that he had onely done that in reference to his love which we had lately seen transacted and that so haughty an Inscription had not daunted him writ these four Verses under those that I now repeat Although it should rule over Land or Sea And fill all parts with awe Saw I not there the fairest eyes i' th' world I 'de not receive her law You may well judge that Pyneas understands here only the fair Aemilia for he daily resorts to her as Lucius told me since and in brief 't is out of respect to Lucius that he has made this Alliance so highly to the advantage of the Commonwealth so that Lucius testifi'd to me that he had a great obligation to the King of Illyria and that he found some inclination in himself to give him his daughter provided he would bring a powerful succour into Italy How My Lord answer'd I is it possible Lucius can resolve to marry so fair a person out of Rome It appears Laelius interrupted he that you are still a young Roman that is that you have courage indeed but not yet a compleat soul since you are capable of wondering a man should marry a fair and dear daughter into a forrain Country and sacrifice her to the interest of his Country As he ended these words and it was already late we all retyr'd and Scipio was deliver'd from the trouble of hearing the continuation of so cruel a discourse And after having sup he made a reverence to Publius and ascended up to his Chamber pretending to have some business to do there You may judge Madam that I did not desert him and that he did not fail immediately to tell me all his sentiments Alas Laelius said he to me I knew I should meet with more obstacles then you imagin'd But added he with very great sadness I could never have believ'd it possible things should conspire so strangely to render me the unhappiest man of the world Was ever any thing heard or seen more cruel in the beginning of a passion 'T is but three dayes proceeded he since I saw the adorable Aemilia three dayes since I began to adore her but in these three days the dearest of my friends has informed me that Varro is my Rival Varro who is the favourite of the people and who by some fortunate rashness may cause an obstacle to my happiness Yesterday I was with Aemilia and I beheld that divine person more fair and charming then she had before appeared to me my passion received new vigour and I fastned my chains my self but upon my leaving that admirable person it fell out that my dear brother advertis'd me Fabius was my Rival Fabius whose birth and merit place him above Varro But this is not all my father who has an infinite tenderness for me being yet nearer then a brother and dearer then a friend tells me to day I have a Rival more to be fear'd then Varro and Fabius as if fate had ordered the persons that are dearest to me should bring me the adventures which are most troublesome and tormenting For in truth Laelius I see Pyneas is a goodly personage I know he is indued with wit and I have heard say he has very much courage too and a soul full of high and noble sentiments But yet I see above all that I have mentioned that he makes all things submit to his passion and gives a fair proof of it such as can be given onely by Kings and those very amorous But Scipio said I to him do you know that the King of Illyria loves Aemilia and that 't is she possitively that he meams in his Verses Can you doubt it Laelius interrupted he and could Pyneus better express himself then by mentioning the fairest eyes in the world besides could he have given for any person but Aemilia so important a proof of his love Would he have addressed to Lucius in doing all the passages we have heard my father relate No no Laelius it must not be doubted and I see clearly enough my hard fate raises me up new Rivals every day and new obstacles Not that these Rivals and obstacles can make me renounce the love I have but on the contrary I feel it augments in my heart and presages I shal do things which perhaps my Rivals will not In the mean time to neglect nothing it is requisite we retire and either of us seek ou◠means which may make me prosperous in that which I design to the end to morrow morning according to your sentiments or my own I may resolve what course to take to surmount whatever shall oppose it self to my happiness The End of the First Book The Grand SCIPIO PART II. BOOK II. UPon the point of day-break Scipïo entered into my Chamber and having wak'd me Well Laelius said he to me I have Rivals but I resolve these Rivals shall serve to augment my glory I will comport my self with an air that perhaps shall surpass theirs and leaving them to their ordinary methods of Courtship I will do things which assuredly shall not be unworthy the esteem of the Illustrious Aemilia You will do well answered I in doing the rare things you speak of but perhaps you will not do ill in serving your self of those ordinary methods of acting with a Mistress which you leave to your Rivals How Laelius interrupted he should I serve the adorable Aemilia as they ordinarily serve Ladies Ah! Laelius Ah! Scipio interrupted I you have not all your soul about you this morning for should Aemilia be more adorable then she is were it fit to be less diligent or less complacential Would you court her with fewer blandishments would you offer her less incense In a word would you take less care to please her You know Laelius answered he I would not fail in any particular whatsoever But yet I am desirous to render Aemilia some important service before I take all those