they should throwe their goods out after them Howbeit this was the least parte of Tarquines intent to seeke his goodes againe but vnder pretence of that demaund he secretly corrupted the people and practised treason which his ambassadours followed pretending only to get the Kings goodes and his fauourers together saying that they had already solde some parte and some parte they kept and sent them daylie So as by delaying the time in this sorte with such pretences they had corrupted two of the best and auncientest houses of the cittie to wit the familie of the Aquilians whereof there were three Senatours and the familie of the Vitellians whereof there were two Senatours all which by their mothers were Consul Collatinus nephewes The Vitellians also were allied vnto Brutus for he had maried their owne sister had many children by her Of the which the Vitellians had drawen to their stringe two of the eldest of them bicause they familiarly frequented together being cosin germaines whom they had intised to be of their conspiracie allying them with the house of the Tarquines which was of great power and through the which they might persuade them selues to rise to great honour preferment by meanes of the Kings rather than to trust to their fathers willfull hardnes For they called his seueritie to the wicked hardnes for that he would neuer pardone any Furthermore Brutus had fayned him selfe mad and a foole of long time for safety of his life bicause the tyrannes should not put him to death so that the name of Brutus only remained After these two young men had geuen their consent to be of the confederacie and had spoken with the Aquilians they all thought good to be bounde one to another with a great and horrible othe drincking the bloude of a man and shaking hands in his bowells whom they would sacrifice This matter agreed vpon betweene them they met together to put their sacrifice in execution in the house of the Aquilians They had fittely pickt out a darke place in the house to doe this sacrifice in where almost no bodye came yet it happened by chaunce that one of the seruants of the house called Vindicius had hidden him selfe there vnknowing to the traytours and of no set purpose to spye and see what they dyd or that he had any manner of inckling thereof before but falling by chaunce vpon the matter euen as the traytours came into that place with a countenaunce to doe some secret thing of importaunce fearing to be seene he kept him selfe close and laye behinde a coffer that was there so that he sawe all that was done and what they sayed and determined The conclusion of their counsell in the ende was this that they would kill both the Consuls and they wrote letters to Tarquinius aduertising the same which they gaue vnto his ambassadours being lodged in the house of the Aquilians were present at this conclusion With this determination they departed from thence and Vindicius came out also as secretly as he could being maruelously troubled in minde at a maze howe to deale in this matter For he thought it daungerous as it was in deede to goe and accuse the two sonnes vnto the father which was Brutus of so wicked and detestable a treason and the nephewes vnto their vncle which was Collatinus On the other side also he thought this was a secret not to be imparted to any priuate persone and not possible for him to conceale it that was bounde in duety to reueale it So he resolued at the last to goe to Valerius to bewraye this treason of a speciall affection to this man by reason of his gentle and curteous vsing of men geuing easy accesse and audience vnto any that came to speake with him and specially for that he disdained not to heare poore mens causes Vindicius being gone to speake with him and hauing tolde him the whole conspiracy before his brother Marcus Valerius and his wife he was abashed and fearefull withall whereupon he stayed him least he should slippe awaye and locked him in a chamber charging his wife to watche the doore that no bodie went in nor out vnto him And willed his brother also that he should goe and beset the Kings palace round about to intercept these letters if it were possible and to see that none of their seruants fled Valerius selfe being followed according to his manner with a great traine of his friendes and people that wayted on him went straight vnto the house of the Aquilians who by chaunce were from home at that time and entering in at the gate without let or trouble of any man he founde the letters in the chamber where king Tarquines ambassadours laye Whilest he was thus occupied the Aquilians hauing intelligence thereof ranne home immediately and founde Valerius cōming out at their gate So they vould haue taken those letters from him by force and strong hande But Valerius and his company dyd resist them and moreouer hudded them with their gownes ouer their heads and by force brought them doe what they could into the market place The like was done also in the Kings palace where Marcus Valerius founde other letters also wrapt vp in certaine fardells for their more safe cariage and brought away with him by force into the market place all the Kings seruants he founde there There the Consuls hauing caused silence to be made Valerius sent home to his house for this bondman Vindicius to be brought before the Consuls then the traytours were openly accused and their letters redde and they had not the face to aunswer one worde All that were present being amazed honge downe their heades and beholde the grounde and not a man durst once open his mouth to speake excepting a fewe who to gratifie Brutus beganne to say that they should banishe them and Collatinus also gaue them some hope bicause he fell to weeping and Valerius in like manner for that he held his peace But Brutus calling his sonnes by their names come on sayed he Titus and thou Valerius why doe you not aunswer to that you are accused of and hauing spoken thryse vnto them to aunswer when he sawe they stoode mute and sayed nothing he turned him to the sergeants and sayed vnto them They are now in your handes doe iustice So soone as he had spoken these wordes the sergeants layed holde immediately vpon the two young men and tearing their clothes of their backs bounde their hands behinde them and then whipped them with roddes which was such a pittiefull sight to all the people that they could not finde in their hartes to behold it but turned them selues another waye bicause they would not see it But contrariwise they saye that their owne father had neuer his eye of them neither dyd chaunge his austere and fierce countenaunce with any pittie or naturall affection towards them but stedfastly dyd beholde the punishment of his owne children vntill they were
in great disorder For Antigonus had placed the GAVLES in the rereward of his army to close it in which were a conuenient number and did valliantly defend the first charge and the skirmishe was so hotte that the most of them were slaine After them the leaders of the elephantes perceiuing they were enuironned on euery side yelded them selues and their beastes Pyrrus seeing his power to be now increased with such a supply trusting more to his good fortune then any good reason might moue him thrust further into the battel of the MACEDONIANS who were all afrayed and troubled for the ouerthrowe of their rereward so as they would not once base their pykes not fight against him He for his parte holdinge vp his hande and callinge the Captaines of the bandes by their names straight wayes made all the footemen of Antigonus turne wholly to his side who flying saued him selfe with a few horsemen and kept certaine of the cities in his realme apon the sea coast But Pyrrus in all his prosperity iudging nothing more toâ—edownde to his honor and glory then the ouerthrow of the GAVLES layed aside their goodliest and richest spoyles and offred vp the same in the temple of Minerua Itonida with this inscription VVhen Pyrrus had subdude the puisant Gaules in fields He caused of their spoyles to make these targets armes and shields The vvhich he hanged vp intemple all on high Before Minerua goddesse here in signe of victory VVhen he had ouercome the vvhole and hugie hoast The vvhich Antigonus did bring into his contries coast Ne maruell should it seeme though victory he vvonne Since valliantnes bringes victory and euermore hath done And valliantnes alvvayes hath constantly kept place From age to age and time to time in AEacus his race Immediatly after this battell all the cities of the realme of MACEDON yelded vnto him but when he had the citie of AEGES in his power he vsed the inhabitantes thereof very hardly specially bicause he left a great garrison of the GAVLES there which he had in pay This nation is extreame couetous as then they shewed them selues for they spared not to breake vp the tombes wherein the kinges of MACEDON lay buried there tooke away all the gold and siluer they could finde and afterwards with great insolency cast out their bones into the open winde Pyrrus was tolde of it but he lightly passed it ouer and made no reckening of it either bicause he deferred it till an other time by reason of the warres he had then in hande or else for that he durst not meddle with punishing of these barbarous people at that time But whatsoeuer the matter was the MACEDONIANS were very angry with Pyrrus blamed him greatly for it Furthermore hauing not yet made all thinges sure in MACEDON nor being fully possest of the same new toyes and hope came into his head and mocking Antigonus sayd he was a mad man to goe apparrelled in purple like a king when a poore cloke might become him like a priuate man Now Cleonymus king of SPARTA being come to procure him to bring his army into the contry of LACEDAEMON Pyrrus was very willing to it This Cleonymus was of the blood royall of SPARTA but bicause he was a cruell man and would do all thinges by authority they loued him not at SPARTA nor trusted him at all and therefore did they put him out made Areus king a very quiet man. And this was the oldest quarrell Cleonymus had against the coÌ„mon wealth of SPARTA but besides that he had an other priuate quarrel which grewe vppon this cause In his olde yeares Cleonymus had maried a fayer younge Lady called Chelidonide which was also of the blood royall and the daughter of Leotychides This Lady being fallen extreamely in loue with Acrotatus king Areus sonne a goodly young gentleman and in his lusty youth she greatly vexed and dishonored her husbande Cleonymus who was ouer heade and eares in loue and iealousie with her for there was not one in all SPARTA but plainely knewe that his wife made none accompt of him And thus his home sorowes being ioyned with his outwarde common greues euen for spight desiring a reuenge in choller he went to procure Pyrrus to come vnto SPARTA to restore him againe to his kingdome Hereupon he brought him into LACEDAEMONIA forthwith with fiue and twenty thowsand footemen two thowsand horse and foure and twenty elephantes by which preparacion though by nothing else the worlde might plainely see that Pyrrus came with a minde not to restore Cleonymus againe vnto SPARTA but of intent to conquer for him selfe if he could all the contrie of PELOPONNESVS For in wordes he denied it to the LACEDAEMONIANS them selues who sent Ambassadors vnto him when he was in the city of MEGALIPOLIS where he tolde them that he was come into PELOPONNESVS to sette the townes and cities at libertie which Antigonus kept in bondage that his true intent and meaning was to send his young sonnes into SPARTA so they would be contented to the end they might be trained after the LACONIAN manner and from their youth haue this aduantage aboue all other kinges to haue bene well brought vp But faining these thinges and abusing those that came to meete him on his way they tooke no heede of him till he came within the coast of LACONIA into the which he was no sooner entred but he beganne to spoyle and wast the whole contry And when the Ambassadors of SPARTA reproued and founde fault with him for that he made warres vpon them in such sorte before he had openly proclaimed it he made them aunswer no more haue you your selues vsed to proclaime that which you purposed to do to others Then one of the Ambassadors called Mandricidas replied againe vnto him in the LACONIAN tongue If thou be a god thou wilt doe vs no hurt bicause we haue not offended thee and if thou be a man thou shalt meete with an other that shal be better then thy selfe Then he marched directly to SPARTA where Cleonymus gaue him counsell euen at the first to assault it But he would not so do fearing as they sayd that if he did it by night his souldiers would sacke the city and sayd it should be time enough to assault it the next day at broad day light bicause there were but few men within the towne and beside they were very ill prouided And furthermore king Areus him selfe was not there but gone into CRETA to aide the GORTYNIANS who had warres in their owne contry And doutlesse that only was the sauing of SPARTA from taking that they made no reckening to assault it hotly bicause they thought it was not able to make resistaunce For Pyrrus camped before the towne throughly perswaded with him selfe that he should finde none to fight with him and Cleonymus frends and seruauntes also did prepare his lodging there as if Pyrrus should haue come to supper to him
Cato stāding vp it was thought straight he would haue spoken against him But silence being made him he plainely tolde them that for his owne parte he would not haue bene the first man to haue propounded that was spoken but sithence it was spoken by another that he thought it reasonable and meete to be followed And therefore said he it is better to haue an office to commaund whatsoeuer he be rather then none that he saw no man fitter to commaund then Pompey in so troublesome a time All the Senate liked his opinion and ordained that Pompey should be chosen sole Consul and that if he sawe in his discretion he should neede the assistance of an other companion he might name any whome he thought good but not till two monethes were past Thus was Pompey made Consul alone by Sulpitius regent for that daie Then Pompey made very frendly countenance vnto Cato and thanked him for the 〈…〉 he had done him praying him priuately to assist him with his counsell in the Consulshippe◠Cato aunswered him that there was no cause why he should thanke him for he had spoken nothing for his sake but for respect of the common wealth only and for his counselle if he would aske it he should priuately haue it if not yet that he would openly saie that which he thought Such a man was Cato in all his doinges Now Pompey retorning into the citie maried Cornelia the daughter of Metellus Scipio not a maiden but late the widow of Publius Crissus the sonne that was slaine in PARTHIA to whom she was maried a maiden This Ladie had excellent giftes to be beloued besides her beautie For she was properly learned could play and on the harpe was skilfull in musicke and geometrie and tooke great pleasure also in philosophie and not vainely without some profit For she was very modest and sober of behauior without brawling foolish curiositie which commonly young women haue that are indeed with such singular giftes Her father also was a noble man both in bloud and life Notwithstanding these vnlike mariages did nothing please some for Cornelia was young enough to haue bene his sonnes wife Now the best citizens thought that therein he regarded not the care of the common wealth being in such a troublesome time which had chosen him onely as her remedie to redresse the same and that he in the meane time gaue him selfe ouer to marying and seasting where rather he should haue bene carefull of his Consulshippe which was disposed apon him against the lawe for common calamities sake that otherwise he had not come by if all had bene quiet Furthermore he sharpely proceeded against them which by briberie and vnlaufull meanes came to office and hauing made lawes and ordinaunces for the administration of Iustice otherwise he delt iustly and vprightly in all thinges geuing safetie order silence and grauitie to matters of Iudgement with force of armes himselfe being present sauing that when his father in lawe was also accused among other he sent for the three hundred three score Iudges home to his house praying them to helpe him Whereupon when the accuser saw Scipio accompanied by the Iudges them selues retorning into the market place he let fall his sute This made Pompey againe be condemned and blamed also more then before for that he hauing made a lawe that no man should praise the offendors whilest their matter was a hearing came him selfe and openly praised Plancus being accused Thereupon Cato being one of the Iudges stopped his eares with both his handes saying that he might not heare an offendor praised seeing it was forbidden by lawe But therefore he was refused for a Iudge before they gaue sentence Notwithstanding Plancus was condemned by all the rest of the Iudges to Pompeys great shame and reproache Shortly after Hypseus one that had bene Consul being likewise accused watching Pompey on a time as he came out of his bathe to goe to supper vpon his knees he besought Pompeys fauor and helpe But he stately passed by him and gaue him no other aunswere but told him he marred his supper and said nothing els to him This inconstancy was much reproued in Pompey Howbeit otherwise he set all thinges in good order and chose his father in lawe Scipio for his colleague and fellow in the Consulshippe for the fiue last monethes After that he caused the gouernment of his prouinces to be appointed him for foure yeares more with commission to take yearely out of the treasure a thowsand talentes to defraye the charges of this warre Caesars friend seeing that stepped vp for him and prayed that there might also be had some consideracion of him that had likewise great warres for the Empire of ROME saying that his good seruice deserued either that they should make him Consul againe or els that they should prolonge his charge and gouernment so as he might yet peacibly enioye the honor to commaund that which he had conquered to th end that no other successor might reape the frute of his labor Much sturre and contention being about this matter at ROME Pompey as though for goodwill he ment to excuse the enuie they might haue borne Caesar said that he had receyued lettres from him by the which he requested a successor and to be discharged of this warre and furthermore that he thought it good they should graunt him priuiledge to demaund the second Consulshippe although he were absent Which Cato stowtely withstoode saying that he must retorne home as a priuate man and leauing his armie should come in person craue recompence of his contrie But by cause Pompey made no replie nor aunswere to the countrie men suspected straight that he had no great good liuing of Caesar and the rather bycause he had sent vnto him for the two legions which he had lon◠him vnderooller of his warre against the PARTHIANS But Caesar though he smelt him wherefore he sent for his souldiers retorned them home with liberall reward About that time Pompey fell sicke at NAPLES of a daungerous disease whereof notwithstanding he recouered againe The NEAPOLITANS thereupon by perswasion of Praxagoras one of the chiefest men of their citie did sacrifice to the goddes for his recouerie The like did also their neighbours round about and in fine it ranne so generally through all ITALY that there was no citie or towne great or small but made open feast and reioycing for many dayes together Besides the infinite nomber of people was such that went to meete him out of all partes that there was not place enough for them all but the high wayes cities townes and ports of the sea were all full of people feasting and sacrificing to the gods reioycing for his recouerie Diuers also went to meete him crowned with garlandes and so did attend on him casting nosegayes and flowers apon him Thus was his Iorney the noblest sight that euer was all the way as he came howbeit men thought
