which they had gathered togeather Seuerus slewe some with some reason others vpon smal occasion but all these which followe he killed without all reason or occasion that is to say Munius Sellius Claudius Bitalius Papianius Elius Iulius Lolius Aurelius Antoninus Posthumius Sergius Fabius Nenius Amussius Casperius Seyonius Sulpitianus Coceyus Eructus Assilonius Claudius Honoratus Petronius Pessenius Cestus Aurelianus Materius Iulianus Albinius Cerelius Faustinianus Herenius Valerius Nobius Arabianus Marcus Fabatus These men were glorious both of bloud also for noble déedes riches for they were either Consuls Censors Pretors Senatours Ediles Tribunes or capteines whose goods he imployed not vnto the publique treasurie but did incorporate vnto his patrimonie for him selfe to inioy the dayes of his own life to leaue vnto his children after his death Seuerus defamed Cincius an auncient Consul affirming that he had procured poyson to kill him wherfore he commaunded him to be slaine but the trueth being knowen as Seuerus afterward reported but the Cincius did much delight to goe on hunting had a fine yeark to kill the Bore other venerie in the mountaines He commaunded also Narcissus to be cast vnto the Lyons who at the request of Martia choked Commodus it was nothing to commaund them to be slaine but that with his owne eyes he would behold them executed which was wont to be so straunge vnto Romaine princes that they neuer vsed to sée any person put to deth neither so much as in the citie to be resident but they vsed if any suffered to ride or go foorth on hunting CHAP. XIII ¶ Howe Seuerus returned into Asia and conquered many prouinces AFter that Seuerus had conquered and slaine thrée Emperours that is to saye Iulianus in Rome Niger in Asia and Albinius in Fraunce it séemed vnto him that since he had chasticed and triumphed ouer the Romans he ought also to make his name glorious amongest the Barbarians because all the warres that he helde vnto that daye were more to make him selfe Lorde of the common wealth then to magnifie his name Seuerus aduised him selfe to go in his owne person to make warres with the Parthians the occasion of which enterprise was for that the king of Atrenoes had fauoured the parcialitie of Niger but had deferred the reuengement thereof to make conquest of Albinius being in great Britain If Seuerus in this case had taken the opinion of the people either the counsell of the Senate he woulde neither haue taken those warres in hande or made accompt of the iniurie because at that time those kingdomes were neither friendes or foes with Rome And as the Romans were fatigated tyred with warres so they were contented for the time to ceasse the recouering of them for their vassals to obtein them for quiet enimies Seuerus departed vnto Asia and in the way would first take the kingdōe of the higher Armenia whereof the king of Armenia being aduertised and that he came with an armie of so greate power and so determined to take his kingdome met him vppon the way not armed as a man of warre but clad with the garments of peace his truce being set downe with Seuerus presently he gaue him much money and offered to sende him succour for the accomplishment wherof he deliuered vnto Seuerus his two sonnes in pledge Seuerus did not onely confirme him in his kingdome but also tooke him vnder his protection The affaires of Armenia being dispatched Seuerus departed towardes the kingdom of Hosdroenos whose king was named Anguaro bothe crooked and same but yet no foole for he had such skill to recouer the good will of Seuerus that he neither admitted him as a vassall tooke no money demaunded no hostages or did his countrie hurt but receiued him to his familiar friendship and made him a confederate with the people of Rome Hauing passed the kingdome of Hosdroenos Seuerus entred the landes and countries of Albanos and being then the moneth of April and spring time he founde the fieldes full of flowers and grasse and commaunded his horsses for the space of fiftéen dayes to be fedde and his armie to be recreated and refreshed because his horsses were growen leane and his men tyred Seuerus beeing departed from the fieldes of Albanos entred the countrie of Arabia Felix where they found that which they found not in all the kingdomes of the worlde namely the trées that hare the precious Aromatike spices and the boughes whereof they gathered the most fine and excellent baulme Seuerus sacked all the townes of Arabia Felix cut downe their fieldes spoyled and oppressed all people and as he afterwardes saide he would not haue entred therein for that being as it was so riche so ioyfull pleasant and delectable but because he found him selfe in greate cumber to withdrawe his souldiours from thence for that they felt them selues more delighted with the vices of Arabia then with the hazardes and daungers of the warres Hauing passed the delectable countrie of Arabia Felix Seuerus entred the countrie and kingdom of Athrabanos against whose king principally he made that iourney Athras was a great citie situated vpon the top of a most high hill and chiefest citie of all the kingdome and for that cause was named the kingdome of Athrabanos Seuerus went presently to the siege thereof but as the king had inclosed him selfe therein with great readinesse and prouision the wall being strong the citie rockye the people warrelike and furnished with munition and victuals small was the hurte that Seuerus did vnto them within but which the Romans receiued was very greate And as Seuerus gaue foorth no other bruite when he came from Rome but to be reuenged of the Athrabanos he perfourmed that warre so exactly that there was no daye but he battered the citie of Athras and occupied his warlike engins deuised and practised all manner fights and offences that might be against the enimie and the moste notified Romans that there did not notifie them selues but in the ende might neither take the same either as much as a capteine or ouerthrow one windowe Those that were besieged within that citie to iest with their enimies tyed very subtily little earthen pottes vnto a kinde of byrdes like vnto Crowes which flying ouer the armies of Seuerus let fall their pottes vpon their pates by which iest many had their heades broken but much more were the Romans despighted to consider howe little they did estéeme them not fighting with them in armour but with pottes and tankardes The ayre of that mountaine was verie subtile the waters verie thinne fruites in great aboundaunce and the Sunne verie hoat and the grounde somewhat moyst by which occasion Seuerus his whole campe fell into the disease of the fluxe and there died amongest the rest seuen notable capteines two of Seuerus cousins and a little bastarde sonne which all men likewise thought to be his cousin but by his greate sorrowe teares he discouered the childe to be of his owne proper fleshe
so opulent the king obteined great riches welth and power Whē Traiane came the second time into Datia king Decebal had great riches both of gold siluer not only for the great rents which he receiued throughout his kingdome but that also he exacted of his subiectes great sūmes of money King Decebal being doubtfull vnto what destinies he and his kingdome were committed determined to burie all his treasure in a riuer which he remoued out of his naturall chanell and in the greatest depth therof he made sepulchres of stone to burie his saide treasure whiche being done he returned the riuer into his olde chanell which was named Sargetia and to the end that no man shoulde discouer this secrete he commaunded to murder all that were present at the hiding thereof But to small purpose for that a fisher which at that time did fish the riuer discouered the whole matter vnto Traiane in suche manner that there is nothing so much hidden that humaine couetousnes doth not discouer Those treasures being brought into Traianes power he diuided thereof amongest his armies vnto euerie man according to the merites of his seruice and of his owne share the first that he commaunded was to builde a most sumptuous temple vnto the God Iupiter wherein he left prouided that for him selfe and the people of Rome yearely sacrifice to be offered He reedified there also the royall house that is to say where the kings of Datia did vse to be resident whiche for the antiqutie thereof was somewhat decayed and through continuall warres not well repayred a worke most certeinely delectable to behold and pleasant to dwell in He repaired also many decayed bridges and mylles vpon high wayes he renued their broken calseys in all places he did build newe houses and reedified others infinite that were burnt He brake and made plaine many wayes vpon the sharpe moūtaines and raysed many newe fortes and renued the old finally you might hardly trauell a league throughout all the kingdome wherein shoulde not be found some notable worke of Traiane Not yet all satisfied he built vpon the riuer of Danubie a bridge of stone which was so curious in the building and so costly in the making that fewe works did match it but none did passe it That bridge contained twentie arches in length and euery piller of one square stone and the arches were of the height of an hundred and fiftie foote wrought without cymet and the distaunce betwixt the pillers were a hundred thréescore and two foote and the breadth of the arches aloft was fortie foote and aboue all the rest the singularitie of the mould and fashion was to be considered and the richnesse of the stone to be regarded bycause the stone was of such glosse that in iudgement it deserued to be set in plate It séemed incredible to mans iudgement for a bridge to be made vpon that riuer bicause the streame was broad déepe in course very swifte and aboue all the rest on no side it might be turned out of his chanell to the end it might be drie at any time to lay the cymet That building was so extreme or to say better so monstrous that it néeded to make experiēce of al high iudgements and capacities and the Romaines there to shewe their strengthes and Traiane there to spend his treasure bicause in the worke there required great potencie and in the order thereof great industrie it is verie small that the penne can magnifie in respect of the wonder which he séeth that beholdeth the same for the better credite therof at these dayes the pillers giue a muster vpon the fierce waters declaring the pryde of his power and the riches of the emperour Traiane would with that edifice giue terrour vnto the liuing and admiration to his posteritie to giue manifest argument that any thing may not be so impossible eyther so hard that with mans hand may not be enterprised and with the riches of Rome might not be finished The cause that moued Traian to build this costly bridge so monstrous was as they say to the end the barbarous people on the other side Danubie might come to fight with the Romaines although the riuer were ouerflowen and also that the Romaines that remained there shuld not giue them selues to pleasure and idlenesse when they considered them selues to be in the eye of the enimie The Emperour Domitian had no suche mynde and valiantnesse whiche for feare that the barbarous people should come to fight with the Romaine hoast cōmaunded the arches of that bridge to be ouerthrowne in such wise that the one made a bridge to prouoke the enimie to fight and the other did raze the same for feare of battell CHAP. XIIII Of the seconde entring of Rome by the Emperour Traiane and the notable thing which he did in the same IN finishing the warrs in giuing order for the Prouince in diuiding the countries and in yealding perfection vnto all his workes and buildings Traiane was deteined in Datia more then thrée yeares in which as he after did report great were the trauels and perils wherein he did sée his person and not small were the expences that he made of his goods The victories that Traiane had obteined being knowne vnto the Barbarians that did inhabite the other side of Danubie the mightie buildings that he had made the great rewardes that he had giuen and the clemencie that with prisoners he had vsed sent their ambassadours vnto Traiane who with verie good will did set down with him a perpetual peace amitie bound them selues to kéepe and defend for him the kingdome of Datia Incredible was the loue that all those nations did beare vnto Traiane which was well knowne when he departed from that countrie to goe vnto Rome in that by all cities where he did passe and by all wayes where he did trauell so great were the teares and cries vttered by all persons that it séemed the grounde to tremble In respect of the great largesse and prowesse that Traiane had perfourmed in those Prouinces it was no maruell that his departing was so be wailed bicause with his great benefites he had won their hearts and with his great and sumptuous buildings he had ennobled his people Vniuersally of al friends and enimies neuer prince as Traiane was so much feared in warres either loued in peace The cause wherby Traiane obteined so great loue and to be so well liked and in such especial grace with al men was that with his frends he neuer vsed negligence and also in readinesse and straite reckoning with his enimies in such wise that such as stood in his disgrace by his wordes they had to vnderstand therof but vnto such as did bende to serue him both in worde and déede he did manifest the same They were infinite that praised Traiane in that he had ben pitiful with them but none did cōplaine that he had found him ingrate Ennius Priscus a noble aunciēt Romaine demaūded of the
yere in the whole land there was great scarsitie of bread wherby Traiane was constrained to shorten his iourney and to hasten his imbarkage in such manner that the pestilence draue him out of Africa and hūger out of Spaine Traiane departed Spaine with determination not to stay vntill his arriuall in Asia and there to take the way vnto the greater Armenia would neuer take land in any porte of Italie but passing like pylgrimes made no stay but onely to renue their victuals All those whiche trauelled with Traiane were astonied to sée him passe the portes of his kingdomes as if it had bene the lande of enimies Traiane had a capteine named Valerius Gracchus vnto whom the Emperour did beare speciall affection and did estéeme him as a kinsman vnto this man they say that Traiane sayd in great secrecie If I had found warres in Sicyl Africa or Spaine as I found in Datia whereby I might haue obteined some victorie I woulde not haue passed without landing in Italie but since it is thus come to passe I sweare by the immortall Gods to set no foote a land in Italie vntil I deserue to enter triumphing into Rome High verie high were these wordes worthy and right worthy to be written in the hearts of Princes to beholde this Prince that banished him selfe from the delightes of his own proper kingdomes to séeke fame in straunge landes With great determination Traiane did enterprise the voyage into Armenia wherin he entered making cruell war taking occasion of the king of Armenians which refused to confesse to haue receiued his kingdome from the Romaines but of the king of Parthians Traiane not satisfied to make war vpon the Armenians but also entered the landes and territories of the Parthians bicause in the most principall Prouince of Trapa he deteined his armie more then thrée monethes Parthurus king of Parthians a man of great yeares beholding the warres offered him by the enimie determined to present peace vnto Traiane who being demanded of his Parthians why he discouered so great feare within his owne kingdome he made answere If the wars were but armie against armie the Parthians woulde not feare the Romaines but we fight with the Emperor Traiane vnto whome the Gods haue giuen so great fortune that it farre exceedeth our great power Without consuming of many dayes or imploying of many armies the Parthians made peace with Traiane and the Armenians did yeald them selues as ouercome From Parthimisires king of Armenians the kingdome was remoued and both crowne and kingdome Traiane gaue with his owne handes vnto his sonne and this he did bycause king Parthimisires had sayd that of the Parthians and not of the Romaines he was crowned king in suche wise that the good Traiane in remouing the kingdome frō the father did execute iustice and in giuing it to the sonne gaue a shewe of his clemencie Traiane was not satisfied that the Parthians shoulde haue peace and become tributaries vnto the Romaines but that king Parthurus by the handes of Traiane must be crowned and so it came to passe that knéeling vpon his knées he receiued his crowne kissed his hande and consented to pay tribute Traiane did marche through all those Prouinces and kingdomes and vnto the kinges that did yeald obedience benignly he did intreate them and in their kingdomes did confirme them and vnto suche as did vse resistaunce vnto others he gaue their kingdomes and sent them prisoners vnto Rome Traiane helde for custome that in all principall cities of kingdomes or Prouinces that he had taken by force of armes he did commaunde to erect a most strong castle wherevnto his armies did repayre and a right sumptuous temple wherein to worshippe the Goddes of Rome As Traiane did passe and trauell visite and conquere all the thrée partes of the world that is to say Asia Africa and Europa in all which countries he did trauell to leaue of him selfe immortall fame the testimonie wherof maketh it credible that all the Romaine princes ioyntly haue not erected so many buildings as Traiane onely did performe Traiane did leade his armies verie well furnished ordered corrected and also in great subiection this procéeded that alwaies in his own person he did accōpany the same and helde them both paide and rewarded for as he did vse to say The hoast that of his owne proper Prince is not visited and paide is sildome or neuer in subiection When Traiane was in the warres in his féeding and apparel he did rather séeme a companion then an emperour of Rome for that sildome he went vnarmed and many were the dayes wherein he did eate standing Hauing a bodie somewhat drie and of great sinowes he was moste patient in tedious trauaile of warres that is to say in suffering hunger colde thirste wette snowe heate perils whiche he refused not as a cowarde but sought thē out as one of a valiant mind for that in all hazardes perils he neuer saide vnto his captaines go but let vs go do but let vs do fight but let vs fight He gaue in charge vnto his armies not to attempt to burne houses set fire in corne ouerthrowe milles or cut downe orchardes affirming that these thinges are to be obteined but not destroyed Whē Traiane would take any citie he did not imploye his force in any thing more then to depriue the enimies of their waters In the campes of his enimies he did cause to be sowen false newes that is to wite that if he had victuals to saye that he wanted that if he had money to saye it was spent that if he had muche people that they were gone that if he would shortly giue an assault to saye that he would departe and by this meanes he brought his enimies into negligence while in meane time he did fortifie his armies Traiane was of greate liberalitie vnto such as discouered the enimies secretes and ioyntly therewith of no lesse prouidence for the entering of spies within his campes When he helde warre with any citie or countrye he did not permitt his souldiers to spoile the borders thereof for he helde opinion that smal profit might rise to spoile the poore villages and greate hurte and offence vnto the armies by want of victuals Vnto a captaine that tooke a ploughman kilde his two Oxen at the ploughe Traiane commaunded to be banished with great ignominie and to giue the ploughman his horse his armour and all his wages that was due For no fault Traiane commaunded any man to be slaine in the warres but onely him that slept being of the watche or the captaine that ranne awaye out of the battel or did rauishe any woman Traiane was so pitifull that vsually he did pardon all negligences especially in the warres except two faultes which he did neuer remitt that is to say such as blasphemed the Gods and rauished women Traiane was verie diligent and careful in visiting his camps and to kéepe a reckoning of all his armies and this he did to the ende
and rulers of the people should not aduenture to spende the goods of the common wealth in matters eyther vnprofitable or superfluous but to the defence of enimies or repayring of fortifications eyther else for prouision of the common wealth in time of deare yeares There was in Rome certaine stipendarie interpreters of all languages to manifest the meaning of straunge ambassadours whose fée and office Antoninus commanded to be forbidden and taken away affirming it to be verie conuenient vnto the greatnesse and maiestie of Rome that al nations and kingdomes should learne to speake their speache and that it were abasement for them to learne any straunge toung Also he did ordeine that al the old impotent blind people in Rome should be susteined at the charges of the common wealth but such as were younger and more able shoulde be constrained eyther to boult meale at the bakers or to blowe the bellowes at the smythes By chaunce on a certaine day he founde an olde seruitour whiche he had knowne long in the warres rubbing and clawing him selfe against the pillers of the Churche Adrian demaunding why he did so rubbe him selfe and weare out his clothes the olde man made answere I haue no garments to clothe my selfe neyther any man giueth me to eate yet if it may please thée Adrian I haue founde meane to rub my selfe Adrian tooke great compassion of that whiche he did sée but much more of that which he heard and presently he commaunded goods to be giuen him and slaues to serue him And as enuie is naturall vnto the poore as pryde is common among the riche The next day other two poore men came before Adrian rubbing them selues amongst the pillers in hope to receiue the like liberalitie whom he willed to be called vnto him commaunding the one to scratch the other and by turne to ease each other of his itch Vnto king Pharasmaco of the Parthians Adrian gaue great giftes that is to say fiftie Eliphants armed with their towers and thrée hundred men of Hiberin in the countrie of Spaine which were of his guard CHAP. XI Of the prodigious and monstruous things that happened during the Empire of Antoninus MAny trauels and hard aduentures followed the Emperour Antoninus while he liued and also in all his kingdomes in the time of his reigne bicause Fortune is so variable that she neuer stayeth her wheele or euer ceaseth to be turning thereof In the second yeare of his reigne hunger was so great so sharpe and so generall throughout all Italie that thereof there dyed no lesse then if it had bene of a fierce pestilence There was in Asia so cruell and so generall an earthquake that many houses and buildings were subuerted many people slayne and not a fewe cities disinhabited for the repayring of which great hurtes he sent not onely money from the common wealth of Rome but also plentifully sent his treasure out of his owne coffers In the moneth of Ianuarie there was in Rome so furious a fire that it burnt ten thousand houses wherein there perished of men women and children more then tenne thousande In the same yeare was burnt the stately place of Carthage the one halfe of Antioche and in a manner the whole citie of Narbona In the moneth of August there was at Rome great floudes and besides losse of their corne both reapt and vnreapt The riuer Tyber did so swell and ouerflowe that one dayes losse was not repayred in thrée yeares On the fourth of the monethe of Maie there appeared a starre ouer Rome conteyning the quantitie of the whéele of a myll which threw out sparkes so thicke and so continuall that it séemed rather the fire of a forge then the shining of a starre In the sixt yeare of the Empire of Antoninus in Rome was borne a childe with two heades the one like a man the other like a dogge but the straungenesse of the matter did more excéede in that with one head he did cry and barke as a whelpe and with the other did wéepe as a childe In the citie of Capua a woman was brought a bed and deliuered of fiue sonnes At that time was séene in Arabia a great and a most huge serpent which being séene of many persons vpon the height of a rocke did eate halfe his owne tayle in which yeare there was throughout all Arabia maruellous greate pestilence In the ninthe yeare of the Empire of Antoninus in the citie of Mesia barley was séene to growe in the heads of their trées in such wise that no trée bare fruite that yeare but eares of of barley In the same yeare there happened in the kingdome of Artenitos in a citie named Triponia foure wilde and vnknowne Lions to lye downe in the market place which became so tame that they made them packehorsse to the mountaines for wood and boyes became horssemen vppon their backes In the kingdome of Mauritania a childe was borne which had the heade turned backwards which liued and was bred vp and also suche as would eyther sée or speake with him most conueniently did place them selues at his backe which notwithstanding coulde both sée speake and go but with his hands might not féede him selfe There died in Rome a Senatour named Rufus a man of great wealth and credite whiche after his death did many times come to the Senate sitting in his wonted place and clad with garments after his olde fashion but was neuer hearde speake one worde and this vision continued in the Senate full two yeares CHAP. XI Of the warres that happened in the reigne of Antoninus Pius and other his actes IT chaunced vnto no Romaine prince as it did vnto Antoninus which alwayes remaining within the bounds of Italie and commonly within Rome was so beloued feared and serued of all straunge kings and kingdomes as if personally he visited had conquered thē In the fourth yeare of his empire king Pharasmaco came to Rome but onely to sée Antoninus and brought and presented vnto him so muche and so maruellous thinges that the eyes of men were not satisfied in beholding eyther their hearts in wishing them The king of Parthians had taken awaye much landes from the king of Armenia who sent to complaine vnto the Romaines as vnto their friends alies and confederates for whome the Emperour Antoninus did write his letters vnto the king of Parthians to cease to do wrong and also to make restitution vnto the Armenians whose letters being receiued and read was presently obeied and perfourmed King Abogarus one of the mightiest and most notable kinges of the Orient the Emperour Antoninus did force to come to Rome bycause that owing a great summe of money vnto one of his vassals he would not come to account The good Emperour Traiane had constrained the Parthians to receiue their seate and royall crowne at the handes of the Romaines which subiection the Parthians both denyed and refused but Antoninus not only by letters but also by apparant threatnings did force them to yealde
