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A06415 Lucans Pharsalia: or The ciuill warres of Rome, betweene Pompey the great, and Iulius Cæsar The whole tenne bookes, Englished by Thomas May, Esquire.; Pharsalia. English Lucan, 39-65.; May, Thomas, 1595-1650.; Hulsius, Friedrich van, b. 1580, engraver. 1631 (1631) STC 16888; ESTC S108868 158,607 432

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hornest ' engir● the adverse fleet As when strong windes with tydes repugnant meet One way the Sea the waues another go These ships vpon the furrow'de Ocean so Make different tracts and waues vpon the maine Which oares rais'd the sea beats downe againe But the Greeke vessels were more nimble far Either to flye or turne about the war They could without long tedious turning weild Themselues and quickly to the sterne could yeeld The Roman ships slow keel'd would firmely stand And lend sure footing like a fight by land The master then of his Praetorian ship Brutus be spake why doest thou let them slip Leaue thy Sea-tricks and joyne the battells close ' Gainst the Phocaicke stemmes ●ur ships oppose He straight obeyes and turnes his owne bro●d side Against their stemmes what ship so ere they tride To encounter her with her owne stroke orecome Sti●kes fast and is surprisde they ho●ke in some With oares some some they with chaines hold fast On the seas cover'd face the war is plac'd No brandisht Iavelins manage now the war No darted steele bestowing wounds from far Hands ioyne with hands and in this Navall fight The sword acts all in their owne ships vpright They face their foes prone strokes some fal down slaine In their owne ships dy'd is the Ocean And the waues stiffen'd with congeal●d blood Ships hook't together could not meet withstood By falling carcasses some halfe dead sinke And their owne bloud mixt with salt water drinke Some that desire their strugling liues to keepe Fall in the ruines of their broken ship Iavelins that mist the aime they did intend Fall in the sea and finish there their end Finding their bodies to receiue a wound A Roman ship by Greeks inviron'd round Fights stiffely still on left hand and on right Maintaining long ' gainst all a doubtfull fight Vpon whose lofty decke whilst Ta●us bold Strived a seazed Graecian flag to hold Two darts together sent together split His breast and backe and in the middle meet The blood not knowing yet which way to run Makes stand but out at last both darts are throwne He in two wounds his dying soule divides Hither his ship whilst haplesse Telo guides Then whom none better on a boistrous sea Could guide a ship none better knew then he Tomorrow 's weather if the Sunne he spy'de Or Moone and could for fut●●re stormes provide He vvith his stemme a Roman ship had broke But through his heart a trembling javelin stroke The ship turnes off following his dying hand Gyareus leaping to his friends command Straight with a Roman javelin strongly flung Was slaine and to the ship fast nailed hung Two twinnes stand vp their fruitfull mothers fame That from one wombe with fates far different came Death par●s them their sad parents reft of one Without mistaking know their living sonne Whose lookes the cause of lasting sorrow keepe And make his friends for his slaine brother weepe One of those twinnes from his Greeke ship was bold Vpon a Roman keele to lay strong hold But from aboue a stroke cuts off his hand Which in the place did still fast bended stand And kept the hold the nerues more stiffe became By death his courage by this noble maime Was rais'd and greater by this accident His valiant left hand ' gainst his foes he bent And rushes on his lost right hand to reach But that alas another sword did fetch Off by the shoulder now both hands were gone Nor sword nor target could he weild yet downe He did not sinke but naked breasted stood Formost to saue his armed brothers blood And there all darts all wounds that were ordain'd For many deaths one dying breast contein'd And then his soule fleeting so many wayes He recollects and in his tir'd limmes stayes That little strength and blood was left to skip Before his death into the Roman ship His enemies by weight alone t' oppresse For now the ship laden with carcasses And full of blood bor'd through the side had been And through her ●eakes drinking the water in Was fill'd vp to the hatches sinking than It turn'd the face of the neere Ocean The waters to the sinking ship gaue way And in her roome clos'd vp againe That day Miraculous fates the Ocean did behold An iron hooke throwne to lay violent hold Vpon a ship on Lycidas did light Drown'd had he been but his friends hinder'd it And on his lower parts caught hold in two The man was pluckt nor did his blood spin slow As from a wound but gushing in one spout From all his broken vaines at once let out Into the sea falls his life-carrying blood Never so great a passage open stood To let out any soule life straight forsakes His lower halfe since vitall parts it lackes But in his vpper halfe since in that part Lay the soft lungs and life susteining heart Death sta●es a while and