footemen had chased them fiftie furlonges of and the horsemen also thrise as farre they found in all but thirty prisoners taken and about foure score men only slaine But this did much discorage them when they cōsidered with them selues that obtaining the victory they had slaine so few of their enemies and where they were ouercome they lost as many of their men as they had done at the ouerthrow when the cariage was taken The next morning Antonius army trussed vp their cariage and marched backe towards their campe and by the way in their returne they met at the first a fewe of the PARTHIANS then going further they met a few moe So at length when they all came together they reuiled them troubled them on euery side as freshly coragiously as if they had not bene ouerthrowen so that the ROMANES very hardly got to their campe with safety The MEDES on the other side that were besieged in their chiefe city of PHRAATA made a saly out vpon them that kept the mount which they had forced and cast against the wall of the city and draue them for feare from the mount they kept Antonius was so offended withall that he executed the Decimation For he deuided his men by ten legions and then of them he put the tenth legion to death on whom the lot fell and to the other nine he caused them to haue barley giuen them in stead of wheate Thus this warre fell out troublesome vnto both parties and the ende thereof muche more fearefull For Antonius could looke for no other of his side but famine bicause he could forrage no more nor fetche in any vittells without great losse of his men Phraortes on the other side he knew well enough that he could bring the PARTHIANS to any thing els but to lye in campe abroad in the winter Therefore he was affrayed that if the ROMANES continued their siege all winter long made warre with him still that his mē would forsake him specially bicause the time of the yere went away apace the ayer waxed clowdy cold in the equinoctiall autumne Thereupon he called to mind this deuise He gaue the chiefest of his gentlemē of the PARTHIANS charge that when they met the ROMANES out of their campe going to forrage or to water their horse or for some other prouision that they should not distresse them too muche but should suffer them to carie somewhat away and greatly commend their valliantnes and hardines for the which their king did esteeme them the more and not without cause After these first baytes and allurements they beganne by litle and litle to come neerer vnto them and to talke with them a horsebacke greatly blaming Antonius selfewill that did not geue their king Phraortes occasion to make a good peace who desired nothing more then to saue the liues of so goodly a companie of valliant men but that he was too fondly bent to abide two of the greatest and most dreadfull enemies he could haue to wit winter and famine the which they should hardly away withall though the PARTHIANS did the best they could to aide accompany them These words being oftentimes brought to Antonius they made him a litle pliant for the good hope he had of his returne but yet he woulde not sende vnto the king of PARTHIA before they had first asked these barbarous people that spake so curteously vnto his men whether they spake it of them selues or that they were their maisters words When they told them the king him selfe sayd so and did perswade them further not to feare or mistrust them then Antonius sent some of his frends vnto the king to make demaund for the deliuery of the ensignes and prisoners he had of the ROMANES since the ouerthrow of Crassus to the ende it should not appeare that if he asked nothing they shoulde thinke he were glad that he might only scape with safety out of the daunger he was in The king of PARTHIA answered him that for the ensignes prisoners he demaunded he should not breake his head about it notwithstāding that if he would presently depart without delay he might depart in peaceable maner and without daunger Wherefore Antonius after he had giuen his men some time to trusse vp their cariage he raised his campe tooke his way to depart But though he had an excellent tongue at will and very gallant to enterteine his souldiers and men of warre and that he could passingly well do it as well or better then any Captaine in his time yet being ashamed for respects he would not speake vnto them at his remouing but willed Domitius AEnobarbus to do it Many of them tooke this in very ill parte thought that he did it in disdaine of them but the most part of them presently vnderstoode the truth of it and were also ashamed Therefore they thought it their dueties to carie the like respect vnto their Captaine that their Captaine did vnto them and so they became the more obedient vnto him So Antonius was minded to returne the same way he came being a plaine barren contry without wodde But there came a souldier to him borne in the contry of the MARDIANS who by oft frequenting the PARTHIANS of long time knew their facions very wel and had also shewed him selfe very true faithfull to the ROMANES in the battell where Antonius engines of battery and cariage were taken away This man came vnto Antonius to counsell him to beware how he went that way and to make his army a pray being heauily armed vnto so great a number of horsemen all archers in the open field where they should haue nothing to let them to compasse him round about and that this was Phraortes fetch to offer him so frendly cōdicions curteous words to make him raise his siege that he might afterwards meete him as he would in the plaines howbeit that he would guide him if he thought good an other way on the right hand through woddes mountaines a farre neerer way and where he should finde great plenty of all things needefull for his army Antonius hearing what he said called his counsel together to consult vpon
THE LIVES OF THE NOBLE GRECIANS AND ROMANES COMPARED together by that graue learned Philosopher and Historiographer Plutarke of Chaeronea Translated out of Greeke into French by IAMES AMYOT Abbot of Bellozane Bishop of Auxerre one of the Kings priuy counsel and great Amner of Fraunce and out of French into Englishe by Thomas North. Jn repentance remembrance ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier and Iohn VVight 1579. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCESSE ELIZABETH BY THE GRACE OF GOD OF ENGLAND Fraunce and Ireland Queene defender of the faith c. VNDER hope of your highnes gratious and accustomed fauor I haue presumed to present here vnto your Maiestie Plutarkes lyues translated as a booke fit to be protected by your highnes and meete to be set forth in Englishe For vvho is fitter to giue countenance to so many great states than such an highe and mightie Princesse vvho is fitter to reuiue the dead memorie of their fame than she that beareth the liuely image of their vertues vvho is fitter to authorize a vvorke of so great learning and vvisedome than she vvhome all do honor as the Muse of the vvorld Therefore I humbly beseech your Maiestie to suffer the simplenes of my translation to be couered vnder the amplenes of your highnes protection For most gracious Souereigne though this booke be no booke for your Maiesties selfe vvho are meeter to be the chiefe storie than a student therein and can better vnderstand it in Greeke than any man can make it Englishe yet I hope the common sorte of your subiects shall not onely profit them selues hereby but also be animated to the better seruice of your Maiestie For amonge all the profane bookes that are in reputacion at this day there is none your highnes best knovves that teacheth so much honor loue obedience reuerence zeale and deuocion to Princes as these liues of Plutarke doe Hovve many examples shall your subiects reade here of seuerall persons and vvhole armyes of noble and base of younge and olde that both by sea lande at home and abroad haue strayned their vvits not regarded their states ventured their persons cast avvay their liues not onely for the honor and safetie but also for the pleasure of their Princes Then vvell may the Readers thinke if they haue done this for heathen Kings vvhat should vve doe for Christian Princes If they haue done this for glorye vvhat should vve doe for religion If they haue done this vvithout hope of heauen vvhat should vve doe that looke for immortalitie And so adding the encouragement of these exsamples to the forvvardnes of their ovvne dispositions vvhat seruice is there in vvarre vvhat honor in peace vvhich they vvill not be ready to doe for their vvorthy Queene And therefore that your highnes may giue grace to the booke and the booke may doe his service to your Maiestie I haue translated it out of French and doe here most humbly present the same vnto your highnes beseeching your Maiestie vvith all humilitie not to reiect the good meaning but to pardon the errours of your most humble and obedient subiect and seruaunt vvho prayeth God long to multiplye all graces and blessings vpon your Maiestie VVritten the sixteene day of Ianuary 1579. Your Maiesties most humble and obedient seruaunt Thomas North. To the Reader THE profit of stories and the prayse of the Author are sufficiently declared by Amiot in his Epistle to the Reader So that I shall not neede to make many wordes thereof And in deede if you will supply the defects of this translation with your owne diligence and good vnderstanding you shall not neede to trust him you may proue your selues that there is no prophane studye better then Plutarke All other learning is priuate fitter for Vniuersities then cities fuller of contemplacion than experience more commēdable in the students themselues than profitable vnto others Whereas stories are fit for euery place reache to all persons serue for all tymes teache the liuing reuine the dead so farre excelling all other bookes as it is better to see learning in noble mens liues than to reade it in Philosophers writings Nowe for the Author I will not denye but loue may deceiue me for I must needes loue him with whome I haue taken so much payne but I beleue I might be bold to affirme that he hath written the profitablest story of all Authors For all otherwere sayne to take their matter as the fortune of the contries whereof they wrote fell out But this man being excellent in wit learning and experience hath chosen the speciall actes of the best persons of the famosest nations of the world But I will leaue the judgement to your selues My onely purpose is to desire you to excuse the faults of my translation with your owne gentlenes and with the opinion of my diligence and good entent And so I wishe you all the profit of the booke Fare ye well The foure and twenty day of Ianuary 1579. Thomas North. Amiot to the Readers THe reading of bookes vvhich bring but a vaine and vnprofitable pleasure to the Reader is iustly misliked of vvise and grauemen Againe the reading of such as doe but onely bring profit and make the Reader to be in loue therevvith and doe not ease the payne of the reading by some pleasauntnes in the same doe seeme somevvhat harshe to diuers delicate vvits that can not tary long vpon them But such bookes as yeeld pleasure and profit and doe both delight and teache haue all that a man can desire vvhy they should be vniuersally liked and allovved of all sortes of men according to the common saying of the Poet Horace That he which matcheth profit with delight Doth winne the price in euery poynt aright Eyther of these yeeld his effect the better be reason the one runneth vvith the other profiting the more bicause of the delight and deliting the more bicause of the profit This commendation in my opinion is most proper to the reading of stories to haue pleasure and profit matched together vvhich kind of delight and teaching meeting in this vvise arme in arme hath more allovvance then any other kind of vvriting or inuention of man In respect vvhereof it may be reasonably auovved that men are more beholding to such good vvits as by their graue and vvise vvriting haue deserued the name of Historiographers then they are to any other kind of vvriters bicause an historie is an orderly register of notable things said done or happened in time past to mainteyne the continuall remembrance of them and to serue for the instruction of them to come And like as memorie is as a storehouse of mens conceits and deuises vvithout the vvhich the actions of the other tvvo parts should be vnperfect and vvelneare vnprofitable So may it also be sayd that an historie is the very treasury of mans life vvhereby the notable doings and sayings of men and the vvonderfull aduentures straunge cases vvhich the long
bicause mans life is so short and experience is hard and daungerous specially in matters of vvarre vvherein according to the saying of Tamathus the Athenian Captaine a man can not fault tvvice bicause the faultes are so great that most commonly they bring vvith them the ouerthrovv of the state or the losse of the liues of those that do them Therefore vve must not tary for this vvit that is vvon by experience vvhich costeth so deere and is so long a comming that a man is ofttimes dead in the seeking of it before he haue attained it so as he had neede of a seconde life to imploy it in bicause of the ouerlate comming by it But vve must make speede by our diligent and continuall reading of histories both old and nevv that vve may enjoy this happinesse vvhich the Poet speaketh of A happie wight is he that by mishappes Of others doth beware of afterchappes By the vvay as concerning those that say that paper vvill beare all things if there be any that vnvvorthily take vpon them the name of historiographers and deface the dignity of the story for hatred or fauor by mingling any vntrueth vvith it that is not the fault of the historie but of the men that are partiall vvho abuse that name vnvvorthily to couer and cloke their ovvne passions vvithall vvhich thing shall neuer come to passe if the vvriter of the storie haue the properties that are necessarily required in a storie vvriter as these That he set aside all affection be voyde of enuy hatred and flattery that he be a man experienced in the affaires of the vvorld of good vtterance and good iudgement to discerne vvhat is to be sayd and vvhat to be left vnsayd vvhat vvould do more harme to haue it declared than do good to haue it reproued or condemned forasmuch as his chiefe drift ought to be to serue the common vveale and that he is but as a register to set dovvne the iudgements and definitiue sentences of Gods Court vvhereof some are geuen according to the ordinarie course and capacitie of our vveake naturall reason and other some goe according to Gods infinite povver and incomprehensible vvisedom aboue and against all discourse of mans vnderstanding vvho being vnable to reach to the bottome of his iudgements and to finde out the first motions and groundes thereof do impute the cause of them to acertaine fortune vvhich is nought else but a fained deuice of mans vvit dazeled at the beholding of such brightnesse and confounded at the gaging of so bottomlesse a deepe hovvbeit nothing commeth to passe nor is done vvithout the leaue of him that is the verie right and trueth it selfe vvith vvhom nothing is past or to come and vvho knovveth and vnderstandeth the very originall causes of all necessitie The consideration vvhereof teacheth men to humble them selues vnder his mightie hande by acknovvledging that there is one first cause vvhich ouerruleth nature vvhereof it commeth that neither hardinesse is alvvaies happie nor vvisedom alvvaies sure of good successe These so notable commodities are euery vvhere accompanied vvith singular delight vvhich proceedeth chiefly of diuersitie and nouelty vvherein our nature delighteth and is greatly desirous of bicause vve hauing an earnest inclination tovvards our best prosperity and aduauncement it goeth on still seeking it in euery thing vvhich it taketh to be goodly or good in this vvorld But forasmuch as it findeth not vvherevvith to content it selfe vnder the cope of heauen it is soone vveary of the things that it had earnestly desired affore so goeth on vvādring in the vnskilfulness of her likings vvherof she neuer ceasseth to make a continuall chaunging vntill she haue fully satisfied her desires by attaining to the last end vvhich is to be knit to her chiefe felicity vvhere is the full perfection of all goodlines and goodnes This liking of varietie can not be better releeued than by that vvhich is the finder out and the preseruer of time the father of all noueltie and messenger of antiquitie For if vve finde a certaine singular pleasure in hearkening to such as be returned from some long voyage and doe report things vvhich they haue seene in straunge contries as the maners of people the natures of places and the fashions of liues differing from ours and if vve be sometime so rauished vvith delight and pleasure at the hearing of the talke of some vvise discreete and vvell spoken old man from vvhose mouth there flovveth a streame of speech svveeter than honnie in rehearsing the aduentures vvhich he hath had in his greene and youthfull yeares the paines that he hath indured and the perills that he hath ouerpassed so as vve perceiue not hovv the time goeth avvay hovv much more ought vve be rauished vvith delight and vvondring to behold the state of mankind and the true successe of things vvhich antiquitie hath and doth bring forth from the beginning of the vvorld as the setting vp of Empires the ouerthrovv of Monarchies the rising and falling of Kingdoms and all things else vvorthie admiration and the same liuely set forth in the faire rich and true table of eloquence And that so liuely as in the very reading of them vve feele our mindes to be so touched by them not as though the thinges vvere alreadie done and past but as though they vvere euen then presently in doing and vve finde our selues caried avvay vvith gladnesse and griefe through feare or hope vvell neere as though vve vvere then at the doing of them vvhere as notwithstanding vve be not in any paine or daunger but only conceiue in our mindes the aduersities that other folkes haue indured our selues sitting safe vvith our contentation and ease according to these verses of the Poet Lucretius It is a pleasure for to sit at ease Vpon the land and safely thence to see How other folkes are toffed on the seaes That with the blustring windes turmoyled be Not that the sight of others miseries Doth any way the honest hart delight But for bicause it liketh well our eyes To see harmes free that on our selues might light Also it is seene that the reading of histories doth so holde and allure good vvits that diuers times it not only maketh them to forget all other pleasures but also serueth very fittely to turne avvay their griefes and somtimes also to remedie their diseases As for example vve find it vvritten of Alphonsus King of Naples that Prince so greatly renovvmed in Chronicles for his vvisedom and goodnesse that being sore sicke in the citie of Capua vvhen his Phisitions had spent all the cunning that they had to recouer him his health and he savv that nothing preuailed he determined vvith him selfe to take no mo medicines but for his recreacion caused the storie of Quintus Curtius concerning the deedes of Alexander the great to be red before him at the hearing vvhereof he tooke so vvonderfull pleasure that nature gathered strength by it and ouercame the vvayvvardnes of his disease VVhereupon
