Antiphates was King of the Laestrigonians who were Anthropophagi Man-Eaters Antiphates And Cyclops Rule Sicanian Plows began First to turn up the untill'd Ground and then From high Pyrene thither People came Who on the vacant Land impos'd the Name Of an Iberian River After these There soon arriv'd stout Bands of Ligures By (d) The Ligurians vexed by their Neighbours the Brutii and other People of Calabria under the Conduct of Siculus past over into Sicilia then called Sicania from the Spaniards that had planted themselves and called it so from a River or rather from their Leader Siculus and setling there changed the former Name to that which now it bears See Dionys. Halicar lib. 4. Siculus Commanded who by War Possess'd the Land that still his Name doth bare Nor was it Loss of Fame or held a Shame For Siculus to change Sicania's Name Next Neighb'ring Minos making his Demands Of Daedalus his Eteocretian Bands Led to the hapless War and after He A Judg of Hell through cruel Treachery And Plots of the Cocalides was made Weary of making War his (e) Minos feigned by the Poets to be one of the Iudges of Hell pursuing Daedalus into Sicily the King Cocalus treated with him and promised to perform all he desired invited him to his Palace and stifled him in a Bath as Diodorus Siculus affirms though the Poet follows the Report that he was murthered by the Daughters of Cocalus After his Death his People wanting their King and their Ships all burned by the Sicilians laid down their Arms became Sicilians and built a City in Memory of their King called Minoa People lay'd Their Arms aside and dwelt in Sicily Trojan Acestes then his Progeny Had mix'd with Trojan Helymus who there Some Bands of Youth soon following first did rear Those Walls that since from Them retain the Name Neither are Zancle's Walls obscure in Fame Which Saturn laying down his Sickle there (f) The Land about that City being very fertile the Poets feigned Saturn to have dropt his Sickle there Renown'd But in th' Ennaean Land none are More fam'd then those were Founded by the Name That thither from (g) Sisyphus was King of Corinth whence Archius came with a Colonie and built Syracusa Sisyphian Istmus came And in the (h) Corinthian Ephyraean Offspring all Doth much Excel Here doth Alphaeus fall Into his Arethusa's fishy Springs And of a Sacred Crown the Figure brings But in Trinacrian Caves the (i) Vulcan Lemnian God Delights and there hath fettled his Abode For feeding under ground in Forges vast Lipare from her hollow Head doth cast A sulph'rous Smoak But her continual Fires Aetna inflam'd from trembling Rocks expires While with included Groans the raging Sea She imitates and restless Night and Day Through secret Ruptures murm'ring Thunders So From Phlegethon the flaming Billows flow And from the melting Caverns rolls among Those pitchy Tempests half-burnt Rocks along But though within it boileth with so Dire A Storm of Flames and still-encreasing Fire Yet White upon the Top 't is strange to tell How near those very Flames the Snow doth dwell How th' burning Rocks are with Eternal Cold Congeal'd and horrid and how they behold Perpetual Winter on the Mountain's Head And Snow with glowing Ashes overspread What should I say of the Aeölian Land That Dwelling of the Winds and Bars ordain'd 'Gainst Storms Here wash'd by the Iönian Main Turn'd to that Land where (k) Argos Pelops once did Reign (l) An High Promontory Pachynus Cliffs appear There opposite To Libya and the raging (*) Strong West-winds Cauri's Spite The noble Lilybaeum hath in view The bending (m) The Arms of the Celestial Scorpion Chelae A third Frontier to The Shore extended and to Italy Oppos'd upon the other Side the high (n) Another Promontory of Sicily Pelorus riseth with an Hill of Sand. Here long in Peace did Hieron command His People with a milde and easy Sway And ne're the Hearts of those that did Obey With cruel Fears perplex'd nor could He be Induc'd to violate that Faith which he Had at the Altars sworn For many Years His Social League with the Ausonian Peers Entire he kept But when the Fates dissolv'd His aged Life the Fatal Crown devolv'd To 's eldest Nephew and unto that Court Of late so Good unruly Minds resort (o) This young King given over to Luxury which soon after drew him into Tyranny fell into such a Dislike with his People that they rebelled against him at a time when they were divided among themselves some resolving on Defection from the Romans others to adhere to them But his Death gave the Romans the Advantage of which Marcellus made Use to the subduing of all Sicily in taking Syracuse Not sixteen Years of Age the King had known When he Eclips'd the Glory of his Throne Unable to sustain his Kingdom 's Weight Too Confident of his too fickle State In a short time all Crime 's protected by The Force of Arms there all Impiety Familiarly was known the very Name Of Justice banish'd and a modest Shame Was in the King held Vile His Mother 's high Descent from Pyrrhus the great Family Of antient Aeäcus and Thetis Son In Verse Eternal spurr'd this Fury on To that so great a Precipice And strait His Breast's invaded by a sudden Heat To favour the Designs of Libya And this his Sin admitting no Delay He makes new Leagues by which it was agreed That the Sidonian Army should recede From Sicily if they the Conquest gain'd But yet his Punishment for this remain'd Still fix'd and dire Eirnnys him a Tomb Ev'n in that Land deny'd where he no room Would yield to his Ally For some whom Ire And dayly Fears invited to Conspire Resolv'd his Youth no longer to abide Inflam'd with cruel Lusts and bloody Pride And adding to his Tyranny abhorr'd And vilest Acts him slew And then the Sword No measure knew To this the Slaughter they Of Women add and seizing as a Prey His guiltless (p) Such was the Rage and Fury of the People that after they had slain the King they sought out all of the Royal Family and murthered them likewise viz. his two Sisters and a Daughter of Hiero his Grand-father with her Daughters Liv. 24. Sisters kill them Thus rag d new Recover'd Liberty in Arms and threw The Yoak away Some Punick Camps require Some the Italian and known Friends desire Nor was there wanting some that full of Rage Refus'd in League with either to engage Such were Trinacria's Broils such was the State Of Sicily by the young Tyran's Fate When high in Honour for as twice before Then a third Time He Latian Fasces bore (q) At the very time that Marcellus came into the Harbour of Zancl◠which was capable of six hundred Ships such of the Syracusans as desired Peace with the Romanes sent their Embassadours to Appius the Praetor but before he had dispatched
