Samercand to confer with him about the setting forward of his Army For although he was still accompanied with renowned Princes and famous Captains yet were they no body in comparison of Axalla whose sound Judgment and Counsel had won him such credit with his Lord and Master as by his advice he did all things and without him nothing which his so great Authority and Favour with his Prince wanted not the envy of the Court but that his great Vertues and rare-found Courtesie in so great fortune together with so many great services as he had done supported him against the malice of the same He upon this command from Tamerlane leaving the charge of the Army at Ozara with the Prince of Thanais came to Samercand and there discoursed with him at large concerning the estate and order of his Army and so shortly after they all departed to Ozara where a new consultation was held by which way he should conduct his Army as whether it was better to lead them by the coast of the Muscovite directly towards Capha or on the other side of the Calpian Sea by the skirts of Persia and after much discourse and sundry opinions with their reasons delivered it was resolved although the way were the longer to pass by the Muscovite so to come to the Georgians and to Trepizond and from thence to enter into the Ottamans Kingdom This being resolved on they marched forward till at length they came to Maranis where he stayed three dayes looking for the China Forces whereof they received news There also Tamerlane mustered and paid his Army He had also news of fifteen thousand Horsemen sent him by the Muscovite with a sum of money with leave for him to pass through so much of his Territories as should be necessary being glad that he set upon others rather than on himself and that such great preparations should fall upon them whose greatness was as dreadful and dangerous to him as any other Tamerlane caused a great quantity of Victuals and most part of the furniture of his Army to be sent along the Caspian Sea which was a great case and commodity to his men which marching by Land was of necessity to pass some twenty Leagues through places destitute both of Victuals and Water Himself all the way coasting along the Sea-shore passed his time in Hunting and Hawking to make the journey less tedious his Army not coming near him by ten Leagues which was so great that it extended it self full twenty Leagues Coming to the River Edel he stayed at Zarazich whilst his Army passed the River at Mechet and over two other Bridges that he had caused to be made of boats for that purpose Now the Circassians and Georgians hearing of the approach of Tamerlane with his huge Army by their Ambassadors offered him all the help and assistance they could afford him in his Journey as he passed that way These Georgians were and yet are Christians a great and Warlike people of long time tributaries to the Greek Emperours and afterwards sometime tributaries and sometimes confederates to the Persians but alvvayes enemies to the Turks and therefore glad they were of Tamerlanes coming against them Of these Warlike people Axalla drew great numbers to the service of his Prince who not a little esteemed of them being all tall men very beautiful of great strength and courage and withall most expert souldiers as having many times resisted the power of the Ottoman Kings by reason of the advantage of their Country which was rough mountainous and hard to come to These people every where kindly entertained Tamerlane and plentifully relieved his Army with all necessaries In passing through which and other Countries he took such order with his Souldiers that none of the people by whom they passed were any whit injured by them insomuch that if a souldier had taken but an Apple or any other trifle he died for it And one of his souldiers having taken a little milk from a Countrey-woman and she thereof complaining he caused him presently to be hanged and his stomack to be ript where the milk that he had lately drank being found he payed the woman for it who had otherwise without mercy died for her false accusation Which his great severity was indeed the preservation of his Army being so great as that it was thought impossible to provide it with Victuals whereof yet there was no want nor of any other thing necessary for the relief of man his Camp being still as a most populous and well-governed City stored with all manner of things whereunto both Artificers and Merchants resorted from far Countries with their Commodities as to some famous Mart and the Country people from every place without fear brought in their Country-commodities for which they received present money and so departed in peace So marching on he at length came to Bachichich where he stayed to refresh his Army eight dayes and there again took a general muster of them finding as some write four hundred thousand Horse and six hundred thousand Foot but others that were present with him say three hundred thousand Horse and five hundred thousand Footmen of all Nations There also he generally payed them and as his manner was made an oration to them informing them of such Orders as he would have observed with much other Military Discipline whereof he was very curious with his Captains In the mean time Bajazet would not believe that Tamerlane durst once look towards him yea so exceeding barbarous was he that he would not so much as suffer any man to speak of him or his Army to him by reason of his pride He also strictly forbad all the bordering people to make any Vows or Prayers for Tamerlanes prosperity But he was soon after awakened out of this Lethargy as we shall presently hear Indeed Tamerlane could hardly be perswaded that Bajazet having subdued the greatest part of Grecia and much distressed the Greek Emperour and having so great means to recover whatsoever he should lose in Asia would be so adventurous as to come over the streights out of Europe to try the fortune of a battel with him but rather warily to protract the time to weary him with wants that in a strange Country drew such a world of people after him wherein yet he found himself much deceived for when he had passed the Georgian Country and was come to Buisabuich Axalla whom he had not seen in eight dayes before because he commanded the Avantguard of the Army came to him with such news as he knew would be most grateful to him Which was that Bajazet had raised his siege before Constantinople to come and defend his new Conquests in Asia and that he was certainly resolved to come to a pitched Battel with him not so much trusting to the multitude of his men as to the experience and valour of his souldiers being long trained up in the Wars At which unexpected news