place nowe called Armilustrium Further he neuer shewed any countenaunce to reuenge his death There are some Historiographers that write that those of the cittie of Laurentum being afeard at this murder dyd deliuer forthwith to Romulus the murderers of the ambassadours He notwithstāding dyd let them goe againe saying one murder was required by another This gaue some occasion of speache to thincke he was glad he was rydde of his companion yet the Sabynes neither sturred nor rebelled for all this but some of them were affrayed of him for the great loue they bare him other for his power he was of other for the honour they gaue him as a god continuing still in duetie obedience towards him Diuers straūgers also had Romulus valiancie in great honour as amongest other those who then were called the auncient Latines which sent ambassadours to him to make league and amitie with him He deuised to take the cittie of Fidena which was nere neighbour to Rome Some saye he tooke it vpon a sodaine hauing sent before certen horse men to breake downe the hookes hingewes with force which the gates hang by him selfe came after with the rest of his armie and stale vpon them before the cittie mistrusted any thing Other write that the Fidenates first inuaded his coūtrye and foraged vnto the very suburbes of Rome where they did great harme and howe Romulus layed an ambushe in their waye as they returned home and slewe a great number of them When he tooke their cittie he did not rase it but made a colonye of it as a place to send the ouerincrease of Rome vnto whether he sent afterwards two thousand fiue hundred Romains to inhabite there it was on the thirtenth daye of Aprill which the Romaines call the Ides of the same moneth Not long after there rose suche a great plague in Rome that men died sodainely and were not sicke the earth brought forth no fruite bruite beasts deliuered no increase of their kynde there rayned also droppes of bloude in Rome as they saye In so much as besides the euills men felt in this extremitie they fell in a marueilous feare of the wrathe of the goddes Afterwards perceiuing the like happened to the inhabitants of Laurētum then euery man iudged it was the very vengeance and heauie hand of the goddes who plagued and punished these two citties for the murder committed vpon Tatius and the ambassadours that were killed Whereupon the murderers of both sides were apprehended and executed and these plagues by and by ceased both in the one and in the other cittie Romulus besides did purifie the cities with certaine sacrifices that he deuised which they keepe still at this daye at the gate called Ferentina But before the plague ceased the Camerines came to assaulte the Romaines had ouercomen all the countrie supposing they should not be able to withstand them bicause they had bene so sore troubled with the plague Yet notwithstāding Romulus set vp on them with his army wanne the field of them in which conflict there were slaine about sixe thousand men After the battell done he tooke their cittie conueyed to Rome the one half of the inhabitants that remained After this he sent twise as many Romaines as there were naturall Cameriās left at Camerine to dwell there among them This was done the first daye of August so great was the multitude of the inhabitāts of Rome that had increased in sixteene yeres from the first foundation of the cittie Emong other spoyles he got there he caried away a charret of brasse with foure horses which he caused to be set vp in the temple of Vulcan and his owne statue vpon it and victorie crowning him with a garland triūphant His power being growen thus great his weake neighbours did submit themselues vnto him being contented to liue in peace by him His stronger neighbours were affrayed of him and enuied much his greatnes and dyd take it no good policie to suffer him thus to rise in the face of the world and thought it meete spedilie to dawnte his glorie and clippe his winges The first of the Thuscans that bent their power against him were the Veians who had a great countrie dwelled in a stronge and mightie cittie To picke a quarell to him they sent to haue redeliuered to thē the cittie of FIDENA which they sayed belōged vnto them This was thought not only vnreasonable but a thing worthy laughing at cōsidering that all the while the FIDENATES were in warre daunger the THVSCANS neuer came to their ayde but had suffered them to be slayne and then came to demaunde their lands and tenements when other had possession of them Therefore Romulus hauing geuen them an aunswer full of mockerie and derision they diuided their power into two armies and sent the one against them of FIDENA and with the other they marched towards ROME That which went against the cittie of FIDENA preuayled and killed there two thousand ROMAINES the other was ouerthrowen and discomfited by Romulus in which there dyed eight thousand VEIANS Afterwards they met againe somewhat neere the cittie of the FIDENATES where they fought a battell and all dyd confesse the chiefest exployte was done by Romulus owne hands that daye who shewed all the skill and valliantnes that was to be looked for in a worthy captaine It seemed that daye he farre exceeded the cōmon sorte of men in strength of bodye feates of armes Neuertheles that which some saye is hardely to be credited to be plaine is out of all compasse of beliefe and possibilitie For they write there were fourteene thousand men slayne at that battell that more then halfe of them were slayne by Romulus own hands the rather for that euery man iudgeth it a vaine bragge and ostentation which the MESSENIANS reporte of Aristomenes who offered in sacrifice to the goddes three hundred beastes of victorie as for so many LACEDAEMONIANS him self had slayne in the battell Their armie being thus broken Romulus suffered them to flye who by swiftnes could saue them selues and marched with all his power in good arraye towards their cittie The citizens then considering their late great losse and ouerthrowe would not hazard the daunger of withstanding him but went out all together made their humble petition sute for peace All was graunted them for a hundred yeres saue they should forgoe their territorie called Septemagium that was the seuenth parte of their countrye yeld to the ROMAINES all their salt houses by the riuers side and deliuer fiftie of their chiefest citizens for their pledges Romulus made his entrie and triumphe into ROME for them the daye of the Ides of October which is the fiftenth daye of the same moneth leading in his triumphe many prisoners taken in those warres among other the generall of the VEIANS a very auncient man who fondly behaued him selfe in his charge and shewed by his
afterwards when she was forsaken of her sonne onles peraduenture those things that they write of the imprisonment and captiuitie of AEthra be founde false and but fables as for the same and memorie of Theseus were behouefull that both it and many other things also were of no more trothe nor likelyhood That which they write of Romulus diuinements maketh great difference betwene him and Theseus For Romulus in his birthe was preserued by the maruelous fauour of the goddes Theseus to the contrarie was begotten against the goddes will as appeared plainely by the aunswer of the oracle to AEgeus that he should not medle with any woman in straunge and foraine countrie The ende of Romulus life THE LIFE OF Lycurgus A MAN can not speake any thing at all of Lycurgus who made the lawes of the LACEDAEMONIANS but he shall finde great contrarietie of him amongest the historiographers For of his parentage trauaill out of his countrie of his deathe and making of lawes of his forme and gouernment and order of executing the same they haue written diuersely And yet aboue all things concerning him they agree worst about the time he liued in For some of them and Aristotle is of that number will needes haue him to haue bene in the time of Iphytus and that he dyd helpe him to stablish the ordinaunce that all warres should cease during the feast of the games olympicall for a testimonie whereof they alledge the copper coyte which was vsed to be throwen in those games and had founde grauen vpon it the name of Lycurgus Other compting the dayes and time of the succession of the kings of LACEDAEMON as Eratosthenes and Apollodorus saye he was many yeres before the first Olympiades Timaeus also thincketh there were two of this name and in diuers times howbeit the one hauing more estimation then the other men gaue this Lycurgus the glorie of both their doings Some saye the eldest of the twaine was not longe after Homer and some write they sawe him Xenophon sheweth vs plainely he was of great antiquitie saying he was in the time of the Heraclides who were neerest of bloude by descent to Hercules For it is likely Xenophon ment not those Heraclides which descended from Hercules self for the last kings of SPARTA were of Hercules progenie aswell as the first Therefore he meaneth those Heraclides which doubtles were the first and nearest before Hercules time Neuertheles though the historiographers haue written diuersely of him yet we will not leaue to collect that which we finde written of him in auncient histories and is least to be denied and by best testimonies most to be prooued And first of all the poet Simonides sayeth his father was called Prytanis and not Eunomus and the most parte doe write the pettigree otherwise aswell of Lycurgus self as of Eunomus For they saye that Patrocles the sonne of Aristodemus begate Sous and Sous begate Eurytion and Eurytion begate Prytanis and Prytanis begat Eunomus and Eunomus begat Polydectes of his first wife and Lycurgus of the second wife called Dianassa yet Euthychidas an other writer maketh Lycurgus the sixte of descent in the right line from Polydectes and the eleuenth after Hercules But of all his auncesters the noblest was Sous in whose time the cittie of SPARTA subdued the Ilotes and made them slaues and dyd enlarge and increase their dominion with the lands and possessions they had got by conquest of the Arcadians And it is sayed that Sous him self being on a time straightly besieged by the CLITORIANS in a hard drye grounde where no water could be founde offered them thereupon to restore all their lands againe that he had gotten from them if he and all his companie dyd drincke of a fountaine that was there not farre of The CLITORIANS dyd graunte vnto it and peace also was sworne betweene them Then he called all his souldiers before him and tolde them if there were any one amongest them that would refrayne from drincking he would resigne his kingdome to him howbeit there was not one in all his companie that could or would forbeare to drincke they were so sore a thirst So they all drancke hartely except him self who being the last that came downe dyd no more but a litle moyste his mowthe without and so refreshed him self the enemies selues standing by and drancke not a droppe By reason whereof he refused afterwards to restore their lands he had promised alledging they had not all droncke But that notwithstanding he was greately esteemed for his actes and yet his house was not named after his owne name but after his sonnes name Eurytion they of his house were called Eurytionides The reason was bicause his sonne Eurytion to please the people dyd first let fall and geue ouer the sole and absolute power of a king Whereupon there followed afterwardes marueilous disorder and dissolution which continued a great time in the citie of SPARTA For the people finding them selues at libertie became very bolde and disobedient and some of the Kinges that succeeded were hated euen to deathe bicause they woulde perforce vse their auncient authoritie ouer the people Other either to winne the loue and goodwilles of the people or bicause they sawe they were not stronge enough to rule them dyd geue them selues to dissemble And this dyd so muche increase the peoples lose and rebellious mindes that Lycurgus owne father being Kinge was slayne among them For one daye as he was parting a fraye betweene two that were fighting he had suche a wounde with a kytchin knyfe that he dyed and left his Realme to his eldest sonne Polydectes who dyed also sone after and without heyre of his bodye as was supposed In so muche as euery man thought Lycurgus should be Kinge and so he tooke it vpon him vntill it was vnderstoode that his brothers wife was younge with childe Which thing so soone as he perceyued he published openly that the Realme belonged to the childe that should be borne if it were a sonne After this he gouerned the Realme but as the Kings lieutenante and regent The LACEDAEMONIANS call the regents of their Kinges that are left within age Prodicos Lycurgus brothers widowe dyd send and let him secretly vnderstande that if he would promise to marye her when he should be King that she would come before her time and either miscarye or destroye that she went with Lycurgus detestably abhorring this brutishe and sauage vnnaturallnes of the woman dyd not reiect her offer made him but seemed rather to be very glad then to dislike of it Neuertheles he sent her worde againe she should not neede to trye masteryes with drinckes and medicines to make her come before her time for so doing she might bring her selfe in daunger and be cast awaye for euer Howbeit he aduised her to goe her full time and to be brought a bed in good order and then he would finde meanes enough to make awaye the childe that
nor reason but a common speache of euery bodie that it was a daungerous thing to commit to the fortune of one man alone so great exceeding prosperitie and good successe bicause it is a rare matter to see one man happie in all things These wordes dyd so muche mislike the people that they thought him an enuious troublesome man or els they thought his age had made him fearefull and that his corage failed with his strength fearing Hannibal more doubtfully then he needed For now though Hannibal was forced to leaue ITALIE and to returne into AFRICKE yet Fabius would not graunte that the peoples ioye and securitie they thought they were in was altogether cleare and without feare and mistruste but gaue it out that then they were in greatest daunger and that the common weale was breeding more mischief now then before For when Hannibal sayed he shall returne home into AFRICKE and come before CARTHAGE walles the ROMAINES shall be lesse able to abide him there then they haue bene before and Scipio moreouer shall meete with an armie yet warme and embrued with the bloude of so many Praetors Dictators and Consuls of ROME which they haue ouercome and put to the sword in ITALIE With these vncomfortable speaches he still troubled disquieted the whole cittie persuading them that notwithstanding the warre was transferred out of ITALIE into AFRICKE yet that the occasion of feare was no lesse neere vnto ROME then it was euer before But within shorte space after Scipio hauing ouercome Hannibal in plaine battell in the field and troden vnder foote the glory and pryde of CARTHAGE he brought a greater ioye to ROME then they euer looked for and by this noble victorie of his he shored vp again the declining state of the empire of ROME which a litle before was falling downe right Howbeit Fabius liued not to the ende of this warre nor euer heard while he liued the ioyfull newes of Hannibals happy ouerthrowe neither were his yeres prolonged to see the happy assured prosperitie of his countrie for about that time that Hannibal departed out of ITALIE a sicknes tooke him whereof he dyed The stories declare that the THEBANS buried Epaminondas at the common charges of the people bicause he dyed in so great pouertie that when he was dead they founde nothing in the house but a litle iron spit Now the ROMAINES buried not Fabius so at the common charge of the cittie but euery man of beneuolence gaue towards his funerall charges a pece of coyne that caried the least value of their currant money not for that he lacked abillitie to bring him to the grounde but only to honour his memorie in making his obsequies at their charges as of one that had bene their common father So had his vertuous life an honorable ende and buriall THE COMPARISON OF Pericles with Fabius HERE haue you heard what is written of thesetwo great persones And forasmuche as they haue both left behinde them many noble examples of vertue aswell in martiall matters as in ciuill gouernmēt let vs beginne to compare them together First of all Pericles begāne to gouerne the common weale at what time the people of ATHENS were in their chiefest prosperitie and of greater power and wealth then euer they had bene of before or since The which might seeme to be a cause of the continuall maintenance of the same in securitie without daunger of falling not so muche for their worthines as for their common power and felicitie where contrariwise Fabius acts fell out in the most dishonorable vnfortunate time that euer happened to his countrie in the which he dyd not only keepe the cittie in good state from declining but raised it vp and deliuered it from calamitie and brought it to be better then he found it Furthermore Cimons great good fortune and successe the victories and triumphes of Myronides and of Leocrates and many notable valliant dedes of armes of Tolmides gaue good cause to Peritles to entertaine his cittie in feastes and playes whilest he dyd gouerne the same and he dyd not finde it in such ill case and distresse that he was driuen to defend it by force of armes or to cōquer that againe which he had lost But Fabius in contrary manner when he sawe before him many ouerthrowes great flying awaye muche murder great slaughters of the generalles of the ROMAINE armies the lakes the playnes the woddes filled with scattered men the people ouercome the flouds and riuers ronning all a gore bloude by reason of the great slaughter and the streame carying downe the dead bodies to the mayne sea dyd take in hande the gouernment of his countrie and a course farre contrarie to all other so as he dyd vnderproppe and shore vp the same that he kept it from flat falling to the grounde amongest those ruines and ouerthrowes other had brought it to before him Yet a man maye saye also that it is no great matter of difficultie to rule a cittie already brought lowe by aduersitie and which compelled by necessitie is contented to be gouerned by a wise man as it is to bridle and keepe vnder the insolencie of a people pufte vp with pryde and presumption of long prosperitie as Pericles founde it amongest the ATHENIANS The great multitude also of so many grieuous calamities as lighted on the ROMAINES neckes at that time dyd playnely shewe Fabius to be a graue and a constant man which would neuer geue waye vnto the importunate cries of the common people nor could euer be remoued from that he had at the first determined The winning recouering againe of TARENTVM maye well be compared to the taking of SAMOS which Pericles wanne by force and the citties of CAMPANIA vnto the I le of EVBOEA excepting the cittie of CAPVA which the Consuls Faluius and Appius recouered againe But it seemeth that Fabius neuer wanne battell saue that only for which he triumphed the first time where Pericles set vp nine triumphes of battels and victories he had wonne aswell by sea as by lande And so also they cannot alledge such an acte done by Pericles as Fabius dyd when he rescued Minutius out of the handes of Hannibal and saued a whole armie of the ROMAINES which doubtles was a famous acte and proceeded of a noble minde great wisdome and an honorable harte But Pericles againe dyd neuer commit so grosse an errour as Fabius dyd when he was outreached deceyued by Hannibals fine stratageame of his oxen who hauing founde his enemie by chaunce to haue shut him selfe vp in the straight of a vallye dyd suffer him to escape in the night by a subtiltie in the daye by playne force For he was preuented by ouermuch delaye and fought withall by him he kept inclosed Now if it be requisite a good captaine doe not only vse well that he hath in his handes but that he wisely iudge also what will followe after then the warres of the ATHENIANS fell out in suche sorte
againe without any newe occasion or iust matter offered of complainte For they dyd grounde this seconde insurrection against the Nobilitie and Patricians apon the peoples miserie misfortune that could not but fall out by reason of the former discorde and sedition betweene them and the Nobilitie Bicause the most parte of the errable lande within the territorie of ROME was become heathie and barren for lacke of plowing for that they had no time nor meane to cause corne to be brought them out of other countries to sowe by reason of their warres which made the extreme dearth they had emōg them Now those busie pratlers that sought the peoples good will by suche flattering wordes perceyuing great scarsitie of corne to be within the cittie and though there had bene plenty enough yet the common people had no money to buye it they spread abroad false tales and rumours against the Nobilitie that they in reuenge of the people had practised and procured the extreme dearthe emong them Furthermore in the middest of this sturre there came ambassadours to ROME from the cittie of VELITRES that offered vp their cittie to the ROMAINES and prayed them they would send newe inhabitants to replenishe the same bicause the plague had bene so extreme among them had killed such a number of them as there was not left aliue the tenth persone of the people that had bene there before So the wise men of ROME beganne to thincke that the necessitie of the VELITRIANS sell out in a most happy hower and howe by this occasion it was very mete in so great a scarsitie of vittailes to disburden ROME of a great number of cittizens and by this meanes as well to take awaye this newe sedition and vtterly to ryd it out of the cittie as also to cleare the same of many mutinous and seditious persones being the superfluous ill humours that greuously fedde this disease Hereupon the Consuls prickt out all those by a bill whom they intended to sende to VELITRES to goe dwell there as in forme of a colonie and they leauied out of all the rest that remained in the cittie of ROME a great number to goe against the VOLSCES hoping by the meanes of forreine warre to pacifie their sedition at home Moreouer they imagined when the poore with the riche and the meane sorte with the nobilitie should by this deuise be abroad in the warres in one campe and in one seruice and in one like daunger that then they would be more quiet and louing together But Sicinius and Brutus two seditious Tribunes spake against either of these deuises and cried out apon the noble men that vnder the gentle name of a colonie they would cloke and culler the most cruell and vnnaturall facte as might be bicause they sent their poore cittizens into a sore infected cittie and pestilent ayer full of dead bodies vnburied and there also to dwell vnder the tuytion of a straunge god that had so cruelly persecuted his people This were said they euen as muche as if the Senate should hedlong cast downe the people into a most bottomles pyt And are not yet contented to haue famished some of the poore cittizens hertofore to death to put other of them euen to the mercie of the plague but a freshe they haue procured a voluntarie warre to the ende they would leaue behind no kynde of miserie and ill wherewith the poore syllie people should not be plagued and only bicause they are werie to serue the riche The common people being set on a broyle and brauerie with these wordes would not appeare when the Consuls called their names by a bill to prest them for the warres neither would they be sent out to this newe colonie in so muche as the Senate knewe not well what to saye or doe in the matter Martius then who was now growen to great credit and a stowte man besides and of great reputation with the noblest men of ROME rose vp and openly spake against these flattering Tribunes And for the replenishing of the cittie of VELITRES he dyd compell those that were chosen to goe thither and to departe the cittie apon great penalties to him that should disobey but to the warres the people by no meanes would be brought or constrained So Martius taking his friendes and followers with him and such as he could by sayer wordes intreate to goe with him dyd ronne certen forreyes into the dominion of the ANTIATES where he met with great plenty of corne and had a maruelous great spoyle aswell of cattell as of men he had taken prisoners whom he brought awaye with him and reserued nothing for him selfe Afterwardes hauing brought backe againe all his men that went out with him safe and sounde to ROME and euery man riche and loden with spoyle then the hometarriers and housedoues that kept ROME still beganne to repent them that it was not their happe to goe with him and so enuied both them that had sped so well in this iorney and also of malice to Martius they spited to see his credit and estimation increase still more and more bicause they accompted him to be a great hinderer of the people Shortely after this Martius stoode for the Consulshippe and the common people sauored his sute thinking it would be a shame to them to denie and refuse the chiefest noble man of bloude and most worthie persone of ROME and specially him that had done so great seruice and good to the common wealth For the custome of ROME was at that time that suche as dyd sue for any office should for certen dayes before be in the market place only with a poore gowne on their backes and without any coate vnderneath to praye the cittizens to remember them at the daye of election which was thus deuised either to moue the people the more by requesting them in suche meane apparell or els bicause they might shewe them their woundes they had gotten in the warres in the seruice of the cōmon wealth as manifest markes testimonie of their valliantnes Now it is not to be thought that the suters went thus lose in a simple gowne in the market place without any coate vnder it for feare and suspition of the common people for offices of dignitie in the cittie were not then geuen by fauour or corruption It was but of late time and long after this that buying and selling fell out in election of officers and that the voyces of the electours were bought for money But after corruption had once gotten waye into the election of offices it hath ronne from man to man euen to the very sentence of iudges and also emong captaines in the warres so as in the ende that only turned common wealthes into Kingdomes by making armes subiect to money Therefore me thinckes he had reason that sayed he that first made banckets and gaue money to the common people was the first that tooke awaye
