¶ The serpent of diuision Whych hathe euer bene yet the chefest vndoer of any Region or Citie set forth after the Auctours old copy by I. S. Anno. M. D. L. IX the. iiii of May. ¶ The Serpent of diuiâ—ion WHylom as old Bookes maketh mencion whan the noble famous citie of Rome was most shining in his felicitie and flouring in hys glorye like as it is remembred in the bookes of old antiquitie in the pryme temps of his foundacion whan the walles wer reysed on height by the manly and prudeÌ„t diligence of Remus and Romulus the citie stode vnder gouernaunce of kinges tyl vnto the time that Tarquine soÌ„ne of Tarquine the proude dydde the great outrageous offeÌ„ce vnto Lucres wyfe of the woorthye Senatour Collatine In punishynge of which trespace by the manlye pursuite of Collatines kinred and ful assent of all the Cenate the name of kynges ceased in the Citie of Rome for euermore and al the royal stocke of the forsaide Tarquine was proscript put in exile And after by the prudent aduise of the Cenate the citie was gouerned betwene Councellers and so continued vnto the time that Pompei the proude was repayred home again from the conquest of Tyre whych by force he had made subiecte vnto the Empyre of Rome where as w t great worthines of fame hee was receiued So that for his great noblenes he was chosen one of the .iii for to gouerne the city assigned to hym other twoo full renowmed of knighthoode Iulius Cezar and Marcus Crassus thus was the name of couÌ„sellers turned into the name of Dictatours which was y t time an office partinent to princes to gouerne other And for a special cause this office this occupacion of a Dictatour by assent of all the whole Cenate was committed vnto thre that if one offended y e other twaine should be mightie strong to correct the thirde And another cause was this while that twayne were occupied in warre outward the third should gouerne at home And thus al the while they wer of one hart of one assent and void of variaunce among them selues the nobles of Rome floured in prosperitie but as sone as false couetous brought in pride vain ambicion the coÌ„tagious Serpent of diuisioÌ„ clipsed appalled her woorthines coÌ„cluding soothly as in sentence y t euery kyngdome proued by diuision is conueyed to his destruction And so for the surquedous pride on the partie of Iulius and after of the said citie of Rome the contagious couetous entermedled wyth enuye on the partye of Pompey made the famous citie of Rome fullye waste and wylde not onelye of their inumerable treasour but caused them also to be ful baren and de solate of their men where to fore of worthines of knighthode of chiualry they wer incomparable And finallye the false diuision amonge them selues was more importable vnto theÌ„ and caunsed more the ruine of the Citie than when they had warre with all the worlde lyke as this litle storie compendiously shal deuise And to conuey briefely the processe of this maâ—â—er ye shal first vnderstaÌ„d that Marcus Crassus was seÌ„t to the parâ—ies of the North wyth syxe legions of Knyghtes against the kyng of Parthes And the manly man Iulius Cezar with other syxe legions of people was sent downe passing the great bondes of Lombardye dyscendynge downe by highe Alpies and auayling downe by the large plage of Germanie and of Almaygne tyll by conquest bâ— his manly â—orce and his mortal swoorde he broughte all Fraunce into subiection and al the land of Burgoyn Brabant Flaunders and Holand In which conquest he continued tyll almoste the space of his Lustre was wasted out that is to say that was the space limited of the Romaines the whiche was called a Lustre whiche is accompted the space of fiue yere and who so euer passed that space by occasion of anye conquest and not repayred againe at his time set and limited of fiue yere he was foriudged anone and dempt as enemye rebel vnto the noble city of Rome But this famous and manly man Iulius prudentlie deming in his opinion that time lost while y e Fortune is blaÌ„desshing and fauorable throughe the contagious occasion of necligence and of sloth is afterward ful hard for to be recouered Wherefore of knighthod and manly prowesse he did set y e Romaines statutes aside and fully purposed in his noble and knightly hart for to passe the bondes and the space of his Lustre and to enforce hymselfe with his â—â—â—ualrie to wyn the bondes 〈…〉 and ouersayle by force the west partie of our Occean But for all hys surquedous pryde hee was twyse beaten of at his arriuall by the woorthynes of the Britaine king called Cassibelan And playnly withoute fauour to declare and specifie the truth he might neuer attain to ariue at his lust and pleasure tyll this manlye king Cassibelan and Androgâ—nes Duke of Cornewaile fel at debate amonge theym selues whereby I may conclude that whyles vnâ—tye and concorde stoode vndefoyled and vndeuided in the bondes of Britaine the mightie conquerour Iulius was vnable and impotent to vanquishe them By which ensample ye may euidently consider and see that diuision lyke as