little cares you speak of I am not of your opinion said I to him and if I were a Lover I should choose rather to begin with those little diligences then your grand services For those assiduous conversations those blandishments and complacencies and in brief all those little diligences insinuate much more and enter insensibly into the memorie and likewise the heart of the person belov'd And in case she should become so warie as to stand upon her guard yet she will soon despond to make a continual resistance Besides we hourly find occasions to render these small offices I speak of whereas the opportunities of glorious actions be rarely offer'd there is not the like advantage of insinuating into the affections And moreover the lustre of them serves as an excitement to a Ladie to put her self in a posture to resist an invasion yea I pass further and think a Lady has ground to suspect that a man who exploits a grand action acts more for his own glory then for the interest of the person lov'd So that Scipio if
them to that extreamity We shall perhaps have other means to free Aemylius answered Scipio and since ransom or exchange cannot avail for his liberty continued he suffering himself to be transported by the greatness of his courage I will my self go break his fetters maugre the forces of our enemies and the rampants of Carthage After these words he remitted Valerius to the care of â—lavius and without staying to inquire in what manner he had escaped he turned towards the Officers that were assembled in his Chamber and told them with a fierce and ardent aspect that the siege of Carthage was resolved upon and that he would either perish or win that City the same day he attaqued it At these words all the company silently lookt upon him the valour of Scipio and the greatness of the enterprise holding their minds in suspence what they should answer whereupon our famous General again confirming what he had said all the Officers consented with him not being able to believe him capable of attempting what he could not execute In the mean time Martius who had not bin at Scipio's quarters because he was at that time imploy'd in preparing all conveniences for a journey to Rome for Madam he was not in a condition fit for service and had received in the last skirmish a wound with a javelin in the right arm Martius I say was astonished when the procedure of Scipio was related to him and for that he well knew the temper of that young Heroe and admired his rare qualities he was so apprehensive lest he should impatiently precipitate himself into some great danger that being of more years then Scipio and the services he had performed warranting him the liberty to speak his sentiments in the like occasions he writ to him that he ought not to suffer himself to be transported any more by that noble ardor which had already gained him glory enough to merit immortally intreated him to remember that he was General of an Army that it was no longer free for him to act as a Volunteer and that in a word be ought not to be prodigal of a blood illustrious and absolutely necessary to the Common-wealth Scipio who had his heroical qualities conjoyned those of civility and candor by which he was led to interpret things according to the intention of their Author received this Letter of Martius with many demonstrations of friendship and answered to it in these terms Scipio to Martius DId you understand all the power of Love I could easily justifie my procedure to you by naming to you the person whom I must see at Carthage and by that means discoâ—ering to you the secret of my heart After which I presum you would not condemn me but rather pardon the ardor which you now reproach me with though in a very obliging strain and after the manner which I judg'd as ingenious as it is obliging All the company being with-drawn when Scipio received the Letter of Martius and testified his intention to answer it I was left alone in his Chamber with the Officer who waited for the answer which was to be returned to his Master so that Scipio after he had written it read it aloud to me and told me he did not judge it meet to name the person whom he said he was to see in Carthage for fear lest the matter should come too soon to the knowledge of Claudia and Aemylia But when we were alone he entertain'd me with the violence of his passion telling me of the grief Aemilia would resent if she came to understand the misfortune of her brother before the taking of Carthage and afterwards discoursing to me concerning the siege of that City Wonder not Laelius said he to me that I resolve to win Carthage in one day though it be very strong and seem even absolutely impregnabâ—e you know continued he that it is encompassed on one side with a little bay of the Sea that on the other there is a Lake that washes the foot of the walls that the Lake and the Bay meet together so that there is onely a tongue of Land that hinders it from being wholly encompassed Now you may easily enter with your ships into the Port and block up the City towards the Sea and I will cause Syllanus to possess himself of the Tongue of Land and I conceive added he I shall win the City on that side towards the Lake But it is not foardable interrupted I It seems not to be so answered he and all the world believes it is not which will be to my advantage for the walls that stand towards those â—aters being neither high nor well guarded it will not be difficult for me to employ a Scalado there with good success Trebellius