receaue the blowes of the strong heauy swordes of the ROMAINES vpon their litle weake targeties so that what with their heauines and the vehement force wherewith the blowes lighted vpon them there was no target nor corselet but they passed it through and ranne them in By reason where of they could make no long resistance whereupon they turned their backes and ranne awaye But when they came to the squadron of the olde beaten souldiers of the MACEDONIANS there was the cruellest fight and most desperate seruice where they saye that Marcus Cato sonne of great Cato and sonne in lawe of AEmylius shewing all the valliantnes in his persone that a noble minde could possibly performe lost his sword which fell out of his hande But he like a young man of noble corage that had bene valliantly brought vp in all discipline knew how to follow the steppes of his father the noblest persone that euer man sawe was to shewe then his value and worthines and thought it more honour for him there to dye then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioye any spoyle of his So by by he ranne into the ROMAINE army to finde out some of his friendes whom he tolde what had befalled him and prayed them to helpe him to recouer his sworde whereto they agreed And being a good company of lusty valliant souldiers together they rushed straight in among their enemies at the place where he brought them and so dyd set apon them with suche force and furie that they made a lane through the middest of them and with great slaughter and spilling of bloude euen by plaine force they cleared the waye still before them Now when the place was voyded they sought for the sworde and in the ende founde it with great a doe amongest a heape of other swords and dead bodies whereat they reioyced maruelously Then singing a songe of victorie they went againe more fiercely then before to geue a charge vpon their enemies who were not yet broken a sonder vntill suche time as at the length the three thousand chosen MACEDONIANS fighting valliantly euen to the last man and neuer forsaking their rancks were all slaine in the place After whose ouerthrowe there was a great slaughter of other also that fled so that all the valley and foote of the mountaines thereaboutes was couered with dead bodies The next daye after the battell when the ROMAINES dyd passe ouer the riuer of Leucus they founde it ronning all a bloude For it is sayed there were slaine at this field of Perseus men aboue fiue and twentie thousand and of the ROMAINES side as Posidonius sayeth not aboue sixe score or as Nasica writeth but foure score only And for so great an ouerthrowe it is reported it was wonderfull quickly done and executed For they beganne to fight about three of the clocke in the after noone and had wonne the victorie before foure and all the rest of the daye they followed their enemies in chase an hundred twenty furlonges from the place where the battell was fought so that it was very late and farre forth night before they returned againe into the campe So suche as returned were receyued with maruelous great ioye of their pages that went out with linckes and torches lighted to bring their masters into their tentes where their men had made great bonfiers and decked them vp with crownes and garlands of laurell sauing the generalles tent only who was very heauy for that of his two sonnes he brought with him to the warres the younger could not be founde which he loued best of the twaine bicause he sawe he was of a better nature then the rest of his brethern For euen then being newe crept out of the shell as it were he was maruelous valliant and hardie and desired honour wonderfully Now AEmylius thought he had bene cast awaye fearing least for lacke of experience in the warres and through the rashnes of his youthe he had put him selfe to farre in fight amongest the prease of the enemies Hereupon the campe heard straight what sorowe AEmylius was in and how grieuously he tooke it The ROMAINES being set at supper rose from their meate and with torche light some ranne to AEmylius tent other went out of the campe to seeke him among the dead bodies if they might knowe him so all the campe was full of sorowe and mourning the vallies hilles all abouts dyd ringe againe with the cries of those that called Scipio alowde For euen from his childhood he had a naturall gift in him of all the rare and singular partes required in a captaine wife gouernour of the common weale aboue all the young men of his time At the last when they were out of all hope of his comming againe he happely returned from the chase of the enemies with two or three of his familliars only all bloudied with new bloude like a swift running greyhownde fleshed with the bloude of the hare hauing pursued very farre for ioye of the victorie It is that Scipio which afterwards destroyed both the citties of CARTHAGE and NVMANTIVM who was the greatest man of warre and valliantest captaine of the ROMAINES in his time and of the greatest authoritie and reputation emong them Thus fortune deferring till another time the execution of her spite which she dyd beare to so noble an exployte suffered AEmylius for that time to take his ful pleasure of that noble victorie And as for Perseus he fled first from the cittie of PYNDNE vnto the cittie of PELLA with his horsemen which were in manner all saued Whereupon the footemen that saued them selues by flying meeting them by the waye called them traitours cowards and villanes worse then that they turned them of their horse backes and fought it out lustely with them Perseus seeing that and fearing least this mutinie might turne to light on his necke he turned his horse out of the highe waye and pulled of his purple coate and caried it before him and tooke his diademe fearing least they should knowe him by these tokens and bicause he might more easely speake with his friends by the waye he lighted a foote and led his horse in his hande But suche as were about him one made as though he would mende the latchet of his shooe an other seemed to water his horse another as though he would drincke so that one dragging after another in this sorte they all left him at the last and ranne their waye not fearing the enemies furie so muche as their Kings crueltie who being greued with his misfortune sought to laye the faulte of the ouerthrowe vpon all other but him selfe Now he being come into the cittie of PELLA by night Euctus and Eudaeus two of his treasorers came vnto him and speaking boldly but out of time presumed to tell him the great faulte he had committed and dyd counsell him also what he should doe The King was so moued with their presumption that with his owne
the Senate Capitolinus at the first layed in many exceptions and fained excutes to kepe him from appearing and in the end he appealed to the Tribunes of the people but they declared plainely they would not receiue his appeale nor take any knowledge of the matter At the length he was forced to aunswere the matter before the Senate and denied flatly that he attempted euer any such thinge bicause there were no witnesses to proue it against him Whereupon the Senate thought good to sende for young Marcellus who comminge before them bothe blushed and wept together The Senate seeinge shamefastnesse in him mingled with teares and a malice that coulde not be pacified without seeking other proofe they tooke it a cleare case so condemned Capitolinus presently in a great summe of money which Marcellus conuerted into siluer vessel to serue at sacrifices and so did consecrate them to the seruice of the goddes Now when the ROMAINES had ended their first warre against the CARTHAGINIANS which held them fully the space of two and twenty yeres Immediatly after that they beganne a newe warre against the GAVLES For the INSVBRIANS beinge a people deriued frō the GAVLES dwelling at the foote of the moūtaines of the ALPESON ITALIE side being able to make a good power of them selues did notwithstanding pray aide of the other GAVLES inhabiting on the other side of the mountaines they caused the GESSATES a mercenary people and hierlings to them that woulde giue pay to bring great numbers with them Truely me thinkes it was a maruelous matter and wonderfull good happe for the ROMAINES that this warre of the GAVLES came not apon thē while they were at wars with the CARTHAGINIANS that the GAVLES also had lien quiet all that while as if they had purposely sworne to set apon the conquerors expecting still an end betwene thē then to set apon the cōquerors when they had nothing to say to any other Yet the scituacion of their cōtry did trouble the ROMAINES much bicause they were so nere neighbours vnto them had warres as it were at their owne dores And so did the auncient reputacion of the GAVLES somewhat appawle the ROMAINES who as it shoulde seeme they did feare more then any other nation whatsoeuer bicause ROME had bene taken before the GAVLES Since which time a law was made that Priestes and ecclesiasticall persones should be dispenced with from going to the warres onles the GAVLES did rise against them The preparacion they made for this warre at that time did plainly show the feare they had thē of the GAVLES For the world thinkes that neuer before nor since there were so many naturall ROMAINES assembled together in fielde as were then at that present Moreouer the new come cruelty they vsed in their sacrifices doth recorde this to be true For before they neuer vsed any straunge maner in their sacrifice or barbarous facion but were fauorable in their opinions about the ceremonies of religion agreeable to the GREECIANS touching the seruice of the goddes But then they were compelled to obey certaine oracles and auncient prophecies they found wrytten in SIBYLLES bookes they buried two GREECIANS aliue in the oxe market a man a woman and likewise two GAVLES a man and a woman Vnto them they doe yet continew certaine secret anniuersaries in Nouēber that are not to be sene of euery body The ROMAINES in their first battels of this warre were often ouercommen and did ouercome but these battels were to litle purpose for ending of the warres In the yere that C. Quintius Flaminius and P. Furius Philo were Consuls and sent with great armies to make warres apon the INSVBRIANS people subiect to the state of MILANE newes were brought to ROME that there was a riuer seene in the cōtry of ROMANIA red as blood three moones also at the very same time in the city of RIMINI Furthermore the Priestes Soothsayers that had obserued considered the tokens significations of birdes on that day when these two were chosen Consuls they tolde plainly there was error in their election that they were directly chosen against all signes tokens of the birdes Thereupon the Senate wrote immediatly to the campe to them willed them to come home to depose themselues of their Consulshippe before they did attempt any thing as Consuls against the enemies The Consul Flaminius receaued the letters in time but bicause he was ready to giue battell he woulde not open them before he had first ouerthrowen his enemies spoyled their contrie as in dede he did But when he was come backe to ROME againe and had brought maruelous great spoyles with him the people for all that woulde not goe out to meete him bicause he did not presently obey the letters they wrote vnto him nor returned apon it as they commaunded him but contemptuously without any regard of their displeasure followed his owne phantasie whereupon they had almost flatly denied him the honor of triumphe For his triumphe was no sooner ended but they compelled him to giue ouer his Consulship and made him a priuate man with his companion The ROMAINES therein were so religiously bent as they would all things shoulde be referred vnto the gods good grace pleasure would suffer none to contemne the obseruations prognosticatinge of the soothsayers nor their auncient vses customes for any prosperity felicity that could happen For they thought it more necessary and profitable for benefit of the common weale that the Senate and magistrates should reuerence the ceremonies and seruice of the goddes then that they should ouercome their enemies in battell As for example Tiberius Sempronius a man as much honored and esteemed of the ROMAINES for his iustice and valliantnes as any other of his time beinge one yeare Consul did nominate elect two other for Consuls the yeare following Scipio Nasica Caius Martius These two being entred into their Consulship and sent from ROME also to their seuerall prouinces appointed them by lot Sempronius by chaunce tooke certen litle bookes in his hande where were briefly written the rules appertaining to the ceremonies of publike sacrifice and reading in them he found a certaine ordinaunce he neuer heard before And this it was That if a magistrate were set in any tent or hyred house without the citie to beholde and obserue the prognostications of birdes that vpon any sodaine occasion he were driuē to come againe into the citie before the birdes had giuen any certaine signes the second time when he returned againe to ende his obseruations there was no remedy but he must leaue his tent or first hyred house and take an other and beginne new obseruations againe Tiberius vtterly ignoraunt of his ordinaunce before had kept his obseruations twise in one selfe house and had chosen there Nasica and Martius Consulls to succeede him But when he knew he had offended
the ACHAIANS the PATHIOTES the MAGNESIANS the THESSALIANS and the PERRHOEDEIANS At the first time of the proclamation all the people could not heare the voice of the heraulde and the most parte of those that hearde him coulde not tell distinctly what he sayed for there ranne vp and downe the shewe place where the games were played a confused brute and tumult of the people that wondered and asked what the matter ment so as the heraulde was driuen againe to make the proclamation Whereupon after silence made the herauld puttinge out his voice farre lowder then before did proclaime it in such audible wise that the whole assembly heard him and then rose there such a lowde showte and crie of ioy through the whole people that the sound of it was heard to the sea Then all the people that had taken their places were set to see the Swordplayers play rose vp all on their feete lettinge the games alone and went together with great ioy to salute to embrace and to thanke Titus the recouerer protector and patrone of all their liberties of GREECE Then was seene which is much spoken of the power of mens voyces for crowes fel downe at that present time among the people which by chaunce flew ouer the show place at that time that they made the same out showte This came to passe by reason the ayer was broken and cut a sunder with the vehemency and strength of the voyces so as it had not his naturall power in it to keepe vp the flying of the birdes which were driuen of necessity to fall to the grounde as flyinge through a voide place where they lacked ayer Vnlesse we will rather say that it was the violence of the crie which strooke the birdes passinge through the ayer as they had bene hit with arrowes and so made them fall downe dead to the earth It may be also that there was some hurlinge winde in the ayer as we doe see sometime in the sea when it riseth high and many times turneth about the waues by violence of the storme So it is that if Titus hadde not preuented the whole multitude of people which came to see him and that he had not got him away betimes before the games were ended he had hardly scaped from being stifled amongest them the people came so thicke about him from euery place But after that they were weary of crying and singing about his pauillion vntill night in the ende they went their way and as they went if they met any of their kinne frendes or citizens they did kisse and embrace one an other for ioy and so supped and made mery together In their more reioycinge yet as we may thinke full well they had no other talke at the table but of the warres of GREECE discoursing amongest them what sundry great warres they had made what they had endured heretofore and all to defend and recouer their liberty And yet for all that they coulde neuer so ioyfully nor more assuredly obtaine it then they did euen at that present receiuing the honorablest reward that which deserued greatest fame through the worlde that by the valliantnesse of straungers who fought for the same without any spilt blood of their owne in comparison or that they lost the life of any one man whose death they had cause to lament they were so restored to their auncient freedome and liberty It is a very rare thinge amongest men to finde a man very valliant and wise withall but yet of all sortes of valliant men it is harder to finde a iust man For Agesilaus Lysander Nicias Alcibiades and all other the famous Captaines of former times had very good skill to lead an army and to winne the battell as well by sea as by lande but to turne their victories to any honorable benefit or true honor among men they could neuer skill of it And if you doe except the battell against the barbarous people in the plaine of MARATHON the battell of SALAMINA the iorney of PLATEES the battell of THERMOPYLES the battell Cimon fought about CIPRVS and vpon the riuer of Eurymedon all the other warres battels of GREECE that were made fell out against them selues and did euer bringe them into bondage and all the tokens of triumphe which euer were set vp for the same was to their shame and losse So that in the end GREECE was vtterly destroyed and ouerthrowen and that chiefly through the wickedness and selfe will of her gouernors and captaines of the cities one enuying an others doing Where a straunge nation the which as it should seeme had very small occasion to moue them to do it for that they haue had no great familiarity with auncient GREECE through the counsel good wisedome of the which it should seeme very straunge that GREECE coulde receiue any benefit haue notwithstanding with daungerous battels and infinite troubles deliuered it from oppression and seruitude of violent Lordes and tyrans This and such like talke did at that time occupy the GREECIANS heades and moreouer the deedes following did aunswer and performe the words of the proclamatiō For at one selfe time Titus sent Lentulus into ASIA to set the BARGYLIANS at liberty and Titillius into THRACIA to remoue the garrisons out of the Iles cities which Philip had kept there and Publius Iulius was sent also into ASIA vnto king Antiochus to speake vnto him to set the GREECIANS at liberty which he kept in subiection And as for Titus he went him selfe vnto the city of CHALCIDE where he tooke sea and went into the prouince of MAGNESIA out of the which he tooke all the garrisons of the cities and redeliuered the gouernment of the common wealth vnto the citizēs of the same Afterwards when time came that the feast of Nemea was celebrated in the citie of ARGOS in the honor of Hercules Titus was chosen iudge rector of the games that were plaied there where after he had set all thinges in very good order pertaining vnto the solemnity of the feast he caused againe solemne proclamation to be made openly for the generall liberty of all GREECE Furthermore visiting the cities he did stablish very good lawes reformed iustice and did set the inhabitants and citizens of euery one of them in good peace amity and concord one with an other and did call home also all those that were outlawes and banished men and pacified all olde quarrells and dissentions amonge them The which did no lesse please and content him that by perswasions he could bring the GREECIANS to be reconciled one with the other then if he had by force of armes ouercome the MACEDONIANS Insomuch as the recouery of the libertie which Titus had restored vnto the GREECIANS seemed vnto them the least parte of the goodnesse they had receiued at his handes They say that Lycurgus the orator seeinge the collectors of taxes cary Zenocrates the Philosopher one day to prison for lacke of payment of a certaine