findes repugnancy Nor at one time could all his members dye The men that mann'd one ship eager of fight All pressing to one side leaue empty quite The other side whose weight ore turn'd the ship Which topsie turvy sinking downe did keepe The Saylers vnder water all of them Were drown'd nor could their armes haue roome to swim One horrid kind of death that day was seene A yong man swimming was whose breast betweene Two meeting Ships sharpe stemms was bored through The brazen stemms through bones and flesh did goe And made a noise his squeezed belly sent Vp through his mouth blood mixt with excrement But when the ships divide themselues againe The body throwne into the Ocean The water through his bored bosome came Now in the Sea shipwrack'd Massi●ia●s swame Towards their fellowes ship to saue their liues But that already over burden'd str●ues To keepe her friends though thus distressed out And from aboue with swords the Souldiers cut Their armes when hold vpon the ship they lay Then downe againe into the Sea fall they Leauing their hands behinde the Ocean Can now no longer their maim'd trunkes sustaine But now when all the Souldiers darts were gone Fury finds weapons Oares by some are throwne Against their foes with a strong arme The mast Do some teare downe and in their fury cast Some teare the Saylers seates bords from the decke Some throwe for weapons they their ships do breake Some wanting swords their friends dead bodies spoile From his owne breast one drawes the mortall Pile With the left hand holding the wound so long To keepe in blood and strength till he had flung The iavelin at his foe then lets it run But nothing wrought so much destruction At Sea as Seas opposed Element The fire which wrapt in vnctious stuffe was sent And sulphur balles the ships apt fuell were Their pitch and melting waxe tooke easily fire Nor now could water quench th'vnruly flame Fragments of broken ships still burning swam Into the Sea to quench his fire one skips For feare of drowning to the burning ships Another cleaues that
Pompey's d●nger is enough so thee Thy loue deceiues me if thou couldst e●dure To see this fight for me to sleepe secure VVith thee this war begun ●nd from thine armes To rise were shame when the wars loud alarmes Shake all the world and that thy Pompey came Sad with no losse to such a war were shame Nor shall thy husbands fortune all together Oppresse thee farre remoov'd safer then either People or king And should the gods contriue My death let Pompeys better part surviue And a place be whither I may desire If fate and Caesar vanquish to retire Her weakenesse could of such great griefe containe Her sences fled she did amaz'd remaine At length when sad complaints these words could frame My Lord quoth she I haue no cause to blame Our wedlockes fortune or the gods aboue No death no funerall divides our loue We part the common and plebeian way For feare of war Cornelia must not stay Let 's be divorc'd to gratifye the foe Since he 's at hand Pompey esteem'st thou so My faith or think'st thou any thing can be Safer to me then thee Depend not we Vpon one chance canst cruell thou command Thy absent wife this ruines shocke to stand Or think'st thou it a happy state for me While thy chance yet does doubtfull stand to dye For feare of future ill I will attend Thy death but till sad fame the newes can send So farre shall be forced to surviue B●sides thou wilt accustome me to grieue And beare so great a sorrow as I feare Pardon that I confesse I cannot beare And if the good gods heare my prayers now I last of all the happy newes shall know I on the rockes when thou art conquerer Shall carefull sit and even that ship shall feare That brings the happy newes nor will my feare Haue end so soone as I thy conquest heare So farre remoov'd from thee that Caesar may Though flying seize Cornelia as a pray My banishment will Lesbos shore renowne And make the towne of Mitylene knowne Where Pompey's wife abides My last request Is this if thou be conquer'd and nought rest To s●u● thy life but flight to any bay Rather then that turne thy vnhappy way Vpon my shore thou wilt be surely sought This said from bed she leapt with griefe distraught Her woes with no delayes to enterlace Nor could she then her Lord 's sad breast embrace Nor hang about his necke the last fruite's gone Of so long loue their griefes they hasten on And at the parting neither had the power To say farewell Never so sad an hower In all their life had they Su●ceeding woes Their mindes by custome hardened could compose She fainting falls and in her serva●ts hands Lifted is borne to sea but on the sands She falls as if that shore she faine would keepe At last perforce she 's carry'd to the ship From her deare countrey's shore not so distrest Fled she when Caesar Italy possest With Pompey then she went now all alone Wanting that guide she from her Lord is gone Sleepelesse she spent in her now widow'd bed Cold and alone the night that followed That side that naked vs'd not to be left Is of a husbands company bereft Oft would she when her sleepy armes she spread With hands