himself following with the other Fleet did the like About this time Octavian divorced himself from Scribonia though he had a Daughter by her called Livia and then he married Livia Drusilla Wife to Tiberius Nero by whom she had a Son called also Tiberius hereupon Tiberius was forced to leave her to please Octavian though at this time she was with Child of a Son This Livia he loved dearly and continued with her till his Death Agrippa assaulted and took in some places in Sicily which Pompey hearing of departed from Messina with one hundred and seventy five Gallies to relieve them and Agrippa being advertised of his coming prepared to meet him his Gallies being almost equal in number and so they joyned Battel which for a time seemed to be equal but at last Agrippa prevailed and Pompey retreated in time his Gallies and Foists withdrawing themselves into some Rivers near at hand whither Agrippa with his bigger Vessels could not follow them In this fight Pompey lost thirty of his Gallies Agrippa the next day went to a City called Tindaria thinking to surprise it by reason of intelligence which he had with the Citizens and Pompey in the Night gave secret order to his whole Fleet to retire to Messina Octavian in the mean time imbarked a great part of his Army which he landed in Sicily and set them on shore under the command of Cornificius little thinking that Pompey had been so near who if he had taken this opportunity might have defeated Octavian But loosing it Octavian imbarking again intended to determine the quarrel by a Battel at Sea leaving Cornificius with his men fortified on the Land Then did Pompey sail out of Messina with his whole Fleet and neither Parties refusing it they came to a Battel in which Octavian was overcome and all his great Fleet scattered and lost and himself driven to flie into Italy in a Brigandine where through many dangers he at last came to the Army whereof Mesalla was General and being nothing discouraged with this loss he presently took order for all that was needful To Rome he sent his intire Friend Mecenas to take order that this news should breed no alteration there and then presently sent to Agrippa the Admiral of his other Fleet that he should with all speed succour Cornificius and his Army in Sicily and to Lepidus he sent to desire him to make his present repair to the Isle of Lippari which is between Sicily and Calabria His diligence and good order about these affairs was such that in a short time by the help of Lepidus and Agrippa in dispite of Pompey he landed all his Forces in Sicily and joyning with Lepidus he encamped near to Messina where began a most cruel War both by Sea and Land wherein the power and sufficiency of Pompey did wonderfully appear in that he was able to grapple with so potent adversaries Yet seeing himself oppressed he sent a challenge to Octavian that to avoid the further effusion of blood he would try it out with him in a Naval fight so many Ships and Gallies against so many Octavian delayed him at the first but afterwards they agreed that with three hundred Ships and Galleys on either side they would meet in such a place and there fight it out and accordingly they prepared for the Battel Octavian leaving Lepidus with his Land Army embarked himself in his Fleet and Pompey did the like and so they joyned Battel which was one of the cruellest that ever was considering the Commanders and the strength on either side where Pompey after he had performed all the Offices of a good and Valiant Captain and after the slaughter of multitudes on both sides was overcome by Octavian and all his Fleet was burnt and sunk or taken saving sixteen sail which escaped by flight and he in one of them and these entered into the Haven of Messina And though the City was sufficiently fortified and Pompey knew that Plinius his General was coming to his rescue yet in a dark night he imbarked and with those sixteen Ships which had escaped he fled into the East to Mark Anthony hoping to find relief from him But after much toil and many accidents which happened to him he was slain by one Titius at the command of Mark Anthony and in him failed the House and memory of his Father Pompey the Great In this War Octavian escaped many dangers For having transported part of his Army into Sicily and sailing back to fetch the rest he was suddenly surprised by Demochares and Apolaphanes two of Pompeys Captains from whom he escaped with much difficulty with one only Ship Then travelling by Land to Rhegium he saw some of Pompeys Gallies near to the Shore and supposing them to be his own he went down to the Sea side where he had like to have been taken by them and then seeking to escape by unknown passages he met with a slave of Aemilius Paulus who remembring that he had proscribed his Master Paulus Father to this Aemilius he attempted to kill him Octavian having obtained this great Victory aforesaid though with very great loss he went to Land with the remainder of his Ships and Army commanding Agrippa to joyn with Lepidus and to go to Messina whither Pliny Pompeys General had retired himself But not thinking good to stand upon his defence now that his Master was fled he yielded himself to Lepidus with all his Legions This made Lepidus so proud that affecting to have Sicily to himself he contended with Octavian about it and entering into the City of Messina he placed a Garrison in it to hold it for his own use The like he did in many other places of the Island and when Octavian came he desired to speak with him greatly complaining of his proceedings But in Rule and Dominion equallity is intollerable whilst either of them coveted this Isle for himself they fell at variance and Octavian made his Navy to draw neer to the shore So that both Armies began to stand upon their guard the one against the other and many messages passed between them yet could they not agree But Octavian was far better beloved and esteemed by the men of War for his many vertues and Nobility and for his Name-sake Julius Caesar then the other and the Souldiers began to lay all the fault upon Lepidus Octavian understanding this laboured secretly to corrupt Lepidus his Souldiers to draw them to himself and one day with a great Troop of Horse he rode neer to Lepidus his Camp and parlying with his Souldiers justified himself and laid all the fault upon Lepidus insomuch that many of them began to come over to his side Lepidus being informed hereof caused an Alarm to be given and commanded his men to sally out against Octavian but when they came forth most of them joyned with him so that Lepidus seeing himself in danger of being forsaken of his whole Army
and therefore despised all the Arguments used by Sandanes to the contrary who desired him to consider aforehand that he provoked a Nation inhabiting a barren and Mountanous Region a People not covered with the soft silk of Worms but with the hard skins of Beasts not fed with meat to their Fancies but content with what they found Drinkers of Water and not of Wine and in a word a Nation Warlike Patient Valiant and Prosperous over whom if he became Victorious he could thereby enrich himself in nothing but Fame in which he already excelled and if by them he should be beaten and subdued so great would his loss appear of all things which the world makes account of that the same could neither be hastily recounted nor easily conceived Notwithstanding this solid and seasonable Counsel Croesus having prepared a powerful Army advanced with the same toward Media but in his passage he was retarded at Pterium a City in Cappadâ—cia of great strength which whilst he attempted both by power and policy to take and Conquer Cyrus came on and found the Lydians encamped before it Neither of these Champions were inferior to other either in strength or opinion For out of doubt Croesus as he excelled any Prince of that age in Riches and ability so was he not inferiour unto any in Territories and Fame that then lived But Kingdoms and Commonwealths have their increase and Periods from Divine Ordinance This time was the Winter of Croesus his prosperity the leaves of his flourishing estate being ready to fall and that of Cyrus but in the first Spring and Flower the God of all Power had given a date to the one and a beginning of glory to the other When these two Armies were in view each of other after divers skirmishes