it be a newter frend vnto them both King Antigonus agreed vnto it and gaue them his sonne for hostage Pyrrus also made theÌ„ fayer promise to do so too but bicause he gaue no caution nor sufficient pledge to performe it they mistrusted him the more Then there fel out many great wonderful tokens as wel vnto Pyrrus as vnto the ARGIVES For Pyrrus hauing sacrificed oxen their heades being striken of from their bodies they thrust out their tongues and licked vp their owne blood And within the city of ARGOS a sister of the temple of Apollo Lycias called Apollonide ranne through the streetes crying out that she saw the city full of murder and blood running all about and an Eagle that came vnto the fraye howbeit she vanished away sodainly and no body knewe what became of her Pyrrus then comminge hard to the walles of ARGOS in the night finding one of the gates called Diamperes opened by Aristeas he put in his GAVLES who possessed the market place before the citizens knew any thing of it But bicause the gate was too low to passe the elephantes through with their towers vpon their backes they were driuen to take them of afterwards when they were within to put them on in the darke in tumulte by reason whereof they lost much time so that the citizens in the ende perceiued it and ran incontinently vnto the castell of Aspides and into other strong places of the city And therewithall they sent with present speede vnto Antigonus to pray him to come and helpe them and so he did and after he was come hard to the walles he remained without with the skowtes in the meane time sent his sonne with his chiefest Captaines into the towne who brought a great number of good souldiers and men of warre with them At the same time also arriued Areus king of SPARTA with a thowsand of the CRETANS and most lusty SPARTANS all which ioyning together came to geue a charge vpoÌ„ the GAVLES that were in the market place who put them in a maruelous feare hazard Pyrrus entering on that side also of the city called Cylarabis with terrible noyse cries when he vnderstoode that the GAVLES aunswered him not lustely and coragiously he doubted straight that it was the voyce of men distressed and that had their handes full Wherefore he came on with speede to relieue them thrusting the horsemen forwards that marched before him with great daunger and paine by reason of holes and sinckes and water conduites whereof the city was full By this meane there was a wonderfull confusion amongest them as may be thought fightinge by night where no man saw what he had to doe nor could heare what was commaunded by reason of the great noyse they made straying here and there vp and downe the streetes thâ—ne scattered from the other neither could the Captaines set their men in order as wel for the darkenes of the night as also for the confused tumult that was all the city ouer for that the streetes also were very narrow And therefore they remained on both sides without doing any thing looking for day light at the dawning wherof Pyrrus perceiued the castel of Aspides ful of his armed enemies And furthermore sodainly as he was come into the market place amoÌ„gest many other goodly common workes sette out to beautifie the same he spied the images of a bull and a woulfe in copper the which sought one with an other This sight made him afrayed bicause at that present he remembred a prophecy that had bene tolde him that his end and death should be when he sawe a woulfe and a bull fight together The ARGIVES reporte that these images were set vp in the market place for the remembraunce of a certaine chaunce that had happened in their contrie For when Danaus came thither first by the way called Pyramia as one would say land sowen with corne in the contry of THYREATIDE he saw as he went a woulfe fight with a bull whereupon he stayed to see what the end of their fight would come to supposing the case in him selfe that the woulfe was of his side bicause that being a straunger as he was he came to set vppon the naturall inhabitantes of the contry The woulfe in the ende obtained the victory wherefore Danaus making his prayer vnto Apollo Lycias followed on his enterprise had so good successe that he draue Gelanor out of ARGOS who at that time was king of the ARGIVES And thus you heare the cause why they say these images of the woulfe and bull were set vp in the market place of ARGOS Pyrrus being halfe discoraged with the sight of them and also bicause nothinge fell out well according to his expectations thought best to retyre but fearing the straitenesse of the gates of the city he sent vnto his sonne Helenus whome he had left without the city with the greatest parte of his force and army commaunding him to ouerthrow a peece of the wall that his men might the more readily get out and that he might receiue them if their enemies by chaunce did hinder their comming out But the messenger whom he sent was so hasty and fearefull with the tumult that troubled him in going out that he did not well vnderstand what Pyrrus sayd vnto him but reported his message quite contrary Whereuppon they young prince Helenus taking the best foâ—â—â—sors he had with him and the rest of his elephantes entred into the city of helpe his father who was now geuing backe and so long as he had roome to fight at ease retyring still he valliantly repulsed those that set vpon him turning his face oft vnto them But when he was driuen vnto the streete that went from the market place to the gate of the city he was kept in with his owne men that entered at the same gate to helpe him But they coulde not heare when Pyrrus cried out and bad them go backe the noyse was so great and though the first had heard him and would haue gone backe yet they that were behinde and did stil thrust forward into the prease did not permit them Besides this moreouer the biggest of all the elephantes by misfortune fell downe ouerthwart the gate where he grindinge his teeth did hinder those also that would haue comen out and geuen backe Furthermore an other of the elephantes that were entred before into the city called Nicon as much to say as conquering seeking his gouernor that was striken downe to the ground from his backe with terrible blowes ran vpon theÌ„ that came backe vpon him ouerthrowing frendes and foes one in an others necke til at the length hauing founde the body of his master slaine he lift him vp from the ground with his troncke and carying him vpon his two tushes returned backe with great fury treading all vnder feete he found in his way Thus euery man being thronged and crowded
Consullshippes whereof he maketh his boast vnto them at ROME Is he afrayed they should take him as they did Carbo Caepio whom the enemies haue ouerthrowen He must not be afrayed of that for he is a Captaine of an other manner of valor and reputacion then they were and his army much better then theirs was But howesoeuer it be yet were it much better in prouing to loose something then to be idle to suffer our frends and cōfederats to be destroyed sacked before our eyes Marius was maruelous glad to heare his men cōplaine thus did comfort them told thē that he did nothing mistrust their corage valiantnes howbeit that through the coūsell of certaine prophecies oracles of the gods he did expect time place fit for victory For he euer caried a SYRIAN womā in a litter about with him called Martha with great reuerence whom they said had the spirit of prophecie in her that he did euer sacrifice vnto the gods by her order at such time as she willed him to do it This SYRIAN woman went first to speake with the Senate about these matters and did foretell prognosticate what should follow But the Senate would not heare her made her to be driuē away Wherupon she went vnto the womē made thē see proofe of some things she vaūted of specially Marius wife at whose feete she was set one day in an assembly of the cōmon playes to see swordplayers fight for life death for she told her certenly which of thē should ouercome Whereupon this Lady sent her vnto her husband Marius who made great reckening of her caried her euē in a litter with him whersoeuer he went She was alwaies at Marius sacrifices apparelled in a gown of purple in graine clasped to her with claspes held a speare in her hand woūd all about with nosegayes garlands of flowers tyed on with laces This man̄er of ieast made many dout whether Marius shewed this woman opēly beleuing in dede that she had the gift of prophecy or els that knowing the cōtrary he made as though he did beleue it to helpe her fayning But that which Alexander the MYNDIAN wrote touching Vultures is a thing greatly to be wōdred at For he said there were two of thē followed Marius in his warres that they euer shewed thē selues missed not when he should win any great battel that they did know them by latin collers they ware about their necks which the souldiers had tyed about thē afterwards let them go where they would by reason whereof they did know the souldiers againe it semed also that they did salute thē were very glad when they saw thē perswaded thē selues that it was a signe token of good lucke to follow Many signes and tokens were seene before the battell howbeit all the rest were ordinary sightes sauing that which was reported to be seene at TVDERTVM AMERIA two cities of ITALIE For they say there were seene speares and targets in the night burning like fire in the element which first were caried vp downe here and there and then met together euen as men moue sturre that fight one with an other vntill at the length the one geuing backe and the other following after they all vanished away and consumed towardes the West About the selfe same time also there came from the citie of PESSINVNTA Batabaces the chiefe priest of the great mother of the goddes who brought newes that the goddesse had spoken to him within her sanctuary and told him that the victory of this warre should fall out on the ROMAINES side The Senate beleued it and ordained that they should build a temple vnto that goddesse to geue her thankes for the victorie which she did promise them Batabaces also would haue presented him selfe vnto the people in open assemblie to tell them as much But there was one Aulus Pompeius a Tribune that would not suffer him to do it calling him tombler or rugler violently thrust him behinde the pulpit for orations but the mischaunce that felt apon Pompeius afterwards made thē the more to beleue Batabaces words For Pompeius the Tribune no sooner came home vnto his house but a great vehement agew tooke him wherof he dyed the seuenth day after as all the world could witnes Now the TEVTONS perceiuing that Marius stirred not at all out of his campe they proued to assault him howbeit they were so well receiued with shotte and slinges that after they had lost certaine of their men they gaue it ouer and determined to goe further perswading them selues that they might easily passe the Alpes without daunger Wherfore trussing vp al their baggage they passed by Marius campe at which time it appeared more certainly then before that they were a maruelous great multitude of people by the length of time which they tooke to passe their way For it is sayd they were passing by his campe sixe dayes continually together And as they came raking by the ROMAINES campe they asked them in mockery if they would wryte or send home any thing to their wiues for they would be with them ere it were long When they were all passed and gone and that they continued on their iorney still Marius also raised his campe and went and followed them fayer and softly foote by foote and euer kept hard at their taile as neere as he could alwayes fortifying his campe very well and euer choosing strong places of scituacion aduantage to lodge in that they might be safe in the night time Thus they marched on in this sorte vntill they came vnto the city of AIX from whence they had not farre to goe but they entered straight into the mountaines of the Alpes Wherefore Marius prepared nowe to fight with them chose out a place that was very strong of scituacion to lodge his campe in howebeit there lacked water And they say he did it of purpose to the ende to quicken his mens corage the more thereby Many repined at it and tolde him that they should stande in great daunger to abide maruelous thirst if they lodged there Whereunto he made aunswere shewing them the riuer that ranne hard by the enemies campe saying withall that they must go thither and buy drinke with their blood The souldiers replyed againe and why then doe ye not lead vs thither whilest our blood is yet moyste he gently aunswered them againe bicause the first thing we doe we must fortifie our campe The souldiers though they were angry with him yet they obeyed him but the slaues hauing neither drinke for them selues nor for their cattell gathered together a great troupe of them and went towardes the riner some of them carying axes other hatchets other swords and speares with their pottes to cary water determining to fight with the barbarous people if otherwise they could not come by it A fewe
of the barbarous people at the first sought with them bicause the most parte of their company were at dinner after they had bathed and others were still in the bathe washinge them selues finding in that place many springes of hotte naturall bathes Thus the ROMAINES founde many of the barbarous people makinge mery and taking their pleasure about these bathes for the great delite they tooke to cōsider the pleasauntnes of the place but when they heard the noyse of them that fought they beganne to runne one after an other vnto the place from whence the noyse came Wherefore it was a hard thing for Marius any lenger to keepe the ROMAINE souldiers in from going to their helpe for that they feared their slaues should haue bene slaine of the barbarous people and moreouer bicause the valliantest souldiers of their enemies called the AMBRONS who before had ouercome Manlius and Cepis two ROMAINE Captaines with their armies and that made of them selues thirty thowsande fighting men ranne to armes being very heauy of their bodies as hauing filled their bellies well but otherwise valliant and coragious fellowes and more liuely then they were wont to be by reason of the wine they had dronke They ran not furiously to fight out of order neither did they crie out confusedly but marching all together in good array making a noyse with their harnes all after one sorte they oft rehearsed their owne name AMBRONS AMBRONS AMBRONS which was either to call one an other of them or else to feare the ROMAINES with their name only The ITALIANS also on thother side being the first that came downe to fight with them were the LIGVRIANS dwelling vpon the coast of Genuoa who hearing this noyse and crye of theirs plainely vnderstanding them aunswered them againe with the like noyse and crye LIGVRIANS LIGVRIANS LIGVRIANS saying that it was the true surname of all their nation And so before they ioyned together this crye was redoubled many a time on either side and the Captaines of both partes made their souldiers crye out all together contendinge for enuy one against an other who should crye it out lowdest This contention of crying inflamed the souldiers corages the more Now the AMBRONS hauing the riuer to passe were by this meanes put out of order and before they could put them selues in battell ray againe after they had passed the riuer the LIGVRIANS ranne with great fury to set apon the formest and after them to aide the LIGVRIANS that had begon the charge the ROMAINES them selues fell also apon the AMBRONS comming downe from the places of aduantage vpon these barbarous people and compelled them by this meanes to turne their backes and flie So the greatest slaughter they made fortuned vppon the bancke of the riuer whereinto they thrust one an other in such sorte that all the riuer ran blood being filled with dead bodies And they that could get ouer the riuer againe and were on thother side durst not gather together any more to stand to defence so as the ROMAINES slew them and draue them into their campe euen vnto their cariage Then their women came out against them with swordes and axes in their handes grinding their teeth and crying out for sorrow and anger they charged as well vpon their owne people that fled as vpon them that chased them the one as traitors and the other as enemies Furthermore they thrust them selues amongest them that fought stroue by force to plucke the ROMAINES targets out of their handes and tooke holde of their naked swordes bare handed abiding with an inuincible corage to be hacked and mangled with their swordes And thus was the first battell geuen as they say by the riuers side rather by chaunce vnlooked for then by any set purpose or through the generals counsel Now the ROMAINES after they had ouercome the most parte of the AMBRONS retyring backe by reason the night had ouertaken them did not as they were wont after they had geuen such an ouerthrow sing songes of victory and triumphe nor make good chere in their tentes one with an other and least of all sleepe which is the best sweetest refreshing for men that haue fought happely but contrarily they watched all that night with great feare and trouble bicause their campe was not trenched and fortified and bicause they knewe also that there remained almost innumerable thowsandes of barbarous people that had not yet fought besides also that the AMBRONS that had fled and scaped from the ouerthrow did howle out all night with lowd cries which were nothing like mens lamentacions and sighes but rather like wilde beastes bellowing and roaringe So that the bellowing of such a great multitude of beastly people mingled together with threates and waylinges made the mountaines thereabouts and the running riuer to rebounde againe of the sounde and ecco of their cries maruelously by reason whereof all the valley that lay betwene both thundered to heare the horrible and fearefull trembling This made the ROMAINE souldiers afeard and Marius him selfe in some doubt bicause they looked to haue bene fought withall the same night being altogether troubled and out of order Notwithstanding the barbarous people did not assault them that night nor the next day following but only prepared them selues vnto battell And in the meane time Marius knowing that there was aboue the place where they were camped certaine caues and litle valleyes couered with wodde he secretly sent Claudius Marcellus thither with three thowsand footemen well armed and commaunded him to keepe close in ambushe vntill he saw that the barbarous people were fighting with him and that then he should come and setapon their rereward The residue of his armie they supped when time came and after supper reposed them selues The next morning at the breake of day Marius brought his men into the fielde out of his forte where he put them in order of battell sending his horsemen before to draw the enemies out of skirmishe The TEVTONS seeing them come had not the pacience to tary till the ROMAINES were come downe into the plaine fielde to fight without aduantage but arming them selues in hast and in a rage ranne vp the hill to the ROMAINES where they stoodo in battell ray Marius taking good regard to that they did sent here and there vnto the priuate Captaines charging them they should not stirre and onely to temporise and forbeare vntill the enemies came within a stones cast of them and that they should then throw their dartes at them and afterwardes drawe their swordes and repulse the barbarous people with their shieldes For he did foresee before that when they should clime vp against the hill vppon the hanging whereof the ROMAINES had set their battell that their blowes would not be of great force nor their order and ranckes could stand close together to any effect or purpose bicause they could not haue sure footing not march assuredly but would easily be throwé backeward if they were neuer so
