Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	great_a	time_n	world_n	5,204	5	4.2496	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60010	Cæsarion, or, Historical, political, and moral discourses in four days entertainment between two gentlemen, very pleasant and useful for all orders of men whatsoever / English'd by Jos. Walker.; Cesarion ou Entretiens divers. English	Saint-Réal, M. l'abbé de (César Vichard), 1639-1692.; Walker, Joseph.	1685 (1685)	Wing S351; ESTC R41078	62,745	185

Ignorance was as great as their Vertue but since Learning had passed out of Greece into Italy those kind of Prophesies were not regarded and the three Books sold by the Sybil of Cuma at so great a price unto the first of the Tarquin's having been burnt in the Capitol in the dayes of Sylla it not being permitted to have Copies of them other nice kind of Books that had been gather'd throughout the Empire to supply their place when the Capitol was rebuilt not being of the same Authority little heed was given to them but let us re-assume the Course of our History Ptolomy having observ'd during his stay at Rome that the Correspondence betwixt him and Lentulus tended but little to his advantage because this Proconsul had many Enemyes at his departure from thence he left one Ammonius an Egyptian his Ambassador there in his stead and charged him not to insist upon the order of Senat that had appointed Lentulus to act in his Re-establishment moreover judging it necessary this Commission should be put in the hands of some Person of Authority and extraordinary Interest and Reputation seeing it could not be executed by Force by reason of the Oracles Prohibition he Order'd his Ambassadours to demand it should be committed into the hands of Pompey attended only with two Bayliffs Two Bayliffs said I to reduce a whole Kingdom to Obedience reply'd Caesarion the Majesty and Respect at that time born unto the Roman Name throughout the World may be demonstrated from as improbable things as that did you never hear said he of that great Ambassadour sent by the Senate the Age before that we speak of unto Antiochus the famous King of Syria This Prince having almost subdued the whole Kingdom of Egypt was going to beseige Alexandria in which place the Royal Family had taken Sanctuary being destitute of any other help but the protection of the Romans Cajus Popilius was the Name of this Ambassadour who meeting this proud King being an Ally of Rome four miles from this flourishing City having saluted him presented him his Hand in token of Friendship Popilius made no other answer to his Civility but presenting him the Senates Letters bid him read them Antiochus having read them said he would advise with his Friends in the Case but Popilius drawing a Circle about the King with a Rod he had in his Hand before said he you pass the Limits of this Circle give the Senate your Answer The King being surpris'd with so resolute a demand paused a little and then promis'd to do what the Senate commanded whereupon Popilius stretched out his hand and declared the King a Friend and Ally of Rome and Antiochus quitting all he had conquer'd soon after departed out of Egypt by the time prefixt I confess said I the two Bayliffs are not so strange as this Adventure and it had been necessary in this juncture that this King had resembled one of our Kings that boasted his Horse carry'd all his Council but if you please let us return unto Pompey The Hopes replied Caesarion which Ptolomy had in him was the more just because this Illustrious Roman was at that time in the highest pitch of his Glory by reason of the good success in conquering Mithridates Rex post Alex. Max. Cic. Luc. the greatest King that Asia enjoy'd ever since the days of Alexander Two Tribunes of the People one called Lupus the other Caninius being both devoted unto Pompey having in publick read Letters from Ptolomy whereby this Prince desired of the Senate Plut. in Pompe that Pompey might be entrusted with the power of restoring him to his Kingdom thereupon grew up amongst the Senators sundry different Opinions Publius Servilius Isauricus was of opinion not to give him any Assistance at all and it had been so carried by Plurality of Voices had not Caninius opposed himself thereto as his Office of Tribune qualified him Hortensius Marcus Lucullus and Cicero maintain'd that the former Decree of the Senate ought to be observ'd in behalf of Lentulus and that seeing the Oracle permitted him not to re-establish the King by force of Arms it behoved him to find out some other convenient way of restoring him Crassus was of opinion that Commission should be given to three Ambassadors which should be indifferently chose out of the Senate Bibulus a declar'd Enemy of Caesar and by consequence of Pompey his Son in Law concurr'd also in the same Opinion of sending three Ambassadors with Crassus but excepting all such of the Senate which bore any other Office as Pompey and Lentulus did This Opinion was liked by the new Consuls Marcellus and Philip and generally by all those that had been Consuls except Volcatius an intimate friend of Pompey's and Afranius who had been his Lieutenant against Sertorius and against Mithridates About this time his Geatness became suspected unto most of the Senat especially by reason of his Alliance and Intimacy with Caesar It was observ'd a good while that he always ambition'd the greatest Commands and that as soon as ever one Office was