Is slaine by Iubaes Manritanian bands BVt now sterne Caesar in Spaines farthest coast Makes war on which though little blood it a cost The fortunes of both Generalls much did stand Affranius b and Petreius did command Those campes with aequall power but concord made Their governement more firme their men obay'd Alternally both Generalls commands Heere besides Romans bold Asturian bands Light Vestones and Celâ—a c were that came From France and with th' Iberi mixt their name A little hill not steepe of fertile lands Swells vp on which the old Ilerda stands Before the towne flowes Sicoris soft streame Among Spaines rivers of no small esteeme On which a bridge of stone high arched stood T' endure the violence of a winters flood The next hill the Pompeyans campe did beare Aequall to which Caesar his tents did reare The river in the midst both campes divides From whence the champion fields vpon both sides Extend themselues bâ—yond the ken of man Swift Cinga bounds them that to th' Ocean Carryes no name d Iber where you two joyne That giues the land her name takes from thee thine The first day they encamp'd from fight was free The Captaines stood each others strength to see Numbring the Eagles shame did then begâ—n To damne their rage and hold their fury in One poore dayes respite to their countrey they And broke lawes gaue but Caesar when the day Declin'd did with a suddaine trench enclose His campe about and to deceiue the foes His army in the front kept station To hide the worke and when the morne drew on He sends swift troopes the next hill to surprise That twixt the foes campe and Ilâ—rdâ— lyes Thither the foes with shame and terror make And by a neerer way the hill they take The fight growes there on sword and valour one Relyes the other on possession Laden with armes march Caesar's souldiers vp ' Gainst the steepe hill their following fellowes prop Their backes with targets vp to keepe them so From falling backe their Piles against the foe They could not vse Pileâ— guide their faltring steps Hold as they clime they catch on shrubs and slips Their swords serue not to fight but cut their way This danger Caesar saw and sent away His horse to wheele charging in flanke the foe And all his foot retreat in safety so The skirmish ended thus and neither side Obtain'd the conquest Thus farre fighting try'd What other fates were added to this war Grew from th'vnconstant motions of the ayre For by cold winters dry North-windes the râ—ine The clowds congealeâ— bowells did containe Snowes on the hills and tops of mountaines lye And frosts that at the Sunne 's appearance flye All lands within those Westerne climates are Hardened by Winters dry conâ—ealing aire But when the Sunne now wexed warmer came To take possession of the heavenly Ram Making the aequinoctiall againe When day t' exceede the night in length began When Cynthia from the Sunne 's conjunction But newly come could hardly yet be knowne Boreas sh ' excludes and fire from Eurus takes He all the cloudes that his whole quarter makes Throwes to the West with Nabathaean blasts The foggs that India that Arabia casts Exhal'd and growne vnder the rising Sunne Sky darkening Coâ—us exhalation Which cooles the Indian aire now blowne away From thence make hot the Easterne countreys day Nor could the loades of those thicke clouds fall downe On the mid world strong tempests driue them on From North and South alone does Calpes ground Drinke the moist aire the farthest Westerne bound Where heavens bow'd hinge does with the Ocean meeteâ— The cloudes driven thither could no further get Their vastnesse hardly could involved be In such strait roome as twxit that earth and sky Those clouds then crusht together by the pole Contract in th' ayre and downe amaine they roule In gushing showres lightnings though thicke retaine No flashing fire extinguisht by the raine Iris no colours can distinctly show Circling the ayre with an imperfect bow She drinkes the sea and to the Ocean The ponderous waues fall from the sky againe The Pyrenaean nowes which Titan yet Could never melt flow downe the rockes are wet With broken ice rivers their wonted way Forsâ—ke as channells the whole fields display Themselues and now as shipwrack'd on the seas Floâ—e Caesars tents and drenched