Enemy Had by his Conduct lately overcome Besides the boasting Celtae towards Home Began to look a People of a light Unconstant Minde Fierce at the first in Fight But if withstood soon quell'd They griev'd to see A War should be maintain'd from Slaughter free A thing to them unknown and while they stood In Arms their Hands were stiff and dry from Blood To add to this an inward Grief and Wound Of civil Envy did his Thoughts confound For Hanno thwarting all he did intend At Home would not permit the Senate send (b) Hannibal not able to obtain his Desire of Battel the Hopes of which had till then kept his Army together had Thoughts of returning into France saith Livy lib. 22. if the Consuls that succeeded Fabius had used the same Arts with him to avoid fighting For Hannibal strongly opposed at Home by Hanno's Faction had no Supplies thence and in Italy most of the Cities opposing him he could not finde Provisions to sustain his Men till the following Victory at Cannae gave Him all that He wanted To his Assistance any Aids at all Torn with these Cares and fearing now the Fall Of his Affairs Iuno who knew the Fate Of Cannae and with future things elate Him with fresh Hopes of Arms and War inspires And fills his Thoughts again with mad Desires For (c) The Sister of Dido Anna call'd from the Laurentine Lakes In this mild Language her Instructions takes There is a Youth in Blood ally'd to Thee Call'd Hannibal and from our Belus he His Noble Name derives make Haste away And the rude Surges of his Cares allay Shake Fabius from his Thoughts who is alone The Stop that Italie's not overthrown Fabius is now dismiss'd with Varro he Hereafter must contend the War must be With Varro wag'd Let him not wanting prove To Fate but quickly all his Ensigns move I will be present let him haste away To th' Iapygian Plains there Trebia And Thrasimonus Fates shall meet again Anna a Neighbour to the Gods that reign In those chast Woods thus answers It would be Unjust in Me should I delay said She Your great Commands but yet permit I pray The Favours to my antient Countrey may With Caution be retain'd and that the Will And Charge of my dear Sister I fulfill Though Anna be esteem'd Divine among The Latine Deities yet Time with long Ambages turning in Obscurity Hath drown'd the Reason of Antiquity Why Temples the Ausonians should ordain To Tyrian Pow'rs Or why where Trojans reign Eliza's Sister should be there ador'd But keeping close to Time I will record What antient Fame reports and briefly all The Story tell from its Original When Tyrian Dido by her Trojan Guest Forsaken was and all her Hopes supprest Within a secret Place in Haste with Cares And Love distract a Fun'ral Pyle she rears Then takes the Sword that fatal Gift that by (d) Aeneas Her Husband fled was giv'n resolv'd to dy When strait Hyarbas whom before She had Rejected as a Lover doth invade Her Kingdom and his Arms Victorious while Her Ashes yet were warm fix'd to the Pyle Who durst while thus the Nomades fierce King Prevail'd to their Distress Assistance bring Battus by Chance the Reins of Chief Command Over (e) Cyrene a City scituate between the great Syrt and Marcotis from which all that part of Libya is called Cyrenaica Cyrene with a gentle Hand Then held this Battus was by Nature Kind And Humane Chances easily inclin'd With Tears to pity and at first when Anne A Suppliant before Him came began The fickle State of Kings to apprehend And to relieve her did his Hand extend Here She two Harvests pass'd but could no more Enjoy the Aid of Battus and that Store His Bounty did afford for then a Fame Was spread Pygmalion to her Ruine came By Sea She therefore from that Kingdom flies And as if hated by the Deities And no less hatefull to her self that She Her Sister's Death did not accompany By fatal Tempests on the Sea was tost Till with torn Sails to the Laurentine Coast She driven was and sadly Ship-wrack'd there A Stranger to the People Soil and Air A fearfull Tyrian stood on Latine ground When now behold Aeneas having crown'd His Labours with a Kingdom to the Place By Chance with young Iülus came His Face She quickly knew and when he spy'd her there Her Eys fix'd on the Earth and full of Fear Faln prostrate at Iülus Feet whose Eys O'reflow'd with Pity helping her to rise To 's House he with a gentle Hand convey'd And when with kind Reception he 'd allay'd Her Fears of Danger with a pensive Care Desir'd unhappy Dido's Fate to hear Then she with Language fitted for the Time And Tears her Words protracting thus to him The Story told Thou Goddess-born alone Wert the true Cause my Sister both her Throne And Life enjoy'd her Death and Fun'ral Fire Alass that I in it did not expire Can witness this for when She could no more Behold thy Face sometimes upon the Shore She sate sometimes she stood and as her Eys Pursu'd the Winds with loud and mournfull Cries Aeneas call'd and onely begg'd that she Might in the Vessel bear thee Company Soon after troubled in her Thoughts again She to her Marriage-Chamber runs amain Where as she enters she is seiz'd with such A sudden Trembling that she dares not touch Her Nuptial Bed then mad with her Embrace The starry Image of Iâ—lus Face She hugs then Thine on which at length she dwells With fixed Eys and her sad Story tells To Thee and hopes an Answer to obtain But when Love lai'd all Hopes aside again The House she quits and flies unto the Shore Hoping the shifting Winds might Thee restore At length fallacious Levity invites Her ev'n to Magick Arts and the dire Rites Of the Massilian Nation to descend But Oh! What wicked Errours do attend Such Prophets while they Stygian Pow'rs allure From Hell and promise to her Wounds a Cure What a sad Act did I deceiv'd the while Behold She throws upon the horrid Pyle All Monuments and fatal Gifts by Thee On her bestow'd With that thus lovingly He interrupts her By this Land I swear Which in my Wishes you did often hear By mild Iâ—lus Head to Her and Thee Once held so dear I most unwillingly Oft looking back and troubled in my Mind Your Kingdom left Nor had I then declin'd My Marriage-Bed had I not threatned bin By Mercury who with his Hand Me in The Cabine plac'd and drove into the Sea With furious Winds the flying Ship away But why though all Advice is now too late Did you permit at such a Time as that That She without a Guard in Love should be So Furious In broken Murmurs she Among her many Sighs to this replies With trembling Lips I then a Sacrifice To Stygian Iove and his Infernal Queen To try if my poor Sister might have been Eas'd in her Love-sick Mind
Sepultos Atque Novis pandit Velox sua Carbasa Fatis Dignissimo Viro Gervasio Holles de Grimsby in Comitatu Lincoln Armig Flagrante Rebellione Regijs in Exercitibus fortiss mo Chiliarcho extincta tanaâ— Libellorum Supplicum Regis Magistro Tabula Observantiss D.D.D. A CONTINUATION OF SILIUS ITALICUS To the DEATH of HANNIBAL` The First Book THE ARGUMENT The Romane Piety and Zeal to pay At Scipio's Return the Vows which they In War had made King Syphax Captive dies By voluntary Famine The sad Cries Of Carthaginian Dames Their Citie 's quite Disarmd â—milce's parting Tears By Night Great Hannibal his Treach'rous Country flies Sails to Cercinna and in Sacrifice A Day consumes Fearing to be betray'd Those whom he dâ—ubts by Wine asleep are lay'd NOW had great Scipio brought his Trophies Home And with loud Triumphs fill'd the Streets of Rome The People to their num'rous Altars bring Their pleasing Off'rings and glad Paeans sing Such Store of Sweets in ev'ry Temple smoak As if not Libya onely felt the Yoak Of this great Conquest but Arabia there Her Tribute gave and the Sabaeans were Their Vassals Or as if to Prophesie That all the World in Time to come should be By them subdu'd and Rome Triumphant stand The wealthy Store-house of each conquer'd Land Bulls that with Snow for Whiteness might contend Wash'd in (a) Clitumnus a River in Tuscany in the Territories of the Falisci now called Civita Castellana where such Bulls as were designed for Sacrifice in Triumphs were washed and became White Plin. lib. 2. cap. 103. asserted by Virgil Georg. 