and consent vnto the obedience of Rome Rometalce king of the Pindaroes was accused in the Senate of disloyaltie vnto the Romaines in the warres they helde against the Rhodes who coÌ„ming vnto Rome to quite him selfe the good Antoninus did not onely confirme him in his kingdome but also did not permit that for any thing past any motion should be made affirming that his offence might not be so great but that his submissiue apparance did reforme the same The Olbiopolites a people in Asia held warre with the Taurocistes alies of Rome vnto whom Antoninus sente succour by sea and with assistance of the Romanes subdued the Olbiopolites who not only paid all charges of the warres but also gaue hostages to maintaine peace Antoninus neuer raised warre but that first he sought to conserue peace and praised not a little that saying of Scipio that is to say Hee rather wished the life of one citizen of Rome theÌ„ the death of a thousand enimies When hée married his daughter Faustina vnto Marcus Aurelius he made a suÌ„ptuous feast and gaue great rewards vnto his men of warre He held his sonne Marcus Aurelius in great reuerence and would haue made â—im Consul which hee refused holding it for more happie to turne bookes then to appease nations After he had sent vnto Calcedonie for the great Philosopher Apollonius and had giuen him an house to dwell in solitarilie neare vnto the riuer Tiber Antoninus sent for him who refusing to come sent answeare That schollers do vse to come to their maisters and not maisters vnto their scholers whereat Antoninus laughing said A trim ieste that Apollonius hath paste so many seas from Calcedonie vnto Rome and now refuseth from his house to come to mine Although Apollonius were learned in Philosophie yet was hée in his life very couetous whereat when certaine in presence of the Emperour did murmur hée aunsweared for very deare that Philosophers sell vs their Philosophie alwayes their science is more worthe which they teach vs then the goodes which wée giue them CHAP. XII ¶ Of the succession of the Empire and the occasion of his death AS the Emperour Antoninus in his youth was alwayes a frend vnto the vertuous euen so in his age carefully hée did séeke the conuersation of the wise and therewith had no lesse care of publique matters then of his owne priuate affaires Generally hée was so liked and loued of al nations that in all temples in all walles gates and buildings these foure letters were placed namely V.A.C.R. whiche is to saye Vita Antonini Conseruatur Respublica which is to saye On the life of Antoninus the whole weale of the Romane Empire dependeth Leauing a part many good lawes which he made for the Common wealth for which purpose hee had alwayes attendant about him men in the lawes singularly learned who among the chiefe was Vindemius Verus Siluius Valente Abolusius Metianus Vlpius Marcellus and Iabolinus before whome hée set the lawes of all kingdomes and of the most necessarie and approued to take the choice to be established in his kingdomes When he did institute any lawe either ordeine any proclamation he alwayes expressed therein so great reason that his commaundements were neuer disobeyed either his lawes reuoked The cause of his death they say was after this maner from Gallia Transalpina that is to say swéete Fraunce they did present him certaine chéeses whereof he eating at his supper more then was conuenient they ministred vnto him a perillous vomit whereby they discharged his stomache not onely of meate superfluous but also of bloud righte necessarie which bredd in him a furious feuer and finding himselfe in great weaknesse without disposition to sléepe either appetite to eate he commaunded al the Senatours and chief gouernours to be called vnto his presence and before theÌ„ all did commende the common wealth vnto Marcus Aurelius his sonne and Faustine his daughter And making his testament in verie good order wherin he gaue vnto his seruants great gifts which being finished and perfourmed he gaue vnto his daughter Faustine the inheritaunce of all his lands which he possessed before he came vnto the Empire His feauer increasing and his strength and life wasting the fourth day of his sicknesse about noone beholding and viewing all the circumstants and shutting his eyes as if he would sléepe gaue vp the ghost who was no lesse bewailed at his death then he was beloued in time of life and presently by conformitie of the whole Senate was intituled Holie and all the people at the newes of his death a vie in euery streate did grite skrich and cry aduauncing and magnifying his bountie clemencie benignitie liberalitie iustice patience prudence and prouidence Al the honours were done vnto him and all the famous titles were giuen him that vpon any noble Prince had bene imployed And deserued that in the temple of Iupiter a priest of his owne name should be institute Also they built him a temple and dedicated vnto his honour the Circene playes and a fraternitie where they were all called Antonines This Prince onely amongest all Princes liued and dyed without sheading of bloude and for likelinesse compared vnto Numa Pompilius not onely in good gouernement of the common wealth but also for sinceritie of life The life of the Emperour Commodus the sonne of good Marcus Aurelius compiled by Syr Anthonie of Gueuara byshop of Mondonnedo preacher Chronicler and CouÌ„seler vnto the Emperour Charles the fift CHAP. I. ¶ Of the byrth of the Emperour Commodus THe Emperour Commodus had to his grandfather Annius Verus and his father was the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius and his mother was the right faire and renouned Faustine on whose side he was nephewe vnto the Emperour Antoninus Pius a man of a refourmed life and very beneficiall vnto the common wealth of Rome He was borne in a certaine place named Lodie on the eight day of September at the time that his father and Drusius his vnckle were Consuls the one gouerning matters of warre in Datia and the other in refourmation of causes in the common wealth The Empresse Faustine being great with childe and neare vnto the time of her childe byrth dreamed that she was deliuered of certaine serpents but especially of one more fierce then the rest of which dreame when his father Marcus Aurelius was infourmed they say that he sayde I feare me Faustine that the sonne of this birth shall proue so fierce a Serpent that shall be of power to commit a murther of our fame and to poyson the whole common wealth of Rome The Astronomers and Nekromantiques which in those dayes were resident in Rome they sayde and prognosticated many things of the byrth of the Emperour Commodus and as it appeared afterwardes they sayde very little in respect of that which followed bycause this miserable and vnfortunate Prince in his manners did rather resemble the infernall furies then reasonable creatures From his infancie his father Marcus Aurelius carefully did trauell in the
also manie and rich iuels and writinge with his owne hande a letter after this manner Bassianus Antoninus onely Emperour of the Romanes to Arthabanus the greate king of Parthians health and good fortune ⸫ The famous auncient Romanes and many of the principall of my predecessours came from the West into Asia onely to make warre vppon this thy kingdome but I come not to make thee warre but to seek peace and to this peace both thou I haue to search a meane that it may be perpetuall for otherwise a iust warre were more safe for princes then a fayned peace As wee read in bookes and heare of our forefathers there is not a more briefe and sounde waye for greate enimies to growe to bee faithfull friendes then by recouering newe aliance by the waye of marriage for in true and faithfull marriages as the married be ioyned in bodies so be they lincked and confederate in heartes and mindes Although some Princes haue married with the daughters of Consuls and Senatours and admitting they haue so done I will not so doe for that I was borne a prince and am a prince and will dye a prince wherefore I will not marrie but with the daughter of a Prince When congruently or aptly it may be done it agreeth not with the maiestie of the Empire that the Prince this day should holde him for his father in lawe whome he helde yesterday for his vassall Although the wiues of Princes vse not to commaunde and gouerne yet we must graunt that when Princesses be the daughters of high Princes and desscended of royall bloud the people and subiectes are more honoured satisfied and pleased and such bring foorth children more noble and generous The Empire of the Romanes and the Empire of the Parthians are two the moste renoumed Princes throughout the whole worlde for notwithstanding the one at times hath subdued the other yet neuer intirely had the one lordship of the other I am prince of the Romanes and thou art Prince of the Parthians if thou wilt marrie thy daughter with mee with greate good will I would matche with her and after this manner of two diuided Empires wee shall make one in concorde These two Empires beeing ioyned may there be any kingdome that will disobey them or any king that shall dare to saye against them I demaunde not thy daughter for her beautie for there are others muche fairer in mine Empire neither doe I request her for thy richesse for I haue sufficient neither doe I craue her to recouer more vassals for I haue kingdomes ynough subiecte vnto mee But I do it because of auncient enimies wee might frame our selues immortall friendes in such wise that as hitherto we haue had you in contempt as barbarians from hencefoorth wee shall behaue our selues as brethren Thincke not that I write thus vnto thee by thy fauour to be reuenged of mine enimies or for that my kingdomes haue rebelled against mee as thou shalte vnderstande by these mine Ambassadours which my father lefte vnto mee so plaine and their Princes so dedicated to obedience that they doe not onely accomplishe what I commaunde them but also request mee to inioyne them more If in this which I write to thee thou thinkest there be deceipte thou oughtest also to conceiue that I shal bee most deceiued partely for that beeing as I am a Romane Prince and partely because I am the person whiche sueth for that in this marriage thou aduenturest not more then thy daughter but I committe vnto Fortune mine honour goods and person Herein I will saye no more but I praye thee to receiue these iewelles which I sende thee in good parte and to that which mine Ambassadours shall saye giue credite The king of the Parthians after he had read this letter and hearde the Ambassadours what they had to saye in the behalfe of Bassianus did aunswer him after this manner CHAP. XI ¶ Of another solemne letter wherein the king of the Parthians aunswered Bassianus Arthabanus king of the auncient kingdome of the Parthians to Antoninus Bassianus the onely Romane Emperour health prosperitie Before all thinges I giue thankes vnto the immortall Gods because they haue put into thy heart that which thou hast written and that which thou with thy Ambassadours hast sent to saye vnto vs By that which I haue read in thy letters and hearde of thy Ambassadours I knowe that thou beleeuest in the Gods and hast not taken counsell of men for men alwayes giue counsell vnto Princes to make warre but the Gods alwayes persuade them to keepe peace Thou sayest that the Romane Princes thy predecessours alwayes passed into Asia with a minde determined to make warre with the Parthians ▪ but ioyntly herewith I would thou shouldest consider that as the warre which ye tooke in hand against vs was vniust so fortune was vnto them alwayos vnfortunate for it is not the will of the Gods that by an vniust warre an entire victorie should be obteined Ye Romanes tooke the enterprise to be Lordes of the whole worlde and to prosecute the same ye rigged foorth many nauies and fleetes ye ioyned greate armies conquered straunge prouinces destroyed many kingdomes killed much people robbed infinite treasures and aduentured your selues into great and immeasurable daungers and in the ende that which they had obteyned they lost yea the conquerours also lost them selues because whatsoeuer is gotten to the preiudice of another man is lost to the greate hurte offence of him that obteined the same That which thou promisest in thy letter and in thy name thy Ambassadours offer mee I am not onely bound to accepte but also deserued greate displeasure if I durst denie the same beecause it is a thinge moste iuste that the Goddes make warre vppon that prince which refuseth the request of men in peace Thou sayest that the chiefest meane to cōfirme peace is for princes to practise marriage betwixt thēselues I denie not but that in some persons it is moste true but it is no generall rule for all men for we daily see betwixte moste neare kinred and alies moste greate quarelles and scandals to arise My greate graundfather was father in lawe vnto kinge Arsacidas and afterwardes the one slewe the other in the fielde and the verie same we heare reported to haue chaunced amongst you Pompey married with the daughter of Iulius and afterwardes Iulius ouercame and destroyed Pompey his sonne in lawe in suche wise that the marriages which they made to conserue peace did awake and inflame them to more cruell warre The Prince that hath feare of the Goddes and is naturallie giuen to peace may not finde a better meane to obtaine the same thē to be quiet in his owne realme for speakinge the verie trueth the prince that is satisfied with his owne proper estate needeth not to seeke affinitie in straunge kingdomes Vnto my father were offered greate noble and mightie mariages frō straunge kingdomes whereunto he woulde neuer consente either hardely indure to
was very wise in all thinges wherein she gaue counsell which most clearely appeared for that in the 16. yeares in which she remained in the Courte and manours of those princes who by her iudgement and opinion were gouerned shée was neuer séene to twite or reproue any person with her tongue or giue counsel in any thing that offended the common wealth Being as she was sister vnto Iulia the Empresse and so accepted with those princes this Mesia was marueilous riche and the cause thereof was that all good thinges which were vacant in the Empire she craued and whatsoeuer was giuen her shee receiued The second daughter of this Mesia named Manea maried with a Cōsul named Verius and brought him forth a sonne then named Alexius but afterwards Alexander the Emperour in such wise that this Mesia had one sister an Empresse sawe her two nephues Emperours Mesia doubting that some day it might come to the notice of Iulia her sister that Antoninus Caracalla was the sonne of her husband Bassianus aduised to send both her nephues vnto her owne proper countrie of Phoenicia there to hold them more safe and better taught In the prouince of Phoenicia was a most sumptuous temple dedicated vnto the God Heliogabalus the woorkemanship whereof was wrought all of sawen stone as if it had béene timber in the ioyning whereof their appeared no seame but all mē iudged that knew not that secrete that the whole temple had béene made of one stone There was not in that temple as was in other tēples which is to wit any image or simulachre of any God but that which it conteyned was a blacke shining stone great large beneath and vpwards more narrow wherein was grauen the Sunne and the Moone right curiously subtily which in viewe and beholding did dazill the eyes of men The people of Phoenicia did report that the temple was made by mans hand but the stone was sent by the Gods from heauen for which cause they offered vpon the same siluer gold iewels and other great riches and it was visited not onely by the natiues of Phoenicia but also from many partes of Asia In that temple there were not onely priestes but also Philosophers to the ende that some should sacrifice and others teache and refourme maners because that temple was indued with so great riches that there was sufficient both for the one the other Heliogabalus being of the age of xiiii yeres and his cousin Alexius of the age of twelue yeares their graundmother Mesia placed them in that temple to enure them to offer sacrifices to learne Philosophie These two brethren went apparailed after the manner of two Priestes which is to wéete in shirtes of Linsey woolsey their garments of gold and cotton their sléeues buttoned with Corrall their robes trailing their heades couered with silke calles about their neckes collars of golde their féete bare vppon the instep leaden ringes vppon their little fingers and ringes of golde vpon their thumbes but aboue al the rest they might not eate but in their houses either sléepe but in their temples And because Antoninus was Priest and brought vp in the temple of the God Heliogabalus that is to saye a Priest of the Sunne he was afterwardes named Antoninus Heliogabalus and also many dayes after that he was exalted vnto the height of the Empire he kepte the garments and receiued the stipend of his auncient priesthood Heliogabalus was of meane stature redde haired white faced small mouthed shorte legged and largely bearded and as at that time he was young and faire and his sacerdotall vestmentes did so adourne him although the secrete of his parentage was vnknowen yet all men presupposed that he was of noble bloud CHAP. II. ¶ Howe capteine Macrinus did exalt him selfe with the Empire after the death of Bassianus AFter that Martianus had slaine Bassianus his Lorde through the counsell of Macrinus presently he exalted him selfe or to saye better did tyrannize the Empire neuerthelesse the armies elected him and the Romanes allowed him not because they were pleased with Macrinus but for ioy to sée them selues frée and deliuered of Bassianus So generall was the ioye amongest the Romane people to sée Bassianus dead that they cared not to consider of Macrinus that should succéede whether he were good or bad because heartes that be tormented and men that be despighted when they hap to oppresse their enimies consider not so much of their profite as they respect their reuengement Tenne dayes after Macrinus sawe him selfe Emperour Arthabanus king of the Parthians gaue him battell to reuenge the iniurie which Bassianus had done vnto him this battell betwixt both partes was so contended and so bloudie that the victorie on that daye remained on neither side yet least was the losse vnto the Romanes Arthabanus being aduertised of the death of his enimie Bassianus and his choler also somewhat alaide made peace with the Romanes and with his armies retired into his countrie After Macrinus behelde him selfe elected and confirmed Emperour and king Arthabanus returned vnto his kingdome and that in all Asia not so much as a lance in the rest against him he departed to the citie of Antioche not of any intent to refourme his armie but of purpose totally to vowe him selfe vnto vice and filthinesse The case was thus that being setled in Antioche he gaue héede vnto no other matter but to the vse of the Bathe trimming his head annoynting his bearde going on hunting prosecuting gluttonie and excesse giuing him selfe vnto women and that which was woorst he fledde from affaires and followed vices When at any time Macrinus did issue foorth to viewe his men of warre he walked not with a lance but with a Caane in his hande which they helde for no small iniurie for that amongest them it was a lawe that none might passe through their bandes except he were armed with some armour It was a lawe muche vsed and obserued amongest the Romanes that their Princes did neuer enter armed into the Senate either vnarmed did viewe their Campes and armies since in the one they did manage matters of peace and in the other nothing but warres Macrinus heard by reporte that the good Marcus Aurelius spake sildome and with lowe voice and so he vsed for resemblance to aunswere suters with fewe woordes and verie base in such wise that in his speache he did imitate Marcus Aurelius and in his life did resemble Nero. With none of the Antiochians either with any person of all Asia did he consent to haue conference or to be serued at his table either enter into his chamber or sléepe in his house but after the manner of a tyraunt with his owne he stoode vppon his guarde and with straungers not a little suspicious Auncient persons his olde horsemen and the Capteines of his armies he woulde not commaund to stande vp although they had long continued vppon their knées either to put on their cappes when they stoode bareheaded
vnto thée that thou shouldest obteine the fame of a faithfull seruaunt and by thy meane I should purchase the renoune of an ingrate prince Howe shall others receiue courage to serue mee when they sée thee vnrecompenced for seruice past knowest thou not that if it bée iuste that seruants for treason comitted be put to death is it not also most iust that Princes for their ingratitude be abhorred presupposing that thou wouldst serue mée without respect to profite thy selfe of my magnificence wherein I giue thée to vnderstande I finde my selfe more offended then serued for at all times when they shall praise thée for that which thou hast done for mée they shall despise mée not onely for ingratitude but rather for hatred which I shall seeme to beare vnto thée And if thou ceasest to craue in thinking mée to be in necessitie and not able to accomplish with all persons moste vaine is thy iudgement for that the Prince hauing no other meane to paye is so muche bound to recompence seruice that he hath to redéeme it euen from his ordinarie diet Conformable vnto thine estate demaunde what thou wilt for since thou beeing a seruaunt hadst a minde to serue it is iust that I beeing a Prince shoulde haue rewardes to giue thée These and such other woordes Alexander vsed to say vnto such as were mindfull to serue him and forgettfull to craue of him Those that serued him and others that craued of him he did neuer recompence with the reward of any office of iustice but such as had serued him he recompenced their seruice with houses Iewels inheritances or money For any importunitie which they should vse with him any seruice which they should do him any Iewels which they should present him or any fauour which they had of him he gaue not at any time vnto any person any office for gouernement of iustice if he had not séene abilitie in his person and merite in his life Euery seuentéene dayes he payed his men of warre and when they departed out of Italie to conquere any countrey he did ease them with beastes whereon to ride and succoured them with money to spende for maintenaunce of their horsses of seruice in courage and their persons from wearinesse When he trauelled vppon the way he payde for the lodging of all his traine did beare the charges of all sicke persons Certeine Christians and certeine tauerners came before him to plead for a parcell of ground where the Christians would haue erected an house of prayer there to worship Christ their God and on the other side the tauerners alledged their great necessitie of that situation for tauernes for the people in which matter Alexander gaue this sentence Diuine thinges ought alwayes to haue preferment before humaine matters wherefore I saye and commaunde that the Christians make their house for Christe their God for admitting their God is vnto vs vnknowen yet his honour is to be preferred before the profite of tauerners CHAP. VI. ¶ Howe warre was offered in Asia vnto Alexander and what was saide vnto his Ambassadours JN the eleuenth yere after the beginning of the Empire of Alexander soudeinly he receiued letters from Asia wherein he was giuen to vnderstande by his Romane officers that there were resident how Artaxerxes king of the Persians had subdued and also slaine Arthabanus king of the Parthians and not contented with that victorie beganne also to occupie and possesse Assyria and Mesopotamia prouinces subiect vnto Rome Vppon which newes Alexander seemed to receiue some trouble of minde partely to haue warres in Asia which alwayes was vnto the Romanes both daungerous and costely and partely for that in tenne yeares past he had séene no enimie against him in armour as also for that the successe of warres consisteth not in leading greate armies but in the fauourable prouision of the destinies Alexander from his infancie had béene bredde in peace had gouerned the Empire in peace and naturally also was inclined vnto peace in respect whereof it was no marueile thoughe he were annoyed with warres for that the trouble and disquietnesse which warre bringeth with it is more conuenient vnto cruell and vnquiet persons then for men of reposed mindes Hée commaunded his priuate seruauntes deputed for his counsel to ioyne with the Senate ioyntly to reade the letters that were written to him out of Asia and to determine howe they should be aunswered for as negligence is hurtfull in all graue affaires so in the warres it slayeth The letters being read although they were therein of sundry iudgements yet in the ende they resumed that before they made Artaxerxes warre they shuld request with peace for admitting that at that present he destroyed the Romane territories yet were it not agréeable vnto the greatenesse and sinceritie of Rome to take warre in hande before that such warre were very well iustified With greate breuitie Alexander dispatched Ambassadours into Asia and by them did write vnto Artaxerxes king of the Persians a letter after this manner Alexander Seuerus Romane Emperour to Axtaxerxes king of Persians health peace in the pacified Gods. Wee salute thee with health because we wishe it thee and we salute thee with peace for that wee bee louers thereof and thou hast not to holde it in small estimation that I salute thee in peace and wish thee health for vnto Princes that possesse not health life is tedious and they which haue not peace it were lesse euil to be dead It may chaunce that the warre which a man hath against his owne proper sensualitie sufficeth not but that he must inuent warre against some straunge countrie A man that may not subdue his heart which within his own body is imprisoned thinketh he to conquere the whole world that is placed in so great libertie If in time of peace wee may not liue in quietnesse what shal wee do when wee awake new enimies against vs The Prince that may not persuade him selfe to conforme his wil and mind to the iudgement of one onely person doth he think to constreine all persons to be appliant to his onely iudgement Great trauell hath the poore man that wanteth all things but much more hath the Prince that is contented with nothing Here we vnderstand that thou hast aduentured thy person spent thy treasure imployed thy friends destroyed many people to be lord of the Parthians we fully beleeue that nowe thou art no more satisfied then when thou wert only king of Persia for contentation consisteth not in cōquering strange kingdoms but in taming moderating our own proper desires Neither the Parthians there in Asia neither the Romanes here in Europa haue committed any deede wherfore thou shouldest murther thē or manace vs but it may come to passe that they shal reuenge their iniurie and we destroye thy potencie because for the more parte there neuer groweth any daunger towardes vs by our enimies which haue vs in hatred but from our friends whom we haue offended The Romanes