deceiv'd embra●e the empty bed Seeking her Lord her flight she would forget For though l●ues flame-fed on her marrow yet Ore all the bed she would not tumbl●ng spread Fearing to misse her Lord that part of bed She kept but fate did not so well ordaine The howr's at hand that brings her Lord againe FINIS Libri quints Annotations on the fift Booke a Pompey's losses as we saw before in the 2.3 and 4. Bookes were these all his garrisons beaten cut of Italy and himselfe driven from thence Massilia sackt all Spaine lost together with his army vnder the conduct of Afrarius and Petrejus Caesars losses a cohort of Opitergians wh●ch kill'd themselues on the Illyrian sea with their captaine Vulteius and Curio kill'd by king Iuba b Phocis was then made free as well as Massilia her colony which Caesar besiedg'd c Dejotarus king of Galatia brought to the army of Pompey sixe hundred horsemen d Cotys king of Thracia sent to the Army fiue hundred horsemen vnder the conduct of his s●●ne Sadalis e R●asipolis brought from Macedonia two hundred horsemen f Ptolemey defra●ded his sister Cleopatra of her share in the kingdome and in killing Pompey saved Caesar the doing of that impious act g Appius the Governour of A●haia desirous to know the event of the civill war compelled the chiefe Priest of Delphos to descend to the Oracle which had not of a long time beene vsed h In the midst of the hill there was a deepe hole into the earth out of which came a cold spirit as it were a winde and filled the Prophetesses with a fury so that they instan●ly prophesied of things to come i Appius thinking this oracle had warned him onely to abstaine from this war retired himselfe into that countrey which lyeth betweene R●am●u● and Caryst●s called Cala Eub●a where before the battle of Ph●rsalia he dyed of a disease and was there buryed and so ●ossest quietly the place which the Oracle had promised him k Caesar was now returned to Placentia from Spaine Where hee had conquered Afranius and Petrejus two of Pompey's Lieutenants and was going from thence into Epire and Macedonia against Pompey in the meane time this mutiny happened l Caesar cashiered with ignominy all the ninth legion at Placentia and with much adoe after many prayers received them againe but not without taking punishment of the chiefe muten●ers m Caesar made himselfe Dictator at Rome without any lawfull election that is neither named by the Senate nor Consul but eleven dayes after he left his Dictatorshippe having made himselfe and Publius Servilius Consuls n Then beganne all those names of flattery which they afterward vsed to their Emperours as Diuus Ever Augustus Father of his countrey Founder of peace Lord and the like o After all governement was in the hands of Caesar alone all the ancient rites in creating of Magistrates were quite taken ●way an imaginary face of election was in the field of Mars the tribes were cited but were not admitted distinctly and in the true forme to giue their suffrages the other orders were but vaine for the Emperour commended him to the Centuries whom he would haue Consul or else designed him and chose him himselfe their Augury also was abused and the Augurs interpreted every thing as they were compelled p Vnder the Emperours Consuls were oft chosen for halfe an yeare for 1.2 or 3 moneths q Pompey was then is Candavia but when he heard that Caesar was come and was possest of Oricum and Apollonia hee hasted to Dyrrachium Caesar pitched his tents at one side of the river Apsus and Pompey at the other r Caesar having landed his men the same night sent backe the ships to Brundusium for
catches The kindling brand in their sad parents hand The funerall beds blacke smoaking fragments and Their ashy garments and flesh-smelling coales But when she findes a coarse entombed whole Whose moisture is drawne out and marrow growne Hard by corruption greedy havocke on Each limbe she makes and from their orbes doth teare His congeal'd eyes and stickes her knucles there She gnawes his nailes now pale oregrowne and long Bites halters killing knotts where dead men hung Teares from the gibbetts strangled bodies downe And from the gallowes licks corruption Shee gathers dead mens limmes which showres haue wet And marrow harden'd in Sols scorching ●eate She keepes the nailes that pierc'd crucifi'd hands And gathers poysonous filth and slime that stands On the cold joynts and biting with her fanges The harden'd sinewes vp from ground she hangs And where so ere a naked carcasse ly Before the beasts and ravenous fowles sits she But teares or cuts no limbe till it be bit By Wolves from whose dry jawes she snatches it Nor spares she murdering if life blood she need That from a throat new open'd must proceede She murders when her sacrifices dire Life-blood and panting entrailes doe require And births abortiue by vnnaturall wayes From wounded wombes she takes and burning layes Them on her wicked altars when she lacks Stout cruell ghosts such ghosts forthwith she makes All deaths of men serue for her action From young mens chinns she puls the growing downe And dying striplings haire