The ship ten times together lifts And that which wondrous is to say She on the waues top still did stay And did not downe decline againe But with a sweeping billowes straine The barke was cast vpon the sands Whereas their last forsaken lands Doth make a narrow hollow bay And there a shore doe safely stay Here at one cast againe possest With all his Fortune so much blest And with so many stately Townes Such Cities and such Regall Crownes But Caesar thus return'd againe And Phoebus rising from the maine He could not so himselfe conceale As when he from his Campe did steale And all his Army did deceaue For now about him clustring cleaue His loyall troopes to see his face But teares a while all ioy did chase And then their Chieftaine they reproue With such complaints as grow from loue Stout Caesar whither now quoth they Did thy rash valour thee convey And to what Fate when thou wert fled VVere we poore soules abandoned VVhy didst thou to vnwilling waues Thy body giue where danger raues VVhen thou well knowst how many frends VVhat peoples safeties liues and ends Onely vpon thy Fate depends And that the world with loue and dread Hath chosen thee her soueraigne head T is inhumanity I say Liâ—e wilfully to cast away VVas none of vs of that desart VVith thee in this to share a part Of all thy friends that yet remaine In this wouldst thou no one retaine Dead sleepe alas did vs deceaue VVhilst that the seas did thee bereaue And thereof we are much asham'd But must this cause therefore be blam'd That thou didst seeke Hesperia land A desperate deed thou took'st in hand In such fierce cruell stormes as these To trust thy selfe with raging seas In most extreames and last of all When doubtfull wrackes we would fore-stall Then men are wont to cut off strife Stoutly to end a loathsome life But thou with all this worlds good blest The seas must be therewith possest Why weariest thou the Gods aboue Fortune hath shewd her care and loue Sufficient if she do no more But thy safe landing on the shore And this may serue thee to debarre From hoped fortune in thy warre No better vse can Caesar make Of that great care the Gods do take For his affaires the earth that swaies And to whose heast all men obayes Then that such grace they him behight To be a happy ship-wrack't wight But whilst they thus expostulate The sunne his beames doth eleuate And so breakes off this dire complaint The swelling seas now growing faint With huge turmoyle her waues deprest When as the windes were laid to rest ¶ And then the leaders of those bands That lay so long in Latium lands Seeing the maine now spent with rage And cleansing Boreas did asswage The lowring gusts of seas and sky They loosd their ships the waues to trye Which long and oft had tryall made Twixt sailers skilfull in their trade And the resisting stubborne windes Which so each other equall bindes That they the broad seas could not scoure And come to Caesar with their power But now aboord the Souldiers get The ships in order they are set When as the night with froward gale Kept Mariners they could not hale Their tackes aboord nor ply their sailes Amongst the ships all order failes So do the Cranes in strained rankes When they forsake Strimonian bankes Shunning the rage of winters frost Go seeke their drinke on Nylus coast And when they first beginne their flight Their rankes so orderly they dight That diuers figures they retaine Whilst they throughout the aire doe straine Vntill at length some Southerne blast Amongst their wings his puffes do cast Wherewith they are inforc'd to flye A higher pitch in windy skye And then confusdly do begin To breake their order filed thin In clusters soaring round together Framing their flight to serue the wether And puts the letter out of square Whose forme in flying first they bare ¶ But with the dauning of the day The winde began to beare a sway Stir'd with the sight of Phoebus face And now it hath this fleete in chase Which as it saild did striue in vaine The shores of Lissus to attaine But yet that land they could not lay Till North-winde gaue the South-winde way And to Nymphaeus port did guide The fleet which Boreas blast deny'd In keeping backe the checking tide Now Pompey sees prouision made From sundry coasts him to inuade And Caesars force at point to Arme From euery place about him swarme So as his Campe must now withstand The daily garboyles neere at hand He doth resolue to place a part His nuptiall care secure from Mart. And vnto Lesbos meanes to send His faire Cornelia there to spend This bloody time remote a farre From clattring Armes and noyse of warre Good God how iust loue rules and bindes Those men that are of worthy mindes Loue so in Pompey breedes remorce That dread and doubt doe warres diuorce For now Cornelia is the cause That he himselfe a while with-drawes From hazarding the doubtful scarre Of Fortune in this ciuill warre When all the world and Roman state Was now exposd to martiall Fate He now wants words to shew his minde And to delayes is whole enclin'd