expir'd he presently grasped after some other at any rate so that having put an end to the Civil Wars in Italy which took beginning presently after the death of Sylla he procured to be sent into Spain against Sertorius then soon after against the Pirates afterwards by his Factions he caused Lucius Lucullus to be recall'd in the midst of his successes against Mithridates and to be sent himself in his stead to command the Legions in the East To conclude after the Death of this Prince there being no considerable Wars stirring he obtein'd a new Commission to provide Corn for the speedy releif of the necessities that Italy was then reduc'd unto The Romans thought it no less glorious to supply the wants of their Country than it was to expel their Enemies wherefore this latter Commission stirr'd up all the Envy imaginable against him even those that seem'd to be his Friends before upon this occasion refused to favour his Designe in re-establishing the King of Egypt Plut. in Pom. because he had the Commission of providing Corn for five Years whereas it was against the Laws that any should Execute two Offices at once Notwithstanding all these oppositions Ad Fam. l. 1. Ep. 1. Lucius Libo whose Daughter afterwards Marryed Pompey's youngest Son a Tribune named Plautius Hipsaeus who had been his Quaestor against Mithridates and generally all his Friends so highly declared for him in this Matter that no body made any doubt but that he earnestly desired this Imployment although he declared it not openly himself He had receiv'd too many and publick favours from Lentulus to have dar'd to oppose him openly It was Lentulus that procur'd for him the Power of the Corn business but this important Service which had incurr'd to this Pro-consul the hatred of all those which pretended to this Office did never a whit the more assure him of the Friendship of Pompey for no

nothing should be a Secret to me in his House Then I repli'd that if I should beleive all his Kindnesses were real he should tell me if they were Secrets or not Seeing you are desirous to know the truth they are only Abstracts I have drawn this morning out of the Books you see for my own private Diversion to clear up one of the most curious matters of Antiquity wherein I resolv'd fully to satisfy my self whereupon desiring him to impart it to me he soon yeilded and being sat down he began in this manner Yesterday we spake amongst other things of Cleopatra but it may be you don't know what kind of Man her Father was besides the name of Ptolomy which was common unto all the Kings of Egypt he was Surnam'd Flute-Player Auletes Strab. and Porphyr in Euseb for he so much admir'd that Instrument that he assembled into his Palace those which profess'd to be the most skilful at it and vyed with them which Play'd best him or they his Predecessor named Alexander being exiled from his Kingdom by his Subjects fled unto Tyre where he Dyed not long after De lege Agraria 1 2. and having no Issue nor no other lawful Prince of the blood Royal to succeed he made the people of Rome his Heirs thinking he could not commit his Kingdom into safer hands accordingly the Senat intending to reap the benefit of so fair a Succession dispatch'd also Deputies unto Tyre to recover certain sums of Money left there by this King at his Decease but all these Projects fell to the ground Some Tribunes urged amongst other Reasons that it was of dangerous Consequence that the Pleasantness and Fertility of Egypt might allure too many of the People of Rome to go thither if once they were Masters of it therefore the Father of Cleopatra possessed himself of it as Unkle or half-Brother to the late King which had been formerly practis'd in that Illustrious Family There was no Prescription unto the Pretensions of the People of Rome and it was but an uncertain Title of holding a Country that had been so well setled before unless some Means could be found to make them quit their Claim All the former Kings of Egypt had been Friends or Allies unto the Romans and upon several Occasions improv'd the benefits which accru'd thereby It regarded the present King more immediatly than any other He could not be received more Authentically for a Lawful King than by admitting him their Allie and because the Ceremony was usually performed in the Capitol the Allyance Pro Rabirio Postumo by this means became a Matter of Religion than which nothing could be more Sacred and Inviolable But the more necessary all this was for him to attain to so much the more difficult it was how to accomplish it The Memory of his Predecessors Testament was still fresh in Mind and as the Faults of Princes which are not sutable to their Quality are not easily forgiven although many times greater Failures are past by the Sur-Name of Flute-Player which this King had got gained him as much Discredit at Rome as it had done at Egypt Nevertheless he despaired not of good Success but all the Means he used to attain his Ends proved fruitless for a long time and in all likelihood would never have succeeded had not Caesar been Consul This ambitious Spirit who imbraced every thing that favour'd his Designs being cumber'd with excessive Debts finding this King disposed to purchase by Money what he could not attain by Right sold him the Allyance of Rome as dear as he would purchase it and received for himself and Pompey whose Interest was necessary to procure the Peoples consent near Six Thousand Talents which