and Parthians at al times haue beene thy good friendes and thou hast attempted an enterprise to offend them but I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that if thou doest not restore them that which thou hast taken and to vs that which wee possesse in such manner we Romanes wil make thee warre that from commaunding as a king of Asia thou shalt come to serue as a vassal seruaunt in Rome There wee sende thee our Ambassadours which shall declare vnto thee our will heare them and beleeue them and if thou wilt not giue faith vnto the woordes which they shall speake thou shalt hereafter giue credit vnto the armies which wee will sende No more but that our Gods be with thee and thine alwayes with mee The Romane Ambassadours which passed into Asia with this letter afterwardes reported that when king Artaxerxes had perused the same twice or thrice he spake in this manner Certeine woordes vttered by Artaxerxes vppon the receipt of Alexander his Ambassage I haue read this letter of your Prince more then once or twice and as appeareth by the style thereof he hath spent more time in the Achademies studying then in the fieldes fighting because warrelike Princes haue high thoughtes and reasons very short but in armes verie doughtie I accept your Ambassage and explicate your credite since the meaning of your Prince is that I shall leaue what I haue taken from the Parthians and not occupie my selfe in possessing that which apperteineth vnto the Romanes vnto this aunsweringe I saye that the lawe which hath ordeined this is thine and this is mine proceeded from base mindes and humble heartes that wanted hardinesse to enterprise greate thinges immagining to defende by bookes that which they durst not winne with armes The lawes made by poore Philosophers ought not to preiudice the greatenesse of Princes because the Goddes haue determined that all thinges shall bee proper except kingdomes which amongest Princes should be common the right whereof consisteth not in such as doe inherite them but in them which may winne them The heroycall Princes and high mindes are not to bee satisfied with the patrimonies of their predecessours muche lesse apperteineth it vnto their greatenesse to demaund by lawe that which their enimies haue taken from them but for preseruation of their inheritaunce to spende their treasure and for conquering and subduing kingdomes euery houre to aduenture their liues And since it is thus that there is no king so vertuous but enuieth anothers kingdome I am determimined to conserue that which I haue taken from the Parthians and to take what I may from the Romanes and if fortune shal bee frowarde in this my iourney at the least all men shall prayse the greatnes of my minde These and such other woordes Artaxerxes vsed with the Romane Ambassadours which as they afterwards reported in Rome did not so much maruell at that which he saide as of the minde wherewith he did manifest the same for he séemed not to talke with the toung but to fight with his handes Nowe when the Ambassadours were dispatched and departed from the courte he called them againe and said Saye vnto Alexander your prince that I meane not to aunswere vnto his philosophicall letter but in place of writing I assigne him the fielde for paper the lance for the penne bloud for ynke woundes for wordes The Ambassadours being returned vnto Rome and reporting all that had happened with Artaxerxes the Senate were not a little touched therwith and all the people conceiued no small indignation ioyntly swearing to breake the pride of Artaxerxes to reuenge the wordes that he had spoken against Rome This Prince Artaxerxes was much loued and liked of his people and no lesse feared of straungers and a thing moste to be noted in him was that if in taking from others he had the shewe of a tyrant after he possessed the same he did gouerne as a right and iust Prince Many Romanes requested Alexander to assemble Sorcerers and Magicians to declare the successe of that warre whiche he woulde not in any wise accomplishe either might well indure the hearing thereof affirming that if as the Magicians Soothsayers by their art haue knowlege to vnderstand things to come so they had power to remedie the mischief which they should find it were not vniust to cōferre with them also to serue them but since I am certaine that I may not escape what my destinies wil cast vpō mee I will rather sticke vnto that which the Gods shall determine then vnto that which the Magicians shall report and imagine CHAP. VII ¶ Of a discreete speach vsed by Alexander vnto his men of warre ALexander vnderstanding the proud answere that Artaxerxes had giuen vnto his Embassadours determined against him to denounce warre vnto whiche end hee sent his mandats to all prouinces cities subiects and confederats with the Romane Empire to succour them with monie and assist them with their most warlike people Eleuen yeres were past in which the Empire enioyed most perfecte peace and tranquillitie and vppon the tidings of these new warres into Asia they were not a litle amazed and escandalized partly for exacting newe tributes and partly for demaunding their husbands and sonnes for the warres With gratefull minds and readie disposition the imperialists accepted the Emperour Alexander in his requestes and were no lesse readie to yéeld their monie their sonnes and persons to be imployed in his seruice because they were fully persuaded that neither by his fault that warre was raised either by his want of merite to finde therein any misfortune During the time that monie was collecting and the men of warre assembling he commaunded all the Capitaines Centurions and the most principal of all his garrisons and armies to come before him who being placed in the field and hee himselfe aduaunced aloft hée spake to them after this maner Alexander his Oration to his Capiteines and armie ass embled in the field Brethren companions and my friends I beseeche the immortall Gods to giue vnto my tongue sweete eloquence touching that which I haue to say and to place in your hartes congruent attention concerning that which you haue to heare because grace to persuade in him that speaketh and permission to be persuaded in him that heareth are gifts that many craue but verie few obteine The inclination wherwith we are ledd is so proud and the malice of man so wilie that there is none which esteemeth himselfe so simple but thinketh to know that which another vnderstandeth and therefore for one man to haue skill to persuade many is a gift that the gods onely do giue With the seueritie of Demosthenes the prudence of Pythagoras the wisedome of Plato and the eloquence of Cicero many may hardly persuade one person doth one man thincke to persuade many That which I haue presently to say vnto you is not to the ende that ye shal do what I wil but to vnderstand what it is that you will
¶ A Chronicle conteyning the liues of tenne Emperours of Rome Wherin are discouered their beginnings procéedings and endings worthie to be read marked and remembred Wherein are also conteyned Lawes of speciall profite and policie Sentences of singular shortnesse and swéetenesse Orations of great grauitie and Wisedome Letters of rare learning and eloquence Examples of vices carefully to be auoyded and notable paternes of vertue fruitfull to be followed Compiled by the most famous Syr Anthonie of Gueuara Bishop of Mondonnedo Preacher Chronicler and counsellour to the Emperour Charles the fift and translated out of Spanish into English by Edward Hellowes Groome of her Maiesties Leashe ¶ Hereunto is also annexed a table recapitulating such particularities as are in this booke mentioned Imprinted at London for Ralphe Newberrie dwelling in Fleetestrete Anno Gratiae 1577. TO THE MOST EXcellent and vertuous Princesse and our gratious souereigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of GOD of Englande Fraunce and Ireland Queene defender of the Christian Faith. c. Long life with accomplishment of all Godly desires RIGHT noble most gratious souereigne if I should write or dedicate any thinge as of my selfe vnto your excellencie with any spark of presumption or singularitie as a matter meete for the viewe of the maiestie of your sacred person or sufficient satisfaction vnto the depth of your diuine iudgment not only mine owne weakenes would bewray me and iustly yeald a cruell scourge of my discredite but also procure my worthie reprehension and no lesse deserued chasticemēt But simply presuming of your maiesties milde accustomed fauour prouoked by the eloquence of the Author encouraged by the profite pleasure of the matter imboldened because this historie hath beene dedicated by Syr Antonie of Gueuara accepted of Charles the fifth an Emperour of no common renowne and no lesse persuaded by the humblenes of a duetifull minde as one vowed by othe and alegeance to execute my vtter seruice in euery exployt to your Maiestie the regard whereof not leadeth but cōstraineth although with blushing bashfull face to present vnto your magnificēce this my simple trauell translated out of Spanish into the Englishe tongue conteyning the liues of tenne Emperours of Rome namely Traiane Coceius Adrian Antoninus Pius Cōmodus Pertinax Iulianus Seuerus Bassianus Heliogabalus Alexander Seuerus whose liues gouernements ends and conclusions giue foorth matter so meete for the spectacle of princes as wel the vertuous of the one part to take sure direction good counsell to their great comfort thereby as a sounding lead to obteine knowledge both of the depth coast to lead thēselues into all safetie of bodie and minde as also the licentious on the other part to moderate and staye their rash attemptes as a sheat anchore in all furious stormes of perplexities to saue from shipwracke both life and honour All which being considered in respect that the matter therin cōteyned treateth of Kings and Emperours and hath beene dedicated vnto an Emperour the woorke of it selfe craueth your milde acceptation as onely due vnto the souereigntie of your Maiesties estate to escape the infamie of abasement I your Maiesties most humble and loyall seruaunt in most humble wise beseeching that of your great mildnes and clemencie it may like your highnesse to accept this my simple present full fraught not of skill but of loyaltie wherein for as much as the Authour in the front hereof hath fixed so worthy a prologue that there seemeth nothing to be omitted or that any thing might be added yeldeth iust cause to cease further to vrge your patience with tediousnes most humbly beseeching your Maiestie that it maye please the same of your great bountie to pardon all my defectes that herein may appeare and I your Maiesties most hūble and obedient seruaunt shall neuer cease to pray that the blessing of the liuing GOD may alwayes conduct follow your Maiestie with all perfect felicitie both of bodie and soule as may yeeld your Maiestie immortal fame before God and man. Your Maiesties most humble and obedient seruaunt Edward Hellowes ¶ The prologue of the famous Syr Anthonie of Gueuara Byshoppe of Mondonnedo preacher chronicler counsellour to the Emperour Charles the fifth vpon the life of tenne Emperours of Rome ⸫ The Author proponeth VARIVS GEMINVS a man verie glorious and Consul among the Romains saide vnto Iulius Caesar O Caesar and great Augustus such as dare presume to speake before thee knowe not thy greatnesse and those that are abashed to appeare in thy presence comprehend not thy noblenesse wordes in deede right worthie of such a person Conformable to that which Varius Geminus saide wee do saye It appertaineth to the greatnesse of Princes that their persons be much authorised and on the other parte that they endeuour to communicate with their common wealthes for that with their mightinesse they may giue terrour and with their plaine mildnesse remoue all feare Sucronius saith of Octauius the emperour that euer any ambassadours came in his presence which at the first sight were not touched with feare and after in communicating did not adore him because great was the maiestie wherewith he did receiue them and after verie sweete were the woordes wherewith he did dispatch them Of the great Cato Censorine Plutarche saith that being the man of moste honestie and greatest grauitie that liued amongest the Romaines he did neuer shewe to any man a sadde but cheerefull countenance or giue euill aunswere nor shut the doore against any person either denyed any thing that was iust neither shamed or disgraced any man Not onely happie but also most happie is the Prince that for rectitude of iustice is feared and for his good condition beloued Much weakenesse of Princes and great Lordes is couered and vices dissimuled when with their owne they be of good condition and with straungers of gratefull conuersation Of the famous tyrant Dionysius the Siracusan Plutarche saith that the immortal hatred which the Sicylians did beare him was not so much for the tyrannies that he did execute as for the incomporcable condition which he vsed for that verie seldome he did permitt him selfe to be seene and verie oft was heard laughing The contrarie wherof is read of king Antigonus the father of the greate Demetrius whoe was proude couetous ambitious cruell and effeminate and with all these conditions the people of his kingdomes did both suffer and serue him onely for that they founde the dores of his house alwayes open and in his mouth an amorous aunswere The ende of all this which we haue saide is humblie to praye all princes and giue warning vnto all such as be about them alwayes to persuade and counsell them to be so humaine that all may endure their conuersation and yet so graue that none presume to make small accompt of them for that it maketh much to the matter of good gouernement to be indued with good nature and disposition No lesse inconuenience doth followe the common wealth for
what to spend and not to learne to keepe audit It is a loue disordinate for the prince to folow the direction of his owne proper will bicause it is impossible but he should fayle to perfourme that which hee ought that alwayes executeth his owne wilfull minde Loue is disordinate when the Prince imployeth his loue in fewe being Lord of many bycause Princes in such wise ought to loue and be bountifull vnto their priuate and fauoured seruaunts that they disgrace not the nobles of their kingdome Loue is disordinate when Princes in vanities and trifles do consume their times bycause the curious gouernour in such wise diuideth time betwixt him and the common wealth that he neither wanteth for affaires or hath too much to imploy in vices Loue is disordinate when the Prince is orgulous quarellous ambitious and proude for notwithstanding that as a Prince they ought all to serue him it followeth not that as a God they shoulde adore him Loue is disordinate to hazarde the giuing and diuiding of rewardes not as euerie man deserueth but according to the wil of him that gouerneth for there is no equal infamie vnto the prince as it is to chastice vice not to remunerate seruice Loue is disordinate when of will he taketh away frō another that of right apperteineth not vnto him self bicause to the greatnes sinceritie of princes it is iust conuenient that in their rewardes gifts they shew their franke liberalitie in receiuing they stande with all men in iustice The case standeth thus that the Prince which is indued with these loues affections may not escape many trauels and also many souden assaults and perils for that euerie disordinate affection she her self with her self bringeth griefe and displeasure Plutarche in his bookes of cōmon welth persuadeth the Emperour Traiane that hee hath his will at libertie and his loue subiect to no man for that according as hee sayeth It little profiteth that a Prince be Lord of many kingdomes if on the other part he become bondman to many vices The diuine Plato saide that for a prince to be good hee ought to giue his heart vnto the common wealth his rewardes vnto such as serue him his desires vnto the Gods and his loue vnto his friendes his secretes to his priuie counsell and the time to affaires Oh how happy were that prince that according to this Platonicall sentence should diuide and repart his person bicause he being diuided for all the whole should be ioyned together with and for him ¶ The authour applyeth all that which is sayd vnto the end wherfore he did speake the same All that which we haue aboue sayde by writing most souereigne Prince wee will vtter and declare by example for according to the saying of Eschines the Philosopher Words well spoken do awake and reuiue the iudgements but great and manifest examples persuade the heart For to leade or intice a man to be vertuous and to do vertuous woorkes it maketh muche to the matter to persuade with discrete reasons sweete words but in conclusiō for much credite which we giue to that which he sayth much more is giuē to that which he doth The Poet Homer said that it is a thing verie easie to write acts of great prowesse and verie difficil to performe them For whiche cause it is necessarie for such as deale with princes to shewe them by example all which they persuade thē by writing to the end they see most cleare that the great and mightie deedes done by other Princes in the worldes they want not force to performe them but a minde to vndertake them No Prince hath to holde of him selfe so small estimation that he doubt to performe that which another Prince hath done in time past for after this manner Theodosius should be dismaide by the remembraunce of Seuerus Seuerus of Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius of Antoninus Pius Antoninus Pius of Traiane Traiane of good Titus Titus of Caesar Augustus Caesar Augustus of Iulius Caesar Iulius Caesar of Scipio Scipio of Marcus Marcellus Marcus Marcellus of Quintus Fabius Quintus Fabius of Alexander Magnus and Alexander Magnus of Achilles the Greeke The heartes of these so high Princes did not reade and inquire of the deeds of their forefathers to feare them but to imitate them surely they had great reason bicause None amongst the mortal hath done any deed so glorious that by another man may not be beautified and made better Princes be boūd to do such and so high deedes and enterprises that of them selues be worthy praise and very honourable for others to folow for the same it is not more necessarie to haue a noble minde to giue the enterprise thē after wards to haue the aduenture to finish the same Plutarche saieth that Agesilaus the Greeke said that Fortune did neuer shew her selfe noble but vnto a minde that was generous and noble and surely he said most truth bicause men lose many things not bicause they may not attaine them but for that they dare not attempt them The Prince ought to straine and enforce him self to be good and to imitate the vertuous since with lesse cost mē be vertuous thē vitious milde then ouerthwart valiant then cowards patient thē furious and sober then gluttons for the theefe doth need as desperate a minde to scale an house as a noble minde is due to a captein that foloweth the wars Dionysius the tyrant Gorgius the tyrant Bias the tyrant Macrino the tyrant Catiline the tyrant if we might commend them and they of thē selues giue reason they would sweare and affirme that they passed more trauell and found thē selues in more perill in defending their tyrannies then Scipio and Cato in conseruing their cōmon wealthes Oh what great reason and how much occasion haue Princes to be good and to fauour the good since they haue authoritie to commaunde and riches to giue whereof if they haue skyll to take the aduauntage with their potencie they frame them selues to be serued and with their giftes they bring to passe to be loued Ioyntly with this I admonishe and also aduise Princes and great lordes to be magnificent in their giftes and verie attemptiue in their commaundements For notwithstanding a Prince may do what he list it is not conuenient he do what he may Although the authoritie of the prince be free absolute and without measure to him it is conuenient in all thinges to vse measure and moderation for that euery gouernement that is absolute hath a taste or relishe of tyrannie Many Princes haue lost thē selues by their vices which they vsed and many more haue beene cast away by executing their will and power for princes in perfourming all that they can and all which they will it followeth that their affection maketh them stumble passion their eyes to dazell But moste souereigne Prince speaking more particularly by the imitation of Plutarche and Suetonius Tranquillus I thought good to translate compile and to
