citizens Scipio let go at libertie and suffered to dwel styl in the towne and to enioy as moche of their goodes as was not before spoyled Amonge other prisoners there were two M. of craftes men which he caused to be bōd men to worke for the common profytte of the citie of Rome puttyng them in comfort that they should within shorte space be made all free if they wolde labour and worke earnestely about suche necessaryes as they shoulde haue nede of in the warre A greate noumber of the rest that were seruauntes and lusty yonge men he sent to be rowers in his shyppes and galeys in the places of suche as lacked And he also encreased his nauy of eyght shyppes wel furnished Beside al these prisoners he had also the pledges of noble men and cities to a greate noumbre whome he caused to be well kepte and gently entreated The rest of that daye Scipio gaue lycence to his wery men to rest theym selues For there were fewe but they had al the daye before ben sore trauayled with fyghtyng in one place or other The custody of the towne he gaue to Cn. Lelius and his company of see men and him selfe wente to his tentes ¶ Of the gentylnes of Scipio in restoryng a fayre yonge virgin vndefiled to Luceius vnto whom she was fyaunced Cap. xlvi ON the morowe he assembled all his hoste togyther and fyrst he gaue humble thankes praise to the goddis that had gyuen into his handes in one day so great so noble and so riche a citie the lyke wherof was not to be found in Spain Into which his ennemies had gathered togither the treasure bothe of Affrica and also of Spayne in such abundance that there was but lyttell or nothyng left for thē the Romayns hauyng great plenty of all thinges Nexte he muche praysed the noble courage and valyantnes of his men of warre whom nother the sodayne excursation of theyr ennemies out of the towne nother the hygh walles or waters of the same coulde make afrayde or let them of theyr enterpryse nother yet theyr castels and strong towres coulde resist theyr powers Aboue other he praised muche twayn that first scaled the walles and entred the towne to eche of them he gaue a crowne of good value his other souldiours he rewarded euery man after his vertue and merites but specially Cn. Lelius the gouernour of the nauye he praysed and muche loued to whome he gaue for a rewarde a crowne of golde and .xxx. oxen ¶ Than caused he the pledges to be brought before him willyng them to be of good comforte and that they shuld consider that they wer now in the power of the Romayns whose naturall propretie and desire is to bynde men throughe theyr benefytes shewinge to loue them rather than by compulsion to kepe men in feare of them And had leauer to ioyne strange nations in amitie with them by faithfull felowshyp then sorowfully to kepe them in myserable seruitude Than he toke the names of the cities that had their pledges there and to the ambassadours that by chaunce were with hym present of any of the sayde cities he incontinent delyuered the pledges vnto theim to the other cities he sent messangers wyllynge theim to send vnto him for theim and they shulde haue theyr pledges frely delyuered There were also taken many noble matrones and honest maydens whom he committed to sobre and honest men to be kept without any force or dishonour to be done vnto them among other captiues there was one virgin brought vnto hym of so excellent beautie that where so euer she went all men delyted to beholde her Scipio enquired of her of what cuntrey she was and of what kynred she was descended he perceyned by her that she was betrouthed or made sure to a yong prince of the Celtiberiās whose name was Luceius Wherevppon he incontinent sent for the said yonge man and also for her parentes At whose coming knowyng that the yonge man was soore enamoured of her he thus sayd vnto hym I being a yonge man haue sente for you that are also a yong man to come to me the cause is for that whan this yong maiden being fianced or ensured to you was brought to me by my soldiors I herd say that you entierly loued her And her beautie witnesseth that you haue good cause so to do If I might laufully enioy her pleasaunt loue and were not otherwyse occupied in my mynde about the affayres of the commune welthe I coulde perchaunce beare her my loue and desyre to enioy the same but nowe I wyll beare fauour to your loue that of ryght ought to haue her She hath bene here with me as well and honourably kept her virginite preserued as though she had dwelled styl with her owne parentes to thintent I might make of her a present to you most acceptable for the conseruation of mine honor And for this my gift I require of you but one only reward that is that you from hēsforth becom a louing frēd to the Romās And if ye esteme me to be a good or an honorable man as my father and vncle before me were reputed for to be thinke that there are in the noble citie of Rome many like vnto vs. And trust me neuer if any people can this daye be founde on the earth that you wyll be gladder to haue the loue and frend shyppe of or that ye wolde be more sory to haue the displeasure of The yong man after gret thankes gyuen hym praide the goddes to rewarde him for his goodnes where his power suffised not Then were the parentes of the mayden called forthe who had broughte with them a great summe of golde for the redemption of theyr chyld But when they perceiued that he had giuen her frely to her husband they desired him to take a parte therof as of theyr gyfte for the declaration of theyr good hertes towardes hym affirminge that his receyuinge therof shulde be as ioyfull vnto them as the restitution of theyr dowghter vndefiled ¶ Then Scipio beinge ouercome with theyr longe and vehement intercession caused the sayde summe to be layde on the grounde before his fete and callinge Luceius againe to hym he sayde Besyde the dowere that ye shal receyue of your father in lawe for the mariage of his doughter ye shall also take this gyfte of dower at my hande With whiche his great gift and also moch honour to hym done besyde he retourned home to his house and countrey declaring to euery man the honour and magnifycence of Scipio sayinge that there was a yonge man come most lyke vnto a god who bothe with his power in warre and also with his gentilnesse and liberalitie in peace had ouercome all the countrey This yonge gentilman leauing his house and familye in good ordre shortely after retourned to Scipio bringynge with hym a. M. CCCC good horsemen to the ayde and socour of the Romaynes ¶ Then Scipio sent C. Lelius to Rome to beare