2. Hinc Albi Clitumne greges c. But this Virtue vanishing they supplyed the want of White with Red Bulls White Heards and Victims of the best Esteem Bulls wash'd Clitumnus in thy Sacred Stream The Romane Triumphs to the Temples lead But this Virtue c. Clitumnus sacred Streams ascend The Capitol their curled Foreheads Crown'd With flowry Wreaths their Horns with Fillets bound These all in solemn Order round the Hill Thrice slowly lead the Joyfull People fill The trembling Air with Shouts then enter while The Gods seem pleas'd and in their Statues smile Pleas'd that Devotion with Success they see So duely mix'd and grateful Piety (b) It was a Laudable Custom among the Romanes after a Victory obtained to command a Festival of Nine Days wherein all the People abstained from Work and Sacrificed to the Gods for their Success Polyb. lib. Excerpt Legat. cap. 16. To pay those holy Vows which first arose From Fears of Ruin and insulting Foes First to the Queen of Gods a Purple Vest Whose rich Embroid'ry all the Art exprest Of the Sidonian Dames and then a Crown Of Gold which hapless Syphax overthrown His Sophonisba wore the Matrons bring And Off'ring at her Shrine thus Pious sing Sister and Wife of Iove Celestial Queen Whom we so long so full of Wrath have seen That Rome almost despairing of her Fate Saw these her Walls besieg'd let not thy Hate To Trojan Blood still prompt Thee to despise Our Piety but with serener Eyes Behold Us now and hear Us when We pray And our Oblations on thine Altars lay Why should thy Love to Libya still enflame Thy Rage 'gainst Us who from Aenêas came Let it suffice We to this very Time Have expiated with our Blood that Crime Of Paris Oh! believe him now to be In Us repenting his Disdain of Thee Be then appeas'd thy Mercy will no less Then doth thy Power thy Deity confess And if at length with other Gods and Fate Thou wilt comply to bless the Romane State As Thou on the Supreamest Throne above The Heav'ns art seated so here next to Iove Thou shalt be worshipp'd and the World shall come To bring their Off'rings unto Thee at Rome The Flamen while they thus invoke his Hands Display'd to Heav'n at Iove's high Altar stands And thus exhorts Oh! may We ever see Religion thus to Crown thy Victory Quirinus Progeny these Pious Charms Oh Rome will force the Gods to bless thine Arms. Then O then let thy Piety encrease As now when War is ended and thy Peace Confirm Impiety alone the Fates Provokes and flingeth open (c) The Temple of Ianus was alwaies open while the Romanes were in War and never shut but when in Peace with all the World it is observed not to have been shut above thrice First by Numa Secondly after the Second Punick War and Lastly by Augustus Caesar. Ianus Gates This said an hundred Bulls at once are slain Which with their Blood an hundred Altars stain Their Entrails all enquir'd for what 's to come Promise a lasting Happiness to Rome That She the Head of all the World should stand And next to Iove the Universe command (d) Though as Plutarch observes some other Triumphs had exceeded this of Scipio in their Pomp and Wealth yet none was entertained with so much Joy the Romanes being not onely absolved from the Despair of forcing Hannibal out of Italy but Carthage likewise wholy subdued The Gods thus serv'd they all begin to Feast And in their costly Banquets spend the rest O' th' Day The Senate seated are alone And to great Scipio's Honour one by one A stately Goblet quaff of Massick Wine His Cheeks mean while with modest Blushes shine As if they 'd Fire the Laurel on his Brow Unwilling those Just Praises to allow So in the Gyants War when Heav'n again Was free from Fear and mighty Typhon slain To Mirth themselves the Gods dispos'd and round The Tables Hebè with Nepenthè crown'd Their Cups while all Apollo's Skill proclaim Commend his Bow his Shafts and certain Aim By which the Gyants fell when they upon The Stars had seiz'd and Iove's Celestial Throne Almost possess'd But back again to Hell Struck with these Heav'nly Arms the Rebels fell The solemn Day thus spent the Night succeeds Inviting all to Rest. While Syphax bleeds Within the Trumpet which their Triumphs sounds Grates on his Ears strikes to his Heart and wounds His very Soul Sometimes He thinks upon His former (e) Syphax was the greatest of all the Kings of Libya having besides his own Inheritance of the Massili and Mauritania usurped part of Masanissa's Kingdom of Numidia which moved Masanissa to revolt to the Romanes State when sitting on a Throne Of Native Ivory He did command Those Nations which the Aethiopian Land And Nasamon confines with those that by The Carthaginian Bounds and Hammon ly With all that South-ward dwell near Nile and those Where the Herculean Sea 'gainst Calpè throws Its foaming Waves when he could summon to The War whole Myriads of Horsemen who On naked Steeds did ride and gave them Law And between Rome and Carthage when he saw The World disputed was that He had been The Umpire of their Quarrel and had seen Them both his Friendship seek until his Flame Of Love the Ruin of his Throne became Sad with these Thoughts that in his troubled Breast
Gate excluded stand By Multitudes that fled his fatal Hand And now the raging Troops of Nomades Haste to perform their Queens sad Exequies Adding all Funeral Rites and bearing thrice The Corps of Teron as a Sacrifice To Hallow her dead Ashes round the Pile Cast into th' Flames his Club and Lyon's Spoil And sing'd his Face now of all Form bereft And to th' Iberian Fowls his Carkass left While thus Affairs before Sagunthus stand They who at Carthage were in chief Command Consult upon the War and what shall be Return'd to Rome's Imperious Embassie Whose Oratours with Fear their Hearts had fill'd While some to their Demands perswade to yield Urging their Faith and League that long before They and their Fathers at the Altars swore The Gods to Witness call'd Others the Love Of the ambitious Youth's Attempts doth move To hope for Better things if they pursu'd The War But (g) Hanno a Noble Carthâ—ginian Head of that Faction that opposed the Ambition of the Barcean Family He always perswaded the Carthaginians to keep Peace with the Româ—nes and endeavouring to induce them to it by weakning Hannibal's Designs obstructed all resolutions of Relief for his Army and by that means in the end Ruin'd both him and his Countrey Hanno whom a Native Feud Against the General had long enflam'd Their Doubts and rash Applause thus stoutly blam'd I might for Fear grave Fathers now refrain For him with Threats some labour'd to restrain To speak but I will not desist although I saw my Death approaching by my Fo I call the Gods to Witness and to Heaven I leave those Sacred Vows that we have given Which to perform our Countrey 's Safety calls Although Sagunthus be Besieg'd her Walls Sinking in Flames not yet too late my Fears This Caution give which oft with anxious Cares Have broke my Rest that this pernicious Head Might not in Arms and War be nurtured And while I live my Sense shall thus abide His innate Poison and Paternal Pride I know And as those Pilots who the Skies And Stars do Contemplate what Storms will rise What future Winds will cause the Seas to Rage To the affrighted Mariners Presage Aspiring to a Throne he doth invade The Reins of Rule All Leagues all Laws are made The Objects of his Arms with which he falls On Cities and from far against our Walls By this last Act Aeneas Warlike Race He hath incens'd and we have lost our Peace His Father's Ghost and Fury him excites And Memory of those Nefandous Rites He once did Celebrate and what of Old Vainly to him Massila's Priest foretold And thus the Gods for his infringed Faith On his perfidious Head convert