or daūger visited one another making great cheere as if out of the springing fountaine of Numaes wisedom many pretie brookes streames of good honest life had rōne ouer all ITALIE had watered it that the mildnes of his wisdom had frō hand to hand bene disparsed through the whole world Insomuch as the ouer excessiue speaches the Poets accustomably doe vse were not sufficiēt enough to expresse the peaceable raigne of that time There spiders vveaue their cobvvebbes daye and night in harnesses vvhich vvont to serue for vvarre there cancred rust doth fret the steele full bright of trenchant blades vvell vvhet in many a Iarre There mighty speares for lacke of vse are eaten vvith rotten vvormes and in that countrie there the braying trompe dothe neuer seeme to threaten their quiet eares vvith blasts of bloudy feare There in that lande no drovvsie sleepe is broken vvith hotte alarmes vvhich terrours doe betoken For during all king Numaes raigne it was neuer heard that euer there were any warres ciuil dissention or innouation of gouernment attempted against him nor yet any secret comitie or malice borne him neither any cōspiracie once thought on to reigne in his place And whether it was for feare of displeasing the godds which visibly seemed to take him into their protectiō or for the reuerent regarde they had vnto his vertue or for his prosperous good successe all the time he raigned I cannot tell howbeit he sought to keepe men still pure honest from all wickednes layed most open before the eyes of the whole world a very exāple of that which Plato long time after did affirme saye concerning true gouernmēt which was That the only meane of true quietnes remedy from all euill which euer troubleth men was when by some diuine ordinaunce from aboue there meteth in one person the right maiestie of a King the minde of a wise philosopher to make vertue gouernesse ruler ouervice For in deede happie is such a wise man more happy are they which maye heare the graue counsaill good lessons of such a mouthe And there me thincks needeth no force no cōpulsion no threates nor extremitie to bridle the people For men seeing the true image of vertue in their visible prince in the example of his life doe willingly growe to be wise of them selues doe fall into loue liking and friendshippe together and doe vse all temperaunce iust dealing and good order one toward another leading their life without offence and with the commendation of other which is the chiefe pointe of felicitie and the most happie good that can light vnto men And he by nature is best worthy to be a King who through his wisdome and vertue can graffe in mens manners such a good disposition and this Numa aboue all other seemed best to knowe and vnderstand Furthermore touching his wiues and children there are great contrarieties amōg the historiographers For some of them saye he neuer maried other wife then Tatia and that he neuer had any children but one only daughter and she was called Pompilia Other write to the contrarie that he had foure sonnes Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus of euery one of the which by succession from the father to the sonne haue descended the noblest races and most auncient houses of the ROMAINES As the house of the Pomponians of Pompo the house of the Pinarians of Pinus the house of the Calphurnians of Calpus the house of the Mamerciās of Mamercus All which families by reason of their first progenitor haue kept the surname of Reges Kings There are three other writers which doe reproue the two first saying that they dyd write to gratifie the families making them falsely to descend of the noble race of king Numa Moreouer it is sayed he had his daughter Pompilia not by Tatia but by his other wife called Lucretia whom he maried after he was made king Howbeit they all agree that his daughter Pompilia was maried vnto one Martius the sonne of the same Martius which persuaded him to accept the kingdome of ROME For he went with him to ROME to remaine there where they dyd him the honour to receyue him into the number of the Senatours After the death of Numa Martius the father stoode against Tullus Hostilius for the succession of the Realme and being ouercome he killed him selfe for sorowe But his sonne Martius who maried Pompilia continued still at ROME where he begotte Ancus Martius who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius and was but fiue yere olde when Numa dyed Whose death was not so daine For he dyed consuming by litle and litle aswell through age as also through a lingring disease that waited on him to his ende as Piso hath written and Numa at his death was litle more then foure score yere old But the pompe and honour done vnto him at his funeralles made his life yet more happie and glorious For all the people his neighbours friendes kinsemen and allies of the ROMAINES came thither bringing crownes with them and other publicke contributions to honour his obsequies The noble men selues of the cittie which were called Patricians caried on their shoulders the very bedd on which the course laye to be conueyed to his graue The Priestes attended also on his bodie and so dyd all the rest of the people women and children in like case which followed him to his tumbe all bewaling and lamenting his death with teares sighes and mournings Not as a King dead for very age but as they had mourned for the death of their dearest kinseman and nearest friende that had dyed before he was olde They burnt not his bodie bicause as some saye he commaunded the contrarie by his will and testament but they made two coffines of stone which they buried at the foote of the hill called Ianiculum In the one they layed his bodie in the other the holy bookes which he had written him selfe much like vnto those which they that made the lawes among the GRECIANS dyd write in tables But bicause in his life time he had taught the priestes the substaunce of the whole conteined in the same he willed the holy tables which he had written should be buried with his bodie For he thought it not reasonable that so holy matters should be kept by dead letters and writings but by mens manners exercises And he followed herein they saye the Pythagorians who would not put their worckes in writing but dyd printe the knowledge of them in their memories whom they knew to be worthy men and that without any writing at all And if they had taught any manner of persone the hidden rules and secretes of Geometrie which had not bene worthy of them then they sayed the goddes by manifest tokens would threaten to reuenge such sacriledge and impietie with some great destruction and miserie Therefore seeing so many things agreable and altogether like betweene Numa
by diuers signes and tokens had procured him to come to submit him selfe vnto him and tolde the King what vision he had seene in his dreame in Nicogenes house and declared also the oracle of Iupiter Dodonian who had commaunded him that he should goe vnto him that was called as a god and howe he thought it was the persone of his maiestie bicause that god and he in trothe were called both great Kings The King hauing thus heard him speake gaue him then no present aunswer againe notwithstanding he maruelously wondred at his great wisedome and boldenes But afterwardes amongest his familliars the King sayed he thought him selfe very happy to mete with the good fortune of Themistocles comming to him and so besought his great god Arimanius that he would allwayes send his enemies such mindes as to banishe the greatest wisest men amongest them It is reported also he did sacrifice vnto the goddes to geue them thankes therefore and disposed him selfe presently to be mery Insomuch as dreaming in the night in the middest of his dreame he cried out three times together for ioye I haue Themistocles the Athenian The next morning the King hauing sent for the chiefest lordes of his courte he made Themistocles also to be brought before him who looked for no goodnes at all specially when he sawe the souldiers warding at the gates geue him ill countenaunce and language both when they behelde him and vnderstoode his name Moreouer Roxanes one of the captaines as Themistocles passed by him going to the King who was set in his chayer of state and euery man keeping silence softely sighing sayed vnto him O thou Greekishe serpent subtill and malicious the Kings good fortune hath brought thee hether Neuertheles when he came to the King had once againe made him a very humble and lowe reuerence the King saluted him spake very curteously to him saying I am nowe your detter of two hundred talents for presenting your self It is good reason I should deliuer you the money promised him that should haue brought you but I geue you a further warrante be bolde I charge you speake your minde freely saye what you thinke of the state of GRECE Themistocles then aunswered him That mens wordes did properly resemble the stories and imagery in a pece of arras for both in the one in the other the goodly images of either of them are seene when they are vnfolded and layed open Contrariwise they appeare not but are lost when they are shut vp close folded whereupon he sayed to the King he must nedes require some further time of aunswer The King liked his comparison passingly well willed him to appointe his owne time Themistocles asked a yere in which time hauing pretily learned the Persian tongue he afterwards spake to the King him selfe without any interpreter So suche as were no courtiers thought he only talked with the King of matters of GRECE But bicause the chaunge alteration of the courte sell out great at that time the noble men imagined he had bene so bolde to comon with the King of them also Thereupon they greatly enuied him afterwardes murmured much against him For in deede the king dyd honour Themistocles aboue all other straūgers whatsoeuer they were On a time the king had him out a hunting with him he made him see his mother with whom he grewe familliar and by the kings owne commaundement he was to heare the disputations of the wise men of PERSIA touching secret philosophie which they call magike Demaratus the LACEDAEMONIAN being at that time in the courte of PERSIA the king willing him to aske what gifte he would He besought the king to graūt him this fauour to licēce him to goe vp down the cittie of SARDIS with his royall hat on his head as the kings of PERSIA doe Mithropaustes the kings cosin taking him by the hād sayed vnto him Demaratus the kings hatte thou demaundest and if it were on thy heade it would couer but litle wit Naye though Iupiter dyd geue thee his lightning in thy hande yet that would not make thee Iupiter But the king gaue him so sharpe a repulse for his vnreasonable request was so angrie with him for it that it was thought he would neuer haue forgeuen him howbeit Themistocles was so earnest a suter for him that he brought him into fauour againe And the reporte goeth that the kings successours which haue bene since that time vnder whom the PERSIANS haue had more dealings with the GRECIANS then in former dayes when they would retaine any great state or personage of GRECE into their seruice they wrote vnto him and promised him they would make him greater about them then euer was Themistocles about Xerxes That which is written of him doth also confirme it For he being stept vp to great countenaunce and authoritie followed with great traines of suters after him by reason of his greatnes seing him self one daye very honorably serued at his table with all sortes of daintie meates he turned him to his childrē sayed vnto them My sonnes we should haue bene vndone if we had not bene vndone The most writers doe agree that he had giuen him the reuenue of 3. citties for his allowance of bread wine vittailes to wit MAGNESIA LAMPSACVS MYVNTA But Neāthes Cyziceniā Phanias doe adde two other citties more PERCOTA PALESCEPSIA the one to defraye his charges of apparell the other for his lodging Afterwards Themistocles going into the lowe countries towards the sea to take order against the practises of the GRECIANS there was a PERSIAN lord called Epixies gouernour of highe PHRYGIA that had layed a traine to kill him hauing of long time hiered certaine murderers of PISIDIA to doe it so soone as he should come into a towne of his gouernment called the Lyons head But as he slept on a daye in his house in the after none the mother of the goddes appeared vnto him and sayed Themistocles goe not to the Lyons heade for feate thou mete with the Lyon and for this warning I doe aske thy daughter Mnesiptolema for my seruante Themistocles waking sodainely out of his dreame made his prayer vnto the goddesse and turning out of the highe waye fetched another compasse about Afterwardes hauing passed that towne he tooke his lodging being benighted but one of the beastes which caried his tente fell by the waye vnfortunatly in a riuer and all his arras and tapestry hangings being throughly wet his seruaunts were driuen to laye them out a drying by moone light The Pisidians that laye in wayte and could not discerne by moone light that they were hangings layed out to drye thought it had bene the very tente Themistocles selfe dyd lye in whereupon they went vnto it with their swordes drawen in their handes hoping to haue taken him sleeping But when they were come thither and beganne to lifte vp a pece of the hangings some of
yet but a young man and was ruled altogether by Cleandrides counsell and direction whom the Ephores had placed about him to counsell direct him he sought priuilie to corrupt Cleandrides When he had wonne him sone with his money he persuaded him to drawe backe the PELOPONNESIANS out of their countrie of ATTICA and so he dyd But when the LACEDAEMONIANS sawe their armie cassed that the people were gone their waye euery man to his owne cittie or towne they were so mad at it that the King was condemned in a great some The King being vnable to aunswer his fine which was so extreme great he was driuen to absent him self from LACEDAEMON Cleandrides on the other side if he had not fled in time euen for spight had bene condemned to death This Cleandrides was Gylippus father that afterwards ouercame the ATHENIANS in SICILIA in whom it seemed nature bred couetousnes as a disease inheritable by succession from father to the sonne For he being shamefully conuicted also for certen vile partes he had played was likewise banished from SPARTA as we haue more amply declared in the life of Lysander And Pericles deliuering vp the accoÌ„pt of his charge and setting downe an article of the expense of renne talentes he had employed or should employe in needefull causes the people allowed them him neuer asking question how nor which waye nor whether it was true that they were bestowed Now there are certen writers amoÌ„g whom the philosopher Theophrastus is one who write that Pericles sent yerely vnto SPARTA tenne taleÌ„ts with the which he entertained those that were in authoritie there bicause they should make no warres with them not to buye peace of them but time that he might in the meane season with better commoditie and that leysure prouide to mainteine the warres After that as the armie of the PELOPONNESIANS were out of the countrie of ATTICA he returned again against the rebels passed into the I le of EVBOEA with fiftie sayle c fiue thousand footemen well armed there he ouercame all the citties that had taken armes against him and draue away the Hyppobates who were the most famous men of all the CHALCIDIANS aswell for their riches as for their valliantnes He draue awaye also all the HESTIAEIANS whom he chased cleane out of all the countrie and placed in their cittie only the citizens of ATHENS And the cause why he delt so rigorously with them was bicause they hauing taken a galley of the ATHENIANS prisoner had put all the men to death that were in her And peace being concluded afterwards betwene the ATHENIANS and LACEDAEMONIANS for thirtie yeres he proclaimed open warres against those of the I le of SAMOS burdening them that they being coÌ„maunded by the ATHENIANS to pacifie the quarrells which they had against the MILLESIANS they would not obaye But bicause some hold opinion that he tooke vpon him this warre against SAMOS for the loue of Aspasia it shall be no great digression of our storie to tell you by the waye what manner of woman she was what a maruelous gifte and power she had that she could entangle with her loue the chiefest rulers and gouernours at that time of the common weale and that the philosophers them selues dyd so largely speake write of her First of all it is certaine that she was borne in the cittie of MILETVM and was the daughter of one Axiochus she following the steppes and example of an olde curtisan of IONIA called Thargelia gaue her selfe only to entertaine the greatest persones chiefest rulers in her time For this Thargelia being passing fayer and carying a comely grace with her hauing a sharpe wit and pleasaunt tongue she had the acquaintaunce and friendshippe of the greatest persones of all GRECE and wanne all those that dyd haunte her company to be at the king of Persiaes commaundement So that she sowed through all the citties of GRECE great beginnings of the faction of the MEDES for they were the greatest men of power authoritie of euerie cittie that were acquainted with her But as for Aspasia some saye that Pericles resorted vnto her bicause she was a wise woman and had great vnderstanding in matters of state and gouernment For Socrates him selfe went to see her somtimes with his friends and those that vsed her company also brought their wiues many times with them to heare her talke though her traine about her were to entertaine such as would warme them by their fire AEschines writeth that Lysicles a grasier being before but a meane man and of a clubbishe nature came to be the chief man of ATHENS by frequenting the companie of Aspasia after the death of Pericles And in Platoes booke intituled Menexenus although the beginning of it be but pleasauntly written yet in that this storie is written truely that this Aspasia was repaired vnto by diuers of the ATHENIANS to learne the arte of rethorike of her Yet notwithstanding it seemeth most likely that the affection Pericles dyd beare her grewe rather of loue then of any other cause For he was maried vnto a kinsewoman of his owne and that before was Hipponicus wife by whom she had Callias surnamed the riche had afterwards by Pericles Xantippus and Paralus But not liking her companie he gaue her with her owne good will and consent vnto another and maried Aspasia whom he dearely loued For euer when he went abroad came home againe he saluted her with a kisse Whereupon in the auncient comedies she is called in many places the newe Omphale and somtimes Deianira and somtimes Iuno But Cratinus plainely calleth her whore in these verses His Iuno she him brought Aspasia by name vvhich vvas in deede an open vvhore and past all 〈…〉 of shame And it seemeth that he had a bastard for Eupotu in a comedie of his called Demosâ— bringeth him in asking Pyronides thus I praye thee is my bastard sonne yet alive And then Pyramides aunswered him A perfect man long sence he surely had bene founde if that this levvde and a naughty vvhore his vertue had not drovvnâ—e To conclude this Aspasia was so famous that Cyrus he that sought against king Artaxerxes his brother for the empire of PERSIA called Aspasia his best beloued of all his concubines which before was called Milto and was borne in PROCIDES being Hermotineus daughter And Cyrus being slayne in the field Aspasia was caried to the King his brother with whom afterwardes she was in great fauour As I was writing this life this storie came in my minde and me thought I should haue delt hardly if I should haue left it vnwritten But to our matter againe Pericles was charged that he made warres against the SAMIANS on the behalfe of the MILESIANS at the request of Aspasia for these two citties were at warres together for the cittie of Pâ—Iâ—NA but the SAMIANS were the stronger Now the ATHENIANS commaunded them
Conon fled and the other being not much lesse then two hundred in number were euery one of them taken and caried awaye with three thousand prisoners whom Lysander put to death Shortely after he tooke the cittie self of ATHENS and rased their long walles euen to the ground After this great and notable victorie Alcibiades fearing sore the LACEDAEMONIANS who then without let or interruption of any were only Lords and Princes by sea and by lande he went into the countrie of BITHYNIA and caused great good to be brought after him and tooke a maruelous sūme of money with him besides great riches he left also in the castells of THRACIA where he dyd remaine before Howbeit he lost much of his goodes in BITHYNIA which certaine THRACIANS dwelling in that countrie had robbed him of taken from him So he determined to repaire forthwith vnto king Artaxerxes hoping that when the King had once proued him he should finde him a man of no lesse seruice then he had found Themistocles before him besides that the occasion of his going thither should be muche iuster then his was For he dyd not goe thither to make warre against the cittie of ATHENS and his countrie as Themistocles did but of a cōtrarie intent to make intercession to the King that it would please him to ayde them Now Alcibiades thinking he could vse no better meane then Pharnabazus helpe only to see him safely conducted to the Kings courte he proposed his iorney to him into the countrie of PHRYGIA where he abode a certaine time to attēd vpon him was very honorably entertained and receyued of Pharnabazus All this while the ATHENIANS founde them selues desolate in miserable state to see their empire lost but then much more when Lysander had taken all their liberties and dyd set thirtie gouernours ouer their cittie Now to late after all was lost where they might haue recouered againe if they had bene wise they beganne together to bewaile and lament their miseries and wretched state looking backe apon all their wilfull faultes and follies committed emong which they dyd reckon their second time of falling out with Alcibiades was their greatest faulte So they banished him only of malice and displeasure not for any offense him selfe in persone had committed against them sauing that his lieutenaunt in his absence had shamefully lost a fewe of their shippes and they them selues more shamefully had driuen out of their cittie the noblest souldier and most skilfull captaine that they had And yet they had some litle poore hope lefte that they were not altogether cast awaye so long as Alcibiades liued and had his health For before when he was a forsaken man and led a banished life yet he could not liue idely and doe nothing Wherefore now much more sayed they to them selues if there be any helpe at all he will not suffer out of doubt the insolencie pryde of the LACEDAEMONIANS nor yet abyde the cruelties and outrages of these thirtie tyrauntes And surely the common people had some reason to haue these thoughts in their heades considering that the thirtie gouernours them selues dyd what they could possiblie to spye out Alcibiades doinges and what he went about In so muche as Critias at the last declared to Lysander that so long the LACEDAEMONIANS might reckon them selues Lordes ouer all GREECE as they kept from the common people the rule and authoritie of the cittie of ATHENS And further he added that notwithstanding the people of ATHENS could well awaye to liue like subiects vnder the gouernment of a fewe yet Alcibiades whilest he liued would neuer suffer them so to be reigned ouer but would attempt by all deuise he could to bring a chaunge and innouation emong them Yet Lysander would not credit these persuasions before speciall commandement was sent to him from the Senate of LACEDAEMON vpon his allegiaunce that he should deuise to kill Alcibiades by all meanes he could procure either bicause in trothe they feared the subtiltie of his wit and the greatnes of his corage to enterprise matters of great weight and daunger or els that they sought to gratifie king Agis by it Lysander being thus straightly commaunded dyd send and practise incontinently with Pharnabazus to execute the facte who gaue his brother Magaeus and his vncle Sosamithres commission to attempt the matter Now was Alcibiades in a certen village of PHRYGIA with a concubine of his called Timandra So he thought he dreamed one night that he had put on his concubines apparell and how she dandling him in her armes had dressed his head friseling his heare and painted his face as he had bene a woman Other saye that he thought Magaeus strake of his head and made his bodie to be burnt and the voyce goeth this vision was but a litle before his death Those that were sent to kill him durst not enter the house where he was but set it a fire round about Alcibiades spying the fire got suche apparell and hanginges as he had and threwe it on the fire thincking to haue put it out and so casting his cloke about his left arme tooke his naked sworde in his other hande and ranne out of the house him selfe not once touched with fyer sauing his clothes were a litle singed These murderers so sone as they spied him drewe backe and stoode a sonder and durst not one of them come neere him to stande and fight with him but a farre of they bestowed so many arrowes and dartes of him that they killed him there Now when they had left him Timandra went and tooke his bodie which she wrapped vp in the best linnen she had and buried him as honorably as she could possible with suche things as she had and could get together Some holde opinion that Lais the only famous curtisan which they saye was of CORINTHE though in deede she was borne in a litle towne of SICILIA called HYCCARA where she was taken was his doughter Notwithstanding touching the death of Alcibiades there are some that agree to all the rest I haue written sauing that they saye it was neither Pharnabazus nor Lysander nor the LACEDAEMONIANS which caused him to be slaine but that he keeping with him a young gentlewoman of a noble house whom he had stolen awaye and instised to follie her brethern to reuenge this iniurie went to set fire vpon the house where he was and that they killed him as we haue tolde you thinking to leape out of the fyre The ende of Alcibiades life THE LIFE OF CAIVS Martius Coriolanus THE house of the Martians at ROME was of the number of the Patricians out of the which hath sprong many noble personages whereof Ancus Martius was one king Numaes daughters sonne who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius Of the same house were Publius and Quintus who brought to ROME their best water they had by conducts Censorinus also came of that familie that