to hym to declare his mynde to the olde souldyours that were lefte in Spayne after the laste great losse and slaughter of the Romaynes he called them togyther and made his oration as hereafter foloweth ¶ There was neuer newe capitayn before me that had cause to gyue thankes vnto his souldyours before he hadde tryed theyr hardines and diligence in bataile but fortune hath bouÌ„d me vnto you louinge souldiours before I knewe this countreye or sawe the place of our Campe. Fyrste for the loue and obedience that ye haue borne to my father and mine vncle bothe quycke and deade secundarily for that whan the hole countrey was as loste by reason of the greate distruction of our people yet you by your noble vertue and myghte haue obteyned the possession of the same agayne bothe to the Romaynes and also to me theyr deputie here and successour to my sayd father and vncle But now sens through the fauour of the goddis we intende to worke not that we may dwell in Spayne styll our selues but that the Carthaginenses shall haue no dwellyng here Nother onely to restraine them that they shall not come on this syde the bankes of the water of Iberus but that we intend to passe the same floode with our army to gyue them battayle I feare lest it shall be thoughte by you that this my counsayle is more hardy and spoken after myne age than wyse consyderynge the late losse that we haue had here wherby the tyme shuld not serue vs to vndertake suche great enterpryses There is noo manne hath more cause than I to remembre our euyll fortune in batayle in Spayne who haue had both my father and myne vncle slayne here within the space of thyrty days as ye wold say to make here a heape of corps of our family one vpon an other Neuerthelesse as the losse and lacke of frendes is displeasant to the mynde of men euen so doth fortune and noble vertuouse courage forbyd a man in suche case to dispayre specially sens thorough fatall fortune our chaunce hath heretofore bene that after we haue bene beaten and susteined great losses in the beginning yet at the last we haue euer ouercome our ennemies that before suppressed vs. I wyll not reherse the olde hystories of our warres with Porsena with the Frenchmen and with the Samnites I wyll onely remembre the warres with these our ennemies the Carthaginenses how many nauies of shyppes howe many capitaynes and howe many armies lost we in the fyrst battayles that we had with theym before the tyme of this Anniball And nowe in his tyme at Trebia at Trasymenus and at Cannas what other thinges did appere other than hole armyes with theyr capitaynes and Romayne Consuls slayne Furthermore howe great a parte of Italy of Sardinia and Sicilia haue forsaken the Romaynes to folowe the amitie of Anniball and how nigh the citie of Rome pytched he his campe ye he hym self was sene almost to ride hard to the gates of Rome In all the tyme of this great ruyne and hard fortune the hertes the vertue and courage of of the Romaynes remayned styl stedfast hole and vnmouable wherby they haue ben euer susteyned and set vp agayne After the cruell batayle of Cannas Hasdruball with a great armye was goynge ouer the mountaynes into Italye to helpe his brother Anniball and to ioyne theyr powers together whych if he had done accordynge to his intent there hadde by thys day ben almost no memorye or name of the Romayns left But then ye hardy souldyours by the gouernaunce of my father withstode theim and by your good fortune so wel sped there that therby the euel chaunces which before hapned vs were wel releued and nowe through the goodnes of the goddes are dayly more ioyfull and prosperous In Sicilia the great cities of Syracusa and Agrigentum be wonne agayn and the hole Ile brought vnto the obedience of the Romaines and our ennemies clene expulsed In Italy Capua is taken the Arpines brought again vnder the subiection of Rome And Anniball in gret feare fleing froÌ„ Rome is nowe bryuen into an angle of the countrey of the Brutians where the dayly prayer that he maketh to the goddes aboue al thinges is that he may safe and sound escape without daunger out of the countrey of his ennemies Wherfore frendes there is nothyng more vnmete or more contrary to reason then that you who haue in al aduersitie and lowe ebbe when the goddes were them selues almost on Annibals partie yet by the guyding of my father and frendes haue susteyned and borne vp the estate of the Romaynes that ye nowe when al thynges ar mery and prosperous shoulde shrynke or suffre your hartes to fayle you Nowe the immortall goddes the gouernours of the Romayne Empyre who wylled the people of Rome by one assent to elect me vnto this gret offyce and dignitie the same goddes by sundry presages signes and dreames in the nyght haue shewed me that all thynges hereafter shal haue prosperous successe ye and that I most at this time do regarde my harte giueth me that ere it be long al Spaine shalbe ours so that as many as beare the name of a Carthaginense shall be gladde for feare to flee hens both by lande and by sea And reason also gyueth that the same whiche in my herte is conceyued must nedes be trewe For dyuers of theyr frendes whyche haue by theym ben euil intreted haue of late sent embassadours to vs for socours Agayne there be of them thre captaines whiche can not agree among them selues For whiche cause they haue deuided theyr armye in three partes and are departed farre a sundre Wherfore the same fortune that skourged and distroyed vs doth nowe come on theim For their felowes and friendes in whom they trust be gone from theim euen as the people called Celtiberi departed and forsoke you when yâ—hadde moste nede of theim They also haue deuided and seuered theyr hostes which was the cause of the destruction bothe of my father of myne vncle This discorde wyll not suffer theim to ioyne to gether againe And be ye sure no one armie of theim by it selfe is able to withstande you Wherfore I moste hertely pray you good souldiours loue and fauour nowe the name of the Scipions whiche am I the sonne of your olde capitaine Scipio an impe growen out as ye woulde saye of a stocke that is cut downe by the grounde And ye olde knightes so worke that ye may brynge me a yonge capitaine with my newe armie ouer Iberus into the countrey which ye haue passed after many great actes and prowes shewed and I doubte not shortly to bringe to passe that as ye nowe knowe in me to be a similitude or resemblaunce of my father and vncle by my face countenaunce and features of my body euen so shall ye see in me also an exaumple of theyr witte faith and vertue in suche wyse that euery one of you shall saye Scipio our olde capitaine is
