Neptune spreads His frothy Arms about the Rhegian Walls Their Aid denies The Name of Scipio calls The most Luxurious from their Choice Delights And to meet Dangers under Him invites All who their Country all who Honour love His Ensigns seek to follow and to prove What Fortune and the Gods for them ordain And now with num'rous Ships the Neighb'ring Main Oppress'd groans under their vast Weight and feels The Fate of Carthage from their brasen Keels Which oft as the rebellious Billows rise Dash them to pieces while the Winde supplies With favourable Blasts their swelling Wings And to the Asian Coast the Army brings While Rome for future Triumphs thus provides Envy the Plague of Courts not Reason guides The Syrian Counsels What the Wise perswade The Ignorant reject The Courtier 's made The Souldier's Judg. What he concludes doth finde Its Influence upon the Prince's Minde Not all the Mighty things which Hannibal Had done which Rome ev'n trembled to recall To Memory could make his Sense prevail (l) The Envy of the Syrian Nobility traduced Hannibal to the King as if his Counsel to invade Italy proceeded from his Ambition once more to see himself at the Head of an Army there So that they wholly diverted him from that Advise and Hannibal was ordered to go with the Navy while the King went in Person with the Army towards Greece To quit the Syrian Kingdoms and assail The Fo at Home Though whosoever so Invaded is lends Courage to his Fo And Strength to vanquish him But strangely Blinde To his own Fall the Syrian King 's inclin'd Rather on his own People all those Ills To bring with which Invasive Fury fills A miserable Land And strait his Fleet Is order'd under Hannibal to meet The Romane where (m) Crete Iônian Billows move About that Island where the Wife of Iove Was born and by the Careful Nymphs was bred Till call'd by Hymen to her Brother's Bed (n) Iuno She although Conscious of the Fates to come Retaining still her Antient Hate to Rome Her Empire of the Air with (o) As the Romane Navy came near Phaselis a Promontory on the Coast of Pamphylia a Disease siezed them and destroyed many of their men while the Syrians were detained in their Course towards them by contrary Winds Mischief fills And on the neighb'ring Isles sad Plagues distills Th' unhappy Season with her Wrath conspires 'T was when the Dog breath'd his Contagious Fires On fainting Men depriving Beasts of Food And turning into Poison purest Blood Th' attracted Air their Entrails scorcheth fills Their Veins with Flames and e're expired kills Such hasty Fates that Time doth scarce know how 'Twixt Life and Death his Minutes to allow While some whom decent Piety invites T'interr their Friends for their own Funeral 's Rites Prepare and strait from their departing Breath Infected fall and share a sudden Death The Romane Souldier whose great Valour scorn'd To stoop to Foes whose Trophies had adorn'd His Native House who ne're before had known To yield his Arms now weak and feeble grown Let 's fall his Shield and Conqu'ring Sword and dies Ev'n in his Arms disarm'd This Plague's Surprize So sudden is that as the Master stands To time with his loud Voice the Seamen's Hands On his half-Deck he prostrate falls before The Word 's exprest Extended at the Oar The Seaman in a lab'ring Posture dies Not known if Dead or rowing as he lies From this so fatal Coast that did afford To Death far greater Triumphs then the Sword The Romane Navy flying the Disease Retires and trusts their Safety to the Seas But Venus fearing lest Saturnia's Hate From this might greater Mischief propagate If then the Syrian Fleet should on them fall Thus to her Aid the God of Winds doth call Great Aeolus whose mighty Empire lies O're all the vast Extent beneath the Skies Assist Me now I ask not That thou make Earth tremble and the World 's firm Fabrick shake Nor that her Stony Entrails thou so wide Should'st rend that Ghosts below may be descri'd Nor that the Seas as in the Giant 's Wars Thou hurl in wat'ry Mountains 'gainst the Stars Iuno for such Revenge perhaps may call 'Gainst Us t' exalt her single Hannibal I onely covet to preserve mine Own And to