a lane through them and opened a passage into the battell of the enemies But the two winges of either side turned one to the other to compasse him in betweene them which the Consul Cominius perceyuing he sent thither straight of the best souldiers he had about him So the battell was maruelous bloudie about Martius and in a very shorte space many were slaine in the place But in the ende the ROMAINES were so strong that they distressed the enemies and brake their arraye and scattering them made them flye Then they prayed Martius that he would retire to the campe bicause they sawe he was able to doe no more he was already so wearied with the great payne he had taken and so fainte with the great woundes he had apon him But Martius aunswered them that it was not for conquerours to yeld nor to be fainte harted and thereupon beganne a freshe to chase those that fled vntill suche time as the armie of the enemies was vtterly ouerthrowen and numbers of them slaine and taken prisoners The next morning betimes Martius went to the Consul and the other ROMAINES with him There the Consul Cominius going vp to his chayer of state in the presence of the whole armie gaue thankes to the goddes for so great glorious and prosperous a victorie then he spake to Martius whose valliantnes he commended beyond the moone both for that he him selfe sawe him doe with his eyes as also for that Martius had reported vnto him So in the ende he willed Martius he should choose out of all the horses they had taken of their enemies and of all the goodes they had wonne whereof there was great store tenne of euery sorte which he liked best before any distribution should be made to other Besides this great honorable offer he had made him he gaue him in testimonie that he had wonne that daye the price of prowes aboue all other a goodly horse with a capparison and all furniture to him which the whole armie beholding dyd maruelously praise and commend But Martius stepping forth tolde the Consul he most thanckefully accepted the gifte of his horse and was a glad man besides that his seruice had deserued his generalls commendation and as for his other offer which was rather a mercenary reward then an honorable recompence he would none of it but was contented to haue his equall parte with other souldiers Only this grace sayed he I craue and beseeche you to graunt me Among the VOLSCES there is an olde friende and hoste of mine an honest wealthie man and now a prisoner who liuing before in great wealth in his owne countrie liueth now a poore prisoner in the handes of his enemies and yet notwithstanding all this his miserie and misfortune it would doe me great pleasure if I could saue him from this one daunger to keepe him from being solde as a slaue The souldiers hearing Martius wordes made a maruelous great showte among them and they were moe that wondred at his great contentation and abstinence when they sawe so litle couetousnes in him then they were that highely praised and extolled his villiantnes For euen they them selues that dyd somewhat malice and enuie his glorie to see him thus honoured and passingly praysed dyd thincke him so muche the more worthy of an honorable recompence for his valliant seruice as the more carelesly he refused the great offer made him for his profit and they esteemed more the vertue that was in him that made him refuse suche rewards then that which made them to be offred him as vnto a worthie persone For it is farre more commendable to vse riches well then to be valliant and yet it is better not to desire them then to vse them well After this showte and noyse of the assembly was somewhat appeased the Consul Cominius beganne to speake in this sorte We cannot compell Martius to take these giftes we offer him if he will not receaue them but we will geue him suche a rewarde for the noble seruice he hath done as he cannot refuse Therefore we doe order and decree that henceforth he be called Coriolanus onles his valliant acts haue wonne him that name before our nomination And so euer since he stil bare the third name of Coriolanus And thereby it appeareth that the first name the ROMAINES haue as Caius was our Christian name now The second as Martius was the name of the house and familie they came of The third was some addition geuen either for some acte or notable seruice or for some marke on their face or of some shape of their bodie or els for some speciall vertue they had Euen so dyd the GRAECIANS in olde time giue additions to Princes by reason of some notable acte worthie memorie As when they haue called some Soter and Callinicos as muche to saye sauiour and conquerour Or els for some notable apparaunt marke on ones face or on his bodie they haue called him Phiscon and Grypos as ye would saye gorebelley and hooke nosed or els for some vertue as Euergetes and Phyladelphos to wit a Benefactour and louer of his brethern Or otherwise for ones great felicitie as Endemon as muche to saye as fortunate For so was the second of the Battes surnamed And some Kings haue had surnames of ieast and mockery As one of the Antigones that was called Doson to saye the Geuer who was euer promising and neuer geuing And one of the Ptolomees was called Lamyros to saye conceitiue The ROMAINES vse more then any other nation to giue names of mockerie in this sorte As there was one Metellâ—â— surnamed Diadematus the banded bicause he caried a bande about his heade of longe time by reason of a sore he had in his forehead One other of his owne familie was called Celer the quicke flye Bicause a fewe dayes after the death of his father he shewed the people the cruell fight of fensers at vnrebated swordes which they founde wonderfull for the shortnes of time Other had their surnames deriued of some accident of their birthe As to this daye they call him Proculeius that is borne his father being in some farre voyage and him Posthumius that is borne after the deathe of his father And when of two brethern twinnes the one doth dye and thother suruiueth they call the suruiuer Vopiscus Somtimes also they geue surnames deriued of some marke or misfortune of the bodie As Sylla to saye crooked nosed Niger blacke Rufus red Caecus blinde Claudus lame They dyd wisely in this thing to accustome men to thincke that neither the losse of their sight nor other such misfortunes as maye chaunce to men are any shame or disgrace vnto them but the manner was to aunswer boldly to suche names as if they were called by their proper names Howbeit these matters would be better amplified in other stories then this Now when this warre was ended the flatterers of the people beganne to sturre vp sedition
him once againe to flie from Caesar and to make him follow him sithe fortune had geuen him oportunitie to haue Caesar in chase not lawfull also before the gods to forsake his father in lawe Scipio and many other also that had bene Consuls despersed abrode in GRAECE and THESSALY which should immediatly fall into Caesars handes with all their riches and armies they had Furthermore he said that they had care enough for the citie of ROME which drew the warres fardest of from them so as they remaining safe quiet at home neither hearing nor feeling the misery of warres might in th end peaceably receiue and welcome him home that remained conqueror With this determinacion he marched forward to follow Caesar being determined not to geue him battel but to beseege him only to compasse him in still being neere vnto him and so to cut him of from vittels There was also an other reason that made him to follow that determinacion For it was reported to him that there was a speech geuen out among the ROMANE knights that so soone as euer they had ouercome Caesar they must also bring Pompey to be a priuate man againe Some saye therefore that Pompey would neuer afterwardes imploy Cato in any greater matters of waight in all this warre but when he followed Caesar he left him captaine of his armie to kepe his cariage by sea fearing that so soone as Caesar were once ouercome he would make him straight also resigne his authoritie Pompey following Caesar in this maner faire and softly they cryed out apon him that he made no warre with Caesar but against his contrie and the Senate bycause he might be still in authoritie and that he would neuer leaue to haue them for his seruauntes and gard about him which should rule commaund the world Furthermore Domitius Aenobaâ—bus calling him continually Agamemnon and king of kinges made him much to be enuied Phaonius also mocked him as much as the other that spake most boldest for he went crying vp and downe my masters I geue you warning you are like to eate no TAVSCVLAN figges this yeare And Lucius Afranius also he that had lost the armie which he had in SPAYNE and was also suspected for a traitour seeing Pompey then refused to come to battell I maruaile said he that they which accuse me doe not lustely goe to finde him out whome they call the marchaunt and common buyer of prouinces to fight with him presently With these and many such other lewd speaches they compelled Pompey in thend who could not abide to be ill spoken of and would not denie his frendes any thinge to follow their vaine hope and desires and to forsake his owne wise determination the which thinge no good shipppe master and much lesse a chiefe and soueraine captaine ouer so many nations and so great armies should haue suffred and consented vnto Now he that did alwayes commend the positions that would not follow the fonde desire of the sicke pacientes was him selfe contented to obey the worst parte of his armie fearing their displeasure where their life or health stood in hazard For who would thinke or iudge them to be wise men and in their wittes who walking vp and downe their campe did already sue to be Consuls and Praetors considering that Spiâ—theâ— Dâ—â—itius Scipio were at strife together making frendes to be highe bishoppe which office Caesar had as if they should haue fought with Tigranes king of ARMENIA or with the king of the NABATHEIANS which had camped by them and not with Caesar and his armie who had taken a thowsand townes by assaulte had subdued aboue three hundred seuerall nations and had wonne infinite battells of the GERMANES and GAVLES and was neâ—er ouer come had also taken a million of men prisoners and had likewise slaine so many at diâ—ers battells All this notwithstanding they of Pompeys side still being importunate of him troubling him is this sorte in fine when they were come into the fields of PHARSALIA they compelled Pompey to call a counsell There Labienus generall of the horsemen standing vp sware before them all that he would not retorne from the battell before he had made his enemies to flie The like othe all the rest did take The next night following Pompey thought in his dreame that he came into the Theater and that the people to honor him made a maruelous great clapping of their handes that he him selfe did set forth the temple of Venus the â—â—â—onenour with many spoiles This vision partly put him in good courage partly againe made him doubt for that he was affrayed bycause Caesars familie was discended from this goddesse Venus that his dreame did signifie that he should haue the honor of the victorie with the spoiles he should winne of him Besides all this there ranne sodaine fearefull noises turn 〈…〉 in his campe without any apparant cause that waked all the campe vpon it At the fourth watche when the watche is renued in the morning there was seene a maruelous great light ouer Caesars campe and they were all at rest Of that there came as it were a torche of a burning fire and fell in Pompeys campe The which Caesar him selfe sayed he saw when he went to searche the watche At the breake of the daye Caesar being determined to raise his campe and to go to the citie of SCOTVâ—A as his souldiers were busie about ouerthrowing of their tents sending away their bagges and baggage before there came skowtes vnto him that brought him worde they sawe a great deale of armor and weapon caryed to and fro in their enemies campe and bard a noise and buffling besides as of men that were preparing to fight After these came in other skowtes that brought word also that their voward was already set in battell raye Then Caesar said that the daye was nowe come they had longed for so sore and that they should now fight with men not with hunger nor with want of vittells and therevpon gaue order presently that they should put out the red coates or armes vpon his tente which was the signe all the ROMANES vsed to shew that they would fight The souldiers seeing that out left their cariage and tentes and with great showres of ioye ranne to arme them selues The captaines of euery band also bestowed euery man in such place as he should fight and so they conueyed them selues into battell raye without any tumulte or disorder as quietly as if they should haue entred into a daunce Pompey him selfe led the right winge of his armie against Antony The middle of the battell he gaue vnto Scipio his father in lawe being right against Domitius Câ—luiâ—us The left winge also was led by Lucius Domitius Aenobarbus the which was garded with men of armes For all the horsemen were placed on that side to distresse Caesar if they could that was directly against them and to ouerthrowe the tenth
maner That the women in those parts of long time haue bene commonly possest with the spirite of Orpheus and the diuine fury of Bacchus whereupon they are called Clodones Mimallones as much as warlicke fierce and doe many things like vnto the women of EDONIA and THRACIA dwelling about the mountaine AEmus Hereby it appeareth that this word Threskeuin signifying in the Greeke tongue too superstitiously geuen to the ceremonies of the gods came from them For Olympias aboue other womē louing to be inspired with such diuine madnes fury did celebrate their solemne sacrifices with a certaine horrible barbarous maner For in these daunces to Bacchus she caried a great number of tame snakes about her the which gliding apon the Iuie wherewith the women were dressed in those ceremonies winding thē selues about the litle iauelings they had in their hands the garlands about their heades therby they made men the more afraid of them Whereupon Philip after this dreame sent Ghaero MEGALOPOLITAN vnto the oracle of Apollo at DELPHES to inquier what it signified Answere was geuen him that he should do sacrifice vnto Iupiter Hammon honor him aboue all gods that he had lost one of his eyes with the which he peeping in at a crany of his chamber dore saw the god in forme of a snake lye by his wife Furthermore Olympias as Eratosthenes writeth bidding her sonne farewel whē he went to conquer ASIA after she had secretly tolde him alone by whom he was begotten she prayed him to be valliant to shew himselfe worthy his sonne that begat him Others tel also that she was angry with this report saying will Alexander neuer leaue to make me suspected of Iuno So it is that Alexander was borne on the sixt day of the moneth of Hecatombaeon in english Iune which the MACEDONIANS call Lous On the very same day the temple of Diana in the city of EPHESVS was burnt as Hegesias MAGNESIAN doth witnesse whose crie exclamation was so terrible cold that it was enough to haue quenched that fire It is not to be wondred at that Diana suffred her temple to be burnt being like a midwife busie about Alexanders birth But this is true that all the priests magitians and soothsayers which were at that time in EPHESVS iudging that this did prognosticate some maruelous great misfortune to come like men bestraught of their wits they ran vp downe the city smiting of their faces crying that some great plague mischief was borne that day vnto ASIA Shortly after that king Philip had wonne the city of POTIDAEA three messengers came to him the same day that brought him great newes The first that Parmenio had wonne a notable battell of the ILLYRIANS the second that his horse only wan the bell price at the Olympian games the third that his wife had brought him a sonne called Alexander Philip being maruelous glad to heare these newes the soothsayers did make his ioy yet greater assuring him that his sonne which was borne with three victories all together should be inuincible Now for his stature personage the statues and images made of him by Lysippus doe best declare it for that he would be drawen of no man but him only Diuers of his successors frends did afterwards counterfeat his image but that excellent workeman Lysippus only of all other the chiefest hath perfectly drawen and resembled Alexanders maner of holding his necke somwhat hanging downe towards the left side also the sweete looke cast of his eyes But when Apelles painted Alexander holding lightning in his hand he did not shew his fresh colour but made him somewhat blacke and swarter then his face in deede was for naturally he had a very fayre white colour mingled also with red which chiefly appeared in his face in his brest I remember I red also in the cōmentaries of Aristoxenus that his skin had a maruelous good sauor that his breath was very swete insomuch that his body had so swete a smell of it selfe that all the apparell he wore next vnto his body tooke thereof a passing delightfull sauor as if it had bene perfumed And the cause hereof peraduenture might be the very temperature constitucion of his body which was hot and burning like fire For Theophrastus is of opinion that the sweete sauor commeth by meanes of the heate that dryeth vp the moisture of the bodie By which reason also it appeareth that the drie hot contries pearched with heate of the sunne are those that deliuer vnto vs the best spices bicause that the sunne drieth vp the moysture of the outward parts as a matter of corruption This natural heate that Alexander had made him as it appeareth to be giuen to drinke to be hasty Euen from his childhood they saw that he was giuen to be chast For though otherwise he was very hot hasty yet was he hardly moued with lust or pleasure of the body would moderately vse it But on thother side the ambition desire he had of honor snewed a certaine greatnes of minde noble corage passing his yeares For he was not as his father Philip desirous of all kind of glory who like a Rethoritian had a delite to vtter his eloquence stamped in his coynes the victories he had wonne at the Olympian games by the swift running of his horse coches For when he was asked one day bicause he was swift of foote whether he would assay to run for victory at the Olympian games I could be content said he so I might run with kings And yet to speake generally he misliked all such contention for games For it seemeth that he vtterly misliked all wrestling other exercise for prise where men did vse all their strength but otherwise he him self made certen festiual daies games of prise for common stage plaiers musitians singers for the very Poets also He delighted also in hunting of diuers kindes of beastes and playing at the staffe Ambassadors being sent on a time from the king of PERSIA whilest his father was in some iorney out of his realme Alexander familliarly entertaining of them so wan them with his curteous entertainment for that he vsed no childish questions vnto them nor asked them trifling matters but what distance it was frō one place to an other which way they went into the high contries of ASIA of the king of PERSIA him selfe how he was towards his enemies what power he had that he did rauish them with delight to heare him insomuch that they made no more account of Philips eloquence sharpe wit in respect of his sonnes corage noble minde to attempt great enterprises For when they brought him newes that his father had taken some famous city or had won some great battell he was nothing glad to heare it but would say to his playfellowes sirs my father will