their Wrath. With Hopes of a new Kingdom blind he Arms 'Gainst Forein Lands and now Sagunthus Storms But let him not commix this Citie 's Fate With his own Fortune let him expiate With his own Punishment his proper Crime For now Dear Carthage at this very time He Thee Besiegeth and Assaults thy Walls We (h) After many Conflicts by Sea and Land between the Romanes and Carthaginians at length C. Luctatius the Consul put an end to the War by a Naval Victory obtained near the Islands Aegathes in the Sicilian Sea where the Carthaginians received so great a loss that they were constrained to beg a Peace and yield to those Articles which so much enflamed both Amilcar and Hannibal to break into a second War stain'd with Gen'rous Blood th' Aenean Vales And scarce with hir'd Laconians could maintain The War our Navies broken on the Main Have fill'd up Scylla's Caves and we have seen When from Charybdis Bottom Decks have been Spew'd up again Vain Wretch whose Soul no Fire Of Piety doth Warm do but retire Thy Thoughts a while upon Aegathes War And Limbs of Libya dispersed far Whither dost run Why thirsting after Fame Thus in thy Countrey 's fall dost seek a Name The Alps may give Thee way and Apennine Equal to them his Snowy Head decline Yet though thou gain'st some Ground think'st thou to finde In those great Nations a mortal Mind That they to Fire and Sword will yield Alass You fight not now with a (i) A Neritian Race such as were the Sagunthines For Sagunthum was at first a Colonie from Zacynthus and Neritus Islands subject to Vlysses Neritian Race (k) Though in the Constitution of the Romane Militia none could ordinarily be admitted into the List of Souldiers before the Age of seventeen years yet Examples there were of some that at fourteen years were in Arms and were eminent for their Valour as the Son of Tarquinius Priscus Scipio Africanus who rescued his Father Marus c. See Liv. lib. 24. Silius lib. 6. 14. Their Souldiers in the Camp are Bred and Born And e're the Down appear their Cheeks are worn With Brasen Helmets Ease and Rest's unknown To Aged-Men who Pale and Bloodless grown In the continued Service of the State In Fronts of Battails do provoke their Fate My self have Romanes seen who pierced through Their Bodies from their Wounds their weapons drew And turn'd them on the Fo their Valour I Have seen and thirst of Honour when they dy If therefore Carthage thou decline this War Nor give thy Self up to the Conquerour How much of Mischief may prevented be And how much Blood shall Hanno save for Thee Thus He but Gestar whose full Breast the while With Anger and Impatience did boyl Who twice to Interrupt him had essay'd Replies Is then a Romane Souldier made One of the Libyan Councils and must He A Member of the Tyrian Senate be 'T is true he is not Arm'd but well I know In all things else he is a perfect Fo. Us with the Snowy Alps and horrid Height Of lofty Apennine he would affright With raging Seas and Waves of Scylla's Coast Nor wants it much but he a Romane Ghost Still dreads their wounds and Deaths he so doth praise And to the Stars an Humane Race doth raise Trust Me though some cold Hearts with Fear may be Possess'd we have a mortal Enemy Ev'n I beheld their (l) Regulus vanquished by Xantippus and led Captive to Carthage See Lib. 6. Regulus the Hope Of the Hectorean Race their strongest Prop His Hands enchain'd behind with publick Joy Into a Dungeon drag'd ne'r seen by Day I saw when Crucified from the high Oak He hanging on Hesperia did look Nor doth the Face of Boys that Helmets wear A cause of Terrour unto Me appear Or that their Cheeks with early Casks are worn We are not of a Race so sluggish born How many Libyan Troops their Years in Deeds Of Arms out-go and War on Naked Steeds The General so soon as He could speak At th' Altar vow'd this War to undertake To waste with Flames the Phrygian People and His Father's Arms resolv'd to take in Hand Ev'n in thy Sight vile Hanno he shall be Revenger of the Romane Crueltie Then let the Alps encrease and let them
See Book 14. Boy Who shall the Carthaginian recall To his own Countrey and before the Wall Of Carthage of his Arms shall him deprive Then Cytherea shall thy Iâ—sue live Long in Command Then by the Cures shall Coelestial Virtue to the Stars extoll Herself and by their Sacred Rites proclaim A large Addition to Iülus Name Then from a (a) Vespasian in whose Time and Domitian's the Poet lived Sabine Stock a Branch shall spring Whose Father shall enable him to bring Trophies from unknown Thule and shall be The first that Caledonian Woods shall see With his Victorious Troops who shall confine Within his hollow Banks the swelling Rhine Shall govern the rebellious African With Vigilance and when an aged Man Palm-bearing Idumea shall subdue Nor shall He after Death those Kingdoms view That are for ever Dark or th' Stygian Lake But of our (b) Vespasian Deâ—fied Honours and this Place partake Then shall a (c) Titus made Companion in the Empire with His Father Vespasian Youth excelling in his Strength Of Understanding on Himself at length Assume the Burthen of His Father's Care And in His Empire have an equal Share He the Iudaean War so full of Rage Shall quite extinguish in his tender Age. But thou (d) Xiphilin in this contradicts Suetonius who saies that he performed that Expedition with admirable-Felicity affirming that he returned without so much as seeing the Enemy Germanicus who though a Childe Thy Father's Acts transcendest and hast fill'd The yellow Germanes with an awfull Dread Fear not the Capitolian Fires (e) In the War between Vitellius and Vespasian Domitian then a Youth hid himself in a Chapel of the Capitol which by Chance was set on Fire In Memory of his miraculous Escape He when escaped Dedicated a Temple there to the Honour of Iupiter his Preserver thy Head Amidst those Sacrilegious Flames shall be Preserv'd Thou long and happy daies shalt see To thee Gangetick Youth their Bows unbent Shall offer up and Bactria shall present Her empty Quivers from the Icy North Thou shalt in Triumph bring thy Chariot forth And through the City ride then from the East Such Trophies gain as Bacchus ne're possest Thou frozen Ister scorning to give way To Dardan Ensigns shalt compell t' obey And in Sarmatick Limits shalt restrain Thou Romane Nephews that shall Honour gain By Eloquence shalt in thy Speech excell To Thee the Learned Sisters that do dwell Near Thespian Springs shall offer Sacrifice Thy Lyre shall sound more sweetly then did his That Hebrus made to stand and Rhodope To follow and shall utter things may be Admir'd by Phoebus Raised by thy Hand On the Tarpeian Rocks where Faith doth stand Ador'd of old Rich Capitols shall shine And to the Stars their lofty Turrets joyn But thou O born of Gods which shalt give Birth To future Deities the happy Earth Rule with thy Father's Power thy Fate shall be Retarded and these Heav'nly Mansions thee A late and Aged Guest shall entertain Quirinus shall give place and Thou shalt gain Between thy Brother and thy Sire a Throne And near Thee fix'd shall shine thy Starry Son While Iove the Series of Times to come Doth thus unfold the Libyan Captain from Th' unequal Hills through Waies perplex'd descends And dubiously on Quarries moist contends To fix his sliding Steps No furious Shocks Of Foes deterr him but the obvious Rocks Whose prone and threatning Cliffs obstruct the Way So as Besieg'd they stand and the Delay And Difficulties of their March lament Nor would the Time allow them