litle repulsed by reason of the hanging of the hill Marius gaue this order vnto his folke and therewithall was him selfe the first man that put it in execution for he was as trymme a warriour and as valliant a souldier as any man in all his army besides not one amongest them all would venter furder and be more bolde then him selfe So when the ROMAINES had resisted them and stayed them sodainely going with fury to haue wonne the hill perceiuing them selues to be repulsed they gaue backe by litle and litle vntill they came into the field and then beganne the formest of them to gather together and to put them selues in battell ray vppon the plaine when sodainly they heard the noyse and charging of them that were in the tayle of their army For Claudius Marcellus failed not to take the occasion when it was offered him bicause that the noyse of the first charge comming vp against the hills thereabouts vnder the which he lay in ambushe gaue him aduertisement thereof whereupon he caused his men presently to shew and running with great cryes came to geue a charge vpon those which were in the tayle of the barbarous people putting the hindemost to the sworde They made their fellowes whose backes were next vnto them to turne their faces so from man to man till at the length in shorte time all their battell beganne to wauer in disorder and they made no great resistaunce when they saw they were so charged before and behinde but beganne straight to flie for life The ROMAINES following them hard at the heeles killed and tooke prisoners aboue a hundred thowsande of them and tooke moreouer their cartes their tentes and all their cariage Which the whole army by consent agreed to present vnto Marius excepting nothing sauing that which was imbeaceled and conueyed away vnder hande Now though this was a maruelous honorable right noble present yet they thought it not a recompence sufficient for that he had deserued for the valure he had shewed of a famous Captaine in leading of his army for the good order he kept in this warre so happy thought they them selues to haue escaped so great a daunger Notwithstanding some wryters doe not agree that the spoyle of the barbarous people was geuen vnto Marius nor that there were also so great a number of men slaine as we haue spoken of But they say that after this battell the MARSSILIANS did inclose their vines with hedges made of dead mens bones and that the bodies being rotten and consumed vpon the fieldes through the great raine that fell vpon them the winter following the ground waxed so fatte and did soke the grease so deepe in the same that the sommer following they did beare an vncredible quantity of all sortes of frutes And by this meanes were Archilocus wordes proued true that the errable land doth waxe fat with such rottennesse or putrification And it is sayd aso that of ordinary after great battells there falleth great store of raine Either it is by meane of some god that powring downe pure raine water doth purifie wash and clense the grounde defiled and polluted with mans blood or else it happeneth by naturall cause For that the ouerthrow of so many dead bodies and of the blood split engendreth a moyst grosse and heauy vapoure which doth thicken the ayer that by nature is chaungeable and easie to alter from a very small or litle beginning vnto an exceeding great chaunge After this battell Marius caused the harnesse and spoyles of the barbarous people to be layed aside that were left whole and fayer to sight to beautifie enrich the pompe of his triumphe Then he caused the rest to be gathered together on a great heape and layed apon a stake of wodde to make a noble sacrifice vnto the gods all his army being armed about him crowned with garlandes of triumphe and him selfe apparelled in a long gowne of purple according to the custome of the ROMAINES in such a case and holding a torch burning in both his hands which he first lifted vp vnto heauen And as he was turning downe the torch to put fire to the stake of wood they saw some of his frends a good way of a horse backe comming post vnto him then sodainly there was a great silence made of all the assembly euery man desirous to heare what good newes they had brought When they were come and lighted of their horses they ranne straight to embrace Marius and brought him newes that he was chosen Consull the fift time and presented him the letters sent him from ROME confirming the same And thus this new ioy falling out besides the victory the priuate souldiers did shewe the great ioy and pleasure they tooke in both with great showtes and beating vpon their harnesse and the Captaines also they crowned Marius againe with new garlandes of laurell which they put about his head and that done he put fire vnder the stake of wodde and ended his sacrifice But that which neuer suffereth men quietly to enioy the good happe of any victory clearely but in this mortall life doth euer mingle the ill with the good be it either fortune or spight of fatall destenie or else the necessitie of the naturall causes of earthly thinges did shortely after this great ioy bring newes vnto Marius of his companion Catulus Luctatius the other Consull who was like a cloude in a fayer bright day and brought the city of ROME againe into a new feare and trouble For Catulus that went against the CIMBRES thought it was not for him to keepe the straightes of the mountaines in hope to let the barbarous people for passing bicause that in so doing he had bene compelled to deuide his army into many partes and had weakened him selfe very much if he had taken that course Wherefore comming a litle on this side the Alpes towardes ITALIE he planted him selfe vpon the riuer of Athesis and built a bridge apon it to passe and repasse ouer his men when he would and sette vp at either ende of the bridge two strong fortes well fortified that he might more cōmodiously helpe the places on the other side of the riuer if the barbarous people by chaūce would offer to force thē after they had gotten out of the straights of the mountaines Now these barbarous people had such a glory in them selues and disdained their enemies so much that more to shew their force and boldnes then of any necessity that compelled them or for any benefit they got by it they suffred it to snow apon them being starke naked and did clime vp to the toppe of the mountaines throw great heapes ofise and snow And when they were at the very toppe of all they layed their long broad targets vnder their bodies and lay all along apon them sliding downe the steepe high rockes that had certaine hanginges ouer of an infinito height In the ende they came to campe neere vnto the ROMAINES by
profitable for thee though it be but in respect of straungers eyes that looke apon vs both After this talke betwene them Agesilaus sent him his Lieutenaunt into the contry of HELLESPONT where Lysander still kepe this anger secret in his hart against him but for all that did not leaue to doe all that he could for the benefit of his masters affaires As amongest many other thinges he caused a PERSIAN Captaine called Spithridates to rebell against his master who was a valliant men of his hands and a great enemy of Pharnabazus and had an army also which he brought with him vnto Agesilaus Now concerning this warre this was all that he did in that iorney Wherefore he returned againe to SPARTA not long after with litle honor being maruelously grieued and offended with Agesilaus and hating more then before all the state and gouernment of the citie of SPARTA by reason whereof he determined to put that in practise which he had long time thought vppon concerninge the alteracion of gouernment and his enterprise was this Amongest the ofspring and issue of Hercules who were mingled with the DORIANS and returned againe into the contrie of PELOPONNESVS the greatest number and chiefest of them dwelled in the city of SPARTA howbeit all they that came of that race had no right of succession to the crowne sauing two families only the Eurytiontides and the Agiades The other families albeit they were all for nobility of blood descended out of one selfe house yet had they no more right nor interest vnto the realme then the residue of the people for the dignities that were attained vnto by vertue were geuen vnto the inhabitauntes that could deserue them Lysander then being one of those which was discended of the true race of Hercules who notwithstanding had no interest in the crowne when he saw him selfe aloft and called to great honor through his famous actes and merites and that he had wonne many frendes and great credit and authority by dealing in matters of the state it grieued him much to see that they which were no nobler then him selfe should be kinges in that city which he had increased by his vertue and that he could not haue so much power as to take from these two houses the Eurytiontides and the Agiades the prerogatiue that the kinges should be chosen onely out of one of those two houses and to cast it apon the offspring of Hercules Some say againe that he would not only haue enlarged that prerogatiue vnto the issue of Hercules but vnto all the naturall SPARTANS also bicause that Hercules race should not only desire this reward of honor but euen they also that followed his steps in vertue which had made him equal with the gods in honor For he douted not but if they would dispose the crowne in this sorte that there was no man in the city of SPARTA that should sooner be chosen king then him selfe whereupon he attempted first to perswade his citizens by very good reasons to bring this aboue the better he conned an oration without booke penned by Cleon Halicarnasseus made him for this purpose But afterwardes weying with him selfe that so great and straunge a chaunge as he would bring in had neede of some better and stronger helpe he beganne to frame a deuise as they say to moue the people by much after the manner they vse in tragedies framing engines to bring some god to come downe from heauen vnto them and this was his fained inuention He deuised certaine oracles prophecies thinking that all Cleons rethoricke would stand him in no steade if first of all he did not fill the citizens hartes with some supersticion feare of the goddes that he might bring them afterwardes more easily vnto reason And Ephorus sayeth that he proued first to corrupt the Nunne with money that geueth all the oracles and aunswers in the temple of Apollo at DELPHES and that afterwardes he woulde haue wonne the Nunne also of the temple of DODONE with money by Pherecles practise And that he being reiected by them both went lastly vnto the temple of Iupiter Ammon and that there he spake vnto the priestes and offered them great store of money for the same purpose But they were so offended with Lysander that they sent men of purpose to SPARTA to accuse him that he would haue corrupted them with money The counsell clearing Lysander of this accusation the LIBYANS his accusers at their departing sayd we will one day iudge more iustly then you my Lordes of LACEDAEMON haue done now when you shall come to dwell in our contry of LIBYA supposing there was an auncient prophecy that sayd the LACEDAEMONIANS one day should come to dwell in the contry of LIBYA But we shall doe better to wryte the whole story at large of this practise suttelty and malicious deuise which was no matter of small importaunce nor lightly grounded but as in a mathematicall proposition there were many great coniectures and presuppositions many long circumstances to bring it to conclusion the which I will dilate from point to point deliuering that which an historiogâ—rapâ—ie and philosopher both hath wrytten There was in the marches of the realme of PONY 〈…〉 man that sayed she was gotten with childe by Apollo the which many as it is to be thought would not beleue at all and many also did beleue it so that she beinge deliuered of a goâ—â— sonne diuerse noble men and of great estate were carefull to bring him vp and to haue him taught This childe I know not whereuppon nor how was named Silenus and Lysander seeminge the plat of his deuise from thence added to all the rest of him selfe to goe on with his practise Now he had many and they no small men that made his way to frame this ieast geuing out a rumor of the birth of this childe without any suspicion gathered out of the intent of this rumor And furthermore they brought other newes from DELPHES which they dispersed abroade through the city of SPARTA to wit that the priestes of the temple kept secret bookes of very auncient oracles which they them selues durst not touch nor handle neither might any man read them onlesse he were begotten of the seede of Apollo who shoulde come after a long time and make his birth appeare vnto the priestes that kept these papers that by some secret marke token which they had amongest them thereby being knowne for Apolloes sonne he might then take the bookes read the auncient reuelacions prophecies of the same These things prepared in this sorte there was order taken that Silenus should come and aske for these bookes as though he were the sonne of Apollo and that the priestes which were priuy to this practise should make as though they did diligently examine him of euery thing and how he was borne And that at the length after they had seemed to know all they should deliuer these prophecies
him selfe to that pinch that of necessity he must betray the one or the other after he had taken good breath to resolue which of the two he should deale withall in th end went on with his first plat deuise of treason and so deliuered Iugurthe into Syllaes handes In deede Marius triumphed for taking of king Iugurthe but his euill willers for the spight and grudge they bare him did attribute the glory and honor of Iugurthes taking wholy vnto Sylla That secretly went to Marius harte and specially for that Sylla being high minded by nature comming then but newly from a base obscure and vnknowen life to be knowen well accepted of the people in ROME and to east also what honorment became so ambitious and couetous of glory that he caused the story to be grauen in a ring which he did euer after vse to weare seale withall Where king Bocchus was deliuering of Iugurthe vnto Sylla and Sylla also receiuing Iugurthe prisoner These thinges misliked Marius much but notwithstanding iudging that Sylla was not so much enuied as him selfe he tooke him with him vnto the warres Marius his seconde Consulship made Sylla one of his Lieutenauntes and in his third Consulshippe he had charge vnder him of a thowsand footemen and did many notable and profitable exploytes for him When Sylla was his Lieutenaunt he tooke one Copillus a generall of the GAVLES Tecto sages And when he was Colonell of a thowsande footemen he brought the MARSIANE a maruelous great contry of people in ITALIE and perswaded them to remaine good frendes and consederates of the ROMAINES For this his good seruice he founde that Marius grewe in great misliking with him bicause from thence forth he neuer gaue him any honorable charge or occasion to shewe good seruice but to the contrary did what he could to hinder his rising Wherefore Sylla afterwardes tooke Catulus Luctatuâ—â— parte who was companion with Marius in his Consulshippe This Catulus was a very honest man but somwhat slacke and colde in marshall matters which was the cause that in deede he did committe vnto Sylla all the speciall seruice and matters of weight in his charge whereuppon he gaue him occasion not onely to increase his estimacion but also his credit and power For by force or armes he conquered the most parte of the barbarous people which inhabited the mountaines of the Alpes and Catulus campe lacking vittells hauing commission he made a maruelous great quantity of prouision to be brought thither insomuch as Catulus campe being plentifully vittelled they sent their store surplusage vnto Marius souldiers the which Sylla him selfe wryteth did much mislike Marius And this is the first cause of their enmity The which being grounded vpon so light occasion was followed with ciuill warres great effusion of blood and with incurable factions and dissentions that it ended at the length with a cruell tyranny and confusion of all the ROMAINE state and Empire This doth proue that Euripides the Poet was a wise man and one that foresaw the ruines of common weales when he counselled and also commaunded gouernors to lie ambition as a most pestilent and mortall furie vnto them that are once infected withall Now Sylla thinking that the reputation he had gotten already in the warres would haue made his way open to preferre him to some honorable office in the city of ROME he was no sooner returned from the warres but he would needes proue the peoples good willes vnto him and procured his name to be billed among them that sued for the Praetorshippe of the city that is to say the office of the ordinary iudge that ministreth iustice vnto the citizens but he was reiected by the voyce of the people For the which he layed the faulte vppon the meaner sorte saying that the communalty knew well enough the frendshippe he had with king Boccâ—uâ— and that therefore they hopinge that if he were made AEdilis before he came to be Praetor â—â—â— would make them see noble huntinges and great fightinges of wilde beastes of LIBYA And that therefore they did choose other Praetors and put him by his sute in hope to compel hiâ— by this meanes to be first of all AEdilis Howbeit it seemeth that he doth not confesse the troâ—â— of his refusall for his owne act doth condemne him selfe bicause the next yere following he was chosen Praetor partely for that he wan the people with curtesie and partely with monâ—y So he fallinge out with Caesar apon that occasion in his angerthreatned him that he woulde vse the power and authority of his office apon him But Caesar smiling aunswered him thou hast reason to call it thine office for in deede it is thine bicause thou hast bought it But â—â—ter the time of his Praetorshippe was expired he was sent with an army into CAPPADOCIA colouring his voyage thither with commission to restore Ariobarzanes into his kingdom againâ—â— howbeit thonly cause of his iorney was in deede to suppresse kinge Mithridates a litle who tooke too many thinges in hande and increased his power and dominion with a new sigâ—â—ory of no lesse greatnes then that which he had before In troth he brought no great army oâ— of ITALIE with him but he was faithfully holpen by the confederates of the ROMAINES mouery place through whose aide he ouerthrewe a great number of the CAPPADOCIANS and afterwardes also a greater number of the ARMENIANS which came in like case to aide them so that he expulsed Gordius king of PHRYGIA out of CAPPADOCIA and restored Ariobarzanes to his realme againe After which victory Sylla remained by the riuer of Euphrates and thither came vnto him one Orobazus a PARTHIAN Ambassador of the Arsaces king of the PARTHIANS Now these two nations the ROMAINES and the PARTHIANS were neuer frendes before and that with other thinges shewed the great good fortune Sylla had that the PARTHIANS came first to him by his meanes to seeke frendshippe with the ROMAINES They say that receiuing this Ambassador Orobazus he made three chayres to be brought out the one for king Ariobarzanes the other for Orobazus the Ambassador and the third for him selfe which he placed in the middest betwene them both and sitting downe in the same gaue audience vnto the Ambassador for which cause the king of PARTHIA afterwardes put Orobazus to death Some doe commend Sylla for this acte for that he kept his state in such maiesty among the barbarous people Other do reproue his ambition in it shewing him selfe stately out of time and to no purpose We doe read that a soothsayer of CHALDEA being in Orobazustraine hauing diligently viewed and considered the phisiognomy of Sylla and all his other mouinges and gestures of minde and body to iudge not by the clymate of the contry but acording to the rules of his arte what his nature should be all well considered of he sayed that Sylla one day must needes come to be a great man and that
to Cleonymus where before he would see him oftentimes in a day This made Sphodrias frendes dispaire of his life more then before vntill Etymocles one of Agesilaus familiars talking with them tolde them that for the facte it selfe Agesilaus thought it a shamefull deede and as much misliked it as might be but for Sphodrias selfe that he tooke him for a valliant man saw that the common wealth had neede of men of such seruice This was Agesilaus common talke to please his sonne when any man came to speake to him of Sphodrias accusation Insomuch that Cleonymus found straight that Archidamus had delt as faithfully and frendly for him as might be and then Sphodrias frendes also tooke hart againe vnto them to solicite his cause and to be earnest suters for him Agesilaus among other had this speciall propertie that he loued his children deerely and a tale goeth on him that he would play with them in his house when they were litle ones and ride apon a litle cocke horse or a reede as a horsebacke Insomuch as a frende of his taking him one day with the maner playing among his children he prayed him to say nothing till he had litle children him selfe In fine Sphodrias was quit by his iudges The ATHENIANS vnderstanding it sent to proclaime warre with the LACEDAEMONIANS Whereupon Agesilaus was much reproued bicuase that to please the fonde affection of his sonne he had hindered iustice brought his citie to be accused among the GRAECIANS for such grieuous crimes Agesilaus perceiuing that king Cleombrotus his companion went with no verie good will to make warre with the THEBANS he breaking the order set downe for leading of the army which was kept before went to the warres him selfe in person so inuading BOEOTIA he both receiued and did great hurt Wherupon Antalcidas seeing him hurt one day now truely sayd he the THEBANS haue paide you your deserued hier for teaching them against their wills to be souldiers that neither had will nor skill to fight For in dede they say the THEBANS became better souldiers and warriours than they were before being dayly trained and exercised in armes through the continuall inuasions of the LACEDAEMONIANS Loe this was the reason why the olde father Lycurgus in his lawes called Rhetra did forbid them to make warre too oft with one selfe people bicause that by compulsion they should not be made expert souldiers For this cause did the confederats of LACEDAEMON hate Agesilaus saying that it was not for any knowen offence to the state but for very spite priuate malice of his owne that he sought to vndoe the THEBANS in this maner and that to follow his humor they consumed them selues going yearely to the warres one while this way an other while that way without any necessitie at all following a few LACEDAEMONIANS them selues being alwayes the greater number Then it was that Agesilaus desiring to make thē see what number of men of warre they were vsed this deuise On a time he commaunded all the allies to sit downe together one with an other by them selues the LACEDAEMONIANS also by them selues Then he made a herauld proclaime that all pottemakers should stand vp on their feete When they were vp he made him crie to the brasiers to rise also After them in like maner the carpinters then the masons so consequently all occupations one after an other So that at the length the confederates obeying the proclamacion were all in maner on their feete The LACEDAEMONIANS not one of them rose bicause all base mechanicall craftes were forbidden them to occupie Then Agesilaus laughing at them loe my frendes sayd he doe ye not see now that we bring moe souldiers to the field than ye doe At his returne from this iorney of THEBES passing by the city of MEGARA as he went vp into the counsell house within the castell there sodainly tooke him a great crampe in his left legge that swelled extreamely and put him to great paine men thinking that it was but blood which had filled the vaine a Phisitian of SYRACVSA in SICILE being there straight opened a vaine vnder the ankle of his foote which made the paine to cease notwithstanding there came such aboundance of blood that they could not stanche it so that he sounded oft was in great daunger of present death In fine a way was found to stoppe it and they caried him to LACEDAEMON where he lay sicke along time so that he was past going to the warres any more The SPARTANS in the meane time receiued great ouerthrowes both by sea and land and among other their greatest ouerthrow was at the battell of LEVCTRES where the THEBANS ouercame and slue them in plaine battell Then the GRAECIANS were all of one minde to make a generall peace and thereuppon came Ambassadors and the Deputies from all the cities of GRAECE met at LACEDAEMON to that ende One of these Deputies was Epaminondas a notable learned man and a famous Philosopher but as yet vnskilfull in warres He seeing how the other Ambassadors curried fauor with Agesilaus only he of the rest kept his grauety to speake freely and made an Oration not for the THEBANS alone but for all GRAECE in generall declaring to them all how warres did only increase the greatnes power of the citie of SPARTA and contrarily did minish and decay all other cities and townes of GRAECE and for this cause that he did counsell them all to conclude a good and perfit peace indifferently for all to the ende it might continewe the lenger when they were all alike Agesilaus perceiuing then that all the GRAECIANS present at the assemblie gaue him good eare and were glad to heare him speake thus boldely of peace asked him openly if he thought it mete and reasonable that all BOEOTIA should be set clere at libertie againe Epaminondas presently boldly againe asked him if he thought it iust and requisite to set all LACONIA clere againe at liberty Agesilaus being offended therwith stoode vpon his feete and commaunded him to aunswere plainly whether they would set all BOEOTIA at libertie or not Epaminondas replied vnto him with the selfe speache againe and asked him whether they would set all LACONIA at liberty or not That nettled Agesilaus so that besides he was glad of such a cloke for the old grudge he euer bare vnto the THEBANS he presently put the name of the THEBANS out of the bill of those which should haue bene comprised within the league and cried open warres apon them in the market place For the rest he licensed the other Deputies and Ambassadors of the people of GRAECE to departe with this conclusion that they should louingly take order among thē selues for the controuersies betwext them if they could peaceably agree together and they that could not fall to such agreement that then they should trie it by warres for that it was a hard thing to take vp