Whereby he may protract euent And trifle Fate in loue-time spent Now when the night was almost past And sleepy rest had lent his last To slumbring eyes Cornelia than Sweetly embracing her good man Seeking withall his lippes to smacke Whose breast deep cares did strain rack To her the whiles he turnes his back When wounded she with blinded feares Seeing his eyes besprent with teares Durst not desire the cause to learne Nor seeme she did his teares discerne Then sighing thus he said Deare wife To me more pleasing then my life Whilst I in happy state did liue But now dost cause of sorrow giue Since that the heauy day I see That our sweet ioyes must parted bee Too short a date for our delight Though all to long to stay from fight For Caesar now is ready prest And warre is onely in request During which time Lesbos shall be A safe retiring place for thee Forbeare requests to me to make I haue resolu'd this course to take And haue denyd mine owne desire Thou shalt not long from me retire But things are now in desperate chaunce And when as ruine doth aduance The greatest states must lead the daunce It may suffise thee still to heare When perils are to Pompey neare But sure thy loue deceiues me farre If thou affect to see this warre How fouly I might be asham'd That now for Mart haue all things fram'd To sleepe securely with my wife Sequestred from this ciuill strife And when the sounding Trumpets shall The wretched world to battaile call That Pompey then with drowsie eyes Should from thy tender bosome rise To wofull Pompey 't were a skorne That he no preiudice hath borne
so much paine endure So with the fall of ruines heft Are bones and members crusht and cleft And so deform'd in tempests drown'd Vpon the rockes are bodies found VVhat fruit or pleasure could they take This wofull spectacle to make Of Marius vgly mangled face Forsooth they knew they should gain grace To shew it Sylla in that case ¶ Now comes in Praenestina's turne For her inhabitants to mourne VVhom she beheld all at a trice To pay the bloudy sword like price Then quailed were th' Hesperian flowers And Latium youths now death deuours Then loathsome streame from bodies slaine The pleasant fields of Rome distaine Where gallants in their owne bloud baine Not Famines rage nor wrackes of seas Not Earthquakes dreads nor Plagues t'apease The Heauens wrath nor bloudy Warres Euer gaue vs such deadly scarres For now the heapes of bodies dead The murderers sway so pestered That they lackt roome to fetch the blow When they would hewing wounds bestow And when that any one was slaine He could not fall flat on the plaine The dead did reeling them sustaine But slaughters came at last so thicke That bodies dead stifle the quicke Nothing at all these horrid facts Sylla's vnmated minde distracts But from his Turrets top doth eye Without remorse those swarmes that dye And carelesse heares their clamorous cry The Tyrrhen gulfe at last receiues Millions whom death to it bequeaues Of Syllane slaughters whose torne limmes At first vpon the Tyber swimmes But at the last t was heapt so high That bodies did on bodies lye So as the boats were stopt their course And Tybers streames were bard their sourse For heaps of limmes that thither flocke Damb'd vp the riuer like a locke But that part next vnto the seas Had liberty to take his vease And that which was the heapes behinde The clustred carkasses did binde Nathlesse the torrents of the bloud Did force a way and with his floud Aboue the Tyber strand did rise And ouer all the fields it flies So as the streames of bloud gaue vent Vnto the River that was pent The bankes could not this floud withstand Which cast the bodies on the land And thence into the Tyrrhene maine The bloud did fall with such a traine That her blew waues it did diuide Into a sanguine colour dy'd Were these the meanes to mend amisse Was Sylla Foelix nam'd for this Is this the merit he doth yeeld To haue his Tombe in Martius field ¶ These mischiefes must be borne againe This warre will follow that same vaine Of ciuill strife I feare this curse To fall at last from bad to worse For where two armed factions meets Mankinde with common bane it greets The Marian rage did onely tend His exil'd state but to amend So Rome receiues him as a frend And Sylla did no more desire But to reuenge his quenchlesse ire With bloudy ruine of all those That were of party with his foes But Fortune calles these Captaines twaine I doubt me to a higher straine These both in Armes are stout and strong And will together rush ere long The others raisd no ciuill strife And Sylla tooke a priuate life So did this graue old fire lament His mindfull woes of time fore-spent Fearing this ciuill warres euent ¶ And yet no feare a place could finde In noble Brutus valiant minde This staggering dread that mazed all His constant heart could not appall But ere the dawning of the day When Parrhasis did downeward sway The oblique Axels of her waine And did the drowsie skies refraine Vnto the little lodge he hies Where Cato his