she cuts away Ericttho oft when ore the coarse she lay Of her dead kinseman and did seeme to kisse Off from his maimed head would bite a piece And opening his pale lips gelled and clung In his dry throat she bites his cold stiffe tongue And whispering murmurs dire by him she sends Her banefull secrets to the Stygian feinds By generall fame when Sextus notice had Of her in depth of night when Titan made At the Antipodes their noone of day Over the desart fields he takes his way The servants waiting on his folly then Searching through broken tombes and graues of men Spy'd on a rocke at last where Aemus bends And the Pharsalian lofty hills extends Ericttho sitting she was trying there Spells which nere witch nor magicke god did heare And for new purposes was framing charmes For fearing lest the civill warres alarmes Should to some other land be carryed thence And Thessaly should want that blood's expence Phillippi feilds with incantations stain'd And sprin●kled with dire iuice she did command Not to transferre the war meaning t' enioy So many deaths and the worlds blood t' employ The carcasses of slaughter'd Kings to ma●me And turne the Roman ashes was her aime To search for princes bones and each great ghost But what best pleas'd her and she study'd most Was what from Pompey's coarse to take away Or vpon which of Caesars limmes to prey Whom first thus Pompey's fearefull sonne bespake Wisest of all Thessalians that canst make Foreknowne all thing● to come and turne away The course of destiny to me I pray The certaine end of this wars chance relate I am no meane part of the Roman state Great Pompey's sonne now either lord of all Or wofull heir of his great funerall My minde though wounded now with doubtfull feare Is well resolv'd any knowne woe to beare Oh take from chance this power it may not fall Vnseene and suddaine on me the gods call Or spare the gods and force the truth out from The ghosts below open Elysium Call forth grim death himselfe bid him relate Which of the two is given to him by fate T is no meane taske but labour worthy thee To search what end of this great war shall be The impious Witch proud of a fame to spread Replyes young man wouldst thou haue altered Some meaner fate it had beene easily done I could haue forc'd to any action Th' vnwilling gods I can preserue the breath Of him whom all the starres haue doom'd to death And though the planets all conspire to make Him old the midst of his lifes course can breake But fates and th' order of great causes all Worke downeward from the worlds originall When all mankinde depend on one successe If there you would change ought our arts confesse Fortune has greater power but if content You be alone to know this wars event Many and easie wayes for vs there be To finde out truth the earth the sea the sky The dead the Rodopejan rockes and fields Shall speake to vs. But since late slaughter yeilds Such choise of carcasses in Thessaly To raise vpone of those will easyest be That a warme new-slaine carcasse with a cleare Intelligible voice may greete your eare Least by the Sunne the organs parch'd and spill'd The dismall ghost vncertaine hizzings yeild Then double darkenesse ore nights face she spred And wrapping in a foggy cloud her head She searches where th'unbury'd bodyes lye Away the wolues and hungry vultures flye Loosening their tallands when Ericttho comes To choose her prophet griping with her thummes Their now cold marrows seeking where a tongue And lungs with fillets whole vnwounded hung The fates of those slaine men stand doubtfull all Which of their ghosts she from the dead would call Had she desir'd to raise th' whole army slaine And to reviue them for the war againe Hell had obey'd from Styx by her strange might The people all had beene drawne backe to fight When she a carcas sitting had espy'd An hooke she fasten'd in his throate and ty'd To it a fatall rope by which the hag Ore rockes and stones the wretched carcasse drag That must reviue Vnder the hollow side Of an high mountaine which to this blacke deede The witch had destin'd she the carcasse layes A deepe and vast descent of ground there was As low almost at the blinde caues of Di● Which a pale wood with thicke and spreading tre● Barring the sight of heaven and by Sol's light Not penetrable did oreshadow quite Within the caue was bred by dreary night Pale mouldy filth darkensse sad no ligh● But light by magicke made ere shined there Within the jawes of Tanar●● the aire Is not so dull that balefull bound twixt hell And vs the princes in those shades that dwell Send without feare their spirits hitherto For though this hag can force the fates to doe What ere she please t is doubtfull whether here Or there those ghosts in their true place appeare She puts a various colour'd cloathing on And fury-like her haire loose hanging downe Was bound about with vipers her face hid But when young Sextus and his traine she spy'd Shaking for feare and his astonisht eye Fixt on the ground banish those feares quoth she His life 's true figure you shall see him take That cowards neede not feare to heare him speake But if the furyes to your eyes were showne The Stygian lakes and burning Phlegeton The gyants bound and Cerberus that shakes His dreadfull curled mane of hissing snakes Why