refourme the storie of the liues of tenne Romaine princes worthie moste surely to be knowen and verie pleasant to be read The purpose wherefore moste mightie Prince I haue taken so exceeding trauaile to compounde this worke is vnto the ende my penne may aduertise wherein my tongue with shame dismaieth to speake for as Bias the philosopher saide The authoritie of princes is so greate that of more thinges they haue to giue them to vnderstand then to dare or presume to speake The king Artaxerxes trauailing on a certeine daye a man of the countrie presented him with a little water in the palme of his hand the which water the king receiued and dranke and when some did murmur of that deede and also detract him the king made aunswere It is no lesse noblenesse vnto the Prince to receiue little then to giue greate and bountifull rewardes The philosopher Lycurgus that was lawe giuer vnto the Lacedaemonians commaunded those of his common wealthe that they shoulde offer vnto their Gods fewe thinges in number and not riche of value whereof when he was noted and also accused made aunswere I commaund not to offer vnto the Gods fewe thinges for that I thinke them not to deserue muche but because all men should haue wherewith to offer since of all men they will be serued for in the time of Apollo they saide vnto mee that they had rather haue little of manie then much of fewe In the lawe whiche God gaue vnto the Hebrues he was so limitted in the thinges he demaunded and so humaine in that he commaunded that in the order of the sacrifices which they should offer he did ordeine and coÌ„maund that the poore man whiche could not offer a goate should offer no more but of the hayre therof In considering that Lycurgus offered vnto his Gods iewels of small price and that king Artaxerxes receiued of a poore man an handfull of water and that vnto the true and liuing God they durst offer no more but of the hayres of a Goate giueth mee hardinesse to present this work vnto your Maiestie ⸫ The life of the good Emperour Traiane Coceius naturally a Spaniard borne in the citie of Calize compiled by syr Anthonie of Gueuara Byshoppe of Mondonnedo preacher chronicler and counsellour vnto the Emperour Charles the fifth CHAP. I. Of foure renoumed Cities that perished and were subuerted in Spaine BEfore they had Emperours in Rome either warre was raised in Carthage ther were in foure prouinces in Spaine foure right notable cities which in potencie did matche with Rome in riches with Tyrus in beautie with Helia in opulencie with Tarento The firste was Numantia the seconde Cantabria the thirde Ystobriga the fourth Italica Strabo Isodore and Pomponio Mela giue great admiration vnto the readers of the great power richesse and wealth of these foure cities And on the other part it is great pitie to consider that there is nothing of them remayning to beholde Not without cause it is saide that nothing remaineth in them to be séene because notwithstanding the prouince boundes and climate is knowen of the foundation thereof yet we may hardly attaine to name the verie place where it was buâ—lt Vnto the citie of Numantia Soria succéeded vnto the citie of Cantabria succéeded Tudela of Nauarre vnto the citie of Ystobriga succéeded Merida vnto the citie of Italica succéeded Ciuil The situation of the famous Numantia as some men affirme was vpon a certeine hill neare vnto Soria on the other side of the bridge and as others doe thinke her foundation stoode in Garray a village of Soria ioyning vnto Duero The situation of Cantabria was a league from the citie of the Groine and on that side of Ebro vpon a certeine height where nowe are planted many vines The seate of Ystobriga was where nowe the ventes of Caparra being bayting places stand and others say yt was on the hill that standeth betwixt the two riuers Las varcas de Alconeta yel casare de carceres The situation of Italica was ioyning vnto the citie of Ciuil and some saye it was vpon the way to Carmona and that the arches of Carmona were made to furnishe the citie of Italica O secrete iudgementes of the moste high or humaine instabilitie that all these places being viewed personally of my selfe where these so excellent cities were buylt I found not so muche as a tower a wall a stréete or a house to beholde neither so much as a stone almost to stumble at We haue great reason to exclaime and much more hath the discréete reader to wonder since we vnderstand that fourtéene yeres Numantia resisted the power of the Romaines and now we sée it made a pasture for shéepe We vnderstande that Cantabria was the last thing whiche the Romaines did subdue in Spaine and nowe there remaineth but a patche of vineyardes in the same We certeinly knowe that the greatest strength which king Viriato held in Spaine was Ystobriga and nowe there remaineth not but certeine grâ—ene trées shrubbes They which write of the citie of Italica do saye that it was the most strong and the most estéemed of all the kingdome of Vandalia and nowe they gather both wheat and barley in the same Scipio the Africane destroyed the citie of Numantia because in the first Punicke battels they would not helpe the Romaines Gracchus a Romaine captaine subuerted the citie of Ystobriga because from thence Viriato made him warre Pompeius hoste destroyed the citie of Italica for that in the parcialitie of Iulius Caesar they were most faithfull The Emperour Augustus ouerthrewe the citie of Cantabria as a man more moued with yre then directed by reason The case was thus that as he had the citie besieged and brought in great distresse he sent to require of the citizens to yelde him all their treasure and giue vnto Rome perpetuall tribute The Cantabrians considering what the Emperour demaunded aunswered in a letter after this manner Emperour Augustus we pray the immortall Gods to receiue thee into their defence and that it may please them to examine betwixt thee and vs who in this warre hath more iustice and thou knowest O immortall Prince that men although they haue power to take warre in hande it is not in their handes but in the Gods to obteine victorie because we men begin many thinges with malice the which afterwardes the Gods do finish by iustice with thy exceeding potencie it may not be denied but that thou hast brought this sorrowfull citie into great distresse in such wise that we haue neither bread to eate either water to drinke either skinnes to make garments or corke to make shooes neither towers to couer vs but ioyntly with this thou hast to vnderstande that if wee want armour wherwith to fight wee lacke not heartes to abide death It wel appeareth that thou hast made experience of our weake forces and vnderstandest not the greatnesse of our mindes since thou demaundest the treasure of our houses and the libertie of our persons
they did not a litle persuade Traiane to take peace or to make some honest truce and without peril to return to Rome Traiane to this made aunswer our weakenesse should be great and with great reason they would blame vs in Rome if so soudēly we should ceasse to make warre without first making proofe to what ende their forces do extende and also vnderstande what our destinies do containe bycause it may be that if their power be great our fortune may be much greater King Decebal had taken fortified all the daungerous passages and broken all bridges barkes botes of all the riuers and had taken spoiled all the victuals where the Romaines should passe and all these thinges were occasions to increase trauaile vnto Traiane but not of power sufficient to remoue his enterprise for that Traiane was of so valliant a minde that where he sawe fortune most doubtfull from thence he did hope of victorie moste certeine Traiane did take possesse the height of the rockes and mountaines and thereon with all his armie did trauaile many nights and dayes king Decebal did neuer conceiue that Traiane would trauaile by those thornie mountaines for that he thought it impossible for men to trauaile where beastes could not escape King Decebal was constrained to returne vnto the plaine countrie and to fortifie him selfe in strong cities to this ende Traiane did purpose not to fight in mountains that be daungerous but in fieldes that be plaine for he saide that they came not to fight with the mountaines whiche bred bruite beastes but to tame cities which susteine seditious men In very short space Traiane had taken fiue cities seuen castels and many prisoners among which Mirto was taken being vnckle tutour and captaine of king Decebal a man of greate grauitie and of no lesse authoritie Traiane was so rigorous with them that did resist him and so pitifull vnto such as did yelde them that some for loue and others for feare began secretely to practise throughout the kingdome totally to yeald them selues vnto Traiane because they sawe euery day Traians force to increase and the power of king Decebal to decay and growe very weake Traiane besieging a certeine citie named Myrtha holding the captaine therof in great distresse king Decebal forgate not to sende him reliefe succour of great power against whome Lucius Metellus a captaine of Traianes did march and aduaunce him self who at that instant fought so valiantly and manlike that he lest not of all the enimies one onely person that was not either taken or slaine And as in that battaile manye Romaines were slaine and many more wounded lacking clothes to binde vp their woundes Traiane tare his owne shirt to supply their want in that behalfe Being knowne within the citie howe their succorour was discomfited and howe Traiane to cure his wounded had rent his own shirt they did feare the victorie and were amazed at a worke of so great clemencie and bothe these things were not a litle preiudiciall vnto king Decebal chiefely for that he was proude and disdainfull for the good Traiane if with his engins he ouerthrewe their castels with the fame of his good woorkes he did robbe and steale the mindes of his armie The citie of Myrtha beeing taken and rendred into the handes of Romaines presently king Decebal sent Ambassadours vnto Traiane aduertising that he woulde become subiect vnto the Romaine Empire vppon suche condition that the thinges whereon they should capitulate were reasonable and suche thinges as they shoulde commaunde to be perfourmable for otherwise he and his were determined rather to dye with libertie then to liue in bondage The conditions that Traiane sent to demaund were these That he should leaue all armour discampe his armie subuert his castels yelde his engines restore that which was robbed become a friende vnto the friendes and an enimie vnto the enimies of the Senate render suche captaines as came to his succour and giue 100000 pesants of golde to paye the armie and giue one of his sonnes in pledge for suretie of all promises All these conditions king Decebal was contented to sweare and obserue except the rendering of the captaines which came in his fauour to succour him saying that so vile a déede did not agrée with the clemencie of Traiane to demaunde it neither vnto his royall fidelitie to graunt it for that he yelded him selfe and his countrey but to preserue the life of his friendes and alies King Decebal came vnto the presence of Traiane and knéeling vpon the grounde did take off the crowne from his head and kissed the knée and the hand of Traiane the which lifting him from the grounde and againe placing the crowne vpon his head saide vnto him I admitt thee to kisse my knee for the rebellion which thou hast committed and I gaue thee my hande to kisse for the vassalage whiche thou owest mee nowe I giue thee place to sitt by mee as a friend I returne thy crowne vnto thee as vnto a king and therefore learne to vnderstande thy faulte past and to conserue this present benefite for otherwise thou shalt put mee to muche trauaile and thy selfe in great peril CHAP. XI ¶ Howe Traiane triumphed of the Datians and refourmed his common wealth MAny castels being furnished and others ouerthrowen and subuerted and the armies being paide with king Decebals money Traiane departed vnto Rome leading with him the kinges sonne for pledge and other noble men for Ambassadours because it was a lawe much vsed and also obserued amongest the Romaines that it were of no value which was capitulate in the wars if it were not confirmed in the Senate at Rome The Ambassadours of king Decebal arriued at Rome before the Emperour Traiane who bareheaded their armour throwne downe and their hands ioyned and lifted vp did humbly beséeche the Senate that it might please them to pardon kinge Decebal the rebellion which he had committed against them and to confirme all that which the Emperour Traiane had capitulate bycause for that which had passed he did repent him and for time to come did offer amendes With readie disposition the Romaine senate did approue allowe and confirme all actes agréed vppon betwixt Traiane and the Datians and presently commaunded their armour to be restored them to walk in the citie at their libertie bycause it was a lawe inuiolable that the Ambassadours whose Princes helde warres with the Romaine people might weare no kinde of armour either walke the stréetes at libertie without licence Many and most extreme were the feastes wherewith the Romaines did receiue the Emperour Traiane very great was the riches that he bestowed in his triumph admitting that the Romains did much reioyce to see their Empire riche in great power but it did muche more please them to beholde Traiane returned whole safe and aliue for it is incredible what affection and loue all men did beare him and the sacrifices beyonde all valure that for him they did
that notwithstanding any did mutine or rebell againste the Prince vntill in Rome he were declared an enimie they might not make warre either against him or his countrie Traiane once more determined in his owne persone to goe to the warres of Datia neither woulde he take with him any Consul or Captaine that was notable in Rome saying that since king Decebal to him onely had broken his worde to him onely it did apperteine to reuēge the iniurie King Decebal howe soeuer he had made experience of the forces of Traiane he would not as in the former warres abide him in the fielde but retired into the most strong holdes of his kingdome to his small profite for Traiane had sworne before he departed from Rome to remaine dead in Datia or bring king Decebal either dead or aliue vnto Rome Many of the Hunnes which now are named Hūgarians many of the Rhenes which are the people inhabitant neare vnto the riuer Rhene were come vnto the succour of king Decebal al which people when they vnderstoode that Traiane came with so great a power and so determined they forsooke king Decebal in the plaine field notwithstanding would he not forsake his wilful purpose for that his condition was to beginne his attemptes with great rashnesse and no lesse stout to prosecute them King Decebal was then of the age of two and fourtie yeares a Prince most certainly in body of perfect proportion gratious in conuersation magnificent in spending valiaunt in armes diligent and carefull in the warres although in the same most vnfortunate the whiche lost both him and his countrie bicause little auaileth diligence where good hap is contrarie King Decebal was a Prince most vnfortunate to match in contention with Traiane whoe was a Prince most fortunate bycause vnto the one all thinges did happen vnto his owne liking and to the other all things contrarie to that he did desire After fiue monethes that the warre was begun as the one Prince did increase the other decrease King Decebal retired vnto a certain castel with the most valiaunt men of his armie where Traiane did vtter expend the vtterest of his skill deuice policie to take him and king Decebal his greatest force and fortitude to defend him selfe By a Decebal counsel on a certaine night they conueyed ouer the wall sixe young men fayning to be fled which came vnto Traianes campe with myndes determined to kill him eyther with weapō or poison King Decebal had inuented this treason for that wanting as he wanted strength he would profite and prouide for him selfe by treason and guile And as Traiane was of a sincere condition and nothing malicious had no suspicion of that malice and guile but rather receiued thē with great pitie and conferred with them a great parte of the day inquiring and demaunding them of the armies and conditions of king Decebal and wherefore he had broken his promise and othe There wanted not in Traianes campe that could discerne by their countenance gesture and silence that those young men were traitours or else théeues and one of them being taken and examined did confesse that by the counsell and commaundement of king Decebal they were come to murther Traiane And as king Decebal was disappointed of this treason and deuice and the traitours chastised according to their demerites he determined another deuice and the case was thus Vpon a truce he craued to speake with Longinus a famous capteine and much beloued of Traiane who being come vpon assurance was taken and bound Traiane was not a little offended when he vnderstoode that Longinus was detained as prisoner no lesse displeased with Longinus that had giuen too muche confidence to the assurance of king Decebal saying that the person which is a promise breaker with men and periured vnto the Gods by no meanes might deserue credite King Decebal gaue Traiane to vnderstande that except he might receiue pardon for him selfe and all his knightes Longinus shoulde continue prisoner to this Traiane made answere that if he had taken Longinus in good war he wold do any thing to giue libertie vnto his person but since Longinus gaue trust where he ought not vnto his worde he was bounde to conserue his life for that good Princes be more bound to mainteine that whiche they promise then to procure that which they desire Althoughe Traiane spake these wordes openly he did geatly trauell to deliuer Longinus eyther for exchange or else for money but Longinus vnderstanding thereof dranke poyson wherof he dyed sent word vnto Traiane that the Gods had neuer to cōmaund that for the giuing of his life they shuld capitulate with king Decebal any thing that were vile or against honour This Romaine straūge act of Longinus gaue great admiration vnto friends and confederats and did yeald great feare vnto the enimies bycause he deliuered Traiane of care and thought and for him selfe obteined perpetuall fame King Decebal perceiuing the greatest part of his kingdome to be taken and lost without all hope to recouer the same eyther able to defende that which remained determined to make slaughter of him selfe some say with poyson some affirme that he drowned him selfe in water other affirme that he hanged him selfe finally he was found dead without any wounde whose head Traiane commaunded to be cut off and to be sent vnto Rome CHAP. XIII Of the great buildings that Traiane made in the kingdome of Datia THe vnfortunate king Decebal being dead and all the whole lande in Traianes power he made it a Prouince which is to say he did take away the title of kingdom and the preeminence of gouernement by Consuls and gaue order to be gouerned by Pretors and to be called a Prouince Traiane remoued a greate number of the inhabitants of Italie in that countrie but many more he brought out of that countrie to be placed in Italie and this he did as a man of great iudgement bycause in displacing the one he obteined sure possession of the kingdom and remouing the other of necessitie they must liue as others did liue in the Romaine Empire When the capteine Longinus dyed he left a brother yonger of age but equall in force and valiauntnesse whome Traiane made Pretour of Datia and gaue vnto him for euermore the castle where his brother dyed saying vnto him of two causes the one is for thyne owne vertue and valiauntnesse and the other bycause thy brother Longinus did serue me Traiane caused great search to be made for the body of his capteine Longinus vnto whome he caused to be erected such and so sumptuous a sepulchre that it was to be douted whether he would haue giuen him so great riches for seruice if he had liued as he spent in making that sepulchre In all the kingdome of Datia there was no knight or Gentleman that had any rents but only the king whereof the king gaue vnto euerie man as he did serue and deserue whereof it followed that the kingdome being
emperour Traiane by what meanes more then all other Princes past of all men he had obteined so speciall loue and lyking Traiane did answere for that naturally I delight to pardon such as do offende me and neuer forget such as do serue me And truly Traiane saide most truthe that loue and hatred haue their beginning of thankfulnesse and ingratitude bycause there is no enimie so fierce or cruel as he which in time past we held for a friend being remoued by vnkindnesse All things as concerning Datiâ—…a being dispatched Traiane returned to Rome If the triumphes of the first warres were great when king Decebal was ouercome muche greater were the triumphes of the second warres when he was slaine The feasts of the triumphes of Datia endured an hundred and twentie dayes in which were slaine an hundred Lions and of other wilde beastes an hundred thousande which is to vnderstande Deare red and vallo Tygres Bulles Leopards Wolues Beares Vnicornes Boares Panthers Eliphants Camels Ounces and many other such straunge beastes taken brought from the deserts of Africa and the great India The feastes of the triumphe being finished presently Traiane commaunded to be made great sacrifices vnto the Godds in remuneration of the great perils froÌ„ which they had deliuered him and for the great triumphs which they had giuen him He commaunded newe temples to be made one vnto the vnknowne God to the Romaines another vnto the God Mars whiche was the God of the Datians He commaunded greate summes of money to be giuen to the Priestes of the temples vnto the end they should offer daily sacrifice vnto the Gods for the health and prosperitie of his kingdomes and also to repaire ennoble their temples At his coÌ„ming froÌ„ Datia wheÌ„ Traiane passed the riuer Rubicon being detained an whole day for want of passage imediately vpon his coÌ„ming to Rome he sent money workemen to make a bridge ouer that riuer whiche was more profitable although not so sumptuous as the bridge made ouer Danubie In the marishes of Pontaine Traiane did rayse and make a calsey both long and large of stone a worke right profitable and necessarie although not a little costly for where as afore there was but water and myre there succéeded houses and inhabitants In those dayes there dyed in Rome a certaine Physician named Suras Lycinus in whose death Traiane did vtter great sorrowe vnto whom he commaunded his picture to be aduaunced in the place and a riche sepulchre to be erected in the field of Mars There was in Rome two speciall men learned in letters and vertuous in manners whiche were perfect friendes of Traiane and in the common wealth much estéemed the one was named Palma and the other Celsus vnto these he gaue many and great offices of honour and in the place did erect vnto them pictures of Alabaster Traiane made in Rome many and great Libraries wherein he did place bookes of al sciences and of all languages where strangers might reade and citizens learne Where so euer Traiane entered were it within the Empire or in a straunge kingdome he was alwayes curious in causing search for fiue things that is to say horses of good race learned men of good inclination newe armour faire women and auncient bookes All these things or which soeuer of them were neyther lost by any negligence or left vnbought for any money In the place named Datia Traiane erected a certaine most highe piller a worke most certainely being of one stone right stately and to behold in breadth and height of great wonder It is not written from whence that piller was brought vnto Traiane neyther for what intent he did raise the same in that place but as some doe gesse he ment vpon the toppe thereof to haue placed his sepulchre others sayde to no other ende but to perpetuate his memorie CHAP. XV. Containing what Traiane did in Sicyl in Africa and in Spaine TRaiane being soakte with delight in the buildinges of Rome Rufus Galba Pretour of Africa did aduertise that all Africa was escandalized by meanes of cruell warres betwéene the Numidians and the Mauritans These newes being hearde in the Senate they say that Traiane sayde The warre grieueth me but the occasion to passe into Africa doth muche please me for that many dayes past I haue desired to sée the famous fieldes of Carthage where Scipio in so shorte space obteined for him selfe immortall renoune and Hanibal lost that in one day whiche he had gotten in sixtéene yeares in Italie Traiane departed from Rome by the waye of Sicyl where he stayed al the Winter and to auoyde idlenesse he scarsely lefte any place in the whole Islande personally vnuisited none that were then aliue in Sicyl might remember to haue séene any Romaine Prince within the same for whiche cause Traiane founde many thinges to be repayred in the walles and muche more to be amended in their customes and manners Traiane being infourmed that many straunge shippes did lurke in the hauen of Mecina to spoyle and many pyrates barkes did haunt and retyre vnto the same to execute their robberies in his owne person went to the viewe thereof and at his owne coste commaunded thrée bulwarkes to be made at the mouth of the hauen whiche eyther for want of diligence of the one part or too muche malice on the other side the case was thus that before it coulde be finished the pyrates had ouerthrowne it Amongest the Panormitains whiche be they of Palermo and the inhabitaunts of Mecina of olde time had continued great contention betwixt whome Traiane not without great trauell determined finished all quarelles and debates and brought to passe that from thence foorth they continued in great friendshippe To the ende to perpetuate that peace and to roote vp all passions and vnkindnesse of that Islande by the rootes to the principall both of the one and the other Traiane gaue pensions out of his owne house and daily did cause them to eate at his owne table In Palermo Mecina and Tatania Traiane commaunded seuerall temples to be made and the Gods to whom those temples should be dedicated the inhabitaunts to make choice Traiane renued in Sicyl the kinde and race of good horsses reedified the decayed walles melted all counterfet money erected newe castles builded stately temples set peace and established quietnesse amongest the mutined cities gaue many great rewardes although no liberties vnto the people Traiane being demauÌ„ded why he gaue no liberties vnto the Sicylians as he gaue vnto other kingdomes answered bycause seruitude doth conserue them and libertie destroy them The Winter being past and the Spring come Traiane passed into Africa and did lande in the hauen where olde Carthage in time past was situate not finding one stone vpon an other to giue testimonie of the foundation thereof they say that he sayd It grieueth me that Carthage so greatly resisted Rome but it more forethinketh me that Rome shoulde not be satisfied but with the totall destruction