had passed between them the Persians and Lydians began to joyn together and encounter each other in gross Bodies and as either of them began to retreat fresh supplies were sent in from both their Kings And as the Persians had somewhat the better of the day so when the dark vail of night had hidden each Army from the others view Croesus doubting what success the rising Sun might bring with it quitted the Field to Cyrus and with all speed possible retreated towards his own Countrey and taking the next way thither he recovered Sardis the first City of Lydia and his Regal Seat without any pursuit made by Cyrus to retard him where being arrived and nothing suspecting Cyrus his approach or any other War for that Winter he dismissed his Army and sent the Troops of his sundry Nations to their own Provinces appointing them to re-assemble at the end of five Months acquainting his Commanders with his intent of renewing the War at the time appointed The morning being come Cyrus finding that the Lydians were departed put his Army in order to pursue after them yet not so hastily and at their heels as to be discovered But getting good intellegence of Croesus his proceedings he so ordered the matter that he presented not himself before Sardis till such time as Croesus had disposed of his Army and sent them to their Winter Quarters His coming 〈◊〉 altogether unlooked for and unfeared he had opportunity enough to surround Sardis with his Army wherein Croesus had no other Companies than the Citizens and his ordinary Guards insomuch as after fourteen days Siege Cyrus took the City by Storm and put all to the Sword that made resistance Croesus now having neither Arms to Fight nor Wings to fly in this common calamity he thrust himself into the heap and multitude of his miserable Subjects and had undergone the same lot with the rest of the vanquished persons had not a Son of his who had been dumb all his Life before by the extremity of Passion and Fear cryed out to a common Souldier who was with a drawn Sword pursuing his Father that he should not kill Croesus Hereupon he was taken and imprisoned and despoiled of all things but only the expectation of Death Shortly after he was bound with Fetters and Placed upon a large and high pile of Wood to be burnt to ashes thereon To which when Fire was set and kindled Croesus remembring the discourse which long before he had with Solon the Athenian Lawgiver he thrice cryed out O Solon Solon Solon and being demanded what he meant by the invocation of Solon he at first used silence But being urged again he told them that now he found that true which wise Solon had long since told him That many men in the race and course of their lives might well be accounted Fortunate but no man could discern himself to be happy indeed till his end Of this his answer Cyrus being speedily informed and thereby being put in mind of the mutability of Fortune and of his own mortality he commanded his Ministers of Justice speedily to withdraw the Fire and to save Croesus and bring him to his presence which being done Cyrus demanded of him who it was that had perswaded him or what reason had instigated him to invade his Territories and to make him of a Friend an Enemy To which Croesus thus answered It was thy prosperous and my unprosperous destiny the Grecian Gods with all flattering my Ambition that were the inventers and conducters of Croesus War against Cyrus Cyrus being much affected with this answer of Croesus and bewailing his estate though he was victorious over him did not only spare his life but entertained him ever after as a King and his companion Thus Herodotus relates it But Xenophon saith that Cyrus did entertain Craesus friendly at the first sight and makes no mention of any such cruel intent of burning him alive and this may seem the more probable because Crasus was his Grandmothers Brother and it s very likely that neerness of Alliance might withhold Cyrus if he had been vicious which he was not from so cruel a purpose as to have burnt him alive When Cyrus afterwards passed with his Army over Araxes into Scythia he left Croesus to be a companion and counseller to his Son Cambyses whom he made Governour over his Empire in his absence with whom he lived all the Reign of Cyrus and did afterwards accompany Cambyses in his Expedition into Egypt where he hardly escaped his Tyrannous hands At this time the Races of three of the greatest Kings in that part of the World came to an end to wit of the Babylonians Medians and Lydians in Balthasar Xiaxares or Darius Medus and Croesus After this Lydian War ensued the great Conquest of Babylon which gave unto Cyrus an Empire so large and mighty that he was justly reputed the greatest Monarch then living upon the Earth How long time the preparations for this great action took up is uncertain only it seems that ten whole years did pass between his taking of those two Cities of Sardis and Babylon which time was not wholly spent
Tetrarchy but he gave the Kingdom to his Son Archelaus To his sister Salome he gave Jamnia Azotus and Thasaelis with five hundred thousand Drachmaes To the rest of his Kindred he gave money and yearly Pensions To Caesar he gave ten Millions of Drachmaes of silver and all his Plate as well of Gold as of Silver and a great quantity of precious moveables and to Livia Caesars Wife and some certain Friends he gave five Millions of Drachmaes Having thus ordered these things five dayes after Antipater was put to death he dyed himself having enjoyed the Kingdom 34 years after the death of Antigonus but from the time that he was declared King by the Romans 37 years about the 25th of our November in the year of the world 4001 and after the Birth of Christ about two years THE LIFE and DEATH OF HANNIBAL THE GREAT HANNIBAL the Son of Amilcar was about twenty six years old when he was chosen General of the Carthaginian Forces in Spain He was elected by the Army as soon as Asdrabal their late General was dead and the election was approved and confirmed by the Senate or Carthage wherewith Hanno and his faction was nothing pleased This was now the third of the Barchine Family so called of Amilcar whose surname was Barcas that commanded in chief over the men of War Hanno therefore and his Partizans being neither able to tax the Virtue of their enemies nor to perform the like services to the Common-wealth had nothing left whereby to value themselves excepting the general reprehensions of War and cautelous advise of not provoking the Romans but they were little regarded For the Carthaginians saw apparently that the Oath of the Romans to the Articles of Peace was like to hold no longer than till the Romans could find some good advantage to renew the War It was therefore rather desired by the Carthaginians that whilst they were in a fit condition the War should begin rather than in some unhappy time of Famine or Pestilence or after some great loss in their Army or Fleet they should be driven to yield to the impudent demands of their insulting enemies This disposition of his Citizens Hannibal well enough understood Neither was he ignorant that in making War with the Romans it was no small advantage to get the start of them Could he but bring his Army into Italy he hoped to find Friends and assistance even from those People that helped to encrease the Armies of the Romans But his design must be carried privately or else it would be prevented He resolved therefore to lay Siege to Saguntum in Spain where he now was with his Army which might seem not greatly to concern