bring to passe to dye By his owne hand no land from me is free My Trophees all that Titan sees possesse Going from thence Phâ—sis cold river sees Me conquerour in the North in the hote Zone Knowne Aegypt and Syene that at noone No shadow spreads my lawes the West obeyes Baetis that meets the faâ—thest VVesterne seas Me tam'd Arabia knowes th'Aenio he bold And Colchos fam'd for her stoâ—ne fleece of gold The Cappadorians from my Colours flie And lewes that serue an vnknowne Deitie Me soft Sophene feares th' Armenians Taurus and the subdu'd Cilicians VVhat warres for him but civill doe I leaue These words his souldiers with no shout receiue Nor are they eager of the fight their feares Great Pompey sees and backe his Standard beares Loath in so great a war to venture men Orecome with same of Caesar yet not seene As a Bull beat in the first fight he tries Through th' empty fields and desart forrests flies Exil'd and tries ' gainst ev'ry tree his hornes Nor till his strength be perfited returnes To pasture then recovering his command Maugure the Heardsman leads them to what land He lift so now as weakest Italy Dooes Pompey leaue and through Apuliâ— fly Himselfe immuring in Brundufirm's hold A towne by Cretan colonies of old Possest that in th' Athenian nauy fled VVhen lying sailes reported Theseus dead Hence Italy's now straightned coast extends Her selfe in forme of a thin tongue and bends Her hornes t' inclose the Adriaticke sea Nor yet could these straight shut vp waters be A haven if high cliffes winds violence Did not restraine and the tir'd waters fence On both sides Nature the windes tyranny To stop high cliffes opposes to the sea That ships by trembling cables held may stand Hence all the Maine lyes ope if to thy land We saile Corcyra or our courses bend On the left hand where Epidamnus tends To the Ionian thither Saylers flye When th'Adrian's rough and cloudes obscure the high Ceraunian mountaines and with violent dash The foaming seas Calabrian Sason wash When of forsaken Italy there was No hope at all nor that the war could passe Into the Spanish coast for twixt that land The lofty Alpes did interposed stand Thus th' eldest of his noble progeny Pompey bespake the worlds far Regions try Nile and Euphrates wheresoere my name Is spread and all the Cities where Romes fame I haue advaunc'd bring backe vnto the seas The now dispers'd Cicilian colonies The strength Pharnaces holds I charge thee bring Arme my Tigranes and th'Aegyptian King Those that inhabit both Armenia's ore And the fierce nation by the Euxine Shore Riphaean bands and those where Scythian carres On his slow back congeal'd Maeotis beares Why speake I more through all the East my Sonne Carry this war through every conquer'd towne I' th' world to vs all triumph'd regions joyne But you whose names the Latian feasts doe signe To Epire saile with the first Northeast winde Through Greece and Macedon new strength to finde While winter giues vs respite from the war To his commands they all obedient are And from th'Italian shore their anchors weigh Caesar impatient of warres long delay Or rest lest changing fates might ought withstand His flying Sonne in law pursues at hand So many townes at first assault surpriz'de And Forts disarmed others had suffic'de Rome the worlds head warres greatest booty left A prey but Caesar in all actions swift Thinking nought done whilst ought vndone remain'd Feircely pursues and though he haue obtain'de All Italy and that great Pompey liues In th' vtmost edge that both are there he grieues Nor would he let his foes passe foorth againe By Sea but seekes to stop the watry maine And with vast hills damme vp the Ocean But this great labour is bestow'de in vaine The Sea those mountaines swallowes mixing all With sands below so if high Erix fall Into the midst of the Aegaean Sea No land aboue the water seene can be Or if the lofty Gaurus quite torne downe Were to the bottome of Avernus throwne But when no earth throwne in would firmely stand Then with a bridge of fastned ships the Land He joynes each Galley doe foure anchors stay Once ore the Sea proud Xerxes such a way Made by report when ioyn'd by bridge he saw Sestos t' Abydos Europe t' Asia And fearing not th'Eastwinde nor Wests affront Walk'd ore the curled backe of Hellespont When ships their sayles round about Athos spread So now this Haven's mouth Ships straightened On which their Bulwarkes vp apace they raise And lofty towers stand trembling on the seas When Pompey saw that a new land orespread The ocean's face care in his brest is bred To ope the sea and carry foorth the warre Fill'd sailes and stretching shrowds the Ships oft bare Against these works breaking them downe made roome Into the Sea for other ships to come Oft well driven engines lighten'd the darke night With flying fires When time for their stolne flight Was come he warnes his men no Sailers noyse Might on the shore be heard nor trumpets voice Divide the houres nor cornets sound at all The marriners should to their charges call Now neere her end Virgo began to be And Libra followes his first day to see The silent fleete departs the anchors made No noise when from thicke sands their hookes are weigh'd Silent while they the sayle-yard bow and reare The maine-mast vp the fearefull masters are The Saylers softly spread their sailes nor dare Shake their strong shrowds within the whizzing aire The Generall makes his prayer Fortune to thee To giue him leaue t' abandon Italy Since thou 'lt not let him keepe it but alas The Fates will scarce grant that the waters flash And furrow'd with so many keeles at once The stâ—mme beat sea with a vast murmur grones The foes let in by gates and vp the wall Which faith by Fortune turn'd had open'd all Along the havens stagge-like Hornes they runne Swiftly to shore griev'd that the fleete was gon Is Pompey's flight so small a victory A straighter passage let him out to sea Then where th'Eubaean channell Chaleis beates Here stuck two shipps which fast the engine gets In fight and neere the shore the skirmish tri'de Heere first the Sea with civill blood was dy'de The Fleet escap'd of those two ships bereft So when Thessalia Iasons Argo left For Colchos bound Cyanean Isles at sea Shot foorth the tayle-maim'd Ship escap'd away Amidst the rockes in vaine the Ilands beat The empty sea she comes a sayler yet Now that the Sunne was neere the Easterne skie Declar'd palefac'd before his rosie dye The Plejades grow dimme each neerer star Looses his light Bootes lazy carre Turnes to the plaine complexion of the skies And Lucifer the great starres darkned flies From the hot day and now wert thou at sea Pompey not with such Fate as when from thee The fearefull Pirats through all seas retir'd Fortune revolts with thy oft triumphs tyr'd Now with thy
Aegaean joyn'd With the Tyrrhene so with th' Ieâ—â—an The Adriatike met How oft in vaine That day the sea seem'd mountaines topps to ' ore flow And yeilding earth that deluge t' vndergoe But such high waues on no shore raised be But from the worlds far part and the maine sea They rowle the earth embracing waters bring Their monstrous waues so whâ—n the heavens high king Help'd his tir'd thunder with his â—rotheis mace To mankinds â—uine earth then added was To Neptunes kingdome when the sea confounded All lands and Tethys by no shore was bounded Contented with no limit but the skyes Then also would those â—welling seas arise Vpto the starres had not great Ioue kept downe Their waues with cloudes nor sprung that night alone From naturall causes the thiâ—ke aire was growne Infected with the dampes of Acheron And clogg'd with foggy stormes waues froÌ„ the maine Fly to the cloudes and fall like showres againe The lightnings light is lost it shines not cleare But shootes obscurely through nights stormy aire The heavens then trembled the high pole for feare Resounded when his hindges mooved were Nature then fear'd the old confusion The elementall concord seem'd vndone And night that mixt th' aetheriall deityes With the infernall â—eem'd againe to rise Their hope of safety was that in this great Wraâ—ke of the world they were not perisht yet As farre as you from Leucas top may see The quiet sea so farre could they desery From waues high tops the troubled Ocean But when the swelling billowes fall againe The maine-mast top scarce aboue water stands The topsailes touch the cloudes the keele the sands For ground is seene from whence the sâ—as arise In hills in waues the seas whole water is Feare conquers art the master does not know Which waue to breake which waue to yeeld vnto But the seas discord only aides them now The barke one billow cannot overflow Let by anothers force which still susteines The yeilding side the barke vpright mainteines Her course supported by all windes no more Low Sasons gulfes Thessalia's crooked shore Or the Ambracian dangerous ports they fear'd But ore the high Ceraunia to be rear'd â—y billowes Caesar thinkes it now to be A danger worthy of his destiny Are the gods troubled so to ruine me Whom sitting heere in a small barke quoth he They haue assaulted with a storme so lowd If on the seas not warres they haue bestow'd The glory of my death fearelesse I come Ye gods to any death that ye can doome Though this too hasty fate great actes breake off I haue already done things great enough The Northren nations I haue tam'd and quell'd My foes at home by armes Rome has beheld Great Pompey my inferiour honours stay'd From me in war the people forc'd haue pay'd All Roman honours in my titles be Let it be knowne fortune to none but thee Though full of honour to the shades below I both Romes Consull and Dictator goe I dye a private death ô gods I craue No funerall let the seas inmost waue Keepe my torne carkasse let me want a tombe And funerall pyle whilest lookt for still to come Into all lands I am and ever fear'd Thus having spoke most strange the tenth waue rear'd His barke aloft nor from the billowes top Did she fall downe kept by the water vp Till on the rocky shore she stood at last His fortune and so many kingdomes cast On shore and townes againe he did receiue Caesar's returne next morne could not deceiue His souldiers so as his stolne flight had done About their generall flock they every one Assaulting him with lamentations And not ingratefull accusations VVhither did thy rash valour carry thee Too cruell Caesar to what destiny Didst thou leaue vs poore soules venturing vpon Th' vnwilling seas and stormes thy selfe alone In thee to seeke for death was cruelty VVhen all the world esteemes thy head so high And on thy life so many liues of ours Depend did none of vs deserue t' haue power Not to surviue thee sleepe did vs detaine While thou wert tost vpon the watry maine Was this the cause thou went'st to Italy Alas it shames vs it was cruelty To venture any man on such a sea For the last act of things such hazards be VVhy doest thou tire the gods so much to goe And venture the worlds greatest Captaine so From fortune's worke and favour thus t' haue sent Thee safe a shore to vs be confident Of the warres issue This vse doest thou make Of the gods favour to escape a wracke Rather then gaine the worlds sole soveraignety Thus while they talke night past the Sunne they see And a cleare day his waues the tired maine By the windes leaue compos'd and smooth'd againe The Captaines also on th' Italian side VVhen the tâ—r'd Ocean free from waues they spy'd By the pure Northwinds rising thence convay'd Their ships which their skill'd Marriners had stay'd So long for feare while winds auspicious fail'd Like a land army their joyn'd navy sail'd On the broad Sea but the chang'd windes by night Fill'd not their sailes but broke the order quite So Cranes in VVinter Strymon's cold forsake To drâ—nke warmâ— Nile and in their first flight make As chance directs of letters various formes VVhen their spread wings are by the violent stormes Of strong South-windes assailed by and by â—n a confused globe all mingled fly The letter 's lost in their disranked wings But the next morne when rising Titan brings A stronger winde to driue the navie ore They passe the vaine attempted Lissus shore And to Nymphaeum come Southwinds that blow The haven on them the Northwindes fled bestow VVhen Caesars legions all collected were And Pompey saw the war was drawne so neere To his owne campe he thinkes best to provide For his wiuâ—â— safety and in Lesbos hide Thee faire Cornelia from the noise of warre Alas in just and noble mindes how farre Prevailes true loue true loue alone had power To make great Pompey feare wars doubâ—full houre His wife alone he wisht free from that stroke That all the world and Romes whole fortune shooke But now a ready mâ—nd wants words in him He yeilds to sweete delayes from fare steales time But when th'approching morne had banisht rest And faire Cornelia his care-wounded breast Clasping from her averted husband seekes A loving kisse wondring to feele his cheekes Moistened with teares tâ— hidâ—en cause she feares And daâ—es not finâ— great Pompey shedding teares He then thus mourning spake oh dâ—arest wife Dearer to me then life not now when life I loath but in our best prosperity That sad day's come which too too muâ—h haue we Yet not enough dâ—fferr'd Caesar's addrest For fight thou must not stay Lesbos the best And safest place will be for thee to hide Doe not enâ—treat me sweete I haue deny'd It to my selfe nor absent long shall we Remaine for swift will this wars tryall be Great things fall speedily To heare not see Thy