effect the rest let Fates alone She when nor Arms nor Valour can prevail My Race with Hell and Furies will assail Could She infect the Place I hold above She 'd bring Her Plagues into the Court of Iove What 's mine on Earth her Malice doth surround Thou see'st what gloomy Vapours from the Ground She draws Death hatching in their pregnant Wombs And threatning Mischief to all 's Mine and Rome's Scarse can my Power my sacred Isles defend (l) Besides that Venus is said to have been born in that Sea the Island Luxurious in its extraordinary Fertility the Inhabitants were more prone to Venus then any other Their Women before Marriage exposing themselves on the Shore to all Strangers that arrived there See Iustine in his Eighteenth Book My Cyprian my dear Paphian Temples tend To Ruin and our Votaries for fear Of dire Contagion all our Shrines forbear No Innocence is spar'd my Birds that from Aurora's bosom to my Lap would come And the Refreshments of the choicest Springs Would billing scatter from their Silver Wings As to our sacred Groves they would repair Fall flying Victims in the poisn'd Air. But this thy Power great Aeölus can cure And what is now corrupted render pure Then purge Infection from this Ambient Air Make it Serene and the lost Health repair Of this once Happy Clime and Neighb'ring Isles And thy Reward with that She sweetly smiles Shall be the fairest Nymph of all my Train No sooner said for who can ought refrain When Venus pleads but Aeölus unbindes From their dark Prisons the Etesian Windes Whose Active Force not onely chas'd away All noxious Clouds and Mists and gave the Day A wholsom Face but with a constant Gale Against all Labour of the Oars prevail To keep the Syrian Fleet the more to please The (*) Cyprus Cyprian Goddess in her Neighb'ring Seas Twice twenty Daies the Idle Ships before The Island lay and Anchor'd near the Shore When a Desire to see the fam'd Delights Of Cyprian Groves the Syrian Lord's invites And Hannibal to Land No place did more Indulge to Love or Venus Pow'r adore The Goddess this to all the World prefers And is best pleas'd when Mortals calls it Hers All Deities that can Earth's Wealth improve Here pay their Tribute to the Queen of Love The Medows Flora the Fields Ceres fills With her rich Plenty Bacchus crowns the Hills The greedy Swains no wealthy Orchards rear For Nature choicest Fruits doth ev'ry where Largely bestow the Bounty of the Soil Gives all they can desire without their Toil. All other Pleasures which Affection moves They finde most ample in their Sacred Groves Eternal Shades of Trees whose Arms above
to have been murthered treacherously in his Inn the other in Hunting and adheres to Livy in the manner of his death pierc'd with num'rous wounds his cruel Brest Grief now and Rage the Tyrian Camp divide And all their thoughts to sad Revenge apply de Some Fire some burning Brass some Racks prepare And some with Rods his bleeding Body tear All busie hands in various Torments chuse Their part some deadly Poyson do infuse Others the gaping Wounds with Flames do fill And what was terrible to see or tell While with all art of Cruelty each Limb Was stretcht that Bones in liquid Flesh did swim And Marrow mix'd with Blood in smoak did rise His Courage still was firm and did despise And scorn their Torments or as he had been A safe Spectatour onely and had seen Not felt what they inflict the (d) The Constancy of this Slave is recorded by Livy in these words When he was apprehended by those that were present his Joy so far exceeded all sense of Torments that he endured them with as pleasant a countenance as if he had escaped so that the Poet doth not much Hyperbolize the History when he adds that he stoutly called for the Cross the last punishment of condemned Slaves Slave disdains His fainting Executioners complains They 're dull and stoutly for the Cross doth call ' Midst these despised pains the General Thus lost the trembling Armie with one voice And cry on (e) So soon as Hasdrubal came to the Command of the Army he sent for Hannibal to the great dislike of Hanno's Faction who apprehended his haughty Spirit into the Camp