first they saw fierce Lions crosse their way Leptis was neer'st which quiet harbour lent Their winter free from heat and stormes they spent Now Caesar with Pharsaliaes slaughter cloy'd Leaving all other cares his thoughts employ'd In the poursuite of Pompey and was brought VVhen he his steps by land had vainely sought By fames report to sea and passed ore The Thracian straights and that loue-famed shore VVhere once faire Heroes wofull turret stood VVhere Helles tra●oe●y new-nam'd the flood No arme of sea bounds with a streame so small Asia from Europe though Propontis fall Narrow into the ●uxine sea and from Purple Chalcedon part Byzanti●m Thence goes to see renown'● Sigaean sands The streame of Simois and Rhaetaean lands Fa●●'d for the Grae●ian worthye● tombe wherely Great ghosts so much in debt to Poetry Sack'd Troyes yet honour'd name he goes about To finde th' old wall of great Apollo out Now fruitlesse trees old oakes with putrify'd And rotten r●otes the Trojan hou●es hide And temples of their gods all Troy's orespred VVith bushes thi●ke h●r ruines ruined He se●s the bridall groue An●hises lodg'd Hesiones rocke the caue where Paris iudg'd VVhere nimph Oenone play'd ●he place so fam'd For Ganimedes rape each stone is nam'd A little gliding streame which Xanthus was Vnknowne he past and in the lofty grasse Securely trode a Phrygian straight forbid Him ●r●ade on Hectors dust with ruines hid The stone retain'd no sacred memory Respect you not great Hectors tombe quoth he Oh great and sacred worke of Poesy That freest from fate and giv'st eternity To mortall wights but Caesar envy not Their living names if Roman muses ought May promise th●e while Homer's honoured By future t●mes shall thou and I be read No age shall vs with darke oblivion staine But our Pharsalia ever shall remaine Then Caesar pleas'd with sight of these so prais'd Antiquities a greene turfe-alter rais'd And by the frankincense-fed fire prepar'd These orizons not vaine you gods that guard These Heroes dust and in Troyes ruines reigne Aeneas houshold gods that still mainteine In Alba and Lavinia your shrines Vpon whose altars fire yet Trojan shines Thou sacred temple clos'd Palladium That in the sight of man did'st never come The greatest heire of all Iulus race Here in your former seate implores your grace And pious incense on your altars layes Prosper my course and thankefull Rome shall raise Troyes walls againe your people I le restore And build a Roman Troy This said to shore He hasts takes shipping and to Corus lends His full-spread sailes with hast to make amends For these delayes and with a prosperous winde Leaues wealthy Asia and faire Rhodes behinde The VVestwinde blowing still the seaventh night Discovers Aegypts shore by Pharian light But ere they reach the harbour day appeares And dimmes the nightly fires when Caesar heares Strange tumults on the shore noises of men And doubtfull murmurings and fearing then To trust himselfe at land st●yes in his fleete VVhom straight Achillas launches forth to meete Bringing his Kings dire gift great Pompey's head VVith an Aegyptian mantle covered And thus his crime with impious words to grace Lord of the world greatest of Roman race And now secure which yet thou doest not know In Pompey's death my King doth heere bestow VVhat only wanted in Pharsalia's field And what thy wars and travells end will yeild VVe in thy absence finish'd civill war For Pompey heere desiring to repaire Thessalia's ruines by our sword lyes slaine By this great pledge Caesar we seeke to gaine Thy loue and in his blood our league to make Heere without bloodshed Aegypts kingdome take Take all Niles fertile regions and receiue VVhat ever thou for Pompey's head would'st giue Thinke him a freind worthy thine armes to haue To whom the fates such power ore Pompey gaue Nor thinke his merit cheape since brought to passe VVith easy slaughter his old freind he was And to his banish'd father did restore The crowne of Aegypt But why speake I more Finde thou a name for this great worke of his Or aske the world if villany it is The more thou ow'st to him that from thee tooke This act of villany Thus having spoke Straight he vncovers and presents the head VVhose scarse-knowne lookes pale death had altered Caesar at first his gift would not refuse Nor turne his eyes away but fixtly veiwes Till he perceiv'd 't was true and plainely saw 'T was safe to be a pious father in law Then shed forc'd teares and from a joyfull breast Drew sighs and grones as thinking teares would best Conceale his inward joy so quite orethrowes The tyrants merit and doth rather choose To weepe then ow to him for Pompey's head He that on slaughter'd Senators could tread And see the blood-stain'd fields of Thessaly Dry-ey'd to thee alone durst not deny The tribute of his eyes Strange turne of fate Weep'st thou for him whom thou with impious hate Caesar so long pursu'dst could not the loue Of