has positively assured me of what I now tell you you know he is not often mistaken in such affairs but after having a long time bin the disciple of the famous Archimedes he has had the curiosity to see all the strongest places in Europe vvhose scituation he has exactly observed Besides his skill not hindering him from being couragious he has desired me to permit him to follow me in this occasion which leaves us no reason to doubt of the truth of his words Yet I have heard the contrary reported replyed I to what you are assured of The persons then that inform'd you answered he made not the same observations with Trebellius since they have not told you that the Bay and Lake joyning together the latter is greatly augmented by the flux of the Sea but afterwards decereasing by the ebbe there is not left water enough in it to hinder it from being fordeable Scipio having added many other things tending to convince me after all added he ought not something extraordinary to be done for the deliverance of Emilia's brother and the taking of a City which is not onely the chief of all Spain but into which many persons of greatest quality of severall Nations are retired with all their wealth and whatever they account precious Which being atchiev'd it will not be difficult for us afterwards to reward our Souldiers and gain the affection of the several Nations by gentle treatments of their Soveraigns or Magistrates which we shall without doubt find in Carthage This Madam was the conversation I had with Scipio concerning the memorable enterprise after which we parted and the next morning I took my way to my Ships as Martius did his to Rome But not to be tedious to you I shall proceed to tell you that Scipio having ordered all things necessary with extream diligence he assaulted that important place three dayes after he had taken the resolution to do it And he observed the same order I mentioned to you For as I had the good fortune in spight of all resistance made me to enter into the Port of Carthage and Syllanus was come in the head of his Troop to assault the walls of it by Land Scipio some time after the reflux
be her Soveraign Mistress In a word that 's the place where we shall evidence that 't is not safe to provoke a Souldiery There is no doubt to be made of the success of this Enterprise I will undertake for the Event It is enough to tell you that you are fear'd to let you see at the same time that you are Victorious Take therefore this money of Giscon since it is due to you seise his person and all his train of Carthaginians lest they give our Tyrants notice of our designe and let us go carry them the Tidings thereof our selves effecting it with sixty thousand men The Discourse of the perfidious Spendius had but too much power upon the mindes of this rebellious multitude insomuch that Giscon was immediatly clapt under a Guard with seven hundred Carthaginians who had convoy'd him and the Law of Nations was violated in the person of a Delegate and such a Delegate who had not repaired towards them but to give them satisfaction Spendius being unwilling to lose this occasion which he had so much desired divided his Troops into three bodies making the first of Lybians and Baleares which was commanded by Matho the second consisted of Gaules and Spaniards of whom Autharic was Leader the third which Spendius chose to command himself was compos'd of Greeks and Ligurians This division was but too well contrived and it suffices only to know the Scituation of Carthage to conceive the pitifull estate whereunto we were reduced I beleeve you know My Lords that our City is built upon a Cape and consequently is advanced something into the Sea that it is on one side environed with the waters thereof and on the other side with a Lake which together almost give it the form of an Island So that it adheres to the Continent of Africa only by a tongue of Land on one side of which Tunis is seated which looks towards the Lake and on the other is seen the City of Utica upon the Sea-shore About the middle of this tongue of Land slow the streams of Machâ—ra whose discharging is not much remote from the Port of Carthage This River is not altogether fordeable nor wholly Navigable and the only passage is at the Bridge of the City Sephira which is further advanced into Africa Spendius marched towards Utica with his forces who were much augmented by the way and immediatly took order for drawing of a Trench whilest Autharic made preparations for the winning of Sephira and Matho betook himself to besiege Tunis Behold all our Revenues debar'd by the siege of these three Cities Behold also our Enemies possessing this tongue of Land I spoke of which only affords commerce with Africa and three armies ready to be united according as any enterprise should require But it is better to unwinde my self from this part of the story and silently pass over all the cruelties which the seditious exercised during the warre It suffices to tell you that this irreconcilable war was more bloudy then can be imagined the Rebels gave no Quarter they stoned all the prisoners and put to death all the Officers considerable they took with excessive torments upon the Cross In a word this cruell warre was remarkable for more inhumane actions then ordinary war are eminent for generous Atchievements The great conduct of Amilcar and Hannibal was no advantage in this conjuncture and these two Heroes being destitute of Forces proportionable to those of the Revolted were constrained to attend