myght be perswaded to receyue the conditions of peace seing their walles so weake and their towne so easy to be wonne promised to declare vnto them the contentes of the truce He deliuering his weapon to the capitaynes of theyr ennemies was brought to the Pretor Saguntine and so into the senate where whan the multitude of the commons was a lytell withdrawen thus he beganne his oration ¶ If your citezyn and messanger Alcon that came to Anniball to require peace had lykewise broughte from hym vnto you the conditions of the same my coÌ„myng nowe had ben in vayne Which thing if he had done I shuld nother as Annibals oratour nor as a fugityue haue come vnto you at this tyme. But seing that he either through his owne defaute or els by yours tarieth with your ennemies lest you shulde be ignorant that there are certayne conditions offered bothe of peace and safegard I for the olde frendshyp and hospitalitie that hath ben betwene vs am come to you and fyrst I wolde ye shulde perswade your selues that for your welth and none other cause I speake to you those wordes which I wyl declare and this you may well perceyue For as longe as you were able with your owne power to make resistence or trusted to haue succour from the Romayns I neuer made mention to you of peace Nowe seing there is no hope of succour from the Romains and your own streÌ„gth and walles do fayle you being vnable any longer to resist I bring to you peace more necessary than ryghtuous or iuste Of the which peace there is yet some hope yf as Anniball beinge conquerour doth sende it so you as people subdued wyll receyue it For you must consyder that you beinge conquered muste of the conquerour receiue that whiche of his goodnes he wyl giue you as a reward The conditions of peace are these He wyl take the citie whyche he hath broken for the most parte and almoste wonne from you He wyll leaue to you the fieldes and also assigne a place where you shall buylde a newe citie He commaundeth also your golde syluer and other goodes publike and priuate to be brought to hym He is contented to suffer your selues your wyues and children to passe in safe garde if ye go out of the citie vnarmed takyng with you only double apparell for your bodies Those thynges your victorious enemy Anniball dothe commaunde you the whyche your sorowfull chaunce and fortune dothe perswade you to accepte Truely I doubt not whan ye haue accomplyshed all these his requestes but that some of these conditions shalbe remytted vnto you I thynke better you shulde rather suffer these iniuries than your selues to be slayne your wyues and chyldren taken violently led away before your faces by the extreme lawes of warre ¶ Howe Sagunt was cruilly conquered Cap. v. _â—Vhan Alorcus hadde ended his oration the chiefe rulers of the citie departed sodaynely from the reste of the multitude and gathered all theyr golde and syluer frome the publyke and priuate places into the market place and before any answere was gyuen vnto Alorcus towchynge his message they caste it all into a fyre that was quyckly made for the same purpose and many cast them selfe headlonge after Whan the feare the trembling and the quakyng for this busynes had passed through the citie annother rumour was afterward heard A towre of the citie that had longe tyme be brused and shaken fell downe to the earthe at which place a company of the Carthaginenses entred Anniball in suche a chance thynkyng not mete longe to deliberate with great violence entred the town and incoutinent coÌ„manded that all the youth shulde be slayne a cruelle victory notwithstanding it was knowen in that case almost necessary For whiche of those shulde be spared that eyther being inclosed with their wyues children burned theyr houses ouer them or els being well armed wold determine no end of the warre but by deathe The citie was taken with a great praye of the whiche moche goodly householde stuffe was sent to Carthage Some write the .viii. moneth that the warre began the citie was won and that Anniball for the wynter returned agayne to newe Carthage Duryng which tyme the ambassadours that went to Carthage brought worde to Rome that the Saguntines were ouercome and distroyed and their citie taken Whyche tydinges hearde and knowen for trouthe brought suche heuynes and sorowe togither to the Romans What for pitie of theyr freÌ„des vnworthily lost and for shame that they had not succoured theÌ„ in due tyme that therby they conceyued as great displeasure toward the Carthaginenses and also feare of losse of their owne countrey and goodes as though the hole power of theyr ennemies had bene presente at hande Thus being troubled at one tyme with dyuers motions of the mynde they seemed rather to quake and tremble than to take counsayle and good cause why For there neuer warred agaynste theym a more cruell ennemy nor more vehementely gyuen to all kyndes of warre nother theyr citezens neuer soo sluggysshe and vnmeete to warfare as then Whan they hadde longe bewayled this sorowfull chaunce they prepared all thynges as meete and necessarye for the warres as they coulde Some were sent into Fraunce some into Affrica and lykewyse into all other places where they hadde warres ¶ Howe the Romayn ambassadours sent to Carthage and from thens into Spayne spedde Cap. vi AL the foresaide busynesses prepared and set in good order Quintus Fabius Marcus Liuius Lucius Aemilius Caius Lucinius and Quintus Bebius were sent into Affrica to in quere of the Carthaginenses whether Hanniball distroyed the citie of Sagunt by the assent of the publyke counsayle or noo And yf they wold graunt and defende that it was done by the holle counsaile than to declare vnto them that they wold reuenge their wronges in battayle After the Romans were come to Carthage and that Quintus Fabius had in the senate enquered of the senatours of Carthage accordyng to his coÌ„maundement a prince of Carthage answered on this wyse ¶ Oye Romaynes your fyrst legacy whan ye came and required Anniball to be delyuered vnto you as one that hadde besieged Sagunt of his owne mynde without our counsayle was voyde and of none effecte Howe than shulde this your cruell legacy take place wherin ye requyre of vs a confession of the trespasse and amendes for the same I thinke it ought not to be inquired whether Sagunt was distroyed by our publike or priuate counsayle but whether it was done ryghtfully or wrongefully For your question and consyderation as concernynge our cytezen is whether he enterprysed the syege and battayle by his owne mynde or by our accorde and our controuersy with you is whether it myght be done the truce beynge obserued or no. Therefore sythe it muste be determyned what rulars maye doo by the common counsaylle and what of theyr owne wylle Ye muste vnderstande that the truce that was taken betwene you and vs was gyuen by Luctatius