the Romans and would highly please the Carthaginians Having resolved hereupon nevertheless he went orderly to work beginning with those that lay next in his way First therefore he entered into the Territory of the Olcades and besieging Althaea in a few days he became Master not only of it but of all the other Towns in their Country and the Winter coming on he rest his Army in New Carthage or Carthagena imparting liberally to his Souldiers of the Spoils that he had gotten in his late Conquests In the Spring he made War upon the Vaccaei and with little difficulty wan first Salamanca and after it Arbucala though not without a long Siege and much difficulty But in his return he was put to the height both of his Valour and Prudence For all such of the Vaccaei that could bear Arms being made desperate by the spoil of their Country with divers others that had escaped in the late overthrow joyning with the Toletans made up an Army of one hundred thousand able men waiting for Hannibal on the Banks of the River Tagus They knew that he was very adventurous and had never turned his back upon any enemy and therefore hoped that having him at such an advantage they should easily have foiled him But at this time our Great Man of War knew as well how to dissemble his Courage as at other times to make good use of it For he withdrew himself from the River side as seeming fearful to pass over it aiming thereby to draw over that great multitude from their Banks of advantage The Spaniards as Hannibal expected and desired thinking that he retreated out of fear thrust themselves in a disordered manner into the River to pursue him But when Hannibal saw them well near over he turned back his Elephants to entertain them at their landing and thrust his Horsemen both above and beneath them into the River who by the advantage of their Weapons slew almost all of those in the River without resistance and then pursued the rest who being amazed fled and so he made a very great slaughter of them The Saguntines perceiving the strom drawing near to them hastened their Ambassadours to Rome who complained that they were like to be undone only for their Friendship to the Romans This so moved the Senate that some would have War presently proclaimed both by Sea and Land and the Consuls sent with Armies one into Spain the other into Africk But others went more soberly to work according to the Roman gravity whereby it was concluded that Ambassadours should be sent into Spain to view the State of their Confederates These Ambassadours found Hannibal at Carthagena where they had Conference with him who carried himself so reservedly that they departed as doubtful as they came But whilst they were passing to and fro Hannibal prepared not only his Forces but some Roman pretences against Saguntum For the Tudetani who were Neighbours to the Saguntines complained to him of sundry wrongs that they had received from them of Saguntum Probably Hannibal himself had hatched some of them Having therefore such an occasion he sat down with his whole Army before Saguntum The Romans were glad of the Quarrel as hoping that Carthage with all belonging thereto would in short space become their own Yet were they not hasty to threaten before they were ready to strike but meant to temporize until they had an Army in readiness to be sent into Spain where they intended to make Saguntum the seat of War In the beginning of Hannibals Siege his Carthaginians were much discouraged by reason of the brave Sallies which the Saguntines made upon them in one of which Hannibal himself received a dangerus wound in the Thigh that made him unable to stir for many days Yet in the mean time he was not unmindful of his business but gave order to build certain movable Towers that might equal those upon the City Walls and to prepare to batter the Curtains and to make a breach These being sinished and applied had soon wrought their desired effect A large breach was made by the fall of some Towers whereat a hot assault was given But it was so gallantly defended by the besieged that the Carthaginians were not only beaten from the breach and out
also mocked him and went crying up and down My Masters I give you notice that you are like to eat no Tusculan Figs this year With these and many other such lewd Speeches they compelled Pompey to submit to their rash and giddy desires contrary to his more prudent purpose and determination which yet a General over so many Nations and Armies should not have done These little considered that he with whom he was to sight was Caesar who had taken a thousand Towns and Cities by assault had subdued above three hundred several Nations had won infinite Battels of the Germans and Gauls and was never overcome Had also taken a Million of men Prisoners and had slain as many in divers Battels Yet Pompeys men still vexing him with their importunity when they were come into the Fields of Pharsalia caused him to call a Counsel There Labienus the General of the Horsemen swore before them all that he would not return from the Battel till he had driven his Enemies out of the Field and the like Oath did all the rest of the Commanders take The Night before the fatal Battel there were heard sudden and fearful Noises in Pompeys Camp which awaked all the Souldiers At the changing of the fourth Watch there was seen a great light over Caesar Camp like unto a burning Torch which came and fell in Pompeys Camp In the morning Caesar intending to raise his Camp and to remove to the City of Scotusa whilst his Souldiers were busy in sending away their Bag and Baggage some brought Caesar word that they saw much Armour and many Weapons carryed too and fro in thier Enemies Camp and heard a great noise and bustling as of men that were preparing to fight His Scouts also brought him word that Pompeys Van was already set in Battel array Caesar much rejoyced when he heard this saying Now the day is come that we shall no longer sight with hunger and want but with men and thereupon gave order that they should presently put out the red coat of Arms upon his Tent which was the sign used amongst the Romans when they were to fight The Souldiers when they saw that left their Tents Carriages and all and with great shouts of Joy ran to arm themselves and so without noise or tumult they were by their Captains put into Battel array Pompey himself led the right Wing of his Battel against Anthony The middle Battle he gave to Scipio his Father in Law which was right against Domitius Calvinus His left Wing was led by Lucius Domitius Aenobarlius which was guarded by the men at Arms for all the Horsemen were placed there to distress Caesar if possibly they could and to overthrow the tenth Legion which contained the valiantest Souldiers that Caesar had and amongst whom himself always used to fight in Person Caesar seeing the lest Wing of his Enemies so strong with the guard of Horsemen brought six Company 's of Foot for a reserve and placed them behind the tenth Legion commanding them to stand close that they might not be discovered by the Enemy and commanded them when the Horsemen should charge upon them that they should not throw their Darts strait forward but upwards at their Faces For said he These brave Fellows and fine Dancers will not endure to have their Faces marred Pompey being on Horse-back rode up and dovvn to observe hovv both Armies vvere marshelled and perceiving that his Enemies stood still in their ranks expecting the signal of Battel and that his ovvn Battel vvaved up and dovvn disorderly as men