deare Vnkle lies And at his wicket lowd he rapt Whom he found not in slumbers wrapt But tossing in his carefull mood The fortunes of the common good And safety of the Cities state Which he more wey'd then his owne fate Then thus with him he did debate ¶ O matchlesse Truth and vndefil'd Which all the world hath now exil'd O Vertue whilome in request Now onely lodg'd in thy iust breast Which no worlds fortunes thence can wrest Affoord thy graue aduice to me Settle my thoughts that wauering be And with thy iudgement sound and stout Direct me now that am in doubt Some now on Caesars side will warre Others of Pompeyes party are But reuerend Cato or else none Shall Brutus Captaine be alone And whether thou resolued art In these fraile times to stay from Mart Or that thy minde be not dismaid One of these selfe-wild guides to aid And that thou deeme this ciuill strife worthy the waging of thy life I do not know but others all Respects to wicked Armes doe call Some for their filed houses cause Some that in peace feare Iustice lawes Others their staru'd estate to mend To spoyles and ciuill rapine tend And many banckrouts drownd in debts In troubled streames would cast their nets None take vp Armes with good intent But all for hope of profit bent Onely thy selfe no humor drawes To warres but for thy Countries cause What can it now tend to thy praise To haue vprightly spent thy dayes So fraught with vertue free from crimes In these our vice-corrupted times If thou at last this censure haue Thy honest minde so to depraue That others were corrupt before In these vile warres thy armes had bore But now thy selfe this strife accurst Hath made as faulty as the worst But I beseech the Gods aboue That from thy heart they so remoue The humor of this mood vnmilde That with it thou be not defil'de And that thy armes thou doe not straine To cast the Pile with might and maine In clouds amongst the common rout And so great valour spend in doubt For in these warres if any erre The blame on thee they will conferre And those whom others bring to bane Thy sword therewith they will prophane And make thee author of all harmes That in this ciuill discord swarmes Peace better with thy temper sorts Exempt from enuies false reports Like as the heauenly bodies sway With true and milde vnchanging way The aire that to the earth is next With thunders rage is most perplext Whilst windes earth plants doth ouercast And lightning flashes do them blast Olympus ' boue the clouds stands fast It is ordain'd by Ioues high hest That discord should small things infest But concord highest states hath blest How would it Caesars eares content That such a Peere as thou wert bent To yeeld thy selfe vnto the warres And be partaker of these iarres For if thou Pompey's part do take He would thereof aduantage make And please himselfe withall to thinke Cato at Ciuill warres doth winke The Senate for the greatest part And Consuls likewise range their Mart Now vnderneath a priuate head And many other Lords so lead To whom adde Cato to the rest A Souldier vnder Pompeys hest So Caesars power shall be increast For then will he sway all alone That in his Campe compeere hath none But if our Armes we needs must
runne away To sloth they would themselues bequeaue And their victorious Captaine leaue Be gonne such abiect mindes I hate Leaue me to warre and to my fate These armes of mine will finde out hands VVhen I haue casht seditious bands Fortune with gallants will supply My weapons that vn-vsd shall lye Can Pompey whom I chast away Be follow'd with so great a sway Of Latium ships with him to flye And thinke you that my victory VVill not my campe with troopes supplie Yes and those troopes we must prefarre To haue the honor of this warre And they will share away the gaines Of all your former taken paines Then shall you Veterans relent To see your blood in vaine so spent And when my Triumphes come in place Your selues haue nether gifts nor grace Thinke you that I shall losse receaue Because that you my Campe doe leaue Yea all as much as it the course Of riuers threat to change their sourse And from the seas their streames detaine Were able so to slake the maine That ebs floods 't would not maintaine What do you now your selues perswade That you in ought my fortune made The Gods do not their care abase To men of your inferior place They giue no leasure to their eye To see where such men liue or dye Of great mens Fate they haue a care That of this world supporters are To Spaine and to the Northerne coast You terrors were led in my hoast But had you followed Pompey then You would haue prou'd but conquer'd men Labienus was a valiant knight Whilst he in Caesars Armes did fight But now a run-a-way most base Doth after a new Captaine trace By sea and land from place to place Your faiths to me no better are If you shall shew your selues in warre Of so debaushed minds to be As neither foes nor friends to me For he that doth my Ensignes leaue And will not vnto Pompey cleaue Of me no fauour can receaue Surely