Libyan Steed he flies And ore the field his routed companies Mixt with the Horsemen take disordred flight Some legions hoping to retire from fight To Juba's Campe and it to fortifie And finding that seiz'd by the enemie After the vsuall manner casting downe Their armes they tender a submission But all in vaine no safetie at the hands Of the enrag'd and fierce Caesarians Oh shame of warre could their submission get Although that Caesar did himselfe intreat Grieuing that in his power it lay not then To saue from death his wretched countrey men And by his speech and actions did declare That he was then no part of ciuill warre He cries aloud Oh spare the yeelding foe They are no longer foes but Romans now You more than lose your valour and to me Doe purchase enuy here not victory They that in conquest of so many lands Nere disobey'd his most seuere commands Nor ere refus'd what he would put them too In this alone their disobedience show Now his commands are good all ore the plaine Are Scipio's Souldiers miserably slaine That to this Tragedy compared light Were all the slaughters of the former fight And now the mourning fields with slaughter strow'd And couer'd ore with horrid ruine show'd A full and perfect conquest was obtain'd That for the sword no farther worke remain'd When Caesar master of his highest hopes From the pursuit calls backe his weary troops And recompences with the wealthy spoiles Of Kings and Nations their successefull toiles Annotations vpon the third Booke a Caesar hauing but a small force in Affrica and much troubled at the report of the great army of his enemies that all King Iuba's forces ioyned with Scipio found helpe from an occasion little expected for as Dion relates it Publius Sittius if we may attribute it to Sittius and not rather to Fortune brought vnto Caesar not onely a timely safetie but a great victory this Sittius expelled before out of Italy and ioyning to himselfe some other exiles passed ouer into Mauritania there obtaining an army from King Bocchus he resolued to aid Caesar in this warre though he had neither receiued any benefits from him nor was at all knowne to him but because he heard that Caesar was farre from him and could then giue him no great helpe for Caesar's forces in Affrick were then but small watching the time when King Iuba drew his army out of his owne Countrey hee inuaded Numidia and Getulia another part of Iuba's Kingdome wasting and spoiling both the Countries by which accident King Iuba was forced to omit his expedition and march backe againe with the greater part of his forces to the rescue of his owne Kingdome for he had sent part of his strength to Scipio before so that it is certaine if King Iuba by Fortune had not then beene diuerted from ioyning with Scipio Caesar had not beene able to haue stood against their vnited forces nor maintained himselfe then in Affrica Dion lib. 43. b The Roman army remaining in Affrica hearing that Spaine was vexed with dissentions and seditions sent thither Cneius Pompeius the eldest sonne of Pompey the Great as thinking that he for his Fathers sake would be receiued in Spaine with greatest honour aduising him that when he had setled his affaires there he should march to Rome and they themselues intended with all their forces to meet him there and make the warre in Italy this counsell was had while Caesar as yet lingred in Aegypt according to Dion lib. 42. but Hirtius in his Commentaries relates it after that time c Cneius Pompeius chid by Cato and aduised to goe into Spaine and raise forces with thirtie Ships of all sorts putting to Sea at Vtica sailed to Mauritania and entred the Kingdome of King Bogud there setting his army on shore which consisted of about two thousand slaues and Freemen part armed and part vnarmed he marched toward the Towne of Ascurum in which Towne there was then a Garrison of the Kings the Garrison suffering Pompey to passe quietly till he approached the very walls of the Towne sallying out then on the sudden ouercame them and some they killed some they forced into the Sea Pompey himselfe with a few of his men getting to their Ships sailed away after which he neuer more arriued on the shore of Affrick but went to the Balearicke Ilands and from thence to Spaine Hirt. comment de bello Affricano FINIS THE FOVRTH BOOKE The Argument of the fourth Booke To his imperiall Zamah Iuba flies And thence excluded with Petreius dies Amidst their banquets bleeding Scipio slaine By his owne hands within the watery maine Intombes himselfe The death of Cato fames Old Vtica Caesar laments and blames His wilfull Fate and from the Libyan coast Is ship'd for Rome with his victorious host BVt all the wracke that Thapsus fields had made The fields could not containe nor could so sad And great a ruine in such narrow bounds Be circumscrib'd the high Imperiall wounds Which there were giuen in other regions bled And those great names which from that battell fled As loth to mix with vulgar Funeralls Must beare the fame of their renowned falls To other lands lest this great losse should be In story told as one calamitie With winged speed by nights obscuritie From Thapsus Iuba and Petreius flie To reach strong Zamah the Imperiall seat Of Iuba's Realme a Citie faire and great In which when first the warre began he lay'd His wealth and dearest pledges had conuey'd But now the gates were shut the men deny'd Their King an entrance and with scoffes deride His threats and prayers for his changed Fate Now gaue them leaue freely to shew their hate And all too late is Iuba forc'd to see The curs'd effects of former tyranny Oh wretched State of Tyrants that nere see Vntill their sight in vaine and bootlesse be Their iust esteeme nor euer till too late Can know what men deserue their loue or hate In wretched times your friends are onely knowne But when that knowledge comes the power is gone Your State requitall or reuenge denies And Fortune but to grieue you opes your eyes The King opprest with griefe and fill'd with ire Vnto a Countrie Palace doth retire Not farre from thence with him Petreius goes And a small troope of Horse there they repose Their weary bodies and vex'd mindes vntill A great resolue their brests with comfort fill Then he commands his seruants to prepare Forthwith a stately banquet and with rare And sumptuous cates a full repast they take When thus King Juba to Petreius spake Roman thou seest how Fortunes vtmost spight Pursues our actions and has rest vs quite Of any future hopes nothing can be Safetie to vs but Caesar's clemency But thou and I in all this Ciuill warre ' Gainst Caesar's side haue beene engag'd too farre To hope for mercy which if I might haue By all our gods I should disdaine to craue For loue of Pompey I was Caesar's foe And in the great'st