where he soon acquired the Love of the Souldiery especially of the old Bands that had served under his Father who were the first that after the death of Hasdrubal declared him General at the age of twenty five years which assented to by the rest of the Troops was immediately confirmed by the Senate of Carthage where the Barcean Faction was most prevalent Hannibal streight fix their choice The Image of his Father's Valour Fame Of the War vow'd against the Romane Name His young and active Courage noble Heat His Eloquence and mind arm'd with Deceit Procured this Applause And first of all The Libyan Troops salute him General Next these the Pyrenaean People than The warlike Bands of the Iberian When streight a Confidence of this Command Enflames his soul as if the Sea and Land Where Auster rules or where the Lamp of Day In Cancer lodg'd tormenteth Libya Or Asia did submit or He beheld A third part of the World Obedience yield His Bounds were where Fam'd Nilus sees the Day First rise and with seven Streams invades the Sea But where they milder look to either Bear Wash'd by th' Herculean-sea the (f) Hannibal now Commander of so vast an Army commanded likewise all the Dominions of the Carthaginians whâ—ch were then very great especially in Libya â— being Lords of all that vast Tract of ground upon the Sea-coast from Carthage unto Hercules-Pillars where they found an easie passage into Spain whose fertile Plains to be seen from the Hills of Mauritania invited them to that Conquest whâ—ch Hannibal obtained Plains appear Of fertile Europe from the neighb'ring Hills All the vast Tract beyond the Ocean fills Nor will huge (g) Which terminated the Bounds of the Carthaginians West-ward in the extreme parts of Mauritania as Nilus was their Boundary South-ward Atlas suffer that his Name Farther extend Atlas whose Neck the Frame Of Heaven doth prop Whose clouded Head doth all The Stars support which that withdrawn would fall The Winter of un-melting Frost and Snow Dwells on his Beard upon his lofty Brow A Grove of Pines that cast Eternal shade His Temples by the Winds are hollow made And Rivers from his misty Jaws descend In Froth and both his sides with Seas contend Which when his panting Steeds the weary Sun Doth drench in smoaking Waves do seem to drown The Chariot But where parch'd Africk's Fields Appear the barren Earth no Harvest yields But Serpents with fell Poison charg'd yet where The Soil is bless'd with a more temperate Air Nor Pharian nor Ennaean Plains excell Here the (h) The Numidians a wandring People descended as Salust relates of the Persians were part of Hercules his Army and after his Death returning into Spain planted themselves in that part of Africk which borders upon the Carthaginian Bounds and Mauritania Their manner of fighting is described by the Poet and of what great use they were to Hannibal appears through the whole Poem agreeable to History Numidians insulting fill One quarter of the Camp no use they know Of Bridles but when Horses swiftest go Them with a Wand between their Ears apply'd As with the Reins or Curbs at pleasure guid A warlike Nation that in Wars delight Yet trusting more to Fraud then open Fight The Spanish Troops another part contain'd Aids by his valiant Father's Trophies gain'd From Europe whose fierce Horse with neighing fills The Plains and swiftly climbs th' encamped Hills Not Mars through Thracian Fields more furious drives A Nation fierce and prodigal of Lives Willing to hasten Death for when their Prime Of years is over-past by conqu'ring Time Scorning decay of Strength or Age to know Bear in their hands their Fate Here Metals grow Of matter mixt (i) Of Electrum there are two sorts one whereof is a Gummy substance which becomes hard and hath formerly been found though not very plentifully mix'd with the Sands of Eridanus the Po which gave occasion to the Pâ—et to fain Phaethon's Sisters to be turned into Poplars and their Tears into that substance of which some Statues were made for Augustus The other sort meant here is a mixture of the Seeds of Gold with Silver Electrum's Pallid Veins Produc'd and darker Steel the Earth