and of noble courage of mynde correspondent to the same ¶ This Centenius being broughte into the senate house by P. Cornelius Sulla desyred of the senatours that he might haue deliuered him only .v. M. souldiours with whose helpe he doubted not but that with the knowlege that he had both of the countreys and also of the crafty feates of his ennemy he wold with the same subtiltie and policies deceiue Anniball by whiche he before had deceiued the Romaynes This his vnwise promise vnto them was as vnwisely beleued of them And where he demaunded but .v. M. they gaue him .viii. M. men and he in the countreys as he went gathered togyther almoste as many mo of suche as willyngly went with him hauing hope in his courage and promise With this noumbre of men he came into the fieldes of the Lucanes where Anniball had rested hym and his company wery of the chase of Appius Claudius Whan either of them sawe others army they incontineÌ„t put their folke in aray The matche was not equall nother of capitaines nor of souldiours neuerthelesse the bataile indured more than two howres Centenius perceiuinge his part to suffre the worse and fearing leste if he shulde lyue after his men were slayne he shulde suffer great shame and infamy during his lyfe for the losse of suche a numbre of men by his folishe enterprise at the last willingly he entred the thickest prease of his enemies where he was shortly slayne and than his men fledde on all partes but they were so harde chased with horsemen that of that great company there escaped scant one thousand ¶ One other happy chaÌ„ce fortune sent to Annibal as it were for a farewel or leue takyng of him before she thought to depart to the Romans the occasion therof was that one Cneiê° Fuluius bearing the office of pretor lay than in Apulia with his host besiegyng suche townes as before were come to the amitie of the Carthaginensis And in his busynes he had soo well sped and was become so welthy and riche bothe he and his men with prayes whiche they had taken that leauyng all good order of warre or the peynfull pursuite thereof they were growen into slouthe and sluggysshe ydelnes Of theyr vndiscrete order the Appulians sente woorde to Anniball by messangers And he knowing by experience what wolde folowe the gouernance of an army by an vnwise capitane wherof of late he had the triall by Centenius with spede he remoued into the costis of Apulia Whan the Romains had knowlege that their enemies approched and were ouen at hande they were all mynded to haue displayde their baners and to haue runne to batail without the coÌ„mandement of their capitain The night folowing Annibal perceiuing their great hast to battaile coÌ„manded .iii. M. of his light men of warre to lye priuily hyd in woodes bushes couertes next adioyning gyuing them a signe or token at what tyme they shulde issue out and assaile their enmies Than caused he Mago with .ii. M. horsemen to lye priuily in the wayes by which he demed the Romans wolde flee after theyr discomfiture These thynges in the nyght tyme being wysely disposed yarly in the morning he came with his host into the fieldes putting the rest of his men in goodly aray ¶ On the other side Fuluius the pretor made no tarying being moche inforced therto by the hasty wilfulnes of his souldiours Wherfore with suche aduysement as they came into the fielde with suche lyke aduysement were the batayles ordred For euery man went to what place him semed best and chose his coÌ„pany with whom he wold be and somtyme changed his place again at his pleasure The forward and the left wing were fyrst ordered and that all in length and of a small thyknesse The Tribunes cried to them to set more strength of men in the myddell of their battailes or els their enemies myght easyly go through them with small force at theyr pleasure But they were so wylfull and hasty that they gaue noo eare to theyr wordes By that tyme were the Carthaginenses come in good order redy to ioyne at whose fyrst cominge with great noise bruite the Romains were put to the wors whervpon the capitayn seing all lyke to go to mischiefe toke his hors and with two hundred horsemen with him fled The reste that abode were almooste all slayne for of .xviii. M. of the company there escaped not past .ii. M. alyue The tentes and stuffe was also taken by the Carthaginenses whiche was a good pray The tydinges of these great sodayn losses were brought to Rome whiche caused the citie to be in great feare and mournyng Neuerthelesse by cause bothe the Consulles with their armies were safe and did somwhat prosper in their affayres they toke the more comforte to theym And incontynent sent messangers to the Consuls wylling them to serch for all such as were escaped at these two battailes that they shuld be gathered togither and called vnto them lest either for feare or for dispaire they wold yeld them to their enmies whiche thyng with all diligence they dyd execute ¶ The citie of Capua is beseged by the two consuls Anniball coÌ„meth to the succour of the citezeÌ„s giueth the coÌ„suls battel from thens goth to Rome ward with his host to thintent therby to draw the coÌ„suls from the siege of Capua Ca. xxxix IN the meane season was Capua compassed besieged by both the consuls great prouision of corne made for the same laid in garners in the castel of Casselinê° Than sent they to Suessula for Claudius Nero the Pretor who leauyng a small garrison there came hym selfe to theym to Capua with all his power Thus was Capua compassed with thre greatte armyes on three partes and to enclose the citezens the more surely they prepared to compasse the hole city with a great diche And thervpon they made many castels a good distance thone froÌ„ the other The CaÌ„panes thinkynge to let their work issued many times fought with the RomaÌ„s but their fortune was euer such that they lost still of their meÌ„ and at the last were constrained to kepe them within the walles of their citie but before the warkes or siege was so straite and strong they had sent ambassadours to Anniball complaynyng that he had forsaken theym and his citie of Capua and that yf he dyd not shortly succour them they must yeld them to the Romans To whom Anniball answered that of late he had resâ—ued them and raysed their siege ones and that shortly he wolde come to helpe them againe not doubting but the Romayns shuld be vnable to resist his power at his coÌ„myng With this comfortable message they retourned to their citie whyche they founde so compassed with a double dyche that with peyne coulde they fynde the meane to enter into it neither coulde they haue entred had not the letters of P. Cornelius the pretor bene wherin he aduysed the consuls before the dyche shuld be fully