a thing admirable how the mother without meate so long time might haue milke to nourishe her childe In reedifying of other houses they found a dead woman and a liue childe sucking the brest At the time of the earthquake in Antioch the mountaine Caucasus did so open and tremble that all the cities adioyning doubted to be ouerwhelmed with the fal therof Running riuers of immortall memorie became drye Springs neuer séene or heard of did flow remaine and olde fountaines for euermore dried vp many hilles made plaine and many vallies made euen Finally there was no house in Antioche or within the compasse of the territories therof that was not totally destroyed or changed after a maner into some other order or fashion CHAP. XVIII ¶ Howe Traiane subdued Assyria and what he did in Babylon NOwe when Summer was come Traiane prepared to departe the confines of Antioche towardes the iourney of Assyria to conquer that countrie if that by peace they did not yeald the same and being arriued at the great riuer Euphrates he found the ships burnt all the bridges broken and all the Barbarians in armes with a minde to dye or to defend their countries The Barbarians vnderstanding of Traians approche made an vtter spoile of all their woods to remoue all meanes of renuing their nauie or to reedifie bridges Traiane had intelligence that farre from thence certeine shippes vppon the hill Nisibin were a making whiche presently he sent for and brought in cartes and in very shorte space a flote vppon Euphrates rigged and armed The riuer Euphrates being passed Traiane founde another riuer named Pessin ioyning vnto the hill Cardius which also was of great strength and almost impassable but Traiane brake vp his shippes and once more by land did carrie the same vnto that riuer wherin he fought with the Barbarians that defended their bankes And as they after reported vtterly determined rather to dye then to submitt themselues to subiection But that they conceiued Traiane to be no mortall man which would fight against them but some of the immortall Gods that came to destroye them moued thereunto in beholding Traians readie carriage for shippes by lande as they had by Sea. That countrie was named the prouince of Adiabena which being all ouerrunne brought vnder subiection he passed vnto Arbela and vnto Anguaguemela two most opulent prouinces in whose fieldes in the olde worldes past the greate king Darius was ouercome of Alexander Magnus Traiane spent all that Summer in conquering those prouinces whiche although they differ in names yet differ not in seignorie because they be alwayes annexed vnto the kingdome Assyria whiche the Barbarians changing the S. into T. do call the same Attyria And nowe when Summer began to decline Traiane determined to winter at Babylon in all which way he neither found enimies that did resist him either friends to accompany him because those desertes be so solitarie and drye that hardly bruite beastes be found in the same Before Traiane did enter Babylon he would first personally sée the lake of Bytamin the water whereof hath this propertie that bricke tile sande lime or chalke that is tempered therewith maketh a cyment thereof so harde and strong that yeldeth not vnto stone or yron With this water the tiles and brickes were made and all other mater tempered that did erect all the walles of Babylon Also Traiane went to sée the caue where the water came soaking foorth whereout procéeded a stench so pestilential that kilde all cattel that came neare thereunto and all birdes that did flye ouer the same Men that passe that waye dare not venter the viewe thereof muche lesse to approch the smell except the Eunuches that be gelded which feare not to beholde neither are indaungered by the sauour Traiane might not be satisfied with the view and contemplation of Babylon muche delighting to viewe the infinite antiquities therein conteined and had thereof great compassion and also saide it many times howe many and howe renowned Princes had consumed there their treasure and imployed the chiefest parte of their life to perpetuate their fame which were nowe forgotten and their stately buyldings vtterly ruinated and falne downe Traiane attempted a certeine woorke within that lande which did not onely excell all that he had done in Rome Italic Sicyl Datia and Spaine but also all that Ninus Belus Semyramis and Alexander had made in Babylon Traiane was of so high thoughtes and so singular in his conceites which he attempted and in his buyldings which he erected he was not satisfied that others should thinke him equall with Princes past but iudge and confesse him to be singular amongest the rest The case was thus he opened the mother of the riuer Tygris and of the riuer Euphrates made from the one to the other a great a déepe chanell to vnite them both into one streame a thing for the present easie to be written but at that time verie terrible to beholde because the chanell that Traiane caused to be made from the one riuer to the other was so high so large and so déepe that verie greate shippes might turne saile and ride at anchor Vppon that chanell Traiane did builde a moste stately and a right loftie bridge a strong castell a riche and sumptuous palace and certeine gardeines and orchardes most pleasant and on either side the riuer he built faire houses to dwell in and store houses for merchaunts and to place there his perpetuall memorie did name the same Traianicall Babylon This buylding endured not long and the cause thereof procéeded that the riuer Euphrates had his channell more high then the riuer Tygris whereby Tygris did increase and Euphrates diminish and the Babylonians doubted the one for want of water to be lost and the other with the furie of the water to be destroyed From Babylon Traiane departed to the citie Tesiphont being the head of that prouince which although some dayes it stoode in defence of it selfe in the ende it came to be yealded and there it is said that Traiane found so greate summes of money that he had sufficient to pay his armies to raise vp newe buyldings and also to furnishe his treasurie Greate were the newes that daily came to the Senate of the marueilous victories which Traiane obteined throughout the worlde and howe beyond all Princes past he had augmented the Empire of Rome The inhabitants of Tesiphont were ignorant to sacrifice vnto the Gods or to obserue feastes and holy dayes whereupon Traiane commaunded to erect a temple vnto the greate God Iupiter and gaue them instruction what feastes they shoulde obserue and howe they should sacrifice vnto their Gods. CHAP. XIX ¶ Howe Traiane after great trauaile to passe into the Indiaes was constreined to retire ALl these countries being ouercome and sett in order Traiane determined to saile by the read Sea which is very great and runneth from the Ocean of the Indiaes vnto Arabia and is otherwise named the Sea Eritrean in
memorie of king Eritreus which in old time reigned there The riuer Tygris in the discourse of his currant maketh an Ilande conteinining xxx miles in bredth and lx in length wherein reigned Athabilus a Prince both proude and warlike whome without armes Traiane brought vnder his Empire The ayre of those Seas being different in nature from other Seas and being then in the greatest heate of Summer Traiane in that nauigation passed much trauaile and perill and being persuaded by certeine to forsake the Sea and take the land aunswered the vicious go from hence to Rome to séeke delight and the vertuous come from Rome hither to séeke trauailes bycause our predecessours in exchaunge of great trauailes receiued great and glorious triumphes wherefore I will neuer cease fighting for feare either nauigation for perill or daunger At the mouth of those Seas there was a people named Sipassinos so called of certeine fieldes whiche they helde whether from manye partes they brought their heards to féede these Sipassinos were subiects to king Athabilus who vnderstanding of his submission vnto the Romaines ioyntly with great good will came foorth to receiue Traiane Passing along those Ilandes and all the cities along the Sea coasts on either side being subdued Traiane entred the Ocean Sea and therewith vnderstanding the wracke decaye of his shippes the darkenesse of the ayre his pylots to want experience vpon those coasts he arriued to land to renewe his nauie Traiane was informed that those Seas were of such condition that they endured not shippes made of straunge timber but of wood of the Indies for otherwise they did consume or at times drowne them The sorrowe of Traianes harte might not be expressed for that to passe into the great Indies he had no preparation because of the insufficiēcie of his own ships and want of timber of the Indies And when Traiane saw his voyage to be frustrate without remedie they saye that he saide with a great sigh Of all Princes past onely vnto Alexander I giue the preeminence for that he passed into the Indies but if fortune had not hindered mee him as others I woulde haue excelled for I had a wil not only to conquer all the Indies but therein to haue erected a nowe Rome All the time that Traiane stayed there he gaue him selfe particularly to vnderstand of the state of al thinges in the greate Indiaes that is to saye what Gods they worshipped what temples they helde what kinges they obeyed what dyet they vsed what garmentes they did weare howe they did fight in what cities they did inhabite wherein they were exercised and howe muche the greater things they did report so muche the more the sorrowe of his heart did augment From thence Traiane sēt certeine messengers vnto Rome with great riches for the treasurie Also a memoriall of all the prouinces kingdomes Ilandes nations and people that he had subdued and takē and brought vnder the Empire of Rome Great ioy was receiued in Rome vpon the manifestation of these newes no lesse wonderfull vnto the Romaines to read so many and so variable people to be ouercome by Traiane because it was affirmed amongest them in the Senate of Rome that none had séene them either as muche as to haue heard of them Presently they erected in Rome vnto Traiane an arche triumphant wherin was grauen the names of the kingdomes that Traiane had subdued and the principall prouinces that he had taken for if they shuld haue placed them all conformable vnto his memoriall they should want marble to be wrought and workemen to graue the same When Traiane might not passe into the great Indies he came vnto the house of Alexander the greate where as it was saide he died and there did buylde all that by antiquitie was decayed falne downe also did adde other newe buyldings thereunto offered riche sacrifices vnto the Gods in memorie reuerence of Alexander Traiane sayling on the Ocean Sea towardes the Indians the Tesiponts supposing that he should neuer returne into that prouince determined to rebel and therwith slewe all the Romaines that remained in garrison brought all their countrie in armes Against these other people that rebelled Traiane sent Maximinus and Lucius with an armie of greate power who fought most vnfortunatly for that the one fled the other died He that escaped was Lucius who to refourme all faultes past tooke the citie of Nisibin Edessa which he destroyed burnt with fire wherof Traiane was not a little offended because in the warres he would not any spoile to be made by fire Eritius Clarus Alexander Seuerus two Romaine Pretours made their entrie by Seleucia whiche they totally did sacke destroy being aduertised the Traiane was drowned at Sea they rebelled slewe the Romaine magistrates Traiane doubting the rebellion of the Parthians entred their countrie hauing intelligence of the death of Parthurus their king the alteration of their kingdom Traiane commaunded all the principals of Parthia to appeare before him who assēbled in the fields of Tesipont where Traiane being aduaunced did aduertise thē of his determination which if they did admitt consent vnto they might safely hold him for a pitifull father and otherwise they should finde him a most cruell enimie The Parthians ioyntly aunswered that their desire was much more to hold him as a father then an enimie and did yeld them selues both to beléeue and to obey him making their humble suite to giue them no king except he were a natiue of their kingdome for that a straunger should want both loue and obedience Presently Traiane tooke a crowne in his handes and set it vppon the heade of Persnapate declaring him to be their king and lorde of which prouision they helde them selues marueilously wel pleased for that he was not onely of their kingdome and well knowen vnto them but also bothe vertuous and warlike CHAP. XX. ¶ Howe Traiane comming from Asia to triumph in Rome was staide by death in Sicyl THE land of Parthians being stayed pacified Traiane was in disposition to go to Rome partly to rest and to cease from traueile and chiefely to triumph ouer so many nations and kingdomes but being aduertised of the rebellion of the Agarens and that the Romaine pretours were fledd presently Traiane departed vnto the lande of Agarens which is in Arabia hauing a citie as principall of their prouince very little but marueilous strong the destinie whereof was such that being sieged by infinite Princes was neuer taken or ouercome For defence of that citie the nature and situation of the countrie did not a litle helpe for that the assailants had neither wood or timber to aduaunce their engins either water or forage for reliefe of them selues or cattel the same vnto straungers not vsed thereunto did rather séeme to burne then to giue light Traiane commaunded an assault to be giuen vnto the citie the most valiant captaines being mounted vpon the wall at
succéede him in his Monarchie answered Vnto the most worthy Traiane made a memoriall of all the most vertuous wise and of most worthinesse within the Empire and ioyntly therewith caused to be written of them seuerall Orations in Gréeke and Latine and he him selfe did adde with his owne hande what he thought agréeable to their conditions and abilities To the ende that after his dayes the Senate might open and reade the same and from thence to make election not of him that did most procure but that did best deserue At one time a certaine Consul named Neratius Priscus was greatly in his fauour vnto whom he had thought to haue left the Empire in so much the one day Traiane said vnto him Neratius Priscus from hencefoorth I comend the Empire vnto thée if any sorrowfull or souden destinie shall happen vnto me All such as did withstande the adoption of Adrian did fauour the election of Neratius Priscus but Fortune that should haue framed the effect brought Neratius into Traianes great hatred not a little to the profite of Adrian bycause from thence foorth although their remained enimies to hinder his intent none as an opposite durst demaunde the same When Traiane passed from Spaine into Asia to the wars of the Parthians Plotina and Surus made great suite that Adrian might be sente as Pretour into Syria whoe being in Antioche was aduertised by a messinger from Traiane which in times past had bene his tutor how he was elected to be Traianes sonne and assigned his successour in the Empire Excéeding was the ioy that Adrian receiued with that newes which he did vtter in such excessiue manner and degrée that presently he did celebrate with great games and feastes the day of his natiuitie and not only vpon that day but euery yeare all the dayes of his life bicause it was the thing that his heart most desired and for the attainement whereof he had imployed his greatest skill and strength At that time were Consuls Sosius and Pretorius with whome Adrian entered newe friendshippe and the ende wherefore he did vndertake this newe affection was that as Plotina Surus did solicite procure the Empire with Traiane so those two Consuls shuld subsist him in the Senate in such wise that if he did watch to obtaine it he did ouerwatch to sustaine it Not long after that Adrian was adopted that is to say after fourtéene monethes Traiane dyed presently Plotina his wife and the Consul Tatianus being chiefe friendes vnto Adrian did take order and vse great diligence that Adrians admission vnto the Empire might first be notified and knowne in Rome before the death of the Emperour Traiane whiche was concealed and couered for certaine dayes saying that he was so sicke that he would not be visited vntill they were possest of the power of the armies and had obteined the good will of the Senate Adrian did write vnto the Senatours giuing them to vnderstand that Traiane was at the point of death and that also he was assigned and adopted to be his successour and heire in the Empire and did right instantly request them to take the same in good parte and therevppon did promise and sweare vnto them to diuide or giue offices but at their owne liking and consent CHAP. VI. Howe at Traianes death Adrian was declared Emperour THe newes of Traianes death being arriued at Rome presently it was published that the succession of the empire was cōmitted vnto Adrian vpon the confirmation or refusal of this election there arose no smal contention in the Senate and the matter so far argued prosecuted by his friendes and so resisted by his enimies that it gaue no small doubt of intestine warrs no lesse cruell then the warres betwixt Caesar and Pompey The seruaunts of Traiane the friends of Plotina and the kinred and alies of Tatian did vse suche diligence in this case that within thrée dayes they confirmed Adrian in the Empire and the greatest cause to moue the Senate therevnto was that they had intelligence that Adrian was in Syria in full power possession and authoritie of the whole armie and might haue bene constrained to yealde by force which they refused to perfourme by good will. Presently after Adrian was confirmed in the Empire he did write vnto the Senate gratifying their friendly fact and requesting that Traiane might be collocate amongst the Gods since he had bene a Prince so diuine whereto the Senate gladly consented saying that although Traiane had finished his life for euermore in Rome his fame shoulde indure In memorie that Traiane had ouercome the Parthians they ordeined that euery yeare the Parthik playes should be celebrated in Rome which indured amongst the Romains many yeres but in fine they and their playes had an end Before all thinges Adrian gaue order that the body of Traiane might be brought into Italie where it shoulde be giuen a generous sepulchre and to effectuate the same commanded his ashes to be inclosed in a boxe of Vnicorne which also was inclosed with golde and placed in a piller of most excellent marble lyned with most rich purple all which being ladē into a gallie he sent Tatian and Plotina with the body vnto Rome al Rome went foorth to receiue the body of Traiane and as it is sayd and written there was neuer so muche ioy vttered for any man that entered being aliue but muche more sorrowe was discouered for Traianes comming deade Adrian stayed in Antioche whiche is the heade of Syria partly to assemble the whole armie and partly to recouer money for being then winter he could neyther campe for coldenesse of the weather eyther marche or iourney for want of money Adrian was there aduertised howe the Mauritans did defie him the Sarmatians did mutinate the Britans did rebell the Palestines resist the Aegyptians disobey and that all the Barbarians were in commotion Finally it is to be vnderstoode that vpon the death of Traiane al people and nations were so escandalized that it séemed not but that he left the world without a maister or an owner Adrian perceiuing the greater part of the Empire in commotion determined to make them no war but to intreate them by peace and for this cause he refused and forsooke al those kingdomes and Prouinces that lay beyond the riuer Euphrates and the riuer Tygris which the good Traiane had wonne and conquered in which conquest he imployed his noble person and gaue ende vnto his honourable life Vnto all kingdomes and Prouinces Adrian sent Embassadours to confederate with some and to confirme peace with others and with some he did capitulate thinges so slaunderous and with so great disaduauntage that it had bene much better to haue raysed warre then to haue procured a peace so infamous Parsnapate king of the Parthians came to complaine vnto Adrian saying that the good Traiane had giuen him that kingdome and crowned him with his owne hands and now vpon the death of Traiane they would neyther obey him or suffer
him to liue within the kingdome Adrian would not or else durst not make warres with the Parthians but gaue vnto Parsnapate the Seigniorie of certaine countries and Prouinces of Syria being vacant at that time as Lorde to inioy the fruites thereof and as Romaine Pretour to gouerne the people When Adrian had obteined the Empire presently he published and sayd vnto all men that he wold become a pitifull Prince and truly in some pitifull causes he did shew him selfe to be the sonne of Traiane but in some rigorous matters he séemed to be the brother of Nero. A certaine man named Bebius was Prefect in Rome who was contrarie vnto Adrian in all thinges that eyther touched his honour or profite and being counselled to kill Bebius for that he ceased not to be his aduersarie made answere I will not onely permit Bebius to liue but also the office of Pretour which hee helde but for a yeare I will confirme vnto him during his life Laberius and Frugius two Romaine Senatours were banished vnto the Isle of Pontus whom he commaunded to returne to their houses and their goodes to be restored them but the Consul Frugius being mutinous mouing commotion betwixt Adrian and the Senate he commaunded to be throwne aliue into Tyber and obteined no lesse honour in the executing of the one then in pardoning the other Vnto certaine Gentlemen of the armie that sayde vnto Adrian in times past that he should be Emperour he gaue double rewardes affirming that he gaue them not for their aduertisement but for their good will. CHAP. VII Of his entrie into Rome NOwe when Summer was come Adrian parted from Antioche to come to Rome and lefte for Preposite of Syria Catalius Seuerus and tooke his way throughe Illyria and determined to make warre with the Sarmatians which would not receiue the Ambassadours of peace Lucius Turbon that had béene Pretour tenne yeares in Mauritania came foorth to méete him vpon the waye with whome Adrian had great friendship being a young man and in house with his Lorde Traiane presently he made him Pretour of the Prouince of Datia and Panonia At that time Lucius Turbon was in Africa maister of the horsse men of whome Adrian was aduertised that he was verie riche and in greate power throughout the kingdome and that he had not obteined all that riches in the time of warre but by briberie in time of peace Adrian was not a little grieued of that which was sayde by Lucius Turbone bycause he was his friende and also seruaunt vnto Traiane but all this notwithstanding he applyed all that he had vnto the common treasure and disarmed him of his knighthoode As muche as Adrian did increase in potencie so much did his enimies increase in enuie in suche manner that they coulde neyther incline their harts to loue him eyther yeald their strēgth to serue him The case was thus that Palma Celsus Sobaius and Lucius Adrian going on hunting were determined in the middest of the chace to rid him of his life wherevpon they were agréed that in his swiftest pursuit of any wild beast they would attend him in the most thickest pace or track there vnder the colour to misse their leuell at the beast would shoote and kill the Emperour All these foure were men of noble bloud and rich in goods and were called Cōsulares bycause at other times they had bene Consuls but as their treason was discouered first by iustice they were beheaded before Adrian went on hunting Great was the murmuring and mutinie throughout all Rome when they vnderstoode howe Adrian had executed so cruell iustice vpon these foure Consulares or noble men partly for that they helde opinion that Adrian had raised that quarell againste them and partly for custome and manner for that fewe were the chastisements whiche the good Traiane did execute but great was the number that receiued pardon Adrian being aduertised that for the death of the foure Consulares all Rome was escandalized and that for a man reuenging and cruell his person was defamed determined with all spéede to come to Rome to excuse him selfe of that fault The affaires of Adrian stood not in so euill estate as vpon the way they gaue him aduertisement which did well appeare in that the Senate did offer him the triumph due vnto Traiane being cut off by death to inioy the same but Adrian refusing gaue order that the Image of Traiane shoulde be placed in the triumphant chariote to the ende that good Traiane shoulde not want a triumphe although but after his death Presently when Adrian came to Rome he went to visite the Sepulchre of his Lorde Traiane where his eyes did shed many teares and for him did offer vnto the Gods most sumptuous sacrifices All the Senate being ioyned and also all the most principal of the people vnto whome Adrian made a long oration wherin he gaue them to vnderstand of the state of the Empire and did excuse him selfe of the death of the aforesaide foure Consulares because the officers of the Senate had made searche and inquisition of the cause and the Pretors of the armies did execute the sentence The Senate did offer Adrian the title of Pater patriae but he would not receiue it affirming it to be one of the titles of his lord Traiane and since he had been a good father it were great reason he should proue a good sonne It was a custome in Rome and throughout all Italie that when their Princes came newely to gouerne the Empire that all cities and other people should furnishe him with a certeine summe of golde and siluer with the golde to make a crowne and the siluer for the seruice of his house and sometimes they did present so much golde to make the crowne that the remnant was sufficient to mainteine the warres Adrian refused not onely this seruice to be demaunded but also returned that which was brought him saying that his crowne should be riche when his subiectes should be in wealth The officers of the treasurie that is to saye suche as had the collection and kéeping of the masse of Rome had raised greate rentes daily inuenting newe manner of tributes in the common wealth which being knowen vnto Adrian he commaunded all newe impositions to be remoued from the common wealth and the inuentors thereof to be displaced from their offices Generally the Romains complained vnto Adrian of the dearth of victuals foorthwith he prouided for prouision of wheat from Sicyl wines from Candie and oyle from Spaine and further gaue such prices vnto the same and all other victuals that the poore might féede with the riche He did promise and sweare in the Senate to put no Senatour vnto death although he were culpable without the accused should first be heard and his cause considered by all the Senate and truely this othe did excuse Adrian of many executions and was no lesse occasion that the Senatours committed many faultes Princes haue to consider what they sweare