some succours from Sardinia when in the mean time News was brought that all the Garisons of the Carthaginians in that Island were cut in peeces and the Romans received into the most considerable holds With this News was joyned that of the loss of Tunis Utica and Sephira it was also said that Hippo which had been alwaies faithfull to us during the war of Agathocles and that of the Romans had opened its gates to the seditious and for a completing of our misfortunes two dayes after we beheld from the tops of our Towers an Army of about fourscore or a hundred thousand men coming to besiege us Then it was that despair possessed the hearts of the Carthaginians and this poor people resolved to abandon the City since they had the Sea free to save themselves But Amilcar whose heart was invincible detain'd them and told them that affairs were not come to so deplorable an extremity as to have recourse to remedies of that nature He shewed them that they might receive succours from Sea that they knew that Naura Prince of Numidia had fifteen or sixteen thousand men beyond Sephyra with which he designed every day to break through the Enemies and put them into Carthage and at last added he they should alwaies have the same opportunity of embarking since the enemies had no shipping The Senate and the people were immediatly instant with Amilcar to take upon him the care of this important affair and all with a common consent put the Sovereign authority into his hands chusing rather to give their City to an illustrious Citizen then to abandon it to the Barbarians The Prince Amilcar was in great thoughtfulness framing and quashing designs in his mind and felt inquietudes conformable to the miseries of his Country insomuch that I think in this distressed conjunction any other spirit would have been broken but his But at length this great man to whom nothing seem'd impossible took a resolution to deliver Carthage but such a resolution as was not lesse extraordinary then the soul that fram'd it or the miseries unto which our City was reduc'd The Prince caused a Muster to be made of all their Troops and found that the Souldiers and the Inhabitants could not furnish more then thirty thousand fighting men of which he drew off twenty thousand and embarked them leaving the other ten thousand to guard the City Amilcar had observed that there was a very strong wind up and thereupon judg'd that that wind entring upon the mouth of the River Machaera did there increase its violence being straitned and inclosed so that by reason thereof the current of the River being in some measure repell'd the tumultuous waves recoiling into the River and driving back the Channel made the River Navigable Wherefore the same night the wind arose he put his men upon the River and went to unship his Army beyond the Enemies Camp in a place secure from discovery from whence he speeded one to Narva to injoyn him to come to Sephira whence he was not far distant assuring him by his Messenger that himselfe would be at the foot of the walls of that City in the head of twenty thousand men about break of day Narva could not at first give credit to what the envoy related and if any other but Adherbal whom he knew full well had brought him these surprising tidings he would not perhaps have believed him but at length he credited the message and exactly obey'd the Orders of Amilcar These two Princes
Their repast was compleatly magnificent and after a short conversation Aemilia was accompanied to her Chamber and Nadalia to hers by Palmira into which the Princess entered and caused Laelius to enter too Who knowing the intentions of these two fait persons and Aemilia's pleasure that Nadalia should hear the particularities of her life seated himself down by them And though this famous Roman was term'd among others by the names of the wise and knowing yet he understood so well how to accommode his knovvledg and vvisdom that he did not appear less gallant and debonair among the Ladies then he vvas othervvhere a Warrier politick and virtuous He began his relation in these vvords addressing it to Palmira onely as Nadalia had entreated him to do The History of SCIPIO and AEMILIA EXpect not Madam to hear in the beginning of my Discourse that kind of Proem which they generally use vvho are to recount a History They are vvont to promise great matters to gain the attention of those that hear them they pick out high words to shew their excellent wit and never fail to excuse themselves that their eloquence is short of the subject they are to treat of For my part Madam I account it not material for me to make use of these Artifices for besides that I believe that the names of Scipio and Aemilia promise at first all that can be imagin'd great I conceive it would be needless for me to take pains to win the attention of a Princess who without doubt would not have commanded me to speak if she intended not to listen to what I have to say As for high language Madam I presume you will readily dispense with me for besides that it shews some violence and enforcement in him that uses it yet it too much takes up the hearers who oftentimes heedlesly let important matters pass by and even some which being necessary to the body of the History it is impossible afterwards to dis-intricate adventures But Madam I shall yet less serve my self of the excuses which I now condemn'd for to tell you things as I apprehend them if I were eloquent I should be so far from being sorry that my eloquence were short of the subject