comming of the other Legions who staying longer than he expected he resolved in person with three Confident servants secretly to embarke himself in a Brigandine and to passe that streight of the Sea and to fetch them hoping to performe the same without the knowledge of any And accordingly passing down the River to the Sea he found it so troublesome and tempestious that the Master of his Brigandine not knowing whom he carried durst not adventure forth but would have returned Then Caesar discovering his face said Perge audactèr Caesarem enim fers fortunam Caesaris Beare up bravely and boldly against the Winds and Waves for thou carriest Caesar and all his Fortunes The Master herewith encouraged strove all that possibly he could to proceed in his voyage but the force of the Tempest was so great and the Wind so contrary that do what possibly they could they were driven back again When Caesars Army heard of these passages they much wondred grieved and were troubled at it Commending him more for his Valour than for his Wifedome But within few days after M. Anthony arrived with four of those Legions which were left behind in Italy presently returning the Ships back for the rest Anthony after some adventures joyned with Caesars Army neer to Dirrachium where we lately left him Frequent skirmishes still continued between the two Armies and many were slain on both sides and one day the skirmish was so hot supplies being sent from both sides that it almost came to a just Battel wherein Caesars men were so beaten that they fled before the enemies and could not be made to stand by any intreaties or menaces till they were come into their Camp which they had strongly fortified yet many durst not trust to that but fled out of it But Pompey either because he imagined their flight to be faigned to draw him into an Ambush or because he thought there needed no more to be done and that Caesar could no more resist him he neglected to prosecute his Victory causing a retrate to be sounded without assaulting Caesars Camp which probably he might have taken and made an end of the War that day Whereupon Caesar said to his Friends Truly this day had ended the War if our enemies had had a Captain that had known how to overcome At this time Caesar lost a great number of his men amongst whom were four hundred Roman Knights ten Tribunes or Collonels and thirty two Centurions or Captaines and his enemies took for from him thirty two Ensignes Upon this Victory Pompey sent newes thereof to diverse parts of the World holding himself for an absolute Conquerour Caesar much blamed some of his Captaines and Ensigne bearers for their cowardize and his Army were so grieved and ashamed that they much importuned him to lead them forth again to Battell But he thought it not fit so soon to lead them forth against a Victorious Army He therefore sent his fick and wounded men to the City of Apolonia and departed by night with as great silence as could be from the place where he was and marched towards Thessaly intending there to refresh and encourage his Army and to draw his enemies farther from the Sea coast where their chiefe strength lay and where their Camp was well fortified and victualled or at least he intended to attempt the overthrow of Scipio who as he heard was comming to joyne with Pompey Pompey finding Caesar was departed followed him for some few dayes and then taking Councel what to do he resolved to leave a sufficient Navy to guard the Seas and with the rest to returne into Italy and to seize upon it together with France and Spain and afterwards to go against Caesar But the Romane Lords that were with him and the importunity of his unskilfull Captains and Souldiers forced him to alter his determination and presently to pursue Caesar who made an Alt in the fields of Pharsalia which are in Thessaly making his retreat with so much prudence and in so good order that upon all occasions that were offered he ever had the better till at length seeing his men full of resolution and courage he resolved no longer to defer the Fight Concerning which Battell the ordering and event of it the flight of Pompey into Egypt and how basely and barbarously he was murthered there see it before in the Life of Pompey the Great Julius Caesar having obtained this great and glorious victory used therein his accustomed Clemency not suffering any Roman either to be slain or hurt after the Battell was ended but pardoned all those that were either taken in the Fight or found in the Camp amongst whom was Marcus Tullius Cicero After which being informed which way Pompey was fled he pursued him with the lightest and swiftest of his Army and in the way subduing all the Cities he at last came to the Sea side where he gathered together all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Egypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers onely When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised Pompey comming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandement basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeyus were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Armes he wept considering the end and successe of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in Aegypt he found the Country imbroyled in Civill Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdome wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Enuuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay neere the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to