the Gods my Tents protect And will I should your fraud reiect And that I doe vnto mee call New troopes to wage this warre withall O Fortune how dost thou enlarge My weary shoulders of a charge To giue me meanes now to despise Those hands whose hopes nought can suffise No not the whole worlds spoyle and pelfe But I will warre now for my selfe Therefore from out my Campe depart And those braue Ensignes of my Mart Yee slothfull Romans lay them downe They shall be borne with more renowne And now the Authors of this rage Iustice not Caesar doth engage Prostrate your selues therefore with speed And on the blocke receiue your meed For of this mutinous deuice Your faithlesse heads must pay the price And you new Souldiers on whose hands The strength now of my Army stands Behold these paines learne lawes of Armes Know how to dye for factious harmes The common rout whilst thus he spake Vnder his threatning voyce did quake And this great bragging factious troope That might haue made one head to droop Vnto his will with awe did stoope As though the very swords conspir'd To yeeld to what his will requir'd And that the steele it selfe in spight Of hands would yeeld him duties right Yet Caesars selfe did stand in doubt That most of all the armed rout Would haue maintain'd their cause in field And not to execution yeeld But yet their patience past the scope Of their offended Captaines hope For they not onely held them still But gaue their throats vnto his will Then did he feare that their sterne hearts Inur'd before to ruthlesse parts Would now grow dull vnfit for Marts Loe thus did Iustice direfull stroke To former peace their mindes reuoke Chiefe Mutiners receiu'd their paine The rest restor'd to grace againe ¶ The Army then directed was Thence to Brundusium to passe In ten daies march and there to meet The Mariners and Caesars fleet Some of them cal'd from Hydrus bay And from old Taras where they lay Others from Leucas secret shores And those in Salapin that Moores With some that did in Sipus ride Whose streams neere to those cliffes do tide Where the Apulian Gargan hill Fruitfull to husband men that till Stretching along Ausonia's soyles By North Dalmatia entoyles And on the South Calabria bounds Thence like a Promontory rounds Into the Adriaticke sounds Meane while doth Caesar take his way To fearefull Rome taught to obay In peacefull gowne the victors minde His armed troopes he left behind And there the people by request In signe of loue would needs inuest Him with the high Dictators name And Consulship ioyn'd to the same Obseru'd with ioyfull solemne feasts And suffrages to his owne hests So generally as that before Neuer was any flattered more With Lordly phrase him to adore And for to grace with iust pretence His warre as for the states defence The swords that they before him beare With Consuls axes mingled were And where the Aegles Ensignes waue He ioynes the Faggots ribbond braue And so vsurpes with idle fame Of Empires rule Dictators name Thus markes he out that wofull time With worthy Titles free from crime And so to giue Pharsalia's fight The colour of a quarrell right That yeare the Consuls name he hends And publique good his cause pretends To solemne shewes in Martius fields A forced fained forme he yeelds The peoples voyces he obtaines For will or nill powre them constraines The Tribes he partially diuides With shew the Vrne the lots decides The heauenly signes no credit beares Thunders moues not the Augures eares They sweare the birds with good lucke flye Whilst dismall Owles are heard to crye So breach of lawes that high powre stain'd Which reuerence had so long maintein'd And that times names might full agree With his designes he doth decree A monthly Consull to install Distinguish't with times festiuall And that high powre that Latium brights Should haue his Ceremoniall rites Perform'd by Torches in the nights Though sacred honours scarce were due To Ioue that nought our wrackes did rue ¶ From Rome then Caesar hastes away Through those low meads that yeelds the hay That the Apulian people makes With handy pitchforkes and with rakes And in his speed he is more swift Then is the flash of lightnings drift Or Tyger of the female kinde Vntill the houses he doe finde Of Craetan frames Brundusium hight Where with the aires tempestuous spight He findes the hauens mouth winde-bound And trembling barkes within the sound With winters stormes like to be drownd But yet this daring Captaine thinkes That shamefully his businesse shrinkes If doubts or dreads should him delay Or him confine within a bay Whilst that he sees the tossing maine Is scour'd by Pompey's lucklesse traine And to adde courage to their sprites His mariners he thus incites The Northerne sky and winters winde We alwayes doe more certaine finde And current of the Ocean vast Continue with more constant blast When once they take then