cause why it was so well kept came by meanes of the dying of it with â—â—nie in silkes which before had bene dyed redde and with white oyle in white silkes For these are silkes seene of that colour of as long a time that keepe colour as well as the other And writeth furthermore that the kinges of PERSIA made water to be brought from the riuer of Nylus and Ister otherwise called Danubie which they did locke vp with their other treasure for a confirmation of the greatnes of their Empire and to shew that they were Lordes of the world The wayes to enter into PERSIA being very hard of passage and in maner vnpassable both for the illnes of the wayes as also for the gard that kept them which were the choisest men of PERSIA Darius also being fled thither there was one that spake the Greeke and PERSIAN tongue whose father was borne in the contry of LYCIA his mother a PERSIAN that guided Alexander into PERSIA by some compasse fetched about not very long according to the Oracles aunswere of Alexander geuen by the mouth of Nunne Pythias when he was a child that a LYCIAN should guide and lead him against the PERSIANS There was then great slaughter made in PERSIA of the prisoners that were taken For Alexander him selfe wryteth that he commaunded the men should be put to the sword thinking that the best way to serue his turne It is sayd also that there he found a maruelous treasure of gold and siluer in readie money as he had done before in the citie of SVSA the which he caried away with all the rest of the kinges rich wardroppe and with it laded tenne thowsande moyles and fiue thowsande cammells Alexander entring into the castell of the chiefe citie of PERSIA saw by chaunce a great image of Xerxe's lye on the ground the which vnwares was throwen downe by the multitude of the souldiers that came in thronging one apon an other Thereupon he stayed and spake vnto it as if it had bene aliue saying I can not tell whether I should passe by thee and let thee lye for the warre thou madest somtime against the GRAECIANS or whether I should list thee vp respecting the noble minde vertues thou haddest In th end when he had stoode mute a long time considering of it he went his way and meaning to refresh his weary army bicause it was the winter quarter he remained there foure monethes together The reporte goeth that the first time that Alexander sate vnder the cloth of state of king Darius all of rich golde Demarathus CORINTHIAN who first beganne to loue him euen in his father Philippes time burst out in teares for ioy good old man saying that the GRAECIANS long time dead before were depriued of this blessed happe to see Alexander set in king Xerxes princely chaier After that preparing againe to goe against Darius he would needes make mery one day and refresh him selfe with some bancket It chaunced so that he with his companions was bidden to a priuate feast priuately where was assembled some fine curtisans of his familiars who with their frendes taried at the banket Amongest them was that famous Thais borne in the contry of ATTICA then concubine to Ptolomy king of AEGYPT after Alexander death She finely praising Alexander and partely in sporting wife began to vtter matter in affection of her contrie but yet of greater importance than became her mouth saying that that day she founde her selfe fully recompenced to her great good liking for all the paines she had takeÌ„ trauelling through all the contries of ASIA following of his armie now that she had this sauor good happe to be mery and pleasaunt in the prowde and stately pallace of the great kings of PERSIA But yet it would doe her more good for a recreation to burne Xerxes house with the fire of ioy who had burnt the city of ATHENS and her selfe to geue the fire to it before so noble a Prince as Alexander Bicause euer after it might be said that the women following his campe had taken more noble reuenge of the PERSIANS for the wronges and iniuries they had done vnto GRAECE than all the Captaines of GRAECE that euer were had done either by lande or sea When she had sayd Alexanders familiars about him clapped their hands and made great noise for ioy saying that it were as good a deede as could be possible and perswaded Alexander vnto it Alexander yeelding to their perswasions rose vp and putting a garland of flowers apon his head went formest him selfe and all his familliars followed after him crying and dauncing all about the castell The other MACEDONIANS hearing of it also came thither immediatly with torches light and great ioy hoping that this was a good signe that Alexander ment to returne againe into MACEDON and not to dwell in the contrie of the barbarous people sith he did burne and destroy the kings castell Thus and in this sorte it was thought to be burnt Some writers thinke otherwise that it was not burnt with such sport but by determination of the counsell But howsoeuer it was all they graunt that Alexander did presently repent him and commaunded the fire to be quenched straight For his liberality that good will and readines to geue increased with his conquestes and when he did bestowe giftes of any he would besides his gift euer geue them good countenance on whom he bestowed his grace and fauor And here I will recite a few examples thereof Aristo being Collonell of the PAEONIANS hauing slaine one of his enemies he brought him his head and sayd such a present O king by vs is euer rewarded with a cuppe of golde Yea q Alexander smyling apon him with an emptie cuppe But I drinke to thee this cuppe full of good wine and doe geue thee cuppe all An other time he met with a poore MACEDONIAN that led a moyle loden with gold of the kings and when the poore moyle was so weary that she could no lenger cary her burden the moyleter put it apon his owne backe and loded him selfe withall carying it so a good pretie way howbeit in th ende being ouerloden was about to throwe it downe on the ground Alexander perceiuing it asked him what burden he caried When it was tolde him well q he to the moyletter be not weary yet but carie it into the tent for I geue it thee To be short he was angrier with them that would take nothing of him then he was with those that would aske him somewhat He wrote also vnto Phocion that he would take him no more for his frend if he would refuse his giftes It seemed that he had geuen nothing vnto a young boy called Serapion who euer did serue them the ball that played at tenis bicause he asked him nothing Wherefore the king playing on a time this young boy threw the ball to others that played with him and not to him selfe The
tyme to salute Alexander and sayd vnto him What should we neede Alexander to fight and make warres one with an other if thou comest not to take away our water and our necessary commoditie to liue by for which thinges men of iudgement must needes fight As for other goods if I be richer then thou I am ready to giue thee of myne and if I haue lesse I will not thinkeskorne to thanke thee if thou wilt giue me some of thine Alexander being pleased to heare him speake thus wisely imbraced him and sayd vnto him Thinkest thou this meeting of ours can be without fight for all these goodly fayre wordes no no thou hast wonne nothing by that for I will fight and contend with thee in honestie and curtesie bycause thou shalt not exceede me in bowntie and liberalitie So Alexander taking diuers giftes of him but giuing more vnto Taxiles he dranke to him one night at supper and said I drinke to thee a thowsand talents in golde This gifte misliked Alexanders friendes but in recompence therof he wanne the hartes of many of those barbarous Lordes and Princes of that country There was a certeine number of souldiers of the INDIANS the warlikest men of all that country who beeing mercenary souldiers were euer enterteyned in seruice of the great free cities which they valiantly defended and did great hurt vnto Alexander in diuers places Alexander hauing made peace with them in a citie where they were kept in when they came abrode apon suertie of this peace which they had made he met with them as they went their way and put them all to the sworde There was but this onely fault to bleamish the honor of his noble deedes in all his warres for in all thinges els he shewed mercy and equitie Furthermore the graue Philosophers and wise men of INDIA did greatly trouble him also For they reproued the kinges and Princes of the INDIANS for that they yelded vnto Alexander procured the free cities to take armes against him But by their occasion he tooke diuers of their cities For king Porus Alexander selfe writeth in his Epistles all his actes at large which he did against him For he sayth that both their campes lying on either side of the riuer of Hydaspes king Porus set his Elephants apon the banke of the riuer with their heades towards their enemies to keepe them from passing ouer and that he him selfe did continually make a noise and tumult in his campe to acquaint his men not to be afraid of the barbarous people Furthermore that in a darke night when there was no moone light he tooke part of his footemen the choice of his horsemen and went farre from his enemies to get ouer into a litle Ilande When he was come into the Iland there fel a wonderful shower of raine great windes lightnings and thunders apon his campe insomuch as he saw many of his men burnt by lightning in this litle Ilande This notwithstanding he did not leaue to get ouer to the other side of the riuer The riuer being swollen with the great flud of rayne that fell the night before ouerflowing the bankes it did eate into the ground where the water ranne so that Alexander when he had passed ouer the riuer and was come to the other side found him selfe in very ill case for that he could hardly keepe his feete bicause the earth was very slippery vnder him and the rage of the water had eaten into it and broke it downe on euery side It is written of him that then he sayd vnto the ATHENIANS O ATHENIANS could ye thinke that I could take such paines and put my selfe into so many daungers onely to be praised of you Thus Onesicritus reporteth it But Alexander selfe writeth that they left their rafters or great peeces of tymber pinned together whereuppon they had passed ouer the streame of the mayne riuer and that they waded thorow the other arme or gutt of the water which had broken the earth vppe to their breasts with their harnesse on their backes Furthermore when he had passed ouer both waters he rode with his horsemen twenty furlonges before the battell of his footemen thinking that if his enemies came to giue him charge with their men of armes that he was the stronger and if they would also aduawnce their footemen forwarde that his footemen also should come tyme enough One of the twaine fel out as he had gessed For a thowsand horsemen and three skore charrets armed with his ennemies gaue him charge before their great company whom he ouerthrew and tooke all their charrets slue foure hundred of the men of armes in the fielde King Porus then knowing by those signes that Alexander was there in person and had passed ouer the riuer he marched towardes him with all his armie in battell ray sauing a few which he left behinde to resist the MACEDONIANS if they shewed force to passe ouer the riuer Alexander being afraid of the great multitude of his ennemies and of the terror of the Elephants did not giue charge apon the middest of the battell but being him selfe in the left winge gaue charge apon the corner of thenemies left winge and also commaunded them that were in the right winge to doe the like So both the endes of thenemies armie were broken and put to flight and they that fled ranne vnto the Elephants gathered them selues together about them Thus the battell being begon the conflict continued long insomuch as the enemies were scantly all ouerthrowne by three of the clocke in the afternoone Many writers doe agree that Porus was foure cubits and a shaft length hier and bigger then the Elephant although the Elephant was very great and as bigge as a horse and besides that the Elephant did shew great wit and care to saue the king his Maister For whilest he perceyued his Maister was stronge enough he lustily repulsed those which came to assayle him but when he found that he began to faint hauing many woundes apon his body and arrowes sticking in it then being afraid lest his Maister should fall downe from his backe he softely fell on his knees and gently taking his dartes and arrowes with his troncke which he had in his body he pluckt them all from him one after an other Porus beeing taken Alexander asked him howe he should handle him princely aunswered Porus. Alexander asked him agayne if he would saye any thing els I comprehend all sayde he in this word princely Thereupon Alexander did not onely leaue him his prouinces and Realmes whereof before he was king by the name of his Liesetenant but gaue him many other contries also When he had subdued all the free people of the which there were fifteene seuerall nations fiue thowsand of no small cities besides an infinite number of villages and thryse as many other contries he made Philip one of his friendes his Liefetenant of all those contries his horse
feared Yet all the time he was officer he neuer sought any alteracion in the common wealth but contrarily he him selfe had a great misfortune fell in his owne house which was this There was a young nobleman of the order of the PATRICIANS called Publius Clodius who lacked neither wealth nor eloquence but otherwise as insolent and impudenta person as any was else in ROME He became in loue with Pompeia Caesars wife who misliked not withall notwithstanding she was so straightly looked to and that Aurelia Caesars mother an honest gentlewoman had such an eye of her that these two louers could not meete as they would without great perill and difficultie The ROMANES doe vse to honor a goddesse which they call the good goddesse as the GRAECIANS haue her whom they call Gynacia to wit the goddesse of women Her the PHRYGIANS doe claime to be peculiar vnto them saying that she is king Midas mother Howbeit the ROMANES hold opinion that it is nimphe of wodde maried vnto god Faunus The GRAECIANS they say also that she was one of the mother of the god Bacchus whom they dare not name And for proofe hereof on her feast day the wommen make certaine tabernacles of vine twigges and leaues of vine braunches and also they make as the tale goeth a holie dragon for this goddesse and doe set it by her besides it is now lawful for any man to be present at their sacrifices no not within in the house it selfe where they are made Furthermore they say that the women in these sacrifices do many things amongest theÌ„selues much like vnto the ceremonies of Orpheus Now when the time of this feast came the husband whether he were Praetor or Consul and all his men the boyes In the house doe come out of it and leaue it wholly to his wife to order the house at her pleasure there the sacrifices and ceremonies are done the most parte of the night and they doe besides passe the night away in songes and musicke Pompeia Caesars wife being that yeare to celebrate this feast Clodius who had yet no heare on his face therby thought he should not be bewrayeth disguised him selfe in a singing wenches apparell bicause his face was verie like vnto a young wenche He finding the gates open being secretly brought in by her chamber made that was made priuie vnto it she left him and ranne to Pompeia her mistres to tell her that he was come The chamber maide taried long before she came againe insomuch as Clodius being wearie waiting for her where she left him he tooke his pleasure and went from one place to another in the house which had very large roomes in it still shunning the higheâ— and wasby chaunce met withall by one of Aurelias maides who taking him for a woman prayed her to play Clodius refusing to play the maide pulled him forward and asked him what he was Clodius then answered her that he taried for Abra one of Pompeiaes women So Lâ—â—â—tiâ—eâ— aide knowing him by his voyce ranne straight where the lightes and Ladies were and cried out that there was a man disguised in womans apparell The women therewith were so amazed that Aurelia caused them presently to leaue of the â—â—reâ—lomes of the sacrifice and to hide their secret thinges and hauing seene the gates fast locked went immediatly â—plaind downe the house with torche light to seeke out this man who at the last was found out in the chamber of Pompeiaes maide with whom he hidde him selfe Thus Clodius being found out knowen of the women they thrust him out of the dores by the shoulders The same night 〈…〉 women tolde their husbandes of this chaunce as soone as they came home The next morning there ranne a great rumor through the citie how Clodius had attempted a great villany and that he deserued not only to be punished of them whom he had slaundred but also of the common wealth and the goddes There was one of the Tribunes of the people that did indire him accuse him of high treason to the gods Furthermore there were also of the chiefest of the nobilitie and Senate that came to depose against him and burdened him with many horrible and detestable facts and specially with incest committed with his owne sister which was maried vnto Lucullus Notwithstanding the people stowtly defended Clodius against their accusations and this did helpe him much against the Iudges which were amazed affraid to stirre the people This notwithstanding Caesar presently put his wife away and thereupon being brought by Clodius accuser to be a witnes against him he aunswered he knew nothing of that they obiected against Clodius This aunswere being cleane contrarie to their expectacion that heard it the accuser asked Caesar why then he had put away his wife bicause I will not sayd he that my wife be so much as suspected And some say that Caesar spake truely as he thought But others thinke that he did it to please the common people who were very desirous to saue Clodius So Clodius was discharged of this accusation bicause the most parte of the Iudges gaue a confused iudgement for the feare they stoode one way of the daunger of the common people if they condemned him and for the ill opinion of another side of the nobilitie if they did quit him The gouernment of the prouince of SPAYNE being fallen vnto Caesar for that he was Praetor his creditors came and cried out apon him and were importunate of him to be payed Caesar being vnable to satisfie them was compelled to goe vnto Cressus who was the richest man of all ROME and that stoode in neede of Caesars boldnes and corage to withstand Pompeys greatnes in the common wealth Crassus became his suretie vnto his greediest creditors for the summe of eight hundred and thirtie talentes whereuppon they suffered Caesar to departe to the gouernment of his prouince In his iorney it is reported that passinge ouer the mountaines of the Alpes they came through a litle poore village that had not many householdes and yet poore cotages There his frendes that did accompanie him asked him merily if there were any contending for offices in that towne and whether there were any strife there amongest the noble men for honor Caesar speaking in good earnest aunswered I can not tell that said he but for my parte I had rather be the chiefest man herd then the second person in ROME An other time also when he was in SPAYNE reading the history of Alexanders actes when he had red it he was sorowfull a good while after then burstâ—â—â— in weeping His frends seeing that marueled what should be the cause of his sorow He aunswered them doe ye not thinke sayd he that I haue good cause to be heauie when king Alexander being no older than my selfe is now had in old time wonne so many nations and contries and that I hithervnto haue done nothing worthy
went forthwith to set apon the campe of Afranius the which he tooke at the first onset and the campe of the NVMIDIANS also king Iuba being fled Thus in a litle peece of the day only he tooke three campes slue fifty thowsand of his enemies and lost but fifty of his souldiers In this sorte is set downe theffect of this battell by some wryters Yet others doe wryte also that Caesar selfe was not there in person at th execution of this battel For as he did set his men in battell ray the falling sickenesse tooke him whereunto he was geuen and therefore feeling it comming before he was ouercome withall he was caried into a castell not farre from thence where the battell was sought and there tooke his rest till th extremity of his disease had left him Now for the Praetors Consulls that scaped from this battell many of them being taken prisoners did kill them selues and others also Caesar did put to death but he being specially desirous of all men else to haue Cato aliue in his hands he went with all possible speede vnto the citie of VTICA whereof Cato was Gouernor by meanes whereof he was not at the battell Notwithstanding being certified by the way that Cato had flaine him selfe with his owne handes he then made open shew that he was very sory for it but why or wherfore no man could tell But this is true that Caesar sayd at that present time O Cato I enuy thy death bicause thou diddest enuy my glory to saue thy life This notwithstanding the booke that he wrote afterwardes against Cato being dead did shew no very great affection nor pitiefull hart towardes him For how could he haue pardoned him if liuing he had had him in his handes that being dead did speake so vehemently against him Notwithstanding men suppose he would haue pardoned him if he had taken him aliue by the clemencie he shewed vnto Cicero Brutus and diuers others that had borne armes against him Some reporte that he wrote that booke not so much for any priuate malice he had to his death as for a ciuil ambition apon this occasion Cicero had written a booke in praise of Cato which he intituled Cato This booke in likely hoode was very well liked of by reason of the eloquence of the Orator that made it and of the excellent subiect thereof Caesar therewith was maruelously offended thinking that to praise him of whose death he was author was euen as much as to accuse him self therfore he wrote a letter against him heaped vp a number of accusations against Cato and intituled the booke Anticaton Both these bookes haue fauoâ—ers vnto this day some defending the one for the loue they bare to Caesar. and others allowing the other for Catoes sake Caesar being now returned out of AFRICKE first of all made an oration to the people wherein he greatly praised and commended this his last victorie declaring vnto them that he had conquered so many contries vnto the Empire of ROME that he coulde furnishe the common wealth yearely with two hundred thowsande busshells of wheate twenty hundred thowsand pound weight of oyle Then he made three triumphes the one for AEGYPT the other for the kingdom of PONTE and the third for AFRICKE not bicause he had ouercome Scipio there but king Iuba Whose sonne being likewise called Iuba being then a young boy was led captiue in the showe of this triumphe But this his imprisonment fel out happily for him for where he was but a barbarous NVMIDIAN by the study he fell vnto when he was prisoner he came afterwards to be reckoned one of the wisest historiographers of the GRAECIANS After these three triumphes ended he very liberally rewarded his souldiers and to curry fauor with the people he made great feasts common sportes For he feasted all the ROMANES at one time at two and twenty thowsand tables and gaue them the pleasure to see diuers sword players to fight at the sharpe and battells also by sea for the remembraunce of his daughter Iulia which was dead long afore Then after all these sportes he made the people as the manner was to be mustered and where there were at the last musters before three hundred and twenty thowsande citizens at this muster only there were but a hundred and fifty thowsand Such misery and destruction had this ciuill warre brought vnto the common wealth of ROME and had consumed such a number of ROMANES not speaking at all of the mischieues and calamities it had brought vnto all the rest of ITALIE and to the other prouinces pertaining to ROME After all these thinges were ended he was chosen Consul the fourth time and went into SPAYNE to make warre with the sonnes of Pompey who were yet but very young but had notwithstanding raised a maruelous great army together and shewed to haue had manhoode and corage worthie to commaunde such an armie insomuch as they put Caesar him selfe in great daunger of his life The greatest battell that was fought betwene them in all this warre was by the citie of MVNDA For then Caesar seeing his men sorely distressed and hauing their hands full of their enemies he ranne into the prease among his men that fought and cried out vnto them what are ye not ashamed to be beaten and taken prisoners yeelding your selues with your owne handes to these young boyes And so with all the force he could make hauing with much a doe put his enemies to flight he slue aboue thirty thowsand of them in the fielde and lost of his owne men a thowsand of the best he had After this battell he went into his tent and told his frends that he had often before fought for victory but this last time now that he had fought for the safety of his owne life He wanne this battell on the very feast day of the BACCHANALIANS in the which men say that Pompey the great went out of ROME about foure yeares before to beginne this ciuill warre For his sonnes the younger scaped from the battell but within few dayes after Diddius brought the heade of the elder This was the last warre that Caesar made But the triumphe he made into ROME for the same did as much offend the ROMANES and more then any thing that euer he had done before bicause he had not ouercome Captaines that were straungers nor barbarous kinges but had destroyed the sonnes of the noblest man in ROME whom fortune had ouerthrowen And bicause he had plucked vp his race by the rootes men did not thinke it meete for him to triumphe so for the calamities of his contrie reioycing at a thing for the which he had but one excuse to alleage in his defence vnto the gods and men that he was compelled to doe that he did And the rather they thought it not meete bicause he had neuer before sent letters nor messengers vnto the common wealth