and promise for from that day wherein Princes shal vnable thē selues to punishe vice and sinne from thenceforth their vassals shal followe wickednesse In the yere that Adrian entred Rome all thinges were deare and the people not sounde or in health who vsing greate magnificence commaunded much money to be giuen to the poore of the common wealth in such wise that it was not founde that any died for hunger either suffered any extreme necessitie There were many that had béene banished and diuerse in prison for debt due vnto the Fiscall that is to saye vnto his chamber Adrian gaue commaundement by publique proclamation that all such debtes should be absolued and that for any such debte none should be runnagates either kept in prison Adrian did derogate the law custome of his predecessours which is to wéet that the goods of the condemned should be for the Prince which he commaunded from thenceforth to be imployed not to his chāber but to the comfort of the common wealth for he saide and helde opinion that the Iudge should neuer be grieued to punishe offendours when he should remember to inherite a share of the offendours goods He extremely delighted when any person came to craue and much more did reioyce if he had to giue but if by chaunce he had not to satisfie his demaund at the least he gaue him a friendly aunswer From the time that Adrian was in possession of the Empire he was neuer heard to say or name Traiane but my Lord Traiane CHAP. VIII ¶ Of the good conditions and inclinations of Adrian WIth much diligence and no lesse secrecie Adrian inquired what life the Senatours did leade and what exercise they vsed and such as he found poore and vertuous he augmented their patrimonie and such as he found riche and vicious he found meane to depriue them from the Senate Adrian was a Prince verie skilfull and muche considerate in punishing his officers and seruauntes that is to saye he kept secrete from the people the causes why he remoued any person from his office And further if he displaced any person from his commoditie he did not forget otherwise to recompence him in such maner that if he did chastice them he did not dishonor them Many times did Adrian speake these woordes Whome I shal see esteemed and worshipped in the common wealth I wil rather determin to take away his hed then his honour The rēts which the good Traiane left in many partes of Italie for the bréeding of children the sustaining of widowes the marriage of Orphans he did not only confirme but also made better All the seruants of Traiane he did aduaunce to better offices such as were not méete for offices he gaue thē money Adrian commaunded serch to be made how many noble men were falne into pouertie such as were decayed by mischaunce he relieued such as procured pouertie by vice he gaue them leaue to endure necessitie He gaue help to al the Romaine widowes to marrie their daughters he was not more boūtiful in giuing relief vnto the daughters then he was an enimie to succour the sonnes for he helde opinion that that young man deserued not to be married that with his handes did not obteine a marriage By thrée dayes space he did celebrate the feast of the god Genius that is to saye the daye of his birthe and commaūded vpon those dayes to giue pitances vnto all the people and he with all the Senatours and nobles did eate and banquet in his imperiall palace the cost whereof did not amount vnto so little but as they were thrée if they had béene sixe the rentes of the whole Empire had béen spent and parte of their treasure By the space of sixe continuall dayes he did cause them to represent the game of swoorde players and the people craued certeine other playes which he would not consent not for that he delighted not therein but to giue them to vnderstand in Rome that it appertained vnto Princes as much to moderate their pleasures as to giue order for thinges of importance Before Adrian was Emperour he was thrise Consul for which cause he made diuers Romaines thrée times Consuls and whereas some were offended for want of like fauour he did aunswer Such as did exceede mee in merite ought to be equall with mee in dignitie Within the compasse of Rome neuer before the dayes of Adrian were permitted more then two Consuls the one to gouerne the common wealth the other to go to the warres but Adrian did adde and create a thirde Consul for that if the one should be sicke and the other resident in the warres the common wealth shoulde not remaine without an head Tutinus a noble knight of Rome Adrian did create Senatour and gaue him the ensignes of Consul whereat the whole Senate was offended affirming that the Emperour ought or might not create in such manner partely because Tutinus was not of deseruing and partly for that the aduise of the Senate should haue béene vsed therein Adrian was displeased with these wordes of the Romaines and from thence foorth did vse more libertie in reparting offices and lesse companye in determining causes He helde Seuerianus in greate veneration which had married his sister vnto whome he gaue both honour and great rewardes and at all times when Seuerianus came vnto his chamber to conferre and to vnderstand his pleasure Adrian came foorth to méete and receiue him at the doore Although Seuerianus came to visite Adrian and Adrian came foorth to receiue Seuerianus yet auncient and very mortall was the hatred betwixt them for in this case either of them did vtter and discouer to be possessed with a moste vile intent for that Seuerianus did trauaile to depriue Adrian from Empire and honour and Adrian with no lesse facilitie did take away his life When Adrian was in Rome at the least he went thrise a wéeke vnto the Senate and if he were either sicke or muche busied they did repaire vnto his presence in such maner that nothing of importance did passe in the Senate wherein they did not vse his iudgement Adrian was of familiar conuersation with his speciall friendes and with his particular seruaunts with whome he went to eate in their gardeines to fishe at riuers to hunt in the fieldes and all other such like pastimes Naturally he was giuen to haue compassion of the sicke and herein he did neither consider whether they were friends or foes for that indifferently he did visite them and at his owne charges did prouide for them He did not onely visite the sicke but also the olde men decrepite with age of whome at large he woulde inquire of the yeres that they had liued the kingdomes they had trauelled the daungers they had passed the enimies which they had helde the necessities that they had endured in suche wise that many times of the things which they had saide of times past he tooke example for the time
lesse for the death of Commodus then for the election of Pertinax As hée had béene in so long time in so many prouinces Pretor Censor Quirite Edil Consul Proconsul and Censor Pertinax was one of the most famous Romanes in the Empire whereof succéeded that after the Barbarians were aduertised that Pertinax was Emperour of Rome such as were rebelles left their armour and such as had taken truce made peace Pertinax had a sonne whome the Romanes would haue created Augustus to the end hée should succéede him after his dayes in the Empire which he could neuer like off or consent vnto saying The Gods neuer graunt that with the hope of the Empire my sonne should be nourished vnto vice and idlenesse Commodus had laide intollerable impostes and tributes vpon his people which Pertinax commaunded to be made frustrate affirming that of the will of princes in charging their kingdomes with vniust tributes there succedeth a wilful denial of due and most iust paiments False witnesses hee commaunded to be punished according vnto the lawe named Pena del talion that is to say they should be executed by Iustice wherein they had accused others by malice Hée ordeyned that the testament which had béen made by the husband wise ioyntly might not be altered by the suruiuer Also he did ordeyne that any man dying intestate should not forfett his landes or goods vnto the fiscall but that his sonne or most néere kinsman should inherite the same saying there were no reason or iust lawe where the dead for want of speach should loose his goods The Senators on a day said vnto Pertinax how the Questors of the treasurie and the officers of the fiscal had murmured at him for the law that he made in the fauour for the dead intestate vnto whom hee aunsweared Fathers conscript I may safely say there are not so many that complaine of this lawe as there be that praise and alowe it but I recke not whether the one doth praise or the other mislike but in my iudgement it is no worke of Romanes but the inuētion of tyrants of robberies briberies rapines to fill the treasurie with riches He made a lawe that no fiscall should sue anye person for landes or goodes that were doubtfull saying that the fiscall ought to remoue nothing that clearely were not his owne and that in case of doubt more sure and more conformable vnto iustice were it to remaine with him that doth possesse it thā with the fiscall that doth demaunde it He commaunded all things vniustly taken by his predecessour Commodus to be restoared vnto the owners When the Secretarie came to firme this lawe to be proclaimed and Pertinax reading the same wherein it was said Wee commaunde that all thinges which our predecessour Commodus hath robbed which word robbed he blotted out with his pen and enterlined this woord gotten saying it is sufficient that the lawe be in the fauour of the liuing without iniuring with foule woordes Princes that be dead All that which was knowen manifestly to be Commodus debt he commaunded to be payed and all which he had promised to be giuen and besides all this the wheat oyle and other things which particularly were vsed to be giuen and diuided amongest the people of Rome he caused with great diligence to be brought from all kingdomes and in great abundance and liberalitie commaunded it to be bestowed Many vniust tributs being takē away by Pertinax there succéeded a great necessitie for the paiment and reliefe of the armie of Africa whereby he was constreyned to exact new impositions of his common wealth whereuppon the Consul Gelianus toke occasion to say that he had done contrary to that which he had begon in the Empire against that which he had said in the Senat Pertinax aunswering said When I was Consul as thou art I did meruaile at the déedes of princes and now that I am an Emperour I meruaile of that which you Consuls do speake thus much Gelianus I say to this end because thou shalt vnderstand that Emperours at times make lawes as they ought and at other times not as they would but as they may CHAP. VII ¶ Of many thinges which he did ordeine and reforme in the common wealth THere was in Rome and in the confines of Italie much roughe ground for corne which being barren for want of manuring Pertinax commaunded proclamation to bée made that if any man would grub manure or till the same hée should fréely for tenne yeares take the profite thereof Before Pertinax vsed this diligence in Italie frō Aegypt Spaine and Sicyl they brought wheat to furnish the same for which cause Traiane did vse to say that Rome was more tributarie then any place of the world for that they could not eate but if it were giuen them from other kingdomes There were many particular thinges said to be the Emperours namely hills heards gardēs riuers palaces and houses which hée commaunded to be altered naming them hils gardens and riuers not of the Emperour but of the common wealth for hée affirmed that on that day in which any whatsoeuer was made Emperour hée might haue nothing proper vnto himselfe and said further that if this name Prince be well vnderstoode it giueth no other dignitie to the person that vseth the same but to make him defender of the territories of the countrie and procurer of the common wealthe In the dayes of his predecessours they had attempted new impositions that is to say in ports of the sea at the ports of cities for passage of high wayes of barkes vppon riuers and for baking in ouens al which were to the great detriment of the common wealth and the auncient libertie of Rome the collection whereof Pertinax from thence forth commaunded to ceasse Being demaunded of the Consul Tortelius why he made frustrat lawes so profitable aunsweared because without comparison much more are the displeasures which they giue me then the money which they bring me and as mée séemeth we may not saye that that money is verie cleanely that comes imbrewed with displeasures He commaunded that in criminall causes offendours should be verie well hearde and if in case any should dye fourtie dayes to be expired before he should suffer It was a matter verye monstruous and scandalous that was consumed in expences in the dayes of Commodus wherein Pertinax in suche wise prouided that they murmured no lesse against him for his frugalitie then against Commodus for his prodigalitie They muche blame Pertinax who set before his guestes whiche did eate at his table halfe pigges and halfe géese and many times sent two soppes betwixt two plates for a present and sometime the legge of a Phesant at other times the wing of a capon and reserued also in the morning somewhat to be eaten at night Princes ought verie muche to consider and also to auoyde not to be noted miserable at their table for it is verie small that in such trifles may be saued and verie much that they
tooke the names of all persons that he might haue with him out of Italie commaundinge them to prepare and to pay his officers that all thinges should be done with moste spéedie diligence for his intent was to enter with so greate haste into Asia that his arriuall and the newes thereof at one instant might appeare vnto Pessenius All the armies of Illyria which he had left in Thracia he commaunded to passe into Asia and all the Senatours all the warrelike officers of Rome all the riche men and all the sonnes of mightie and greate Lordes that were in Italie he ledde with him in that warre He armed in the Sea Mediterrane an hundred galleys and also rigged foorth two hundreth shippes fiftie barkes and innumerable foystes all which went laden with men armour and victuals in such wise that in respecte of his greatnesse and potencie there was none that woulde encounter with him by lande either abide at the Sea. Onelie xxx dayes Seuerus was in Rome dispatchinge with the Senate he departed vnto the porte of Hostia to beholde his nauie and from thence he departed to Nola in Campania where his armye was assembled where he added many thinges that wanted and also remoued many thinges that were superfluous because in thinges of greate importance he was not satisfied to giue them in charge to men of experience but that he woulde see and beholde them with his owne proper eyes When Pessenius Niger heard the newes howe Seuerus came against him by sea and lande they say that he saide these woordes If the destinies be bente against me small may it auaile me that men fauour mee and if Gods be pleased to help me mē may little hinder me And further he saide Seuerus is not satisfied to haue slaine his Lorde Iulianus and to vsurpe the Empire but hath made mee an enimie vnto the people of Rome but I beseche the immortall Gods that if it shal not please them to giue me victorie in this warre that Seuerus may bee conquered when hee moste desireth to ouercome Although Pessenius commended his fortune into the handes of God not withstanding he left not to seeke the aide of men to this ende he did write and send Ambassadours vnto the kinge of the Parthians to the king of the Arthabanes and to the king of the Armenians to succour him with men money because Seuerus came with a determinate minde to destroy them all The kinge of the Armenians aunsweared the Ambassadours of Pessenius Niger that he woulde neither helpe the one or offende the other but defende and conserue his owne kingdome moued therevnto for that Pessenius was his friende and Seuerus not his enimie The kinge of Parthians presently sente his letters throughout his kingdome commaunding them to repaire vnto Pessenius and refuse Seuerus which he did not for the narrowe friendship that he helde with Pessenius but for the auncient enimitie that he did beare vnto the Romane Empire The king of Arthabanes sent vnto Pessenius ten thousand archers with crossebowes all natiues of the prouinces of Bersezana which throughout the worlde were much renowmed and in the warres no lesse feared because they were of valiant mindes in fight and excéeding readie in shooting Further Pessenius Niger commaunded his armie to be renewed with twentie thousand footemen and sixe thousand horsemen whereof the moste parte being taken out of Antioche where the people be most féeble their names being registred and receiuing paye neuer afterwardes came to the warres Vnto all them that vsed this guyle Seuerus afterwardes gaue great punishment not for that they had béene traytours vnto Pessenius but for example to terrifie others Vpon the mount Taurus parte of Cappadocia and Sicyl Pessenius as a man of experience in martiall affaires prouided that the woodes were feld vpon the toppes of mounteines and in streightes and most perillous places made strong watche and warde in such wise that no enimie might approche that was not séene or passe that were not slaine In those dayes there was not in all Thracia a citie more opulent then was Byzantio nowe named Cōstantinople which in buildinges did excéede all cities of Asia and in fertilitie was equall with the best in Europa Amongest other thinges conteined therein that was faire to beholde and much to be praised were the walles the stones whereof were brought from Mylesius curiously squared as if it had béene timber sawen with a sawe which was the cause that the wall being made of many stones the whole wall séemed but one stone Although with the calamities of time the walles be nowe ruinated yet notwithstanding of the same there remaineth some steppes and signes in the viewe whereof there is none but wil praise the witt of them that made it cursse the handes of them that did subuert it When Pessenius sawe him selfe a Lorde so absolute of all Asia and accompanied with so many so noble men of warre he thought him selfe sure of the victorie but as in such cases that which Fortune guydeth is farre differēt from that which the person desireth so very cōtrarie to his former purpose it afterwardes succéeded CHAP. VII ¶ Of the warres that passed betwixt Pessenius and Seuerus in Asia IT was great griefe vnto Seuerus when he vnderstoode howe Pessenius was in so greate redinesse that thought not onely to defende but publiquely to offende Seuerus being certified that Pessenius was in possession of the greate citie Byzantio marched with more spéede with intent to batter the same before Pessenius might come to the succour thereof for that by secrete practises Seuerus had within the citie newe friendes and Pessenius in gouernement had recouered some enimies Neither the intelligences which Seuerus practised secretely either the diligences whiche he vsed publiquely might profite him to obteine Byzantio which when he vnderstoode he traueiled to recouer another citie not farre from thence named Cyzica which was both rockie and compassed with marrishes that is to saye it stoode vppon a rocke inuironed with a riuer Pessenius had for his capteine generall of all his hostes a certeine knight named Emilianus in whome he reposed confidence not onely for matters of warre but also for expedition of causes of peace for that he had bothe wisedome for the one and fortitude for the other The capteine Emilianus put him selfe into the citie of Cyzica whē presently after the souldiours of Seuerus came to besiege it There was betwixt both the armies at diuers times diuers encounters repulses wherin Fortune indifferētly discouered her selfe vnto either partie for at all times when they fought at the wall Seuerus side had the woorse but when they fought in the field Pessenius bandes had that repulse Two monethes after the citie of Cizica was besieged they made a salle and as they would haue retyred Seuerus capteines pursued and entred pelle melle with the capteines of Pessenius and notwithstanding there was betwixt them greate slaughter for