companyes The streame breakes downe his campe rivers oreflow His trenon and workes nor an the souldiers goe To forâ—age the drown'd fields no vittaile leaue The wayes by water cover'd all deceiue The fetchers of provision then came on A famine still the sad companion Of other woes the souldiers by no foes Besidg'd are pin'd one his whole wealth bestowes Vpon a crust of bread not dearely sold Oh meagre thirst of gaine for ready gold An hungry â—eller is not wanting there The waters now haue all no hils appeare The joyning rivers like ore-spreading feâ—ns Cover high rockes transported are the dens Of beasts the streame carryes the strugling horse Not touching ground and as of greater force Then th' Ocean repells the Oceans tide The darkened Pole does Phaebus lustre hide And the blacke skies all colours doe confound So lyes the farthest part of the worlds ground Which the cold zone and frosts perpetuall Cover those countreys see no starres at all Their barren ice breedes nothing good alone To temper with their cold the torrid zone So let it be great Ioue so let it be Neptune whose three fork'd scepter rules the sea Thou Ioue with stormes perpetuall fill the ayre Thou Neptune let no rivers home repaire Let no streames finde prone passage to the maine But with the Oceans tide turne backe againe Make the strooke earth to deluge pervious These fields let Rhine oreflow and Rhodanus Hither their course let all great rivers bend Hither Riphaean snowes lakes fountaineâ— sâ—nd Hither all standing pooles from far command And saue from civill war this wretched land But Caesars fortune with this little feare Of his content returnes greater then ere The gods gan favour and deserv'd t' obtaine Pardon the clowded ayre clear'd vp againe The master'd waters Sol in fleeces spred The night presaging a faire morne look'd red Things keepe their place moisture the skye forsakes VVater late high her owne low center takes Trees and emergent hills t' appeare began The fields at sight of day grow drie againe VVhen Sicoris to his owne bankes restor'd Had let the field of twigs and willow bord They made small botes cover'd with bullockes hide In which they reacht the rivers further side So saile the Veneti if Padus flow The Britaines saile on their calme Ocean so So the Aegyptians saile with woven boates Of papery rushes in their Nilus floates The army in these boates transported now Build vp a bridge and fearing th' overflow Of the fierce streame their worke they doe noteâ—nd Vpon the banke but ore the fields extend And lest againe Sicoris should oreflow In severall channells cut he suffers now For his
valours glorious image there did liue Then all from his transfixed members striue To plucke the Piles and therewithall they drest The gods themselues on Mars his naked breast Scaeua they put thy armes How great endeede Had bin thine honour if those men that fled Had bin the warlike Celtiberians Germans long arm'd or short Cantabrians No triumphs now no spoiles of this sad war Can decke the temple of the thunderer VVith how great valour wretch hast thou procur'd A lord nor did great Pompey lye immur'd And quiet from attempting fight againe At this repulse no more then th' Ocean Is tir'd when lifted by strong Easterne blast ' Gainst the repelling rockes and eates at last The rockes hard side making though late a way Assaultâ—ng then f the fort that neerest lay To th' sea he takes it by a double war And spreads his men over the fields afar Pleas'd with this liberty of changing ground So when full Padus swells aboue the bound Of his safe bankes and the neere fields oreflowes If any land not able to oppose That hill of water yeild that it oreruns Opening t' it selfe vnknowne dominions Some owners must of force their lands foregoe Some gaine new lands as Padus will bestow Caesar at first not knowing it by light From a towres top had notice from the fight The dust now la'id he sees his walls beat downe But when he found it past and the foe gone This rest his fury stirr'd enraged deepe That Pompey safe on Caesar's losse should sleepe Resolving though to his owne losse to goe On and disturbe the quiet of his foe First he assaults Torquatuâ— who descryes As soone his comming as the sayler spyes Th' approach of a Circaean storme