pardon his foule fact For let your King for such a deed expect No more then pardon But doe you enterre This VVorthy's head not that the earth may beare And hide your guilt bring fumes and odours store T' appease his head and gather from the shore His scatter'd limbs compose them in one tombe Let his deare ghost perceiue that Caesar's come And heare my pious griefe VVhilst he preferrs All desperate hazards before me and dares Rather to trust his life with Ptolomey The people all haue lost a joyfull day The world our peace the gods my prayers deny'd That laying these victorious armes aside I might embrace thee Pompey and request Our former life and loue and thinke me blest After this war thy aequall still to be Then had my faithfull loue perswaded thee Though conquer'd to excuse the gods and make Thee Rome to pardon me Though thus he spake He found no partners in his griefe the rest Beleâ—t not his and their owne teares supprest And durst oh happy freedome with dry eye Though Caesar wept behold this tragedy FINIS Annotations on the ninth Booke a Whilest the event of the civill war was yet doubtfull and both the Generalls were possessed of their full strengths Cato was fearefull of both their intents and hated them both as fearing that the conquerer would captiue his countrey but after the battell of Pharsalia was fought and Caesar had conquered he was then wholly of Pompey's side desiring to vphold the party vanquished b Pompey the great pursuing Caesar into Thessalia had left Cato with a great strength to guard Dyrachium who hearing the overthrow and flight of Pompey marched away to take shipping at Corcyra and follow Pompey to ioyne his strength with him c Cato at Cyrene hearing that Lucius Scipio the father in-law of Pompey the great was ioyned in Affrica with Iuba King of Mauritania and that Atius Varus whom Pompey had deputed his Lieutenant in Affrica was there also marched overland thither which march being thirty dayes vpon those desart sands any with admirable patience and magnanimity enduring the iourny forsaking his horse alwayes and marching a foot in the head of his army to teach his souldiers rather then command them to endure hardnesse he arrived at last at Iuba's court where though the souldiers with one voice elected him Generall he refused the charge and chose rather to serue vnder Scipio then command himselfe in chiefe d These Psylli are a people inhabiting those parts of Affrica fortifyed by nature with an incredible priveledge against the strength of poison and susteine no harme by the biting of serpents The serpents saith Pliny are afraid of them and when others are bitten these Psylli by sucking the wounds and muttering some charmes dee easily cure them They haue a custome as writers report when their children are borne if the father suspect his wiues chastity he exposes the infant to all kind of serpents if begotten by a stranger the child dyeth but if lawfully begotten the priveledge of his fathers blood protecteth him against the venome LVCANS Pharsalia The Tenth Booke The Argument Caesar in Aegypt fearelesse walkes and sees Their temples tombes and fam'd antiquityes Before his feete faire Cleopatra kneeles Whom to her brother king he reconciles With sumptuous feasts this peace they celelrate To Caesars eare Achoreus doth relate Niles ebbes and flowes and long concealed spring Within the pallace Caesar and the King By sterne Achillas are besieg'd by night Caesar to Pharos takes a secret flight There from his ship he leapes into the waues And his endanger'd life by swimming saues WHen Caesar first possest of Pompey's head Arrived there and those dire sands did tread His fortune stroue with guilty Aegypts fate VVhether that Rome that land should captivate Or Aegypts sword take from the world the head Both of the Conquerer and the conquered Pompey the ghost prevailes thy Manes free Caesar from death left Nile should after thee Be by the Romans lov'd He goes from thence To Alexandria arm'd with confidence In this dire mischiefes pledge following along His fasces But perceiving that the throng Of people murmur'd that in Aegypt he Bore th' Ensignes vp of Romes authority He findes their wavering faiths perceiving plaine That for his sake great Pompey was not slaine Then with a looke still hiding feare goes he The stately temple of th' old god to see VVhich speakes the ancient Macedonian greatnesse But there delighted with no objects sweetnesse Not with their gold nor gods majestike dresse Nor losty city walls with greedinesse Into the burying vault goes Caesar downe There Macedonian Philip's mad-brain'd son The prosperous theife lyes buryed whom just fate Slew in the worlds revenge vaults consecrate Containe those limbs which through the world 't were just To cast aâ—road but fortune spar'd his dust And to that Kingdomes end his fate remain'd If ere the world her freedome had attaind He for a mocke had beene reserv'd whose birth Brought such a dire example to the earth So many lands to be possest by one Scorning the narrow bounds of Macedon And Athens which his father had subdew'd Through Asian lands with human slaughter strew'd Led by too forwaâ—d fates he rushes on Driving his sword through every nation Rivers vnknowne Euphrates be distaines VVith Persians blood Ganges with Indians Th' earth fatall mischiefe lightning dire that rent All people and a star malevolent To nations To invade the South-east sea He built a fleete Not barren Libya Water nor heat nor Ammons desart sands Could stop his course Vpon the Westerne lands Following the worlds devexe he meant to tread To compasse both the poles and drinke Niles head But death did meete his course that checke alone Could nature giue this Kings ambition Who to his graue the worlds sole Empire bore With the same envy that 't was got before And wanting heires left all he did obtaine To be divided by the sword againe But fear'd in Parthia and his Babylon He dy'd Oh shame that Easterne nation Then trembled at the Macedonian speare Farre more then now the Roman pile they feare Though all the North the West and South be â—urs In th' East the Parthian King contempes our powers That Which to Crassus proov'd a fatall place A secure province to small Pella was Now the yong King come from Pelusium Had pacify'd the peoples wrath in whom As hostage of his peace in Aegypts court Caesar was safe when loe from Pharos port Bribing the keeper to vnchaine the same In a small galley Cleopatra came Vnknowne to Caesar entering the house The staine of Aegypt Romes pernicious Fury vnchast to Italyes disgrace As much as Helena's bewitching face Fatall to Troy and her owne Greekes did prooue As much Romes broiles did Cleopatra mooue Our Capitall she with her Sistrum scarr'd VVith Aegypts base effeminate rout prepar'd To seize Romes Eagles and a triumph get Ore captiv'd Caesar when at Leucas fleet It doubtfull stood whether the world that day A woman
his sonne can stay No weeping wife her Husband can perswade No nor their houshold gods till they haue made Vowes for their safety none an eye dares cast Back on lou'd Rome although perhaps his last Irrevocably doe the people flye You gods that easily giue prosperity But not maintaine it that great city fill'd VVith natiue soules and conquer'd that would yeeld Mankinde a dwelling is abandon'd now An easie prey to Caesar when a foe Begirts our Souldiers in a forreine Land One little trench nights danger can withstand A soddaine worke rais'd out of earth endures The foes assault th' encamped's sleepe secures Thou Rome a war but noysd art left by all Not one nights safety trusted to thy wall But pardon their amaze when Pompey flyes 'T is time to feare then lest their hearts should rise With hope of future good sad augury bodes A worse ensuing fate the threatning gods Fill heaven and earth and sea with prodigies Vnheard-of Starres by night adorne the skies Heaven seemes to flame and through the Welkin fire Obliquely flyes state-changing comets dire Display to vs their bloud portending haire Deceitfull lightnings flash in clearest ayre Strange formed Meteors the thicke ayre had bred Like Iavelins long like lampes more broadly spread Lightning without one cracke of thunder brings From the cold North his winged fires and flings Them ' gainst our Capitoll small starres that vse Onely by night their lustre to diffuse Now shine in midst of day Cynthia bright In her full orbe like Phoeâ—us at the sight Of earths blacke shades eclipses Titan hidâ—s When mounâ—ed in the midd'st of heaven he rides In cloudes his burning Chariot to enfold The world in darknesse quite day to behâ—ld No Nation hopes as once backe to the East He fled at sight of sad Thyestes feast Fierce Vulcan opts Sicilian Aetna's throate But to the sky her flames she belches noâ— But on th' Italian shore obliquely flings Bloud from her bottome blacke Charibdis brings Sadlyer barke Scyllaes doggs then they were wont The Vestall fire goes out on th'Alban mount Ioues sacrificing fire it selfe divides Into two parts and rises on two sides Like the two Theban Princes funerall fires Earth opes her threatning jawes th' Alpes nodding spires Shake off their snow Thetis does higheâ— now Twixt Libyan Atlas and Spaines Calpe flow The natiue gods did weepe Romes certaine thrall The Lares sweating shew'd the offrings fall Downe in the Temples and as we haue heard Nights fatall Birds in midst of day appear'd VVilde Beasts at midnight from the deserts come And take bold lodging in the streets of Rome Beasts make with mens articulate voice their monâ— Births monstrous both in limmes proportion And number mothers their owne infants fear'd Sibilla's fatall lines were sung and heard Among the people and with bloody armes Cybel's head-shaking Priests pronounc'd their charmes I th' peoples eares howling a balefull mone And Ghosts from out their quiet vrnes did grone Clâ—shing of armour and loude showtes they heare In desert groues and threatnings Ghosts appeare The dwellers neere without the City wall Fled fierce Erynnis had encompast all The towne her snaky haires and burning brand Shaking as when she rul'd Agauâ—'s hand Or the selfe maim'd Lycurgus such was she VVho once when sent by Inno's cruelty Great Hercules new come from Hell did fright Shrill trumpets sounded dismall ayres of night That horrid noise that meeting armies yeild Did then present in midst of Mars his field Rose Sylla's ghost and woes ensuing told Plowmen neere Aniens streames Marius behold Rise from his sepulchre and flye appall'd For these things were the Tuscan Prophets call'd As custome was the sagest of them all Dwelt in Etrurian Luna's desert wall Aruns that lightnings motion vnderstands Birds flight and entrailes op'te he first commands Those monstrous birthes that from no seede did come But horrid issues of a barren wombe To be consum'd in fire then all the towne To be encompast in procession Th' high Priests whose charge it is he next doth vrge The City walles with hallowed rites to purge Through their whole circuit following after these Th' inferiour Priests attir'd Gabinian wise The Vestall Maides with their vail'd Sister come That only may see Troy's Palladium Then those that Sibyll's secret verses keepe And Cybell yearely in still Almon steepe Septemuirâ— that governe sacred Feasts The learned Augurs and Apolloes Priests The noble Flameâ— Salius that beares On his glad neck the target of great Mars VVhilst they the towne compasse in winding tracts Aruns the Lightnings dispers'd fire collects And into th' eaâ—tn with a sad murmure flings Then names the places and to th' altar brings A chosen Bull then wine betwixt his hornes He â—owres and sprinkles ore with Salt and Corne His knife the Bull impatient long denyes Himselfe to so abhor'd a Sacrifice But by the guirded Sacrificers strength Hanging vpon his hornes ore come at length Bending his knees holds forth his conquer'd necke Nor did pure blood come out but poyson black Instead of blood from the wound open'd flyes Aruns grew pale at this sad Sacrifice And the gods wrath he in the Entrailes seekes VVhose colour scar'd him pale they were with streakes Of blacke th' infected blood congealed showes Sprinkled with different palenesse various The liver putrifi'de on th'hostile side VVere threatning veines the lungs their fillets hide A narrow line divides the vitall parts The heart lyes still and corrupt matter starts Through gaping clefts no part oth'cause is hid And that which never wâ—thout danger did Appeare on th' entrailes was a double head One head was sicke feeble and languished The other quicke his pulses nimbly beates By this when he perceâ—u'de what woe the Fates Prepar'de he cri'de aloud all that you doe O gods I must not to the People show Nor with this haplesse sacrifice can I Great Iupiter thy anger pacifie The blacke infernall deities appeare In th' entrailes woes vnspeakable we feare But greater will ensue you gods lend aydâ— And let no credit to our Art be had But counted Tages fiction thus with long Ambages darkly the old Tuscan sung But Figulâ—â— whose care it was aright To know the gods and heavens to whom for sight Of planets and the motion of each starre Not great Aegyptian Memphis might compare Either no lawes direct the world quoth he And all the starres doe moue vncertainely Or if Fates rule a swift destruction Threatens mankinde and th' earth shall Cities downe By earthquakes swallow'de be intemperately Shall ayre grow hot false earth her seedes deny Or shall the waters poyson'de be what kinde Of ruine is it gods what mischiefes finde Your cruelties many dire aspects meete If Saturne cold in midst of heaven should siâ— Aquarius would Deucatious flood haue bred And all the earth with waters overspred If Sol should mount the Nemean Lions backe In flames would all the worlds whole fabrick cracke And all the sky with Sol's burnt chariot blaze These aspects ceâ—se but thou that