to Foment With Rest their frozen Limbs They spend the Night In Labour and their Shoulders all unite With Speed the Forests from the Hills to bring The highest Mountains naked made they fling The Trees in Heaps together and surround With Flames the Rocks which with a dreadful sound Now yielding to their Bars of Iron breaks And to the weary Troops a Passage makes Into Latinus Kingdom When they'd past Through all these Miseries the Alps at last The General within the Taurine Plains His Tents doth pitch and there Encamp'd remains In the mean time from Garamantian Sands With Ammon's Oracles and dark Commands Bostar with Joy arrives and doth appear To glad their Hearts as Iove himself were there And thus begins Great Hannibal whose Hand Hath banish'd Bondage from thy Native Land We have through Libya pass'd where Sands arise Up to the Stars and lift us to the Skies Us Earth more furious then the Raging Main Had almost swallow'd up The barren Plain From the first Entrance to the farthest Bound Of Heav'n extends nor can an Hill be found By Nature rais'd in all that spacious Tract But what with hollow Clouds of Sand impact The nimble-turning Whirlwinds build or when Fierce Africus escaping from his Den To spoil the Earth or Corus that the Stars Doth with the Ocean wash with furious Wars Invade the Field and with congested Sand Make Heaps that there in stead of Mountains stand Observing Stars o're this inconstant Gâ—ound We sail for Day Our Voyage would confound And Cynosura that a faithfull Star Doth prove to the Sidonian Mariner The wand'ring Traveller who seems t' abide Still in the Midst through the deep Plain doth guid But when we weary to the Sacred Grove And Woody Empire came of horned Iove Where on large Columns stands the shining Fane With what a chearfull Brow our Entertain Arisbas gave the God's divining Priest Who to his House conducted Me his Guest (f) Of the Causes of the Changes of this Spring called by Diodorus Siculus lib. 17. The Fountain of the Sun see Lucretius lib. 6. Englished by Mr. Sandys in his Comment on Ovid Metamorph lib. 15. Near to the Temple in the Grove a Spring Doth rise a strange and memorable Thing Which at the Birth of Day and its Decline Is Warm when Sol in midst of Heav'n doth shine It soon grows Cold but in the Shades of Night That Heat is greater made that shuns the Light Full of the God these Places then he shews And Glebes made wealthy without Help of Plows And chearfully thus speaks This Shady Grove These Woods whose Tops do touch the Feet of Iove Connex'd to Heav'n here Prostrate falling down Bostar adore for unto whom unknown Are Iove's fam'd Gifts through all the World the Pair Of Doves that in the Top of Thebae were Of which the first that the Chaonian Land Did touch and on Dodona's Oak did stand Fill'd it with Prophecy But that which o're Carpathian Seas unto the Libyan Shore With Snowy Wings repair'd this sacred Seat (g) These Dâ—ves saith the Fable once gave their Oracles the most antient oâ— all Greece in a Grove sacred to Iupiter near Dodona a City in Chaonia but quitting that place one fled to Delphos the other to this Grove whence both Places became Oracular The Cytherean Bird did then create And where you Altars and dark Groves behold Standing between the Horns strange to
To Thee concluding will enumerate Some Souls that now Oblivion drink they are But few and so again to Night repair That (a) The Sibyl having shewed him the Souls of such as had lived on Earth now following the opinion of Plato in Phaedo that Souls created must have some place of abode before they entred Bodies shews him the Souls which after they had drunk of Lethe that is â—olly and Forgetfulness of their Original were to live on Earth Among other Marius who of a mean Person came to be General in the War against the Cimbri over whom he triumphed and after strange variety of Fortune dyed in his seventh Consulship Marius for the Time 's not long when he Shall go into Etherial Light shall be Your Consul and shall long Command procure From humble Birth Nor shall Sylla endure Long to drink drowsy Lethe or Obey Fate which no God can Change and Life away Him call He first shall Seize as by Assault The Empire but the glory of his Fault (b) Sylla who after he had cruelly afflicted the Common-wealth and assumed to himself absolute Authority over the Lives and Estates of the Romanes voluntary laid down his Dictatourship and retired to Puteoli where he lived privately and restored them to their Liberty Shall be that he shall it restore alone And in so great a Name there shall be none That shall desire to second Sylla He Whose Hair erect on 's rugged Front you see Is Pompey a most glorious Head on Earth And by the World belov'd But He that Birth O' th' Gods who lifts his Starry Head so high As Caesar of Iülus Progeny When these break from their dark Abodes by Sea And Land how great how mighty things will they Attempt Alass how oft will they Contend In Fight through all the World nor in the End Shalt thou the Conquerour less Guilty dy Then He o're whom thou gain'st the Victory Then Scipio Weeping said It grieves me much That the sad Order of Affairs is such For Italy But if when Life is done There be no Pardon and ev'n Death must run The hazard of Desert say in what part Of Phlegethon his Sins still burning smart Shall Hannibal endure or tell me where Shall a fit rav'nous Fowl for ever tare His Limbs which for her Food shall still encrease Oh! fear no that exclaims the Prophetess A Life inviolate he shall not lead Nor in his Country shall his Bones when Dead Be lay'd to rest For when he shall in Fight Be Vanquished and all his Forces quite Dispers'd he shall endure to be O'rethrown And beg inglorious Safety Macedon For War shall give him Hopes again to rise In Arms and then condemn'd for Treacheries His constant Wife and Son forsaken He Shall Carthage quit and through the Ocean flee In a small Ship Cilician Taurus then Hee 'l visit But alass how foolish Men Will rather choose hard Servitude to bare The Hot and Cold Excesses of the Air With Hunger Flight and Seas then once to Dy. He after these great Wars in Italy A Servant to th' Assyrian King shall be And thence depriv'd of his Desire to see Ausonia embroil'd with doubtful Sails Shall put to Sea until with lazy Gales Brought to the Prusiack Coast grown weak with Age He in another Service shall engage And through that Kingdom 's Aid a Shelter finde Till that their Enemy may be resign'd The Romanes urging secret Poison there In Haste he drinks and from continual Fear Absolve the doubtful World Thus having said To hollow Shades of Erebus the Maid Again withdraws and Scipio strait ascends Unto the Port and his rejoycing Friends The End of the Thirteenth Book Flagrantom Luxu miscentem turpia duris Iurati obtruncant Iunenam Nec â—am Modus Ensibus addunt Faemineam Caedem atque msontum raptâ— Sororum Corpora prosternunt Ferro Honoratissimo Dno Domino Ioanni Berkley Baroni de Stratton in Comitatu Cornubiae Tabula Summâ cum Observantia D. D. D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Fourteenth Book THE ARGUMENT Sicilia describ'd the wanton King Is slain The Libyans and the Romanes bring Into that Land their Arms. What Victories Marcellus gain'd Both sides have their supplies From the divided Land By Land and Sea To Syracusa's Walls the Romanes lay Close Siege What Arts by Archimedes were Found out for their repulse New Aids appear From Libya by Sea A Naval Fight Wherein some Libyan Ships are put to flight Some