Daughter Nephew not aliance mooue Think'st thou among those people that bewaile Great Pompey's death these teares can ought availe Perchance thou envy'st Ptolomeys dire fact And griev'st that any had the power to act This but thy selfe that the revenge of war Was lost and taken from the conquerer What cause so ever did thy sorrow mooue It was far distant from a pious loue Was this the cause that thy pursuite did draw Ore land and sea to saue thy sonne in law 'T was well sad fortune tooke the doome from thee And spar'd so far a Roman modesty As not to suffer thee false man to giue Pardon to him or pity him aliue Yet to deceiue the world and gaine beleife Thou add'st a language to thy fained greife Thy bloody present from our presence beare For worse from Caesar then slaine Pompey here Your wickednesse deserues the only meede Of civill warre to spare the conquered We loose by this and did not Ptolomey His sister hate I could with ease repay This gift of his and for so blacke a deede Returne his sister Cleopatras head Why wag'd he secret war or why durst he Thus thrust his sword into our worke did we By our Pharsalian victory afford Your King this power or license Aegypts sword I brook'd not Pompey to beare share with me In rule of Rome and shall I Ptolomey All nations joyned in our war in vaine If any other power on earth remaine But Caesar now if any land serue two VVe were determin'd from your shore to goe But fame forbid vs lest we should seeme more To feare then hate dire Aegypts bloody shore And doe not thinke you haue deceived me To vs was meant such hospitality And 't was our fortune in Thessaliaes war That frees this head VVith greater danger far Then could be feard we fought I fear'd the doome Of banishment the threats of wrathfull Rome And Pompey's force but had I fled I see My punishment had come from Ptolomey VVe spare his age and
Aegaean joyn'd With the Tyrrhene so with th' Ie●●an The Adriatike met How oft in vaine That day the sea seem'd mountaines topps to ' ore flow And yeilding earth that deluge t' vndergoe But such high waues on no shore raised be But from the worlds far part and the maine sea They rowle the earth embracing waters bring Their monstrous waues so wh●n the heavens high king Help'd his tir'd thunder with his ●rotheis mace To mankinds ●uine earth then added was To Neptunes kingdome when the sea confounded All lands and Tethys by no shore was bounded Contented with no limit but the skyes Then also would those ●welling seas arise Vpto the starres had not great Ioue kept downe Their waues with cloudes nor sprung that night alone From naturall causes the thi●ke aire was growne Infected with the dampes of Acheron And clogg'd with foggy stormes waues frō the maine Fly to the cloudes and fall like showres againe The lightnings light is lost it shines not cleare But shootes obscurely through nights stormy aire The heavens then trembled the high pole for feare Resounded when his hindges mooved were Nature then fear'd the old confusion The elementall concord seem'd vndone And night that mixt th' aetheriall deityes With the infernall ●eem'd againe to rise Their hope of safety was that in this great Wra●ke of the world they were not perisht yet As farre as you from Leucas top may see The quiet sea so farre could they desery From waues high tops the troubled Ocean But when the swelling billowes fall againe The maine-mast top scarce aboue water stands The topsailes touch the cloudes the keele the sands For ground is seene from whence the s●as arise In hills in waues the seas whole water is Feare conquers art the master does not know Which waue to breake which waue to yeeld vnto But the seas discord only aides them now The barke one billow cannot overflow Let by anothers force which still susteines The yeilding side the barke vpright mainteines Her course supported by all windes no more Low Sasons gulfes Thessalia's crooked shore Or the Ambracian dangerous ports they fear'd But ore the high Ceraunia to be rear'd ●y billowes Caesar thinkes it now to be A danger worthy of his destiny Are the gods troubled so to ruine me Whom sitting heere in a small barke quoth he They haue assaulted with a storme so lowd If on the seas not warres they haue bestow'd The glory of my death fearelesse I come Ye gods to any death that ye can doome Though this too hasty fate great actes breake off I haue already done things great enough The Northren nations I haue tam'd and quell'd My foes at home by armes Rome has beheld Great Pompey my inferiour honours stay'd From me in war the people forc'd haue pay'd All Roman honours in my titles be Let it be knowne fortune to none but thee Though full of honour to the shades below I both Romes Consull and Dictator goe I dye a private death ô gods I craue No funerall let the seas inmost waue Keepe my torne carkasse let me want a tombe And funerall pyle whilest lookt for still to come Into all lands I am and ever fear'd Thus having spoke most strange the tenth waue rear'd His barke aloft nor from the billowes top Did she fall downe kept by the water vp Till on the rocky shore she