was stnyshed Lelius with his hoste of footemen came to the citie of Cyrtha And knowing of the sodeine weddyng he was so displesed with the act that he was mynded to take her from the plesant bedde of her new husband and to send her to Scipio with her husband Syphax and other â—â—isoners But at the last he being ouercome by thintercessioÌ„ of Massanissa who remitted the order of that matter to the iudgement of Scipio he sent Syphax and other prisoners to the emperour Scipio After whose departyng he by the helpe of Massanissa receiued the other townes and cities of that countrey of Numidia into his handes which before were kept by the retinue of kyng Syphax ¶ Syphax is brought to the campe of Scipio Massanissa sendeth to Sophonisba poyson whiche she without feare drinketh Capi. lxv VVhan tydinges came into the Romain campe of the coming of Syphax and the other noble captiues greatte was the numbre of people that ranne to behold theim The king being bounde was caried formooste and after hym folowed a great numbre of the nobilitie of Numidia And as the opinion of men is dyuers so diuerse were the tales of the people extollynge the honour of the victorye by the myghty power of Syphax and by the noble fame of the people that was ouercome There was recounted the myghty power of the kyng to whose maiestie in one day .ii. of the most noble seignories of the worlde sued for his fauour and frendeship that is to say the Romayns and the Carthaginenses The Romanes sent theyr valyaunt emperour and capitaine Scipio onely with .ii. galeys that bare fiue oores on euery syde into Affrica to seke his amitie leauyng in Spayn than his prouince all his hoste and great charge Agayne Asdruball the capytayne of the Carthaginenses not onely came into his countrey for amitie but also he gaue hym his daughter in mariage for the more sure consyrmation of alyaunce betweene theim Some rehersed the power and actes of Syphax to be suche that he had driuen Massanissa out of his realme brynging him to suche extreme calamitie that his lyfe coulde none otherwyse be saued but by the bruite and fame of his death and he after gladde to hyde his head in dennes or caues and to lyue in the forestes and woddes lyke a wylde beast ¶ With these and suche lyke famous report of the beholders he was brought into the tent of Scipio who was by his presence and syght muche moued with pitie consyderyng the honour that he of olde tyme had knowen hym in and conferryng the same to his present misery Than Scipio after salutations made other coÌ„municatioÌ„ betwene them had 〈…〉 what he wold haue him to do to him seing he 〈◊〉 onely refused the amitie of the Romaynes but also wyllingely gauetheim battayle To whom the kinge aunswered that he knewe wel that he had offended and he confessed that he was not in his right mynde whan he moued warre againste them He was madde when he dyd forget the comynge of Scipio into his realme and the bonde of alliance that he then made with hym but specially whan he receiued into his house a matrone of Carthage of whose hot loue and mariage the fyry brondes had alredy set fyre in his royall palaice That madde and pestilente fury by her intisement neuer ceassed tyll she had turned his harte and mynde from his olde friendes the Romaynes causynge hym to pursue the warre againste them Neuer the lesse sayde he in all my mysery I haue nothynge that so moche doth comfort me and reioyse my herte as when I beholde the same pestilent madde fury nowe to be entred the house of my most ennemy And when I consyder that Massanissa is noo more wyse then Syphar was but that he more madly and with lesse temperaunce hath receiued her then euer I dyd ¶ With these wordes of the kynge Scipio was not a lyttell troubled and then herynge the great offence layde to Massanissa he sawe good cause why he shuld gyue credence therto Consydering the great hast made in the maryage without the aduise of Lelius and without abydinge his comynge This acte also semed worse and more to be abhorred consyderyng that he beinge a yonge man in Spayne was neuer before taken with the loue of any captiue or prisoner ¶ As he was musynge hereon anone Lelius and Massanissa came vnto hym whom in open audience he meryly and ioyfully receyued giuynge them great thankes and praises for their dilygence in that iourney shewed But anone takynge Massanissa alone with hym in to a secrete place he sayde thus vnto hym ¶ I knowe ryght well Massanissa that you dydde perceyue some good qualities and vertues in me whan you fyrste came into Spayne to me defyrynge there my frendshyp and amitie and afterwarde in Affrica when ye holly coÌ„mytted your selfe into my gouernaunce But at that tyme ye thought your selfe that there was no vertue in me whiche ye soo moche estemed as temperaunce and continencie of whiche also I truely dyd most glory of my selfe And these vertues Massanissa I wolde ye shulde ioyne vnto other noble qualities and vertues wherwith ye are indued For beleue me there is not so moche daunger to men of our yonge age by armed ennemies as is by voluptuouse pleasure of our wanton desyres whiche euer are redy to vainquishe vs. And who so euer throughe temperaunce can bridle and subdue those affecions is worthy more honour and hath achieued a greatter victory then we haue nowe had by the takynge of kynge Syphax The actes whiche ye haue so valyauntly and nobly done in myne absence remayne daylye in my memory the other your euill actes I had leuer ye dyd call to remembraunce your selfe then that I shoulde declare theym to youre greatte shame Syphax by the good fortune of the Romaynes is nowe ouercome and taken Wherefore he his wyfe his kyngedome his possessions his townes and castelles his people inhabitauntes of the same with all that euer to Syphax belonged is nowe a praye due to the people of Rome The king and his wife although she had not beÌ„ a citezen of Carthage and althoughe her father were not the capitain of our ennemies ought to be sent to Rome and there she ought to abide the iudgement of the senatours and people of the citie for that she turned the minde of the kyng her husbande from our friendshyp perswadynge hym to take armour agaynste vs. Wherfore nowe ouercome your owne affectionate mynde and beware that with one vyce ye dysgrace not so many your good vertues and by one offence lose the rewarde and the thankes whiche by your merites ye haue here tofore worthely deserued ¶ With these secrete rebukes Massanissa was not onely ashamed but also constrayned to wepe sayinge that he wolde alwayes be at his commaundemente Neuer the lesse he desyred hym as moche as myght be admitted to regarde the faythful promesse that he had vnaduisedly made vnto her whiche was that he wolde delyuer her into