Captive made some sunk Both Armies are Infected by a Plague which ceas'd the War The Romanes strait renew To one Assault Rich Syracusa yields the Souldier's Fault Who Archimedes as He Figures drew Studious upon the Sand not knowing slue The General deplores What praises He Deserv'd whose Mercy crown'd his Victory YEE Pow'rs of Helicon now turn your Lays To Sicily and the Ortygian Seas Sometimes to Daunian Kingdoms your Resorts To make sometimes to the Sicanian Ports Or Macedonian Palaces to see And the Achaïck Land your Task must be Or wandring where Sardôan Floods enfold Your Steps or where in Cottages of old The Tyrians reign'd to go and farthest Day To visit and where Earth's vast Globe by Sea Is Limited all this the Scenes of War That in their sev'ral Quarters Acted are By Mars require This therefore We must do And where the War and Trumpets call pursue Of large extent a Port of Italy (a) Sicilia was antiently called Trinacria from the three I romentories Pachynus Pelorus and Lilybaeum It was an old Opinion that it was once joyned to Italy by that Neck of Land where Rhegium now Rezzo stands but to be torn from it by the violence of the Sea Trinacria was till once Assaulted by Notus and raging Waves against it heav'd By the Coerulean Trident it receiv'd The Ocean in for by an hidden way The Earth's torn Entrails the impacted Sea Asunder threw and breaking through the Land With a full Tide at once the People and The Cities by the Tempest 's secret Force Bore quite away Since keeping that Divorce By an impetuous Flood th' unruly Main Permits not the Disjoyn'd to meet again But yet the space that the two Lands divides As Fame reports so narrow are the Tides That run between Barking of Dogs and Lays Of early Birds to either Side conveys So rich the Soil that it the Garners fills Of Husband-men with Olives shades the Hills Titles creats to Bacchus and swift Steeds That will endure the sound of Trumpets breeds Cecropian Tapers Hybla ev'ry where Renown'd from her sweet Nectar kindles there Paeonian Streams with secret Sulphur spring There by the Muses grac'd fam'd Poets Sing Worthy Apollo who their Lays diffuse Through Sacred Groves whose Syracusian (b) Theocritus born in Syracusa whom Virgil imitated in his Bucolicks Muse Makes Helicon resound The People are In Language prompt but when emploi'd in War Their Ports are Crown'd with Trophies from the Seas After the Reign of dire (c)
Fraight The lofty Gally through the River drew With fast'ned Cords Then round about them through The Air the hollow Sounds of tinkling Brass With the harsh Timbrel's Noise contending pass And dancing Satyres which inhabit where (b) Chast from the Goddess Cybele whose Rites were there most solemnly performed Chast Dindymus two lofty Hills appear And use in the Dictaean Caves to Sport And unto Ide and silent Woods resort Amidst this Noise the Sacred Vessel known By Chearful Shouts refusing to go on Retracts the Ropes and on a sudden stood Immoveable and fix'd within the Flood With that the Priest as in the Ship he stands Exclaims Forbear with your Polluted Hands To touch the Cords and I advise you farr From hence Oh! farr depart whoever are Prophane nor in this Chaster Labour joyn While it sufficeth that the Pow'r Divine Gives this Advise but if there any be That in her chaster Minde excells if She Be Conscious to her self Her Bodie 's Pure Her Hand alone this Pious Task secure May undertake Here (c) Claudia was of the Sabine Patrician Family which first incorporated themselves with the Romanes She was a Vestal Virgin and suspected of Incontinency made this Miracle the Test of Her Chastity and was ever after Honoured as the most Virtuous Matron of her Time Claudia who her Name From th' antient Clausi drew by common Fame Traduc'd unto the Ship her Hands and Eyes Converting said Mother of Deities Thou Powr Divine who didst for Us give Birth To all the Gods whose Off-spring Heav'n and Earth The Seas and Shades below do rule by (d) The Lot between Iupiter Neptune and Pluto by which each of them received his Empire Lot If this my Body be without a Spot Great Goddess be my Witness and let Me By this thy easy Bark absolved be Thus having said the Cable free from Fear She seiz'd and suddenly they seem to hear The Lion's Murmur and a Sound more Grave Untouch'd by any Hand the Timbrels gave The Ship advanc'd so fast you 'd think the Winde Had forc'd it on and Claudia's left behinde Though 'gainst the Stream it ran And Hopes that far All else exceed chear up their Hearts the War And all their Fears at length shall ended be For active Scipio leaving Sicily Hid with his winged Ships the spatious Seas But with an off'red Bull did first appease The God on whose blew Waves the Entrails swum Then Thunder-bearing Birds descending from The Gods Abodes through the clear Air in view Begin to lead the Navy and to shew Their Course by Sea A Joyful Augury Their Cries afford and as they foreward fly Under a liquid Cloud the Ships pursue As far as they could keep them in their View And the Perfidious Coast of Cadmus Land Attain Nor yet did Africk Idle stand But since so great a Storm upon her came A dreadful Pow'r under a mighty Name Against their Fury had prepar'd to bring The Arms and Force of the (e) Of Syphax See the Continuation Book the First Massylian King Libya's sole Hope and Latium's onely Fear Syphax the Fields and Valleys ev'ry where And Shores had fill'd with Nomades that scorn Their nimble Steeds with Trappings to adorn Who with their singing Shafts that as they flie Through Air like Clouds surcharg'd obscure the Skie Of the Right-Hand which he had giv'n before And League that He upon the Altar swore Unmindeful Rites of Hospitality And Feasts that what was done could Testifie His Faith and Trust chang'd by an Impious Flame Of Love He had infring'd and 's Crown became The purchase of his Bed Great Hasdrubal A Virgin Daughter had Esteem'd by all As Beautiful as her Descent was fam'd She taken to his Bed as if inflam'd With his first Nuptial Taper suddenly His Forces all to Carthage turn'd The (f) Of this League see above in the Sixteenth Book Ty Of Amity with Rome He violates And to the Fo his Dotal Arms translates But Scipio careful to advise the King Bids him be Faithful to observe the thing That he had Sworn and not to violate The Laws of Peace but firmly to his State And Kingdom stand To call the Gods to Minde And Deeds that Hospitality did binde That farr his Nuptials farr his Tyrian Bride Would be 'mong Romane Arms if He deny'd What they demanded he should quickly finde That weak Obedience of too soft and kinde A Husband and his Bed's so ardent Heats Should stand in Blood Thus intermixing Threats Scipio advis'd the King whose (g) Sophoâ—isbae Wife before Had stop'd his Ears And when Advice no more Took place He summons all his Swords agen Attesting the Chast Altars of the then Polluted League and in the War proceeds With various Arts. With Huts of slender Reeds And Fenny Flags such as the Rustick Moor Selects to thatch his Homely Cottage or'e The Libyan Camp was fillâ—d This he assail'd By Stealth and secret Flames with Targets vail'd Scatter'd in Dead of Night which as they run Diffus'd like a Contagion and begun With mighty Noise through th' Unctuous Food their Way To make through all the Air their Light display And by their active Heat the Rafters fall The Hostile Mischeif like a Storm through all The Camp goes on and on the arid Reeds With frequent Cracks devouring Vulcan feeds Sad burnings in all