unskilful in the Wars he feared that they would flie before they were charged Therefore he commanded his Van to stand steadily in their ranks and to defend themselves in a close fight when the Enemy should assault them But Caesar disliked this devise for thereby said he the force of their blows was lessened and by with-holding them from giving the charge that courage was taken away which the assailant carrieth with him when he comes on with fury it made them also more fainthearted in receiving the Enemies charge In Caesars Army there were about twenty two thousand fighting men and in Pompeys above twice so many When the signal of Battel was given on either side and the Trumpets sounded an Alarm every man began to look to himself But a few of the chiefest of the Romans and some Grecians that were amongst them that yet were not entred into the Battel perceiving the eminent danger began to bethink themselves to what a sad pass the ambition and contention between these two great Persons had brought the State of Rome unto where were Kinsmen against Kinsmen and Brethren against Brethren imbrewing their hands each in others blood Whereas if they could have been contented quietly to Govern what they had conquered the Roman Empire was big enough for them both Or if that could not have quenched their insatiable desires and thirst after Glory they had occasion enough offered them against the Germans and Parthians Or else they might have proceeded to conquer Scythia and India For what Scythian Horsemen or Parthian Arrows or Indian Riches could have withstood the power of seventy thousand Roman Souldiers especially being led by two such Captains as were Pompey and Caesar whose Names were famous through the World Now when the Fields of Pharsalia were covered over with Horse and Men in Arms after the Signal was given the first man of Caesars Army that advanced forward to give the charge was Caius Crassinius a Captain of one hundred twenty and five men and this he did to make good his promise to Ceasar who having asked him that morning what he thought of the event of the Battel he said Oh Caesar Thine is the Victory and this day thou shalt commend me either alive or dead Thereupon he brake out of his rank many others also followed him and ran into the midst of his Enemies making a great slaughter but as he still pressed forward one ran him through the neck and slew him Pompey did not make his left Wing to advance over suddenly but staid to see what his Horsemen would do who had already divided themselves intending to compass in Caesar and to force his Horsemen who were fewer in number to give back upon his squadron of Footmen and thereby to disorder them But on the other side Caesars Horsemen gave back a little and the six Companies of Footmen that he had placed secretly behind them being three thousand in number ran suddenly to charge the Enemy in the Flank and coming neer to Pompeys Horsemen they threw their Darts as Caesar had appointed them full in their Faces The young Gentlemen being raw Souldiers and little expecting such a manner of fight had not the hearts to defend themselves nor could abide to be hurt in their Faces but turning their Heads and clapping their hands on their Faces they fled shamefully They being thus routed Caesars men made no account to follow
till by degree he was grown very great and powerful So that though some of them foresaw that his power would at last turn to the destruction of the Commonwealth of Rome yet now they knew not how to prevent it Indeed Cicero was the first man who mistrusting his dealings found out his subtilty and malice which he cunningly cloaked under a shew of courtesie and familiarity Yet said he When I consider how finely he combeth his fair bush of hair and how smooth it lyeth and that I see him scratch his Head with one finger my mind gives me then that such a man should not be so wicked as to design the ruin of the Commonwealth The first time that he made proof of the good will of the People was when he stood in competition with Pompey to be chosen a Collonel of a thousand Foot Souldiers and carryed it against him but a more manifest proof of it was at the Death of his Aunt Julia the Wife of Marius the elder For then he solemnly made an Oration in her commendations in the Market place and at her Burial did boldly shew forth the Images of Marius which was the first time that they were seen after Syllas Victory over him at which time Marius and all his partakers had been proclaimed Traytors and Enemies to the Commonwealth And whereas some cryed out upon Caesar for doing it the People on the other side applauded and thanked him for it And whereas there was an ancient custom that the Romans used to make Funeral Orations in commendation of old Ladys but not of young Women Caesar was the first that praised his own Wife in an Oration at her Funeral which much engaged the People to him seeing him of so kind and loving a nature Shortly after he was made Treasurer under Antistius Vetus the Praetor for which he ever after honoured him so that when he himself came to be Praetor he made his Son Treasurer under him and when he came out of that Office he married his third Wife whom was Pompeia and married his Daughter Cornelia which he had by his first Wife to Pompey the Great He further ingratiated himself with the People by disbursing a great sum of his own mony in mending the Appian way vvhen he was made Overseer thereof as also for that vvhen he was chosen an Aedile he shewed the People the pastime of three hundred and twenty couple of Sword Players and exceeded all others in the sumptuousness of his Feasts and sports vvhich he made for the delight of the People vvhich made them daily to give him new Offices by way of requital Not long after the High Priest Metellus died and Isauricus and Catulus two of the chiefest men and of the greatest authority in Rome contended for the place Caesar also presented himself to the People and sued for it and Catulus fearing the event sent a great sum of money to Caesar to procure him to leave off his suit Caesar sent him word that he vvould disburse a greater sum than that to maintain the suit against him and vvhen the Day of Election came his Mother bringing him to the Door Caesar vveeping kissed her and said Mother This day thou shalt see thy Son chief Bishop of Rome or banished from Rome and accordingly he carried it by the suffrages of the People insomuch as the Senate and Noble men vvere all affraid of him judging that from henceforth he vvould make the People do vvhat he pleased Afterwards Caesar going into the Senate to cleer himself of some accusations that vvere brought against him the Senate keeping him somewhat longer than ordinary the People come to the door and called for him bidding them let him out Whereupon Cato fearing an insurrection of the poor and needy Persons who put all their hopes in Caesar moved that a frank distribution of Corn for a month should be made amongst them vvhich indeed put the Commonvvealth to the charge of fifty five hundred Myriads but it quenched the present danger and did haply scatter the best part of Caesars strength and that at such a time vvhen he was made Praetor and had thereby opportunity of doing much mischief Yet all the the time of that Office he never attempted to make alteration in the Common-vvealth About this time Clodius vvas suspected of too much familiarity vvith Pompeia vvherefore Caesar put her avvay The Government of Spain being faln unto Caesar as he vvas Praetor his Creditors