and takes Downe all his sailes when once the maine mast shakes His men within the inner wall doth bring To stand more firmely in a narrow ring Ore the g first trenches workes Caesar was gone VVhen Pompey from the hills aboue sent downe All his whole troopes vpon th' enclosed foe Th' inhabitants neere Aetna feare not so Enceladus when the fierce Southwind blowes And Aetna from her fiery cavernes throwes Her scalding entrailes forth as Caesar's men By the rais'd dust orecome ere they begin To fight and in the cloud of this blind feare Flying they meete their foes terrour does beare Them to their fate Then might haue beene let out The civill wars whole blood and peace beene brought Pompey himselfe their furious swords restrâ—in'd Oh happy Rome still free hadst thou remain'd With all thy lawes and power if there for thee Sylla had conquer'd t is and still shall be Caesar our griefe thy worst of wicked deeds To fight with a good sonne in law succeedes Oh lucklesse fates for Munda's bloody day Spaine had not wept Affâ—icke for Vtica Nor had Nile borne her streame discolouring A carcasse h nobler then th' Aegyptian King Nor Iuba i nak'd on Libyan sands had dy'd Nor had the blood of Scipio pacify'dâ— Carthage dire ghosts nor mens society Had lost good Cato That day Rome to thee Had beene the last of ills Pharsalias day In midst of fate had vanished away Caesar this ill-possessed place forsakes And with his mangled k troopes t'Aemathia makes Pompey pursues his flying father in law Whom from that purpose his friends striue to draw Perswading him to turne to Italy Now free from enemies Never quoth he VVill I like Caesar to my countrey come Nor never more vnlesse with peace shall Rome See my returne In Italy I could Haue stay'd at the beginning if I would Before Romes temples this sad war haue brought And in the midst o' th market place haue fought To draw the war from home to ' th'torrid zone Or Scythiaes farthest cold I would be gone Shall I a conquerer now rob Rome of rest VVho fled lest she should be with war opprest Let Caesar thinke Rome his rather then she Should suffer from this war Then Easterly He turnes his course paths devious marching over VVhere regions vast Candavia does discover And to Thessalia comes which fate for this Sad war ordaind Thessalia bounded is By the â—â—ill Ossa on the Northeast side Pelion when Summer's in her height of pride His shade opposes ' gainst Sols rising rayes The woody Othrys Southward keepes away The scorchiâ—g Lions heate Pindus his hight Keepes off the VVesterne windes and hastens night By hiding the Suns set those men neere feele That in the bottome of Olimpus dwell The Northwindes rage nor all night long can see The shining of the Beare The fields that lye A vale betwixt those hills were heretofore A standing poole with water cover'd ore The fields kept in the rivers Tempe then Had no vent to the sea to fill the fen VVas all the rivers course But when of yore Alcides Ossa from Olimpus tore And Peneus suddainely the sea did fill Sea-borne Achilles kingdome that had still Beene better vnder water first was showne And Phylace that landed first vpon The Trojan shore her ship and Dorion For the nine Muses anger woe-begone Pâ—eleos and Trachis Meâ—â—baa proud Of great Alcides shafts on her bestow'd Rase hire for Oeta's fire and where men now Over the once renowned Argos plow Larissa potent once and where old tales Describe the Echionian Theban walls Thither Agaue banisht there the head And neckâ— of her dead Pentheus buryed Griev'd she had torne no moe limbes from her son The fens thus broke in many rivers run On the VVest side into th'lonian sea Cleaâ—e but small Aeas run as small as he Runs the Egyptian Isis fathers flood And Acheloiis whose thicke streame with mud Soiles the Echinades Euenus ore Meleagers Calydon stain'd with the gore Of Nessus runs Sperchios swiftly slides Into th'Maliacke sea whose channell glides Purely along Amphrysus pasture fields VVhere Phoebus serv'd Anauros that nere yeilds Nor fog nor wind nor exhalation And what ere river by it selfe not knowne To th' sea his waues on Peneus bestowes Apidanos in a swift torrent flowes Enipeus never swift vnlesse combin'd Melas and Phaenix with Asopus join'd Alone his streame pure Titaresus keepes