that I speak of that I would repress it in case it offer'd to lift up it self and keep it under as I may so speak to the end there might be nothing in my discourse that might divert part of an attention which I would have wholly bestow'd on the things I should speak and not on the words I made use of to express them For what can be heard more satisfactory to the mind and capable to fill it with excellent Idea's then the relation I am going to make whether you consider that greatness of birth in the persons I am to speak of or admire the rare qualities of their bodies and minds or be affected with the sentiments of an heroick soul or lastly desire to hear surprising events related which seem destinated onely to cause revolutions in the lives of extraordinary persons But Madam lest you should apprehend me guilty of the fault I decry it behoves me to enter upon the matter and to let you know that Scipio is of the Illustrious race of the Cornelii which has always bin so fruitful in great men that 't is not without cause the sir-name of Scipio has bin given them which signifies in our language a Prop or stay since assuredly the Cornelii hath ever supported our Republick and defended it couragiously against all the enemies that have attaqued it Nevertheless I may say since all the world believes and publishes it that the Illustrious Scipio has yet a higher descent and is Son of the great Gods For you have heard I imagine that Iupiter was seen under the form of a great Dragon in the Chamber of the Mother of this Illustrious Roman as 't is reported he was sometimes seen in that of Olympias the mother of Alexander And that which may in some measure perswade us that Scipio is the son of Iupiter or at least as worthy to be so as the famous King of Macedonia is that Scipio is extreamly pious endued with all virtues and blemished with no defect that being not born upon the Throne he is risen by his virtue to the supream authority which he possesses that he has already done things in Europe and Africa which will astonish posterity and that if he happens to defeat Hannibal in a decisive battel he will have done more then ever Alexander did There is yet a difference between these two great men which is that the King of Macedonia would peremptorily have had the whole world treated him as the Son of Iupiter and on the contrary the whole world would have treated Scipio in that manner if himself had not opposed it It is true this famous Roman has taken no extream care to root this belief absolutely out of the minds of people but it has only bin out of respect to the glory of Rome for he believ'd the Souldiers would fight with a higher confidence if they conceiv'd they fought under a Son of Iupiter and would take themselves to be invincible when they beheld a Demy-God in the head of them But Madam intending only to speak of Scipio as of a great man and the Son of Publius Scipio who lost his life gloriously in Spain at the winning of a great field I shall omit to tell you of the prodigies that were seen at Rome on the day of his birth which caused us to presage good fortune to our Common-wealth and of those that were also observ'd at Carthage which had a contrary effect For 't is reported that the day on which Scipio was born according to the supputation that has bin made of it the Tongue of Land on which Carthage is built was perceiv'd to tremble and that Eagles were seen entring into the houses of the Suffetii who as you know have the same authority in Carthage that the Consuls have in Rome But for that all these Prodigies which are nothing but extraordinary signs of things not common would not much divert you I shall prefer to tell you things more essential to Scipio and which will certainly be more agreeable and pleasing to you After having spoken of the house of the Cornelii it may seem convenient before further proceeding in my relation to say something of that of the Aemilii being as well to recount to you the life of the Illustrious Aemilia as that of the Grand Scipio The first therefore that bore the name of Aemilius was according to an opinion sufficiently authentick a Son of the famous Pythagoras named Marcus to whom the name of Aemilius was given by reason of his eloquence This Marcus after the death of his Illustrious Father who as all the world knows came out of Greece into Italy went to inhabitate at Rome where he establisht the Aemilis But Madam there is yet something more of Grandeur in the
the reflexions upon the fore-past afternoon But our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of his young brother whom Publius had sent for from Greece so that we could not have time then to speak of Aemilia But Madam admire I beseech you the capriciousness of fortune The young Scipio seeming a lovely and sprightly youth I began to set upon him and told him the Ladies and the Carthaginians would have no great cause to be glad of his arrival For if I be not deceived continued I you have an aspect that promises you will be undoubtedly both in Love and and War As for War answered he I shall betake my self to that assoon as I can for I conceive at first there is no more required then to obey But for Love I shall defend my self from it a long time for besides that 't is a troublesome thing to be intangled in I think I am yet to seek how to manage it The matter is not so hard as you believe replyed I smiling for love has a Torch to give light to those that acknowledge his Empire That Torch answered he gives light to few persons