both when they feared not restoring both when they hoped not But also in their ende there was no great difference th one brought to his death by his mortal enemies the others fortune not much vnlike But now to our historie Antigonus had two sonnes by his wife 〈…〉 the daughter of Corraus the one of them he named Demetrius and the other Philip after his fathers name Thus farre the most wryters doe agree howbeit some holde opinion that Demetrius was not the sonne of Antigonus but his Nephewe But bicause his father dyed leauing him a childe and that his mother was straight maried againe vnto Antigonus thereuppon came the reporte that he was Antigonus sonne Howsoeuer it was Philip that was not much younger then Demetrius dyed Now for Demetrius though he was a verie bigge man he was nothing so high as his father but yet so passing and wonderfull fayer that no painter could possibly draw his picture and counterfeat to his likenes For they saw a sweete countenance mixed with a kinde of grauetie in his face a feare with curtesie and an incomparable Princely maiestie accompanied with a liuely spirit and youth and his wit and manners were such that they were both fearefull and pleasaunt vnto men that frequented him For as he was most pleasaunt in company hauing leasure and most geuen to banketing pleasaunt life and more wantonly geuen to follow any lust and pleasure than any king that euer was yet was he alwayes very carefull diligent in dispatching matters of importance And therefore he maruelously commended and also endeuoured to follow Dionysius as much to say as Bacchus aboue all the other goddes as he that had bene a wise and valiant Captaine in warre and that in peace inuented and vsed all the pleasure that might be He maruelously loued and reuerenced his father and it seemeth that the dutiefulnes he shewed vnto his mother was more to discharge the due obedience dutie of a sonne than otherwise to enterteine his father for feare of his power or hope to be his heire And for proofe hereof we read that one day as he came home from hunting he went vnto his father Antigonus geuing audience to certain Ambassadors and after he had done his duetie to him and kissed him he sate downe by him euen as he came from hunting hauing his dartes in his hande which he caried out a hunting with him Then Antigonus calling the Ambassadors alowde as they went their way hauing receiued their aunswere my Lords sayd he you shall carie home this reporte of my sonne and me be witnesses I pray you how we liue one with an other As meaning to shewe thereby that the agreement betwext the father and the sonne together is a great safetie to the affaires of a king as also a manifest proofe of his greatnes so gealous is a king to haue a companion besides the hate and mistrust it should breede So that the greatest Prince and most auncientest of all the successors of Alexander boasted that he stoode not in feare of his sonne but did suffer him to sitte by him hauing a dart in his hand So was this house onely of all other the MACEDONIAN kinges least defiled with suche villanie many successions after and to confesse a troth in all Antigonus rase there was not one but Philip onely that slue his owne sonne But we haue many examples of diuers other houses of kinges that haue put their sonnes wiues and mothers to death and for their brethren it was an ordinarie thing with them to kill them and neuer sticke at it For like as Geometricians would haue men graunt them certaine proposicions which they suppose without proofe euen so was this holden for a generall rule to kill their brethren for the safetie of their estate But further to shewe you more plainly that Demetrius was of a noble and curteous nature and that he dearely loued his frendes we may alleage this example Mithridates the sonne of Ariobarzanes was his familiar frend and companion for they were both in maner of an age and he commonly followed Antigonus courte and neuer practised any villanie or treason to him neither was he thought such a man yet Antigonus did somewhat suspect him bicause of a dreame he had He thought that being in a goodly great fielde he sowed of these scrapinges of gold and that of the seede first of all came vp goodly wheate which had eares of gold howbeit that shortly after returning that way againe he found nothing but the straw and the eares of the wheate cut of and that he being angrie and verie sorie for it some tolde him that Mithridates bad cut of these golde eares of wheate and had caried them with him into the realme of PONY Antigonus being maruelosly troubled with this dreame after he had made his sonne sweare vnto him that he would make no man aliue priuy to that he would tell him he told him all his dreame what he had dreamed and therewith that he was determined to put this young man Mithridates to death Demetrius was maruelous sory for it and therefore the next morning this young noble Prince going as he was wont to passe the time away with Mithridates he durst not by word of mouth vtter that he knew bicause of his othe howbeit taking him aside form his other familliers when they were both together by them selues he wrote on the ground with the end of his dart Mithridates loking on him flie Mithridates Mithridates found straight what he ment and fled the very same night into CAPPADOCIA and shortly after it was his destinie to fulfill Antigonus dreame For he conquered many goodly contries and it was he onely that established the house of the kingdom of PONI the which the ROMANES afterwardes ouerthewe about the eight succession By these examples we may easily coniecture the good nature and cortesie of Demetrius For like as the elements according to Empedocles opinion are euer at strife together but specially those that are nearest eache to other euen so though all the successors of Alexander were at continuall warres together yet was it foonest kindled and most cruell betwene them which bordered nearest vnto eche other and that by being neare neighbours had alwaies occasion of brawle together as sell out at that time betwene Antigonus and Ptolomy This Antigonus lay most commonly in the contry of PHRYGIA who hauing intelligence that Ptolomy was gone into CYPRVS and that he ouerranne all SYRIA winning by force or faier meanes all the townes and cities subiect vnto them he sent his sonne Demetrius thether beeing at that time but two and twenty yeares of age and it was the first time that euer he tooke charge as generall to his father in matters of great importance But he being a young man and that had no skill of warres fighting a battell with an olde souldier trained vp in the discipline of
Demetrius kings Now for Antigonus his friendes and familliers did at that present instant put on the royall band or diadeame vppon his heade But for Demetrius his father sent it vnto him and by his letters called him king They also that were in AEGYPT with Ptolomy vnderstanding that did also call and salute him by the name of king bicause it shoulde not seeme that for one ouerthrowe receiued their hartes were deade Thus this ambition by ielousie emulation went from man to man to all Alexanders successours For Lysimachus then also beganue to weare the diadeame and likewise Seleucus as often as he spake with the GRAECIANS for before that tyme he delt in matters with the barbarous people as a king But Cassander though others wrote them selues kinges he onely subscribed after his wonted manner Now this was not onely an increase of a newe name or chaunging of apparell but it was such an honor as it lyft vp their hartes and made them stand vpon them selues and besides it so framed their manner of life and conuersation with men that they grewe more prowd and stately then euer they were before like vnto common players of tragedies who apparelling them selues to playe their partes vpon the stage doe chaunge their gate their countenaunce their voyce their manner of sitting at the table and their talke also So that afterwards they grew more cruell in commaunding their subiects when they had once taken away the viser and dissimulation of their absolute power which before made them farre more lowly and gentle in many matters vnto them And all this came through one vile flatterer that brought such a wonderfull chaunge in the worlde Antigonus therefore puffed vp with the glory of the victorie of his sonne Demetrius for the conquest of CYPRVS he determined forthwith to set vpon Ptolomy Him selfe led the armie by land hauing his sonne Demetrius still rowing by the shore side with a great fleete of shippes But one of his familliers called Medius being asleepe had a vision one night that told him what should be the ende and successe of this iorney He thought he sawe Antigonus ronne with all his armie who should haue the vpper hande and that at the first he ranne with great force and swiftnes but that afterwardes his strength and breath fayled him so much that when he should returne he had scant any poulse or breath and with much adoe retyred agayne And euen so it chaunced vnto him For Antigonus by land was eftsoones in great daunger and Demetrius also by sea was often in hazard to leaue the coast and by storme and weather to be cast into places where was nether hauen creekes nor harbarough for his shippes And at length hauing lost a great number of his shippes he was driuen to returne without any attempt giuen Nowe Antigonus was at that tyme litle lesse then foure score yeare olde but yet his fatte and corpulent bodie was more combersom to him then his yeares therefore beeing growen vnmeete for warres he vsed his sonne in his place Who for that he was fortunate as also skilfull through the experience he had gotten did wisely gouerne the waightiest matters His father besides did not passe for his youthfull partes lauishe expences and common dronkennes he gaue him selfe vnto For in tyme of peace he was giuen ouer to all those vices but in tyme of warre he was as sober and continent as any man so borne by nature And therefore it is reported that Lamia beeing manifestly knowen to be Mystresse ouer him one daye when he was come from hunting he came as his manner was to kisse his father and that Antigonus smyling vpon him sayde what howe now Sonne doest thou thinke thou art kissing of Lamia Another tyme Demetrius was many dayes together drinking and ryoting and sawe not his father and then so excuse him selfe vnto him he tolde him he had gotten a rewme that made him keepe his chamber that he could not come to him So I heard sayde Antigonus but was it of THASOS or CHIOS that rewme he spake it bicause that in either of those two Ilands there were excellent good wines Another tyme Demetrius sent his father worde that he was not well Thereuppon Antigonus went to see him and comming thither he mette a fayer younge boye at his doore So he went vppe to his chamber and sitting downe by his bedde side he tooke him by the hande to feele his poulse Demetrius tolde him that his feuer had left him but a litle before I knowe it well sayde Antigonus for I mette the younge boye euen at the doore as I came in So Antigonus did gently beare with his sonnes faultes in respecte of his many other vertues he had The voyce goeth that the SCYTHIANS when they are disposed to drinke dronke together doe diuers tymes twange the strynges of their bowes as though that woulde serue to keepe the strength of their courage and hardines which otherwise the pleasauntnes of the wine would take from them But Demetrius gaue him selfe to one thinge at one selfe tyme Sometyme to take his pleasure sometyme to deale in matters of waight and in all extreamitie he euer vsed but one of them and woulde neuer myngle the one with the other and yet this notwithstanding he was no lesse politike and circumspect to prepare all manner of munition for warres For as he was a wise Captaine to leade an armie so was he also very carefull to prouide all thinges meete for their furniture and woulde rather haue too muche then too litle But aboue all he exceeded in sumptuous building of shippes and framing of all sortes of engines of batterie and specially for the delight he tooke to inuent and deuise them For he had an excellent naturall witte to deuise suche workes as are made by witte and hande and did not bestowe his witte and inuention in handie craftes in trifeling toyes and bables as many other kinges that haue giuen them selues to playe on flutes others to paynte and drawe and others also to Turners crafte As AEropus kinge of MACEDON who delighted to make fine tables and pretye lampes And Attalus surnamed Philometor to saye as louer of his mother that woulde plante and sette Phisicall herbes as Helleborum Lingewort or Beares foote Hyoscynamum Henbane Cicuta Hemlocke Aconitum Libardbaine or Woolfebaine and Dorycinum for the which we haue no Englishe worde all these would he set him selfe with his owne handes in the gardeins of his pallaice and also gather them in tyme of the yeare to knowe the vertue and power of them As Arsaces the kinges of PARTHIA that boasted they coulde them selues make their arrowe heads and sharpen them But the artificers workes which Demetrius practised shewed that they came from a king For his manner of workemanshippe had a certen greatnes in it the which euen with the sutteltie and finenes of his workes shewed the trymme handeling of the workeman So that they appeared
whom this young Prince fansied and the which he forced him selfe to keepe secret to the death thought that to bewray it to the king it would offend him muche but yet trusting to his great affection and fatherly loue he bare to his sonne he ventred one day to tell him that his sonnes sicknesse was no other but loue and withall that his loue was impossible to be inioyed and therefore that he must of necessitie dye for it was incurable Seleucus was cold at the harte to heare these newes so he asked him what is he incurable Yea Sir aunswered the Phisitian bicause he is in loue with my wife Then replied Seleucus againe alas Erasistratus I haue alwayes loued thee as one of my dearest frendes and wouldest thou not now doe me this pleasure to lette my sonne marry thy wife sith thou knowest it well that I haue no moe sonnes but he and that I see he is but cast away if thou helpe me not But your grace would not doe it your selfe sayd Erasistratus if he were in loue with Stratonice O sayd Seleucus to him againe that it were the wil of the gods some god or man could turne his loue that way for mine owne parte I would not only leaue him the thing he loued but I would geue my kingdom also to saue his life Thē Erasistratus seeing that the king spake these words from his hart and with abundance of teares he tooke him by the right hand and told him plainly your grace needeth not Erasistratus helpe in this For being father husbande and king your selfe also may onely be the Phisitian to cure your sonnes disease When Seleucus heard that he called an assemblie of the people and declared before them all that he was determined to crown his sonne Antiochus king of the high prouinces of ASIA Stratonice Queene to marry them together and that he was perswaded that his sonne who had alwayes shewed him selfe obedient to his fathers will would not disobey him in this mariage And as for Stratonice if she misliked this mariage and would not consent vnto it bicause it was no common matter then he prayed that his frendes would perswade her she should thinke all good comely that should please the king and withall that concerned the general benefit of the realme and common wealth Hereuppon Antiochus and Stratonice were married together But now to returne againe to the history of Demetrius Demetrius came by the kingdom of MACEDON and THESSALIE by this meanes as you haue heard and did moreouer possesse the best parte of PELOPONNESVS and on this side the straight the cities of MEGARA and ATHENS Furthermore he led his armie against the BOEOTIANS who were at the first willing to make peace with him But after that Cleonymus king of SPARTA was come into the city of THEBES with his army the BOEOTIANS encouraged by the faire wordes and allurement of one Pisis borne in the citie of THESPIS who at that time bare all the sway chiefe authoritie amongst them they gaue vp their treaty of peace they had begon with Demetrius determined to make warre Therupon Demetrius wēt to besiege the citie of THEBES layed his engines of battery vnto it insomuch as Cleonymus for feare stale secretly out of the citie Thereuppon the THEBANS being also affrayed yeelded them selues vnto Demetrius mercie who putting great garrisons into the cities hauing leauied a great summe of money of the prouince left them Hieronymus the historiographer his Lieutenant Gouernor there So it appeared that he vsed them very curteously did them many pleasures and specially vnto Pisis For when he had taken him prisoner he did him no hurt but receiued him very curteously and vsed him well and furthermore he made him Polemarchus to wit campe maister in the city of THESPIS Shortly after these things were thus brought to passe king Lysimachus by chaunce was taken by an other barbarous Prince called Dromichetes Thereupon Demetrius to take such a noble occasion offred him went with a great army to inuade the contry of THRACIA supposing he should find no man to withstande him but that he might conquer it at his pleasure Howbeit so soone as Demetrius backe was turned the BOEOTIANS reuolted againe from him therwithall newes was brought him that Lysimachus was deliuered out of prison Then he returned backe with all speede maruelously offended with the BOEOTIANS whom he found already discomfited in battell by his sonne Antigonus went againe to lay siege to the citie of THEBES being the chiefe city of al that prouince of BOEOTIA But at that present time Pyrrhus came forraged all THESSALY and entred euen to the straight of THERMOPYLES Therefore Demetrius was constrained to leaue his sonne to continewe the siege at THEBES whilest he him selfe went against Pyrrhus who sodainly returned againe into his realme So Demetrius left ten thowsand footemen and a thowsand horsemen in THESSALY to defend the contry returned with the rest of his army to win THEBES Thereuppon he brought his great engine of batterie called Elepolis against the wall as you haue heard before the which was thrust forward by litle litle with great labor by reason of the weight and heauines of it so that it could scant be driuen forward two furlongs in two months But the BOEOTIANS the THEBANS did valliantly defend them selues and Demetrius of a malicious minde desire of reuenge more oftner then needefull or to any purpose compelled his men to go to the assault to hazard them selues so that there were daily a great number of them slaine Antigonus his sonne perceiuing it alas said he why doe we thus suffer our men to be slaine and cast away to no purpose Wherefore Demetrius angrily aunswered him againe what needest thou to care Is there any corne to be distributed to those that are dead But notwithstanding bicause men should not thinke he still ment to put others in daunger and durst not venter him selfe he fought with them till at length he was shot through the necke with a sharpe arrow head that was shot at him from the wall Wherewithall he fell very sicke but yet raised not his siege nor remoued his campe but tooke the citie of THEBES againe by assault the which being not long before againe replenished with people was in ten yeares space twise won and taken Now he put the THEBANS in a maruelous feare by his cruell threats he gaue them at his cōming into THEBES so that they looked to haue receiued the extreamest punishment the vanquished could haue through the iust wrath and anger of the conqueror Howbeit after Demetrius had put thirtene of them to death and banished some he pardoned all the rest About that time fell out the celebration of the feast called Pythia in the honour of Apollo and bicause the AETOLIANS kept all the high wayes to bring them vnto the city of DELPHES in the which of olde time they