Though in a different named flood he creepes And vsing Peneus as his ground he flowes Aboue from Styx they say this river rose VVho mindfull of his spring scornes with base floods To mixe but keepes the reverence of the gods VVhen first these rivers gone the fields appear'd Fat surrowes the Boebician plowshares reard Th'Aeolian husbandmen then breake the ground The Leleges and Dolopes then wound Her fertile breast the skill'd Magnetians In horesemanship the sea fam'd Minyans In Pelethronian dens t'â—xion there A fruitfull cloud did th'halfe-wilde Centaures beare Thee Monichus that couldst on Pholoe Breake hardest rockes and furious Rhacus thee That vp by th'rootes could strong wilde ashes teare On Octa's mount which Boreas blasts would beare Pholâ—â— that didst Alcâ—des entertaine Ravishing Nessus on the river slaine By venom'd shafts and thee old Chiron made A constellation now who seem'st t' invade The Scorpion
determines to assault their wall Whilest fortune's hot and terrour workes in all Nor does he thinke that this command appeares Too harsh too hot and weary'd souldiers Small exhortation leads them to the prey Our victory quoth he is full to day And for our blood nought is remaining now But the reward which 't is my part to show I cannot say to giue what every man Shall giue himselfe behold yon tents that stand Full of all riches there gold rak'd in Spaine There th' Easterne Nations treasuryes remaine Pompey's and all those Kings estates doe lacke Possessours souldiers run and overtake Whom you pursue and what so ere to you Pharsalia giues take from the conquer'd now This speech of Caesars and golds impious loue Over the swords the furious souldiers droue To tread on Senatours and Captaines slaine What trench what bulwarke could their force susteine Seeking the price of all their wars and sin To know for what they haue so guilty been Spoiling the world they found a wealthy masse Which for wars future charges gather'd was But their all-covering thoughts could not be fill'd With what Spaâ—nes mines and Tagus streames could yeild Or on their sands rich Arimaspians finde Though all the spoiles be theirs yet in their minde Their mischeife at too cheape a sale they vent And are bid losse in spoiling of these tents VVhen to himselfe the Conquerour Rome decree'd And in that hope whole mountaines promised Patricians tents impious Plebejans keepe In Kings pavilions common souldiers sleepe On brothers and on fathers empty beds The killers lay their parricidall heads But furious dreames disturbe their restlesse rest Thessalia's fight remaines in every breast Their horrid guilt still wakes the battell stands In all their thoughts they brandish empty hands Without their swords you would haue thought the feild Had groan'd and that the guilty earth did yeild Exhaled spirits that in the aire did moue And Stygian feares possest the night aboue A sad revenge on them their conquest takes Their sleepes present the furies hissing snakes And brands their countreymens sad ghosts appeare To each the image of his proper feare One sees an old mans visage one a young Another's tortuâ—'d all the evening long With his slaine brothers spirit their fathers sight Dants some but Caesar's soule all ghosts affâ—ight Orestes so not purg'd in Scythia Th' Eumenides affrighting faces saw Not more was Pentheus in Agaves fit Dismay'd nor she when she was free'd from it Him all the swords that dire Pharsalia saw And which the Senate in revenge should draw Oppresse that night and Hellish-monsters scourge But that which most his guilty soule did vrge Was this that Sâ—yx the fiends and furyes grim Pompey being yet aliue had seiz'd on him But having suffred all when dayes cleare light Display'd Pharsalia's slaughter to his sight No dismall objects could â—uert his eyes From thence the rivers swell'd with blood he sees And heapes of bodyes aequalling high hills And carâ—asses whence blood and filth distills He numbers Pompey's people and that place Ordaines for banquetting from whence each face He might discerne and know them as they ly Proud that Aemathia's earth he cannot see Or scarse discerne the slaughter-cover'd ground In blood his fortune and his gods he found And with that joyfull sight to feede his eyes To the wretch'd