be the gods owne crime who would endure To see the world dissolue himselfe secure Who could look on when heaven should fal earth faile And the conâ—usde world perish and not waile Shall vnknowne Nations in our Roman war Engage themselues and forreine Kings from far Crossing the Seas and shall I rest alone Farre be it gods the Daci and Getes should mone Their losses in Rome's fall and Cato lie Secure as parents when their children die In person mourne build vp with their owne hands The funerall pyle and light the fatall brands I will not leaue thee Rome till I embrace Thy hearse and liberty thy dying face And fleeting Ghost with honour doe attend So let it goe let th' angry gods intend A compleate Romane sacrifice no blouds Will we defraud the war of would the gods Of heaven and Erebâ—â— would now strike dead For all our crimes this one condemned head Devoted Decius by his foes could fall Me let both Roman hosts assault and all Rhines barbarous troupes let me i' th midst receiue All darts all wounds that this sad war can giue Let me redeeme the people let my Fate What ere Romes manners merit expiate Why should the easily conquer'd people die That can endure a Lord Strike onely me Me with all swords and Piles that all in vaine Our wronged lawes and liberties maintaine This throate shall peace to Italy obtaine After my death he that desires to raigne Need not make war but now let 's follow all The common Ensignes Pompey generall Though he orecome 't is not yet knowne that he Meanes to himselfe the worlds sole Monarchy I le helpe him conquer lest he should suppose He conquers for himselfe From this arose Young Brutus courage this graue speech too farre Made the young man in loue with civill war Now Phoebus driving the cold darke away They heard a noyse at doore v chast Martiae Come from Hortensius tombe stood knocking there Once given a Mayd in marriage happier But when the fruit and price of wedlocke she Three births had payd another Family To fill was fruitfull Martia lent a Bridle To joyne two houses by the Mothers side Now wâ—en Hortensius ashes vined rest She in her funerall robes beating her breast With often strokes and tearing her loose haire Sprinkled with ashes from the Sepulchre To please sowre Cato with a gesture sad Thus speakes Whilst blood childing strength I had Cato I did thy will two husbands tooke Now worne away and with oft travell â—roke I come no more to part grant now our old Wedlocks vntasted rites grant me to hold The empty name of wife and on my Tombe Write Cato's Martia lest in time to come It may be ask'de whether I left the bed Of my first Lord bestow'de or banished Nor câ—me I now prosperity to share But to partake thy labours and sad care Let me attend the Campe leaue me not heere In peace Cornelia to the war so neere These speaches mou'd the man though these times are Vnfit for Hymen when Fate cals to war VVithout vaine pompe to tye a nuptiall knot In the gods presence he refuses not No garlands on the marriage doores were worne Nor linnen fillets did the posts adorne No bridall Tapers shone no bed on high VVith Ivory steps and gold embrodery No Matron in a towred crowne that led The Bride forbid her on the threshold tread No yellow veile cover'd her face to hide The fearefull blushes of a modest Bride No precious girdle guirded her loose Gowne No Chaine adornd her necke nor linâ—en downe From off her shoulders her nak'de armes orespred So as she was funerall habited Even like her Sonnes her Husband she embrac'de A funerall robe aboue her purple plac'de The vsuall Iests were sparde the husband wants After the Sabine vse his marriage tants None of their kindred met the knot they tye Silent content with Brutus auspicy His ore-growne haire he from that sacred face Shaues not nor will in his sad lookes embrace One joy since first that wicked war begun He lets his vnshorne hoary lockes fall downe Ore his rough front and a sad beard to hide His cheekes for he alone from factions free'd Or hate had leasure for mankinde to weepe Nor in his bridall bed would Cato sleepe Even lawfull loue could continence reject These were his manners this sowre Cato's sect To keepe a meane hold fast the end and make Nature his guide dye for his Countreys sake For all the world not him his life was lent He thinks his feasts but hungers banishment His choisest buildings were but fence for cold His best attire rough gownes such as of old VVas Roman weare and nothing but desire Of progeny in him warm'd Venus sire Father and husband both to Rome was he Servant to justice and strict honesty For th'publike good in none of Catoes acts Creepes selfe borne pleasure or her share exacts Now with his fearefull troopes Pompey the great To Trojan Capua fled mean't there to seate The war his scatter'd strength there to vnite And his aspiring foes assaults to meete VVhere Apenine rais'd somewhat higher fills The midd'st of Italy with shady hills Then which no part of earth dooes swell more high In any place nor neerer meetes the sky The mountaine twixt two seas extended stands Th'vpper and lower sea on the right hand Is Pisae seated on the Tyrrhene shore Ancona on the left vex'd evermore VVith stormes and windes that from Dalmatia blow Heere from vast founâ—aines doe great rivers flow And into th'double seas divorce doe slide In severall channells downe on the left side Metaurus swift and strong Crustumium flow Isapis ioyn'd t'Isaurus Sonna too And Aufidus the Adriaticke beates Eridanus then which no river gets More ground whole forrests rowles into the sea Oreturn'd and robs of rivers Italy They say that Poplars on this rivers side First grew when Phaeton amisse did guide The day his wandring Chariot burnt the skie And scorcht the earth all rivers then were drye But this whose streames did Phoebus fires withstand Not lesse then Nile if on playne Libyan sand It flow'd like Nile not lesse then Ister 't were Vnlesse that Ister running every where The streames that fall into all seas does meet And not alone the Scythian Ocean greet From springs that downe the hils right side doe flow Rutuba Tyber swift Vulturnus grow Night-ayre infecting Sarnus Liris too Runnes strength'ned by the Vestine rivers through Maricars wooddy lands Siler that glides Through Salerne's fields Macra whose Ford abides No ships into the sea neere Luna fall The hill where he in length extended all Meeting the bâ—nding Alpes France oversees Totâ— ' Vmbrians Marsians and Sabellians is Ferâ—ile and does with wooddy armes embrace The people of the ancient Latine race Nor leaues he Italy before he end In the Scyllaean cavernes and extend Vnto Lacinian Iuno's house his hill Longer he was then Italy vntill The sâ—a divided him and water forc'd The land then when two meeting seas
divorc'd What was conjoyn'd part of the hill the sea Gaue to Pelorus in Sicilia Caesar now mad of war loues not to finde But make his way by blood nor is his minde Ioy'd that in Italy he sees no foes No Countreys guarded from him meetes no blowes But counts his journey lost desires to breake Not open gates and loues his march to make By fire and sword not sufferance thinkes it shame To tread permitted paths and beare the name Of Citizen The Italian Cities are Doubtfull which way to leane and though when warre Makes her first fear'd approach all easily VVill yeeld with Bulwarkes yet they fortify Their walls dig trenches round about below Vast stones and weapons from aboue to throw They get and engines on their walles provide The People most encline to Pompey's side But faith with terrour fights so when we see The South-windes horrid blastes possesse the sea The waues all follow him till by the stroke Of Aeoluâ— his Spâ—are the open'd Rocke To the rough seas lets out the Fasterne winde They still retaine though new assaults they finde The old though th'Eastwind th' aire with darke stormes fill The Ocean dâ—es the Southwind challenge still But peoples minds feare changes easily And Fortune swayes their wavering loyaltie By Libo's flight Etruria's naked left And Vmbria Thermus y gone of freedome rest Sylla farre differing from his fathers fame In civill war flyes hearing Caesars name Varus z before the first assault forsakes Auximum's walles and flight disorder'd takes Ore rockes and desarts Leâ—tuius a is beate From Asâ—ulum the foes pursuing get His men that now alone the Captaine flies With empty Standards rest of Companies Thou Scipio b leau'st the trust committed thee Luceria's Fort though in thy Campe there be The valiantst Youth whom feare of Parthian war From Caesar tooke whom Pompey to repaire His French losse lent him and while he thought good Bestow'd on Caesar th' vse of Romane blood But faire Corfinium's well fenc'd walls containe Thee slout Domitius c in thy Campe remaine Those that arraigned Milo did inclose He when a cloude of dust from far arose And on bright Armes the Sunne reflecting shone And glittering swords cries run my Souldiers run Downe to the river drowne the bridge and thou Encreas'd from all thy empti'd fountaines now Rise swelling streame breake downe and beate away This scatter'd bridge there let the war now stay Let thy bankes make our furious enemy Linger a while wee le count it victory That Caesar first staies here This said in vaine He sends swift Cohorts from the towne amaine For Caesar first when from the fields he spy'de His passage lost by bridge enraged cry'de Cannot your walles base cowards shelter you Enough but that the fields and rivers too Must helpe I le passe through Ganges in my way Rowl'd all his strength no streame shall Caesar stay Since Rubicon is past goe winged Horse Second bold foote the bridge now falling force Thus spake he foorth the winged Horse-men ride And like a storme of Haile on tother side The water their well brandisht Iavelins light Caesar then takes the river puts to flight The Souldiers all that were in station To guard the banke and safe before the towne Is come when straight vp lofty workes are throwne And Engines rais'd the walles to batter downe When lo oh shame of war opening the gate The Souldiers brought their Captaine bound and at The feet of his proud Foe present but he With lookes not shaming high Nobility Offers his throate vndaunted Caesar sees Death 's sought and mercy fear'd then thus replies Liue though thou wouldst not by our bounty liue Enjoy this light and to the conquer'de giue Good hope th' example of our clemency Be thou or else againe warres fortunes trie Naught for this pardon Caesar from thy hands Expects if thou orecome with that commands T'vnbinde him had his death the Conquerour pleas'd How much a Romans blush had fortune easde For following Romes the Senates Pompey's armes Pardon t' a Roman was the worst of harmes He yet vnfear'd his anger doth retaine Speakes thus t'himselfe Wilt thou base man againe See Rome or seeke peacefull retirements No Rather into warres fury dying goe Rush boldly through the midst sure ende to make Of this loath'de life and Caesars gift forsake Pompey not knowing he was tane provides Forces to strengthen with joyn'd power his side Meaning his Campe next morning to remoue The Souldiers spirits before their march to proue He thus with a majesticke voice bespake His silent troopes guilt-punishers that take The better side you truely Roman band Arm'de by the State no private mans command Feare not to fight Italy's wasted all By barbarous troopes throgh the cold Alpes the Gaule Is broken loose blood has already dy'de Caesars polluted swords the gods provide Well that the mischiefe there begins and we First suffer wrong oh nâ—w let Rome by me Take punishment nor can you call it here True war but ouer revenging countrye's ire Nor is this more a war then that wherein Nak'de-arm'de Cethegus and fierce Catiline Meant to fire Rome Lentulus and their mates Oh madnesse to be pittyed when the Fates VVould with Camillus and Metellus joyne Thee Caesar thou to Marius shouldst encline And Ciâ—â—a fall thou shalt as Lepidus Fell vnder Gatulus Carbe by vs Beneaded then that in Sicilia lyes And he that made the Spaniards fierce to rise Banisht Seâ—toâ—iâ—â— though I grudge with those Thou Caesar should be plac'd and Rome oppose My armes ' gainst thee VVould from the Parthian war Crassus had safe return'd and conquerer That thou in such a cause as Spartacus Mightst fall but if the gods intend to vs Thou shalt one title adde this arme a dart Can ably brandish yet about this heart The blood is hote know then not all that loue To liue in peace in war will cowards proue Nor let my age affright you though he call Me worne and weake let an old Generall Be in this campe in that old souldiers be I haue attain'd what ere a people free Can giue and nothing but Monarchie About me left he that in Rome would be Greater then I no private state demands Heere both Romes Consuls heere her Senate stands Shall Caesar then subdue the Senate sure Th' art not quite shamelesse fortune to endure Things should so blindly turne Does rebell France So long a taming and those wartes advance His thoughts so high because from Germany He fled and calling a small streame a sea On the sought Brittaines turn'd his flying backe Or swells he cause all Rome though arm'd forsake The Citie hearing his fierce troops are nigh Ah foole they flie not thee all follow me My glorious Ensignes on the Ocean borne Ere Cynthia twice had fill'd her waned hornes All Pirats fled the seas and at my hand Humbly crav'd dwellings in a narrow Land I that stout King that stayd Romes growth did force Flying along the Scythian seas divorce VVhich Sylla ne'r could
vnknowne What name should those two Channells meet in one They 'd beaâ—e Euphrates flowing on the fields That profit there that Nile in Aegypt yeelds But Tigris swallow'd by the gaping earth Long hides his course but at his second birth Deniâ—s not to the Sea his new-borne flood Betwixt boâ—h Campes fierce Parthians neuters stood Content that they alone had causde this war VVith poyson'd arrowes wandring Scythians far Come to the Campe whom Bactros ioy flood Enâ—losâ—s and Hyrcania's desert wood The valiant Heniochian Horsemen there Sprung from the Spartan race Sarmatians neere To the fierce Moschi where cold Phasis glides And Colâ—hos richest pasture fields divides VVhere Halys fatall to the Lydian King Does flow where Tanais that drawes his spring From the Riphaean hills and doth divide Europe from Asia giving to each side The name of severall worlds and as he bends Now to this world now that encrease he lends Where slow Moeotis driven into the seas Takes from the pillars of great Hercules Their fame denying that the Gades alone Admit the sea Scythonian nations The valiant Arians Arimaspians With gold deck'd lockes and swift Gelonians The Massegets their thirst that satisfie With the same horses bloods whereon they fly Not Cyrus leading th'Easterne troopes nor when Xerxes by darts numbring his armed men Came downe nor Agamemnon bound to set His brothers ravisht wife with that fam'd fleet So many Kings brought vnder their commands So many nations drawne from severall lands Different in language and attire nor ere Did fortune bring so many men to beare Part in a mighty ruine making all Sad obsequies at Pompeys funerall Marmaricke troopes the horned Ammon prest And all scorcht Affricke from the farthest VVest To th'Easterne shore send ayde as far as ly The Syrtes gulfes lest Caesar severally And oft be troubled here all nations Pharsalia brings to be suddu'de at once Caesar now leaving fearefull Rome in hast VVith his swift troopes the cloudy Alpes orepast But though his fame all people else affright Phocian Massyllia f dares yet keepe aright Her faith and far from Greekish levity The cause the lawes not fortune followes she But first of all they labour to asswage VVith peacefull parley his vncurbed rage And stubborne minde and to their foe now nigh They send an Oliue-bearing Embassy As Latiums annals can true mention make Massilia still was ready to partake The fate of Rome in any forreine war And now if triumphs over nations far Caesar thou seeke to such a conflict take These hands and liues of ours but if you make Sad civill war then