for I have seen this day in the house of Papyrius by which I pass'd two friends of yours who have great endowments of wit and capacity and yet have need of the light you speak of they were Fabius and Cato of which the first is in love and the other is his Confident But it was reported Fabius was so wise a Lover that he never appeared passionate and yet he was charg'd this morning for having suffer'd the secret of his heart to be known at Papyrius's house without ever having given the least intimation of it to Aemilia who is the person he loves And as for Cato he was sufficiently play'd upon with rallery for being the confident of a passion which he condemns and intermedling in the carrying on of an affair of which he understands not the perplexities and the pleasure and that kind of address which is only learnt by experience And indeed he declar'd that he had no genius for things of this nature but he believ'd he might promote the success by mediating with Lucius to accord the marriage of Fabius and Aemilia For marriage added he being an affair and that very important I conceive I should have done no dis-service by intermedling in it Thus Laelius proceeded he you see in what manner this Torch gives light or rather how love oftner lends lovers his fillet to bind them then the light you speak of to direct them Whilst the young Scipio was speaking thus his Ilustrious Brother turn'd away his head that he might not discover the commotion of his countenance But at length desirous to understand the matter more fully How brother said he is Fabius amorous of Aemilia Yes brother answered he and if you have any interest in the case you may direct your course accordingly As Scipio was going to reply Publius enter'd the Chamber so that the discourse was wholly broken off Publius began to express himself in much tenderness to his young Son who did the same with testimony of respect and reverence to his father A little time after my father came to see the brother of my illustrious friend and taking me away home with him Scipio was depriv'd of the hope he had to tell me his sentiments upon what his brother had related of Fabius's love The next day indeed he came to me after dinner when the Ceremony of an Alliance made between our Republick and Pineas King of Illyria was to be seen in the Capitol that day yet we must omit that to go see Aemilia But going at night to Publius's house whither Scipio made me to accompany him we learnt but too many particularities for Publius told us with a satisfi'd and smiling countenance that Illyria was become tributary to Rome And I wish continued he you had seen the Ceremony of the Alliance we have made with Pineas It is to be wondered said I to him that a Prince of such accomplishments and courage should do what you have told us Lucius has so great a power over his mind answered he that he could have made him do other things then this How My Lord said Scipio has Pyneas made this Alliance so advantageous to Rome onely by the influence of Lucius There is nothing more certain answered he and I shall amaze you more when I have recounted you what passed in the Capitol not above an hour a go Know then continued he that after the ceremonies were ended Pyneas desired Lucius and me to stay till all the crowd was gone where being without Witnesses Pyneas walked some time with us without speaking and at length stopping to consider that admirable stature of Romulus which stands at the end of the great Hall of the Capitol he read the Inscription upon the Pedestal upon which he blushed and sigh'd and then beholding us with an air sufficiently sad My Lords said he to us do not believe I have done what you have seen out of weakness or timerousness 't is a more noble inducement that makes me to act so and have not made this transaction but onely because he stopt after these few words and then resuming his discourse Ah My Lords pursued he I know not well what I say but my hand more bold then my tongue shall better express to you the sentiments of Pyneas let you know for what reason he makes himself tributary to the Romans And you shall see with this illustrious witness proceeded he addressing to Lucius and pointing to me whether the manner in which I have acted be unworthy either of Lucius or Pyneas Ending these words he drew a Pastil out of his sleeve and returning again to the stature of Romulus writ something under that which he had read after which again addressing to Lucius Read My Lord said he to him read and you you will see that Pyneas is more capable of elevation then of lownesse After these words he intimated to us that he could no longer be there with us so that after he was gone forth we approacht the Statue and read with surpize what the King of Illyria had written You know there are under that admirable statue four Verses which several Nations judge too haughty yet their loftiness is in some measure pardonable being grounded upon certain predictions which have been made to the advantage of Rome But the better to make you comprehend how ingenious the manner was wherewith Pyneas express'd his sentiments in which are altogether remarkable the handsomness of his wit the greatness of his courage and the violence of his love I must put you in mind that the four Verses I speak of and which seem to be spoken by Romulus are conceiv'd in these termes My City shall rule over Land and Sea And fill all parts with awe And all the Cities of the world one day Shall hence receive their law The King of Illyria to shew