chast a minde Yet wanton loue and Cupids childish fires Which warme Plebeian hearts and moue desires In rurall Girles and lowly Shepherds swaines Aid not thy suit Oh Caesar She disdaines That common cause should make her beautie yeeld To thy embraces her proud brest was fill'd With higher thoughts desire of Soueraigntie Aspiring hopes of State and Maiestie In Cleopatra's brest had now controll'd All other passions had her blood beene cold Yet when ambition pleaded on thy side Her chastitie had yeelded to her pride That reason Caesar that did first subdue Thy loyaltie to Rome made thee embrue Thy parricidall hands in her sad wounds And die with blood Thessalia's guiltie grounds Proues now the selfe same cause that conquered This Queene and drew her to thy wanton bed Let not the guiltie greatnesse of thy minde Be by vaine men extoll'd since here we finde A womans brest the same impressions moue Ambitious pride and Soueraignties dire loue Alike in thee and Cleopatra plac'd Made thee disloyall proue and her vnchast Caesar lest Rome should iudge he first did moue This warre alone for Cleopatra's loue To winne for her not for his Countries sake For conquer'd Aegypt he intends to make No a Roman prouince and on th' other side Too much suspecting that th' Aegyptians pride His bountious fauour would farre lesse esteeme If that a woman wore their Diadem Whilest yet a male childe liu'd of Lagus blood Thus cleares both doubts to make the action good One colour serues young Ptolomey whom he Before had married to Arsinoë A childe of eight yeares old must now supply The roome of his dead brother Ptolomey And weare two shadowes both of loue and State Of Aegypts King and Cleopatra's mate What more than names poore boy dost thou obtaine As vaine thy marriage is as is thy reigne And but in title nothing is thine owne Caesar thy bed possesses she thy Crowne Nor canst thou yet so much as riuall proue In Cleopatra's reigne or Caesar's loue Yet happie art thou that thy tender age Cannot enioy th' incestuous marriage For if the match for thee had beene more fit Thou had'st contracted greater guilt from it And with fowle Incest stain'd a brothers name But whilest thou want'st the fruit thou want'st the blame Now without care thou dost a Crowne obtaine And an Incestuous marriage without staine Now nights blacke mantle had the earth ore-spread And all the host of Starres in Phaebus stead Though with lesse light adorn'd the spangled skie When Caesar fir'd with loue and raised high With Mâ—roës sparkling wine pursues his suit And soone obtaines the wish'd and wanton fruit Of his late warres and toiles his fame and glory His power and gifts the strongest oratory Had woo'd and wonne the Queene to his delight Within whose armes he spends the wanton night Nor Cleopatra was 't a crime in thee Th' incestuous custome of thy family Where sisters wiues on brothers are bestow'd And mixture of the nearest names allow'd Makes this a vertuous loue thou had'st beene led With greater guilt to such a Nuptiall bed And 't is thy fate thy beautie cannot be Better enioy'd than by adulterie Yet from the burden of her fruitfull wombe Both hers and Caesar's punishment come For young b Caesario whom their loues short ioy With aduerse Fates begets vnhappy boy Vntimely slaine shall be in future time Augustus Caesar's parricidall crime And Caesar's house with Caesar's blood shall blot Thy guilt Augustus is that night begot Which shall hereafter those rich triumphs staine Which thou from Aegypts conquest shalt obtaine Vnlesse that flattery be taught for thee To wrest all natures lawes and policie Of State together with the peace of Rome Alleag'd to iustifie thy bloody doome Whilest Caesar thus a wanton Conquerour In Aegypt stayes the Senats scatter'd power And flying legions from Pharsalia Scipio againe vnites in Affrica ' Great Pompey's father in law who now ore all Is by consent elected Generall Stout Labienus most engag'd of all In hate to Caesar though against the Gaule He vnder Caesar's colours oft had fought Serues vnder him and matchlesse Cato brought By no engagement of a priuate cause But for his Countries libertie and lawes d Petreius falsely there takes armes againe ' Gainst Caesar's side by Caesar once in Spaine Pardon'd before there Attius e Varus stands Who all the Roman Prouinces commands In Affrick once proud Carthage feodars Who brings his Punick forces to the warres Subtle in warlike slights with Targets light Short swords and brests vnarm'd they vse to fight And still in battell weare their Cassocks red To hide the colour of the blood they shed Drie Barces scorch'd and euer-thirsting sands Send men to Varus there the warlike bands Of hot Cyrene stand the progeny Of Pelops stain'd and tragick family That from Mycena came there th' Aaeans stood Mixed of Libyan and Sicilian blood And those of Tabraca th' old Tyrians brood The men of Leptis and at Hippo bred Where the Phaenicians first inhabited When they to Affrick came Hippo whose site Made it the ancient Libyan Kings delight And there in armes the men of Thapsus be That from the Latines draw their pedigree Juba to these his mighty army brings Juba the greatest of all Affricks Kings Who had