amounts unto Ten or Eleven Millions of our Money Although this King did every year raise twise as great a Sum in his Country he could not on a suddain raise this without very much burdening his Subjects they were already dissatisfi'd with him for suffering the Romans to invade Cyprus which antiently belonged unto Egypt In this Conjuncture the extraordinary Impositions he was forced to make so displeas'd his Subjects that they openly rebelled whereupon he resolved to make his escape privately to preserve his Life He convey'd himself so secretly away that it was reported in Egypt he was slain or they seemed to believe so The Eldest of his three Daughters called Bernice was Proclaimed Queen in his stead although he had two Sons but much Younger than the Daughters and shee soon after marryed a Neighbour Prince which pretended to be Issued from the Antient Kings of Syria Soon after her Father arriving at the Isle of Rhodes which was in his way to Rome understanding that Marcus Cato afterwards surnamed Vtica was also arriv'd there this Prince desirous to entertain him of his Affaires caused notice to be given him of his being there supposing this wise Roman would not have failed presently to visit him But Cato sent him word that he should come to him if he had a mind to speak with him when Ptolomy entred his Chamber he did not so much as rise off his Seat but saluting him only as an ordinary Person bid him sit down The King although surpris'd at such a Reception could not but admire how so much Height and Greatness could meet together in the same Man with so much modesty and plainness as appear'd in his Habit and Equipage But he was much more astonish'd when having discours'd of his Affairs Cato blam'd him openly for quitting the finest Kingdom in the World to goe expose himself to the Pride and Covetousness of the great Men of Rome and to suffer a thousand Indignities by them That it would be much his wisest way to returne aboard his Ships and saile back for Egypt to agree with his Subjects and that he was ready to accompany him thither if he pleas'd and would employ himself in their Reconciliation Ptolomy awakn'd by this Discourse as from a Dreame having seriously consider'd his precipitate Wrath against his Subjects in Egypt confess'd his ill Conduct in forsaking his Country But his Followers that attended him being prevail'd with by Pompey to have him goe to Rome in the hopes which all the World perceived afterwards having diverted him from the good Counsel given him by Cato he proceeded on his voyage and repented at leisure for having harkned unto them finding himself constrain'd afterwards to go from Door to Door and from one Magistrate to another in this proud City soliciting his Business like a common ordinary Person Caesar on whose help he built his greatest Hopes was not in Rome he was making War in Gaul But Pompey being there entertain'd him in his House and did him all friendly Offices Besides the Money I told you he received of this Prince conjointly with Caesar Plin. Hist l. 33. c. 10. Ptolomy had deserved Pompey's favour by divers services he had rendr'd him in his Wars against Mithridates and had defray'd the

Common friend I perceive then said I it was not Pompey alone that knew how to dissemble in those dayes and Lentulus knew how to doe it as well as him It is not a thing to be blam'd reply'd Caesarion to wink at the failing of our friends when this Connivance may recal them to their Duty on the contrary ther 's nothing more manly and generous and that was the case as you see of Lentulus But to dissemble as Pompey did by his evil designs against his friend and to leave no meanes unattempted to effect them is the basest of all treacheries But what expectation reply'd I could Cicero have for Lentulus and what could this Proconsul do without imploying open Force against a great Kingdom where the fame of the Oracle had been spread which enjoyn'd that it should not be attaqu'd by open Force You are not very deep sighted answer'd Caesarion The Oracle only prohibited furnishing the King with an Army to re-establish him Could not Lentulus have left the King as 't were incognito in some place near the Borders and in the mean time with a good Army goe beseige Alexandria then when he had taken it leaving good Garrisons behind him come back and send the King into his Kingdom who should find all places ready to receive him and were not this said I to re-establish him by force of Armes against the Prohibition made by the Sybil not at all reply'd Caesarion for in the time Lentulus subdu'd the Egyptians the King was not with him and when the King was return'd there was no Army and so it could not be said that he had an Army given him to restore him to his Country You jeere said I to reason after this manner as if it were not all one that Ptolomy had been with Lentulus or had not been with him seeing the Proconsul subdu'd Egypt by force You are dul of Apprehension reply'd Caesarion but if you will not believe me it may be you will give more credit to Pompey and Cicero Harken then to the very words of this Oratour writing to Lentulus as well in his own Name as in Pompey's It is for you to judge what you can undertake being Master of Cilicia and Cyprus and if you conceive it feasible to take Alexandria and the rest of Egypt doubtless it is for your Credit and for the Republicks that you should hasten thither with your Fleet and Army leaving the King at Ptolomais