THE LIFE DEATH OF Julius Caesar The first Founder of the ROMAN EMPIRE AS ALSO The LIFE and DEATH OF Augustus Caesar In whose Raign our Blessed LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIT was borne By Sa. Clarke sometime Pastor in St. Bennet Finck London LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Guilded Acorn in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1665. THE LIFE DEATH OF Julius Caesar The first Founder of the ROMAN EMPIRE JUlius Caesar by the Fathers side was of a very Noble and ancient Family and by the Mothers side he descended from the Kings of Rome who were extracted from the Trojan Aeneas When he was a young man Sylla having gotten the Lordship of Rome would have had him put away his Wife Cornelia who was the Daughter of Cinna the Dictator but he could not prevaile with him either by promises or threats to do it whereupon he took away her joynter from him Sylla being very busie in puting to Death many of his enemies yet passed by Caesar whom he contemned for his youth And Caesar was not contented to retire himself in safety inthose stormy times but came and made suite to the People for the Priesthood which was then void when he had scant any haire on his face but by Syllas means he suffered a repulse who was so irritated hereby that he determined to have killed him and when some of Syllas Friends told him that it was to no purpose to put so young a man to Death he answered That they did not consider that there were many Marius's in that one Boy Caesar being informed of his danger secretly fled from Rome and hid himself a long time amongst the Sabines wandering from one place to another yet at length he fell into the hands of a party of Syllas Souldiers who soughtfor him but he bribed their Captain with two Talents and so escaped Then went he unto the Sea side and taking Ship he passed into Bythinia unto King Nicomedes And after a while he took Sea again and fell into the hands of some Pirates who at that time kept all the Sea-coast with a great Fleet. They asking him twenty Talents for his Ransom Caesar laughed them to scorne as not knowing what a man they had taken and of himself promised them fifty Talents and sent some of his men to get him this money so that he was almost left alone amongst these Theeves which were the cruellest Butchers in the world having onely one of his Friends and two Slaves with him Thus he continued thirty eight dayes amongst them not as a Prisoner but rather waited upon as a Prince by them For he boldly exercised himself amongst them in their sports He would make Orations and call them to gether to hear them and if they seemed not to understand or regard them he would call them Blockheads and Beasts and laughing would threaten to hang them and they took all in good part thinking that it proceeded from his Boyish simplicity When his Ransome was come he paid it them and so was dismssied and presently arming and manning some Ships out of the Haven of Miletum he followed these Theeves and finding them yet at Anchor he took most of them and got a great Booty and carryed there persons to the City of Pergamus and there imprisoned them whilst himself went to Jumus the Governour of Asia to whom the execution of these Pirates did belong But he desiring to get the money because there was good store of it said that he would consider of these Prisoners at better leasure Caesar hereupon returned back to Pergamus and there hung up all these Theeves openly upon the Crosse as he often had threatened that he would doe when they thought that he was but in jest When Sylla's power began to decay Caesars Friends wrote to him to returne to Rome But he first went to Rhodes to study there for a time under the Tuition of Apollonius an honest man and excellent Rethorician whose Schollar also Cicero had been Caesar had an excellent gift to speak well naturally which was much holpen by his Studies so that he was very eloquent and might have been second to none but that he applied himself rather to follow the Wars and to mannage great matters than to pleading of causes When he was returned again to Rome he immediately wan the good willof the People by his Eloquence and courteous speaking to every man being more ceremonious in his deportment than could be expected from one of his years Besides he ever kept a good Table and fared well and was very liberall which much encreased his estimation with the people And his enemies presuming that when he could not hold out that charge and expence the favour of the People would quickly decay they suffered him to go on till by degrees he was grown very great