was that they myght continue in the same leage and conditions of amitie and peace with the Romaines as were before at the last truce taken with them by Luctatius than being consull ¶ Then dyuers of the auncient Senatours of Rome whyche were presente at the leage taken by Luctatius demaunded sundrye questyons of the legates of Carthage concernynge the sayde condition of peace conteyned in that leage Wherevnto they beynge all younge menne aunswered that they were not of aege to remembre that treatie This aunswere was greattely suspected of the fathers Wherefore they said with one assent that the Carthaginenses accordyng to theyr olde accustomed crafte and falsehode had chosen suche imbassadours to requyre a peace to be renued wherof they had no knowlege nor remembrance Whervppon the legates were caused to auoide the place whiles they counsayled vppon the matter And after longe deliberate discussynge therof Lelius and Fuluius declared to theim the opinyon of Scipio touchyng this peace whiche was that he dydde not myslyke the meanyng of the Carthaginenses in case they dyd not sende to call home Anniball and Mago out of Italy but if they so dyd than he thought they wolde dissemble the matter vnto their capitains coming with succours and afterward forgettyng their promise wolde renewe the warre Vpon these wordes the whole counsayle agreed to the saying of M. Valerius Leuinus who sayde that they were to be taken as espies and not as embassadours and that they shuld be cōmanded to auoyde Italy hauyng guides sente with theim to conduct theim vnto their shyppes And that word shulde be sente to Scipio to procede in the warre as he had begunne ¶ Nowe in the meane space whiles the legates of Scipio and of Carthage were at Rome Cn. Octauius with .ii. C. shippes of cariage and .xxx. other longe shippes to guyde theim passed from Sicilia to go into Affrica but the windes were so vehement the stormes so importunate that he with the long shyppes with peyne saued hym selfe in a porte neere to the mountayn of Apollo The other hulkes of cariage were driuen to diuers places on the coste of Affrica in the sight of the men of Carthage The Carthaginenses perceyuing this great praye easy to be taken forgettynge theyr desyre of peace and also the tyme of truse taken with Scipio yet mention of them bothe was made to them by certayne of the citie they by hole assente appoynted Asdruball with fyfty shyppes to gather togither and to bring home those seabeaten disparpled shippes with all that was in them At whose comynge the shypmenne fled away leauynge theyr vesselles and he without any resystence drewe them with hym to Carthage Scipio considering this theyr acte to be doone before the legates were returned from Rome or that they knewe what aunswere they shuld receyue eyther of warre or of peace Also seinge the tyme of truse was not yet expyred toke it to be moche more heynous and displeasaunt ¶ Sone after this breake of truse on the parte of the Carthaginenses arryued Lelius and Fuluius with the legates of Carthage to whom Scipio declarynge theyr vntrewe dealynge cōmaunded them to departe and he with all spede prepared for the warre ¶ This yere folowynge were chosen consulles M. Seruilius Geminus and T. Claudius Nero. Seruilius was apoynted to Hetruria as his prouynce and Claudius Nero to Affrica He had ordeyned fyfty good shyppes wherwith he and his host shulde passe into Affrica where he shulde be equal ruler with Scipio ¶ NOVVE VVAS Anniball with his armye arriued safe in Affrica and by land came to Zama fyue days iourney from Carthage From thens sente he espies before hym to knowe the state of the Romayne campe and armye These spyes by chaunce happed on the skoute watche of the Romaynes and were taken and brought to Scipio Who demaunded of them the cause why theyr capitayne sent them thyther They aunswered to espye and to haue knowlege of his army and order Then Scipio called certayn of his capitaines called tribunes commaundinge them to go with the espies of Anniball and to conducte them throughe all his campe not fearynge to shewe them what so euer they desyred to see Whan they had gone rounde about a longe season and were brought agayne to him he demaunded of them whether they had well accordinge to theyr myndes viewed his campe and hoste They sayde ye Then said he Go ye to Anniball and make to hym relation of that ye haue seene Thus let he them departe sendynge with them guides to conduct them out of daunger ¶ The spies whan they came to Anniball declared vnto him how Scipio had intreated thē Besides that they shewed him that Massanissa the same day was come to Scipio with .vi. M fotemen and .iiii. M. horsemen But there was nothyng that euer they tolde him so moch abated his courage as the libertie that he gaue his espies to viewe his order and power For that great boldenes of his ennemye he iudged and knewe well proceded of some great assuraunce that he had in his strength and good order Wherfore although he him selfe was the first cause and occasion bothe of the warre and also of the truse brekinge yet he deuysed hym selfe to speake with Scipio thinkinge before any battayle whyles his power was not assayed he shuld obteine peace with more easy conditiōs then he shuld in case it chaunced hym to be ouercome Wherfore he sente a messanger to Scipio desyringe that he myght haue lybertie to speake with him and that he wolde apoynt a place where they might come together Scipio refused not to accomplysshe his desyre The place was apoynted voyde of al deceite and gile Thyther came the .ii. most noble capitaines of the worlde hauing onely eche of them one interpretour with him to declare to eche other what shulde be spoken by them Theyr hostes abode a good space from them When they were come together either of them was astonied with the fyght of the other So that as persons amased through admiration they spake no worde of a good season At the laste Anniball began to speake in maner folowynge ¶ The wytty oration that Anniball made to Scipio before the battayle betwene them Cap. lxix IF it be gyuen me by the fatall fortune that I whiche fyrst moued this warre against the people of Rome that so many tymes haue had the victorye ouer theim shuld nowe of mine owne voluntary wyll come to be a suiter to haue peace I am glad that it is thy chance Scipio to be the man appoynted of the goddes of whom I shulde come to require the same peace And among many other prayses that be gyuen vnto the this maye be as one of the greatest That Anniball to whome the goddes haue gyuen so many victories of the Romaynes shulde nowe gyue place and obey vnto the. So that thou mayst make an ende of this notable warre that hath ben betwene vs as yet more to your losse then to ours Again what worke is