came with great importunity calling for their debts But he being unable to satisfie them went to Crassus the richest man in Rome who stood in need of Caesars bloldness and courage to withstand Pompeys greatness who became his surety to his greadiest Creditors for eight hundred and Thirty Talents whereupon he was suffered to depart to his Province As he passed over the Alps he came to a little poor Village where his Friends that did accompany him asked him merrily if there were any contending for Offices in that Town and whether there were any strife amongst the Noble-men for honour Caesar answered I cannot tell but for my part I had rather be the chiefest man here than the second person in Rome Another time in Spain reading the History of Alexander he was sorrowful a good while after and at last burst out into weeping His Friends marvelling at it asked him what was the cause of his sorrow He answered Do you not think that I have good cause to be sorry when Alexander being no older than my self had conquered so many Nations and Countries whereas hitherto I have done nothing worthy of my self When he first came into Spain he followed his business close and in a short time had joyned ten new Ensigns of Foot Souldiers unto the other twenty which he had before Then marching against the Gallicians and Lusitanians he conquered all before him as far as to the Atlantick Ocean subduing those People which before knew not the Romans for their Lords and then did as wisely take order for the establishing of Peace For he reconciled the Cities together made them Friends But especially he pacified all suits of Law betwixt Debtors and Creditors which arose by usury Ordaining that the Creditors should take yearly two parts of the revenew of their Debtors till such time as they had paid themselves and that the Debtors should have the other third part to live upon By this he won great estimation to himself and returned from his Government very wealthy his Souldiers also were full of rich spoils The Romans had a custom that such as desired the honour of Triumph should stay without the City whereas they that sued for the Consulship must of necessity be there in Person Caesar coming home just at that time when Consuls were to be chosen he sent to request the Senate that he might be permitted to sue for the Consulship by his Friends Against this Cato at first did vehemently invey alleadging that it
besiege him in the City of Mutina now Modena which being known in Rome Cicero his authority and credit in the Senate was such that Mark Anthony was declared an Enemy to the State and the new Consuls Hircius and Pansa were sent against him and with them was Octavian sent with Ensigns of a Consul and Title of a Pro-praetor having been first admitted into the Senate though so young which was done by the procurement of Cicero though he afterwards requited him ill for it Octavian with the Consuls drew neer to Mark Anthony Cicero remaining to command in chief in all matters at Rome and between the two Armies there passed many skirmishes and encounters and at last they came to Battel wherein the Consuls and Caesar had the Victory but Hircius was slain in the Battel and Pansa was so wounded that he died within few days after and both the Armies of the slain Consuls obeyed Caesar. By this means D. Brutus was freed from his siege and Anthony was forced to forsake Italy by a dishonourable flight leaving his baggage behind him In this service Octavian made marvellous proof of himself being but twenty years old performing the Office not only of a good Captain but also of a stout Souldier For seeing the Standard-bearer sore wounded and ready to fall Octavian took from him the Eagle and bare it a great while till he had lodged it in safety Mark Anthony after the Battel gathering the remainders of his Army passed tho Alps and went into France solliciting the Friendship of Lepidus who was there with an Army ever since the Death of Julius Caesar whom after some treaties he made his Friend and Octavian after the Victory obtained presently sent to the Senate to require a Triumph for his Victory as also the Consulship for the remainder of the year in the roome of the dead Consuls with their succession in their charge and command of the Army But the answer of the Senate was not according to his desire For the Friends and Kinsmen of those that had murthered Caesar began to fear him and to suspect his power wherefore they prevailed to delay that which he required and in the end they resolved to assign the Army to Decius Brutus and temporizing with Octavian they granted him a Triumph but denied him the Consulship whereat he was much discontented and therefore secretly treated of friendship with Mark Anthony and having drawn to himself the affection of the Army he therewith marched towards Rome and approaching near to the City in dispite of the Senate he caused himself to be chosen Consul being not fully twenty years old Then did he cause accusations to be exhibited against Brutus and Cassius and the rest of the Conspirators and in their absence having none that durst defend their cause they were condemned After this was done he left the City and with his Army marched toward Anthony and Lepidus who were already entred into Italy Decius Brutus hearing of the Treaties and League that was made between Octavian Lepidus and Mark Anthony not daring to stay in that Country departed with his Army which soon forsook him some going to Caesar others to Mark Anthony whereupon he fled but being at last taken he was brought to Mark Anthony who caused his Head to be cut off The Armies of these Captains drawing near together to whom Affinius Pollio and Planeus with their Legions were joyned these three Octavian Caesar Mark Anthony and Lepidus meeting after three days debate they concluded their accursed Peace and these fire-brands of sedition entered into a Tiumvirate with several intents and designs Lepidus was covetous and sought riches by troubling the State Anthony was by nature an enemy to Peace and to the Commonwealth desiring an opportunity to be revenged of those who had declared him an Enemy to the State And Octavian sought revenge upon Brutus and Cassius and those who had slain his adopted Father And to bring these things to pass Octavian put away his Wife who was Daughter to Servilius and contracted himself to Claudia Daughter in Law to Anthony by his Wife Fulvia who was now a child and from whom he was afterward divorced by reason of the discord that arose between Anthony and him In this League which they made besides dividing the Provinces amongst themselves they agreed to Proscribe and kill each of them his Enemies and the one delivered them into the others hands having more respect to be revenged upon an Enemy than to save a Friend and so there was made the most cruel and inhumane Proscription and Butchery that ever was before heard of giving and exchanging Friends and Kinsmen for Enemies For Mark Anthony gave up his Fathers Brother and Lepidus his own Brother Lucius Paulus and Octavian M. T. Cicero whom he called Father and who had intreated and honoured him as a Son And besides these they Proscribed and condemned to die three hundred other Principal men of Rome amongst whom were about one hundred and fourty Senators besides two thousand Romans of the order of Knighthood This agreement being made they all three went to Rome where they took upon them the Government of the Commonwealth by the name of Triumvirat the time being limited to five years though they never