and powerfull So that though some of them foresaw that his power would at last turne to the destruction of the Commonwealth of Rome yet now they knew not how to provent it Indeed Cicero was the first man who mistrusting his dealings found out his subtilty and malice which he cuningly cloaked under a shew of curtesie and familiarity Yet said he When I consider how finely he combeth his fair bush of haire and how smooth it lyeth and that I see him scratch his Head with one finger my mind gives me then that such a man should not be so wicked as to designe the ruine of the common-wealth The first time that he made proofe of the good will of the People was when he stood in competition with Pompey to be chosen a Collonel of a thousand Foot Souldiers and carryed it against him but a more manifest proof of it was at the Deathof his Aunt Julia the Wifeof Marius the elder For then he solemnly made an Oration in her commendations in the Market place and at her Buriall did boldly shew forth the Images of Marius which was the first time that they were seen after Syllas Victory over him at which time Marius and all his partakershad been proclaimed Traytors and enemies to the Commonwealth And whereas some cryed out upon Caesar for doing it the Poeple on the other side applaudded and thanked him him for it And whereas there was an ancient custome that the Romans used to make Funerall Orations in commendation of old Ladys but not of young Women Caesar was the first that praised his own Wife in an Oration at her funerall which much engaged the People to him seeing him of so kind and loving a nature Shortly after he was made Treasure under Antistius Vetus the Praetor for which he ever after honoured him so that when he himselfe came to be Praetor he made his Son Treasurer under him and when he came out of that Office he married his third Wife whom was Pompeia and married his Daughter Cornelia which he had by his first Wife to Pompey
his enemies opportunity to strengthen themselves against him He therefore commanded his Captains to go before and to take in the City of Ariminum a great City on this side the Alps with as little bloodshed as might be Then committing the rest of those Souldiers which he had with him to Hortensius he spent a whole day in seeing the sword players exercise before him At night he went unto his lodging where having bathed himself a little he came into the Hall and made merry with those whom he had bidden to supper Then rising from the Table he prayed his Guests to be merry and he would come again to them presently howbeit he had secretly before directed his most trusty Friends to follow him not all together but some one way some another Himself in the mean time took a Coach that he had hired and pretending at first to go another way he suddenly turned towards Ariminum But when he came to the River of Rubicorn which divides the hither Gaul from Italy he suddenly made a stop for if he once passed that there could be no hope of peace considering with himself of what importance this passage was and what miseries would ensue upon it Some say that he spake thus to his Friends Doubtlesse if I forbear to pass over this River it will be the beginning of my ruine if I passe it the ruine will be generall Then turning towards the River he said It is yet in our power to turn back but if we passe the River we must make our way with our Weapons Some say that Coesar standing thus doubtfull he was encouraged by the apparition of a man of a very great stature piping upon a reed whereupon many of the Souldiers and some Trumpetters went neer to hear him and that he catching one of their Trumpets leaped into the River sounding to the Battel with a mighty blast and so passed on to the farther side of the River Whereupon Caesar with a furious resolution cryed out Let us go whether the Gods and the injurious dealing of our enemies do call us The Dice are cast I have set up my Rest Come what will of it After which he set spurs to his Horse and passed the River his Army following him Caesar having passed the River and drawn his Army together he made an Oration to them shedding some tears and tearing his Garment down the Breast laying before them the equity of his cause and craying their assistance To whom having with a generall applause and consent made answer that they were ready to obey his will he presently marched on and came the next day to Ariminum upon which he seized The like he did to all the Towns and Castles as he passed on till he came to Corfinium which was held by Domitius who in a factious tumult had been nominated for his successour in the Government of Gaul This being taken he pardoned the Souldiers and Inhabitants and used Domitius kindly giving him leave to depart who went straight to Pompey by which clemency he purchased to himself much honour These thirty Cohorts he kept with him Caesars resolution being known at Rome it troubled Pompey amazed the Senate and terrified the common People Pompey now found himself deceived who before could not believe that Caesar would thrust himself