already giuen a fatall blow In Curio's sad and mortall ouerthrow To Caesar's side No Libyan King alone Commands so large and vast a region Th' extent of his dominion lies as farre As Thera's plaines and horned Ammon are From Mauritania's farthest Westerne lands Where neare the Gades heauen-propping Atlas stands With whom to warre so many nations went Of manners rites and habits different Fierce Mauritanians which deriue their race From th' ancient Medes who peopled first the place The Nasamonians euer bare and poore Till wrackes at Sea enrich their fatall shore With mankindes ruine the scorch'd swarthy bands Of Garamantians on whose barren sands No shady trees ere spred no flockes doe feed Nor ought but serpents and dire monsters breed With these Marmarians march whom nature makes As antidotes against those mortall Snakes Then march the vagrant bold Numidians On well-rein'd Steeds and light Massylians Who euermore their Horses bitlesse ride And them alone with slender wands can guide The strong Getulians that no dwellings know But with their heards doe wander too and fro That in no sports but dangerous delight And singly dare with raging Lions fight The light Autololes whose winged speed In running farre out-strips the swiftest Steed Equalls the winds themselues and as they passe Scarce bend the standing corne or slender grasse The cole-blacke Mibian next vpon whose brow And curled-lockes the scorching Sunne doth show His lasting Tyranny who to the warre Does lightly goe his brest and body bare And neuer iron nor brasse armour weares Great linnen Turbants on his head he beares In stead of helmes his arrowes mortall points With venom'd iuyce he treacherously annoints Shaggie Cyniphians too were armed there Who Goats rough skinnes vpon their
shoulders weare Their beards oregrowne and horrid neare to these With painted shields the Adyrmachides Arm'd on the left side only not the right And swords like sickles crook'd they vse in fight Of diet course and rude their meat vpon The sands is roasted by the scorching Sun Besides the troops that were from Vaga sent That from Ruspina and faire Zamah went From all these seuerall places Iuba drawes A royall Army t' aid the Senates cause Ioyning himselfe with Roman Scipio With all these forces they intend to goe When first the spring her verdant face shall show And comfortable gales of Zephyre blow T' inuade their natiue Countrey and set free Subiected Rome from Caesar's Tyrannie And this their great designe from the euent Of old examples found encouragement Since sad experiences did often shew Romes strength neere Rome 't was easiest to subdue They knew the barbarous Cimbrian furious Gaule The force of Carthage led by Hannibal Beat oft in forren parts by Roman powers In Italy prou'd easie Conquerours With these they sadly call to minde how soone Cinna Sertorius Carbo Marius wonne Rome by surprise though beat in forren lands With ease by Sylla and great Pompey's hands And last of all when this sad warre begun And Caesar first had crossed Rubicon Pompey without one conflict fled away And Rome to him became an easie prey But Caesar's fortune frustrates their intents His wonted speed and strange successe preuents Their expedition and as euery where He had before so playes th' assailant here Too soone alas shall you in Affrick see Whom you intend to seeke in Italy But Caesar plung'd in Aegypts soft delights Insnar'd by beautie and the charming slights Of Cleopatra could almost forget How many armed foes and forces yet Oppose his growing fortunes and remaine Threatning the height of his vsurped reigne As when Alcides with ill fate had seene The tempting beauties of th' Oechalian Queene His brawny shoulders straight forget to weare The lions skin his awfull hand to beare The monster-taming club from his rough head The poplar garland falls no tyrants dread That world-auenging strength which had well nigh Beene sunke into a famelesse lethargy And Iuno's hopes of great Alcides fall A womans beautie further'd more than all Those monstrous plagues which she had power t' inuent Or could from aire earth seas or hell be sent But Fortune findes alarums to awake The soule of Caesar from this dreame and make Compleat for him the worke she had begun Whither she hasten'd Romes sad ruine on Or rather blush'd such liberties and lawes Should owe their safetie to so base a cause As Caesar's sloth and iudg'd it better farre Than keepe it so to lose it by a warre That warre alone which built vp Romes high reigne Should now haue power to ruine her againe Nor were the Fates pleas'd that the wanton loue Of Cleopatra should more helpfull proue To Romes affaires than all those iust-drawne swords Which once Thessalia Libya now affords Yet was it now no strength no armes of Rome No part of Ciuill warre drew Caesar from Aegypts delights f Pharnaces feeble power Prouok'd him first to make him Conquerour Of greater forces than his owne as when A sleeping Lion's couched in his den The horned heards securely graze along The verdant pastures till that Lion stung By some presumptuous little Gnat awake And wanting there his full reuenge doth make Those cattell feele his wrath whose liues anon Doe rue the little Gnat's presumption This false Pharnaces who from Pompey's hand Receiu'd as price of parricide the land Of rich Cimmerian Bosphorus was sonne To Mithridates whose fear'd power had wonne From Nicomedes his Bithynia Conquer'd Armenia Cappadocia And wealthyest Graecian Iles whose swelling fame Began to riuall Romes victorious name And long withstood her growing Fate at last By Pompey's force from all his kingdomes chac'd He fell by treason to increase the shame Of his false sonne and lessen Pompey's fame Pharnaces now with vaine ambition swell'd Deceiu'd by flattering hopes when he beheld Romes broiles and saw how her diuided bands Against themselues imploy'd their conquering hands Sought to regaine what once his father had And gan the Roman prouinces inuade In Asia minor his first