meant to leave the same And presently after those who were condemned and Proscribed were by their commandment put to death being sought out in all parts and places their Houses were ransacked and their goods confiscated Cicero understanding that his name was in the Catalogue amongst the Proscripts only because he had been a lover of Roman Liberty he fled to the Sea where he embarked himself but so hard was his hap that by contrary winds he was driven back to the shore whereupon returning to some possessions of his near Capua not far from the Sea as he lay sleeping there he was awakened by some Crowes which with their bills pluckt his cloaths from his back His servants being moved with this ill presage put him into his Litter and again carried him towards the Sea but being overtaken by the murtherers he put his neck but of his Litter and they cut off his Head and his right hand wherewith he had written his Orations against Mark Anthony called Philippicks And thus was he slain by one whom he had defended and delivered from death Anthony joyfully received his â—and and caused it to be nailed up in the place where he was wont to plead to which all the People repaired to behold so woful and miserable a spectacle of whom there was not any one but was heartily sorry for the Death of so great a Personage and so fervent a lover of his Country Salvius Otho a Tribune of the People invited his Friends to his last Supper and as they were sitting in came a Centurion and in the presence of them all strake off his Head Minutius the Praetor was slain sitting in his seat of Judgment
yielded himself unto Caesar and putting off his Generals Robe he went to his Tent and submitted to him Octavian received him as if he had never offended very courteously and honourably but restored him neither to his State nor power and sent him with a good company to Rome without any Office but the High Priesthood which he had held ever since the Death of Julius Caesar and so this difference was ended without bloodshed Octavian now retaining Sicily to himself and having devested Lepidus of the Triumvirat he appropriated to himself the Province of Africk and remained General of the three Armies to wit of Lepidus of Pompey and of his own wherein were forty five Legions of Footmen and twenty five thousand Horse all well armed besides many other Numidians He had also upon the Sea six hundred Gallies and many Ships and Brigandines And now waited only for an opportunity to fall out with Mark Anthony that he might make himself Lord of all Yet for the present he paid his Souldiers as well as he could and gave Coronets Honours and Arms to those who had deserved well in these Wars He then dispersed his Armies sending them to their own homes loaden with many fair promises He also left and sent Praetors and Governours into Sicily and Africk and so hasted towards Rome where he was received with Ovation which was little less than a Triumph with incredible joy and honour and was so exceedingly beloved that in many places they erected Temples and Altars to him as to their Gods and he reformed such things as by reason of the Wars were grown out of order At this time Mark Anthony who was in the East though he had no great success in his Parthian War yet was he still of great power very Rich and well obeyed in the Provinces of Greece Asia and Aegypt and in the rest of his Governments But he was so besotted with the love and company of Cleopatra the Queen of Aegypt that he thought of nothing but how to saitsfie her humour in the mean time neglecting and forgetting his Wife Octavia the Sister of Octavian who in beauty and Wisdom was nothing inferiour to Cleopatra and in virtue and goodness did far excel her The Monarchy of the World being thus divided between these two the one in the East the other in the West yet as though each of them had not enough they studied each of them to supplant and destroy the other Chiefly Octavian who seeing that Anthony neglected his Sister and did not send for her he continually advised and urged her to go to her Husband that he might have a fair occasion to fall out with him if she were not well intertained But she not well understanding his design that she might prevent all controversies between her Brother and her Husband departed from Rome carrying with her many Jewels and Presents which she had gotten together therewith to present Mark Anthony But he having fixed his heart upon Cleopatra wrote to her by the way that she should go into Greece and stay at Athens till he returned from the Parthian War yet did he never go against them Cleopatra hindering him Notwithstanding Octavia sent all those things which she had brought to her Husband and all this not prevailing to procure her acceptance she went full of grief to Rome Then did Octavian begin openly to complain of Mark Anthony and to declare himself his Enemy and Mark Anthony entered into a League with the King of the Medes the better to strengthen himself causing Cleopatra besides the Title of Aegypt to be called Queen of Syria Lybia and Cyprus and joyntly with her a Son of hers called Caesarion of whom Julius Caesar left her with Child when he was in Aegypt and to two Sons which himself had by her called Ptolomy and Alexander he gave the Title of Kings to Alexander of Armenia and Parthia and to Ptolomy of Cilicia and Phoenicia hereupon the enmity between Octavian and him greatly encreased yet was the War deferred because of other Wars which Octavian had in Illyricum and Dalmatia The People of these Countries seeing the Romans engaged in Civil Wars rebelled together with those of Austria Hungary and Bavaria who joyned with them This War Octavian undertook in his own Person which was very cruel and dangerous wherein he was twice wounded and gave great proof both of his Wisdom and Valour yet in the end he not only subdued and tamed Illyricum but both the Panonnia's and all the neighbouring Nations with had joyned with them Then did Octavian return Victorious to Rome and though a Triumph was granted him yet would he not Triumph as then so great was his desire to make War against Mark Anthony who was no better affected towards him For he levied Souldiers procured Friends and Armies against him and promised Cleopatra to bring her Triumphing into Rome Yea she requested of him the Rule and Empire of Rome and he promised it her Matters standing upon these tearms Mark Anthony sent his Wife Octavia a Bill of Divorce according to the custom of those times commanding her to go out of his House wherein she dwelt in Rome This and other indignities Octavian imparted to the Senate complaining against Anthony and in his Orations to the People he accused him for that the second five years of his Triumvirat and League being expired yet came he not to Rome neither respecting the authority of the Senate nor of the People but held his place and kept possession of the East and of Greece and by such suggestions he incensed the People against him Mark Anthony on the other side by Letters and Messengers complained that Octavian had often broken the Peace and had cast Sextus Pmpey out of Sicily retaining that and other places which he held to himself and that therein he had no respect of him nor had given him any part thereof and that he detained the Gallies which he had lent him for that War As also that he had deprived Lepidus of his Government and kept all those Provinces and all the Legions which were his without imparting any share thereof to him and that he had divided all the Lands in Italy to his own Souldiers not assigning any part thereof to his Thus the one accused the othet either pretending that they were forced to undertake the War whereas the truth is it was their Ambition and insatiable desire to Rule that pricked them forward to it Hereupon they called divers Nations to their aid so as the whole World in a manner either of one side or other was in Arms. Those in the West for Octavian and those in the East for Anthony at least the best and choisest men of them all Anthony was first in the Field and came with a great Army to the famous City of Ephesus in Jonia a Province of Asia the less whither he had sent for his Navy to transport him into Europe And he had in readiness