giue vs leaue to bend To neyther side and naught but teares to spend Let not our hands in wounds so sacred be If th' heavenly gods had civill enmity Or earth-borne Giants should assault the sky No ayde to Ioue durst human piety By armes or prayers lend their states aboue We know not but are bound to thinke that Ioue Has thunder still besides how many from All nations now doe voluntaryes come The slothfull world is not from vice so far That you should need forc'd sword to civill war Would every people would this cause refuse And this sad war no hands but Roman vse Some hands would falter at their fathers sight And brothers faintly would ' gainst brothers fight The war will soone haue end if forreine states You vse not t'exercise their ancient hates Our humble suite is that within our wall Thou ' ldst trust thy selfe and leaue behinde thee all Thy threaâ—ning Eagles let vs this obtaine To shut out war and Caesar entertaine Let this place free from guilt safely receiue Thy selfe and Pompey if fates please to giue Peace to vnconquer'd Rome here both may meete Vnarm'd but why when danger did invite Thy wars to Spaine turn'dst thou to vs aside We are of no availe to turne the tide Of your great wars our armes haue prooved still Vnfortunate when fortune did exile Vs from our first plantation here we sate And Phocis sackt towers hither did translaâ—e Here in a forreine coast and weake wall'd towne Safe haue we liv'd our Faith is our râ—nowne If thou intend seidge to our walles to lay Or through our gates t' enforce a speedy way In the defence we are resolv'd to dye And fury of the sword and fire to try If thou divert our waters course the ground Wee le dig and licke the puddle we haue found If foode should faile flesh of our children slaine Fearefull to touch or see our jawes should staine For liberty to suffer wee le not feare VVhat once Saguntum when besiedg'd could beare In Carthage war our babes in vaine that striue To sucke their mothers dry'd vp breasts wee le giue Freely to th' fire a wife shall sue for death At her deare husbands hand a brothers breath A brothers hand shall stop this civill war VVee le choose o'th'two so spoketh ' embassador But Caesar's troubled looke his anger speakes Before his words but this at last these Greekes Vaine hope of our departure has possest Though we were marching to the farthest VVest Yet haue we time to sacke Massilia Souldiers rejoyce fate meetes vs in the way VVith war as windes in th' empty aire doe loose Their force vnlesse some strong growne oake oppose As mighty fires for want of fuell dye So want of foes breedes our calamity Our strength were lost vnlesse some durst stand out To be subdu'd but if I come without My armes they will receiue me they desire Not to exclude but take me prisoner But they forsooth would faine that guilt eschew That followes civill war I le make them rue Their asking peace and know that nought can be Safer then war to those serue vnder me Then on he marches the towne fearelesse shut Their gates and souldiers on the rampiers put Not far off from the walles a hill there stood VVhose top was like a field levell and broade VVhich Caesar in surveying judg'd to be Safe for a campe and fit to fortifieâ— The townes nâ—eâ—'st part did an high castle raise Aequall to th'hill in midst a valley was Caesar resolues on a laborâ—ous thing To fill the valley and together bring Both hills but first to shut vp quite the towne By land from both sides his high campe brings downe A long worke to the sea a bulwarke rais'd Of turfes with rampiers on the top and plac'd In length to cut all convoyes from the towne This was a thing for ever to renowne This Greekish towne to stay the violent course Of this hot war not tâ—ne by suddaine force Or feare when Caesar all the rest orerunne The cities conquest as'kd him time alone T' was much â—o stay â—is fates fortune in hast To make him lord of all the world did wast Time at this â—eidge nâ—w round about the towne The lofty woods are fell'd large Oakes hew'n downe To fortifie with posts tâ—e bulwarkes side Lest earth too brittle of it selfe should slide Away not able the towers weight to beare A wood
hornest ' engirâ— the adverse fleet As when strong windes with tydes repugnant meet One way the Sea the waues another go These ships vpon the furrow'de Ocean so Make different tracts and waues vpon the maine Which oares rais'd the sea beats downe againe But the Greeke vessels were more nimble far Either to flye or turne about the war They could without long tedious turning weild Themselues and quickly to the sterne could yeeld The Roman ships slow keel'd would firmely stand And lend sure footing like a fight by land The master then of his Praetorian ship Brutus be spake why doest thou let them slip Leaue thy Sea-tricks and joyne the battells close ' Gainst the Phocaicke stemmes â—ur ships oppose He straight obeyes and turnes his owne broâ—d side Against their stemmes what ship so ere they tride To encounter her with her owne stroke orecome Stiâ—kes fast and is surprisde they hoâ—ke in some With oares some some they with chaines hold fast On the seas cover'd face the war is plac'd No brandisht Iavelins manage now the war No darted steele bestowing wounds from far Hands ioyne with hands and in this Navall fight The sword acts all in their owne ships vpright They face their foes prone strokes some fal down slaine In their owne ships dy'd is the Ocean And the waues stiffen'd with congealâ—d blood Ships hook't together could not meet withstood By falling carcasses some halfe dead sinke And their owne bloud mixt with salt water drinke Some that desire their strugling liues to keepe Fall in the ruines of their broken ship Iavelins that mist the aime they did intend Fall in the sea and finish there their end Finding their bodies to receiue a wound A Roman ship by Greeks inviron'd round Fights stiffely still on left hand and on right Maintaining long ' gainst all a doubtfull fight Vpon whose lofty decke whilst Taâ—us bold Strived a seazed Graecian flag to hold Two darts together sent together split His breast and backe and in the middle meet The blood not knowing yet which way to run Makes stand but out at last both darts are throwne He in two wounds his dying soule divides Hither his ship whilst haplesse Telo guides Then whom none better on a boistrous sea Could guide a ship none better knew then he Tomorrow 's weather if the Sunne he spy'de Or Moone and could for futâ—â—re stormes provide He vvith his stemme a Roman ship had broke But through his heart a trembling javelin stroke The ship turnes off following his dying hand Gyareus leaping to his friends command Straight with a Roman javelin strongly flung Was slaine and to the ship fast nailed hung Two twinnes stand vp their fruitfull mothers fame That from one wombe with fates far different came Death parâ—s them their sad parents reft of one Without mistaking know their living sonne Whose lookes the cause of lasting sorrow keepe And make his friends for his slaine brother weepe One of those twinnes from his Greeke ship was bold Vpon a Roman keele to lay strong hold But from aboue a stroke cuts off his hand Which in the place did still fast bended stand And kept the hold the nerues more stiffe became By death his courage by this noble maime Was rais'd and greater by this accident His valiant left hand ' gainst his foes he bent And rushes on his lost right hand to reach But that alas another sword did fetch Off by the shoulder now both hands were gone Nor sword nor target could he weild yet downe He did not sinke but naked breasted stood Formost to saue his armed brothers blood And there all darts all wounds that were ordain'd For many deaths one dying breast contein'd And then his soule fleeting so many wayes He recollects and in his tir'd limmes stayes That little strength and blood was left to skip Before his death into the Roman ship His enemies by weight alone t' oppresse For now the ship laden with carcasses And full of blood bor'd through the side had been And through her â—eakes drinking the water in Was fill'd vp to the hatches sinking than It turn'd the face of the neere Ocean The waters to the sinking ship gaue way And in her roome clos'd vp againe That day Miraculous fates the Ocean did behold An iron hooke throwne to lay violent hold Vpon a ship on Lycidas did light Drown'd had he been but his friends hinder'd it And on his lower parts caught hold in two The man was pluckt nor did his blood spin slow As from a wound but gushing in one spout From all his broken vaines at once let out Into the sea falls his life-carrying blood Never so great a passage open stood To let out any soule life straight forsakes His lower halfe since vitall parts it lackes But in his vpper halfe since in that part Lay the soft lungs and life susteining heart Death staâ—es a while and findes repugnancy Nor at one time could all his members dye The men that mann'd one ship eager of fight All pressing to one side leaue empty quite The other side whose weight ore turn'd the ship Which topsie turvy sinking downe did keepe The Saylers vnder water all of them Were drown'd nor could their armes haue roome to swim One horrid kind of death that day was seene A yong man swimming was whose breast betweene Two meeting Ships sharpe stemms was bored through The brazen stemms through bones and flesh did goe And made a noise his squeezed belly sent Vp through his mouth blood mixt with excrement But when the ships divide themselues againe The body throwne into the Ocean The water through his bored bosome came Now in the Sea shipwrack'd Massiâ—iaâ—s swame Towards their fellowes ship to saue their liues But that already over burden'd strâ—ues To keepe her friends though thus distressed out And from aboue with swords the Souldiers cut Their armes when hold vpon the ship they lay Then downe againe into the Sea fall they Leauing their hands behinde the Ocean Can now no longer their maim'd trunkes sustaine But now when all the Souldiers darts were gone Fury finds weapons Oares by some are throwne Against their foes with a strong arme The mast Do some teare downe and in their fury cast Some teare the Saylers seates bords from the decke Some throwe for weapons they their ships do breake Some wanting swords their friends dead bodies spoile From his owne breast one drawes the mortall Pile With the left hand holding the wound so long To keepe in blood and strength till he had flung The iavelin at his foe then lets it run But nothing wrought so much destruction At Sea as Seas opposed Element The fire which wrapt in vnctious stuffe was sent And sulphur balles the ships apt fuell were Their pitch and melting waxe tooke easily fire Nor now could water quench th'vnruly flame Fragments of broken ships still burning swam Into the Sea to quench his fire one skips For feare of drowning to the burning ships Another cleaues that
first crime but when Petreius spy'd That Caesars fortâ—ne did all actions guide Ilerda he forsakes trusting no more The strength of that knowne world but seeking for Vntamed nations fierce with wars dire loue e To that worlds end the battell to remoâ—ue When Caesar saw the hills and campe forsooke He bids his men take armes and never looke For bridge or ford but with their hardy armes Swim ore the streame the souldiers his alarmes Obey with speed and rushing on to fight Venture those wayes that they would feare in flight Then taking armes cherish their bodies wet And their beâ—ummed joynts with running heat Till noone made shadowes short the horsemen then O retake the hindniost of Petreius men Who doubtfull are whether to fight or flye Two rockâ— hills lift their proud tops on high Making a vale beneath aboue the ground Is ioyn'd below safe passages are found Through windings darke which straights if once the foe Had in possession Caesar well did know He might from thence carry the war as far As Spaines remote and barbarous nations are Runne without ranke quoth he pursue your foes Turne backe the war that by their flight you loose Make them turne face to face though they would fly Giue not the cowards leaue basely to dy But on their breasts let them receiue our blowes This said with swiftnesse they prevent their foes Flight to the hills encamping close beside A narrow trench did both the campes divide And of so little distance was the place They might distinctly know each others face There finding fathers brothers sonnes they see The wickednesse of civill enmity And first for feare standing a little mute With nods and swords lift vp frends frends salute But when deare loue conquer'd the law of warres Over the trenches leape the souldiers T' embrace each other some their old hosts meete Some their schoolefellowes some their kinsemen greete He was no Roman that no enemy knew Sighs breake their kisses teares their armes bedew And though no act of blood were yet begun They feare the mischiefe that they might haue done VVhy mourn'st thou foole why doe it thou beat thy breast And weepe in vaine why hast thou now confest Thou ' gainst thy will to wicked war doest goe Stand'st thou in such great feare of him whom thou Thy selfe mak'st dreadfull let this trumpets sound Neglect the cruell noise let none be found To beare his Eagles and the war there ends Caesar and Pompey private men are frends Now concord come that all things doest enfold In thy white armes and the worlds safety hold The earths blest loue future impietyes Our age may feare the ignorance heere dyes Of their misdeeds and from excuse does bar Their guilt they know their foes their kinsemen are Sinister fates that will by this short peace Their future woes and wickednesse encrease T' was peace and in both campes mixt souldiers stray'd And on the grasse their friendly banquets made By the same fire together Bacchus rites They celebrate and spend the watchfull nights In storyes of the war as lovingly Together they in ioyning lodginges lye Where first they did encampe from what hand fled Each Pile and boast of every valiant deede Denying much they graunt the wish of Fate And loue the wretched Souldiers renovate This loue their future wickednesse encreast For when Petreius saw their friendly feast Thinking himselfe and campe to sale betray'd He armes his houshold servants to invade Dire war and guarded with a troope of those Out of his campe th'vnâ—rm'd Caesarians throwes The sword as in embraces joyn'd they stood Divides them and disturbes the peace with blood Then wrath these war provoking speeches gaue Souldiers