Quarters rise and some Before they could perceiv 't excited from Their Sleep are seiz'd by Fire and as for Aid In vain they call their Faces Flames invade The Lemnian God appears in ev'ry Place A Conquerour and in his dire Embrace Destroys both Arms and Men. The Plague swells High And through the Clouds the half-burnt Camp doth fly In glowing Ashes Then with dismal Sounds And a prodigious Leap the Fire surrounds (h) The Assault of the Romanes setting the Huts of the Numidians Camp on Fire was so sudden that Syphax fled Naked out of his Bed and very hardly escaped their Hands after which he joyned his Camp with the Carthaginians The King's Pavilion and had sadly there Devour'd the Man had not his Guards through Fear Of Danger while amaz'd He much enquir'd Him from his Sleep and Bed by Force retir'd But when within one Camp the Tyrian and Syphax their Strength had joyn'd and through the Land Call'd thither all in Arms the Youth agen The Wounds of that sad Night had eased then Shame Anger and a third pernicious Fire His Wife into his Minde new Rage inspire And now He threatning storms his Face should be Blasted by burning of his Camp that He Should Naked hardly scape the Fo by Flight Amidst his trembling Troops But in the Light In clearer Day and less perfidious View Of Heav'n no mortal Syphax could subdue Thus Foolishly he rants while Fate his Pride And Breath concluding would no more abide But cuts the Thread of this vain swelling Tongue For soon as He like Floods that draw along Whole Groves and Rocks and like swift Torrents go Through
Neptune spreads His frothy Arms about the Rhegian Walls Their Aid denies The Name of Scipio calls The most Luxurious from their Choice Delights And to meet Dangers under Him invites All who their Country all who Honour love His Ensigns seek to follow and to prove What Fortune and the Gods for them ordain And now with num'rous Ships the Neighb'ring Main Oppress'd groans under their vast Weight and feels The Fate of Carthage from their brasen Keels Which oft as the rebellious Billows rise Dash them to pieces while the Winde supplies With favourable Blasts their swelling Wings And to the Asian Coast the Army brings While Rome for future Triumphs thus provides Envy the Plague of Courts not Reason guides The Syrian Counsels What the Wise perswade The Ignorant reject The Courtier 's made The Souldier's Judg. What he concludes doth finde Its Influence upon the Prince's Minde Not all the Mighty things which Hannibal Had done which Rome ev'n trembled to recall To Memory could make his Sense prevail (l) The Envy of the Syrian Nobility traduced Hannibal to the King as if his Counsel to invade Italy proceeded from his Ambition once more to see himself at the Head of an Army there So that they wholly diverted him from that Advise and Hannibal was ordered to go with the Navy while the King went in Person with the Army towards Greece To quit the Syrian Kingdoms and assail The Fo at Home Though whosoever so Invaded is lends Courage to his Fo And Strength to vanquish him But strangely Blinde To his own Fall the Syrian King 's inclin'd Rather on his own People all those Ills To bring with which Invasive Fury fills A miserable Land And strait his Fleet Is order'd under Hannibal to meet The Romane where (m) Crete Iônian Billows move About that Island where the Wife of Iove Was born and by the Careful Nymphs was bred Till call'd by Hymen to her Brother's Bed (n) Iuno She although Conscious of the Fates to come Retaining still her Antient Hate to Rome Her Empire of the Air with (o) As the Romane Navy came near Phaselis a Promontory on the Coast of Pamphylia a Disease siezed them and destroyed many of their men while the Syrians were detained in their Course towards them by contrary Winds Mischief fills And on the neighb'ring Isles sad Plagues distills Th' unhappy Season with her Wrath conspires 'T was when the Dog breath'd his Contagious Fires On fainting Men depriving Beasts of Food And turning into Poison purest Blood Th' attracted Air their Entrails scorcheth fills Their Veins with Flames and e're expired kills Such hasty Fates that Time doth scarce know how 'Twixt Life and Death his Minutes to allow While some whom decent Piety invites T'interr their Friends for their own Funeral 's Rites Prepare and strait from their departing Breath Infected fall and share a sudden Death The Romane Souldier whose great Valour scorn'd To stoop to Foes whose Trophies had adorn'd His Native House who ne're before had known To yield his Arms now weak and feeble grown Let 's fall his Shield and Conqu'ring Sword and dies Ev'n in his Arms disarm'd This Plague's Surprize So sudden is that as the Master stands To time with his loud Voice the Seamen's Hands On his half-Deck he prostrate falls before The Word 's exprest Extended at the Oar The Seaman in a lab'ring Posture dies Not known if Dead or rowing as he lies From this so fatal Coast that did afford To Death far greater Triumphs then the Sword The Romane Navy flying the Disease Retires and trusts their Safety to the Seas But Venus fearing lest Saturnia's Hate From this might greater Mischief propagate If then the Syrian Fleet should on them fall Thus to her Aid the God of Winds doth call Great Aeolus whose mighty Empire lies O're all the vast Extent beneath the Skies Assist Me now I ask not That thou make Earth tremble and the World 's firm Fabrick shake Nor that her Stony Entrails thou so wide Should'st rend that Ghosts below may be descri'd Nor that the Seas as in the Giant 's Wars Thou hurl in wat'ry Mountains 'gainst the Stars Iuno for such Revenge perhaps may call 'Gainst Us t' exalt her single Hannibal I onely covet to preserve mine Own And to effect the rest let Fates alone She when nor Arms nor Valour can prevail My Race with Hell and Furies will assail Could She infect the Place I hold above She 'd bring Her Plagues into the Court of Iove What 's mine on Earth her Malice doth surround Thou see'st what gloomy Vapours from the Ground She draws Death hatching in their pregnant Wombs And threatning Mischief to all 's Mine and Rome's Scarse can my Power my sacred Isles defend (l) Besides that Venus is said to have been born in that Sea the Island Luxurious in its extraordinary Fertility the Inhabitants were more prone to Venus then any other Their Women before Marriage exposing themselves on the Shore to all Strangers that arrived there See Iustine in his Eighteenth Book My Cyprian my dear Paphian Temples tend To Ruin and our Votaries for fear Of dire Contagion all our Shrines forbear No Innocence is spar'd my Birds that from Aurora's bosom to my Lap would come And the Refreshments of the choicest Springs Would billing scatter from their Silver Wings As to our sacred Groves they would repair Fall flying Victims in the poisn'd Air. But this thy Power great Aeölus can cure And what is now corrupted render pure Then purge Infection from this Ambient Air Make it Serene and the lost Health repair Of this once Happy Clime and Neighb'ring Isles And thy Reward with that She sweetly smiles Shall be the fairest Nymph of all my Train No sooner said for who can ought refrain When Venus pleads but Aeölus unbindes From their dark Prisons the Etesian Windes Whose Active Force not onely chas'd away All noxious Clouds and Mists and gave the Day A wholsom Face but with a constant Gale Against all Labour of the Oars prevail To keep the Syrian Fleet the more to please The (*) Cyprus Cyprian Goddess in her Neighb'ring Seas Twice twenty Daies the Idle Ships before The Island lay and Anchor'd near the Shore When a Desire to see the fam'd Delights Of Cyprian Groves the Syrian Lord's invites And Hannibal to Land No place did more Indulge to Love or Venus Pow'r adore The Goddess this to all the World prefers And is best pleas'd when Mortals calls it Hers All Deities that can Earth's Wealth improve Here pay their Tribute to the Queen of Love The Medows Flora the Fields Ceres fills With her rich Plenty Bacchus crowns the Hills The greedy Swains no wealthy Orchards rear For Nature choicest Fruits doth ev'ry where Largely bestow the Bounty of the Soil Gives all they can desire without their Toil. All other Pleasures which Affection moves They finde most ample in their Sacred Groves Eternal Shades of Trees whose Arms above