soules he funerall fire denyes Making Aemathia noisome to the aire Carthage that gaue our consuls sepulcher And Libyan fire on Cannae did conferre Could not teach him his enemies t' inter Remembring still his anger not even then With slaughter slack'd they were his countrey men VVe doe not seuerall fires or tombs desire Doe but to all these nations grant one fire And let them not on pyles distinct be brent Or if thou aime at Pompey's punishment Pyl'd vp let Pindus wood and Ossa be That he from sea Pharsalia's fire may see This anger bootes thee not fort is all one VVhether the fire or putrefaction Dissolue them all to natures bosome goe And to themselues their ends the bodyes owe. If now these nations Caesar be not burn'd They shall when earth and seas to flames are turn'd One fire shall burne the world and with the sky Shall mixe these bones where ere thy soule shall be Their soules shall goe in ayre thou shalt not fly Higher nor better in Avernus ly Death frees from fortune Earth receiues againe VVhat ever she brought forth and they obtaine Heavens coverture that haue no vrnes at all Thou that deny'st these nations funerall VVhy dost thou fly these slaughter smelling fields Breath if thou canst the aire this region yeilds Or drinke this water Caesar but from thee The rotting people challenge Thessaly And keepe possession ' gainst the conquerer To the sad food of this Aemathian war Senting from far the bloods corruption The Thracian wolues Arcadian lions run Beares from their dens dogs from their kennells come And all those ravenous creatures else on whom Nature bestowes the strongest sents ful well The ayre by carrion putrify'd to smell Hither all birds of prey assembled are That long had waited on this civill war Birds that from Thrace to Nile in winter goe Stay'â— longer then then they were wont to doe Nere did moe birds of prey in one ayre fly Nor did moe vulturs ever cloud the sky From every wood came foule each tree was fil'd With bloody birds that crimson drops distill'd Downe from the aire blood and corruption rain'd The conquerours face and impious eagles stain'd Birds from their weary tallands oft let fall Gobbets of flosh nor were the people all Consumed so buryed in bird or beast Which would not on their bowels fully feast Nor sucke their marrow all but lightly tast The greatest part of Roman flesh is cast Disdain'd away which by the Sunne and time Dissolv'd is mixed with Thessalian slime Vnhappy Thessaly what hast thou done T' offend the angry gods that thee alone So many deaths and impious fates should staine What age what length of time can purge againe The guâ—lt that thou hast wrought what corne in thee And grasse with blood discolour'd shall not be What plow share but some Roman ghost shall wound Before that time new battells on thy ground Shall be and impious civill wars shall staine Thy fields before this blood be dry againe If all the graues of our dead ancesters We should turne vp their tombes that stand and theirs Whose time-consumed vrnes haue cast abroad Th'enclosed dust moe ashes would be trod And bones by harrows teeth digg'd vp and found In the sad furâ—owes of Thessaliaes ground No Marriners had sailed from thy shore Nor Husbandmen had plow'd thee any more The Roman peoples graue thy ghostly field Had no inhabitant for ever till'd No heards of cattell on thy plaines had run Nor durst the shepheards feede their flockes vpon Thy pasture fields with Roman blood manur'd Nor habitable nor to be endur'd As in the torrid or cold i y zone Shouldst thou haue lyen forsaken
honour now the fates to thee Through the whole life gaue long prosperity And the world knowes not vnlesse now they see How Pompey's spirit could beaâ—e adversity Blush not that such base hands thy death afford But thinke who ever strike 't is Caesars sword Though they these limbs all torne and scatter'd leaue Yet am I happy god no god can reaue My happinesse my fortunes and my breath Expire at once nor wretched is my death Cornelia and my son this slaughter see So much more patient let my sorrow be The more Cornelia and my son approoue My dying constancy the more they 'll loue So well could he his dying spirits guide Such strength of minde had Pompey when he dy'd But poore Cornelia that had rather dy Then