is specified to forne is originall cause in Prouincies and Regions of all destruction For whan Iulius by fauour of Androgenes recouered ariuall into Britaine shortlye after Cassibelan the manlye king proudly and kinghtlye met wyth him betwene whom there was a mortall warre But like as it is especially remembred and recorded by the wrytinge of the most worthye and graduate Clarke Eusebius that same daye when Iulius and Cassybelan meâ— in the fielde this foresaid Cassybelan had a famous and a passynge manly maÌ„ to his brother the which with his bloody mortal swoord neuer ceased to â—lea and oppresse the proud Romaine knightes so farre forthe that they fled and eschewed his swoord as the death For as he went there was no resistence and this continued so long that the Romaynes were impotent to resist But oh alas when he was wearied of fight it befel casually of fortune which is ay contrary and peruerse that he of auenture met wyth thys manly man Iulius and bothe two like as made is mencion fared as Tygers and Lyons euerich wouÌ„ding othâ—r ful mortallie til sodeinly by dispocion of fate Iulius with an vnware stroke of his dreadfull sword rose him a twaine And because the storie maketh no mencion what this worthy knight â—ight I finde none other name 〈◊〉 hym but that he was brother vnto the nobâ—e BritoÌ„ king Cassibelan The dâ—ath of whom Britons oughtful wel to complaine by whose death Iulius was made victorious and Cassibelan brought to subieccion vnto the Empire of Rome constreyned by Cezar to pay for his truage thre thousand pound euery yeare And in the signe of this conquest victorie Iulius Cezar edified in this land for a perpetual memorie to put his name in remembraunce the castel of Douer and CauÌ„turburie
cast finallye to execute the mortall hate that brenneth in your hart or against whom purpose ye in suche cruell wise to proue your myghte RemeÌ„bre in your thought y t ye be vpholden by the Cenate of Rome and your self accompted as for noble and ful worthie knights of the the citie and shewe not your selfe nowe ennemyes to the Empire by whose worthines afore time it hath bene susteyned and mightely supported against the assaâ—t of all her â—one And oh alas aduerâ—e considre in your hart the noble and the prudent statutes of the polâ—cie of Rome the which ful plainlye doth expresse that it is leful vnto no maÌ„ for to passe the boundes of thys streame but if he be mortal and rebel vnto Rome Now ye therefore that haue so long bene frends and so manlye mayntained the honour of the Citie withdrawe your foote and haste not to faste but let good deliberacion restrain your reines that hasty wilfulness leade you not to confusion not onely of your self but vnto the originall ruine of the citie by the aboundant sheding of blood that is likely to ensue And sodenly when this Lady had briefly expressed the som of her senteÌ„ce without more she disapered This manly man and fortunate knight Iulius in partie diâ—maied of this vncoâ—the apparence restrayned his host made theÌ„ to fetche their tentes endlong the strond vpoÌ„ the hindre parties of the riuer And in his vncouâ—he affray he sodenly abrayde sayd in this wise Oh thou mightie Iupiter vnder whose demaine Uulcanus forgeth the dredful soundes of the thundre causeth harts to arise with the firy leuen And oh ye Gods Goddesses that whilom had the gouernaunce of ouâ— Aunceters in Troy oh ye noble Gods Remus Romulus the famous founders the mightâ— protectours patrones of the city of Rome I as huÌ„ble subiect vnto your deitiful lowli besech requir you of equiti right to be wel willing fauourable to promote my true quarel cause beningly of your bouÌ„teous goodnes to fauour fortune y e high enterprise which of iust tytle I purpose for lyfe or dâ—th through your fauor to execut not as enemy or rebell to Rome but as a true citizâ—n and a proued knight cast me fullye to perseuer with coâ—dicion that like as I haue manly deserued I maye be receyued making a protestacioÌ„ that not as enemy but as ful frend and subiect to Rome I will be found stedfast and true Wherefore ye mighty and noble Senatours of Rome I require you of right that ye nothing arect nor ascriue to my gylte that I come with strong mighty hande that I enter the bondes of the emperial fraunchise Making a ful protestacion that onely wyth a clene coÌ„science not entriked with none entent of euellâ— meanynge that I come to you of full purpose to be receued as for you frend and not as your foe Requiring also to holde him what so euer he bee for ful enemy to your noble citye that of will entent laboureth to make discorde aâ—wene vs twaine For so that my meritorie gwerdon which that I haue in my conquest instlie deserued be not denied me I am and euer will be for life or death a true knight to the citie to my liues end And forthwith making no delay like a Lyon not dismayed nor afraid first of al in his own person he passed the Riuer the which Riuer like as Lucan remeÌ„breth the same time at the comming of Cezar against his customable course