more invest Though to his sword they gaue renowne Yet knew hee when to lay it downe Hee Armes beyond the Gowne approu'd Yet na'thlesse Armed peace hee lou'd Hee Armies willingly receaues And all as willingly them leaues A ciuill house from ryot free No fortunes gain'd by briberie With forraine Nations hee had fame Who reu'renced his noble name And in like grace at home hee stood For seruice to his Countries good The constant course of liberty Was subiect to seruility When they receiu'd in Rome againe The Marian and the Syllan traine So seeing Pompey is bereft No shew of freedome now is left Men doe not blush at tyranny No colour now of Empery None weigh the Senates Maiesty O happy Pompey to be dead As soone as thou wert conquered And that the Pharian guilt thee brought That sword which else thou must haue sought If not thou mightst haue liu'd perchance Vnder proud Caesars gouernance To dare to dye is high grace gain'd And next to that to be constrain'd But if that Fortune so betide We must be thralles to tyrants pride Then Fortune grant that Iuba bee Another Ptolomey to mee What need I feare my foe to serue When death can me from that preserue ¶ These words did greater glory raise In all mens eares to Pompeys praise Then if the Theaters had sounded With plaudits ecchos that rebounded Whereby the honor of his end Did to his gentle soule ascend But now the people mutter rumors And fall into discordant humors For warres and Armes they doe detest Since Pompey in his graue did rest And Tarchon then did vndertake Catos new Ensignes to forsake He with the shipping suddenly That vtmost rode away did flye Whom Cato thus did vilefie O greedy Cilix most vntrue Wilt thou the seas go scoure anew Now Pompey is by fortune slaine Must thou turne Pirate once againe Then of them all he takes a view That mutin'd in this rogish crew Mongst whom one lad did courage take And to the chiefetaine boldly spake Cato quoth he discharge vs now Our faith to Pompey we did vow For his sake we did take vp Armes And not for loue of ciuill harmes In his behalfe we did our parts But he is dead that held our hearts He whom the world lou'd more then peace With whom our cause of warre doth cease Permit vs now to leaue to roame To see our houshold Gods at home That we so long time haue forborne And our sweet children thus forlorne For what date shall this warre vs yeeld If that Pharsalias bloody field Nor Pompes death can giue it end Our liues in endlesse toyle we spend Let vs goe quiet to our graue Let age his fitting funerall haue For ciuill warres can scarce affoord A Sepulcher to any Lord. We conquerd men are not to fight Against the great Barbarian might Fortune doth not our state prouoke With Scithian or Armenian yoke I serue a gowned Citizen Vnder his law free Denizen Who Pompey liuing seconded To me is first now Pompeys dead To Pompeys sacred worthy spright I will performe all reuerend right But to his soueraigne power I yeeld That conquerd at Pharsalias field Thou Pompey my sole Captaine wert I followed onely thee in Mart. Now will I follow Destinie And yet to finde prosperity I neither may nor will I hope Since Caesars fortune swayes the scope His conquest quaild Aemathian swords Who to vs captiues helpe affoords He onely in the world subsists That will and may euen as he lists Rue on poore vanquisht men in griefe And vnto wretches yeeld reliefe All hope in ciuiil warre is vaine Since Aegypts sword hath Pompey slaine Who liuing carried vs with loue But if the publique cause do moue Thee Cato and thy Countries stay Let vs these ensignes then obay That Roman Consull doth display So said his ship he doth ascend And swarmes of youths do him attend Thus Romes affaires did seeme to end For all that loued seruile bands Did mutine there vpon the sands When Cato from his sacred breast In these words his free minde exprest ¶ It seemes you then indiffrent were On whether side you Armes did beare You were at first for Pompeys part For Rome you did not wage your mart And so you doe desire it still To haue one Lord to rule at will You did not tyranny oppose You car'd not your free state to lose The Senate you refuse to serue Neither recke you well to deserue Of any side to end this strife But would in Idle spend your life Now safer t is our cause to gaine You basely would the warres refraine And now devoyd of true respect Your owne free neckes to yokes subiect And cannot liue without a King Not now when as a worthier thing Calles men to hazard of the warre Your swords and persons you debar For Roman freedome to be vsd Which Pompey mought perchance refusd And for himselfe your bloods abusd Fortune almost hath tyrants reft Of three Lords now but one is left The Parthian bow and Nylus shore For our free lawes haue done the more Goe you degenerate exceed The Ptolemeian guift and deed Who else will thinke that euer you In these warres did your hands embrue But rather prone to turne your backes And first that fled Emathias wrackes Go safe for you doe well deserue That Caesar should your liues preserue Hee needs must take of you remorse Subdued nor by siege nor force O sercile race vnworthy most Now that you haue one