persons and beastes were there daungered also lost and their victualls all caste and carried away By time that shoulde do the deede and the sorrowfull destinies of Pessenius that shoulde conduct the same it chaunced vpon the thirde day after the snowe had fallen the sunne did shine with as hote a glome as in the heate of summer wherwith all the snowe being throughly thawed the violence of most furious waters that descended the hil ouerthrewe and carried away all bulworkes and rampiers that Pessenius had made in that mountaine in such wise that nature framed in one houre that Art might not bring to passe in many dayes that is to say the snowe draue away the people and soone opened the way When the Seuerian armies founde that Pessenius souldiours had forsaken the mounte Taurus and the thawed snowe had opened their way they not onely recouered greate courage but also presumed to haue obtained diuine fauour saying that Seuerus did gouerne them but that the Godds did guide them Vpon the fifte day after the snowe Seuerus souldiours mounted vpon the toppe of Taurus al the snowe beeing thawed and gonne and trackes and wayes beeing dried vp in euery place they founde deade men drowned beastes broken armour and victualls scattered in the viewe whereof they tooke no small pleasure because they had nowe set their feete where before they imployed but their eyes Pessenius being aduertised howe his souldiours had forsaken the mounte Taurus departed with all his hoste from Antioche toke the way vnto Sicyl the multitude of people that hee ledde with him was maruelous and terrible to beholde and yet truly notwithstanding more fearefull in viewe then in fight for admitting they were many younge men well armed yet they were more accustomed to haue peace with vices then warr with enimies Seuerus with his armies Pessenius with his hostes incountred in Sicyl not a league one from an other hauing betwixt them a greate plaine which was named by the men of the country the field of Ysico where was giuen the laste and most famous battel betwixt Alexander and Darius in which the great king Darius was ouercōe and the great Alexander remained monarche of the world In memory of which notable battell there is situated at these dayes the renowmed citie of Alexandria wherein there is is a picture of brasse so naturall a counterfeite of Alexander that to beholde doth partly terrifie and also giueth motion of great reuerence Two dayes after these princes came to this place with conformitie they determined to giue the battell since either of thē had ioyned their whole powers with the presence of their proper persones vntill which time betwixt them there was but small difference for that either of them had greate hope to haue the victorie The night before they fought Seuerus Pessenius were both sadde and their armies in greate watch for as the fatall houre of fight drewe neare although their generous hartes gaue them hope to ouercome their mortal bodies did feare to die At the breake of the day al the captaines made ready to the battell continually two houres before the charge both of the one parte and the other they played vpō instrumētes of musicke which with their melody did yealde such dolefulnesse that exactly it discouered the sorrowfull successe that shoulde followe in that cruell battell The hostes béeing ioyned the one with the other there was trauersed betwixt thē so cruel a fight of euery parte so traueled to obtaine the victory that the day ended the battell not finished That battell was so bloudie wounded of both partes so much contended that within the compasse of two leagues there was not iii. foote of ground that was not couered with mans bloude If the two armies were valiant in fighting surely the two princes their lordes were no cowardes but in the ende when night was come the Pessenians turned their backes the whole conclusion was that Pessenius fledde wounded and Seuerus remained lorde of that field Vpon an horse of greate swiftnesse accompanied with fewe persons Pessenius tooke the way vnto Antioche as the enimies did pursue him at the doore of a poore cottage where he neither had time to rest either place to hide him selfe but groueling vpon his breastes drinking with a pitcher at a blowe his enimies cutte off his head This was the sorrowfull end of Pessenius Niger vpon whose sepulture they placed this Epitaph Here lieth Pessenius Niger an auncient Romane whiche in merite was equall with the vertuous but in misfortunes exceeded the most vnfortunate When Seuerus sawe him selfe aduaunced to so great victorie and that in all Asia there was not one launce in the Rest against him he procured to seaze vpon al principall persons that had escaped from the campe of Pessenius and commaunded not onely to kill them all but also to execute them with greate tormentes Many were founde in the campe of Pessenius whiche did followe him against their willes whome also Seuerus commaunded to be slaine as the rest whiche in déede was rather the acte of a cruell tyrante then a vertuous prince Seuerus had with him the mother and the sonnes of Pessenius whome he sente both mother and sonnes banished vnto an Islande All thinges set in order that were conueniente for the prouision of the good gouernement of Asia Seuerus moued talke amongst his moste familiar friendes for the conquest of the kinge of Parthia and the kinge of Thebes not because they helde him as an enimie but for that they were friendes vnto his enimie Pessenius Seuerus friendes did counsell him that by no meanes he should publish any intente of warre againste the kinge of Parthians or the kinge of Thebanes for the notwithstanding Pessenius was dead in the East Albinius was aliue in the kingdomes of the Weste and that hee was not so sure of the Empire but that it were better counsell for him to seeke newe friends then to awake olde enimies Seuerus dealt cruelly with the inhabitants of Antioche because they had receiued and obeyed his enimie Pessenius and with them did not onely vse iniurious wordes but also did discharge them of al their auncient liberties He slewe all the Senatours of Rome that is to say suche as folowed Pessenius and tooke the name of captaines and Tribunes of other persones he slewe but one and woulde neuer say wherfore but he alone and none other was put to death CHAP. IX Of the Consul Albinius and howe he rebelled against Seuerus being in Englande AMongest the moste extreme young gentlemen that were bred in the house of the good Marcus Aurelius were three which in those dayes were placed for captains in the most famous and daungerous places of the empire that is to say Seuerus in Illyria Pessenius in Asia Albinius in greate Britaine Their Lorde Marcus Aurelius had brought them vp so expert in science so accustomed to vertues so readie in armes so skilfull in
perills and so made vnto trauels that if they them selues had not warred destroyed them selues al the world had not bene sufficient to haue defeated theÌ„ Aboue it is said how Seuerus came to Rome to take the Empire and howe Pessenius was ouercome in Asia there resteth nowe to speake of Albinius who was in Britaine a man in his life righte venturous and in his deathe no lesse vnfortunate Albinius was natiue of Rome and as soone as he was of age sufficient he was made a Senatour being of most auncient linage and did inherite of his predecessours greate wealth whiche he wanted no skill to conserue as also to increase and excellently to inioy for notwithstanding his degree was but a Senatour yet in seruice of his house and behauiour of his person he was after the manner of an Emperour In the dayes of the empire of Pertinax Albinius was sente as captaine and gouernour vnto greate Britaine in whiche gouernement hee was very well loued and no lesse feared for by his greate iustice he was feared and with his greate liberalitie he was beloued When Seuerus departed vnto Asia to warre with Pessenius vnderstandinge how renouned the name of Albinius was throughout all the worlde and howe well liked of the Romaine Empire hee greatly doubted to aduaunce him selfe with the Romane Empire and the rather for that he perceiued the principall Romanes to fixe their eyes vpon Albinius Seuerus aduised him selfe to vse a certaine cautele with Albinius which was before he departed froÌ„ Rome to write vnto him into Britaine aduertising him that he would haue his felowship in the Empire from thence forth intituling him Augustus since his departing to the warrs of Asia requesting him to take the charge of the gouernement of the common wealth With these and suche like wordes whiche hee sente him and with a letter written vnto him and certaine iuells whiche hee gaue him Albinius did endure to be deceiued though voide of all misstrust to be deceiued Albinius had with him an auncient knight named Cypro Albo who as it is reported saide vnto Albinius thou art not so neare a kinseman either so deare a friende vnto Seuerus that without thy request hee will with thee diuide the Empire for that truely euen betwixt the father and the sonne it were verie muche but that I thinke hee will nowe be assured of thee to the ende when hee returneth from the warres to destroy thee because from a man so noble as Seuerus is so amorous letters and iuells so precious may not proceede but wrapt in malice Albinius woulde giue no credit vnto Cypro Albo but openly did reade his letters and shewed his iuells whiche when Seuerus vnderstoode hee receiued greate pleasure thereof and the better to finishe his guile hee made money in both their names placing Albinius his picture in the Senate The minde of Albinius being wonne and obtained to the ende to holde safe and sure the kingdomes of Europa hee departed into Asia and sundry times did write vnto Albinius and not vnto the Senate giuing accompt of that whiche hee had donne and demaundinge counsell in that whiche hee mente to do Fifteene monethes Seuerus stayed in the warres with Pessenius whome after hee had ouercome and slaine he determined to destroy Albinius and because hee had no occasion either greate or small to make him publike warre hee aduised to kill him by guile Many Senatours and noble Romanes did write him letters and also persuaded Albinius in woordes that hee shoulde aduaunce him selfe with the Empire and to the same ende they did sweare and affirme vnto him that although Seuerus were farre from his countrie yet without comparison hee was muche more distante from their willes The case was thus the warres of Asia béeing finished Seuerus in greate secrecie conferred with certaine Purseuantes by whome hee was accustomed to write letters whome he commaunded to departe vnto greate Britaine and to presente their letters openlye vnto Albinius and further to giue him to vnderstande howe they had secretly to say vnto him and that if with them hee shoulde seperate him selfe presently to kill him promising them that if they perfourmed that enterprise hee should make them the greatest men of Rome Hee gaue them also a boxe of fine poyson therew t this instruction that if they might not by chauÌ„ce dispatch kil Albinius by such meane they shoulde trauell in some meate to giue him of that poyson Albinius was gro 〈…〉 â—â—mewhat suspicious of Seuerus partely for that so rarely hee did write vnto him and also because hee was aduertised that in secrete hee vsed euill speach of him wherefore he liued more warely not onely with suche as hee had talke but also of his meate whiche hee shoulde eate These Purseuaunts béeing arriued in greate Britaine deliuered their letters openly vnto Albinius saying that they had to tell him in secret and being nowe in doubt and suspicion of Seuerus his matters he commaunded these Purseuauntes to be taken and grieuously tormented which presently confessed that Seuerus sente them for none other purpose but either with yron or with poyson to take away the life of Albinius Presently Seuerus was aduertised that Albinius had taken tormented and put to death his Purseuantes where vppon followed that the one did publishe the other open enimies and for suche they exclaymed them selues in woordes defied in letters and also vttered in workes Seuerus had greate sorrowe for that Albinius had manifested him selfe his enimie and the greater was his griefe for that his enimies made common reporte that he would haue slaine Albinius as a cowarde and not deale with him openly as a man of a valiant minde Seuerus also had greate griefe of the generall reporte of Albinius boaste before all men that woulde heare the same of the greate numbers of people and armies of men that did obey him in greate Britaine and muche more that did loue and wish him in Rome Seuerus not able to endure with patience the reports that ranne of Albinius aduised to assemble his armies vnto whome hee did speake after this manner CHAP. X. Of a famous speach that Seuerus vttered vnto his armies to bringe them in hatred with his 〈◊〉 Albinius IT were not iuste that any prince shoulde be noted vnstable if by chaunce they be seene to abhorre at one time that which they did loue at an other time for that subiects changing their custoÌ„es it is not much that Lordes alter their opinions As much as a friend shal be vertuous so muche and no more he shall be loued of his friendes for if it be a thing commendable to loue the good it is no lesse vituperable to loue the euill Admitting that princes deale hardly with some and fauour others neither for the one are they to be praised either blamed for the other because rewarde or punishmente is neither giuen or ought to be giuen conformable vnto princes wills but agreeable vnto the subiects merite Ye all vnderstand how
Seuerus considering the citie of Athras to be inexpugnable the people therein inuincible and his campe also weakened through greate sickenesse aduised to rayse his siege before his armie were vtterly lost which he did not without greate griefe and no lesse despight being as he was giuen vnto so many triumphes and victories he thought him self vāquished since he might not ouercome but fortune that naturally discouereth her self to be variable the victorie which shée denied Seuerus in fighting shée in his flight gaue afterwardes more largely The case was thus that sailing on the Sea with all his armie it was his chaunce to encounter with a tempest and being forced to followe the disposition of the weather and not as his heart desired they brought him to riuers of the kingdome of Parthia not thrée leagues distant from the greate citie of Tesiphont where the king was further entred into feasting then compassed with armour Seuerus entred into the fielde of Tesiphont committing so greate spoiles and robberies that he put the people into greate feare which as Seuerus did take at the soudeine and vnwares and being amazed neither able to saye or aunswere if they were demaunded for that to flye they had no time and to resist they had no force that whiche was woorst of all to make agréement it was not in their handes neither might they endure to submitt themselues vnto the Romans Seuerus arriuing at Tesiphont did subuert it vnto the ground slewe al that made resistance and did captiuate man woman and childe he tooke al the treasure and riches bothe of the citie and royall palace finally all the countrie treasure goods and persons came to the handes of Seuerus except the king Arthabanus who escaped on horsebacke Seuerus led with him certeine skilfull painters which as he went traueiling they went drawing and painting all cities castels riuers mountaines nations kingdomes and prouinces by throughe which he passed and all the battels and victories whiche he had made and obteined Seuerus sent a greate Ambassage vnto the Senate and people of Rome with whome he sent many captiues much riches and the tables wherin his victories were set out at large the Romains gaue greate thankes vnto the Gods and also greate praises vnto Seuerus although moste true that all men were pleased with the victories but would not that they shoulde haue béene obteined by Seuerus Departing from the kingdome of Parthia he diuided amongest his armies all that he had taken from the Parthians and for himselfe reserued nothing but that which he sent vnto the Senat and a ring of Vnicorne a white parat or popingay and a gréen horse the which thinges he toke not for their value but forthe straungnes of their colours Seuerus came through the kingdome of Palestina and gaue them many lawes conformable vnto the lawes of the Romanes commaunding vppon paine of death that none should name himselfe a Iew either call himselfe a Christian or obserue the lawe of Christians From Palestina he came through Assyria vnto the citie of Alexandria where also he placed new customes and also made newe lawes which he caused them to write and obserue howbeit they endured but the life of Seuerus for after his death they did not onely breake them but also burnt the tables wherin they were writen CHAP. XIIII ¶ Of Seuerus his sonnes and of their euill inclination THe kinges that were enimies being ouercome new cōfederation made with old friends and all the prouinces of Asia reformed he came vnto Rome and as the Romans had prepared the Parthicke triumph he might not enter triumphing for that he came so weake of a quartane and so lame of the goute that he might neither indure the chariott or suffer the intertainement of the people It had chaunced to none of the Romane Empire as it fortuned vnto Seuerus that is to say that had slaine so many princes obteyned so many victories and yet neuer entered triumphing into Rome which was not for his demerits or repugnancie of the Romanes but for his thrée first victories he might not triumphe because they were Romane princes and to his other victories of Asia his disease gaue impediment Seuerus had two legitimate sonnes the elder was named Bassianus the other Geta who notwithstanding they were brothers in bloud yet were they much different in conditions which infirmitie was not onely manifested in their infancie for that in their childish playes they could neuer agrée either in weightie affaires yeld one consent It was much noted amongest the Romanes that the two bretherne being but children might neuer agrée in their childishe playes and deuises that is to say in making houses of clay running at base driuing topps meating strawes trilling the bowle striking the drumme and other such like childishe trifles That the one delighted the other lothed that which the elder affirmed the younger denied and if it happened their tutours to commaund them to play together if the one did winne and the other loose they tare their haire scratched their faces whirled stones strucke with their fistes in such wise that as from their téeth and face they drue bloud and rent off their lockes so they séemed rather to kill eche other as enimies then to iest as brethren It was no small griefe vnto Seuerus when hée vnderstoode of the euil condition of his sonnes and that alwayes they were diuided amongest themselues who trauelled by al meanes possible to bring them to conformitie which he might neuer by any meanes bring to passe althoughe he requested either would they obey although hée commaunded for his sonnes were so wilfull that they ceased not to execute their owne wills notwithstanding their fathers gentle sute or his extréeme commaundement Seuerus also had a brother named Geta a person of great bolonesse and warrlike who in all warres followed Seuerus and if Seuerus had hautie thoughtes truly Geta his thoughtes were not humble for hée helde it for most certaine that vnto him Seuerus should leaue the Empire Besides that Geta was valiaunt and warrlike so was he also guilefull and diligent that is to say in seruing Seuerus contenting the Senate and pleasing the people The hatred and brabbling that passed betwixte Bassianus and Geta his cousins vsually hée reported it vnto all men in such wyse that Geta supposed to obteine by guile the Empire that Seuerus had gotten with armes Seuerus well vnderstoode howe Geta wente thus anglinge for the Empire and therein to take awaye all occasions in the fourth yeare of his Empire going against Albinius at that time in the citie of Millaine before hée passed the Alpes hee created his elder sonne Caesar and his younger Consul whereuppon a certaine Capitaine said vnto Seuerus it well séemeth Seuerus thou remembrest not the displeasures that Bassianus and Geta thy sonnes haue done thée either the seruice which thy brother Geta hath performed on thy behalfe To this Seuerus aunsweared it well appeareth that thou speakest by hearesaye rather then by anye
for he vsed to say that fooles set neighbours at variance but men that were wise malicious brought kingdomes together by the eares He was also inclined to read books and to vnderstand antiquities if he might not by his important affaires read himselfe he made others to read and further if he chaunced to be so busied that he might not read himselfe either heare reading at such times they read vnto him when he was eating or whē he went to bed He himselfe did write his owne life did write it as truly as if he had béen a chronicler that is to say praising his victories reprehending his vices and also most truly made report of all men that he kild but not of the smal reason that he had so to do Seuerus was much blamed for his great couetise of goods for want of care negligēce of his honour for that his wife Iulia was a cōmon adulteresse whom he did neither chastice or put away neither is it written that euer he did aduise or blame her It was sufficient for Seuerus to know his wife to be euil to be named Iulia whiche name was euer infamous amongest the womē of Rome Although he were an enimie of vices and of vicious mē much more was he enimie of théeues aboue all other kinde of wicked people and so is it said and found of him that he did beare with many malefactors but neuer pardoned any théefe In his apparel he was not curious or costly but alwaies was apparelled as a man of great sobernes especially much cōmended that in his Empire he neuer beheld any person in Rome clad with silke or purple Also in his féeding he was not disordinate yet truly of certaine fruits of Africa giuē to féede somewhat ouermuch and vsed to say that they had a better relishe then others for that being a child hee was bred with them Hée delighted also more to eate fishe then flesh and sometimes passed an whole moneth without the tast of any flesh the flesh that he best loued was mutton of fish the Trout In many cities of the Empire they made by his comaundement very notable woorkes especially in the citie of Tripol in Africa where he was borne he made there a fort an house compassed it with a very stronge wall He was a prince very careful that the citie of Rome should alwayes be well prouided which was manifested at his death at what time they found vij yeares prouision in wheat and oyle CHAP. XVIII ¶ How Seuerus passed into great Britaine where he died SEuerus being settled in securitie and intending certaine buildinges in Rome receiued letters from the gouernour of great Britaine which now is named England that a great part of the Island was reuolted from the seruice of Rome and to appease force them to obedience his presence was right necessarie because the Prefect himselfe was not only denied al obedience but they sought meanes also to kill him Seuerus was not displeased with this newes although he were both old and sickly for that he alwayes desired the offer of great things to magnifie his fame and perpetuate his memorie Seuerus also was pleased with those warres to haue occasion to withdraw his sonnes from the vices of Rome and so it came to passe that his elder sonne Bassianus he made captaine of the armie that he led by land to his younger sonne Geta he gaue the charge of his armie nauie that passed by sea Seuerus at the soudeine and vnprouided assailed the Britaines who at that instāt they vnderstoode of his arriuall in the Isle sent their Ambassadours partly to yéeld accompt and partly to discharge themselues of their rebellion as also to set downe betwixt them a certeine concord which Seuerus would neither yéeld vnto or abide to heare off for he vented rather to obteine the renoune of Britaine then for any reason to make them warre His armies being disimbarked the Ambassadours dispatched euery man prepared the one to offend and the other to defend Seuerus first prouided bridges wheruppon his horsemen might passe his foote men auoyd occasion to swim The Britaine 's of that part of Britaine in those dayes had a custome in time of warre to encounter their enimies in lakes waters where they did place themselues vp vnto the arme pits and from thence did fight and shew their skil when their enimies did shoote or whirle their dartes they would stoope or diue vnder water in such wise that it chāced thrée sundrie times that neuer happened in any part of the world which is to witt that 100. naked men ouercame 1000. armed persons Whē at any time they would fight in the field they vsed certaine targets after the maner of bucklers halfe swords girt vppon their bare flesh All matters apperteining vnto the warres brought vnto perfection Seuerus confirmed his younger sonne Geta gouernour of a certaine place of the Island that had not rebelled and kept his elder sonne Bassianus néere vnto his owne person executing cruel warres vppon the Barbarians who vppon determination to doe hurte or offend their enimies dyed with great hardinesse and vppon other determination would put themselues to flighte in whiche flight their enimies alwayes had the woorsse The warres being trauersed after this manner the gowt did grieuously increase vppon Seuerus in such manner that he could neither go out of his campe either sitt in counsel with his capteines in so much that he was constrained to commende the whole charge of the armie vnto his sonne Bassianus who more did practise secreately to frame hatred amongest the armies vnto his brother Geta then to make conquest of the enimies Bassianus so much reioyced of his fathers griefe and had so great care to inherite that he sawe no houre wherein he wished not his fathers death Not meaning to leaue any euil vnperfourmed that touched an euil nature adding euill vnto euill he suborned the Physicians that did cure him and the seruaunts that serued him in such wise the one to serue him and the other cure him that if the gowte did not finish him poison shoulde dispatche him Although no man said vnto Seuerus any one woorde he did well perceiue what his sonne Bassianus desired and so it came to passe that beholding the disobedience which his sonne did beare him howe euil his seruaunts serued him and howe slenderly his Physician did visite him although he were olde and sickely he died of pure sorrowe and melancholy The last wordes which Seuerus saide before he dyed they saye were these When I tooke the Empire I founde the common wealth throughout the worlde in trouble and nowe I dye I leaue it in peace and although I dye without power to testar ny firmar yet I leaue the Empire firme vnto my two sonnes Antonines if they shal proue good they remaine exactly made princes and if they shal be euil I leaue them nothing Before Seuerus dyed he