into so great danger or that he could be able to raise sufficient forces to resist him but the success proved otherwise For though Pompey had authority from the Consuls and Senate to leavy Souldiers to call home his Legions and to send Captains for the defence of those Cities in Italy by which Caesar should passe yet all this was not sufficient to resist his fury and the power that he brought with him The fame of Caesars comming increasing daily Pompey with the whole Senate left Rome going to Capua and from thence to Brundusium a Sea Town seated at the mouth of the Gulph of Vinicâ— where he ordered the Consuls to passe to Dyrrachium now Durazzo a Sea Town of Macedonia there to unite all their forces being out of hope to resist Caesar in Italy who had already taken Corfinium where having drawn Domitius's thirty Cohorts to serve him he marched on and hearing that Pompey and the Consuls were at Brundusium he hasted towards them with his Legions with all possible speed But Pompey though he had fortified the Town sufficiently for his defence yet when Caesar began to invest the Town he imbarked himself and his men in the night time and so passed over to Dyrrachium to the Consuls Thus Caesar injoyed Italy without opposition yet was he doubtfull what to resolve on He would gladly have followed Pompey but wanted Shipping and it being Winter he knew that Ships could not be procured so soon as was requisite and considering with all that it was not safe to leave an enemy behind him which might cause an alteration in France or Italy he resolved first to go into Spain which held for Pompey and where he had his best Legions under the command of Petreius and Afranius saying to his Friends Let us go against an Army which wants a Captain and afterwards we will go against a Captain that wants an Army For Pompeys Souldiers in Spain were very valiant and had been long exercised in Armes but their Commanders were neither Politick nor expert in War But on the contrary Pompey was a most Wise and Valiant Captain but his Souldiers were newly levied and of small experience Caesar returning from Brundusium in sixty dayes space became Lord of all Italy and when he came to Rome the People were in great fear remembring the Miseries they had suffered under Sylla But Caesar using his accustomed clemency hurt no man high nor low He called the Senators together which remained there comforting them with milde and good words and laying the whole fault upon Pompey he fought to justifie his own cause declaring how much he desired Peace with all requsting that Abassadours might be sent to Pompey to procure the same And causing himself presently to be chosen Consul he opened the Treasury though Metellus one of the Tribunes of the people opposed him and the Treasure which he took from thence which was very great he distributed amongst his Souldiers Then was he desirous to go into Spain first taking order for the Civill Government and making choise of the Legions which should go with him he left the rest in Brundusium and Otranto and other strong places upon the Sea Coast to keep Pompey from landing if he should attempt to return into Italy He also made Hortensius and Dolabella his Captaines to provide Shipping to be brought into the Port of Brundusium there to be in a readinesse against his return from Spain Quintus Valerius he sent with a Legion into Sardinia against Marcus Cotta which held the same for Pompey To Sicily he sent Curius and Marcus Cate with direction that having taken the same he should passe over into Africk
men in Rome that conspired to murther Caesar of which the principle were Decius Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius Gaius Casca Attilius Cimber Servius Galba Quintus Ligarius Marcus Spurius c. who after diverse consultations concluded to kill him upon the Ides of March which was the fifteenth day of that moneth in the Temple where the Senators were to sit that day Yet Brutus was held to be Caesars Son and had received great honours and many favours from him This conspiracy was kept so secret notwithstanding the great number of them that there was not any one found that discovered the same But there were so many signes and Prodigies and to himself there happened so many forewarnings that without knowing any cause all men were of opinion that Caesars Death was neere at hand Spurina also who was his Southsayer forewarned him to look to himself till the Ides of March were past for that his Life was in great danger And Caesars own Wife intreated him upon her knees that he would not that day go to the Senate For shee had dreamed that he lay dead in her lap These and such like warnings prevailed so far with him that he was about to send to Mark Anthony to make his excuse and to put off the Senate to another day But what God hath determined must come to passe and therefore Brutus being present advised him by no meanes to discover any such fear and so he resolved to go Caesar made small account of Death and said That as for himself he had won power and fame and glory enough and that