Tirant lost His successor you will accost You should no greater grace aspire Then life and pardon for your hire And Pompeys wofull wife conuay Into your ships beare her away Metellus child a noble pray And liuing sonnes of Pompey breed Striue Egypts present to exceed Then take my head with you likewise So odious to the tyrants eyes He shall no meane reward receaue That Catos head will so bequeaue And know you all t is worth your paine To follow me my head to gaine Proceed you therefore and be bold To purchase grace let blood be sold Barely to run away were base So said his words then tooke such place That all the Pirats in such sort Brought backe the ships into the port From out the Seas as Bees do vse When they the waxen hiue refuse Where they haue made their honny combes And ranging leaue their little homes Not mind full now in swarmes to flie But each one his owne way doth hie Not setled yet to sucke and smell The bitter Thyme they loue so well When suddenly the tingling sounds Of Phrygian kettles them confounds With maze they stop their sudden flight And backe returning all do light Vpon their hiues where with their skill Their flowring labours they distill And combes with blessed honny fill At whose returne the clownish royle Is glad to see them in his soyle And on Hyblean grasse to swarme The treasure of his little farme Euen so did Catos powerfull words
Achoreus of the race Of Egypts breed who in that place Did sit vpon a bench of state In this sort did his mind relate O reuerend sire that for thy part To sacred rites deuoted art That with the Gods hast such esteeme As by thy aged yeares may seeme To me the first beginning shew From whence th' Egyptian race did grow The climate of this fruitfull land And how the peoples customes stand And of your Gods the forms and rites The which your old records recites And what ingrauen is in stone Vpon your Pyramides make knowne Reueale your Gods that would be showne If your fore-fathers did their art And sacred mysteries impart To Plato of a Grecian name Then may you well reueale the same To Caesars selfe for where can rest In all the world a worthier guest To whom your skill may be exprest I must confesse that Pompeys name Was some cause that did make me frame My iourney to the Pharian coast And yet when all my warres were most I euermore did giue my mind The motions of the stars to find My thoughts were to the heauens enclind So as Eudoxus Calender Shall not surpasse my framed yeare And therefore as within my brest A great and true desire doth rest Of knowlegde and of vertues lore So nothing do I couet more Then to finde out the secret course From whence this riuer takes his source And where his fountaines head appears That lies vnknowne so many yeares O I will hope at last to see Where Nylus springs for certaine be And so from ciuill warre rest free So Caesar makes an end to speake And this graue sire did silence breake ¶ Caesar I thinke that well I may These mysteries to thee bewray That our great Fathers hidden kept And in their thoughts obscured slept Reserued from the vulgar waies From age to age to these our daies Let others thinke it pietie To silence any mysterie But I do deeme the Gods aboue The worke as gratefull will approue That their great wonders should be showne And sacred rules to all made knowne When first an order was ordaind Whereby the world should be maintaind A diuers motion to the starres Was giuen to hold concordant iarres That they the orbs might onely sway And temper in their whirling way Contrarie to that rapide Pole That first of all doth mouing rolle The Sun doth still diuide and steare The times and seasons of the yeare And so the daies to nights doth change And doth restraine the stars to range About their orbs with powrefull rayes His station staies those wandring wayes The Moone her alteration breeds Vpon the seas and earthly seeds Old Saturne his empiring holds On freezing zoanes and ycie colds And Mars with wrathfull looke abashes The boisterous winds and lightning flashes Great Ioue no tempests doth procure But keepes all in milde temperature And fruitfull Venus of her grace Doth cherrish seeds in euery place Whilst Mercurie with charming vaine Doth moderate the wild vast maine ¶ Now when Cyllenius doth appeare In that part of the wheeling spheare Where Leos sparkling torchets are In enterchange with Cancers starre Where Syrius with his scorching ray Contagiously enflames the day And where the circle that doth change The yearely season iust doth range Betwixt the Tropicks equally Vnder whose couert Nyle doth lie Which when this powre I say that keepes An order in the raging deepes Doth touch with his starres influence Nylus as hauing thereof sence His channell lifts with swelling crest Scorning within his banks to rest Iust as Neptunus Empire flowes When Phoebes horned visage growes Nor doth he call his streames againe In their old harbour to remaine Vntill the Sun by his decline Do vnto the night those houres resigne That halfe the yeare he