goes on Fearless as if his Valour could alone With all their Force contend When a Disdain To see him dare so much a Rage more vain Creates in a brave Rhodian who forsakes His Station and the Combate undertakes Both ply their Oars both seek to gain the Wind. While Fortune that in this alone inclin'd To favour Hannibal extends his Sails With following Gusts so that his speed prevails And bears his Gally on against his Fo With so great Violence the barbed Proe Strikes through his Side and with the furious Shock Shakes his whole Bulk as bruis'd against a Rock As from some Engine shot the Splinters fly Through all the Ship and One the Captain 's Eye So deeply wounds it sinks into his Brain And leaves upon the Deck his Body slain With him the Courage of the rest doth dy And a base Fear perswades them streight to fly While Hannibal pursues with Storms of Fire From Pitchy Lamps and Darts as they retire Black waves of Smoak the flying Vessel hide And her sad Fate invites from either side Fresh Squadrons to the Fight These to maintain Their Conquest those to take Revenge The Main Foams with their active Oars and the Sea-Gods Affrighted seek their most remote Abodes Fearing the future Horrour of the Day And bloody Seas their safety might betray Both Navies now are met Proes against Proes Sides against Sides they strike and grapling close So firmly that as Foot to Foot they stand And with their Swords deal Wounds as if on Land But where the swelling Surges interpose Or Winds so that the Gallies cannot close Darts Arrows Jav'lins flaming Lamps they throw And Death and Wounds in sev'ral Shapes bestow The Romanes now the Syrians now give Way Yet neither fly but equally the Day Are confident to gain and their Retreat Like Rams doth greater Force and Rage beget Till Scipio to whose Fortune Syria's Fate Must yield and thence her future Ruin date A Squadron of Italian Gallies brought 'Gainst Apollonius who too rashly sought So brave a Fo. Like Thunder tearing Clouds Their meeting Vessels crack th entangled Shrouds Some that would sink above the Waves retain While others to the Bottom of the Main Descend and in their Arms the Souldiers drown'd Finde a sad Fate without Revenge or Wound But some whose present Courage stood above Surprize of Danger 'gainst such Fortune strove To dy among their Foes and leaping on Their Decks there fighting fall Some backward thrown Are lost in the Assault others whose Skill In Swimming and their Rage kept floating still Attempt to Board again Eumenes late A Captain who his Tyrian Gallie's Fate A while surviv'd first seiz'd a Romane's Oar By which he nimbly climbing up before Perceiv'd the Deck had gain'd when strait one Hand Lop'd off the other still his Hold maintain'd Untill a second Wound took that away Yet this sad Loss could not his Minde betray To want of Courage but his Teeth supply'd Their Room until a Fauchion did divide His Body from his Head which still did keep Its Hold the Trunck fell back into the Deep Th' Example of his Death made some to burn With Rage some I hill with Fear their Proes to turn And fly While Hannibal their Flight in vain Upbraids and hales them to the Fight again But when they saw Pamphilius possest With so great Terrour that he first the rest Forsook no Sense of Honour could restrain Their Flight But scatter'd over all the Main The base Cilicians spread their Sails to Fear Scarce knowing to what Land or Coast they steer Hannibal's Valour But the brave Libyan who as much to fly Abhorr'd as those base Cowards fear'd to dy With three stout Tyrian Gallies makes through all The Latian Ships t'attaque their Admiral Thinking that Act alone would best become His Valour when he seem'd t' assault ev'n Rome Her Self and from his Conquest or his Fall The World might say 'T was done like Hannibal But Fortune the Success deny'd and brought A furious War upon him where he fought Where e're he turns their Numbers him surround So as besieg'd he stands No place is found Where a brave Deed a single Arm may boast All Valour in their Multitudes is lost This Face of Danger his last Fury wakes As when too close pursu'd a Tiger takes His Stand resolv'd to dy reveng'd he views His Foes all Wounds receives at length doth chose Against that Hand to spend his Stock of Rage That 'gainst his Life most forward doth engage Hannibal's Stratagem So a Pretorian Ship that 'bove the rest With Show'rs of Piles and Darts did him infest With a Prodigious Storm he laies aboard And all the Plagues that Libya could afford To which her thirsty Sands do give a Birth Upon it throws enclos'd in Pots of Earth From which when fall'n and broken on the Decks Myriads of Serpents rais'd their marble Necks The Souldiers in the Fight with Wonder are Surpriz'd as if Medusa made the War Their dreadful Hiss suppress'd all warlike Sounds And when their Stings or Teeth inflict their Wounds Strange kinds of sudden Death ensue while some Whose Nerves the deadly Poison doth benum Like Statues fixed stand Others beheld Their well-shap'd Limbs above Proportion swell'd Till their encreasing Bow'ls their Bellies burst Some seem t' have swallow'd Flames and a dire Thrist Firing their bloodless Entrails to allay Its Rage they headlong leap into the Sea This through one Wound sees all his blood to flow His Veins soon empty made That doth not know Hee 's hurt nor feels a Wound when Death strait creeps Into his Heart and he for ever sleeps But though each Serpent thus a sev'ral kinde Of Death inflicts yet to one Ship confin'd Free from their Venemous Assault the rest The Libyan with all sorts of Arms opprest Till Iuno strugling still with Fate resolv'd No Romane Hand should boast his Fall involv'd The Day in Horrour chas'd the Light away Before its Time and over all the Sea The Wings of Night extends the Pregnant Clouds Discharge their Cataracts and from the Shrouds The roaring Winds the swelling Canvase tare The Romane Ships as if in Civil War 'Gainst one another strike and now contend How from themselves they may themselves defend At length dispers'd o're all the Main they flee And by this Danger from a greater free Safe to the Lycian Shore the Libyan came Reserv'd by Fate to be Bithynia's Shame Antiochus overthrown at Land But Fortune had not thus her Aid deny'd By Sea alone unto the Syrian Side But where by Land the King his Armies led His Ensigns from the Romane Eagles fled His Thracian Kingdoms now no more his Law Obey'd but the Ausonian Fasces saw In Triumph through their Conquer'd Cities go And Him of late their Lord esteem'd their Fo. His Grecian Friends the Leagues that they had sworn Reject and now his weaker Friendship scorn Scarce would the Syrian Cities entertain Their flying King at his return So vain The