this edict and not to suffer their liberty to be lost in this sorte Notwithstanding when the day came that the decree should passe they were so afrayed to anger the people that their hartes failed them none durst speake against it but Catulus only that earnestly inueyed against the passing of it a long time together greatly blamed the people At the length perceiuing he had wonne neuer a man to take his parte he oftentimes cried out to the Senate that they should looke to seeke out some mountaine or high rocke to retyre safely vnto to defend their liberty as their ancesters had done in old time before them All this preuailed not for the decree passed by the voices of all the tribes as it is reported And thus was Pompey in his absence made Lorde almost of all that which Sylla by force of armes and great effusion of blood hauing made him selfe Lord of ROME had before in his power When Pompey had receiued letters from ROME aduertising him what the people had past in his behalfe some say that at the receite of them in the presence of his familiar frendes that were about him and reioyced with him for congratulacion he knit his browes and clapped on his thigh as though it grieued him maruelously to haue such great offices charge sayed vpon him one in the necke of an other and burst forth in these wordes O goddes shall I neuer see an ende of such a worlde of troubles as I haue Had it not bene better for me to haue bene a meane man borne and vnknowen then thus continually to be in warre with armor on my backe What shall I neuer see the time that breaking the neckes of spight and enuy against me I may yet once in my life liue quietly at home in my contrie with my wife children When Pompey spake those wordes his familiar frendes could not abide to see his deepe dissimulation knowing that besides his naturall ambition and couetous desire to rule he was glad in his hart that he had this charge for the contention that was betwixt him and Lucullus which his deedes forthwith bewrayed For he presently sent out precepts into euery quarter commaunding all sortes of souldiers to come to him immediatly made also all the Princes and kinges within precinct of his charge to come vnto him and going through the contries altered and chaunged all that Lucullus had established before Furthermore he did release the penalties enioyned them and tooke from them also the giftes that Lucullus bestowed of them In fine this was all his purpose and desire to make them that honored Lucullus know that he had no further power authority to doe any thing Lucullus finding him selfe hardly handled by Pompey the frends of either side thought good they should meete talke together which came so to passe for they met in the contry of GALATIA And bicause they both were great Captaines of the ROMANE armies and had done many famous acts they had their sergeaunts officers that caried the bundells of roddes before thē wreathed about with laurell boughs When they met Lucullus came out of a close woddy contry all couered with greene tree◠and Pompey on thother side had passed through a great sandy plaine where no tree was growing Thereupon Lucullus sergeaunts seeing the laurell boughes drie and withered away which Pompeys sergeaunts caried they gaue them of their greene and fresh boughes to beawtifie the roddes and axes This was a plaine token that Pompey came to take Lucullus honor from him In troth Lucullus had bene Consull before Pompey so was he also older man then he yet the dignity of Pompey was greater bicause he had triumphed twise At their first meeting their entertainment discourse was with great ceremony and curtesie as might be one highly praising the others deedes reioycing at eche others good successe but at parting they fell to hot wordes together Pompey vpbrayding Lucullus auarice and Lucullus Pompey ambition so that their frendes had much a doe to parte them Lucullus departing thence deuided the landes in GALATIA which he had conquered and bestowed them other gifts on such as he thought good Pompey on thother side camping hard by him specially commaunded the people in euery parte to obey him in nothing whatsoeuer he did and besides he took all his souldiers from him leauing him only sixteene hundred which he supposed were such as for disdaine and ill will they bare him would do him but small seruice Furthermore to bleamish the glory of his doings he told euery body Lucullus had fought with the pompe shadow only of these two kinges and that he had left him to fight with all their whole force and power Mithridates being then prepared for warres with shieldes swordes and horses Lucullus for reuenge on the other side sayd that Pompey went to fight but with a shadow of warre like a cowardly bussard that prayeth vpon dead bodies which others haue slaine to cut a sunder the remaine of this warre ended by an other as he had done before attributing the honor of the ouerthrow of Sertorius Lepidus and Spartacus to him selfe where in deede Metellus Crassus and Catulus did ouercome them And therfore it was no maruell that he sought the glory and honor to triumphe for the kingdomes of PONTVS and ARMENIA sith that through his subtill practises he had obtained triumphe for a fewe slaues and fugitiues Lucullus being nowe gone his way Pompey sent good garrisons vnto all the coastes apon the sea from the prouince of PHOENICIA vnto the realme of BOSPHORVS That done he tooke his iorney by lande towardes Mithridates who had in his campe thirtie thowsande footemen and two thowsande horsemen and yet durst not offer battel but camped first apon a mountaine of great strength and hard to get vp on notwithstanding shortly after he forsooke it for lacke of water He was no sooner gone thence but forthwith Pompey tooke it Who coniecturing by the nature of the plantes and trees in that place which were very greene and also by diuers holes he found that for reason thereabouts should be some springes he commaunded them to digge welles in euery corner so that in a very short time all his campe had water enough and he wondred at Mithridates that he could not finde that out in all the time he lay there In th end he went and camped rounde about Mithridates and intrenched him with a wall within his owne campe who after he had abidden the siege fiue and forty dayes fled away with all the choice of his army vnknowing to Pompey hauing first slaine all the sicke and impotent persons within his campe After that Pompey found him an other time by the riuer of Euphrates went and lodged hard by him But fearing that Mithridates would passe ouer the riuer before he could preuent him in time he raised his campe againe marched away at midnight
though his master Pompey was but meanly housed till his third Consullshippe Howbeit afterwardes he built that famous stately Theater called Pompeys Theater and ioyned vnto that also an other house as a penthouse to his Theater farre more sumptuous and stately then the first and yet no more then needed Insomuch as he that was owner of it after him when he came into it he marueled and asked where abouts it was that Pompey dyned supped These thinges are reported thus Now the king of the ARABIANS that dwelt also at the castell called Petra hauing neuer vntill that time made any accompt of the ROMANES army was 〈…〉 greatly affrayed of them and wrote vnto Pompey that he was at his deuotion to doe what he would commaunde him Pompey thereuppon to proue him whether he ment as he 〈…〉 brought his army before this castell of Petra Howebeit this voyage was not liked of many men bicause they iudged it was an occasion found out to leaue following of Mithridates against whom they would haue had him rather haue bent his force being an auncient enemy to ROME and that beganne to gather strength againe and prepared as they heard say to lead a great army through SCYTHIA and PANNONIA into ITALIE But Pompey thinking he should sooner minishe his power by suffering him to goe on with warres then that he should otherwise be able to take him flying would not toyle to follow him in vaine And for these causes he would needes make warres in other places and linger time so long that in the end he was put by his hope For when he was not farre from the castell of Petra had lodged his campe for that day as he was riding and managing his horse vp and downe the campe postes came stinging to him from the realme of PONTVS and brought him good newes as was easily to be discerned a farre of by the heades of their iauelings which were wreathed about with laurell boughes The souldiers perceiuing that flocked straight about him but Pompey would make an ende of his riding first before he red these letters Howbeit they crying to him and being importunate with him he lighted from his horse and returned into his campe where there was no stone high enough for him to stand vppon to speake vnto them and againe the souldiers would not tary the making of one after the manner of their campe which men of warre doe make them selues with great turnes of earth laying one of them vppon an other but for hast earnest desire they had to heare what newes there was in the letters they layed together a heape of saddells one apon an other and Pompey geuing vp of them colde howe Mithridates was dead and had killed him selfe with his owned handes bicause his sonne Pharnaces did rebell against him and had wonne all that which his father possessed wryting vnto him that he kept it for him selfe and the ROMANES Vpon these newes all the campe ye may imagine made wonderfull ioy and did sacrifice to the goddes geuing them thankes were as mery as if in Mithridates person alone there had dyed an infinite number of their enemies Pompey by this occasion hauing brought this warre more easily to passe then he hoped for departed presently out of ARABIA and hauing speedily in few dayes passed through the contries lying by the way he came at length to the city of AMISVS There he founde great presents that were brought vnto him from Pharnaces and many dead bodies of the kinges blood and amongest the rest Mithridates corse which could not well be discerned by his face bicause they that had the carying of his body had forgotten to drie vp the braine neuerthelesse such as desired to see him knew him by certaine skarres he had in his face For Pompey would is no wise see him but to auoide enuy sent him away vnto the city of SYNODE He wondred much at the maruelous sumptuons riche apparell and weapons that he ware The scaberd of his sword which cost foure hundred talents was stolen by Publius and sold to Ariarathes Also a hatte of Mithridates of wonderfull workemanshippe being begged of Carus his foster brother was secretly geuen to Faustus the sonne of Sylla without Pompeys priuity But afterwards when Pharnaces vnderstoode of it he punished the parties that had imbezelled them Pompey hauing ordered all things and established that prouince went on his iorney homewards with great pompe and glory So comming vnto MITYLENE he released the city of all taxes and paymentes for Theophanes sake was present at a certaine play they yearely make for gain or where the Poets report their workes contending one with an other hauing at that time no other matter in hande but Pompeys actes and ieâ—stes Pompey like exceeding well the Theater where these playes were made and drew a modell or platforme of it to make a statelye then that in ROME As he passed by the city of RHODES he would nedes heare all the Rethoritians dispute and gaue euery one of them a talent Posidonius hath written the disputation he made before Pompey against Hermagoras the Rethoritian vpon the theame and proposition Pompey selfe did geue them touching the generall question Pompey did the like at ATHENS vnto the Philosophers there For he gaue towards the reedifying of the city againe fifty talents So he thought at his returne home into ITALIE to haue bene very honorably receiued and longed to be at home to see his wife and children thinking also that they long looked for him that the god that hath the charge geuen him to mingle fortunes prosperity with some bitter soppe of aduersity layed a blocke in his way at home in his owne house to make his returne more sorowfull For Mutia his wife had in his abscence played false at tables But Pompey being then farre of made no account of the reportes nor tales that were tolde him Howbeit when he drewe neerer into ITALIES and that he was more attentiue to geue eare to the ill reportes he heard then he sent vnto her to tell her that he refused her for his wife wryting nothing to her at that time neither euer after told the cause why he had forsaken her Notwithstanding in Ciceroes Epistles the cause appeareth Furthermore there were rumors ranne abroade in ROME which troubled them sore being geuen out that he would bring his armie straight to ROME and make him selfe absolute Lord of all the ROMANE Empire Crassus thereuppon either for that he beleued it in deede to be true or as it was thought to make the accusation true and the entry towardes Pompey the greater conueyed him selfe his family and goodes sodainely out of ROME So Pompey when he came into ITALIE called all his souldiers together and after he had made an oration vnto them as time occasion required he commanded them to feuer them selues euery man to repaire home to apply his busines remeÌ„bring to mete at
of an armie may easily be brought from his wife and safe counsell with rumor and tumult of a few fearefull men that should perswade him it were a shame and dishonor for him if he did otherwise yet were this no straunge matter but a fault to be pardoned But for Pompey the great whose campe the ROMANES called their contrie and his tent the Senate and called all the Praetors and Consuls that gouerned at ROME rebells and traitors to the common wealth of ROME who coulde excuse him who was neuer seene commaunded by other then him selfe but had bene alwayes chiefe Captaine and Generall in any warre he made and euer had the vpper hand but that he was drawen on by the scoffes of Faonius and Domitius to hazard battell to endaunger the whole Empire and liberty of ROME only for feare they should call him king Agâ—memnon Who if he had so much regarded present infamie he should haue fought from the beginning for defence of the citie of ROME and not to haue taken example of Themistocles policie by flying and afterwards to thinke it a shame as he did to lye in THESSALIE a time without fighting Neither did God appoint them the fieldes of Pharsalia for a Theater or close campe of necessitie to fight which of them shoulde haue the Empire of ROME Further there was no Heraulde to summone him to fight as there are at games of price where he must aunswere to his name and come and fight or else to loose the honor of the crowne vnto an other But there were infinite other fieldes and townes and as a man woulde say the whole earth which the commoditie of his armie by sea gaue him choyse to conquer if he would rather haue followed the steppes of Fabius Maximus of Marius of Lucullus or of Agesilaus him selfe who did paciently abide no lesse tumultes within the citie selfe of SPARTA when the THEBANS went to summone him to come out to fight for all the rest of his contrie And in AEGYPT also he did abide many false accusations against him wherewith the king him selfe did burden him praying him alwayes to haue a litle pacience In fine hauing followed the best counsell which he had determined with him selfe from the beginning he saued the AEGYPTIANS against their willes and furthermore he did not only keepe the citie of SPARTA from so great a daunger but did also set vp tokens of triumphe in the same against the THEBANS whereby he was not compelled at that time to lead them out to the slaughter and besides that gaue his citizens occasion to obtaine victorie afterwardes Hereupon Agesilaus was highly praised of them whose liues he had saued against their wills And Pompey contrarily was blamed by them selues through whom he had offended yet some say that he was deceiued by his father in law Scipio For he meaning to keepe the most parte of the money to him selfe which he had brought out of ASIA did hasten and perswade Pompey to geue battell telling him that there was no money left The which though it had bene true a worthie Captaine should not so lightly haue bene brought into error vpon a false accompt to hazard him selfe to loose all Thus may we see what both of them were by comparing them together Furthermore for their iorneys into AEGYPT the one fled thither by force the other willingly went thither with small honor for moneys sake to serue the barbarous people with intent afterwards to make warre with the GRAECIANS Lastly in that which we accuse the AEGYPTIANS for Pompeys sake for the like matter doe they againe accuse Agesilaus For the one was cruelly put to death betrayed by them whom he trusted Agesilaus forsooke them which trusted him and went to the enemies hauing brought aide to fight against them The end of Pompeys life THE LIFE OF Alexander the great HAuing determined in this volume to write the life of king Alexander of Iulius Caesar that ouercame Pompey hauing to speake of many things I will vse none other preface but only desire the readers not to blame me though I do not declare al things at large but briefly touch diuers chiefly in those their noblest acts most worthy of memory For they must remember that my intent is not to write histories but only liues For the noblest deedes doe not alwayes shew mens vertues and vices but ofteÌ„times a light occasion a word or some sporte makes mens naturall dispositions and maners appeare more plaine then the famous battells wonne wherein a slaine tenne thowsand men or the great armies or cities wonne by siege or assault For like as painters or drawers of pictures which make no accompt of other partes of the bodie do take resemblaunces of the face and fauor of the countenauce in the which consisteth the iudgement of their maners disposition euen so they must geue vs leaue to seeke out the signes and tokens of the minde only and thereby shewe the life of either of them referring you vnto others to wryte the warres battells and other great thinges they did It is certaine that Alexander was discensed from Hercules by Caranus and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of the AEacides by Neoptolemus They say also that king Philip his father when he was a young man fell in fancie with his mother Olympias which at that time also was a younge maiden and an orphane without father or mother in the I le of SAMOTHRACIA where they were both receiued into the misterie and fraternity of the house of the religious and that afterwards he did aske her in mariage of her brother Arymbas with whose consent they were maried together The night before they lay in wedded bed the bride dreamed that lightning fell into her belly and that withall there was a great light fire that dispersed it selfe all about into diuers flames King Philip her husband also shortly after he was maried dreamed that he did seale his wiues belly and that the seale wherewith he sealed left behinde the printe of a Lyon. Certaine wisards and soothsayers tolde Philip that this dreame gaue him warning to looke straightly to his wife But Aristander TELMECIAN aunswered againe that it signified his wife was conceiued with childe for that they doe not seale a vessell that hath nothinge in it and that she was with childe with a boy which should haue a Lions hart It is reported also that many times as she lay asleepe in her bed there was seene a serpent lying by her the which was the chiefest cause as some presuppose that withdrewe Philips loue and kindnes from her and caused him that he lay not so oft with her as before he was wont to doe either for that he feared some charme or enchauntment or else for that he thought him selfe vnmeete for her company supposing her to be beloued of some god Some do also report this after an other sort as in this