enterprise Fortune beholding with propitious eyes Domitius fall who with ill Fate imploy'd The swords of Caesar rais'd his boasting pride Nicopolis whose loftie walls were there Founded as Pompey's Trophees still to beare Name of his Conquest and the place to show Of Mithridateâ— finall ouerthrow Beheld the slaughter of Domitius hosts A parentation to the Ponticke ghosts Nine times had Cynthia now restor'd againe Light to her waned hornes when Caesar chain'd In Cleopatra's wanton armes had stay'd On Aegypts coast her swelling wombe display'd At last th' effect of an adulterous bed Whom Caesar thus departing comforted Faire Queene sole mistresse of thy Caesar's State The fate of him that rules all other fate Pharnaces cruell to himselfe and me With his owne ruine parts our company His treasons Loue now call my vengefull steele Doe not thou grieue the conquer'd foes shall feele Our parting griefe and in their slaughter see With how much anger Caesar goes from thee But that poore King dares not my force withstand He onely drawes me from this happie land To make a iourney rather than a warre For he at first will flie and easier farre May I obtaine a conquest than a fight His dastard troops my name alone shall fright And easie triumph comes but I from thee Goe grieu'd to triumphs sad to victory From thee whose eyes make Aegypts swarthy face Brighter than that white path the gods doe trace Without whose light no land breeds my content And Rome it selfe to me is banishment But Fate to vs farre greater conquests owes How much alas would Cleopatra lose If Caesar stay'd at home we haue not yet Fully attain'd that world-commanding height That must enthrone thy beautie in a State High as it selfe for all to wonder at Like some new Constellation those that neare Th' Antartick pole ne're see the Northren Beare Descend into the Ocean those that lie Enduring winters lasting tyranny Vnder the frozen waâ—â—e and lose the sight Of bright Canopus whose desired light Cheeres this Horizon still shall both adore Faire Cleopatra's name the farthest shore That Peleus siluer-footed wife doth know Shall honour thee euen Rome her selfe shall bow And with her Eagles shall thy State maintaine Whilest Kings doe wait in Cleopatra's traine For such effects faire Queene if Caesar know His Fate aright shall this our parting now Returne to thee when I in triumph come By this deare part of Caesar which thy wombe Encloses here thou shalt engage our speed Therefore farewell we must pursue in deed Our consultations swiftly as we thought But Cleopatra whom loues Queene had taught All winning wiles and blest with such a face As teares became and griefe it selfe did grace Thus with a seeming griefe and teares replies I dare not hope to change
seene Nor ere in Triumph to the people showne Till the Dictator Curius had orethrowne The Samnites Sabines and King Pyrrhus power The like Metellus Cretes fam'd Conquerour From his Sicilian Victory did bring And Pompey's Triumph ore Numidia's King Vncertaine aids in warre they euer proue And with like danger to both armies moue As well their owne annoying as the foes Fitter for other labours sure than those Nor though their strength be wondrous for that end Did prudent Nature those great beasts intend The Nabathaean lands where they are bred Are recompens'd with those rich teeth they shed Through all the world a wealthy merchandise Which on their deaths oft sets a greedy price But greater farre the Easterne countrey yeelds Than those within the Mauritanian fields And farre more fierce such as in India Great Alexander's frighted Souldiers saw These mighty beasts as they in bulke exceed And passe in strength all other farre that feed On earths vast bosome doe as farre excell If ancient authors haue obserued well In apprehension and large faculties Of soule ' mongst beasts they onely exercise Those qualities or like to them which we In men stile vertues perfect equitie They keepe and lawes of iustice haue in vse To which all morall vertues we reduce Nor are these creatures thought by some to be Quite void of th' intellectuall facultie But that they can discerne and vnderstand The language spoken in their natiue land And might discourse if to so strange a wit Nature had pleas'd to lend them organs fit Not speake as Crowes and Parrats oft haue done By imitation of a sound alone If we so much to Elephants should giue Why should we call them creatures sensitiue We must extend the facultie of sense To larger bounds and put lesse difference Twixt that and reason or betwixt the two Finde out a middle region to bestow Their knowledge in as to some things that liue We place twixt sense and vegetation giue But in a higher kinde as some relate Doe Elephants with men communicate If you beleeue it a religion They haue and monethly doe adore the Moone Beside the loftie Nabathaean wood Of vast extent Amylo's gentle flood Gliding along the sandy mould combines Thither as oft as wexing Cynthia shines In her first borrowed light from out the wood Come all the Elephants and in the flood Washing themselues as if to purifie They prostrate fall and when religiously They haue ador'd the Moone returne againe Into the woo is with ioy Nor halfe so vaine Is this deuotion which these beasts present As that which men more brutishly inuent Nor as the mad Aegyptians vs'd doe they To Dogges and Snakes and vilest creatures pray Nor to the senselesse Leekes and Onyons bow Such gods as yearely in their Gardens grow Nor yet to wood or stone deuotion doe More senselesse than the stones they bow vnto A farre more glorious creature they adore Should this be true of Elephants farre more Wise in Religion are those beasts than men But if that this a fiction be why then Did mens inuention faine a beast to be Wiser than are themselues in Pietie While at Rhuspina both the Generalls Encamped rest in Vtica's strong walls Cato remaines with Pompey's eldest b sonne Whom thus sage Cato sharply sets vpon Awake young man and now in time