sent agayne to Scipio by the same legates that they wold receyue his conditions of peace And where they coulde not knowe who had the goodes that wer in the hulkes they wold pay therfore at his owne iudgement The vessels and men shulde be restored ¶ Thus was the truce gyuen to the citie of Carthage for thre monethes with a commaundement that duryng the time of truce they shulde sende embassadours to no place but only to Rome And in case that any embassadours were sent frome any place to Carthage that they shuld in no wyse depart from thens vntyll the Romayne capitayne were ascertayned what they were and what was the cause of theyr comming ¶ Soone after went the legates of Carthage to Rome with whom were sent C. Veturius Philo M. Martius Valla and Lucius Scipio brother to P. Scipio the Romayn capytayn ¶ When they were come thyther L. Veturius Philo declared howe Scipio hadde foughten with Anniball and ouercome the Carthaginenses to theyr vtter confusyon makynge nowe an ende of the dolefull longe warre that had been betwene the Romaynes and theim And that also Vermina the sonne of Syphax with his power was beaten and ouercome Of whyche newes the senatours beinge meruaylous ioyfull commaunded hym to publysshe the same gladde tydynges to the whole multitude of the citezens Who makynge greatte ioye gaue thankes for the vyctory to the goddis Than wer the legates of Carthage broughte into the senate And whan the senatours behelde the age the dignitie and the grauitie of the ambassadours who were of the mooste noble menne of the citie of Carthage than they iudged that they intended playnely and syncerely to intreate of peace Amonge other of these nobles of Carthage there was one Asdruball called Hedus one of the chiefe of theim bothe in auctoritie and in nobilitie who was euer desyrous of peace and held moche agaynste Anniball and his affinitie This Asdruball sayde that a fewe couetous personnes of the citie were culpable for this warre and not the comminaltie Some faultes whyche were layde to theym he excused some other he confessed leste by the denying of all he myght be the worse hearde of the senate Than he perswaded the Senatours to vse theyr prosperous fortune gentylly and in due temperance professynge euer that in case the Carthaginenses would haue folowed the myndes of hym and of Hanno takynge the tyme whan it was offered that they had beene the gyuers to other of peace vppon suche conditions as they were nowe gladde to take at others handes But sayde he it is but seldome sene that good fortune and a good mynd be gyuen both at ones to men The cause of the conquestes of you Romains euer chiefly hath been for that in prosperitie ye haue had the remembrance to consulte of thynges to come And your empyre hath bene more encreased by gentylnes and fauour shewed to nations whom ye haue vanquyshed than it hath bene by the victories gotten on theim ¶ After that Asdruball had finysshed his oration the other ambassadours made moche more lamentable propositions bewayling the miserable fall of the state of the Carthaginenses who being the greattest lordes in honour of the worlde were nowe constrayned to abyde enclosed within the walles of the citie hauyng nothing els that they myghte clayme propretie of ye and that same only citie they helde but vpon the goodnes and forbearyng of the Romaynes whiles theyr pleasure was to forbere the vtter distruction therof With these humble and gentyll woordes the senatours vniuersally were fully inclyned to peace Than one of the senatours spake out with loude voyce If peace be graunted to the Carthaginenses by what goddis shall they sweare and make peace whan they haue broken promise and deceiued the goddis by whom they sware whan they laste toke peace with vs To whom the sayd Asdruball answered euen by the same goddis wyll we sweare who be so angry and are reuenged on vs that brake oure laste truse and leage Herevpon all the senatours and the comons being inclyned to peace determined that by thaduise of .x. legates of Rome P. Scipio shulde make with theim the peace vpon suche conditions as to him semed best The legates wer named and made theim redy to depart with the Carthaginenses For the whiche the ambassadours gaue greate thankes to the senate of theyr goodnes to theim shewed desyryng them before their departyng to licence theim to entre the citie and to visite certayne of their frendes and kynnesmen that were kepte in the citie as prisoners whiche requeste was graunted theim And they desyred also that they myght redeme diuers of theim vpon reasonable raunsom They were cōmaunded to write the names of suche as they wolde haue redeemed And they named .ii. C. of theim who incontinent were delyuered to the x. legates to take with theim into Affrica to Scipio wyllyng him in case the peace went forwardes with the Carthaginenses that then he shoulde rendre these .ii. C. prysoners to the Carthaginenses free without payinge any raunsome These thynges beynge so concluded the Carthaginenses with the Romayne legates departed towardes Affrica And whan they cam to Scipio they concluded the peace with hym vppon the conditions before specified The shyppes of Carthage the elephantes the fugitiues and prisoners to the numbre of .iiii. M. were delyuered to Scipio among whome was one Terentius Culleo a notable senator of Rome The shyppes vpon the deliuerie of theim were had furth into the sea to the numbre of .v. C. of al sortes and there by the commaundement of Scipio were set all on fyre Which bourninge was as sorowfull a syght to the Carthaginenses as if they had sene the whole citie of Carthage on fyre ¶ Scipio teturneth to Rome with greate triumphe and ioye of all the people Cap. lxxii THus ended the warres betwene the Romaynes and the Carthaginenses more gentylly than it was thoughte it shulde haue done For Scipio dyuers tymes after reported that the conctouse and hyghe mynde fyrst of Claudius Nero and after of Cu. Cornelius desyrynge both the honoure of the vyctorye of Carthage was the cause that the citie of Carthage was not vtterly distroyed and wasted After the sayde peace thus taken the money whyche shulde be presently payde to the Romaynes was very greuous to the Carthaginenses Whose stocke and common substaunce was before greatly wasted by reason of the longe contynuall warres Wherefore at the leuyinge of the sayde summe of theyr pryuate substaunce greate lamentation and wepinge was made in the citie Whiche Anniball beholdynge coulde not forbeare to laugh Wherat Asdruball Hedus toke great indignation rebukynge hym for that he beynge the verye origynall cause of al theyr sorowe in the common mournyng of the citie shulde so laugh Thervnto Anniball aunswered If ye myghte beholde the inwarde thoughte of my mynde as ye maye the outwarde apparent countenaunce of my face ye shulde parceiue this laughter not to come of any ioy of the herte but of a madnesse and a frenesie