gave direction and was very diligent in all things touching Justice Customes Religion and publick buildings so as in all things his Reign was happy peaceable and quiet during all his Life Yet in this so happy a time some People and Nations still affecting Liberty laboured to shake off the Roman yoke and thereby molested and disquieted the Empire as the Spaniards the Inhabitants of Illyricum and the Pannonians In Spain the Cantabrians the Asturians and part of Gallicia passing their bounds began a War against the Empire Augustus being informed hereof judging it to be a doubtful War and of importance commanded the Temple of Janus to be opened and determined to go against them in Person and to send other Captains to follow his other Wars And accordingly Augustus went into Spain and with three Armies made War against the People aforementioned which proved very doubtful and desperate and lasted five years and though he suppressed the Cantabrians and Asturians and drave them to their Rocks and Mountains yet before he could wholly subdue them he was fain to bring a great Navy upon the Coast of France to invade the Sea coasts of Cantabria and Galizia by which means he drave them to such extremities by Land that they were at last forced to submit to his obedience Augustus his great favourite Agrippa served him faithfully in this War whom therefore he married to his Daughter Julia who was the Widow of his Nephew Marcellus the Son of his Sister Octavia And thus he brought all Spain into subjection to him above two hundred years after the Comans began to make their first Wars there So as no Province cost Rome more Treasure more bloud nor more time than Spain This long and doubtful War being so happily finished Augustus was so pleased with it that he gave commandment that the Temple of Janus should again be shut and came to Rome in great Triumph But this Temple continued not long shut for some Nations of the Germans rebelled so that it was again opened These were the Inhabitants of Noricum now Bavaria and the Pannonia's now Austria and Hungary and the two Missia's now Bulgary and Servia as also Illyricum now Sclavonia and the Province of Dacia now Transylvania and Walachia and some others though at several times Against these Augustus sent his Generals and Armies amongst which were his Sons in Law the Sons of Livia Tiberius Nero who succeeded him in the Empire and his Brother Drusus Nero of whom Livia was with child when Octavian married her and these two Brothers though the War lasted somewhat long vanquished those Nations and obtained great Victories in Germany and the confines thereof especially Tiberius who in three years space subdued the Pannonia's Illyricum and Dalmatia for which Victories he afterwards entred into Rome in an Ovation Triumph with great Pomp and Honour Marcus Crassus also overcame and put to flight the Missians a People who had never seen the Romans before And when they were ready to give Battel they said Tell us who you are that seek to molest and disquiet us We are said they Romans the Lords of Nations whereupon they replied It shall be so if you overcome us which fell out accordingly But Augustus obtained not these Victories without some crosses For in these Wars died his Son in Law Drusus who was highly esteemed for his Noble acts and great Victories for the loss of whom both Augustus and Livia were much afflicted But yet his grief was greater for the mishap which befell Quintilius Varro who was General of three Legions in Germany and being careless was surprized by the Almans and himself his Legions and all his Auxiliaries were slain and two Standards with the Imperial Eagles taken for which he was so immoderately grieved that he knocked his Head against the Wall and cryed out unadvisedly Quintilius Varro Give me my Legions again For certain months also he suffered the hair of his Head and Beard to grow carelesly And the very day of this unhappy accident he did every year observe mournfully with sorrow and lamentation Of his Son in Law Drusus there remained two Sons Germanicus and Claudius which he had by Antonia Augustus his Neece and Daughter of his Sister Octavia and Mark Anthony of which Claudius was Emperour And Germanicus married Agrippina the Daughter of Julia Augustus his Daughter by whom he had Caius Caligula who also was afterwards Emperour Augustus after many notable Victories compelled his Enemies at length to sue for Peace whereupon again he commanded the Temple of Janus to be shut up and from thenceforth all things succeeded prosperously with him The Subjects of the Empire were now very obedient to him and all other sent their Ambassadours seeking his Favour and Friendship The Indians in the remotest parts of the East and the Scythians that inhabited the North and the Parthians an untamed People sent their Ambassadours to him giving security to keep the Peace and restoring to him the Standards and Eagles which were taken when Marcus Crassus was slain There came also Kings who were Friends and Subjects to the Roman Empire to do him Homage laying aside their Ensignes and Royal Robes and many of them bult Cities to his Name and for his Honour calling them Caesaria So did Herod the Great in Palestine King Juba in Mauritania and others The World being thus at Peace and quietness forty and two years being expired since that Augustus after the Death of Julius Caesar came to Rome In the time of this general Peace was the Prince of Peace our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ born in Bethlem of the Virgin Mary Herod being King of Judea placed there by the Romans of whose blessed Life and bitter Death as also of the order of his Ministry and Miracles see his Life published by me Anno Christi 1664. At which time there came forth a command from Caesar Angustus that all the Roman World should be taxed which taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria Luk. 2. 1. Out of which a little Book was made by Augustus in which all the publick riches were contained as also how many Citizens and Allies in Arms what Navies How many Kingdomes and Provinces what Tribute and Customes there were what necessary charges and Pensions went out Shortly after Augustus was called Lord by the People but he did not only refuse that Title but forbad it by a publick Edict Augustus enjoying so great prosperity was yet nothing altered in his qualities and behaviour as often it happens in other Princes but rather became more mild just and affable more courteous liberal and temperate He established very good Laws and Orders for the reformation and abuses and evil customes He erected both within and without Rome many stately and sumptuous Edifices which made him to boast concerning Rome Latericiam inveni Marmoream reliqui I found it built with Brick and left it built with Marble He bestowed great gifts