was reysed on heighte into a great floode and all the white snowes of Alpies wer resolued with the beames of Phebus wheâ— through the riuers in the valeis were reised so high that vnnethes any maÌ„ might passe But Iuliê° of none vncouth aduentures afraid but like a manly man ful wel assured in himselfe in the presence of all his woorthye knightes said in this maner Here I leaue behinde all the old confederacies made betwixt Rome and me and here I leaue al the frendship of old antiquitie and onely folow the traces of Fortune and of whole entent begynne a ryghtfull warre for cause onelie that by mediacion of peace was profered in my side I may not attain my title of right And anon withoute more dilacion euen vpon the springe of the daye which of Clarkes is called Auâ—ora he vnwarely wyth all worthie multitude of his knights entred into the citie called of Lucan Arâ—â—ie a Citie partinent to Rome there he toke first possessâ— on of the Empire none so hardi to resist nor to withstaÌ„d the furi of his sword al this while y e Romaines staÌ„ding in dout to which party thei should encline whether to Cezar or to Pompey For of charity that they had to their wiues their childreÌ„ to the old statutes of the city thei were fauourable to Pompey of dread that they had of Cezars sword thei stode in â—o great ambiguicie y t thei could not deme what was best to do Lo how the mortal enui of twain was cause occasion y t that noble citie which had all the world in subiectioÌ„ was called lady Empresse of al Regions was brought into destruction For in these twoo first began the diuision which neuer after might parfitlie be restored nor recoÌ„siled to vnity wherbi as semeth vnto meÌ„ y t al prudent princes which haue the gouernaunce in Prouinces and regions shuld take exaÌ„ple what harme damage it is how final a destructioÌ„ it is to be deuided amoÌ„g theÌ„ selfes And for to ratifie by more Autentike example how much that vnity more auaileth then diuision I wil shortelye rehearce an example the whiche Ualerie putteâ—h and it is this This auctour reherceth that whilom whan the Citye of Rome stoode likely to haue bâ—ne deuided of a debate that was newly begon among them selues There was a wyse Philosopher amonge theym which of high discressioÌ„ conâ—idered the great perill that was likelye to â—al and folow thought he would of wisdom voyd that might ensue And in presence of all the Cenate and Lordes of the Citie he made bring foorth an horsse which had a long and a thicke tayle growen behinde and than he commaunded the mightiest chaÌ„pion of the towne to set on both his hands and assay if he might by force pul of the hors taile at a pluâ—ke And all â—e it that he plucked to the vttermost of hys mighte it woulde not auaile And than anon this Philosopher made call to the presence of the Cenate the most impotent man of the citie a man vnweldye and crooked of age And thys Philosopher made this old man to pluck the one hereafter an other of the hors taile tyll by litle and litle by proces the tayl was wasted cleane awaye and the hors naked and bare behinde Beholde sayde the Philosopher that while the tail of the hors was hole and one in it selfe and eueâ—ich here with other vndeuided the mightiest champion
of your city might do thereto no damage But as soone as euery here was deuided and disseuered fro other he that was lest of power among ye all lefte neuer tyll the tayle was consumed and brought to nought By whiche example said the Philosopher prudently aduert wisely cast tofore that as longe as ye be one in your selues of one hart there is none so strong nor so mightie that may auail by force to attempt your worthines But as sone as amoÌ„g your selues one is deuided from an other your enemies though they be ful impotent of power they shal bi processâ— of tyme plucke awaye the most fairest and the most shene fethers of your worthines And by this example the Philosopher toforesaid reconciled the Romaines againe to vnitie voided away dit uision amoÌ„g theÌ„ selues Now compendiously to resorte againe to my matter like as the stori maketh meÌ„cion the Romaines standynge in great contrauersie among theÌ„ selues to which partye they shoulde draw the Gods by many signes pronosticacions declared vnto theÌ„ the great mischiefe that was lykelye and verie semblable to folowe For there appeared vnto them many vncouth ymages of stars some in brenning haberions of fire and some with bright brondes in theyr handes casting flame enuiron and some with firie dartes sharpe hoked arowes shootinge in the ayre And in especiall there appeared a large Comete of stremes y e whiche raught their braunches on y e foure plages of the firmament And the sun also wheÌ„ he shone most bright in the meridional plage the dai vnwarelie turned to nyghte And the pale moone againste the common course of her kynde sodeynlye shee was clypsed of her lyght And further the dreadfull karibeis of the sea Cicile was turned into blood Al the Houndes also beinge in the bondes â—f Rome lefte the noyâ—e of their