vnmindefull of the cause you haue Though Caesars conquest you cannot bestow Vpon the Senates cause this you can do Fight till you are orecome whilest you haue hands And blood and whilest the war yet doubtfull stands Will you go serue and traitrous Eagles take And beg of Caesar he no odds would make Betweene his slaues and at his hands dâ—sire Your Captaines liues our safetyes treasons hire Shall never be nor make we civill war To liue by name of peace betray'd we are People for veines of brasse which deepe-hid lye Would never seeke nor townes would fortify No stately horses to the war should pace No tower-like shipps ore spread the Oceans face If liberty for peace were ere well sold Shall Caesar's Souldiers damn'd obedience hold Bound by a wicked oath and you make light Your faith because in a good cause you fight But pardon 's hop'd oh shames dire funerall Not knowing this great Pompey thou ore all The world art mustring and each farthest King Bringing to fight whilest we are articling Basely about thy safety This feirce speech Turn'd backe their mindes stirr'd warrs wicked itch As when wild beasts wean'd from the woods and shutt Vp close to â—ame haue off their wildenesse put And learn'd t' endure a man if blood once staine Their iawes their wildenesse straight returnes againe Their iawes grow hot and their new boyling rage The trembling keeper hardly can aswage They run on wickednesse and what might seeme In a blinde war the gods or fortunes crime Deceived trust makes ours at bord and bed The late embraced breasts are murthered And though vnwillingly at first they draw Yet when their wicked swords drawne out they saw And striking were their friends they truely hate And with the stroke themselues they animate Petreius campe is with strange tumult fill'd And horrid murther sonnes their fathers kill'd And as if hidden mischiefe lost should be They boast their guilt and let their Captaines see Caesar though robbed of thy men yet see The gods high favour not so much for thee On Aegypt or Massilias seas is done Nor so much honour in Pharsalia won f For this sole crime of civill war does make That thou at length the better cause shalt take The Generalls now their blood-stain'd Souldier No more dare trust within the campe so neere But by swift flight toward Ilerda make From whom all passage Caesars horsmen take And there in those dry hills shut vp their foes Whom Caesar striues with a deepe trench t' enclose Cutting all water off he lets them take No springes nor tents neere to the river make They seeing the way of death convert their feare To rage their horses that vnusefull were To men beseidg'd they kill and since in flight T were vaine to hope addresse themselues to fight Caesar perceiues them comming and well knowes That death is sought by his devoted foes Containe your Piles and swords Souldiers quoth he I le loose no blood to get this victory That foe that meetes the sword nere gratis dyes Hating their liues and cheape in their owne eyes They come to mixe our losses with their death They 'll feele no wounds but ioy in losse of breath But let this heate forsake vm this mad fit They 'll loose their wish of death Caesar the fight Forbids
their oares did wound A miracle of silent slight it show'd She boâ—e no sailes or sea discover'd row'd Now they obserue the tides till th' ebbing seas Leaue the sands bare and make the shore encrease Then from aboue into the Ocean prone The ship falls by two galleyes waited on Ore which a lofty threatning tower was rear'd Where spires and trembling pinnacles appear'd Octavius keeper of th'Illyrian sea Would not assault this ship too suddainly But his swift vessells thought it good to stay Till th' easy passage might encrease his prey And farther on to sea by peace invites His rashly enter'd foes such are the slights Of huntsmen when their toiles they haue dispos'd And fearefull deere in plumed nets enclos'd Their dogs of Crete and Sparta they containe And their wide mouth'd Molossians restraine No dog is trusted in the wood but he That can vpon a full sent silent be And never open when he findes the game Content alone to signifie the same By wagging of the string then presently The Souldiers leaue the I le and eagerly They come a boord the ship when day 's last light Gaue place to the approach of dusky night But the Cilicians of great Pompey's side According to their old sea-craft had ty'd Chaines through the midst o'th'sea of which no show Appear'd aboue but loosely let them flow The chaine was fasten'd to th' Illyrian shore The first and second ships not staid got ore The third was caught of burden much more vast And to the rocke by a drawne rope was cast The rocke hangs ore the sea a wonder tis Hollow and still though falling stands with trees Making a shade hither the sea by tides Oft driues and in those darkesome cavernes hides Ships broke by Aquilon and drowned men Which hidden store the rocke restores againe And when the cavernes belch it vp in heate Sicilian Charybdis cannot get Preheminence Heere did the great ship stand That was with valiant Opitergians mann'd Her from all havens did all ships enclose Some from the rocke some from the shore oppose Vulteius found this under-vnder-water traine The Captaine of the ship who all in vaine Striving to cut the chaines did then desire Without all hope to fight where to retire Or how to conquer is not seene but here As much as snared valour could appeare It did against so many thousand wights That did enclose scarse one full cohort fights Not long endeed for night in her blacke shade Shut vp the day and peace the darkenesse made Then stouâ— Vulteius thus gan animate The cohort fearing sad ensuing fate Yong men that but for one short night are free Provide in time for sates extremity There 's no man's life is short that does allow Him time to seeke his death nor thinke it now Lesse glorious that we meete a fate at hand The times of future life none vnderstand T is aequall praise of minde to giue away Our liues last moment and the hoped stay Of many yeres so we the actors be No man can be compell'd to wish to dye No way for flight is left at every hand Bent ' gainst our throates the sterne Cilicians stand Let feare be banisht then resolue to dye And let your wishes meete necessity Nor shall we fall in a blinde cloud of war As when two battels joyn'd in darkenesse are VVhen heapes of carcasses bestrow the field Valour lies buried all are aequall held But in a ship the gods haue placed vs Both to our friends and foes conspicuous The I le the continent the seas allow VVitnesses to vs and two parties now From divers shores behold vs in our ends VVhat great and rare example Fate entends I know not VVhat ere Chronicles afford Of trust of Souldiers faith maintain'd by sword VVe shall excell t is a small thing to die Vpon our swords Caesar we know for thee But greater pledges in this sad distresse VVe want our great affections to expresse And envious Fates vs of much praises barre That not our parents nor our children are Heere with vs. Let our foes our valour finde And feare our force and death contemning minde Let them be glad that no more ships were caught Perchance they 'll try by leagues what can be wrought Proffering base life would they would promise vs Pardon to make our deaths more glorious Lest when we fall our killing swords vpon Our foes should call it desperation Much valour must deserue that Caesar may Account the lesse of vs a fatall day Among so many thousand Should fate giue Egresse from hence I would not wish to liue I haue already cast away my breath Drawen by the sweetnesse of approaching death A fury t is which none but they can know To whom nere Fates such knowledge doe allow The Gods deaths sweetnesse doe conceale to make Men liue A noble courage straight did take The young mens minds though all with weeping eyes Before the Captaines speech had view'd the skies And fear'd to see the turne of Charles his waine But now their valiant minds wish day againe After this speech nor was day slowt ' appeare Sol leaving Gemini and drawing neare His height in Cancer when the shortest night Vrg'd the Thessalian Archer Day growne light Discover'd warrelike Istrians on the land The fierce Liburnians and Greeke fleete that stand Covering the seas They first suspending fight Striue to orecome by covenants and invite The ship to yeild by granting life but they Devoted scorning life stand in array Secure in sight resolv'd what end to take No stormes their strong resolved mindes could shake And though but few by land and sea they fought Such confidence deaths resolution brought Against innumerable hands but when VVarre had drawne blood enough their fury then Turn'd from their foes The Captaine first of all Vulteius offring his bare throte gan call Seeking for death is there no Souldier here VVorthy to shed my blood let him appeare And killing me shew that himselfe dares bleed VVith that of life his wounded breast was free'd By many swords Vulteius thankes bestow'd On all but dying him to whom he ow'd His first kind wound he thankefully againe Requites with death Thus meeting all were slaine And on one side the warres whole mischiefe hung So the serpentine brood by Cadmus Sprung Fell by each others hand a dire presage Of the ensuing Theban brothers rage So those of th'waking Dragons teeth once fram'd In Colchos fields by Magicke spells enflam'd VVith kindred blood the fields plow'd furrowes dy'd VVhich mischiefe wrought by hearbs before vntry'd Medea fear'd her selfe So fell these men By baâ—gain'd fate and in the death of them To dye was the least valour they both fall And kill at once no right hand mist at all Though at the point of death nor to their blades Ow'd they their wounds a breast the sword invades Their throates invade their hands and if blinde chance A brothers sword ' gainst brother did advance Or sonnes ' gainst father with vndanted hand And all
Antonius to transport the rest of his legions and his horsemen whose slow comming made Caesar defer the fight s This Marcus Antonius after the death of Iulius Caesar had warre with Augustus by whom he was vanquished in a sea fight neere Leucas t When part of the army for want of Ships stay'd at Brundusium vnder Antonius Gabinius and Calenus Caesar impatient of delay resolved to goe himselfe as a messenger to call them in a stormy night and a little vessell some say a boate that would beare twelue oares but vnknowne to all his army he past in a disguised habite through all the courts of guard and went to Sea LVCANS Pharsalia The Sixt Booke The Argument Caesar enclosing Pompey with a fence And trenches of a vast circumference Endures a famine Pompey pestilence Who breaking through escapes a conquerer thence Braue Scaeva's valour and admired fight Into Thessalia Caesar takes his flight Great Pompey followes the description And Poets tales That Thessaly renâ—wne To the dire witch Ericttho Sextus goes This fatall warres sad issue to disclose She quickens a dead carcasse which relates To Sixtus eare his and his fathers fates And craving then deaths freedome to obtaine â—s by a magicke spell dissolv'd againe WHen on neere a hils both Generalls fierce b of fight Had pitch'd their tents and drawne their troâ—pes in sight And the gods saw their match Caesar in Greece â—cornes to take towes or owne the destinyes For any conquest but his sonne in law's The worlds sad howre that to a tryall drawes This wars maine-chance he wishes for alone That cast of fortune that must ruine one Thrice on the hills his battell he array'd And all his threatning Eagles thrice display'd Shewing that he would neuer wanting be T'oreâ—hrow the Roman state But when he see No provocations could his sonne in law Who close entrenched lay to battell draw From thence c he march'd by woody passages And close to take Dyrrachiums fortâ—esses Thither a neerer way great Pompey takes Along the shore and on high Petra makes His campe to guard from thence Dyrrachium towne Safe without men by her owne strength alone No human labour no old structure made Her fence which would though nere so lofty fade By force â—f war or eating time oretaken A strength that by no engine can be shaken Her scite and nature giue the sea profound And steepe waue-breaking rockes enclose it round But for on little hill an Iland 't were Ship-threatning rockes susteine the walls and there Th' Ionian sea rais'd by the Southwindes blasts Her temples shakes and frothy foamings casts Ore houses topps War-thirsty Caesar then Conceiv'd d a cruell hope spreading his men Round on the hills from every side t' enclose With joyned trenches his vnwarâ— foes And all the ground surveying with his eye Is not content alone to fortefie His workes with brittle earth but weighty-stone From quarryes digs vast rockes houses torne downe And Greekish walls brought thither make a fence Able the rams assaulting violence And all wars furious engines to withstand Hills levell'd valleyes rais'd make even lâ—nd In Caesars woâ—kes with trenches wide enclos'd And towâ—â—d castels on the hills dispos'd With a vast circuite he takes in the ground About the pastures woods and shelters round As 't were for deere spreading a wide-stretch'd toile Pompey no roome nor pasture wants for while He thus enclos'd by Caesars trenches is He remooues campes so many rivers rise And their whole course within this circuite run And Caesar tir'd going to looke vpon His workes makes often stayes Let ancient tales To the gods worke adscribe the Trojan wall Let flying Parthians still admire alone The brittle earth-built walls of Babylon As far as Tigris and Orontes run As the Assyrian Kings dominion Stretch'd in the East a suddaine worke of war Encloses heere Lost those great labours are So many hâ—nds would to Abydos put Sestos fill vp the Hellespont and cut Corinth from Pelops land and from the seas Take long Malea for the saâ—lers ease Or mende some part though nature should deny Of the worlds structure Here wars quarters lye Here feedes that blood that in all lands must flow The Libyan and Thessalian overthrow Wars civill fury boiles kept straitly in The woâ—kes first structure Pompey had not seene As who in middest of Sâ—â—ily safe dwell When rough Pelorous barkes can never â—ell As Northren Britâ—ainâ—s câ—nnâ—t heare the rore Of flowing seas agaiâ—st the Kâ—ntâ—sh shore But when himselfe beâ—uâ—t to faâ— he â—new By a vast trench he from safe Petra drew His troopes and ore the hills dispos'd them so To keepe the rankes of his beseidging foe More thin