kill him a thing so damnable wicked and cruell of it selfe that he hardlie deserued to haue bene pardoned though he had killed Cicero to haue saued his Vncles life Nowe where they falsefied and brake their othes the one making Artabazus prisoner and the other killing of Alexander Antonius out of doubt had best cause and iustest colour For Artabazus had betrayed him and forsaken him in MEDIA But Demetrius as diuers doe reporte deuised a false matter to accuse Alexander to cloke the murther he had committed and some thinke he did accuse him to whom he him selfe had done iniurie vnto and was not reuenged of him that woulde doe him iniurie Furthermore Demetrius him selfe did many noble feates in warre as we haue recited of him before and contrarilie Antonius when he was not there in person wanne many famous and great victories by his Lieutenauntes and they were both ouerthrowen being personallie in battell but yet not both after one sorte For the one was forsaken of his men being MACEDONIANS and the other contrarily forsooke his that were ROMANES for he fled left them that ventred their liues for his honor So that the fault the one did was that he made them his enemies that fought for him and the fault in the other that he so beastlie left them that loued him best and were most faithfull to him And for their deathes a man can not praise the one not the other but yet Demetrius death the more reproachefull For he suffered him selfe to be taken prisoner and when he was sent away to be kept in a straunge place he had the hart to liue yet three yeare longer to serue his mouth and bellie as brute beastes doe Antonius on the other side slue him selfe to confesse a troth cowardly and miserably to his great paine and griefe and yet was it before his bodie came into his enemies hands THE LIFE OF Artaxerxes ARtaxerxes the first of this name of all the kinges of PERSIA a noble and curteous Prince as any of all his house was surnamed long hand bicause his right hand was longer then his left and he was the sonne of king Xerxes But the seconde whose life we presentlie intend to wryte was surnamed Mnemon as muche to say great memorie and he was the sonne of the daughter of the first Artaxerxes For king Darius and his wife Parysatis had foure sonnes of the which the eldest was this Artaxerxes the seconde Cyrus and two other younger Ostanes and Oxathres Cyrus from the beginning bare the name of the former auncient Cyrus which in the PERSIAN tongue signifieth the sunne But Artaxerxes was called before Arsicas although Dinon wryteth that he was called Oarses Howebeit it is vnlikelie that Ctesias although his bookes otherwise be full of fables and as vntrue as they are founde should forget the name of the Prince with whom he dwelt whom he serued and continuallie followed both him his wife and children Cyrus from his cradell was of a hotte sturring minde and Artaxerxes in contrarie manner more mylde and gentle in all his actions and doinges He was maried to a verie fayer Ladie by his father and mothers commaundement afterwards kept her against their wills being forbidden by them For king Darius his father hauing put his sonnes wiues brother to death he woulde also haue put her to death but her husband with teares made suche humble sute to his mother for her that with muche a doe he did not onely gette pardon for her life but graunt also that she shoulde not be put from him This notwithstanding his mother alwayes loued Cyrus better then him and praied that he might be king after his fathers death Wherefore Cyrus being in his prouinces of ASIA by the sea side when he was sent for to come to the Court at what time his father lay sicke of the disease he dyed he went thither in good hope his mother had preuailed with his father that in his will he would make him his heire of the realme of PERSIA For his mother Parysatis alleaged a matter very probable and the which in old time did helpe king Xerxes in the like case through Demaratus counsell She said that Arsicas was borne before her husband Darius was king Cyrus after he was crowned king All this could not preuaile For her eldest sonne Arsicas surnamed Artaxerxes was assigned king of PERSIA Cyrus gouernor of LYDIA and the kings Lieutenant generall of all the low contries of ASIA toward the sea side Shortly after king Darius death the new king Artaxerxes went vnto Pasargades there to be consecrated and annoynted king by the Priestes of the contrie of PERSIA The place of this Pasargades is a temple dedicated vnto Minerus the goddesse of battells as I take it where the newe king must be consecrated and when he commeth into the temple he putteth of his gowne and putteth on that which the old auncient Cyrus ware before he was king Furthermore he must eate of a certaine tart or fricacie made of figges with turpentine and then he must drinke a drinke made with vineger and milke There are also certeine other secret ceremonies which they must keepe and none doe know but the verie Priestes them selues Now Artaxerxes being readie to enter into all these ceremonies Tisaphernes came vnto him brought him one of the Priestes that had bene Cyrus schoolemaister in his youth and had taught him magicke who by reason shoulde haue bene more offended then any man else for that he was not appointed king And this was the cause why they beleued him the better when he accused Cyrus For he layd that Cyrus had conspired treason against the king his brothers owne person that he ment traiterously to kill him in the temple when he should put of his gowne Some doe reporte that Cyrus was apprehended vpon this simple accusacion by word of mouth Others write also that Cyrus came into the temple and hiding him selfe he was taken with the maner and bewraied by the priest So as he going to suffer death his mother tooke Cyrus in her armes and wounde the heare of her heade about his necke and tyed him straightly to her and withall she wept so bitterly and made suche pitiefull mone vnto the king her sonne that through her intercession the king graunted him his life sent him againe into his contrie and gouernment But this satisfied not Cyrus neither did he so muche remember the king his brothers fauor vnto him in graunting him his life as he did the despite he had offred him to be made prisoner Insomuch that for this grudge and euill will he euer after had a greater desire then before to be king Some wryters alleage that he entred into actuall rebellion against his brother by force of armes bicause he had not sufficient reuenue to defray the ordinary expence of his house howbeit it is a meere folly to say so For though he had
so hated her that from thenceforth she sought all the wayes she could to put her to death And Dinon the Historiographer sayth that during this warre she did execute her wicked purpose vpon her but Ctesias writeth that it was after the warre And therfore it is liker that he being daily in the king of PERSIAES Court should certainely knowe the tyme when she did execute her treason against her and also there is no cause why he should rather write it in any other time then in that in the which the facte was done although in many other places he commonly vseth to fitten and to write deuises of his owne head Therefore let vs leaue the report of this fact to the selfe same time and place as he hath written it Now when Cyrus drew neare vnto his brothers contry he had newes and a rumor ranne through his campe that the king was not determined to come and fight with him so soone and that he ment first to goe further into PERSIA and to tary there til he had gathered his army together out of all parts And for proofe hereof the king hauing cast a great trenche of ten yardes broad and as many high the space of foure hundred furlong in length he left it without gard and let Cyrus winne it who came on further without any resistaunce euen to the very citie selfe of BABYLON Howbeit in the ende Tiribazus as it is reported was the first man that durst tell the king that he should not flie fight in that sort nor hide him selfe in the furdest part of PERSIA leauing his enemy the Realmes of MEDIA BABYLON and SVSA considering also that he had many moe souldiers in readines then his enemye and an infinite number of Captaines more skilfull and abler to giue counsell and to fight then he was These words of Tiribazus made the king alter his mind and to determine to giue battell as soone as he could Thereuppon he marched forward against his enemie with nyne hundred thowsand fighting men excellently well armed and marching in very good order That maruelously astonied Cyrus men and made them affrayd at the first when they saw them in so excellent good order before them for that they were dispersed stragling here and there without any order and men vnarmed trusting too much in them selues in despising of their enemie so that Cyrus had much a doe to set his men in battell raye and yet was it with great noyse and tumult But the GRAECIANS wondred most of all other when they sawe the kinges armye marche in so good order of battell without any noyse For they thought to haue seene a wonderfull great disorder and confusion in such an infinite multitude of people and supposed they would haue made such a noyse that one of them should not haue heard another Where in deede to the contrary all was so well marshalled specially bicause he had placed before his battell the best carts he had armed with siethes and drawen with the strongest and biggest great horse he had in all his armie hoping by the fiercenes and furye of their careere to breake into the ranckes of the enemies before they could come to ioyne with theirs But sith this battell is described by diuers Historiographers but specially by Xenophon who hath as a man would say liuely set it out to the eye setteth it forth to the Reader not as a battell already fought but presently a fighting stirring vp their mindes as if them selues were in the action and instant daunger he hath so passingly set it downe it were but a folly therefore of me to take vppon me to make any further description of it sauing to touch some speciall poynts worthy of note which he peraduenture hath left out As the place where the battell was fought is called COVNAXA fiue hundred furlongs from BABYLON and how that before the battell Clearchus gaue Cyrus counsell to keepe behind the squadron of the GRAECIANS and not to hazard his person among the first and that Cyrus aunswered him what sayest thou Clearchus wouldest thou haue me that striues to be king to shew my selfe vnworthy to be a king But Cyrus hauing made this fault not standing vpon his safetie and garde but ouer rashely thrusting him selfe into great daunger Clearchus selfe also committed as great a fault if it were not worse when he would not set his men in order directly against the battell of the enemies where the kings person stoode but went and pent them vp by the riuers side being affrayd least they should haue bene compassed in behind For if he would haue looked so straightly to him selfe and haue prouided euery way for his safetie that no man might come to hurt him he should haue kept him selfe at home and not haue sturred one foote out of the dotes But sith he had comen so farre as from the low contries of ASIA vnto the place where the field was fought and vncompelled onely to put Cyrus in his fathers seate imperiall crowne to goe choose a place in the battell not where he might doe his Lord best seruice that had hyered him but rather where he might fight more at his ease and at lesse daunger it was euen as much as if through cowardlines his wits had bene taken from him when he should haue fought or that through treason he had forsaken his enterprise For to proue that the trowpes which where about the kinges person had neuer bene able to haue receiued the charge of the GRAECIANS and that those being ouerthrowen the king had bene slayne in the field or els forced to flie and that Cyrus had wonne the field and by this victorie had bene king the successe of this battell doth plainely shewe it And therefore Clearchus ouer curious respect deserued more blame for the losse of this battell then Cyrus ouerhardines For if king Artaxerxes would haue chosen or wished a place where the GRAECIANS might haue done him lesse hurt he could not haue deuised a fitter place that was so farre from him and from whence the GRAECIANS could neither see nor heare what was done where he was as it fell out in sequell For Cyrus was slayne before he could preuaile by Clearchus victorie he was so farre from him and furthermore Cyrus therein knew before what was meetest to be done For he commaunded Clearchus to place him selfe with his company in the middest of the battell who aunswered him he should take no thought for nothing for he would see all things well ordered And when he had sayd so he marred all afterwardes For where the GRAECIANS were they ouerthrewe the barbarous people that made head against them had thē in chase while they were weary of following of them Cyrus being mownted vpon a whot stirring horse that had a hard head and was very fierce and dogged called Pasacas as Ctesias writeth Artagerses the gouernor of the prouince of the CADVSIANS spyed him a farre of and
vnfortunate CARIAN fondely fell into a foolish vaine common vnto men For the sodeine ioy he felt as it seemeth to see such a goodly riche present before him as the king sent him made him so forget him selfe that he began to aspyre and to pretend greater things then became his state and calling And therefore he would not take the kings gifte as in respecte that he had brought him worde of Cyrus death but began to storme and to rage calling the gods to witnesse that it was he onely and none other that slue Cyrus and that they did him great wronge to take this honor from him The king beeing told of it tooke it so angrily that he presently commaunded them to strike of his head But Parysatis the Queene mother beeing present when the king gaue this commaundement she prayed him not to put him to death in that sort for the Villain sayd she let me alone I will chastise him well enough for his presumption and rashe speeche The king was contended she should haue him Thereuppon she sent the Sergeaunts to take this cursed CARIAN and made him be hanged vpon a gybbet ten dayes together and at the tenne dayes end caused his eyes to be pulled out of his head and last of all poored molten mettell into his eares and so killed the Villaine with this kinde of torment Mithridates also shortly after died miserably by a like sollye He was bidden to supper at a feast whether came also the king and Queene mothers Euenukes and when they came Mithridates sate downe at the bord in the kings golden gowne he gaue him When they had supped and that they beganne to drinke one to another one of Parysatis Euenukes sayd vnto Mithridates the king hath in deede giuen thee a goodly gowne Mithridates and goodly chaynes and carcanets of gold and so is the sword very riche and good he gaue thee so that when thou hast that by thy side there is no man I warrant thee but will thinke thee a happy man Mithridates then the wine fuming into his brayne aunswered straight what meanest thou by that Sparamixes I deserued a better then this when the battell was sought Then Sparamixes langhing on him aunswered I do not speak it for any hurt or euil wil I beare thee Mithridates but to speake franckly among our selues bicause the GRAECIANS haue a common prouerbe that wine telleth true I pray thee tell me what valliant acte was it to take vp a capparison of a horse that fell on the ground and to cary it to the king which the Euenuke spitefully put forth vnto him not that he was ignorant who did it but to prouoke him to speake and to put him in a rage knowing that he was a hasty man of nature could not kepe his tongue least of all when he had droncke so wel as he had done and so it fell out in deede For Mithridates could not byte it in but replyed straight you may talke as long as you lyft of the capparison of a horse such trash but I tell you plainly that Cyrus was slayne with myne owne hands and with no mans els For I hit him not in vaine as Artagerses did but full in the forehead hard by his eye and strake him through and through his head againe and so ouerthrewe him of which blow he dyed He had no soner spoken those words but the rest that were at the bord cast down their eyes foreseeing the death of this pore vnfortunat Mithridates But then the master of the feast began to speake and sayd vnto him friend Mithridates I pray thee let vs drincke and be mery and reuerence and thanke the good fortune of our king and for the rest let this talke goe it is too highe for vs When the Euenuke went from thence he tolde Parysatis the Queene mother what Mithridates had sayd before them all and she went and told the king of it Who was maruelously offended withall to be so belyed and to lose the thing that was most honorable and best pleased him in his victorie For it was his mind that all the world both GRAECIANS and barbarous people should certainly beleue that in the battell betwixt him and his brother he was hurt but yet that he slue Cyrus with his owne hand So the king cōmaunded that Mithridates should suffer the paines of death in botes the which is after this maner They take two botes made of purpose so euen that the one is nether broder nor longer then the other then lay the offender in one of thē vpon his back so couer him with the other do sow both botes together So that the parties feete hands head do come out at holes made of purpose for him the rest of his bodye is all hidden within Now they giue him meate as much as he will eate if he wil not eate they force him to it by thrusting alles in his eies then when he hath eaten they giue him hony to drinke mingled with milke they do not only powre it into his mouth but also all his face ouer turning him ful into the sunne so that his face is all couered ouer with flies furthermore being driuen to do his needes in that troughe of his excrements there ingender wormes that eate his body euen to the very priuities Then when they see the man is dead they take of the vppermost boate find all his flesh deuowred with vermine ingendring of him euen to his very intrals So when Mithridates had miserably languished in this manner seuenteene daies together at length he died in extreme torments Now Parysatis the Queene mother lacked no more to accomplish her wicked desire but Mesabates one of the kings Euenukes that had cut of Cyrus head and hand seing that he was very ware circūspect in his behauior that she could not take him at any aduauntage in the end she deuised a fine way to intrap him She had a maruelous wit amonge other things could play passingly wel at all games at dyce did many times play with the king her sonne before the warres after the warres also when he had made peace she did play at dyce with him as she had done before insomuch as she knew all his secret loue and furthered him to enioy it To be short she would neuer be out of his sight but as litle as she could would let his wife Statira haue as litle time with him as might be that she might gouerne and rule him as she would both bicause she hated her of all creatures liuing and also for that she would beare the greatest sway and credit about him When she saw the king one day at leysure not knowing how to passe the time away she inticed him to play a thowsand Darecks at dyce and was contented to lose them willingly and paied the thowsand Darecks downe seeming notwithstanding to be angry with her