barking and in signe of pronosticacioÌ„ of great sorow that was to come they howled and we imented that it was pitie to heare and the supersticious fire whiche continuallie tofore was wont to burne in the chaste temple of the Goddes called Uesta the flame of the same fire euer being bright vpon her auters Of the which fire by old time was prophecied that as sone as it deuided and departed at wain as it did then that the feastes and the solempnities of Rome shuld cease And like as the smokes of the funeral fyre of the Theban brethren departed at Thebes right so the departing of fire vpon their aulters was a true signe and a pronostike of diuision that should fal amonge them finally to declare to euery region thaâ— where as the fire of loue and parfite charity stand departed and deuided amonge them selues it is a very eâ—idence that withoute remedie it draweth to his destruccion Also an euident token â—hat sodein miâ—chief of diuision sâ—ould folow the foming wawes of the sea surmounted the height of Athlantis hylles Also al the rich ymages in the Temples of Rome whyche were made of gold syluer and dyuers other sundrye metalles so as they stoode in their rich and costly tabernacâ—es they were sene thâ—â—ke time of diuision wofully complayning and weping so farforthe that the teares of their eyen distylled a downe into the earthe so complayning the desolacion of their Citye onelye caused by occasion of theyr contageous diuision among them selues Byrdes also against the custome of their nature were secne fleing vpon nightes And beastes also were hearde speakinge and women brought foorth monstrous children And all these vncouthe wonders befell but a lytle tofore the foresaide diuision in the noble Citie of Rome for the dreadfull tyme aproched full neare of the which Cibyll so long had prophecied afore when she sent the shorte summe of her sentence to the Cenatours of Rome compendiouslye in the nombre of .vi. letters Thre R. R. R. and three F. F. F. whyche wer fully the pronosticacion of .vi. mischiefes that should of necessitie fal vnto the citie of Rome comprehended and included in the .vi. letters specified in this wyse Regna Rome Ruent Fero Flamme Fame The Region of Rome bi thre thinges shall drawe to ruine Firste by the sword of warre amonge them selues and next by fyre and than by hunger The whiche three myschiefes so contagiouslie shal assail the citie that it shalbe very vnportable vnto them and the grounde and roote of al this confusion shal be among them selues discord and diuision Furthermore to declare sondry pronosticacions that fell in their citie whan the Priests made sacrifice to their Gods their fires sodeinly quenched In the graues and sepulchres of dead men there were heard woful and lamentable noyses and â—owndes whych dydde put the people in very great dread And in thys wise the mischiefe and the ruyne was shewed and declared Fyrste by dyuers figures and sondrye likenesses of starres shewed in the heauen and next by wonderfull Monsters in the earthe Also the birdes and the foules of the ayre come homelye and not afraide fleinge into the Citie by the which signe their Clarkes that be called Augures expounden it to their confusion And they by many fold mo signes than I maye or can declare the subuersion of the Citie ful long was shewed toforne onely begon by this contageous diuisioÌ„ But shortelye to entreate the substaunce of the storie whan that Iulius wyth strong hande approched the bonds of Rome after whan he had wonne the citie of Arimy and had also conquered Rauenne and Pompey for feare was fledde toward the parties of Grece to make himself strong Thei of Rome had shortly determined in seÌ„tence that Iulius not enter the Citye but so were that his whole retinue were left behinde But when they knew and saw him so passingly mightye and strong they began to quaken in theyr hartes and namely when they were destitute of an head Of which and for that some Dukes of Pompey drew them to the parties of Italy into a city which whylom was called Dirachium And euer thys woorthy knight Iulius wyth his chiualry pursued after and all that wythstoode he slewe and the remnaunt he put manly to flyght And day by day the power of Iulius gan multiplye and encrease and mauger al his enemies of very force he entred the citye And as some auctours write whan the Romaines for dread were readye to receiue him by theyr gates he of indignacion and disdayne made breake the walles and proudly entred as a Conquerour and iustified the Romaynes as his and wholy tooke on hym the gouernaunce not onely of the citie but of all the whole Empyre And maugre the Cenate he brake the brason doore of their treasure and by violence toke and â—aught it away and plenteouslye departed it amonge hys knights And in this meane while ful many kinges of the East party of the worlde came and assembled before the foresaid city called Dirachium Of entent to sustaine the party of Pompey against Iulius And as soone as there was made relacion to Iulius Cezar of thys great