kept away To make her equall with the day The olde conceit is but a dreame Of this increase of Nylus streame That Aethiopias molten snowes Is cause of her great ouerflowes For in those mounts the Northern stowre Nor Boreas blasts haue any powre And to assure thee that is true Marke but the peoples Sun-burnt hue And those warme vapours that they find Perpetually from Austers winde Then for more proofe adde this likewise That euery riuer that doth rise By falling of the molten yse Doth then begin to be embost When summers spring first melts the frost But Nylus neuer waxeth hire Before the Dog-starre breaths his fire Nor euer doth her waues restraine To keepe within her banks againe But when as Libra with iust paise Doth equallize the nights and dayes Againe those rules do beare no sway With Nyle that other streames obay For winter giues to him no pride His fountaines then their forces hide But when the temper of the skies Most feruently with burning fries Amidst those heates then out he flies And cooles those lands that fire would wast Which vnderneath the line are plast So Nylus helps the world to swage The scorching flames of Leos rage And being cald doth giue redresse To his Syene in distresse When Cancers heates do it oppresse And from these fields draws not his streams Vntill the force of Phoebus beames In Autumns season do decline And Neroe do shade the shine Now who can hereof tell the cause But so great Nature giues her lawes That Nylus thus should range his flood And needfull t is for humane good But former times haue vainely guest This cause of winds blowne from the west Who with great force the aire doth chace With long continuance in one place And that this occidentall blast Doth driue the watrie clouds so fast A thwart the South and their in showres Downe right vpon the Nylus powres Or that the seas so often tost And beating on the Zoylan coast The very furie of the maine Repels the riuer backe againe So as restrained of his way By the vast Oceans powrefull sway Aloft beyond his bounds doth stray There are againe that do suppose That his great inundation growes Of moisture breathing from the earth Whose steaming vapors haue their birth Within the concaues of the ground And belcht out where great rifts are found And that these moistures meerely are By secret courses drawne from farre Out of the Northerne Region By the attracting middle zoane When Titans arrows shot down right On Meroe do parching light And to the burned land it brings The waters from farre rising springs Ganges and Padus send their streames In secret thorow many realmes Then Nylus powres out by one vaine All riuers that he doth retaine But many outlets makes of these When he conuaies them to the seas Another fancy many holds That the vast Ocean which enfolds The circuit of the earth about Flowing from farre at last breakes out With violence where Nyle doth range And with long tracke at length doth change The salt sea streames to waters sweete Whilst through earths bowels they do fleet Some thinke againe that these maine waues Rapt by the Sun when Cancer
with Caesars foes takes part Who wanting one to rule their mart She as the daughter of their king Assumes thereof the managing And to that Tyrants murdrous slaue Achillas she due iustice gaue And from his corps his head did shaue So now another sacrifice To thee ô Pompey bleeding lies For expiation to thy ghost But fortune will bestow more cost And heauens forbid this should be all The offrings for thy funerall The tyrants selfe of worth is not Nor all his Realme to cleare that blot And till the Senatorean state On Caesars bowels venge their hate Pompeys reuenge will be in date But yet this broile and martiall rage These leaders deaths could not asswage For now againe fresh stirs arise From Ganimed with more supplies Which fiercely doth on Caesar presse And giue a charge with shrewd successe This one daies danger was so great That Caesars fortune it did threat And so mought Ganemedes name Throughout the world haue flown with fame For whilst that Caesar doth prouide In emptie ships from tother side Some armed troop and old cohort Vnto this I le for his support Vpon a sodaine many foes With armed force do him enclose On this side hostil ships do keepe The shoares and barre him from the deepe Behind his backe the traitors bands In filed ranks with weapons stands No hope of safetie doth remaine No place for flight all valour vaine And that which did him most offend Scarce meanes to find a glorious end No force he had whereby he might In martiall sort frame any fight Now Caesars fortune must be lost And yet nor fight nor slaughter cost Coopt vp whereas the place affords No triall there for bloody swords Thus doubtfull musing whether t weare Fitter to die or basely feare He sternely casts his eyes behind And sees his foes in troops combind Wherewith he cals vnto his mind Scaeua his souldier that with fame Had purchast such a glorious name For that braue end and dantlesse spright Which he shewed at Dyrachium