redeeme Thy youth from sloath-bred scorne from disesteeme Goe vindicate the name of Pompey now Goe trie all Kingdomes search all Seas to know How great thy father was what fame he wonne How strong he leaues thee in thy name alone Trie if the Seas which his braue hand did free From Pyrates can deny a fleet to thee That stocke of glory which thy father won And left behinde for thee to spend vpon Armes thee with strength enough though nought beside So good a cause could lend ' gainst Caesar's pride Goe trie the farthest West sollicite Spaine The name of Pompey is enough to gaine Those Nations to thy side if nought at all Thy groaning Countries suffrings nor the fall Of Roman libertie affect thy minde Although thou could'st endure a Lord and finde Content in seruing yet the wrongs which thou Alone from Caesar suffrest were enow To rowze thy spirits and stirre thine enmitie If thy great Father for Romes libertie And Lawes alone fought in Pharsalia As great a Fortune did'st thou lose that day As on a priuate Citizen could light But if thy Father for himselfe did fight Thy losse was more and Caesar then from thee By Conquest tooke the Worlds sole Monarchy But would'st thou know the true inheritance Which he did dying leaue thee to aduance The name of Pompey which may euer be Thine owne in spight of Caesar's enmitie Which honour bids thee claime and Rome now needs The imitation of his noble deeds Is thine inheritance 't was his braue Fate When great bad men had seiz'd th' afflicted State When Marius faction did the walls inuade And Rome it selfe a slaughter-house was made To saue his Countrey bleeding then as now And not so much in debt to yeares as thou When he no honours yet no titles had No power at all but what his vertue made He rais'd an army rescu'd Italy By him did Carbo in Sicilia die By him did Spaine behold Sertorius fall And then in triumph to the Capitoll He but a Gentleman of Rome did bring Hyempsal vanquish'd the Numidian King All this before he had attain'd vnto Thy age young Pompey did thy father doe Which to his future greatnesse made the way And sleep'st thou here What helpe in Affrica Lend'st thou to Rome more than one priuate hand Goe gather forces in another land Repaire the ruines of thy house or die Great as thy birth has made thee No reply Young Pompey made at all but as if from Some sacred Oracle the speech had come Or Romes owne voyce from Cato's brest had spoke His modesty obey'd and straitway tooke A long c farewell neuer to meet againe But finde a Tombe in Europe and to Spaine Carry as great a part of Romes sad wounds As dire Thessalia's blood-distained grounds Or fatall Thapsus saw Though destinie Haue not allotted braue young man to thee So great and long a race of happinesse As to thy Father yet thy fall no lesse Than his shall be in weight nor shall the field Of fatall Munda to Pharsalia yeeld Caesar supply'd with strength from Sicily Marches away to take and fortifie Those loftie Hills in spight of enemies Which from the champian neere Vzzita rise Which Hills he takes and fortifies with ease Though Labienus vaine-lay'd ambushes To their owne ruine did molest his way By Caesar's Scouts discouer'd where they lay Too soone and so by changed Fate call'd on In stead of his their owne destruction So a Getulian Lion when beset By weake-arm'd Hunters whose vaine force doth whet Not daunt his courage with collected ire Breakes through and makes his wounded foes retire His seeming danger nought but anger moues And fatall onely
loue of death now prayes the hypocrite Nights silent reigne had robb'd the World of light To lend in lieu a greater benefit Repose and sleepe when euery mortall brest Whom care or griefe permitted tooke their rest But Cato's brest was not alone set free From perturbation and anxietie By vertues constant vse for soft repose Or sleepe the common end but to compose And raise it selfe vnto an act more high The contemplation of eternitie In contemplation the vntroubled Soule Parts from the bodies bonds free from controule Of fleshly passions by no cares distracted Not as in sleepe she does to lie contracted Within her selfe and from all action cease But to imploy her purest faculties At nobler distance where no sense of sight Or outward organ can direct her flight There by her selfe the Soule can take suruey Of those high glorious bodies which display Obiects too bright for sense in their owne light Some beames and glimpses of that infinite Eternall essence from whose fulnesse they Deriue their beauties there the Soule would stay Or wishes that from lets corporeall free She might what now she cannot plainly see Those formes and does in that desire imply Her owne vndoubted immortalitie But ere the minde of man can fitted be To search the depth of true Philosophy It must be purg'd by morall rules and freed From impious lusts from vice of thought and deed And as a wise Physitian euer giues Before his medicines cleane preparatiues So let no Soule contemplate till it be Prepar'd and purg'd by sound moralitie First let it practise vertue here before With contemplations wings it dare to soare In search of that which is the perfect'st good And height of all that can be vnderstood Lest as in Physicke th' vnpurg'd humours may Distract the medicines working force so they Not purg'd from vices through false glasses see And oft deceiu'd in speculation be Vnto thy selfe first morall Physicke giue And then securely be contemplatiue So cleans'd was Cato's soule and fit was he For strictest precepts of Philosophy Since vertues paths which rough to others seeme Long vse had made habituall to him To whom the Fates present as now on high His thoughts were soaring to eternitie An obiect fit casting his eye aside Diuinest Plato's Phaedon he espy'd Oh welcome Booke sent from the gods quoth he To teach a dying man Philosophy And though thou canst not further or controule The resolution of my fixed soule Since Fate has doom'd my end yet may'st thou giue Comfort to those