or some other adjacent place to the end that when you have appeas'd the Rebellion and plac'd good Garrisons every where the King might returne thither In this manner you will re-establish him as the Senat at first appointed you and he will be restor'd without Force as our Zealots affirm the Sybil appointed it should be done Sic have to me cum illo re saepe communicata de illius ad te sententia autoritate scribere Te posse perscribere qui Ciliciam Cyprumque tenes quid officere quid consequi possis si res facultatem habitura videatur ut Alexandriam atque Aegyptum tenere possis esse tui nostri Imperii dignitatis Ptolemaide aut aliquo propinquo loco Rege collocato te cum classe atque exercitu proficisci Alexandriam ut cum illam pace praesidiisque firmaris Ptolomaeus redeat in regnum Ita fore ut per te restituatur quemadmodum initio Senatus censuit sine multitudine reducatur quemadmodum homines religiosi Sibyllae placere dixerunt Ad Famil l. 1. Ep. 7. You see by this continued Caesarion making a little pause the truth of what I told you at first that in the main the Sybil's Books were not much valu'd For Cicero adds in plain Terms that how strange soever the advice he gives to Lentulus does appear all the World should judge of it by the Success so that he should only be careful to take his measures so well as to be sure not to fail in his Design and if he did not he had as good do nothing at all I freely confess that I should never have thought of such a cunning peice of Policy reply'd I being able not to contain any longer and I see thereby Heaven may be compounded with at any time But pray let me know if this Project succeeded Lentulus reply'd Caesarion did not think himself strong enough to follow this Counsel and the Troops which he could privately have furnished Ptolomy withal appeared not sufficient unto this Prince to restore him without the Presence of the Pro-Consul But there was another which commanded at the same time in Syria who was not altogether so scrupulous It was Aulus Gabinius one tutour'd by Catiline of whom he had been tenderly belov'd in his Youth and his Actions did not derogate from his Education He was esteem'd a great Dancer Dion l. 39. Strab. l. P7 ad Catilinam amatorem suum Ejus vir Catilina l. 3. c. 14. as Ptolomy was a Player upon the Flute he rifled his own Province worse than the Banditty or wild Arabians would have done had they had their Will But especially he exercised his Cruelty against all sorts of Publicans out of Envy against the Order of Knights they were of who had in an eminent manner defended Cicero against him for it was under his Consulship and especially by his Authority that this Orator was condemn'd to to Banishment Ex eventu homines de tuo consilio existimaturos si exploratum tibi sit non cunctandum sin dubium non conandum ibid. His proceedings had rendr'd him so odious at Rome that having according to Custom given the Senat advice of a War De Provin Consular in Pisonem ad Q.F. l 2. Ep. 7. that he had began and brought to a happy Conclusion against the Kings of Judea his Letters were slighted and little or no notice taken of them which had never been done before unto any else besides neither would the Senate vouchsafe to thank the Gods in his Name But he grew never the wiser nor better for this disgrace There being no more to be got in Syria which he had utterly ruin'd by his Oppressions he design'd a War against the Arabians when Mithridates Prince of the Parthians came to crave his assistance who was expell'd by the King his Brother out of Media which had been assigned unto him for his Portion Although it was strictly prohibited by Law that no Pro-consul should go out of his Province nor undertake or declare any War whatsoever without the Senate's express Order yet Gabinius made no Scruple of ingaging in this Quarrel in hope of making advantage of the great Riches of these two Princes by their mutual animosities He had already passed Euphrates with his Army to this purpose when Ptolomy met him with Letters from Pompey the Friend and Protector of them both who was then newly declared Consul for the ensuing Year by which Letters he conjur'd Gabinius to hearken to the Proposals this Prince

to the Country Gods the authority of Ptolomy nor Gabinius not being able to restrain them Behold said I at these words seeing Caesarion make a pause a very strange story from first to last and a strangely various destiny of this Unfortunate King But pray let me know if you please if any thing else of Remarque befel him afterwards there is nothing else known reply'd Caesarion but that a decay'd Knight of Rome called * caius Rabirius Posthumus Pro Rabirio Postumo who had furnish'd or procur'd for him several great sums of Money at Rome when he was fully restored to his Kingdom went to demand payment This Prince told him he fear'd he should never be able to satisfie him unless he would take the care and charge of his Revenues by which means he might by degrees reimburse himself But this Unfortunate Creditour having accepted the offer for fear of losing his Debt The King soon after found a pretext to comit him Prisoner although he was one of the Antientest and best of Caesars friends and that Pompey was also in a manner Caution for the Debt the Money being lent in his presence and the Obligations past by his request at a Country-House of his Neere Alba. But Rabirius had the good Fortune not long after of escaping out of Prison