see that sight with shreekings fills the sky T was wicked I deare Lord that murdred thee For whilst at Lesbos thou turnd'st in to me Caesar had enter'd Aegypts shore for who But he had power that horrid act to doe What ere thou art sent from the gods to kill Pleasing thine owne revenge or Caesars will Thou know'st not wretch where Pompey's bowels be Thou strik'st with fury there where conquer'd he Desires thy stroke now let him suffer more Then his owne death and see my head before I am not guiltlesse from the crime of war The only wife following my Lord so far Fearelesse of campes or seas and conquer'd too I tooke him in which Monarchs durst not doe Did I for this husband deserue to be Left safe aboord false Lord why spar'st thou me Or thought'st thou life thou dying fit for me I le finde a death though not from Ptolomey Oh sailors let me leape downe from the decke Or with these twisted shrowdes to breake my necke Or let some worthy friend of Pompey's now Heere sheath his weapon and for Pompey doe An act that hâ—e'll impute to Caesars hate Why doe you hinder my desired fate Husband thou liv'st Cornelia has not power Yet of her selfe they hinder my deaths houre And there she sounds to be the Conquerours pray The fearefull fleete hoist sailes and post away But when great Pompey fell that sacred face And honour'd visage kept his former grace Though angry with the gods deaths vtmost hate Chang'd not his visage and majesticke state As they confesse that his rent necke did see For sterne Seâ—timius in that cruelty Findes out an act more cruell to vncover His face he cuts the cloth that was cast over Invading halfe-dead Pompey's breathing face His dying necke acrosse the bords he layes Then cuâ—s the nerves and I veines the twisted bones He breakes the art to whip off heads at once VVas not yet found But when the head was torne Off â—rom the trunke 't was by Achillas borne Dâ—generate Roman base Septimius Vs'd in an vnder office couldst thou thus Basely cut off great Pompey's sacred head To be oh shame by another carryed Young Ptolomey to know great Pompey's face Those haires that kings haue honour'd whose curl'd grace Adorn'd his noble front stroakes with his hands Fixt on a pole the head of Pompey standes VVhilst yet his lips with throbbing murmurs shooke His eyes vnclos'd and liuely was his looke That head that still determin'd war and peace That rul'd the Senate lawes and suffrages Romes fortune in that face tooke greatest pride Nor was the wicked tyrant satisfy'd With sight but for memoriall of the fact Dire arts the heads corruption must extract The braine is taken out dry'd is the skin The noisome moisture purged from within Medicines make solid and preserue the face Degenerate issue last of Lagus race Whom thy incestuous sister shall depose VVhen sacred vaults the Macedon enclose When dust of Kings in sumptuous buildings lyes And the ignoble race of Ptolomey's In Pyramids and rich Mausolean graues Vnjustly rest must Pompey by the waues And headlesse trunke against the shore be swept VVas it too great a trouble to haue kept The carcasse whole for Caesar this sad date Did fortune giue to Pompey's prosperous state By such a death as this to pull him downe From such an height heaping all plagues in one Sad day which he so many yeares had bin Free from nor yet had Pompey ever seene Ioy mixt with woe no god his prosperous state Did ere disturbe none helpt his wretched fate But once for all with a differring hand Did fortune pay him torne vpon the sand Salt water playing in his wounds the mocke Of seas he lyes and beat ' gainst every rocke No figure left of him t is note enough To know great Pompey that his head is off But fates ere Caesar on that shore arriue A suddaine funerall to Pompey giue Lest he in none or in a better tombe Should ly To th' shore did fearefull Codrus come Out of his lurking hole that was before Great Pompey's quaestors and from Cyprus shore Had follow'd him he by the shades of night Durst goe true loue had vanquisht terrour quite To find his slaughter'd Lord along the sand And through the waues to bring the trunke to land Faint light through dusky clouds sad Cynthia gaue But different colour'd from the foamy waue The trunke appeard which Codrus catching straight When