not tell where there came crowes vnto them that did guide them flying before them flying fast when they saw them follow them and stayed for them when they were behind But Callisthenes writeth a greater wonder then this that in the night time with the very noise of the crowes they brought them againe into the right waie which had lost their waie Thus Alexander in th end hauing passed through this wildernes he came vnto the temple he sought for where the prophet or chiefe priest saluted him from the god Hammon as from his father Then Alexander asked him if any of the murtherers that had killed his father were left aliue The priest aunswered him and bad him take heede he did not blaspheme for his father was no mortall man Then Alexander againe rehersing that he had spoken asked him if the murderers that had conspired the death of Philip his father were all punished After that he asked him touching his kingdome if he would graunt him to be king ouer all the world The god aunswered him by the mouth of his prophet he should and that the death of Philip was fully reuenged Then did Alexander offer great presentes vnto the god and gaue money large to the priests ministers of the temple This is that the most parte of writers doe declare touching Alexanders demaund and the oracles geuen him Yet did Alexander him selfe write vnto his mother that he had secret oracles from the god which he would onely impart vnto her at his retorne into MACEDON Others saie also that the prophet meaning to salute him in the Greeke tongue to welcome him the better would haue said vnto him O Paidion as much as deere sonne but that he tripped a litle in his tongue bycause the Greeke was not his naturall tongue and placed an s for an n in the latter ende saying O Pai dios to wit O sonne of Iupiter and that Alexander was glad of that mistaking Whereupon there ranne a rumor straight among his men that Iupiter had called him his sonne It is said also that he heard Psammon the philosopher in EGYPT and that he liked his wordes very well when he saide that god was king of all mortall men For ê™ he he that commaundeth all things must needes be god But Alexander selfe spake better and like philosopher when he said That god generally was father to all mortall men but that particularly he did elect the best sorte for him selfe To conclude he shewed him selfe more arrogant vnto the barbarous people and made as though he certainly beleued that he had bene begotten of some god but vnto the GRAECIANS he spake more modestly of diuine generation Porin a letter he wrote vnto the ATHENIANS touching the citie of SAMOS he said I gaue ye not that noble free citie but it was geuen you at that time by him whom they called my Lord father meaning Philip. Afterwardes also being striken with an arrow and feeling great paine of it My frendes said he This blood which is spilt is mans blood and not as Homer said No such as from the immortall gods doth flovv And one day also in a maruelous great thunder when euery man was afraid Anaxarcbus the Rethoritian being present said vnto him O thou sonne of Iupiter wilt thou doe as much no said he laughing on him I will no be so fearefull to my frends as thou wouldest haue me disdaining the seruice of fishe to my borde bycause thou seest not princes heades serued in And the report goeth also that Alexander vpon a time sending a litle fishe vnto Hephes 〈…〉 Anaxarchus should saye as it were in mockery that they which aboue others seeke for 〈…〉 with great trouble and hazard of life haue either small pleasure in the world or els 〈…〉 as others haue By these proofes and reasons alleaged we maie thinke that Alexander lead no vaine nor presumptuous opinion of him selfe to thinke that he was otherwise begotten of a god but that he did it in policie to kepe other men vnder obedience by the opinion conceiued of his godhead Retorning out of PHOENICIA into EGYPT he made many sacrifices feastes and precessions in honor of the goddes sondry daunces Tragedies and such like pastimes goodly to behold not onely for the sumptuous serring out of them but also for the good will and diligence of the setters forth of them which striued euery one to exceede the other For the kings of the CYPRIANS were the setters of them forth as at ATHENS they dâ—aâ—â— by lot a citizen of euery tribe of the people to defraie the changes of these pastimes These kinges were very earnest who should doe best but specially Nicocreon king of SALAMDAâ—â—â— CYPRVS and Pasicrates Lord of the citie of SOLES For it fell to their lot to fournish run of the excellentest plaiers Pasicrates fournished Athenodorus and Nicocreon Thessalus whom Alexander loued singulerly well though he made no shew of it vntill that Athenodorus was declared victor by the iudges deputed to geue sentence For when he went from the plaies he told them he did like the iudges opinion well notwithstanding he would haue bene extented to haue geuen the one halfe of his realme not to haue seene Thessalus ouercome Athenodorus being condemned vpon a time by the ATHENIANS bycause he was not in ATHENS at the feastes of Bacchus when the Comedies and Tragedies were plaied and a fine set of his head for his absence he besought AlexaÌ„der to write vnto them in his behalfe that they would release his penalty Alexander would not so doe but sent thether his money whereof he was condemned and paide it for him of his owne purse Also when Lycon SCALPHIAN an euedlent stage player had pleased Alexander well and did foiste in a verse in his comedy conteining a petition of tenne talents Alexander laughing at it gaue it him Darius at that time wrote vnto Alexander and vnto certen of his frendes also to pray him take tenne thousand tallentes for the raumson of all those prisoners he had in his handes and for all the contrie landes and signories on this side the riuer of Euphrates and one of his daughters also in mariage that from thence forth he might be his kinsman and frend Alexander imparted this to his counsell Amongest them Parmenio said vnto him if I were Alexander ê™ he surely I would accept this offer So would I in deede ê™ Alexander againe if I were Parmenio In fine he 〈…〉 againe vnto Darius that if he would submit him selfe he would vse him courteously if not that then he would presently marche towardes him But he repented him afterwardes when king Darius wife was dead with childe For without dissimulation it greeued him much that he had lost so noble an occasion to shew his courtesie and clemencie This notwithstanding he gaue her body honorable buriall sparing for no cost Amongest the Eunuches of the queenes chamber there was one Tireus taken prisoner among the
daunger with fire the which burnt the arsenall where the shipped lay and that notable librarie of ALEXANDRIA withall The third daunger was in the battel by sea that was fought by the tower of Phar where meaning to helpe his men that fought by sea he dept from the peere into a boate Then the AEGYPTIANS made towardes him with their owers on euerie side but he leaping into the sea with great hazard saued him selfe by swimming â—ris sayd that then holding diuers bookes in his hand he did neuer let them go but kept them alwayes vpon his head aboue water swamme with the other hand notwithstanding that they shot maruelously at him and was driuen somtime to ducke into the water howbeit the boate was downed presently In fine the king comming to his men that made warre with Caesar he went against him and gaue him battell and wanne it with great slaughter and effusion of blood But for the king no man could euer tell what became of him after Thereupon Caesar made Cleopatra his sister Queene of AEGYPT who being great with childe by him was shortly brought to bedde of a sonne whom the ALEXANDRIANS named Caesarion From thence he went into SYRIA and so going into ASIA there it was told him that Domitius was ouerthrowen in battell by Pharnaces the sonne of king Mithridates and was fled out of the realme of PONTE with a few men with him and that this king Pharnaces greedily following his victorie was not contented with the winning of BITHYNIA CAPPADOCIA but further would needes attempt to winne ARMENIA the lesse procuring all those kinges Princes and Gouernors of the prouinces thereabouts to rebell against the ROMANES Thereupon Caesar went thither straight with three legions and fought a great battell with king Pharnaces by the citie of ZELA where he slue his armie draue him out of all the realme of PONTE And bicause he would aduertise one of his frendes of the sodainnes of this victorie he onely wrote three words vnto Anitius at ROME Veni Vedi Vici to wit I came I saw I ouercame These three wordes ending all with like sound and letters in the Latin haue a certaine shore grace more pleasaunt to the eare then can be well expressed in any other tongue After this he returned againe into ITALIE and came to ROME ending his yeare for the which he was made Dictator the seconde time which office before was neuer graunted for one whole yeare but vnto him Then he was chosen Consul for the yeare following Afterwardes he was very ill spoken of for that his souldiers in a mutine hauing slaine two Praetors Cosconius and Galba he gaue them no other punishment for it but in steade of calling them souldiers he named them citizens and gaue vnto euery one of them a thowsand Drachmas a man and great possessions in ITALIE He was much misliked also for the desperate parts and madnes of Dolabella for the couetousnes of Anitius for the dronkennes of Antonius and Cornificius which made Pompeys house be pulled downe and builded vp againe as a thing not bigge enough for him wherewith the ROMANES were maruelously offended Caesar knew all this well enough and would haue bene contented to haue redressed them but to bring his matters to passe be pretended he was driuen to serue his turne by such instrumentes After the battell of Pharsalia Cato and Scipio being fled into AFRICKE king Iubâ— ioyned with them leauied a great puisant armie Wherefore Caesar determined to make warre with them in the middest of winter he tooke his iorney into SYCILE There bicause he would take all hope from his Captaines and souldiers to make any long abode there he went and lodged vpon the very sandes by the sea side and with the next gale of winde that came he tooke the sea with three thowsand footemen and a few horsemen Then hauing put them a land vnwares to them he hoysed sayle againe to goe fetche the rest of his armie being afrayed least they should meete with some daunger in passing ouer and meeting them midde way he brought them all into his campe Where when it was tolde him that his enemies trusted in an auncient Oracle which sayd that it was predestined vnto the family of the Scipioes to be conquerors in AFRICKE either of purpose to mocke Scipio the Generall of his enemies or otherwise in good earnest to take the benefit of this name geuen by the Oracle vnto him selfe in all the skirmishes battells he fought he gaue the charge of his army vnto a man of meane quality and accompt called Scipio Sallutius who came of the race of Scipio AFRICAN and made him alwayes his Generall which he fought For he was eftsoones compelled to weary and harrie his enemies for that neither his men in his campe had corne enough nor his beasts forrage but the souldiers were dri 〈…〉 to take sea weedes called Alga and washing away the brackishnes thereof with fresh water putting to it a litle erbe called dogges tooth to cast is so to their horse to eate For the NVMIDIANS which are light horsemen and very ready of seruice being a great number together would be on a sodaine in euery place and spred all the fieldes ouer thereabout so that no man durst peepe out of the campe to goe for forrage And one day as the men of armes were shiping to beholde an AFRICAN doing notable thinges in dauncing and playing with the fl 〈…〉 they being set downe quietly to take their pleasure of the viewe thereof hauing in the meane time geuen their slaues their horses to hold the enemies stealing sodainly vpon them compassed them in round about and slue a number of them in the field and chasing the other also that fled followed them pell melt into their campe Furthermore had not Caesar him selfe in person and Afinius Pollio with him gone out of the campe to the rescue and stayed them that fled the warre that day had bene ended There was also an other skirmish where his enemies had the vpper hande in the which it is reported that Caesar taking the ensigne beares by the coller that caried the Eagle in his hande stayed him by force and turning his face tolde him see there be thy enemies These aduantages did lift vp Scipioes hart aloft and gaue him corage to hazard battell and leauing Afranius on the one hand of him and king Iuba on the other hande both their campes lying neere to other he did fortifie him selfe by the citie of THAPSACVS aboue the lake to be a safe refuge for them all in this battell But whilest he was busie intrenching of him selfe Caesar hauing maruelous speedily passed through a great contrie full of wod by bypathes which men would neuer haue mistrusted he stale vpon some behinde and sodainly assailed the other before so that he ouerthrewe them all and made them flie Then following this first good happe he had he
swollen with the blow he gaue one of his slaues when he hit him on the face All his seruaunts were glad to heare of that hoping then that he desired to liue Soone after came Butas backe againe from the hauen and brought him word that all were gone but Crassus who stayed about some busines he had and yet that he was going to take shippe howbeit that the sea was very roughe and winde exceeding great Cato hearing this sighed being sory for them that were upon the sea and sent Butas backe againe to the hauen to see if any man came backe for any matter they had to say vnto him The litle birdes began to chirpe and Cato fel againe in a litle slumber But thereuppon Butas returned brought him word that all was quiet in the hauen there was no sturre Then Cato bad him goe his way and shut to the dore after him and layed him downe in his bed as though he had ment to haue slept out all the rest of the night Butas backe was no sooner turned but Cato taking his naked sword in his hand thrust it into his breast howbeit the swelling of his hande made the blowe so weake that it killed him not presently but drawing on to his latter ende he fell downe vpon his bedde and made such a noyse with his fall ouerthrowing a litle table of geometry hard by his bedde that his seruaunts hearing the noyse gaue a great shreeke for feare Thereuppon his sonne and his friendes ranne into the chamber and found him all of a gore bloud and the most part of his bowells comming out of his bodye him selfe being yet aliue and seeing them They were all striken with such sorow to behold it that at the first they were so amased as they could not tel what to say to it His Phisitiō comming to him he went about to put in his bowels againe which were not perished and to sow vp his wound But Cato comming to him selfe thrust backe the Phisitian and tare his bowells with his owne handes and made his wound very great and immediatly gaue vp the ghost Whereuppon the three hundred ROMANES in lesse time then a man would haue thought Catoes owne houshold seruaunts could haue knowen of his death were at his dores and immediatly after all the people of VTICA also came thither and with one voyce called Cato their benefactor and sauior and sayd he onely was a free man and had an inuincible minde◠and this was done when they heard say that Caesar was not farre from VTICA Furthermore nether feare of the present daunger nor the desire to flatter the Conqueror nether any priuate quarrell amongest them selues could keepe them from honoring Catoes funeralls For sumptuously setting out his body and honorably accompanying his funeralls as might be they buryed him by the sea side where at this present time is to be seene his image holding a sworde in his hande After that they made their best way to saue them selues and their citie Nowe Caesar beeing aduertised by them that came vnto him howe Cato sturred not from VTICA nor fled not but sent all others away sauing him selfe and his sonne and a few of his friends that remained there being afraid of nothing he could not deuise what he ment by it Therefore esteeming Cato much he made haste with all the speede he could with his armie to come thether But when he vnderstoode that Cato had slaine him selfe writers doe reporte he sayd thus O Cato I enuy thy death sithe thou hast enuied mine honor to saue thy life For in deede had Cato beene contented Caesar should haue saued his life he had not so much impaired his owne honor as he had augmented Caesars glory And yet what Caesar would haue done men make it doubtful sauing that they coniecture well of Caesars clemencie Cato dyed when he was but eight and forty yeare old For his sonne Caesar neuer did him hurt howbeit it is reported of him that he was very idlely giuen and lasciuious besides For when he lay in CAPPADOCIA in a noble mans house of the kings bloud called Maphradates who had a fayre woman to his wife he taried longer there then he might well with honestie whereuppon he fell to be a laughing stoicke so the people and in mockery they sayd Cato will goe too morrow a thirty dayes hence And further that Maphradates and Porcius are two good friendes but they haue but one minde And the reason was bicause Maphradates wife was called Psyche which in the Greeke signifieth minde and Cato is a noble fellow and hath a princely mind howbeit his famous death did stoppe this infamous speech For he valiantly fighting against Augustus and Antebius at the battell of Philippes for the libertie of his contry their armie being ouerthrowen and fled he would neither flie nor hide him selfe but running in amongest his enemies he made them knowe what he was by incoraging those of his side which yet did defend them selues till he was slayne in the field to the great admiration of his valiantnes Furthermore Porcia the Daughter of Cato gaue no place vnto her father nether for chastitie nor greatnes of mind For she being maried vnto Brutus who slue Caesar was of the conspiracie and slue her selfe as courageously as became the vertue and nobilitie of her bloud from whence she came as we haue more amply declared in the life of Brutus Statilius also who had sayd he would ronne Catoes fortune as we haue tolde you before was kept from killing of him selfe by the Philosophers Demetrius and Apollonides But after that tyme hauing shewed him selfe very faithfull and seruiceable vnto Brutus in all his affayres he was slayne in the field also at the battell of Philippes The end of Catoes life AGIS AND CLEOMENES TRuely the fable of Ixion was not ill deuised against ambicious persons who imbracing a clowde for the goddesse Iuno begot as it is sayd the CENTAVRI For euen so ambicious men imbracing glory for the true image of vertue doe neuer any acte that is good nor perfect but beeing caried away with diuers fancies and following others humors with desire to please the people they may as the herdmen in the tragedy of Sophocles speaking of their cattell say VVe vvayt vppon their breasts though vve their Maisters bee And vvheresoeuer they become there also follovve vvee Such in deede are they compared to that gouerne common weales after peoples lust and fancy who doubtles are as their seruaunts obedient at call bicause they onely may enioy the glorious title and name of an Officer For like as in a shippe the Mariners that stande in the prowe doe better see before them then the Pilots that steere the helme in the poope and yet lookes alwayes backe vnto them to see what they commaunde euen so they that gouerne in the common wealth for honors sake are no better thē honorable slaues of the people hauing no more but
thinke it a glorie for thee to seeke death which is the easiest matter and the presentest vnto any man that can be and yet wretche that thou art thou fliest now more cowardly and shamefully then from the battell For diuers valliant men and farre better then our selues haue often yeelded vnto their enemies either by some misfortune or compelled by greater number and multitude of men but he say I that submitteth him selfe vnto paine and miserie reproache and praise of men he can not but confesse that he is ouercome by his owne vnhappinesse For when a man will willingly kill him selfe he must not doe it to be rid of paynes and labour but it must haue an honorable respect and action For to liue or dye for his owne respect that can not but be dishonorable the which now thou perswadest me vnto to make me flie this present miserie we are in without any honor or profitte in our death And therefore I am of opinion that we shoulde not yet cast of the hope we haue to serue our contrie in time to come but when all hope fayleth vs then we may easely make our selues awaye when we lift Thereunto Therycion gaue no aunswere but as soone as he founde oportunitie to slippe from Cleomenes he went to the sea side and slewe him selfe Cleomenes hoysinge sayle from the I le of AEGIALIA went into AFRICKE and was brought by the kinges seruauntes vnto the citie of ALEXANDRIA King Ptolomy at his first comming gaue Cleomenes no speciall good but indifferent intertainment but after that he had shewed him selfe to be of great wisedom and iudgement and that Ptolomy saw in the simplicity of his LACONIAN life he had also a noble disposition and corage nothing degenerating from the princely race blood of Hercules and that he yelded not to his aduersitie he tooke more delight in his company then in all the company of his flatterers and hangers on him and then repented him greatly that he had made no more account of him before but had suffered him to be ouerthrowne by Antigonus who through the victory of him had maruelously enlarged his honor and power Then he began to comfort Cleomenes and doing him as great honor as could be promised that he would send him with shippes and money into GRAECE and put him againe into his kingdom further gaue him an annuall pencion in the meane time of foure and twenty talents with the which he simply and soberly enterteyned him selfe and his men about him and bestowed all the rest apon his contry men that came out of GRAECE into AEGYPT But now old king Ptolomy deceasing before he could performe the promise he made vnto Cleomenes to send him into GRAECE the Realme falling then into great lasciuiousnes dronckennes and into the gouernment of women his case and miserie was cleane forgotten For the young king his sonne was so giuen ouer to women and wine that when he was most sober and in his best witts he most disposed him selfe to make feastes and sacrifices and to haue the taber playing in his Court to gather people together like a stage player or iugler whilest one Agathoclea his lemman and her mother and Oenanthes a bawde did rule all the affayres of the state But when he came to be king it appeared he had neede of Cleomenes bicause he was affraid of his brother Magas who by his mothers meanes was very wel esteemed of among souldiers Wherefore he called Cleomenes to him and made him of his priuy counsel where he deuised by practise which way to kill his brother All other his friends that were of counsell with him did counsell him to do it but Cleomenes onely vehemently disswaded him from it and tolde him that if it were possible rather moe brethren should be begotten vnto the king for the safetie of his person and for deuiding of the affayres of the kingdome betweene them Amongest the kinges familliers that was chiefest about him there was one Sosibius that said vnto Cleomenes so long as his brother Magas liued the souldiers that be straungers whom the king entertayned would neuer be true to him Cleomenes aunswered him for that matter there was no daunger for sayth he of those hiered straungers there are three thowsand PELOPONNESIANS which he knewe at the twinckling of an eye would be at his commaundement to come with their armor weapon where he would appoynt them These words of Cleomenes at that tyme shewed his fayth and good will he bare vnto the king and the force he was of besides But afterwards Ptolomyes fearefulnes increasing his mistrust as it commonly hapneth that they that lacke wit thinke it the best safetie to be fearefull of euery wagging of a strawe and to mistrust euery man the remembrance of Cleomenes wordes made him much suspected of the Courtiers vnderstanding that he could doe so much with the souldiers that were straungers insomuch as some of them sayd see meaning Cleomenes there is a lyon amongest sheepe In deede considering his facions and behauior they might well say so of him for he would looke thorough his fingers as though he saw nothing and yet saw all what they did In fine he required an armie ships of the king and vnderstanding also that Antigonus was dead and that the ACHAIANS and AETOLIANS were at great warres together and that the affaires of his contry did call him home all PELOPONNESVS being in armes and vprore he prayed that they would licence him to depart with his friends But neuer a man would giue eare vnto him and the king also heard nothing of it bicause he was continually entertained among Ladies with banckets dauncing maskes But Sosibius that ruled all the Realme thought that to keepe Cleomenes against his wil were a hard thing and also daungerous and to let him goe also knowing that he was a valiant man and of a sturring minde and one that knew the vices and imperfections of their gouernment he thought that also no safe way sithe no giftes nor presents that could be offered him could soften him For as the holy bull which they call in AEGYPT Apis that is sulfed in goodly pasture doth yet desire to followe his naturall course and libertie to runne and leape at his pleasure and plainely sheweth that it is a griefe to him to be kept stil by the Priest euen so the courtly pleasures did nothing delight Cleomenes but as Homer writeth of Achilles It irkt his noble hart to sit at home in slothfull rest VVhen martiall matters vvere in hand the vvhich he liked best Nowe Cleomenes standing in these tearmes there arriued in ALEXANDRIA one Nicagoras MESSENIAN who maliced Cleomenes in his hart but yet shewed as though he loued him This Nicagoras on a time had sold Cleomenes certein land but was not payed for it either bicause he had no present money or els by occasiō of the warres which gaue him no leasure to make payment Cleomenes one