few houres I haue to liue Man's Soule immortall is whilest here they liue The purest mindes for perfect knowledge striue Which is the knowledge of that glorious God From whom all life proceeds in this abode Of flesh the Soule can neuer reach so high So reason tells vs if the Soule then die When from the bodies bonds she takes her flight Her vnfulfill'd desire is frustrate quite And so bestow'd in vaine it followes then The best desires vnto the best of men The great Creator did in vaine dispence Or else the Soule must liue when gone from hence And if it liue after the body fall What reason proues that it should die at all Since not compounded as the body is And mixt of euer-fighting contraries But one pure substance like it selfe and may By reasons rules subsist alone for aye And though we yeeld that God who did create Can if he please againe annihilate The Soule and nothing in that sense can be Indissoluble saue the Deitie Yet Soules which in their nature doe agree So neare with that shall nere dâ—ssolued be Till they at last their wished end attaine And so immortall by themselues remaine True grounds quoth he diuine Philosopher Else what were vertue or true knowledge here But waking dreames Why more than beasts should we Oblige our selues to Lawes of pietie Or curbe our lusts Oh why should vertue be Iudg'd by the wisest true felicitie Before wealth honour pleasure Vertue here Does not alas so beautifull appeare But poore and wretched rather nor is she Vnlesse which in this life we doe not see Some fairer substance or true forme she haue Ought but an emptie name or Fortunes slaue The wisest men are glad to die no feare Of death can touch a true Philosopher Death sets the Soule at libertie to flie And search the depth of that Diuinitie Which whilest imprison'd in the body here She cannot learne a true Philosopher Makes death his common practice while he liues And euery day by contemplation striues To separate the soule farre as he can From off the body what 's the death of man But separation of those two Should he That euery day did striue in some degree To gaine this freedome feare it at the time When nature has allotted it to him Would birds incag'd that with all motions trie And seeke all wayes to gaine their libertie The cage set ope refuse to flie from thence Nay more haue louers in impatience Forc'd out their liues and violently fled Into the other World to finde their dead Deare loues And should the Soule which here below Clos'd in the body euery day did wooe And court that knowledge which is perfect blisse Refuse to goe and finde it where it is Then when the gods haue open'd her the way But here till then the Soule is bound to stay Nor must she leaue her station till that God Dee call her hence that gaue her this abode Here Cato stopt and paws'd is death quoth he Vnlawfull then till rude necessitie Inforce a man to taste it And must I Weare this loath'd life till Caesar bid me die Is not the fatall ouerthrow so late In Thapsus fields and ruine of the State Necessitie of death enough for me May I not thinke the gods in that decree The death of Cato But must hold my hand Expecting till the Conquerour command And giue more power to him whose lawlesse might Already has vsurp'd aboue his right Or begge for life acknowledging him so My Lord whom iustly I adiudg'd Romes foe So saue my life by sinning or elâ—e die With one sinne more if mercy he deny But this sure hand shall saue that hazard now Plato and all diuinest Lawes allow Rather than act a crime a man should die Should I take life from Caesar's clemencie It would be iudg'd by all what ere were ment I did approue of Caesar's gouernment How great a crime might mine example proue How great a wrong to Rome and all that loue Her Lawes and liberties Great Pompey's sonnes That now doe arme the Westerne regions And for their Countrie yet intend to fight Might thinke themselues excus'd if I submit And from their iustest resolution swerue When old free Cato were content to serue I le trie since most assur'd the Soules doe liue What Lawes to vs the other World will giue For sure the gods ' mongst Soules departed hence Twixt good and bad will put a difference Those happy Soules that while they liued
miserably dy'd Her swelling wombe now gan the fact reueale Nor could she longer her stoll'n loue conceale When fearing her sterne Fathers wrathfull spight Into the woods she takes a secret flight There all alone to caues and senselesse trees She wailes her Fate and calls Great Hercules Or false or slow till some fell beasts that were More sauage than their kinde had seized her And whilest in vaine alas she did implore Her absent louer her to peeces tore Seuen times had Cynthia fill'd her waned light When he return'd with Conquest from the fight And laden with Gâ—ryons wealthy spoiles The recompence of his successefull toiles Sought for Pyrene but inforc'd to finde What oft before his sad misgiuing minde Made him suspect distraught with griefe and woes Among the woods and craggy hills he goes In search of her and with a mournefull sound Calls his Pyrene all the hills rebound Pyrenes name the hills themselues did shake The sauage beasts and mountaine robbers quake No Tygers prey'd nor Lions durst to moue Whilest Great Alcides sought his wretched Loue. But wandring through the solitary wood When he had found her limbes and vnderstood Pyrenes wretched Fate Oh loue quoth he 'T was my accursed absence murder'd thee What sauage beast durst this What power aboue Suffer'd so much against Alcides loue Oh would Geryons spoiles had all beene lost And I nere stirr'd from this beloued coast Then gathering vp those sad deare reliques there Within the Mountaines side he did interre His loue and sorrow This small Tombe alas When Times strong hand quoth he shall quite deface Thy state shall greater be and time to come Shall reckon all these hills Pyrenes Tombe The Fates consented and by lasting fame Those Mountaines euer bore Pyrenes name The two young