and tooke of the enclosed ground As much in length as in true distance fouâ—d Twixt lofty Rome and th' Aâ—icinian wood VVhere Scythian Dian's ador'd image stood As far as Tyber's streame from Romes walls ends By straight account not as the river bends No trumpets sound piles vncommanded flye Mischeifes oft done as they their javelinstry Both cheifes are kept from fight bâ— greater care Pompey because his pasture feilds are bare The ground he had by hoâ—se orâ—tramâ—led was VVhose horny hoofes trode downe the springing grasse The war-like steed weary'd in those bar'd feilds VVhen the full racke proviâ—der far brought yeilâ—s Tasting his new-brought food falls downe and dyes Treading the ring fail'd by his trembling thighs Their bodyes wast by dire consumption The vnstirr'd aire drâ—wes moist contagion Into a pestilentiall â—loud such breath Nasis exhales from her darke caues beneath Such poison'd aire where bury'd Typhon lyes The ground sends forth apace the army dyes The water from the aire infection taking VVith costiuenesse toâ—ments the bowells aking Dry's their discolour'd skin their blood-swolne eyes Doe breake the fiery plague with botâ—â—es flyes All ore the face their heavy heads fall downe Now more and more suddaine their death was growne Twixt life and death the siâ—kenesse has no roome But death does with the first faint symptomes come By carcasses which all vnburyed lye Among the living growes mortality T was all the souâ—dâ—ers buriall to be cast Out of the tents This plague was staid at last By blasts of strong aire-stirring Northern winde Ships fraught with Corne the shore and sea behinde But Caesar free vpon the spacious hills No pâ—stilence from aire or water feâ—les But as if straight beseig'd a famine strong Is forc'd to suffer corne as yet not sprong To the full height his wretched men he sees Fall to beasts food eate grasse and rob the trees Of leaues and tender twigs and venturing more Death-thrâ—atning herbes from rootes vnknowne they tore What ever they could bite soften with heat Or through their wounded palats downe could get And things that human tables nere did know Content to eate besidg'd c their full fed foe When through the trenches Pompey pleas'd to make His way and freedome of all lands to take He seekes not th' obscure time of duskâ— night Scorning to steale a
valours glorious image there did liue Then all from his transfixed members striue To plucke the Piles and therewithall they drest The gods themselues on Mars his naked breast Scaeua they put thy armes How great endeede Had bin thine honour if those men that fled Had bin the warlike Celtiberians Germans long arm'd or short Cantabrians No triumphs now no spoiles of this sad war Can decke the temple of the thunderer VVith how great valour wretch hast thou procur'd A lord nor did great Pompey lye immur'd And quiet from attempting fight againe At this repulse no more then th' Ocean Is tir'd when lifted by strong Easterne blast ' Gainst the repelling rockes and eates at last The rockes hard side making though late a way Assaultâ—ng then f the fort that neerest lay To th' sea he takes it by a double war And spreads his men over the fields afar Pleas'd with this liberty of changing ground So when full Padus swells aboue the bound Of his safe bankes and the neere fields oreflowes If any land not able to oppose That hill of water yeild that it oreruns Opening t' it selfe vnknowne dominions Some owners must of force their lands foregoe Some gaine new lands as Padus will bestow Caesar at first not knowing it by light From a towres top had notice from the fight The dust now la'id he sees his walls beat downe But when he found it past and the foe gone This rest his fury stirr'd enraged deepe That Pompey safe on Caesar's losse should sleepe Resolving though to his owne losse to goe On and disturbe the quiet of his foe First he assaults Torquatuâ— who descryes As soone his comming as the sayler spyes Th' approach of a Circaean storme and takes Downe all his sailes when once the maine mast shakes His men within the inner wall doth bring To stand more firmely in a narrow ring Ore the g first trenches workes Caesar was gone VVhen Pompey from the hills aboue sent downe All his whole troopes vpon th' enclosed foe Th' inhabitants neere Aetna feare not so Enceladus when the fierce Southwind blowes And Aetna from her fiery cavernes throwes Her scalding entrailes forth as Caesar's men By the rais'd dust orecome ere they begin To fight and in the cloud of this blind feare Flying they meete their foes terrour does beare Them to their fate Then might haue beene let out The civill wars whole blood and peace beene brought Pompey himselfe their furious swords restrâ—in'd Oh happy Rome still free hadst thou remain'd With all thy lawes and power if there for thee Sylla had conquer'd t is and still shall be Caesar our griefe thy worst of wicked deeds To fight with a good sonne in law succeedes Oh lucklesse fates for Munda's bloody day Spaine had not wept Affâ—icke for Vtica Nor had Nile borne her streame discolouring A carcasse h nobler then th' Aegyptian King Nor Iuba i nak'd on Libyan sands had dy'd Nor had the blood of Scipio pacify'dâ— Carthage dire ghosts nor mens society Had lost good Cato That day Rome to thee Had beene the last of ills Pharsalias day In midst of fate had vanished away Caesar this ill-possessed place forsakes And with his mangled k troopes t'Aemathia makes Pompey pursues his flying father in law Whom from that purpose his friends striue to draw Perswading him to turne to Italy Now free from enemies Never quoth he VVill I like Caesar to my countrey come Nor never more vnlesse with peace shall Rome See my returne In Italy I could Haue stay'd at the beginning if I would Before Romes temples this sad war haue brought And in the midst o' th market place haue fought To draw the war from home to ' th'torrid zone Or Scythiaes farthest cold I would be gone Shall I a conquerer now rob Rome of rest VVho fled lest she should be with war opprest Let Caesar thinke Rome his rather then she Should suffer from this war Then Easterly He turnes his course paths devious marching over VVhere regions vast Candavia does discover And to Thessalia comes which fate for this Sad war ordaind Thessalia bounded is By the â—â—ill Ossa on the Northeast side Pelion when Summer's in her height of pride His shade opposes ' gainst Sols rising rayes The woody Othrys Southward keepes away The scorchiâ—g Lions heate Pindus his hight Keepes off the VVesterne windes and hastens night By hiding the Suns set those men neere feele That in the bottome of Olimpus dwell The Northwindes rage nor all night long can see The shining of the Beare The fields that lye A vale betwixt those hills were heretofore A standing poole with water cover'd ore The fields kept in the rivers Tempe then Had no vent to the sea to fill the fen VVas all the rivers course But when of yore Alcides Ossa from Olimpus tore And Peneus suddainely the sea did fill Sea-borne Achilles kingdome that had still Beene better vnder water first was showne And Phylace that landed first vpon The Trojan shore her ship and Dorion For the nine Muses anger woe-begone Pâ—eleos and Trachis Meâ—â—baa proud Of great Alcides shafts on her bestow'd Rase hire for Oeta's fire and where men now Over the once renowned Argos plow Larissa potent once and where old tales Describe the Echionian Theban walls Thither Agaue banisht there the head And neckâ— of her dead Pentheus buryed Griev'd she had torne no moe limbes from her son The fens thus broke in many rivers run On the VVest side into th'lonian sea Cleaâ—e but small Aeas run as small as he Runs the Egyptian Isis fathers flood And Acheloiis whose thicke streame with mud Soiles the Echinades Euenus ore Meleagers Calydon stain'd with the gore Of Nessus runs Sperchios swiftly slides Into th'Maliacke sea whose channell glides Purely along Amphrysus pasture fields VVhere Phoebus serv'd Anauros that nere yeilds Nor fog nor wind nor exhalation And what ere river by it selfe not knowne To th' sea his waues on Peneus bestowes Apidanos in a swift torrent flowes Enipeus never swift vnlesse combin'd Melas and Phaenix with Asopus join'd Alone his streame pure Titaresus keepes Though in a different named flood he creepes And vsing Peneus as his ground he flowes Aboue from Styx they say this river rose VVho mindfull of his spring scornes with base floods To mixe but keepes the reverence of the gods VVhen first these rivers gone the fields appear'd Fat surrowes the Boebician plowshares reard Th'Aeolian husbandmen then breake the ground The Leleges and Dolopes then wound Her fertile breast the skill'd Magnetians In horesemanship the sea fam'd Minyans In Pelethronian dens t'â—xion there A fruitfull cloud did th'halfe-wilde Centaures beare Thee Monichus that couldst on Pholoe Breake hardest rockes and furious Rhacus thee That vp by th'rootes could strong wilde ashes teare On Octa's mount which Boreas blasts would beare Pholâ—â— that didst Alcâ—des entertaine Ravishing Nessus on the river slaine By venom'd shafts and thee old Chiron made A constellation now who seem'st t' invade The Scorpion
with thy Thessalian bow Feirce wars first seedes did from this countrey grow Heere the first horse for war sprang from a rocke Which mighty Neptune with his trident stroke To chew on the steele bit he not disdain'd And fom'd by his Thessalian rider rain'd From hence the first of ships the Ocean plow'd And seas hid paths to earth-bred mortalls show'd Itonus first of all Thessalia's King To forme by hammer did hot mettalls bring Made silver liquid stamp'd his coines impresse In gold and melted brasse in furnaces Hence did th' account of money first arise The fatall cause of war and tragedies Heere was that hideous serpent Python bred VVhose skin the Delphian Tripos covered Whence to those games Thessalian bayes are brought Aloeus wicked brood ' gainst heaven here fought When Ossa on high Pelions top was set And the Celestiall orbes swift motion let When both the generalls in this land by fate Destin'd encamp'd the wars ensuing state Fills all presaging mindes all saw at hand That hower on which this wars last cast should stand Cowards now trembled that wars fate so neare Was drawne and fear'd the worst both hope and feare To this yet-doubtfull tryall brought the stout But one alas among the fearefull rout Was Sextus Pempey's most vnworthy son Who afterwards a banisht man vpon Sicilian seas turn'd Pirate and there stain'd The fam'd sea-triumphs his great father gain'd He brooking no delay but weake to beare A doubtfull state endeauoures vrg'd by feare To find fates future course Nor does he craue From Delphian Phoebus from the Pyâ—hian caue Or that fam'd Oake fruitfull in akehornes where Ioues mouth giues answere this event to heare Nor seekes advice from them to whom are knowne Birds flights beasts entrailes lightnings motion Nor the Chaldaean skill'd Astrologer Nor any secret wayes that lawfull were But magicke damn'd by all the gods aboue And her detested secrets seekes to prooue Aide from the ghosts and feinds below to craue Thinking ah wretch the gods small knowledge haue The place it selfe this vaine dire madnesse helpt Nere to the campe th' Aemonian witches dwelt Whom no invented monâ—â—ers can excell Their art 's what ere 's incredible to tell Besides Thessaliaes fields and rockes doe beare Strange killing hearbes and plants and stones that heare The charming Witches murmurs there arise Plants that haue power to force the deityes Medea there a stranger in those fields Gather'd worse herbes then any Colchos yeilds Those wretches impious charmes turne the gods cares Though deafe to many nations zealous prayers Their voice alone beares through the inmost skyes Commands to the vnwilling deityes Which not their care of heavens high motions Can turne away when those dire murmurs once Enter the sky though the Aegyptians wise And Babylonians their deepe misteryes Should vtter all th'Aemonian witch still beares From all their altars the gods forced eares These witches spells loues soft desires haue sent Into the hardest hearts ' gainst fates intent Severe old men haue burn'd in impious loue VVhich tempered drinkes and philtrums could not moue Nor that to which the fole his damms loue owes The swelling flesh that on his forehead growes Mindes by no poyson hurt have perished By spells those whom no loue of marriage bed Nor tempting beautyes power could ere inflame By Magicke knot-ty'd thread together came The course of things has stay'd to keepe out day Night has stood still the sky would not obey The law of Nature the dull world at their Dire voice has beene benumn'd great Iupiter Vrging their course himselfe admir'd to see The poles not moov'd by their swift axeltree Showres they have made clouded the clearest sky And heaven has thunder'd Ioue not knowing why By the same voyce with haire loose hanging they Moist swelling clouds and stormes haue chas'd away The sea without one puffe of wind has swell'd Againe in spite of Auster has beene still'd Ships sailes haue quite against the windes been sway'd Steepe waters torrents in their fall haue stay'd And rivers haue run backe Nile not oreflowne In Summer time Maeander straight has run Arar has hasten'd Rhodanus growne slow High hills sunke downe haue aequall'd vales below Aboue his head the cloudes Olympus saw In midst of VVinter Scythian snowes did thaw VVithout the Sunne the tide-rais'd Ocean Aemonian spells beat from the shore againe The ponderous earth out of her center tost Her middle place in the worlds orbe has lost So great a weight strooke by that voyce was stirr'd And on both sides the face of heaven appear'd All deadly creatures and for mischeife borne Both feare and serue by death the witches turne The Tigers fierce and Lyons nobly bold Fawne vpon them cold snakes themselues vnfold And in the frosty fields lye all vntwin'd Dissected vipers by their power are joyn'd Their poison'd breathings poison'd serpents kill Why are the gods thus troubled to fulfill And fearefull their enchantments to contemne What bargaine has thus ty'd the gods to them Doe they obey vpon necessity Or pleasure or some vnknowne piety Deserues it or some secret threats prevaile Or haue they jurisdiction over all The gods or does one certaine deity feare Their most imperious charmes who what so ere Himselfe is forc'd too can the world compell By them the starres oft from the pole downe fell And by their voices poyson Phaebe turn'd Growne pale with darke and earthly fires has burn'd No lesse then if debarr'd her brothers shine By enterposall of the earth betweene Her Orbe and his these labours vndergone Has she deprest by incantation Vntill more nigh she foam'd her gelly on Their herbes These spells of this dire nation And damned rites dreadfull Erictho scornes As too too good and this foule art adornes With newer rites in townes her dismall head Or houses roofes is never covered Forsaken graues and tombes the ghosts expell'd She haunts by fiends in aestimation held To heare hells silent counsells and to know The Stygian cells and misteryes below Of Dis her breathing heere no hindrance was A yellow leanenesse spreads her lothed face Her dreadfull lookes knowne to no lightsome aire With heavy hell-like paâ—enesse clogged are Laden she is with long vnkemmed haires But when darke stormes or clouds obscure the starres From naked graues then forth Ericttho stalkes To catch the nights quicke sulphur as she walkes The corne burnes vp and blasts where ere she tread And by her breath cleare aires are poisoned She prayes not to the gods nor humbly cryes For helpe nor knowes she pleasing sacrifice But funerall flames to th' altars she preferres Frankincense snatch'd from burning sepulchres The gods at her first voice grant any harme She askes and dare not heare her second charme Liue soules that rule their limbs she does entombe Death though vnwilling seizes those to whom The fates owe yeeres with a crosse pompe men dead Returne from grâ—ue coarses from tombes haue fled Young mens hot ashes and burnt bones she snatches Out of the midst of funerall Piles and