at no time he could die with greater honour And some discoursing the night before he was slaine what Death was best Even that qouth he which is sudden and least prepensed The fifteenth of March being come he went from his House in a Litter towards the Senate and as he passed along the street there was a Petition delivered to him wherein was set down in writing all that was concluded in this conspiracy and he which gave it prayed him to read it presently which he began to doe but there came so many to speake to him that he could make no farther progresse and this Paper was found in his hand when he was dead As he passed on he met with Spurina the Southsayer and pleasantly jesting he said to him Dost thou not know Spurina that the Ides of March are come Yea answered Spurina and I know that they are not yet past When he came to the Temple where the Senators met he alighted from his Litter and went in and having first done Sacrifice according to the custome which all that saw persaged to be fatall and infortunate he sat him down in his Chair and Brutus Albinus entertaining Mark Anthony at the door with discourse one of the Conspirators whose name was Celer came to Caesar under a pretence to intreat him to release a Brother of his from Banishment and presently all the rest of the conspirators drew neere to his Chair which when Caesar saw thinking that they had all come for the same purpose he said unto them what force is this and at that instant one of them whose name was Casca beginning they all drew their poyniards and Swords which they had privately under their Gowns and began to wound him The first blow he received Casca gave him in the throat At which Caesar said aloude What dost thou Traitor Casca and wresting the Poyniard out of his hand he arose and stabbed Casca through the Arme and being about to strike him again he was prevented by the many wounds which the others gave him wilest with great force and courage he leaped from one side to the other to defend himself But when he saw Marcus Brutus with his drawn Sword in his hand wherewith he had already wounded him in the Thigh he was much amazed and said in the Greek Tongue Why how now Son Brutus And thou also And having so said seeing so many weapons bent against him and that no body came to his rescue he remembred to keep the honour of his person with his right hand he covered his Head with part of his Robe and with his left hand girt himself and setled his cloathes about him and being so covered he fell down to the ground having received three and twenty wounds and it happened that his fall was at the foot of the seat on which Pompeys Statue stood So in this manner died one of the most Mighty Worthy Valient Wise and most successfull Princes and Captaines that ever was in the World For his excellencies abilities invincible mind incomparable courage the Battels which he fought and Victories which he obtained The Provinces Kings and Nations which he subdued His Counsels Policies and Stratagems and bold attempts his Magnanimity clemency and bounty both to the conquered and Conquerors the great designes which he had proposed to himself a little before he was slaine being all well weighed and considered it will plainly appear that in none of those things aforesaid nor in any other that may be said of him there hath been any Heathen King or Captain that ever excelled him And setting apart his ambition and desire of rule he was onely noted and blamed for being too much given to women Caesar was thus slaine in the fifty sixth year of his age a little more than four years after the Death of Pompey in the seven hundred and tenth year after the building of Rome and about fourty and two years before the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar left behind him neither Son nor Daughter legitimate at the time of his Death For though he had been four severall times married yet he had but one only Daughter named Julia that was married to Pompey and dyed before him Wherefore by his last Will he adopted for his Son and made his Heire in the Dodrant that is in nine parts of twelve of his goods his Nephew Octavius Caesar after wards called Octavianus Augustus who was the Son of Acia his neece and of Octavius Praetor of Macedonia which Octavius at this time was by the commandment of his Uncle in the City of Apollonia in the Province of Epirus where he applied himself to his studies staying for him there thence to go with him to the Parthian War being now about seventeen years of age Caesar being thus slaine the newes of it ran presently all over the City and the tumult therein was so great that no man knew what to doe or say All Offices ceased the Temples were all shut up and every man was amazed Caesars Friends were affraid of those that slew him and they as much feared his Friends Brutas Cassius and the other Conspirators and others that joyned with them seeing the great tumult durst not go to their Houses nor prosecute their other designs for fear of Mark Anthony and Lepidus whereof the one was Consul and the other Generall of the