men that euer were in GRAECE Therefore one said at that time in the presence of king Agesilaus O how vnhappy is poore GRAECE at this day when the LACEDAEMONIANS come to follow the PERSIANS But Agesilaus presently aūswered him againe not so said he but rather the PERSIANS followe the LACEDAEMONIANS Notwithstanding this wise aunswer Agesilaus made did not take away the shame of the fact shortly after the LACEDAEMONIANS lost the battell of LEVCTRES therewith also the signiorie principalitie they had kept of long time ouer all GRAECE although they had lost their estimatiō before for cōsenting to so shameful dishonorable a peace Whē SPARTA florished most was chiefe of all the other cities of GRAECE so long did Artaxerxes stil cōtinue to make so much of Antalcidas called him his friēd But after that the LACEDAEMONIANS had lost the battell of LEVCTRES hauing receiued so great an ouerthrow wanting money they sent Agesilaus into AEGYPT Altalcidas into PERSIA vnto king Artaxerxes to pray him to ayde and helpe the LACEDAEMONIANS Howbeit the king made so smal accompt of him disdained him so much denying him his requests that he returned backe to SPARTA as a man knocked on the head without any thing done with the king And there also seing that his enemies mocked him fearing that the Ephori would cōmit him to prison he killed him self with famine About that time also the THEBANS after they had won the battell of LEVCTRES sent Ismenias Pelopidas into PERSIA vnto king Artaxerxes where Pelopidas did nothing vnworthy of him self Howbeit Ismenias being commaunded to kneele to the king he let fall his ringe at his feete and stowped to take it vp whereby it was thought of some that he did it to kneele to the king Another time Artaxerxes liking a secret aduertisement very wel sent him from Timagoras the ATHENIAN he gaue him ten thowsand daricks by his Secretary called Belluris And bicause he had a sickly body was driuē to drink cowes milke to restore him the king therfore sent foure score mylche kyne with him to giue milke to the paile to haue fresh milke euery daye Furthermore he sent him a bed throughly furnished with al things necessary groomes of the chāber to make his bed saying that the GRAECIANS could not tel how to make it did also let him haue men to cary him vpon their armes to the sea side bicause he was sicke whilest he was at the Court he enterteyned him very honorably bountifully So Ostanes the kings brother said one day vnto him Timagoras remēber how honorably thou art serued at thy bord for it is not for no small matter thou art thus made of This word was rather to cut him for his treason then for any remēbrance of the benefit receiued So the ATHENIANS afterwards condēned the same Timagoras to dye bicause he had taken bribes money of the king of PERSIA But Artaxerxes in recōpence of so many other thinges that he had done to despite the GRAECIANS with he did one thing that pleased them maruelously when he did put Tisaphernes to death who was the dreadfullest enemye the GRAECIANS had Parysatis the Queene mother did helpe to bringe this to passe aggrauating the accusations brought in against him For the king kept not his anger longe against his mother but fell in againe with her and sent for her knowing that she had an excellent witte and noble courage to gouerne a great kingdome and besides that there was nothing nowe to let them to come together as much as they would to giue any occasion of ielousie or malice to any person So euer after his mother Parysatis endeuored her selfe to feede the king her sonnes humor euery manner of way seeming to mislike nothing that he did Whereby she grewe in great credit with him that he denied her nothing whatsoeuer she asked him So she perceyued that the king was extreamely in loue with one of his owne Daughters that was called Atossa howbeit that he dissembled his loue the best he could and kept it secret chiefly for feare of her although some write that in deede he had already had her mayden head Nowe Parysatis hauing found his loue she beganne to make more of his Daughter then she did before and talking with her father sometyme she praysed her beauty another tyme her grace and good countenaunce saying that she was like a Queene and noble Princesse So that at length by litle and litle she perswaded him to marye her openly not passing for the lawes and opinions of the GRAECIANS considering that God had giuen him vnto the PERSIANS to stablishe lawes vnto them to decyde right from wronge and the good from the bad Some Historiographers doe write and amongest them Heraclides of CVMES that Artaxerxes did not onely marie the eldest of his Daughters but the second also called Amestris of whome we will speake hereafter Nowe when he had maried the eldest Atossa he loued her so entierly well that though she fell sicke of the dissease commonly called Vitiligo that ranne ouer all her bodie he loued her not the worse for it but prayed continually for her vnto the goddesse Iuno honoring no other goddesse but her onely and fell downe on his knees before her image and sent by his friendes and Lieuetenants so many offerings that all the way from his Court gates vnto the temple of Iuno which was sixteene furlong of was full of gold siluer riche purple silkes and horse that were sent thither He beganne to make warre also with the AEGYPTIANS and made Pharnabazus and Iphicrates ATHENIAN his Lieuetenants who did no good bicause they fell at variance th one with thother But afterwards Artaxerxes him selfe went in person to conquer the CADVSIANS with three hundred thowsand footemen and tenne thowsand horsemen So he inuaded their contry which was a very rude contry alway darke and clowdy The earth bringeth forth nothing that man soweth but doth onely feede the inhabitants with peares apples and such like frute and yet the men be very stronge and valliant notwithstanding So when he was entred farre into the contry before he was ware he fell into great want of vittells and was also in great daunger For his souldiers found nothing in all the contry that was good to eate and worst of all no vittells could come vnto them from any place bicause of the hardnes and naughty wayes of the contry So that his campe liued onely with the fleshe of their beastes of cariage and yet they sold it dearely for an asses head was sold for three skore siluer Drachmas To conclude the famyne was so great that prouision fayled for the kings owne mouth and there were but fewe horse left for all the rest were eaten Then Tiribazus that had oftentimes bene chiefe about the king bicause he was a valliant man and that through his folly
the garde of his chamber to strippe him naked whatsoeuer he was and then they gaue him an other gowne to cast vpon him but not his owne One day his brother Leptines going about to describe vnto him the scituacion of some place he tooke a halberd from one of the garde and with the point thereof beganne to drawe out a platte of the same vpon the ground Dionysius was terriblie offended with him and did put the souldier to death that gaue him his halberd He sayed he was affrayed of his frendes yea and of the wisest of them bicause he knewe that they desired rather to rule then to be ruled and to commaunde then to obey He flewe one of his Captaines called Marsyas whome he had preferred and had geuen him charge of men bicause he dreamed that he killed him saying that he dreamed of this in the night bicause that waking in the day he had determined to kill him Now Dionysius that was so timerous and whose mind through fearefulnes was still miserablie occupied he was notwithstanding maruelouslie offended with Plato bicause he did not iudge him to be the noblest and valliantest man aliue Dion therefore seeing as we haue sayd the younger Dionysius cleane marred and in manner cast away for lacke of good education perswaded him the best he coulde to geue him selfe vnto studie and by the greatest intreatie he coulde possiblie make to pray the Prince of all Philosophers to come into SICILE And then when through his intreatie he were come that he woulde referre him selfe whollie vnto him to th ende that reforming his life by vertue and learning and knowing God thereby the best example that can be possible and by whom all the whole world is ruled and gouerned which otherwise were out of all order and confused he shoulde first obteine great happines to him selfe and consequently vnto all his citizens also who euer after through the temperance and iustice of a father would with good will doe those thinges which they presentlie vnwillingly did for the feare of a Lorde and in doing this from a tyran he should come to be a king For the chaines of a diamant to keepe a realme in safetie were not force and feare as his father Dionysius helde opinion neither the great multitude of young souldiers nor the garde of ten thowsand barbarous people but in contrarie manner that they were the loue and good will of their subiectes which the Prince obteineth through vertue and iustice the which chaines though they be slacker then the other that are so hard and stiffe yet are they stronger and will last longer time to keepe a realme and kingdom in safetie And furthermore the Prince sayd he is not desirous of honor neither is a man that deserueth greatly to be praised and commended that onely studieth to weare sumptuous apparell and that glorieth to see his Court richelie furnished and him selfe curiouslie serued and in the meane time doth not frame him selfe to speake better to be wiser and to carie a greater maiesty then any other meane or common person not esteeming to adorne and beawtifie the Princely pallace of his minde as becommeth the royall maiestie of a king Dion oftentimes rehearsing these exhortacions vnto Dionysius and otherwhile enterlacing betwene some reasons he had learned of Plato he graffed in him a wonderfull and as it were a vehement desire to haue Plato in his companie and to learne of him So sundry letters came from Dionysius vnto ATHENS diuers requestes from Dion and great intreaty made by certaine Pythagorian Philosophers that prayed and perswaded Plato to come into SICILE to bridle the light disposition of this young man by his graue and wise instructions who without regard of reason led a dissolute and licentious life Therefore Plato as him selfe reporteth blushing to him selfe and fearing least he should geue men cause to thinke that it was but the opinion men had of him and that of him selfe he was vnwilling to do any worthie act and further hoping that doing good but vnto one man alone who was the only guide of all the rest he should as it were recouer all SICILIA from her corruption and sickenes he performed their requests that sent vnto him But Dions enemies fearing the chaunge and alteracion of Dionysius they perswaded him to call Philistus the Historiographer home againe from banishment who was a learned man and had bene brought vp and acquianted with the tyrans facions to th end he should serue as a counterpeace to withstande Plato and his Philosophie For this Philistus from the first time that the tyrannie beganne to be established did shew him selfe verie willing and conformable to the stablishment thereof and had of long time kept the castell and the voyce went that he kept the mother of Dionysius the elder and as it was supposed not altogether without the tyrans knowledge But afterwardes Leptines hauing had two daughters by one woman whom he intised to follie being an other mans wife he maried one of these his daughters vnto Philistus and made not Dionysius priuie to it before The tyranne therewith was so offended that he put Leptines woman in prison fast locked vp and draue Philistus out of SICILIA He being banished thus repayred vnto some of his frendes that dwelt about the Adriaticke sea where it seemeth he wrote the most parte of all his historie being then at good leasure For he was not called home againe during the life of Dionysius the elder but after his death the malice the Courtiers bare vnto Dion caused them to procure Philistus calling home againe as we haue told you as the man they thought would sticke stowtly in defense of the tyranny So Philistus no sooner returned but he stowtly began to defend the tyranny others in contrary maner deuised accusations to the tyran against Dion accusing him that he had practised with Theodotes and Heraclides to ouerthrowe the tyrannie of Dionysius For Dion in my opinion hoped by Platoes comming to bridle and lessen a litle the ouerlicentious and imperious tyrannie of Dionysius and thereby to frame Dionysius a wise and righteous gouernor But on the other side if he saw he would not follow his counsell and that he yeelded not to his wise instructions he then determined to put him downe to bring the gouernment of the common wealth into the handes of the SYRACVSANS not that he allowed of Democratia to wit where the people gouerne but yet certainly thinking that Democratia was much better then the tyrannie when they could not come vnto Aristocratia to wit the gouernment of a few of the nobilitie Now things being in this state Plato arriued in SICILE where he was maruelously receiued and honored by Dionysius For when he landed on the shoare leauing his galley that brought him there was readie for him one of the kings rich and sumptuous chariots to conuey him to the castell and the tyran made sacrifice
enuy malice his prosperitie and souerainty they did not onely mainteyne them selues as free men in the middest of the seruitude of so many great cities large and mighty but did also deliuer many other people of GRAECE from their tyrants Now for Aratus manners he was one that in nature loued ciuill gouernment and equalitie among Citizens in one selfe citie he was nobly minde and more painefull about the affayres of the common weale then carefull of his owne busines and hated tyrants to the death and imployed his good or euill will wholy for the seruice of the common wealth And therefore he seemed not to be so fownd a friend as he was a gentle and mercifull enemye framing him selfe in either of both as tyme serued for the common wealth To be short it was a generall and common voyce amonge all the cities confederats in priuate company and at open meetings in the Theaters that Aratus loued nothing but vertue and honesty That in open warres he was not so valliant and coragious as he was crafty and suttell to take a citie on the sodaine Furthermore though he was valliant to attempt many great things the which men thought he would neuer haue brought to passe yet it seemeth he left many thinges possible vndone the which he might easily haue done for that he durst not venter on them For as there be beastes whose sight is perfitteth by night and by day they can see nothing bicause the subtiltie of the humor and moysture in their eyes is dried vp and can not abide the bright light of the daye euen so men that otherwise by nature are very wise are easely affrayd of daunger when they must venter on it at noone dayes where contrarily they are bold in secret enterprises sodeinly to attēpt any thing Now this contrarietie and difference in men well brought vp groweth through ignorance lacke of instruction of Philosophie which of it selfe doth norish vertue as frute that springeth vp without planting or helpe of mans hand But this is best discerned by examples So Aratus hauing ioyned him selfe and his citie SICYONE vnto the ACHAIANS and seruing in person as a man of armes among the rest he was maruelously beloued of his generalls that law him so obedient For notwithstanding that he had made so large a contribucion as the estimation of him selfe and the force of his citie vnto the common wealth of the ACHAIANS yet he was as ready to obey and execute the commaundments of the generals as the poorest and meanest souldier were he of DYMA or of TRIYA or of any other small village whatsoeuer Furthermore a great summe of money beeing sent him from king Ptolomy for a gifte amownting to twenty and fiue talents he tooke it but forth with disposed it amongest his poore contry men both to releeue their want as also to redeeme prisoners This notwithstanding the banished men still vexed troubled them that had their goods lands to haue thē out of their hands and otherwise would be satisfied by no meanes Their common wealth therefore beeing in great daunger to fall into ciuill warre Aratus perceiuing there was no other way to helpe this michiefe but by Ptolomies liberalitie he determined to goe vnto him to praye him to helpe him with money to pacifie this grudge and tumult So he imbarked at the hauen of METHONA aboue the foreland of MALEA to sayle from thence into AEGYPT howbeit he had such a contrary wind and the sea rose so hie that the maister of the shippe was driuen to let her goe whether she woulde to take sea roome So beeing driuen quite from his direct course with great daunger he got to the citie of ADRIA which was his enemy bicause Antigonus kept it and had a garrison in it But Aratus did wisely preuent it going a shore wandred farre from the sea with one of his friends called Timanthes and got into a wodde where they had an euill nights rest He had not gone farre after he had left his shippe but the Captaine of the garrison came and south for him Notwithstanding his seruaunts had mocked him finely being before instructed by Aratus what aunswer they should make saying that he was gone and fled into the I le of EVROPA Howbeit the Captaine of the garrison stayed the shippe his men and all things els she had in her and tooke her for a good prise Within fewe dayes after Aratus being maruelously troubled and at a straight with him selfe what he should doe there happily arriued a ROMANE shippe hard by the place where he kept most partly to hide him selfe and partly also to see if he could discouer any thing This shippe was bownd for SYRIA So he had delt with the master of the shippe in that forte that he tooke him abourd and promised he would deliuer him in CARIA and so he did But he was in as much daunger this second iorney againe by sea as he was in the first he made towards AEGYPT From CARIA a long time after Aratus went to AEGYPT and spake with the king who made very much of him for Aratus fed him still by sending of him passing fayer tables and pictures of GRAECE of excellent workemanship And in deede hauing a singuler good wit he alwayes got together and bought the excellentest painted picture he could get but specially the pictures of Pamphilus and Melanthus to send them vnto the king For learning florished yet in the citie of SICYONE and they esteemed the paintings of tables in that citie to be the perfittest for true cullers and fine drawing of all other places Insomuch as Apelles though he was then of maruelous same for paynting went thither and gaue to these two excellent paynters a talent to remayne a while in their company not so much to attaine to the perfection of the art as thereby to winne him selfe same And therefore when Aratus had restored his citie againe to libertie he caused all the images of the tyrannes to be defaced and plucked downe howbeit he stoode doubtful a long tyme whether he should deface Aristratus picture or not who raigned in the tyme of Phillip For it was paynted with the hands of all the schollers of Melanthus being by a triumphant chariot that caried a victorie and as Polemon the Geographer writeth Apelles hand was to it This picture was a passing peece of worke to see to so that Aratus at the first yelded and was contented to saue it for the excellencye of the workemanship yet in the ende ouercome with the extreme hate he bare vnto tyrants he had it should be defaced Now it is reported also that Nealces the paynter being one of Aratus friends prayed him with the teares in his eyes to pardon such a notable peece of worke But when he sawe Aratus so hard harted that he would not graunt it he tolde him it was good reason to make warre with tyrants but not with their pictures Let vs then q
third part of the world as they had done in AFRICK and EVROPE Antiochus perswaded by the authority of such a man straight commaunded Polyxenidas a very seruiceable man and skilfull in sea seruice that he should goe meete with the army of the ROMANES that was comming thither Then he sent Annibal into SYRIA to leauy a great number of shippes together and afterwards made him and Apollonius one of his fauored Courtiers generalls of this armye by sea who notwithstanding that Polyxenidas was put to the worst by the ROMANES they went and set vpon the RHODIANS that were confederats with them Annibal in this battell assayling Eudamus the Captaine of the RHODIANS that led the left wing he had already compassed in the Admirall galley and doubtles had obtayned the victorie but that the other wing came in to rescue after they had followed Apollonius in chase and tooke the victorie from him that was his owne After this battell by sea which had no great good successe we doe not find that Annibal did any thing worthy memorie For king Antiochus being ouercome besides other condicions the ROMANES offred him they desired that Annibal the mortall enemy of their contry should be deliuered vnto them Annibal foreseeing this long before he sodainely stale from Antiochus after this notable battell that was fought by MAGNESIA where the kings power was ouerthrowen So after Annibal had wandred vp and downe a long time he fled at length vnto Prusias king of BITHYNIA for succor Nowe he did not so much trust to his friendshippe but bicause he sought for the meetest place he coulde come by as also for the safest the which he most desired considering that the ROMANES had the most part of the sea and land in their subiection Some say that after king Antiochus was ouercome Annibal went into CRETA vnto the GORTYNIANS and that the rumor ranne immediatly he had brought a great masse of gold aud siluer with him Wherefore being affrayd least the CRETANS should offer him some violence he deuised this shifte to scape the daunger he filled earthen pots with lead gilt and sent them into the temple of Diana fayning that he was maruelous carefull for them as though all his treasure had bene there On the other side he had hid all his gold in images of brasse the which he had left caresly lying on the groūd in the house In the meane time whilest they watched the temple carefully that these earthen pots should not be caried away without their priuitie Annibal hoysed sayle and fled into BITHYNIA In BITHYNIA there is a village vpon the sea side which the contry men call LIBYSSA of the which by some mens saying there ranne an olde oracle and prophecy in this sort The land of Libyssa shall couer vnder movvlde The valliant corps of Annibal vvhen he is dead and colde There Annibal lay not spending his time idely but passing it away in exercising of the maryners riding of horses and trayning of his souldiers Some Authors also do write that at that time Prusias made warre with Eumenes who was a confederate and friend of the ROMANES and that he made Annibal his Lieutenant generall of his army by sea who assayling Eumenes with a new found and vnknowen deuise wanne the victory of the battell by sea For before they began to fight it is reported that Annibal had gotten an infinite number of snakes into earthen pots and when the battel was begonne and they busily tending their fight he threw those pots with snakes into the enemies shippes and that by this fearefull and straunge deuise he made them flie Now whether this was true or not the olde chronicles do make no manner of mention but onely AEmylius and Trogus And therefore I report me to the Authors So the newes of the dissention betwixt these two kings Prusias and Eumenes being brought to ROME the Senate sent T. Q. Flaminius Ambassador into ASIA whose name was famous for the noble victories he had obtayned in GRAECE to the ende as I coniecture to make peace betwixt these two kings Flaminius being come vnto king Prusias he was maruelously offended and sory in his mind to see Annibal yet aliue that was the mortallest enemy of the ROMANES after the cōquests of so many nations the sacking of so many people therfore he was very earnestly in hand with king Prusias to deliuer him Annibal Annibal from the first beginning mistrusted king Prusias inconstancye very much and therefore had digged diuers vaults in his house and made seuen seuerall vents to flie out at if he were sodainely taken The report of Flaminius cōming did encrease his suspition the more for that he thought him the greatest enemy he had in ROME both generally for the hate he bate vnto all the ROMANES as also perticularly for the remembraunce of his father Flaminius that was slayne in the battell fought by the lake of Thrasymene So Annibal being full of care and griefe as it is reported he found deuises to escape the which stood him to no purpose against such a great power For when the kings gard which were sent to take him had cōpassed his house about Annibal thought to flie at their first comming and to saue him selfe by the secretest vault he had But when he found that the place was kept by the gard then he determined to rid him selfe out of the ROMANES handes by destroying him selfe So some doe report that he was strangled by one of his men whome he had commaunded to helpe to dispatche him Others write againe that he had droncke bulles bloud and when he had droncke it dyed as Clitarchus and Stratocles doe falsely report of Themistocles Howbeit Titus Liuius that famous Historiographer writeth that Annibal called for the poyson he had ready for such a mischiefe and that holding this deadly drinke in his hand before he dranke he sayd Come on let vs rid the ROMANES of this payne and care sith their spight and malice is so great to hasten the death of a poore old man that is halfe dead already The auncient ROMANES aduertised Pyrrhus king of the EPIROTES who came with enseignes displayed to the very walls of the citie of ROME that he should looke to him selfe and beware of poysoning and these ROMANES nowe doe make a friende forgetting his kingly state and faithfull promise vilely to betraye his poore ghest After he had sayd bitterly cursing king Prusias he poysoned him selfe being three score tenne yeare olde as some writers doe testifie His body was buried in a tombe of stone by LIBYSSA on the which was ingrauen no more but this Here lyeth Annibal The ROMANES beeing aduertised of his death euery man sayde his opinion as his fancye serued him Some greatly blamed T. Q. Flaminius crueltie who to make him selfe famous by some notable acte as he thought made a poore olde man put him selfe to death that was in manner half dead by age and besides was past doing the state