also being borne of fathers that had a cleane contrarie disposicion and finding their contrie altogether without any order and infected with dissolute life were not therefore any whit the more moued with desire to do well Furthermore the greatest praise they gaue vnto the two Gracchi was their abstinence and integritie from taking of money all the time they were in office and delt in matters of state euer keeping their handes cleane and tooke not a pennie wrongfully from any man Where Agis on thother side was offended if any man praised him for that he tooke nothing from an other man seeing that he dispossessed him selfe of his owne goods and gaue it to his citizens which amounted in readie coyne to the value of six hundred talents Whereby men may easely iudge how grieuous a sinne he thought it to take any thing wrongfully from any man seeing that he thought it a kinde of auarice lawfully to be richer then others Furthermore there was maruelous great difference in their alteracions and renuing of the state which they did both preferre For the actes of the two ROMANES were to mend high wayes and to reedifie and replenish decayed townes and the worthiest acte Tiberius did was the lawe Agraria which he brought in for diuiding of the lands of the common wealth amongest the poore Citizens And the best acte his brother Caius also did was the mingling of the Iudges adding to the three hundred Senators three hundred ROMANE knightes to be indifferent Iudges with them Whereas Agis and Cleomenes in contrary manner were of opinion that to reforme smal faults to redresse them by litle and litle was as Plato sayd to cut of one of the Hydraes heads of the which came afterwards seuen in the place and therefore they tooke apon them a chaunge and innouation euen at once to roote out all the mischiefs of their contry or to speake more truely to take away the disorder which brought in all vice and mischief to the common wealth and so to restore the citie of SPARTA againe to her former auncient honorable estate Nowe this may be said againe for the gouernment of the GRACCHI that the chiefest men of ROME were euer against their purposes Where in that that Agis attempted and Cleomenes ended they had the noblest ground that could be that was the auncient lawes and ordinances of SPARTA touching temperance and equalitie the first instituted in old time by Lycurgus the other confirmed by Apollo Furthermore by the alteracions of the first ROME became no greater then it was before Where by that which Cleomenes did all GRAECE in short time sawe that SPARTA commaunded all the rest of PELOPONNESVS and fought at that time against those that were of greatest power in all GRAECE for the signioâ—ie thereof Whereby their onely marke purpose was to rid all the GRAECE from the warres of the GAVLES and ILLYRIANS and to restore it againe to the honest gouernment of the race and lyne of Hercules Their deathes me thinkes doe shew great difference of their corages For the GRACCHI fighting with their owne Citizens were slaine flying Of these two also Agis bicause he would put neuer a Citizen to death was slayne in manner voluntarily and Cleomenes receiuing iniurie stoode to his defence and when he had no oportunitie to doe it he stowtly killed him selfe And so may it be said on thother side that Agis did neuer any noble acte of a Captaine or souldier bicause he was slayne before he could come to it And for the victories of Cleomenes on thother side may be opposed the scaling of the walls of CARTHAGE where Tiberius was the first man that at the assault got vp vpon the wall which was no small exployte and the peace which he made also at the seege of NVMANTIA whereby he saued twenty thowsand fighting men of the ROMANES the which had no meanes otherwise to saue their liues And Caius also in the selfe same warre at the seege of NVMANTIA and afterwards in SARDINIA did many noble feates of warre so that there is no doubt but if they had not bene slaine so soone as they were they might haue bene compared with the excellentest Captaines that euer were in ROME Again touching their doings in ciuill pollicie it appeareth that Agis delt more slackly being abused by Agesilaus who likewise deceiued the poore Citizens of the diuision of the landes which he had promised them In fine for lacke of corage bicause he was very young he left the thinges vndone which he had purposed to haue performed On thother side Cleomenes went too rowndly to worke to renew the auncient gouernment of the common wealth againe by killing the Ephores with too much crueltie whom he might easily haue wonne or otherwise by force haue gotten the vpper hande For it is not the parte of a wise Phisition nor of a good gouernor of a common weale to vse the sword but in great extreamitie where there is no other helpe nor remedie there lacked iudgement in them both but worst of all in the one for iniury is euer ioyned with crueltie The GRACCHI on thother side nether the one nor the other began to embrew their hands in the blood of their Citizens For it is reported that though they did hurt Caius yet he would neuer defend him selfe and where it was knowen that he was very valliant in battell with his sword in his hand against the enemie he shewed him selfe as cold againe in the vprore against his Citizens For he went out of his house vnarmed and fled when he saw them fight being more circumspect not to doe hurt then not to suffer any Therefore they are not to be thought cowards for their flying but rather men fearefull to offend any man For they were driuen either to yeeld to them that followed them or els if they stayed to stande to their defence bicause they might keepe them selues from hurt And where they accuse Tiberius for the faults he committed the greatest that euer he did was when he deposed Octauius his colleague from the Tribuneship and that he him selfe made sute for the second And as for Caius they falsely accused him for the death of Antyllius the Sergeaunt who in deede was slayne vnknowen to him and to his great griefe Where Cleomenes on thother side although we should forget the murder he committed vpon the Ephores yet he set slaues at libertie and ruled the kingdom in manner him selfe alone but yet for manners sake onely he ioyned his owne brother with him which was of the selfe same house And when he had perswaded Archidamus who was next heire to the kingdom of the other royall house to be bold to returne home from MESSENA vnto SPARTA he suffered him to be slayne and bicause he did not reuenge his death he did confirme their opinion that thought he was consenting to his death Lycurgus on the other side whose example he did counterfeate to followe bicause he
was many tymes also out of fauor as at that present tyme when he had no authoritie nor estimation he deuised a stratageame whereby he saued the king and all his campe In this contry of the CADVSIANS there were two kinges in the field with their armies both of them camped a sonder one from the other Tiribazus after he had spoken with king Artaxerxes and had tolde him what he ment to doe he went vnto one of the kinges and at the selfe same tyme also secretly sent his sonne vnto the other king and told either of them that the other king had sent Ambassadors vnto Artaxerxes to make peace with him vnwitting to his companion and therefore he counselled him if they were wise one of them to seeke to preuent another with all the possible speede he could and promised them both one after another to helpe them the best he could Both the one and the other of the kings gaue credit to his wordes either of them both mistrusting one another so that the one speedily sent his Ambassadors vnto king Artaxerxes with Tiribazus and the other also his Ambassadors with his sonne But Tiribazus tarying long in his iorney king Artaxerxes beganne somewhat to suspect him his enemies also did accuse him in his absence and the king grewe very chollerycke and repented him that he had trusted him so farre and was willing to heare euery man that spake against him Howbeit Tiribazus at length returned and his sonne also and either of them brought with them the Ambassadors of the CADVSIANS and so peace was taken with them both Then was Tiribazus aloft againe and in greater credit then euer he was and so departed with the king The king then shewed plainely that cowardlines proceedeth not of pompe and curiositie as some take it beleuing that it doth effeminate mens harts but rather of a vile base mind that commonly followeth euill and the worst counsell For nether the iewells of gold the kingly robes nor other sumptuous ornaments which the king euer ware about him worth twelue thousand talents as it is reported did not hinder him at that tyme to trauaile and to take as much payne as any man in all his army For he him selfe marched a foote the foremost man carying his owne trufle in a scarfe vppon his shoulders and his target on his arme and trauelled through highe stony mountaines So that his souldiers seeing the corage and payne the king him selfe tooke they marched so nymbly that it seemed they had wings for he dayly marched aboue two hundred furlongs Now the king at length by sore trauell came to one of his owne houses where there were goodly arbors and parkes with goodly trees passingly sette forth but all the contry besides was naked and barren so that there was not a tree a great way from thence and it was maruelous cold The king suffred his souldiers to hewe downe the goodly pynes and cypres trees in his parkes and bicause they durst not presume to touch them he him selfe as he was tooke an axe in his hande and beganne to bewe downe the goodliest tree there The souldiers seeing that fell euery man of them also to hewing so that in a very short tyme they had prouided themselues well with wodde and made them great fires in euery place and so past ouer the night quietly by the fires side This notwithstanding he lost a great number of valliant men in this voyage and almost all his horses Therefore thinking his men would mocke him bicause he did fayle of his purpose he beganne to growe mistrustfull and to suspect the chiefest noble men he had about him so that in a rage he put many of them to death but much more of them remayned whome he mistrusted For there is nothing more cruell nor a greater bloud sucker then a cowardly tyrant as in contrary manner nothing is more curteous and lesse suspicious then a valliant and hardy man And therefore brute beastes that be neuer made tame nor mastered are commonly cowardly and timerous and the other to the contrary that are noble and coragious are bold straight and doe come to knowe a man bicause they haue no feare nether doe they frie from their clapping and making much of them as they doe Afterwards king Artaxerxes being growen very olde heard that there was great sturre and contencion betwene his sonnes which of them should be heire after his death and that this contencion fell out also amonge his friends and men of great calling The wisest of them wished that as he him self came vnto the crowne as his fathers eldest sonne so that he likewise should after his death leaue it vnto his eldest sonne called Darius But the younger which was called Ochus being a valliant man and of a whoe stirring nature had some in the Court also that tooke his parte and hoped to attayne to his purpose by the meanes of his sister Atossa whome he loued and honored promising to mary her and to make her Queene if he might come to be king after his fathers dissease And besides there went a report abroad that in their fathers life time he secretly kept her howbeit Artaxerxes neuer vnderstoode it Now bicause he would betimes put his sonne Ochus out of all hope to succeede him in the kingdom least this expectacion might make him to goe about to practise that which Cyrus did and that by this meanes his Realme should growe into faction and ciuill warres he proclaymed his eldest sonne Darius being fiftye yeare olde king after his death and furthermore gaue him leaue from thenceforth to weare the poynt of his hat right vp In PERSIA the custome is that when any commeth to be proclaymed successor and heire apparant to the crowne he should require a gifte of him that proclaymeth him successor The which the other doth graunt him whatsoeuer it be that he asketh so it be not impossible Darius then asked his father a concubine called Aspasia who was first with Cyrus in greatest fauor with him aboue all the rest but then was for the kings own bodye She was borne in the contry of IONIA of free parents and being vertuously brought vp she was brought one night vnto Cyrus as he was at supper with other women who sate them downe without too curious bidding hard by him and were verie glad when Cyrus offered to play and be merie with them geuing euerie one of them some pleasaunt word and they made it not coy But Aspasia stoode on her feete by the table and sayd neuer a word and notwithstanding that Cyrus called her she woulde not come at him Moreouer when one of the groomes of his chamber would haue taken her to haue brought her to him the first saith she that layeth hands on me shall repent it Thereuppon all those that were present said she was a foolish thing and simply brought vp and could not tell what was comely for her Howbeit Cyrus being
withstande it and rather dye then lose my libertie Cassius being bolde and taking holde of this worde why ê™ he what ROMANE is he aliue that will suffer thee to dye for the libertie What knowest thou not that thou art Brutus Thinkest thou that they be cobblers tapsters or suche like base mechanicall people that wryte these billes and scrowles which are founde dayly in thy Praetors chaire and not the noblest men and best citizens that doe it No be thou well assured that of other Praetors they looke for giftes common distribucions amongest the people and for common playes and to see fensers fight at the sharpe to shew the people pastime but at thy handes they specially require as a due det vnto them the taking away of the tyranny being fully bent to suffer any extremity for thy sake so that thou wilt shew thy selfe to be the man thou art taken for and that they hope thou art Thereuppon he kissed Brutus and imbraced him and so each taking leaue of other they went both to speake with their frendes about it Nowe amongest Pompeys frendes there was one called Caius Ligarius who had bene accused vnto Caesar for taking parte with Pompey and Caesar discharged him But Ligarius thanked not Caesar so muche for his discharge as he was offended with him for that he was brought in daunger by his tyrannicall power And therefore in his hearte he was alway his mortall enemie and was besides verie familiar with Brutus who went to see him beinge sicke in his bedde and sayed vnto him O Ligarius in what a time art thou sicke Ligarius risinge vppe in his bedde and taking him by the right hande sayed vnto him Brutus sayed he if thou hast any great enterprise in hande worthie of thy selfe I am whole After that time they beganne to feele all their acquaintaunce whome they trusted and layed their heades together consultinge vppon it and did not onelie picke out their frendes but all those also whome they thought stowt enough to attempt any desperate matter and that were not affrayed to loase their liues For this cause they durst not acquaint Cicero with their conspiracie although he was a man whome they loued dearelie and trusted best for they were affrayed that he being a coward by nature and age also hauing increased his feare he woulde quite turne and alter all their purpose and quenche the heate of their enterprise the which speciallie required hotte and earnest execucion seeking by perswasion to bring all thinges to suche safetie as there should be no perill Brutus also did let other of his frendes alone as Statilius EPICVRIAN and Faonius that made profession to followe Marcus Cato Bicause that hauing cast out wordes a farre of disputing together in Philosophie to feele their mindes Faonius aunswered that ciuill warre was worse then tyrannicall gouernment vsurped against the lawe And Statilius tolde him also that it were an vnwise parte of him to put his life in daunger for a sight of ignoraunt fooles and asses Labeo was present at this talke and maintayned the contrarie against them both But Brutus helde his peace as though it had bene a doubtfull matter and a harde thing to haue decided But afterwardes being out of their companie he made Labeo priuie to his intent who verie readilie offered him selfe to make one And they thought good also to bring in an other Brutus to ioyne with him surnamed Albinus who was no man of his handes him selfe but bicause he was able to bring good force of a great number of slaues and sensers at the sharpe whome he kept to shewe the people pastime with their fighting besides also that Caesar had some trust in him Cassius and Labeo tolde Brutus Albinus of it at the first but he made them no aunswere But when he had spoken with Brutus him selfe alone and that Brutus had tolde him he was the chiefe ringleader of all this conspiracie then he willinglie promised him the best aide he coulde Furthermore the onlie name and great calling of Brutus did bring on the most of them to geue consent to this conspiracie Who hauing neuer taken others together nor taken or geuen any caution or assuraunce nor binding them selues one to an other by any religious others they all kept the matter so secret to them selues and coulde so cunninglie handle it that notwithstanding the goddes did reueale it by manifest signes and tokens from aboue and by predictions of sacrifices yet all this woulde not be beleued Nowe Brutus who knewe verie well that for his sake all the noblest valliantest and most couragious men of ROME did venter their liues waying with him selfe the greatnesse of the daunger when he was out of his house he did so frame and facion his countenaunce and lookes that no man coulde discerne he had any thing to trouble his minde But when night came that he was in his owne house then he was cleane chaunged For either care did wake him against his will when he woulde haue slept or else oftentimes of him selfe he fell into suche deepe thoughtes of this enterprise casting in his minde all the daungers that might happen that his wife lying by him founde that there was some maruelous great matter that troubled his minde not beinge wont to be in that taking and that he coulde not well determine with him selfe His wife Porcia as we haue tolde you before was the daughter of Cato whome Brutus maried being his cosin not a maiden but a younge widowe after the death of her first husbande Bibulus by whome she had also a younge sonne called Bibulus who afterwardes wrote a booke of the actes and ieastes of Brutus extant at this present day This young Ladie being excellentlie well seene in Philosophie louing her husbande well and being of a noble courage as she was also wise bicause she woulde not aske her husbande what he ayled before she had made some proofe by her selfe she tooke a litle rasor suche as barbers occupie to pare mens nayles and causinge all her maydes and women to goe out of her chamber gaue her selfe a greate gashe withall in her thigh that she was straight all of a goare bloode and incontinentlie after a vehement feuer tooke her by reason of the payne of her wounde Then perceiuing her husbande was maruelouslie out of quiet and that he coulde take no rest euen in her greatest payne of all she spake in this sorte vnto him I being O Brutus sayed she the daughter of Cato was maried vnto thee not to be thy beddefellowe and companion in bedde and at borde onelie like a harlot but to be partaker also with thee of thy good and euill fortune Nowe for thy selfe I can finde no cause of faulte in thee touchinge our matche but for my parte howe may I showe my duetie towardes thee and howe muche I woulde doe for thy sake if I can not constantlie beare a secret mischaunce or griefe with thee