stood at last His fortune and so many kingdomes cast On shore and townes againe he did receiue Caesar's returne next morne could not deceiue His souldiers so as his stolne flight had done About their generall flock they every one Assaulting him with lamentations And not ingratefull accusations VVhither did thy rash valour carry thee Too cruell Caesar to what destiny Didst thou leaue vs poore soules venturing vpon Th' vnwilling seas and stormes thy selfe alone In thee to seeke for death was cruelty VVhen all the world esteemes thy head so high And on thy life so many liues of ours Depend did none of vs deserue t' haue power Not to surviue thee sleepe did vs detaine While thou wert tost vpon the watry maine Was this the cause thou went'st to Italy Alas it shames vs it was cruelty To venture any man on such a sea For the last act of things such hazards be VVhy doest thou tire the gods so much to goe And venture the worlds greatest Captaine so From fortune's worke and favour thus t' haue sent Thee safe a shore to vs be confident Of the warres issue This vse doest thou make Of the gods favour to escape a wracke Rather then gaine the worlds sole soveraignety Thus while they talke night past the Sunne they see And a cleare day his waues the tired maine By the windes leaue compos'd and smooth'd againe The Captaines also on th' Italian side VVhen the t●r'd Ocean free from waues they spy'd By the pure Northwinds rising thence convay'd Their ships which their skill'd Marriners had stay'd So long for feare while winds auspicious fail'd Like a land army their joyn'd navy sail'd On the broad Sea but the chang'd windes by night Fill'd not their sailes but broke the order quite So Cranes in VVinter Strymon's cold forsake To dr●nke warm● Nile and in their first flight make As chance directs of letters various formes VVhen their spread wings are by the violent stormes Of strong South-windes assailed by and by ●n a confused globe all mingled fly The letter 's lost in their disranked wings But the next morne when rising Titan brings A stronger winde to driue the navie ore They passe the vaine attempted Lissus shore And to Nymphaeum come Southwinds that blow The haven on them the Northwindes fled bestow VVhen Caesars legions all collected were And Pompey saw the war was drawne so neere To his owne campe he thinkes best to provide For his wiu●● safety and in Lesbos hide Thee faire Cornelia from the noise of warre Alas in just and noble mindes how farre Prevailes true loue true loue alone had power To make great Pompey feare wars doub●full houre His wife alone he wisht free from that stroke That all the world and Romes whole fortune shooke But now a ready m●nd wants words in him He yeilds to sweete delayes from fare steales time But when th'approching morne had banisht rest And faire Cornelia his care-wounded breast Clasping from her averted husband seekes A loving kisse wondring to feele his cheekes Moistened with teares t● hid●en cause she feares And da●es not fin● great Pompey shedding teares He then thus mourning spake oh d●arest wife Dearer to me then life not now when life I loath but in our best prosperity That sad day's come which too too mu●h haue we Yet not enough d●fferr'd Caesar's addrest For fight thou must not stay Lesbos the best And safest place will be for thee to hide Doe not en●treat me sweete I haue deny'd It to my selfe nor absent long shall we Remaine for swift will this wars tryall be Great things fall speedily To heare not see Thy
passage free from fight But rather force the trenches and breake downe The forts and passe where ruine leades him on Through swords and slaughter to enforce his way The part of the neere trench most fitly lay Minutius castle call'd trees thickly set Making a groue obscure ore shadow'd it Hither his Cohorts by no dust betray'd He led and suddenly the walls assay'd So many Roman Eagles glister round The field at once so many trumpets sound That now to swords the victory nought owes Feare had discomfited th' astonisht foes Yet wherein valour only could be show'd That ground where first they stood they dying strow'd But the Pompeyans now want foes to slay Whole showers of Pil●s in vaine are throwne away Then fire row●'d vp in pitchy stuffe they throw Vpon the workes the shaken turrets bow Threatning a fall the battred bulwarks grone Beat by the rammes impetous fury downe And ore the trenches Pompeys Eagles fly To vindicate the Roman liberty That place which not a thousand companyes Nor all the strength of Caesar could surprise One man alone guards from the Conquerers Denying Pompey's conquest whilest he weares A sword and liues His name was Scaeva once A common souldier of those legions That serv'd in Gallia then Centurion By blood promoted to all mischiefe prone And one that knew not in a civill war How great a crime the souldiers valours are He when he saw his fellowes leaving fight And seeking out safe places for their flight Whither quoth he base slaues and beasts does feare Vnknowne to all that armes for Caesar beare Driue you can you retire without one wound Or are you not asham'd