determines to assault their wall Whilest fortune's hot and terrour workes in all Nor does he thinke that this command appeares Too harsh too hot and weary'd souldiers Small exhortation leads them to the prey Our victory quoth he is full to day And for our blood nought is remaining now But the reward which 't is my part to show I cannot say to giue what every man Shall giue himselfe behold yon tents that stand Full of all riches there gold rak'd in Spaine There th' Easterne Nations treasuryes remaine Pompey's and all those Kings estates doe lacke Possessours souldiers run and overtake Whom you pursue and what so ere to you Pharsalia giues take from the conquer'd now This speech of Caesars and golds impious loue Over the swords the furious souldiers droue To tread on Senatours and Captaines slaine What trench what bulwarke could their force susteine Seeking the price of all their wars and sin To know for what they haue so guilty been Spoiling the world they found a wealthy masse Which for wars future charges gather'd was But their all-covering thoughts could not be fill'd With what Spaâ—nes mines and Tagus streames could yeild Or on their sands rich Arimaspians finde Though all the spoiles be theirs yet in their minde Their mischeife at too cheape a sale they vent And are bid losse in spoiling of these tents VVhen to himselfe the Conquerour Rome decree'd And in that hope whole mountaines promised Patricians tents impious Plebejans keepe In Kings pavilions common souldiers sleepe On brothers and on fathers empty beds The killers lay their parricidall heads But furious dreames disturbe their restlesse rest Thessalia's fight remaines in every breast Their horrid guilt still wakes the battell stands In all their thoughts they brandish empty hands Without their swords you would haue thought the feild Had groan'd and that the guilty earth did yeild Exhaled spirits that in the aire did moue And Stygian feares possest the night aboue A sad revenge on them their conquest takes Their sleepes present the furies hissing snakes And brands their countreymens sad ghosts appeare To each the image of his proper feare One sees an old mans visage one a young Another's tortuâ—'d all the evening long With his slaine brothers spirit their fathers sight Dants some but Caesar's soule all ghosts affâ—ight Orestes so not purg'd in Scythia Th' Eumenides affrighting faces saw Not more was Pentheus in Agaves fit Dismay'd nor she when she was free'd from it Him all the swords that dire Pharsalia saw And which the Senate in revenge should draw Oppresse that night and Hellish-monsters scourge But that which most his guilty soule did vrge Was this that Sâ—yx the fiends and furyes grim Pompey being yet aliue had seiz'd on him But having suffred all when dayes cleare light Display'd Pharsalia's slaughter to his sight No dismall objects could â—uert his eyes From thence the rivers swell'd with blood he sees And heapes of bodyes aequalling high hills And carâ—asses whence blood and filth distills He numbers Pompey's people and that place Ordaines for banquetting from whence each face He might discerne and know them as they ly Proud that Aemathia's earth he cannot see Or scarse discerne the slaughter-cover'd ground In blood his fortune and his gods he found And with that joyfull sight to feede his eyes To the wretch'd soules he funerall fire denyes Making Aemathia noisome to the aire Carthage that gaue our consuls sepulcher And Libyan fire on Cannae did conferre Could not teach him his enemies t' inter Remembring still his anger not even then With slaughter slack'd they were his countrey men VVe doe not seuerall fires or tombs desire Doe but to all these nations grant one fire And let them not on pyles distinct be brent Or if thou aime at Pompey's punishment Pyl'd vp let Pindus wood and Ossa be That he from sea Pharsalia's fire may see This anger bootes thee not fort is all one VVhether the fire or putrefaction Dissolue them all to natures bosome goe And to themselues their ends the bodyes owe. If now these nations Caesar be not burn'd They shall when earth and seas to flames are turn'd One fire shall burne the world and with the sky Shall mixe these bones where ere thy soule shall be Their soules shall goe in ayre thou shalt not fly Higher nor better in Avernus ly Death frees from fortune Earth receiues againe VVhat ever she brought forth and they obtaine Heavens coverture that haue no vrnes at all Thou that deny'st these nations funerall VVhy dost thou fly these slaughter smelling fields Breath if thou canst the aire this region yeilds Or drinke this water Caesar but from thee The rotting people challenge Thessaly And keepe possession ' gainst the conquerer To the sad food of this Aemathian war Senting from far the bloods corruption The Thracian wolues Arcadian lions run Beares from their dens dogs from their kennells come And all those ravenous creatures else on whom Nature bestowes the strongest sents ful well The ayre by carrion putrify'd to smell Hither all birds of prey assembled are That long had waited on this civill war Birds that from Thrace to Nile in winter goe Stay'â— longer then then they were wont to doe Nere did moe birds of prey in one ayre fly Nor did moe vulturs ever cloud the sky From every wood came foule each tree was fil'd With bloody birds that crimson drops distill'd Downe from the aire blood and corruption rain'd The conquerours face and impious eagles stain'd Birds from their weary tallands oft let fall Gobbets of flosh nor were the people all Consumed so buryed in bird or beast Which would not on their bowels fully feast Nor sucke their marrow all but lightly tast The greatest part of Roman flesh is cast Disdain'd away which by the Sunne and time Dissolv'd is mixed with Thessalian slime Vnhappy Thessaly what hast thou done T' offend the angry gods that thee alone So many deaths and impious fates should staine What age what length of time can purge againe The guâ—lt that thou hast wrought what corne in thee And grasse with blood discolour'd shall not be What plow share but some Roman ghost shall wound Before that time new battells on thy ground Shall be and impious civill wars shall staine Thy fields before this blood be dry againe If all the graues of our dead ancesters We should turne vp their tombes that stand and theirs Whose time-consumed vrnes haue cast abroad Th'enclosed dust moe ashes would be trod And bones by harrows teeth digg'd vp and found In the sad furâ—owes of Thessaliaes ground No Marriners had sailed from thy shore Nor Husbandmen had plow'd thee any more The Roman peoples graue thy ghostly field Had no inhabitant for ever till'd No heards of cattell on thy plaines had run Nor durst the shepheards feede their flockes vpon Thy pasture fields with Roman blood manur'd Nor habitable nor to be endur'd As in the torrid or cold i y zone Shouldst thou haue lyen forsaken
at noone is mounted high Those trees no shadow can diffuse at all Their boughs scarse hide their trunkes No shade or small The Sunbeames make since perpendicular It is perceiv'd this is the region where The summer Tropicke hits the Zodiacke The signes obliquely rise not but direct Nor more direct the Bull then Scorpio Moist Capricornus then hot Cancer goe Nor Gemeni then Sagitarius Nor Leo then oppos'd Aquarius Virgo then Pisces Libraes motion Then Aries But whom the torrid zone Divides from vs those people ever see The shadowes Southward which here Northward be You slowly seeing Cynosure suppose Her vndrench'd carre into the Ocean goes And that no Northerne signe from seas is free You stand far distant from each axeltree Your signes in midst of heaven converted be The Easterne people standing at the doore The oracles of horned Ioue t'implore Gaue place to Cato whom his souldiers ply That of that Libyan far-fam'd deity His future fates event he would be taught Him Labienus most of all besought Chance and the fortune of our way quoth he Lâ—nd vs the mouth of that great deity And his sure counsells we may now implore His powerfull guidance through this war and ore The dangerous Syrtes For to whom should I Beleeue the gods would truly or certify Their secret wills then Catoes holy breast Whose life to heavenly lawes was still addrest And follow'd god behold we now haue heere A freedome given to talke with Iupiter Cato enquires of wicked Caesars fate And know what shall be Romes ensuing state Whether this civill war be made in vaine Or shall our lawes and liberties maintaine Let Ammon's sacred voice thy breast inspire Thou lover of strict vertue now desire To know what vertue is seeke from aboue Approovement of the trueth He full of Ioue Whom in his secret breast he carried ever These temple worthy speeches did deliver What Labienus should I seeke to know If I had rather dye in armes then bow Vnto a Lord if life be nought at all No difference betwixt long life and small If any force can hurt men vertuous If fortune loose when vertue doth oppose Her threats if good desires be happinesse And vertue grow not greater by successe Thus much we know nor deeper can the skill Of Ammon teach The gods are with vs still And though their oracles should silent be Nought can we doe without the gods decree Nor needes he voices what was fit to know The great Creator at our births did show Nor did he choose these barren sands to shew Hiding it heere his trueth but to a few Is there a seate of god saue earth and sea Aire heaven and vertue why for god should we Seeke further what ere moues what ere is seene Is Ioue For oracles let doubtfull men Fearefull of future chances troubled be Sure death not oracles ascertaine mee The coward and the valiant man must fall This is enough for Ioue to speake to all Then marching thence the temples faith he saues And to the people vntry'd Ammon leaues Himselfe afoot before his weary'd bands Marches with piâ—e in hand and not commands But shewes them how to labour never sits In coach or charriot sleepes the least a nights Last tasts the water When a fountaines found He stayes a foot till all the souldiers round And every cullion drinke If fame be due To truest goodnesse if you simply view Vertue without successe what ere we call In greatest Romans great was fortune all Who could deserue in prosperous war such fame Or by the nations blood so great a name Rather had I this vertuous triumph win In Libyaes desert sands then thrice be seene In Pompey's laurell'd charriot or to lead Iugurtha captiue Here behold indeed Rome thy true father by whose sacred name Worthy thy Temples it shall never shame People to sweare whom if thou ere art free Thou wilt hereafter make a deity Now to a torrid clime they came more hot Then which the gods for men created not Few waters heere are seene but in the sands One largely-flowing fountaine only stands But full of Serpents as it could containe There on the bankes hot killing Aspes remaine And Dipsases in midst of water dry VVhen Cato saw his men for thirst would dy Fearing those waters thus he spake to them Feare not to drinke souldiers this wholesome streame Be not affrighted with vaine shewes of death The snakes bite deadly fatall are their teeth VVhen their dire venome mixes with our blood The water 's safe Then of the doubtfull flood He drinkes himselfe there only the first draught Of all the Libyan waters Cato sought VVhy Libyaes aire should be infected so VVith mortall plagues what hurtfull secrets grow Mixt with the noxious soile by natures hand Our care nor labour cannot vnderstand But that the world in the true cause deceiv'd In stead of that a common tale receiv'd In Libyaes farthest part whose scorched ground The Ocean warm'd by setting Sol doth bound Medusas countrey lay whose barren fields No trees doe cloath whose soile no herbage yeilds Chang'd by her looke all stones and rockes they grow Heere hurtfull nature first those plagues did show First from Medusas jawes those serpents growne Hissed with forked tongues and hanging downe Like womans haire vpon her backe gaue strokes Vnto her pleased necke In stead of lockes Vpon her horrid front did serpents hisse Her combe comb'd poyson downe no part but this Safe to be seene about Medusa was For who ere fear'd the monsters mouth and face Whom that had view'd her with an eye direct Did she ere suffer sence of death t' affect She hasten'd doubting fate preventing dread Their bodyes dy'd before their soules were fled Enclosed soules with bodyes turn'd to stone The furyes haires could madnesse worke alone Cerberus hissing Orpheus musicke still'd Alcides saw that Hydra which he kill'd But this strange monster even her father who Is the seas second god her mother too Cetos and Gorgon sisters feared she Could strike a numnesse through the sea and sky And harden all the world into a stone Birds in their flight haue fall'n conjealed downe Running wilde beasts to rockes converted were And all the neighbouring Aethiopians there To marble statues not a creature brookes The sight of her t' avoide the Gorgons lookes Her snakes themselues backeward themselues invert She neere Alcides pillars could convert Titanian Altâ—s to an hill and those Giants with serpents feete that durst oppose The gods themselues those wars in Phlegra field Her face could end but shew'd in Pallas sheild Thither the sonne of showre rap'd Daâ—ae Borne on th' Arcadian wings of Mercury Inventer of the harpe and wrestling game Flying through th' aire with borrow'd Harpe came Harpe whom monsters blood before did staine When he that kept Ioves loued cow was slaine Aide to her winged brother Pallas gaue Conditioning the Gorgons head to haue She bids him fly to Libyaes Easterne bound His face averted or the Gorgons ground In his left