of ROME any more hurt they being Conquerors in manner of all the world But some againe on the other side commended Flaminius for it sayd it was a good deede of him to rid the ROMANES of their mortall enemye who though he had but a weake body yet he lacked no wit wise counsell and great experience in warres to intise king Prusias to make warre and to molest all ASIA besides with newe warres For at that time the power of the king of BITHYNIA was so great that it was not to be lightly regarded For after that Mithridates king of the same BITHYNIA did maruelously molest the ROMANES both by sea and by land moreouer fought battells with L. Lucullus and Cn. Pompey famous Captaines of the ROMANES And so the ROMANES might also be affrayd of king Prusias and specially hauing Annibal his Captaine So some iudge that Q. Flaminius was specially sent Ambassador vnto king Prusias secretly to practise Annibals death Howbeit it is to be supposed that Q. Flaminius was not so desirous to haue Annibal so sodainely put to death as he would haue bene glad otherwise to haue brought him againe to ROME that had done such mischiefe to his contry and this had bene a great benefit for ROME and much honor also vnto him selfe Such was the death of Annibal the CARTHAGINIAN a famous man doubtles highly to be commended for martiall prayse setting his other vertues aside So we may easily iudge of what power and force his noble mind his great wisedom and corage and his perfit skill of martiall discipline was in all thinges For in all the warre the CARTHAGINIANS had so vehemently and with such great preparation enterprised they neuer thought them selues ouercome till Annibal was ouerthrowen at that great battel by ZAMA So it appeareth that all their strength and skill of warres began also ended with Annibal their Captaine THE LIFE OF Scipio African PVblius Scipio a PATRICIAN of the familye of the Cornelij who was the first ROMANE Captaine against whome Annibal fought in ITALY was the father of Cornelius Scipio afterwards surnamed AFRICAN the first so called bicause he had conquered that nation The lame Scipio after he had obtayned many great victories in SPAYNE and done notable feates of armes was in the ende slayne with a wound he had in a battell against his enemies as he was plying and incoraging of his men from place to place thronging in the greatest daunger and fury of the battell Shortly after did his brother Cn. Scipio also ende his life much after one selfe manner and was slayne valliantly fighting So these two Captaines besides the same they achieued by their noble deedes left behind them great prayse of their faithfulnes modestie and corage the which made them not onely wished for of their souldiers that were then liuing but also of all the SPANYARDS besides Cn. Scipio had a sonne called P. Cornelius Nasicae one that had bene Consul and had also triumphed who beeing but a younge man was thought the meetest man of all the citie of ROME to receyue Idea the mother of the goddes This Publius had two sonnes the so famous Scipioes of the which the one was called ASIAN bicause he conquered ASIA and the other AFRICAN bicause he subdued AFRICK at that famous battell of ZAMA where he ouerthrewe Annibal and the CARTHAGINIANS as we sayd before Whose life we purpose nowe to write not so much to make the glory of his name so famous by all the Graeke Latyn Authors the greater by our history as for that we would make all men know the order of his noble deeds moral vertues to th end that all Princes noble Captaines in reading it should behold the liuely image of perfit vertue which may moue an earnest desire in thē to follow the example of P. Cornelius Scipioes life who from his childhod gaue great hope shew of a noble nature excellent vertue after he followed the instruction of martiall discipline vnder the conduct of his father He was caried into the field at the beginning of thesecond warre with the CARTHAGINIANS followed the campe being but seuenteene yeare old in a very short time grew so toward forward in al things in riding in watching in taking all maner of paynes like a soldier that he wan great cōmendacion of his own father besides great estimation also of all the army Furthermore he shewed such tokens of a sharp wit noble corage that it made him beloued also feared of his enemies For this Scipio was present at the battell of the horsemen where P. Cornelius Scipio the Consul fought with Annibal by the riuer of Thesin some writers doe affirme that Cornelius the father being hurt was almost taken by the enemye had not his sonne Scipio saued him who had then but a litle downe on his beard he was so young After that also at the battel that was sought by CANNES to the great losse in maner vtter destruction of the Empire of ROME when the ten thowsand men that fled to CANVSIVM had all together with one cōsent referred the gouernment of the army vnto Appius Pulcher that had bene AEdilis and vnto Cornelius Scipio that was yet but very young the same Scipio shewed then by his deedes what noble mind and corage was in him For when he saw certen young men consult together betwene them selues to forsake ITALY he thrust in among them drawing out his sword made them all sweare they would not forsake their contry These and such like deedes done by him with a liuely corage noble mind being then but a young man wanne him such fauor with the ROMANES that not respecting his young yeares nor their auncient custō they called him forward laid offices of great charge gouernment vpon him Insomuch that when he sued for the office of AEdilis before his due time notwithstanding that the Tribunes of the people were against his sute bicause he was so younge a man yet the people suffered him to be brought from tribe to tribe so was presently chosen AEdilis with the most voyces So after his father Vncle both famous and noble Captaines had bene slaine one after the other in SPAYNE that the ROMANES were in consultacion to appoynt some worthy captaine in the roome they could finde no man that durst vndertake this so daungerous warre considering the losse of two so great captaines before Wherfore the whole assēbly being called to choose a Viceconsul all the other Princes peeres of the Realme being silent at so worthy a motion Scipio onely of all the rest being but foure twenty yeare old stoode vp in the middest of thē laid with a good hope confidence he would willingly take the charge vpon him He had no sooner offred this promise but he was presently made Viceconsul of SPAYNE with the wōderful good wil fauor of the people who
not otherwise thinke of him but that he was a great and valiant Captaine Others also speaking of Scipio doe greatly prayse and commend him for the foure Chieftaines he ouercame and for the foure great armies which he defeated and put to flight in SPAINE and also for that he over came and tooke that great king Syphan prisoner In fine they come to prayse that famous battell in the which Scipio ouer came Annibal ZAMA For if Fabius sayd they were praysed bicause he was not ouercome by Annibal what estimation will they make of the AFRICAN that in a pitched battell ouercame that so famous dreadfull Captaine Annibal and also did ende so daungerous a warre Besides alfeo that Scipio did alwayes make open warre and commonly fought with the enemy in plaine field Where Annibal in contrary manner did alwayes vse craft and sâ—â—elry and was full of stratageames policie And therefore all Authors both Graeke and Laâ—yâ—y doe count him very fine and suttell Furthermore they greatly commend Annibal for than he maynteyned his army of so sundry nations so long time in peace as he had warre with the ROMANES and yet that there was neuer any mutinie of rebellion in his campe On the other side they blame him againe bicause he did not follow his victory when he had ouercomen the ROMANES at that famous battell of CANNES and also bicause he spoyled his souldiers with too much ease and the pleasures of CAMPANTA and APVLIA whereby they were so chaunged that they seemed to be other souldiers then those that had ouercomen the ROMANES at the sundry battells of TREBIA THRASYMENE and CANNES All writers doe reproue these thinges in Annibal but specially his crueltie For amongest other thinges what crueltie was it of him to make a woman with her children to come from ARPIto his campe and afterwardes to burne them aliue What shall a man say of them whome he cruelly put to death in the temple of Iuno Lacinia when he departed out of ITALY For Scipio AFRICAN on the other side if we shall rather credit the best authors that write then a number of other detracters and malitious writers we may say he was a bountifull and temperate Captaine and not onely liuely and valiant in fight but also curteous and mercifull after victorye For oftentimes his enemies proued his valiantnes the vanquished his mercy and clemency all others men his faithfulnes Now therfore let vs tel you what his continency liberalitie was the which he shewed in SPAYNE vnto a young Lady taken prisoner and vnto Luceius Prince of the CELTIBERIANS doth it not deserue great prayse Nowe for their priuate doings they were both vertuously brought vp and both of them imbraced learned men For as it is reported Annibal was very famillier with Socillus LACEDAEMONIAN as the AFRICAN was with Ennius the Poet. Some saye also that Annibal was so wel learned in the Graeke tongue that he wrote an historie in Graeke touching the deedes of Manlius Volso Now truely I doe agree with Citero that sayd in his booke de Oratore that Annibal heard Phormio PERIPATETICIAN in EPHESVS discoursing very largely of the office and duety of a Chieftaine and generall and of the martiall lawes ordinaunces and that immediatly after being asked what he thought of that Philosopher he should aunswer in no very perfit Graeke but yet in Graeke that he had seene many old doting fooles but that he had neuer seene a greater doterd then Phormio Furthermore both of them had an excellent grace in their talke Annibal had a sharpe tawnting wit in his aunswers When king Antiochus on a time prepared to make warre with the ROMANES and had put his army into the field not so well furnished with armor and weapon as with gold and siluer he asked Annibal if he thought his army sufficient for the ROMANES yea Sir ê™ he that they be were the enemies neuer so couetous This may truely be sayd of Annibal that he obtayned many great victories in the warres but yet they turned to the destruction of his contry Scipio in contrary manner did preserue his contry in such safetie and also did so much increase the dominions thereof that as many as shall looke into his desert they can not but call ROME vnthankefull which liked rather that the AFRICAN preseruer of the citie should goe out of ROME then that they would represse the fury and insolency of a few And for myne owne opinion I can not thinke well of that citie that so vnthankfully hath suffred so worthy and innocent a person to be iniured and so would I also haue thought it more blame worthy if the citie had bene an ayder of the iniurye offred him In fine the Senate as all men doe report gaue great thankes vnto Tiberius Gracchus bicause he did defend the Scipions cause and the common people also following the AFRICAN when he visited all the temples of ROME and left the Tribunes alone that accused him did thereby shewe how much they did loue and honor the name of the Scipioes And therefore if we should iudge the Citizens harts and good wills by those things men would rather condemne them for cowards to haue suffered such outrage then vnthankfull forforgetting of his benefits for there were very few that consented to so wicked a deede and all of them in manner were very sory for it Howbeit Scipio that was a man of a great minde not much regarding the malice of his enemies was content rather to leaue the citie then by ciuill warres to destroy it For he would not come against his contry with ensignes displaied nether would he solicite straunge nations and mighty kings to come with force and their ayde to destroy the citie thew which he had beautified with so many spoyles and triumphes as Martius Coriolanus Alcibiades and diuers others did by record of auncient stories For we may easily perceiue howe carefull he was to preserue the libertie of ROME bicause when he was in SPAYNE he refused the title and name of king which was offred him and for that he was maruelous angry with the people of ROME bicause they would haue made him perpetuall Consul and Dictator and considering also that he commaunded they should set vp no statue of him nether in the place of the assembly nor in the iudgement seate nor in the Capitoll All which honors afterwardes were giuen by the Citizens vnto Caesar that had ouercomen Pompey These were the ciuill vertues of the AFRICAN which were great and true prayses of continency Now therefore to deliuer you the summe and effect of all these thinges these two so famous Captaines are not so much to be compared together in their ciuill vertues in the which Scipio chiefly excelled as in the discipline of warres and in the glory of their famous victories To conclude their deathes were somewhat a like for they both dyed out of their contries although Scipio was not condemned by his contry as
vnto the gods Darius army of tenne hundred thowsand fighting men against Alexander at the riuer of Euphrates The magnanimity of Alexander Alexanders third battell with Darius The armor of Alexander An Eagle flewouer Alexanders head when he went so fight with Darius The flying of Darius Alexanders third victory of Darius and liberalithe of all men * The strength and power of Nepina in the contry of Ecbatania VVhat Medaes enchantment was * In this place there lacke certaine lynes in the Greeks originall No lâ—â—e in the countrie of Babylon Tresure found by Alexander at the citie of Susa. * Is seemeth that he meaneth of silke dyed in purple whereof the best that was in Europe was made in the citie of Hermiona in Laconia Alexanders iorney into Persia. Alexander found a maruelous measure in Persia The insoleus boldnes of Thais the herles Persopolls set a fire by Alexander Alexanders prodigalitie reproued by his mother Olympias Alexander reproueth the finenes and curiositie of his frendes Alexander enemy to idlenes Alexanders care of his frendes and wonderfull curtesie towards them Alexander keps one eare for the condeÌ„med person Alexander would not pardon ill wordes spoken of him Alexanders painefull iorney in following of Darius The loue of Alexander to his souldiers and abstinence Alexander regarded not the spoyle of gold siluer in respect of pursuing his flying enemy The death of Darius The punishment and execution of Bessus The sea Hyrcanium or Caspium Alexander goeth after the maner of the Persians Some faultes are to be borne with in a man of great vertues Orexartes fl Alexander with one word of his mouth brought the Macedonians to obedience Alexander maried Roxane a Persian Quarrell betwext Hephaestion and Craterus VVhy Philotas was suspected and enuied of Alexander Limnus traizerously seeketh to kill Alexander Philotas and his father Partmenio put to death Antipater was affrayed of Alexander VVVhy Alexander slue Clitus Alexanders dreame of Clitus The malapertnes of Clitus against Alexander Alexander slue Clitus grieuously repented him Callisthenes and Anaxarchus do comfort Alexander The cause why Callisthenes was envyed Aristotle thought Callisthenes eloquent but not wise Callisthenes suspected of treasoÌ„ against Alexander Alexander offended with Aristotle The death of Callisthenes the rethoritian The iourney of Demaratus CorinthiaÌ„ vnto Alexander and his death Alexanders iourney into India Alexander burnt his cariages The crueltie of Alexander towardes his men A monsterous lamme appeared vnto Alexander A spring of oyle found by the riuer of Oxus Oyle refresheth wearynes The citie of Nisa Acuphis wise aunswer vnto Alexander King Taxiles talke with Alexander Alexanders aunswer to Taxiles Alexander dishonorably brake the peace he had made Alexanders actes against king Porus. Hydaspes fl The statute of king Porus. The quick-quick-wit and catâ— of the ElephaÌ„t to saue the king his master Alexanders conquests in the Indiaes The death of Bucephal Alexanders horse Bucephalia a great citie built by Alexander apon the riuer of Hydaspes why so named Peritas Alexanders dogge Ganges fl Gangaridae and Prosij people of India Alexanders returne out of India Alexanders vaine deuises to make him selfe immortall King Androcottus Alexander in daunger at the citie of the Mallians The wise men of India Alexanders questions propounded to the ten Philosophers of India Alexander rewarded the ten wise men and did let them goe Onesicritus a Philosopher Calanus other wise called Sphines Dandamis Calanus a wise man of India The 〈…〉 of a kingdom shewed by a peece of leather Psitulcis an Iland Alexanders nauie in the sea Oceanum Alexanders armie going in to India Sheepe fed with fishe The contry of Gedrosia The contry of Carmania The riot of Alexanders souldiers The citie of Thapsacus The prouinces conquered by Alexanders rebelled against him The death of Polymachus Pelleian Calanus the Indian did sacrifice him selfe aliue Alexander made men drinke to wyn a game and price The Macedonians maried vnto the Persians The wonderfull giftes of Alexander Alexander payed the soldiers dets Antigenes with one eye a valiant Captaine banished the court for making a lye Thirty thowsand boyes of the Persians taught the discipline of wars by Alexanders commauÌ„dement The clemencie and liberalitie of Alexander vnto his soldiers The death of Hephaestion Alexanders sorow for the death of Hephaestion Stasicrates an excellent image maker Diuers signes before Alexanders death Alexander feared Antipater Alexander fell sicke of an agew Arsitobulus report of the sicknes and death of Alexander The death of Alexander the great Aristotle suspected for the poysoning of Alexander Statira slaine by Roxane Aridaeus Alexanders bastard brother Caesar ioyned with Cinna Marius Caesar tooke sea and went vnto Nicomedes king of Bithynia Caesar taken of pirate Iunius Praetor of Asia Caesar eloquence Caesar loued hospitalitie Caesar a follower of the poeple Ciceroes iudgement of Caesar. The loue of the people in Rome was Caesar. Caesar chosen Tribunus militum Caesar made the funerall oration at the death of his aunt Iulia. Caesar the first that praised his wife in funerall oration Caesar made Questor Pompeia Caesars third wife Caesars prodigality Caesar accused to make a rebellion in the state The death of Metellus chiefe Bishop of Rome Caesar made chiefe Bishop of Rome Caesar suspected to be coÌ„federate with Catiline in his conspiracy Caesar went about to deliuer the conspirators Catoes oration against Caesar. The loue of P. Clodius vnto Pompeia Caesars wife The good goddesse what she was and her sacrifices Clodius taken in the sacrifices of the good goddesse Clodius accused for prophaning the sacrifices of the good goddesse Caesar putteth away his wife Pompeia Clodius quit by the Iudges for prophaning the sacrifices of the good goddesse Caesar Praetor of Spaine Crassus surety for Caesar to his creditors Caesars actes in Spayne Caesar order betwext the creditor and detter Caesar souldiers called him Imperator Caesar reconÌ„cileth Pompey and Crassus together Catoes foresight and prophecy Caesars first Consulship with Calphurnius Bibulus Caesars lawes Lex agraria Caesar maried his daughter Iulia vnto Pompey Caesar maried Calphurnia the daughter of Piso. Pompey by force of armes authorised Caesars lawes Caesar sent Cato to prison Caesar by Clodius draue Cicero out of Italy Caesar a valliant souldier and a skillfull Captaine Caesars conquestes in Gaule The loue and respect of Caesars souldiers vnto him The wonderfull valliantnes of Acilius Cassius Scaua diuers others of Caesars souldiers Granius Petronius Caesar had the falling sickenes The temperance of Caesar in his dyet Caesar ciuilitie not to blame his frend The Tigurinians slaine by Labienus Arax fl Caesar refused his horse wheÌ„ he sought a battell The Heluetians slaine by Caesar. Rheynus fl Caesar made warre with king Ariouistus The wise women of Germany how they did foretell thinges to come King Ariouistus ouerthrowen by Caesar. The Belgae ouercome by Caesar. Neruij the slowtest warriers of all the Belgae The Neruij slaine by Caesar The great Lordes of Rome come to Luca to Caesar Ipes