not to be found Among the heape of men though faith were gone Anger me thinkes should make you fight alone We are the men of all through whom the foe Has chose to breake let this day bloody goe On Pompey's side I should farre happyer dy In Caesars sight but since the fates deny Him for a witnesse Pompey shall commend My death your breasts and throates vndaunted bend Against their steele and turne their weapons backe The dust far off is seene this ruines crack● Has by this time enter'd our generalls cares We conquer fellowes Caesar straight appeares To challenge though we dye this fort his voice More then th' alarums first inciting noise Their fury stirr'd then wondring at the man And eager to behold the souldiers ran To see if valour disadvantag'd so Surpris'd by place and number could bestow Ought more then death He making good alone The falling worke first throwes dead bodyes downe From the full tower to overwhelme the foes The posts the wals slaughter it selfe bestowes Weapons on him threatning himselfe to fall Downe on their heads and thrusts off from the wall The breasts of scaling foes with poles and stakes And with his sword cuts off his hand that takes Hold on the bulwarkes top and with vast stones Pashes their heads in peices breakes their bones And dashes out their weakely-fenced braines Downe on anothers haire and face he raines Pitch fir'd the fire whizzes in burning eyes But when the pil'd vp carcasses gan rise To aequall the walls height as nimbly then Into the midst of Pompey's armed men Scaeva leapes downe from thence as Libbards fierce Breake thorough the besetting huntsmens speares Then Scaeva wedg'd in round and by th' whole war Enclos'd yet where he striks is Conquerer His swords point dull with blood congealed growes And blunt nor does it peirce but bruise his foes His sword has lost the vse and without wound It breakes mens limmes The foes encircling round At him direct their weapons all and all Their hands aime right and javelins rightly fall There fortune a strange match beholds one man ' Gainst a whole war His strong sheild founded than VVith often strokes his broken helmet beat Downe to his Temples wrings with paine and heat And nothing else protects his vitall parts But th' outside of his flesh stucke full of darts VVhy with light darts and arrowes doe you striue Vaine fooles such wounds as cannot kill to giue Let the Phalaricke strong her wilde fire throw Or massy walls of stone gainst such a foe Let battring Rammes and wars vast engines all Remooue him thence he stands for Caesar's wall ' Gainst Pompey's course His breast no armes now hide Scorning to vse a sheild lest his left side Should want a wound and he be forc'd to liue By his owne fault what wounds the war can giue He takes alone and bearing a thicke wood Of darts vpon his breast now wearyed stood Choosing what foe to fall on so at sea Doe whales and monstrous beasts of Libya So a Getulian Elephant clos'd in By hunters round all shafts from his thicke skin Beates backe and breakes or mooving it shakes off The sticking darts his bowells safe enough And through those wounds no blood he looses so So many shafts and darts cannot bestow One death At last a Cretan bow let flye A sure Gortyan shaft in the left eye Of Scaua stucke the shaft be voide of feares The ligaments and opticke sinnewes teares That th' arrowes forked iron head did stay And kick'd the shaft with his owne eye away So if a Libyan looped javelin peirce The side of a Pannonian beare more fierce Growne by her wound she wheeles her selfe about Eager to catch the dart and pull it out Which still turnes with her Scaeua's lookes now bore No fiercenesse all his face deform'd with gore A shout that reach'd the sky the Conquerers raise So little blood though drawne from Caesars face Could not haue joy'd them more But Scaeua now In his great heart suppressing this deepe woe With a milde looke that did no valour show Hold Countrey-men quoth he forbeare me now VVounds further not my death nor now neede I Moe weapons in but these pull'd out to dye Into the campe of Pompey carry me Doo 't for your generalls sake let Scaeua be Rather th' example now of Caesar left Then of a noble death Aulus be left These fained words of his vnhappily And did not the swords point against him see But as to seize him and his armes he ventures His throate the lightning sword of Scaeua enters His valour then by this one death renew'd VVax'd hot who ere dares thinke Scaeua subdu'd Thus let him rue quoth he if from this steele Pompey seeke peace let him to Caesar kneele Thought you me like your selues fearefull and base You loue not Pompey and the Senates cause As I loue death VVith that the dust rais'd high Gaue them all notice Caesars troopes were nigh And from wars shame did the Pompeyans free Lest a whole troope should haue bin thought to flee From Scaeua only VVhen the fight was done He fell and dy'd for fight when blood was gone Lent strength His friends taking him as he fall● Vpon their shoulders to his funeralls Are proud to beare him and that breast adore As if some sacred deity it bore Or