the waues ebb'd but tired with the weight Expects their flow to helpe him and so bore The trunke to land and plac'd it on the shore Then falling downe bathing the wounds in teares Thus to the gods he speakes and clouded stars Fortune no costly pile with odours fill'd Thy Pompey craues nor that his hearse may yeild Precious Arabian fumes to fill the ayre Nor that the pious Roman neekes should beare Their countreys father forth nor to adorne A funerall pompe old tryumphs should be borne No funerall songs nor that his troopes the while March a dead march about their generalls pyle Great Pompey but a base Plebejan Beere That his torne limbs may carry to dry fire Let him not want wood and a burner though But meane and let it be ô gods enough That with loose haire Cornelia does not stand To take her last embrace and then command To fire the pile from this last funerall rite She is away yet hardly out of sight This said far off a little fire he kenn'd Burne a neglected herse watch'd by no friend Thither he goes and taking thence a part Of fire and halfe-burn'd stickes who ere thou art Neglected ghost deare to no friend quoth he But happier then great Pompey pardon me If any knowledge after death remaines That by a strangers hand thy hearse susteines This wrong I know thou yeild'st and castendure For Pompey's sake this losse of sepulture And art asham'd of funerall rites whilest he Lyes an vnburyed ghost Then speedily With his armes full of fire poore Codrus ran To find the trunke which to the shore againe The waues had beat then off the sand he wipes And gathering vp the ribs of broken ships He layes them in a ditch on no hew'n trees Or well built pyle the
Tullus bites A braue young man that studyed Catoes worth And as in pouncing of a picture forth Through every hole the pressed saffâ—on goes So from his every part red poison flowes For blood his teares were blood from every pore Where nature vented moisture heretofore His mouth his nose flowes blood his sweate is red His running veines all parts be bloodyed And his whole body's but one wound become An Aspes sharpe bite did Laeuus heart benum No paine he felt surpris'd with sudaine sleepe He dy'd descending to the Stygian deepe Not halfe so suddaine doe those poysons kill Which dire Sabaean sorcerers distill From off the falsely seeming Sabine tree On an old stumpe a dart-like snake did ly Which as from thence her selfe she nimbly threw Through Paulus head and wounded temples flew T was not the poison wrought his fate the blow It selfe brought death To her compared slow Fly stones from slings and not so swift as she From Parthian bowes doe winged arrowes flee What help'd it wretched Murrus that he did Kill a fierce Basiliske the poyson slid Along his speare and fastned on his hand Which he cut off and then did safely stand With that hands losse viewing securely there The sad example of his death so neare Who would haue thought the knotty Scorpion had Such power in killing or a sting so bad Her straight stroke won when she Orion â—â—ew A trophee which the constellations shew Who small Solpuâ—a from thy hole would flee Yet the three sisters giue their power to tâ—ee So that no rest they found by night nor day They fear'd the ground it selfe on which they lay For neither heapes of leaues nor â—eedes they found To make them beds but on the naked ground Expos'd their bodyes whose warme vapours steame By night attracted the cold snakes to them Whose harmelesse jawes whilest nights astringents cold The poyson freez'd vnhurt their bosomes hold Nor by the guidance of the stars their way Can they discerne but oft complayning say Restore oh gods to vs those wars againe From which we fled restore Pharsalia's plaine Why should we dy whose liues devoted were And sworne to war the death of cowards here The Dipsases on Caesars party are And horned snakes helpe end our civill war Oh let vs goe where the hot zone doth ly 'T would ease our grieved hearts that to the sky We might ascribe our deaths In nought doe we Accuse thee Affrica or nature thee For thou this monster bearing countrey tane From mens plantation didst for snakes ordaine This land all barren where no corne could thriue Thou mad'st that men might from these serpents liue But we are come into their