Pompey's with their powers not farre From Gades now marching meant to seat the warre In that rich Countrey where faire Baetis flowes And on the region his owne name bestowes Though Turdetania from the men that came To plant it first be yet another name There they the fatall Munda doe possesse A Towne yet famous for their dire successe With other Townes not farre Aâ—egua And Vcubis and stately Corduba That old Patritian colony whose name The births of great and learned Romans fame The Turdetanian region may for rare And wondrous gifts of nature well compare With any peece of earth no other soile Does more reward th' industrious plowmans toile With rich increase no other pastures keepe Moe horned heards moe wealthy-fleeced Sheepe Those many branches which from Baetis flow Such wealth on all the neighbouring fields bestow Whose yellow bankes no lesse than Tagus is Are stor'd with metalls of the highest price In euery place more gold no barren ground Affords than in that wealthy glebe is found Which nature seldome does together giue And happy might the Turdetanians liue But that their Countrey too too happy is And on their conquest sets too high a price Their wealthy grounds are oft the seat of warre And prey to euery powerfull conqueror There Rome and Carthage fought and did maintaine Their riuall forces with the wealth that Spaine Afforded there while Fortune doubted yet Which land to make the Worlds Imperiall seat When like to Titius fruitfull liuer they Sustein'd those birds to whom they were a prey And suffring Spaine by those great factions rent That Vultur fed which did it selfe torment Nor lies the gold of that rich region Deepe in the bowells of the earth alone Thence to be digg'd vp with a toile as great At is the value there they need not sweat In gathering wealth nor need they farre to fire From day or threaten Pluto's monarchy With their deepe labours the rich metall 's found Vpon the glistering surface of the ground And lies on riuers bankes commixt with sand Or else with dust vpon the drier land And Mountaines tops what reason can be found Should so inrich the vpper part of ground Vnlesse you trust a tale When Phaëton Did erst misguide the Charriot of the Sunne And scorch'd the earth the nature then of all These grounds Sulphurious was and Minerall The metalls melted by the Sunne fry'd vp And so with ease are gather'd at the top To Pompey's army while they there remaine The seuerall nations from all parts of Spaine Besides those scattered troops from Thapsus fled Which Labiâ—nus there and Varus led Adioyne themselues the fierce Cantabrians That thinke it base to yeeld to Natures hands Their liues as if bestow'd for warre alone Gallecians skill'd in diuination The Callaicians too whose men intend Nothing but warre and still in rapine spend Their ventrous liues vsing the womens hands To all workes else to sow and plow the lands From old Ilerda that so lately try'd Romes Ciuill warrs comes aid to Pompey's side From Minius bankes come bold Asturians From golden Tagus Lusitanians Fierce Ceretans Alcides Souldiers The light-arm'd Vascon that no helmet weares And Concani that in their drinke expresse Themselues deriu'd from wilde Massagetes Their greatest thirst with horses blood they slake The Celtiberians that mixt birth did take From Gaules and Spaniards who doe euer burne Their friends dead bodies and extremely mourne Accounting it the worst vnhappinesse If Wolues or Vulturs their dead limbes should seize From Sucro's bankes come Hedetan supplies And from the loftie Towers of Serabis The Vettones the Oretanians too And th' ensignes of Parnassian Castulo With all the Spanish Nations else whom loue Of old dead Pompey to the warre did moue Annotations vpon the fifth Booke a This Arsinoë which had in the tumult of Aegypt beene saluted Queene by the Souldiers as was before declared and afterwards by Caesar apprehended and here led in Triumph according to Dion and released at the suit of her sister Cleopatra then Queene of Aegypt was afterwards murthered by the same Cleopatra as Iosephus reports for Cleopatra in the time of Marcus Antonius the Triumuir did by her cruelty extinguish the royall blood of the Ptolomeys and impatient of any that might afterwards proue riualls to her in that gouernment did not onely poison yoâ—ng Ptolomey her brother whom Caesar had made her husband but caused her sister Arsinoë to be murdered as she was at her Deuotion in the Temple Iosephus lib. 15. de antiquitat b This Iuba saith Plutarch was happie in his captiuitie and losse of his so great an inheritance for at Rome he obtained happie education and in stead of a barbarous Prince became a learned and iudicious writer he is mentioned by diuers of those ages he wrote Commentaries of the Libyan Kings and diuerse obseruations of his owne times he was industrious in the study of naturall Philosophy and searching the natures of herbes plants he was the first that found out the vertues and malignitie of the herbe Euphorbium and called it by the name of his chiefe Physitian he serued Augustus Caesar in his warres against Marcus Antonius and was afterwards by his bountie restored to a Crowne though