fight Where he alone the Rampart kept And neuer once retiring stept When Pompey had the walles beat downe Yet from them all did win renowne ¶ This memory of Scaeuas Mart Puts courage into Caesars heart And nobly hee resolues to dye VVith fame that through the world shold fly But his designe the Fates gaine-say Fortune shewes him a safer way For as he casts his eye aside Vpon his left hand he espide Ships of his friends that there did ride To swim to them he doth entend And therewith said what shall we end Our Fortunes here by villaines slaine Or rather sinke amidst the maine Then shall this Eunuch Ganimede No conquest gaine on Caesars head So hauing sayd he brauely leapt Into the sea but safe he kept His bookes within his left hand drie And with his right the waues doth trie So through the deeps he safely swamme Vntill amongst his frends he came Who him receiue with ioyfull cries That to the Heauens with Ecchos files Finis libri decimi A sharpe reprehension of Ciuill warre The miserable estate of Italy The Romans themselues worke their owne ruine It should seem that this was written in the beginning of Neroes reigne which was most excelleÌ„tly goueâ—ned for the first 5 yeares with singular Iustice temperance This is meere Ironicall flattery In this he teacheth NERO how he should gouerne by an Imagination of what is The causes of the ciuill war Fortune most triumphes ouer great estates No faith amongst Competitors of kingdomes Romulus and Rhemus Crassus the meanes that kept Caesar and Pompey within their bounds By Crassus death this ciuill rage brake out What mischiefe two ambitious mindes can breed in a quiet state IVLIA the means to hold Caesar Pompey in good correspondency Pompeyes iealousie Popeys humor Caesars humor Pompeyes disposition described Popular affectation Caesars disposition described The Roman Vices Wealth the cause of all excesse The great alteration of the Roman humors Diuision between the Senate and the people Honors bought and sold and not conferred by merit Caesar marching toward Rubicon is forbidden by an apparition Caesars answere to the Apparition Caesars Protestation to Rome Caesar wil passe the Rubicon with his legions The description of Rubicon Caesar passeth Rubicon Caesars speech when he had past the Rubicon Caesar surpriseth Ariminum The amazement of the Ariminenses The coÌ„plaint of the Ariminenses The many wracks that Ariminum had endured Caesar the child of Fortune The Iealousie of the Senate The Tribunes disgraced by the Senate Curios oration Curio accuseth the Senate Curio stirres Caesar to attempt Rome A strong perswasion Curio perswades Caesar that the Senate conspire to wrong him Caesar incensed Caesars oration to his Souldiers Caesars scornefull speech of Pompey and some other Romanes Pompey taxed in diuers kinds Milo Clodius Caesar chargeth Pompey with the cause of this ciuill war Pompey a follower of Sylla Caesar alleageth the wrongs offered him by the Senats decree Caesar insinuates with his Souldiers Caesar aleageth Pompeys prouision for pyrats whilst old Roman Veterans are neglected Caesars protestation against tyrannicall ambition Loelius Loelius oration to Caesar Loelius deuotes his faith to Caesar Loelius most desperate protestation for Caesars seruice The affection Caesars souldiers do beare to him Caesar assembles his forces Opinions of ebbing and flowing of the sea The great resolution of the Druides All that Caesar had conquered in ten yeares warres was hazarded to be lost The feares that the rumors of Caesars approach breedes at Rome The fame of Caesars comming to Rome The Senate flie from Rome The Roman frights and flying The Roman Citizens fall from their old wonted valor Pompey taxed for flying froÌ„ Rome at the bruite of Caesars approch Many prodigious signes seene before these ciuill warres Aruns an Augur seekes out the causes of the ciuill war by diuination A Roman procession A Bull sacrificed Aruns the Augur amazed Aruns afeard to expresse the coniecture Aruns censure Tages the first inuenter of Auguring Figulus an excellent Astrologer Doubtfull coniectures Figulus considers the inclinations of the heauens The censure of Figulus Prayers bootlesse against Destinie The censure of Figulus discomforteth the Romans The prophesying of a Roman Matron rap't with a sudden fury Whether there bee destiny or chance in worldly courses An Imprecation against fore-knowledge The Roman Matrons frequent the Temples with an extraordinary deuotion Not to vse presumption in praying The speech of a Roman Matron The coÌ„plaints of the Romans leauing the Citty and following the warres All warres more pleasing to the Romans then ciuill strife The Romans lay a curse on Caesar Pompey both The coÌ„plaint of an old Citizen declaring the bloudy times of Marius and Sylla Marius a bloudy man Bloudy Fury More cruelties Noble Romans slaughtered Murder in Vesta's Temple Marius chaÌ„ge of fortunes Sylla's raging time of crueltie The liberty that was giuen to out-rage The sundry meanes that men make to dye so