dwellings here Take punishment on vs thou god who ere Hating our journey didst the world divide Placing the doubtfull Syrtes on one side The torrid zone on tother deaths sad seate Plac'd in the midst To thy most hid retreat Our civill war dares goe to the worlds end Our wayes through natures secrets prying tend Worse things perchance must be endur'd then this The pole declines the setting Sunne doth hisse Drench'd in the sea No land doth further ly This way then Iubaes woefull monarchy Knowne but by fame we shall perchance againe Wish for this serpents land th' aire doth containe Some comfort yet some things are living here Alas we wish not for our countrey deare Europe nor Asia different Sunnes which see Vnder what pole oh â—ffricke left we thee 'T was winter at Cyrene when we lay Is the yeares course chang'd in so small a way The South is at our backes to th' adverse pole Our journey tends about the world we rowle We are perchance Antipodes to Rome Let this our comfort be Let Caesar come Oh let our foes pursue where we haue fled Thus they in sad complaints vnburdened Their loaded patience Catoes vertue keepes Them proofe ' gainst any labour who still sleepes Vpon the naked sands and every hower Present at every fate tempts fortunes power Comes at all calls his presence doth bestow Farre more then health a strength to vndergoe Even death it selfe Whilest Cato's standing by They are asham'd impatiently to dy What power ore him had any misery Whose presence griefe in others breasts subdew'd And what small power can be in sorrow shew'd Some case at last did tired fortune giue To their long suffrings there a nation liue Marinarian d Psylls from serpents biting free They arm'd with powerfull incantations be Their blood 's secure and though they did not charme By touch of poyson cannot suffer harme The places nature this did justly giue Thâ—t serpent-free they might with serpents liue T was well that in this poysonous aire they breath For peace is made betwixt themselues and death Of their owne broodes such certaine proofes haue all That when to ground a new-borne childe doth fall Fearing strange Venus hath their beds defil'd By deadly Aspes they try the doubted childe As th' Eâ—gle when her Eaglets are disclos'd Layes them against the rising Sunne expâ—s'd Those that with stedy eye can view his beemes And boldly gaze those only she esteemes The â—ther scornes the Psylls so count it there Their nations pledge if infants doe not feare The serpents touch or freely play with snakes They not content with their owne safety take For strangers care and following th' army then Against those serpents aided Catoes men For when the campe was pitch'd those sands that lay Within the compasse of the trenches they Did purge with snake-expelling charmes throughout And medâ—inable fires made round about Their Wall wort crackes and fennell gumme doth fry Thin Tamaâ—iske Thessalian Centory Strong Panace Arabian Pepperwort Sicilian Thapsos burn'd with Sulphurwort Larâ—he trees and Southernewood which serpents dread And hornes of stags far off from Affricke bred So night was safe If slung by day they were That magicke nations miracles appeare For ' gainst the Psyl's the taken venome striues Markes to the wounded place their spittle giues Whose force the poyson in the wound doth stay Then with a foaming tongue dire charmes they say In ceaselesse murmurs For no time to breath The danger giues Approaching speedy death Admits no silence Oft hath poyson tane In th'inmost parts bin charm'd away againe But when call'd out by their commanding tongue If any poyson dare to tarry long Then falling downe they licke the pallid wound And with a gentle bite squeezing it round Sucke with their mouths the poyson out and it Extracted from the key-cold body spit And in their mouths tasting the poyson well VVhat serpent deepest bit the Psylls can tell Now ore the fields encourag'd by their aide The Roman souldiers wander'd lesse afraide Thus Cato treading sands of Libya The Moone twice waning and twice wexing saw Now more and more the sands to harden gan And Affricks thicken'd ground grew gâ—eâ—e againe Trees here and there began t' extend their shade And cottages of reedes and sedges made How great an hope of better ground had they VVhen