and not Roman should obey Her prides first spring that impious night had bin That with our chiefes mixt that incestuous queene Who would not pardon Anthonyes mad loue When Caesars flinty breast desires could moue In midst of war when heat of fight rag'd most And in a couâ—t haunted by Pompey's ghost Embrew'd with blood from dire Pharsalias field Could he vnto adultrous Venus yeild And mixe with warlike cares oh shamelesse head A bastard issue and vnlawfull bed Forgetting Pompey to beget a brother To thee faire Iulia on a strumpet mother Suffring the forces of his scattered foes To joyne in Affrike basely he bestowes Time in Aegyptian loue a conquerer Not for himselfe but to bestow on her Whâ—m trusting to her beauty without teares Though gesture sad with loose as if rent haires Drest in a beautious and becomming woe Did Cleopatra meete bespeaking so If mighty Caesar noblenesse there be Aegyptian Lagus royall issued Depos'd and banisht from my fathers state If thy great hand restore my former fate Kneele at thy feet a queene vnto our nation Thou dost appeare a gratious constellation I am not the first woman that hath sway'd The Pharian scepter Aegypt has obay'd A queene not sexe excepted I desire Thee read the will of my deceased Sire Who left me there a partner to enjoy My brothers crowne and marriage bed The boy I know would loue his sister were he free But all his power will and affections be Vnder Photinas girdle To obtaine The crowne I beg not Caesar from this staine Free thou our house command the King to be A King and free from servants tyranny Shall slaues so proud of Pompey's slaughter be Threatning the same which fates avert to thee Caesar 't is shame enough to th' earth and thee His death Photinus gift and guilt should be Her suite in Caesars eares had found small grace But beauty pleades and that incestuous face Prevailes the pleasures of a wanton bed Corrupt the judge The King had purchased His peace with weighty summes of gold which done With sumptuous feasts this glad accord they crowne Her riot forth in highest pompe not yet Transferr'd to Rome did Cleopatra set The house excell'd those temples which men build In wicked'st times the high-arch'd roofes were fill'd With wealth high tresses golden tables bore Nor did carv'd marble only cover ore The house alone th'vnmixt Achates stood And pillars of red marble their feet troad On pauements of rich Onyx pillars there Not coverd with Aegyptian Eben were Eben was timber there and that rich wood Not to adorne but prop the Pallace stood The roomes with Ivory glister'd and each dore Inlay'd with indian shels embellish'd ore With choisest Emeraulds the beds all shone With richest gems and yellow Iasper stone Coverlids rich some purple dy'd in graine Whose tincture was not from one Caldron tane Part woue of glittering gold part scarlet dy As is th'Aegyptian vse of Tapestry The servitours stood by and waiting pages Some different in complexions some in ages Some of blacke Libyan hew some golden haires Thaâ— Caesar yeilds in all his German wars He nere had seene so bright a yellow haire Some stiffe cuâ—l'd loâ—kes on Sun-burnt fore heads weare Besides th' vnhappy strength robb'd company The Eunuch'd youths neere these were standing by Youths of a stronger age yet those so young Scarse any downe darkning their cheekes was sprung Downe sate the Princes and the higher power Caesar her hurtfull face all painted ore Sate Cleopatra not content alone T' enjoy her brothers bed nor Aegypts crowne Laden with pearles the read seas spoyled store On her rich haire and weary'd necke she wore Her snowy breasts their whitenesse did display Thorough the thin Sidonian tiffenay VVrought and extended by the curious hand Of Aegypts workemen Citron tables stand On Ivory tressells such as Caesars eyes Saw not when he King Iuba did surprise O blinde ambitious madnesse to declare Your wealth to him that makes a civill war And tempt an armed guest For though that he Sought not for wealth by waâ—s impiety And the worlds wracke suppose our cheifes of old VVere there compos'd of that poore ages mould Fabriâ—ii Curii graue or that plaine man That Consull from th' Etrurian plowes was tane VVere sitting at those tables whom to Rome VVith such a tryumph he would wish to come In golden plate they fill their feasting bords VVith what the aire the earth or Nile affords VVhat luxury with vaine ambition had Sought through the world and not as hunger bad Beasts foules the gods of Aegypt are devour'd From christall ewers is Niles water powr'd Vpon their hands studded with gemms that shine Their bowles conteine no Mareotike wine But strong and sparkling wines of Meroe To whom few yeeres giue full maturity VVith fragrant Nard and never-fading rose Their heads are crown'd their haire anointed flowes VVith sweetest cinnamon that has not spent His savour in the aire nor lost his sent In forreine climes and fresh Amomum brought From harvests neere at hand there Caesar's taught The riches of the spoiled world to take And is asham'd that he a war did make VVith his poore sonne in law desiring now Some quarâ—ell would twixt him and Aegypt grow VVhen wine and cates had tir'd their glutted pleasure Caesar begins with long discourse to measure The howers of night bespeaking gently thus The linnen vested graue Achoreus Old man devoted to religion And which thine age confirmes despis'd by none Of all the gods to longing eares relate Aegypts originall her site and state VVorship of gods and what doth ere remaine In your old temples character'd explaine The gods that would be knowne to vs vnfold If your forefathers their religion told T' Athenian Plato once when had you ere A guest more worthy or more fit to heare Rumor of Pompey drew our march thus far And fame of you for still in mid'st of war I leasure had of heaven and gods to heare And the stars course nor shall Eudoxus yeare Excell my Consulship But though so much My vertue be my loue of truth be such There 's nought I more desire to know at all Then Niles hid head and strange originall So many years vnknowne grant but to me A certaine hope the head of Nile to see I le leaue off civill war Caesar had done When thus divine Achoreus begun Let it be lawfull Caesar to vnfold Our great forefathers secrets hid of old From the lay people Let who ere suppose It piety to keepe these wonders close I thinke the gods are pleas'd to be made knowne And haue their sacred lawes to people showne Planets which crosse and slacke the tenth sphaeres course Had from the worlds first law their different powers The Sun divides the yeares makes nights and dayes Dimmes other stars with his resplendent rayes And their wilâ—e courses moderates the tides Of Thetis Phabes grouth and waning guides Saturne cold iâ—e and frozen zones obtaines Mars ore the windes and winged lightning reignes
Quiet well temper'd aire doth Ioue possesse The seedes of all things Venus cherishes Cyllenius rules ore waters which are great He when he enters where the dog-stâ—rs heat And burning fire 's display'd there where thâ— signe Of Cancer hot doth with the Lyon joyne And where the Zodiacke holds his Capricorne And Cancer vnder which Niles head is borne Ore which when Mercuryes proud fires doe stand And in a line direct as by command Of Phaebe the obeying Ocean growes So from his open'd fountaine Nilus flowes Nor ebâ—s againe till night haue from the Sun Those howers recover'd which the summer wor. Vaine was the old opinion that Niles flow Was caus'd or help'd by Aethiopian snow For on those hills cold Boreas never blowes As there the natiues Sunburnt visage showes And moist hot Southerne windes Besides the head Of every streame that from thaw'd iâ—e is bred Swells then when first the spring dissolues the snowes But Nile before the dogâ—dayes never flowes Nor is confin'd within his bankes againe Till the Autumnal aequinoctian Thence t is he knowes no lawes of other streames Nor swells in winter when Sols scorching beames Are far remote his waters want their end But Nile comes forth in summer time to lend A cooler temper to the sweltring aire Vnder the torrid zone least fire impaire The earth vnto her succour Nilus drawes And swells against the Lyons burning jawes And when hot Cancer his Siene burnes Vnto her aide implored Nilus turnes Nor till the Sun to Autumne doe descend And that hot Meroë her shades extend Doth he restore againe the drowned field Who can the causes of this flowing yeild Even so our mother nature hath decreed That Nile should flow and so the world hath neede As vainely doth antiquity declare The West windes cause of this increases are Which keepe their seasons strictly and long stay And beare within the aire continu'd sway These from the Westerne parts all clouds exile Beyond the South and hang them over Nile Or else their blasts the rivers current meete And will not let it to the Ocean get Prevented so from falling to the maine The streame swells backe and overflowes the plaine Some through the cavernes of earths hollow won be In secret channells thinke these waters come Attracted to th' aequator from the cold North clime when Sol his Merâ—ë doth hold The scorched earth attracting water thither Ganges and Padus flow vnseene together Venting all rivers at one fountaine so VVithin one channell Nilus cannot goe From th' Ocean swelling which beguirts about All lands some thinke encreased Nile breakes out The waters loose ere they so far haue ran Their saltnesse quite Besides the Ocean Is the stars fond we thinke which Phoebius drawes VVhen he possesseth fiery Cancers claws More then the aire digests attraced so Falls backe by night and causes Nilus flow I thinke if I may judge so great a case Some waters since the world created was In after ages from some broken vaine Of earth haue growne some god did then ordaine VVhen he created all the world whose tides By certaine lawes the great Creator guides Caesar's desire to know our Nilus spring Possest th Aegyptian Persian Graecian King No age but striv'd to future time to teach This skill none yet his hidden nature reach Philipp's great son Memphis most honourd King Sent to th' earths vtmost bounds to finde Niles spring Choise Aethiops they trode the sunburnt ground Of the hot zone and there warme Nilus found The farthest VVest our great Sesostris saw VVhilest captiue Kings did his proud charriot draw Yet there your Rhodanus and Padus spy'd Before our Nâ—les hid fountaine he descry'd The mad Cambises to the Easterne lands And lonâ—-liv'd people came His famisht bands Qâ—te spent and with each others a slaughter fed Return'd thou Nile yet vndiscovered No tale dares mention thine originall Th' art sought wherever seene No land at all Can boast that Nile is hers Yet I le reveale As far as that same god that doth conceale Thy spring inspires me From th' Antarticke pole Vnder hot Cancer doe thy surges rowle Directly North winding to East and VVest Sometimes th' Arabians sometimes Libyans blest VVith fruitfullnesse thou mak'st the Seres spy Thee first and seeke thee too thy channell by The Aethiopians as a stranger flowes And the world knowes not to what land it owes Thy sacred head which nature hid from all Lest any land should see thee Nilus small She turn'd away thy spring and did desire No land should know it but all lands admire Thou in the summer Solstice art oreflowne Bringing with thee a winter of thine owne VVhen winter is not ours nature alone Suffers thy streames to both the poles to run Not there thy mouth not heere thy spring is found Thy parted channell doth encompasse round Meroë fruitfull to blacke husband-men And rich in Eben wood whose leaues though greene Can with no shade asswage the summers heat Vnder the Lion so directly set From thence thy current with no waters losse Ore the hot zone and barren deserts goes Sometimes collected in one channell going Sometimes dispers'd and yeilding bankes oreflowing His parted armes againe collected slide In one slow streame where Philas doth divide Arabia from Aegypt Ore the sand VVhere the red sea by one small necke of land From ours is kept thou Nile doest gently flow Oh who would thinke thou ere so rough couldst grow That sees thee gentle heere but when thy way Steâ—pe Catarackts and craggy rockes would stay Thy never-curbed waues with scorne despise Those petty lets and foaming Iaue the skyes Thy waters sound with noise the neighbouring hills Thy conquering streame with froath grown hoary fills Hence he with fury first assaults that I le Which our forefathers did Abatos stile And those neare rockes which they were pleas'to call The rivers veines because they first of all His swelling growth did show Hence nature did His stragling waues within high mountaines hide Which part thee Nile from Affricke betwixt those As in a vale thy pent vp water flowes At Memphis first thou runn'st in fields and plaines VVhere thy proud streame all bankes and bounds disdaines Thus they secure as if in peace a part Of night discours'd But base Photinus heart Once stain'd with sacred blood could nere be free From horrid thoughts Since Pompey's murder he Counts nought a crime great Pompey's Manes bide Within his breast and vengefull furyes guide His thoughts to monsters new hoping to staine Base hands with Caesars blood which fates ordaine Great Senators shall shed Fate to a slaue That day almost the Senates vengeance gaue The mulct of civill war Oh gods defend Let none that life in Brutus absence end Shall th' execution of Romes tirant be Base Aegypts crime and that example dy Bold man he makes attempt against fates course Nor at close murder aimes by opâ—n force A most vnconquer'd Captaine he assaults So much are mindes embolden'd by their faults He durst the death of Caesar