you the warre decree When first the Spring dissolues the mountaine snow And Westerne winds vpon the waters blow When with his golden hornes bright Taurus opes The chearefull yeare shall these victorious troops Aduance against the Parthians and there die Or fetch those Eagles home with victory Which Crassus lost till then you need not feare The insolency of the Souldier That their disorder'd licence here at home May any way disturbe the peace of Rome My care already has besides the spoiles Of forren foes rewarded all their toiles With those great summes which here so lately I Perchance much enuy'd rais'd in Italy To keepe them still and did not feare to buy With mine owne Enuy your security Then Conscript Fathers if your wisdomes shall Esteeme of Caesar as a Generall Fit to reuenge the Roman infamy ' Gainst Parthia's pride decree the warre to me I am your Souldier still nor ere has ought But Romes renowne by all my toiles beene sought You shall perceiue that Caesar's Souldiers are Not onely fortunate in Ciuill warre Caesar had ended when the Fathers all To such a warre and such a Generall Giue glad consent and with one voyce decree The Parthian warre to Caesar's auspicie But Fates deny what they so much desir'd The date of Caesar's glory was expir'd And Fortune weary'd with his Triumphs now Reuolts from him more ruine and more woe Was yet behinde for wretched Rome to tast Nor can their quiet happinesse out-last The life of Caesar whose approaching Fate More Ciuill warres and wounds must expiate No vertue bountie grace nor clemency Could long secure vsurped Soueraignty For more that power to Citizens borne free Distastfull was than benefits could be Sweet and delight some which soone hasten'd on Th' vntimely death of Caesar Nor alone To this conspiracy did hatred draw His ancient foes as Pontius Aquila Bucolianus and Cecilius Ligarius pardon'd once and Rubrius Scruilius Galba Sextus Naso too Spurius with many of the faction moe But euen ' mongst Caesar's friends dire Enuy wrought And to his slaughter bold Trebonius brought Casca and Cimber and Minutius His seeming friends nor thee Oh Cassius Could Caesar's fauour nor thy Pretorship Of Rome obtain'd from this dire murther keepe Decimus Brutus too so highly grac'd And in so neere a ranke of friendship plac'd With Caesar to whose trust and gouernance The wealthy prouince of Transalpine France Caesar had left enuying his Patrons power Among the rest is turn'd conspiratour Nor seemes the knot of this great faction yet To be of strength enough vnlesse they get Young Marcus Brutus in who then did sway The Prouince of Cisalpine Gallia Colleague with Cassius as Romes Pretors then And high in Caesar's grace this braue young man For his knowne vertues and admired parts In all the peoples discontented hearts Did seeme most thought of and mark'd out to be The vindicatour of lost libertie Nor did they hide it but in libells wrote On his Pretorian cell exprest their thought Taxing his courage as degenerate From th' ancient Brutus who first freed the State Of Rome from Monarchy as if the fame Of such an act could suit no other name And he by fatall birth condemn'd to be An Actor now in Caesar's Tragedy Now had Rhâ—m nâ—sian Nemesis possest In all her blackest formes the vengefull brest Of fierie Cassius and did wholly sway His eager thoughts impatient of delay Who by nights silence enters Brutus house Him there he findes alone and anxious Wailing his Countries Fate and sadder farre Than when the feare of this great Ciuill warre First seiz'd the peoples hearts and frighted Rome Was fill'd with fatall prodigies to whom Cassius beginnes Oh why should Brutus spend That pretious time in thought which he should lend In actiue aid to his sad Countries need That would againe by Brutus hand be freed See what the peoples longing thoughts expect That thou should'st worke for them marke the effect Of what they write on thy Praetorian Sell There may'st thou read that though contented well They look'd no farther than for vaine delights As Libyan huntings and Circensian sights From other Praetors they expect from thee A benefit no lesse than libertie Can Brutus thinke that Caesar while he liues Will ere resigne so great a power who striues To make it more his owne and not content With a Dictator's name and gouernment An office oft bestow'd while Rome was free Aimes at more certaine markes of Monarchy The Regall Crowne and Scepter thinking all The Senate giues cause they can giue it small Why were the Tribunes else for taking downe From Caesar's Statue late a golden Crowne Depos'd Or what could he by law alleage Against their persons sacred priuilege Did lewd Antonius put a Diadem On Caesar's head to be refus'd by him In publike onely and not there to trie How we would all allow his Monarchy Besides a thousand more ambitious arts He daily findes to sound the peoples hearts His death the period of his pride must be And must with speed be wrought for if till he Returne triumphant from the Parthian warre We should delay our vengeance harder farre And with more enuy must it then be done When he more honour and more loue has wonne To shake off Caesar's yoke this is the time Or make it not our owne but Fortunes crime The Noble Brutus sigh'd Oh Cassius If Heauens quoth he haue not allotted vs A longer date of freedome how can we With feeble armes controule their high decree They that in Affricke Spaine and Thessaly Condemn'd the cause of Roman liberty Will not protect it now and better farre It should be lost in faire and open warre From whence at first it sprung and grew so high Than to be sau'd by secret treachery Such as the ancient Romans scorn'd to vse ' Gainst worst of foes Noble Fabritius When conquering Pyrrhus threaten'd Rome disdain'd To free his Countrey by a traitours hand Aduenturing rather Romes sad ouerthrow By open warre nor ' gainst a forren foe Were these respects obseru'd alone by vs What greater traitour than Sertorius And foe to Rome Yet he by treason slaine On base Perpenna stucke a lasting staine What hope was there that one so deepe in blood As was that Butcher Sylla euer would Resigne his reigne to be a priuate man Yet who ' gainst Sylla's life attempted then Twixt whom and Caesar was as great an ods Almost as twixt the Furies and the Gods As much as those then liuing Romans were Too timorous too base and prone to beare A Tyrants yoke as much for this shall we Be iudg'd ingrate to Caesar's clemency And those old men will more accuse our crime That can remember Sylla's bloody time But I of all accurst that so much owe To Caesar's fauours am condemned now To be a subiect or from seruitude To free my selfe by foule ingratitude Oh what a torture my distracted brest Suffers twixt two such sad extremes opprest Oh why when dire Pharsalia's field was fought