recovering out of Egypt more miserable than he went thither and to compleat this Misery at his return to Rome Suet. in Claud. c. 16. * he was judicially accused to have assisted Ptolomy to corrupt the Senate by the Sums of Money which he had lent him to this purpose that he had forfeited his Honour of Knighthood by the Imployment he had taken upon him in Egypt and that he had corresponded and shared with Gabinius in the Money that had been given him The admirable discourse Cicero made in his defence and which we have yet remaining is an Eternal Monument of the ingratitude and perfidiousness of this unworthy King he dyed in the peaceable possession of Egypt soon after this wicked Action and about four Years after his Restauration An Authentical Copy of his last Will was brought to Rome to be deposited in the publick Treasury having made the People of Rome his Executors he conjru'd the Senat in the name of all their Gods Caution of their Alliance to favour the disposal which he made of his Kingdom to Ptolomy his eldest Son who was afterwards sirnamed Dennis and to Cleopatra his eldest Daughter whom he also enjoyned to Marry togeather according to the custom o● that Country It is also found that Pompey was appointed Guardian to the young King by the People who caus'd him to be so basely Murder'd fower Years after This is in few words said Caesarion what we find upon Record of the Life and Actions of this King Player on Flutes For a Fidler said I I think he was no foole It seemes to me all things confider'd that he could not doe better in his ill Fortune and that he knew to be Cruel Prodigal and Patient for his own ends as occasion requir'd But especially I commend him for engaging Gabinius in his Restoration and were I not loath to be too troublesome to you I would desire to be inform'd what hapn'd to Gabinius afterwards There hapn'd reply'd Caesarion nothing but what must needs come to pass Dion l. 39. Ad Att l. 4. Ep. 16. The Pyrats taking occasion of his absence overrun and wasted all his Government without any resistance and the Publicans of the Neighbour Provinces being able no better than those of Syria by reason of the multitude of Robbers not to convey the Money by land-carriage which they were oblig'd to pay to the publick Treasury at the time prefixt they were forc'd to take up Money at Rome at excessive Interest to doe it to their great Damage The first News that was in Italy of Ptolomy's Restauration being brought to the Waters at Pouzzol whither Recreation as well as Health invited much good company to refort it passed no sooner from thence to Rome but all the several sorts of complaints and greivances which were to be preferr'd against Gabinius were by the parties interested dispers'd about amongst the People so that it was resolv'd to inflict severe Punishments upon this Proconsul at his returne to Rome The Fathers of the Senat were the forwardest in moving the Magistrats to be inform'd of his Crimes and there was nothing less than Death intended for him He had not given the Senat advice of his expedition into Egypt concluding it would be worse censur'd than was that of Judea and the Consul Crassus who was to succeed him in Syria having sent one of his Leivtenants to take possession of the Government in his name Gabinius to compleat his insolency refus'd to resigne although his time was expired But how great soever this affront was to Crassus having a greater love for Money than Honour Gabinius would have soon appeas'd him in so much that Cicero sometime after made a motion in the Senate to publish again the Oracle of the Sybils the more to exasperate Mens minds but Crassus oppos'd himself thereunto as much as Pompey and both of them were so displeas'd at Cicero that they reviled him with his Bannishment You may imagine how this Orator answer'd them seeing he desired no better Subject to insist upon and that his reproach rather animated than discourag'd him To conclude their Consul-ship ending soon after he caused the business to be brought under deliberation The new Consuls Domitius and Appius were not devoted unto Gabinus as were the former Domitius being promoted unto the Dignity in spight of Pompey was upon this score his Enemy Appius was his Ally but he affected Popularity and being moreover very Covetous he was for compelling Gabinius to purchase his Protection So it was agre'd by common Consent that the Oracle should be again published Although Gabinius had been remov'd from his Government from the beginning of the Year DCXCIX by Crassus himself who went the end of the precedent Year to take possession of it yet he made no hast in coming to Rome he would let the Peoples anger towards him to abate and give time to his Friends to gain and corrupt his Judges and Accusers by the vast Sums of Money he had sent before him to that purpose but hearing that his delay rather exasperated Mens minds against him than not and that the Tribunes displeased with his Stratagems resolved to proceed to his Condemnation in his absence at last he set forwards and on the way gave out that he was going to Rome to demand a publick Triumph of the Senate for his two Expeditions into Judea and Egypt And in effect being arrived neer Rome the 19 of September he enter'd not into the City to rights but stai'd some Miles off as the Generals were wont to doe that pretended unto the Triumph which was no sooner known but he was accus'd of three several Crimes in the usual form