that they were nothyng priuie nor consentynge to his departynge ¶ Now was Annibal arriued at Tyrus where he was receyued honorably and with great ioy and there he soiourned certaine daies From thense he sayled to Antioche and after that to Ephesus where he founde the king Antiochus who was in great doubte before his comynge in what maner he shulde mainteygne his warres against the Romayns The kyng was greatly comforted by the meane of his coming and also by the beinge there of the embassadours of the Etholiens whoo the same tyme wer departed from the amitie of the Romaines He was determined to moue warre for agree wolde he not to certaine conditions of peace that the Romaines prescribed vnto him Whiche he thought shuld be greatly to the losse both of his honour and also of his dominions For they wold haue caused hym to leaue the possession of certayne cities that he had And also that he shuld not medle in Grece but how and where he shulde moue this warre he was not determyned Anniball was greatly in his fauour and chieifly for that he thought him an expert man a mete counsaylour in his affayres agaynst the Romaynes Anniball euer was of the opinion that he shulde make warre in Italy for that the countrey of Italy is able to furnyshe an army of vitayles and all thynges necessary and also of souldiours if he shulde haue nede of men of armes at any tyme. But sayde he if no warre be moued in Italy soo that the Romaynes maye haue all the hole power therof to make warre in other regions out of Italy then is there no prynce nor nation of the worlde able to withstande the Romaynes Wherfore if ye wyll delyuer vnto me one C. of shyppes of warre and .xvi. thousande fotemenne with one thousande of horsemen I wyll with that power sayle into Affrica trusting to cause the Carthaginenses to rebel agaynste the Romaynes Or in case they wyll not folowe my request yet wyll I inuade some part of Italy and moue warre to the Romaynes Then maye you sayde he to the kyng with all the rest of your power sayle into Europe kepynge your armye in Grece redy to set forwardes as ye se cause ¶ This his counseyle was well allowed of the kinge wherevppon one Ariston an Ephesien a wyse and a trustie manne was chosen to sayle to Carthage to the friendes of Anniball with priuie and speciall tokens by mouthe whiche they knewe wer true and not feyned to shewe vnto theim his purpose For writinge durste he sende none for feare of takynge of the messangers His message onely was to be declared vppon credence ¶ But whyle Aryston went on his message and therin hadde no good spede the ambassadours of Rome were come to Ephesus to knowe of Antiochus the cause why he intended suche warre agaynst the Romaynes among whiche ambassadours it was sayd that P. Scipio called Affricanus was one Whiche ambassadours hauyng knowledge that the kyng Antiochus was a lyttell before gone agaynste the Pisidians and fyndyng Annibal there they diuers times resorted vnto him and had familyar communication with him onely to the intent to make him haue a good opinion of the Romaynes and not to mystruste that any thyng was intended by theym agaynste him Among other communication betwen the ambassadours and Annibal it is remembred that Scipio demaunded of him whome he iudged to be the most noble capitayne that euer he knewe or hearde of To whome Anniball aunswered that it was Alexander of Macedony for that he with a smal power ouercame so many nations and vanquished so many greate armies in battayle traueylynge so many straunge and farre cuntreis whiche passed the power and witte of mannes cumpasse Then Scipio demaunded of hym whom he iudged to be the seconde most noble capytayn He aunswered Pyrrbus which was the most wyse and expert man in placinge his campes in fortifieng his fortresses with watche and ward and in getting the hertes of men vnto his obeysaunce In soo muche that when he warred in Italye the Italyens were gladder to be vnder his gouernaunce beynge but a straungyer then vnder the dominion and power of the Romaynes Then demaunded Scipio whome he thoughte to be the thyrde Withoute fayle sayde he it is my selfe At whych aunswere Scipio laughed and sayde What wouldest thou then haue sayd in case thou haddest ouercome me in battayle as I haue done the Treuly sayde Anniball then woulde I haue putte myselfe before bothe Alexander and Pyrrhus also This aunswere seemed to Scipio very straunge and proude whereby he mynded to take from Scipio al his glory ¶ Durynge this longe taryenge of the Romayne legates at Ephesus nothynge els was wrought but that the often metynge and communication of theym with Anniball made the kynge more to suspecte and mystrust him Whervpon he was no more called to his councel ¶ Agayn one Thoas an Etholien desirous to haue the kyng with all his power to arryue in Grece withoute partynge of the same his strengthe sayde vnto hym Syr the greatte citie Demetrias and the more part of all the cities in Grece loke daylye for your commynge thyther And agaynste your arryuayle ye shall see all the countreye assemble on the seasyde so sone as they may by watches perceyue your nauy comynge on the sea And as touchyng the parting of your shyppes and power that I can in no wyse allowe And in case ye were mynded so to do Anniball of all men is most vnmete to haue the rule and gouernance therof ¶ Fyrst ye must consyder said this Thoas that Annibal is a Carthaginens and an outlaw or banished man frō his cuntrey Whose crafty witte wyl imagyne dayly a. M. newe deuyses euen as fortune dothe varye or as it shall fall into his brayne Agayne yf it shoulde chaunce that Annibal loose his nauie or his men to be vanquyshed the losse wil be no lesse then if any other capitayne had loste theym But in case it shoulde happen hym to haue the vyctorye the honour therof shall wholly abyde with Anniball and not with Antiochus Furthermore if fortune so well serue that Anniball vtterly subdue the Romaynes what will ye then thynke that he will continue in your subiection whiche in his cuntrey culd not suffre him self to be in any obedience Nay said he he that in his youth hath euer coueted in his minde to be Emperour of the hole world will now in age neuer be contented to be vnder the rule of any other if he may chose Wherfore my coūsayl is that ye haue no nede to make Annibal your capitain But if it please you ye may vse his cōpany as your frēd in your iourney takīg his aduise in your affayrs as a prudēt counsailour none otherwise ¶ This crafty and vntrew coūsail of Thoas turned the kīges mynde cleane frome sendynge of Anniball with any army into Affrica which before was thoughte most mete and necessary Wherfore he prepared to sayl in to Grece where by the