stopt with multitudes of people he began by force to make his way and teare and treade the people who made resistance for their safetie adding thereunto woordes ouer furious as people passioned And as the Emperour then being placed in the same chariot although they said no word to his offence he receiued the cochemans iniurie as his owne presently cōmaunding al his Pretorians which there did guard his person to make slaughter at their libertie And as al persons there present were more deckt and trimmed for the feast then armed either in redinesse for battel so great cōpassion was it to behold the multitudes of people that died there without any offence and sheading of bloud of so many innocentes for if tenne or twelue had offended they were more then 15. thousād that were there executed The Romanes did neither eate drincke sléepe or doe any thing but with great trembling not doubting when they should be accused but when Bassianus shoulde commaunde them to be slaine for neuer tyrant did execute that which he ordinarily perfourmed in Rome which is to wéete without any accusement of fiscall or complaint of enimie or wante of seruice to commaunde any man to be slaine CHAP. VIII Of the prouinces whiche Bassianus did trauell and the thinges which he did therein AFter that Bassianus had slaine his brother Geta and his enimies as also manie of his friendes and infinite others that were neither friends nor foes he departed from Rome iourneying towardes Germanie whiche nowe is named high Almaine with determination to visite those Prouinces and to refourme his armies whiche by continuance of peace were growne to greate negligence in matters of warre A whole summer hee lodged neare vnto the riuer of Danubie where he exercised hunting fishing playing running torneying and sometimes sate in iudgmente and a matter wherein he made all men to woonder was that in hearing anie cause at the instant he gaue sentence wherein he neuer erred and also iudgmente according to iustice He had greate delectatiō of that countrie and the people of the same makinge choyce of the valiauntest and gallantest personages of the youthe of Germanie for the guarde of his person The prouinces adioyning vnto Danubie being set in order he passed into Thracia and from thence into the lande of Macedonia with determinatiō to visite the natiue countrie of Alexander the greate All thinges wherein the actes of Alexander were grauen or painted hee repaired renewed and made better manie other thinges he did both adde and inuente in such wise that in al the kingdome of Macedonie there was neither citie or temple where he did not erecte some edifice or place some picture or counterfeite Bassianus perfourmed manie notable things in Macedonia right worthy praise and some other thinges no lesse to be derided because in manie places he caused a bodie with two heads to be painted and also grauen whereof one he intituled vnto him selfe and the other vnto Alexander The Macedonians did not a little scorne this acte that Bassianus woulde compare with the greate Alexander for they estéemed their kinge in suche possession and estate that they say and affirme neither anie in this life to be equall vnto him either in the other worlde surmoūted of none of the Gods. Bassianus grewe so proude when he sawe him self so generally praysed for his woorthy actes done in Macedonia that he cōmaunded al his househoulde not to call hym Bassianus but Alexander and commaūded al the captains of his armie to intitule thē selues with the names of Alexanders auncient captaines whereof the Romanes receiued no small griefe and al the aunciente seruaunts of his father were not a little disgraced for it séemed vnto them that since he did not trust them with the garde of his person he woulde not loue them either deale with them according vnto his accustomed manner Hee woulde ofte put off all his Romaine apparrell and cladde him selfe after the Flemmish fashion and further the more aptly to resemble them he woulde weare counterfeite red haire and howe muche the more he vsed these thinges so muche the greater was the griefe vnto the Romaines Also he obserued a custome both in eating and drinking in his apparrell and seruice as in all other trauels which all wayes followe the warres but as a common souldiour It happened manie times that if a trench were to be made he firste woulde digge carrie forth earth marche on foote grinde breade corne for his owne diet and bake it vnder the asshes Hee delighted in base lodging to resemble the common soldiour and woulde not drinke in golde or siluer but in woodden tankards finally he did not onely abhorre all thinges that séemed superfluous but also manie times that which was right necessarie Hee commaunded also that none shoulde attende him except he were commaunded or call him Emperour but companion all whiche hee did to obtaine their loue and to seeme admirable in his trauels He commaunded his armie to be diuided into three partes and the one to be called Macedonike the other Laconike and the thirde Spartanike in memorie of three famous prouinces of Grecia whiche folowed the greate Alexander in all his wars and the people which he estéemed most valiaunt and warlike From Macedonie hee tooke his way vnto Pergamus a famous citie in Asia to viewe the temple of Esculapius the father and founder of physicke in which temple he slept manie nights and as he afterwardes saide receiued there manie aunswers of the God Esculapius many coūsels as well for conseruation of his health as the gouernemente of his cōmō wealth From Pergamus Bassianus departed to the citie Ilion that in times paste had beene head of the kingdome of Troy where greate warres were long continued betwixt the Greekes and the Troyans whiche hee founde not onelie destroyed but also plowed and sowen Bassianus did there greately desire to burie some persone after the fashion as in times past they had buried Patroclus and for accomplishment of his desire he commaunded poyson to be giuen vnto Festus his priuate and fauoured seruaunt whome after he was deade he buried there according to the fashion whiche the Troyans vsed with Patroclus whiche fact of his some excuse affirming that Festus died without Bassianus his commaundemente Before that Bassianus entred high Almaine he would visite Gallia Transalpina after a fewe dayes of his entraunce therin commaunded the Proconsul of Narbona to be slaine of which déede as also of others which he executed he fel into the hatred of that cōmō people deserued the name of a tyrant In his nauigatiō frō Germanie into Asia he foūd him self in so great danger that the ship it selfe wherin he sailed did rent sinke he escaped in a litle barke He was strikē with so greate feare on sea that after he had escaped that daunger he woulde oftentimes say I knowe not what man hauing breade to eate and garments to weare and couer him selfe on lande woulde to become an
heare thereof and woulde ofte say vnto me that manie kinges and kingdomes he had seene lost by mariage in straunge countries and therefore woulde not marrie me but within his owne kingdome and saide at the houre of his death that if I woulde liue manie yeares in peace I shoulde not abandon my children to straunge marriages I had three sonnes whiche nowe bee all deade and there remaineth vnto me but only one daughter in whome remaineth all my hope and if the Gods would and my destinies permitte I woulde giue her an husbande within mine owne naturall countrie whome I might esteeme as my sonne and he me as his father for my intent is not to giue her an husband that hath much goods but in his person greate worthinesse To that which thou sayest of the kingdoms of Parthians the Empire of Romanes would do verie wel to be ioyned in one thou hast great reason in that which thou sayest if it might be done with as great facilitie as it is spoken but how is it possible they may be made one being as they are so strange in nation so distant in situation so distinct in language so diuers in lawes and aboue all the reste so contrarie in conditions Since betwixt you and vs there are so manie landes countries nations hills and seas howe is it possible the bodies beeing so distante that the harts may be vnited Wee are much better knowne vnto the Godds then wee knowe our selues and since they haue created vs and separated vs the one from the other howe is it possible for vs to liue and enioy together for by greate diligence that men may vse either power that princes may practise it is impossible for them to scatter that whiche the Godds do gather together or to ioyne that whiche they do separate If thou wilte haue men for thy warres I wil sende them If thou wilt haue money to inrich thy treasure I will furnishe thee If thou wilt enter peace with mee I will graunte it If thou wilte that wee be brothers in armes by othe I will confirme it Finally I excepte nothing betwixte thee and mee but that thou do not craue my daughter to wife I am determined wil not for giuing my daughter a good marriage leaue my countrie tributarie vnto straunge people The precious iuells and greate riches which thou sentest me I haue receiued with greate good will and I sende thee others although not such either so riche neuerthelesse thou mayest alwayes cōceiue by them that the kinges of the Parthians haue greate treasures in their keeping and no lesse noblenesse of minde to spende them No more but the Goddes be thy defence and that thou of me and I of thee may see good fortune CHAP. XII Howe Bassianus committed a greate treason against the Parthians THis letter being receiued by Bassianus he made semblance of greate sorrowe that the kinge of Parthians would not giue him his daughter to wife howbeit he ceased not therefore eftsones to write sende more presents to bringe to passe by importunities that which of will he might not frame Arthabanus considering the importunities of Bassianus in writinge and his largesse in sending more riche iuells not doubting that anie guile might be concealed in that marriage did yealde him selfe vnto the iudgmente of his friendes who counselled him that hee shoulde not in anie wise but accept the Emperour of Romaines for his sonne in lawe for it might be that hee shoulde recouer him for an enimie that would not accept him for a sonne The fame beeing spread throughout all Asia that the kinges daughter shoulde marrie with the Emperour of Rome Bassianus aduised to repaire and prepare with all speede so that in all cities of the Parthians where he passed they did not only not resiste him but with greate ioy did receiue and feast him for they helde it for greate vaine glorie to sée their princesse demaunded for wife by the great Emperour of Rome In all places where Bassianus passed he offered riche sacrifices in their temples and gaue greate rewardes vnto suche as did attende and receiue him all whiche he dissembled to escape suspicion of the exceeding malice whiche he determined to execute Bassianus beeing arriued at the greate citie Parthinia where most times the greate kinge of Parthians was residente Arthabanus issued foorth to receiue his sonne Bassianus who most truly ranne foorth as cōformable vnto peace as Bassianus readie and determined for the warres There issued foorth with kinge Arthabanus not only the noble and valiaunt personages of his house and courte but also all the men of power and wealth of his kingdome which against that day were called and did attende in such wise that by his traine the kinge discouered his valure as also the noblenesse of his people Nowe when the Parthians beganne to ioyne with the Romaines and of both partes greate courtesies offered Bassianus gaue a signe vnto his armed knights to giue a charge vpon the Parthians vpon whome they executed as greate a slaughter as Hanibal at Canasse and Scipio at Carthage The kinge Arthabanus as he came in the troupe of all his royaltie tooke his seruaunts horse and gaue him selfe to flight and then as it was night his horse verie swift he had leasure to escape with his life although not able to defende his countrie This beeing donne he sackt the royall palace and al the citie and after commaunded fire to be giuen to all partes thereof whiche he perfourmed in all cities where he passed all the time that he remained in Parthia and freely gaue licence vnto his armie to take what they might to kill whome they would This was the manner that Bassianus vsed to subdue the Parthians whiche conquest with more reason may be termed the inuention of a traytour then the conquest of an Emperour for the innocente Parthians were rather solde then ouercome At the presente when these thinges passed Bassianus did write vnto the Senate aduertisinge them that hee had subdued all prouinces and kingdomes of the Easte vnto the Romaine Empire some by force and others by good will and that allthough the Romane princes his predecessours did excéede him in yeares and riches yet not to be comparable vnto him in victories The Senate béeing ignorante of the greate treason of Bassianus practised against the Parthians because they receiued his letters before anie other messenger had made reporte thereof were verie ioyfull and made greate feastes in Rome placeing his counterfeit vpon all the gates of the citie but after they vnderstoode the trueth of the treason committed they were so muche grieued with that so vile a deede that if the Parthians did suffer the Romanes did bewayle CHAP. XIIII How Bassianus was slaine by the commaundemente of his priuate captaine Macrinus THe Emperour Bassianus beeing departed from the territories of Parthia came vnto the prouince of Mesopotamia which was in the moneth of October and beeinge full of woodes wherin were
because in great and graue affaires one hath to propound but many to determine But comming to the purpose you haue knowen seene that these xi yeares we haue gouerned the Romane Empire in which space we haue trauelled to conserue all men in iustice shunned all occasions that might hinder our peace wherin we haue cause to giue thanks vnto the Gods since we haue deserued to enioy in oure time that which our predecessours neuer obteined Although a prince in his condition be a Saturnine and in his life not well aduised in conuersation vnbridled in keeping couetous and proud in his owne estimation yet all is to bee suffered and dissimuled if hee hold peace with strangers and without acception of persons doe equall iustice vnto his subiectes It is knowen vnto you all that Artaxerxes king of Persians hath destroyed the Parthians and dealt foulely with all oure confederats friendes and yet remayneth in so great power in Asia that there is not against him one launce in the Reste but your heroycall deedes and noble mindes being considered wee thincke not that ye either meruaile or haue any doubt thereof for that admiration proceedeth of small wisedome and feare of cowardnesse Heroycall persons that amongest others would be notified receiue with equall mindes aduersitie and prosperitie for vnto such men though the ioy of prosperitie and the smarte of aduersitie bee vncertaine yet is their glorie vnuariable Leauing the Gods and speaking of the affaires of men nothing may iustly bee termed great but that which bringeth with it great inconuenience and then one is of more valure then all when one doeth that whiche all leaue vndone for greatnesse consisteth not in possessing proud desires but in perfourming deedes of noblenesse From Rome wee haue sent oure Embassadours vnto Artaxerxes to persuade him to leaue those prouinces whiche hee hath taken and to abstaine from them which hee ment to take which hee not onely refuseth to doe but hardly might endure the hearing therof for which cause it apperteineth vnto the greatnesse of Rome to employ it selfe to the breaking of his pride for that it proceeded not of lesse vertue to humble the proud then to aduaunce the humble Many of you which be here haue beene bred and also present at the glorious acts of Antoninus Pius and Seuerus my progenitours noble men of immortall renowne and notwithstanding that by the antiquitie of your yeares and the trauels which ye haue passed in the warres ye may not fight yet at the least ye shal profite vs by your aduise and counsell whiche in the warres is verie necessarie and no lesse profitable for that in such assembly one counsell is oft giuen that exceedeth the seruice of a thousand horsemen Perfectly wee ought to hope that wee Romanes shal bee conquerours and the Barbarians ouerthrowen not onely for that they first raised this warre but also because we haue requested them with peace wherein the Gods are so iust that very sildome they permit them to enioy the victorie who were the occasion to raise that warre And doubt ye neuer the more for that our armour is old rustie because the felicitie of warre consisteth not in bright armour but in doughtie harts and noble mindes Many which march on land in bright armour be ouercome and all men that go by sea weare rustie armour and doe conquere in such wise that warre is not mainteyned with armour of yron but with heartes of steele And be not escādalized with consideration that ye haue to fight vnder the stādard of a young prince which wanteth experience in the warres but as of the rest so of this ye shal haue no cause to doubt for that I go determined intending in the acte of fighting to fight as one of you in matters of counsell to yeeld my selfe vnto the counsel of the auncient For any want of victuals neither haue ye to suspecte for that we are prouided alreadie in the chanel of Byzantio with wheate of Sicyl wines of Cādie bacon of Campania oyle of Spaine salt of Capua pouldred beefe of Cerdonia and oates and beanes of Normandie For other pleasaunt and delectable things I neither cōmaund to search either would I if they were found suffer them to be transported because in the warres they may hardly subdue their enimies that are ouercome with vices Scipio the African when he went to besiege the renowmed Numantia founde thirtie thousand Romanes which xiiii yeares had beene at the siege thereof enuironed with two hundreth thousand vices who like a skilfull Capitaine banished both vice vicious persōs out of his campe this being accomplished presently the enimies were ouercome In this iourny so tedious perilous chargeable costly I would not that ye should do more thē ye shall see me doe because in trauell vppon the way sayling on the sea defending passages executing on the enimies and in the vsage of my person ye shall finde mee an affable companion and no niggardly prince These and such other woordes Alexander vsed vnto his armie which being heard with lowde voyces they did all wish the Gods to preserue his life and said with one assent that they were readie to go and die in that warre in his seruice This speach being ended he diuided amongest his armies much monie according to the custome of the Romane Emperours which was not giuen in part of paiment of their wages but to animate them that with the better wil they might indure the trauels of warre CHAP. VIII ¶ Howe the Romanes were ouercome of the Persians AFter that Alexander had discoursed with his Captaines and prouided all thinges necessarie for his iourney he commaunded open warre to be proclaimed against Asia a day appointed for his departing before which time hée made great sacrifices in the temples and vowes vnto the Gods because the good Romane princes vsed for custome first to pacifie the yre of the Gods before they tooke armes against their enimies On the day in which he issued out of Rome all the Senate and people did accompanie him 3. miles further also a thing much to be noted there was none which beheld him departing but bitterly fell a wéeping for that being as he was a prince so pitiful of all mē he was cordially and hartily beloued From the time that hée departed from Rome he stayed not vntil he arriued at the citie Alexandria to which place he had commaunded all the garrisons of Illyria to repaire that there being assembled the ignorant might exercise feates of armes further to prouide things necessarie for the warres Alexander being arriued at Alexandria it séemed vnto him to his graue Romane counsellers to send another Embassage to Artaxerxes king of the Persians once more to inuite him to peace which if he refused then against him to sound defiance Artaxerxes being aduertised of Alexander his passage into Asia the cōming of his Embassadours into his kingdom did neither manifest any feare of the Romane power
clearely see that amongest all the trauels of men to be an Emperour is the greatest Neither merueile either be escādalized O ye fathers conscript to see me so vntractable and with so many teares to refuse the Empire for if I thought to vse my selfe therein as a tyrant I would not caste it off but would rather procure the same but as my meaning is to liue gouerne more to the profite of the common wealth thē to the aduancement of mine owne house respecting my small strength the Empire is to mee a great burthen Being as I was most truly satisfied with the acquaintance and conuersation of the trauels of the Empire there were no reason to think I should desire the Empire because there is none so foolish as the man that with the hope of a remedie would offer himselfe vnto an hazard Vnto this day I haue beene esteemed in possession of great wealth but now that I am an Emperour I am forced to become poore for that a prince in respect of such with whō he hath to deale and accomplish hath fewe thinges to giue and hath a thousand necessities that constreine him to bribe and robbe Vntil this day I haue had some quietnesse but from henceforth I shal be constreined to liue discontented because from the trauel and disquietnes of the prince peace and quietnesse doeth proceede vnto the common wealth The office of the prince is not to sleepe but to watche not to be idle but to trauell for that euerie excessiue recreation which his person taketh forthwith redoundeth to the offence of the common wealth From my birth vntill this day of any thing I haue not had greater experiēce then to see heare read suffer and experiment trauels wherof many I beheld farre off but alas of my selfe that nowe am inuironed therewith because the appetite of the vulgar people is so feeble and variable that if to day they giue and elect a good prince to morrow they would relishe and haue a taste of the gouernement of some other Naturallie all men in all thinges and at all houres desire to heare and see nouelties and much more desire the same in the estate of gouernement then in all other thinges for that no prince gouerneth so well but that they conceiue an other should gouerne better Vntill this day I haue beene well liked serued and reuerenced but from henceforth al men for the most part shal beare me enuie and hatred because the estate of princes is so enuied that hee shall want sand in the Sea to reckon his enimies but the number of his fingers of one hand shal exceede to point out his friends All this I haue said fathers conscript to the end ye shall not merueile why I haue refused the burthen of the Empire but rather am escandalized knowing what I know to see my selfe charged and ouer laden with the Empire because to renounce it a thousād thinges do moue me to attempt it nothing inuite me But since the gods haue so willed my destinies so permitted ye also haue so ordeined I determin to lode my selfe with this burdē although I am assured it wil cost me my life but I yeld it al for wel imployed if it perfourmed to the benefite of the common wealth These woordes being said by Pertinax the Senate receiued great pleasure and chiefly praised him for that hée forbad all men to speake euill of Commodus knowing as they all did knowe that hée had béene his mortall enimie The Senat receiued Pertinax in the midst amōgest them and did accompany and attend vpon him vnto all the temples and euery temple did offer vnto the Gods notable sacrifices And most truly this was a notable and also a laudable custome amongest the Romans which is to witt that princes newly elected did first visite the Gods before they permitted themselues to be visited of men As Pertinax had his person in so great authoritie and being elected by the armie and the Senat with so great concord and further being old and hoarie headed and so long time knowen in Rome it was a monstruous thing to behold when he came forth into Rome how al men hasted to sée his face for truly it seemed litle vnto euery man to obey him as a prince but to loue and serue him as a father CHAP. VI. ¶ Of many thinges which he did after he was Emperour THe first thing that Pertinax commaunded or prouided was that the men of warre were very wel payed and therwith practised great discipline in which matter more then in any other he presently gaue reformation for that in the Empire of Commodus the armie was abandoned vnto great libertie Cōmodus consumed so great summes of monie in vices that there was not sufficient to pay the men of warre by this occasion they did filche by night rob on high wayes sacke houses spoile corne oppresse the poore and were bribers with rich men finally they were desperate and so flesht that for feare of any paine they neuer absteyned from offence Not many dayes after that Pertinax was published Emperour and with great seriousnes on a certeine day vsed familiaritie with Letus and Electus a Consul named Falcus said vnto him what an Emperour O Pertinax thou shalt proue thy workes begin to make demonstration since thou leadest after thee Letus and Electus which as traytours did kill their Lord Commodus doing what thou doest and consenting to that wherto thou didst consent it may be no lesse besides the euill example which thou yéeldest vnto Rome thou giuest also such scruple vnto thy fame whereby we thinke that if thou wert not the inuentour of his death at the least thou delightest to cloke the same Vnto this Pertinax made aunswere it well séemeth that although thou be a Cōsul thou art but a yongling since thou knowest not to make difference of times It maketh no great matter that I doe with Letus and Electus as they did with their Lord Commodus that is to say they obeyed him and followed him and that whiche they most desired they most dissembled and at the houre of opportunitie they dispatched him of his life The same day that hée was created Augustus and Emperour hée was intituled Pater patriae this excellencie vnto none either since or before was giuen vppon that day His wife was named Flauia Titiana vnto whome likewise on the same day that he was inuested Augustus she was intituled Augusta The Emperour Pertinax did greatly trauell to allowe all thinges that his Lord Marcus Aurelius did fauour to finish that which hée had begon to susteine that which hée had left to repaire that which he had built and to imitate all that which hée had done for hée said it was impossible to erre in following the stepps of the good Marcus Aurelius The fame being diuulgate thoroughout the Empire howe Commodus was dead and Pertinax chosen Emperour the countries cities prouinces and kingdomes gaue very large rewards vnto the messengers thereof no