conteins But God those Springs of Mischeif deeply hides Yet Astur covetous the Earth divides And in her mangled Entrails drown'd again Returns with Gold and bears the Pretious Stain Hence Durius and rich Tagus with thy Streams Contend Pactolus and that (k) Ana a River in Spain now called Guadiana which according to the Antient division of Spain separates Hispania Baetica that contained the Kingdoms of Granata Andalusia with part of Nâ—w Câ—stilâ— and Esiramadura from Lâ—stania Portugal it runs for the space of eight Germane Miles under Ground and afterwardâ— breaking forth again empâ—ieth it self with a full Chanel into the Atlantick Sea Upon some part of this was a Graecian Colony mentioned here by the Poet and asserted by Cluverius lib. 1. Introd Geograph Flood that seems To bring up Lethe to the People and Upon the Gravii rolls the Glistering Sand. A Land where Ceres and Lyaeus too Do dwell and Olive-Trees in plenty grow These Nations now reduc'd to the Command Of Warlike Hannibal and in his Hand The Reins of Rule streight with his Father's (l) Amilcar who by his cunning persuasions drew many Cities to
with an Hellish Noise We struck with Fear Gaze on each other's Face and think We hear The Earth to groan and see it quake the Den To sink and Ghosts to sally forth But then Big as those Snakes wherewith the Giants arm'd Themselves when they the Court of Heav'n alarm'd Or that which in the Fens of Lâ—rna Thee Alcides try'd or kept the golden Tree Such tearing up the Earth and to the Skies Lifting his Head a Serpent here doth rise And 'mong the Clouds disperseth here and there His Foam and as he gapes infects the Air. We fled and out of Breath with Horrour strove In vain to raise a Cry for all the Grove His Hiss had fill'd when Vmbrian Havens blind With Fear and much too blame but Fate inclind His Mind to what he did himself betook Unto the Body of an aged Oak Thinking thereby the Monster to deceive But I my self could hardly this beleive Had I not seen 't the Snake himself about The Oak streight twines and tears't up by the Root Then trembling Havens who to us for Aid With his last Voice doth call he doth invade And swallowing whole this looking Back I spy'd In his envenom'd Paunch doth quickly hide Next poor Aquinus who in 's speedy Flight Himself unto the River did commit Swiming amidst the Stream with fooming Jaws He seiseth and a Death most cruel draws Back to the Banck and there devours while I In the mean time had Liberty to fly As much as my sick Thoughts permit I haste And to the General tell all had past He sigh'd and their sad Fate bewail'd and as Against an Enemy in War he was Most eager burning with Desire to be Active in high Attempts commands that we With Speed take Arms and that the Choice of all The Horse into the Field should quickly fall Himself advanc'd before and gave Command That instantly a Target-bearing Band Should follow with the Engines us'd to be Employ'd 'gainst Walls and Towr's for Battery And now when prancing on the Champaign Ground The furious Steeds began to Thunder round His dismal Cave the Serpent hissing loud Leaps forth A Stygian Vapour like a Cloud Breaks from his smoaking Mouth from 's glaring Eyes A Flame as terrible as Lightning flies His Crest erected High appears above The Tops of tallest Trees within the Grove His Trident Tongue which with a Motion quick He waveth in the Air the Stars doth lick But when he heard the Trumpets sound amaz'd His immense Body strait aloft he rais'd Then into numâ—rous Rings beneath his Breast Contracts his Tail and on his Back doth rest Thus fitted for the Fight those twisted Rings Were soon resolv'd and as himself he flings At Length he suddenly as if at Hand The Faces ev'n of those that farthest stand Invades The Horses now no more obey The Reins or Curbs but as they fly away Trembling and panting from his Sight expire From their extended Nostrills frequent Fire On his swoln Neck to ev'ry Side he moves His lofty Head and as his Rage improves Flings some aloft some with his Weight were crush'd And as from broken Bones the Marrow Gush'd He licks it up and while the Blood doth flow About his Jaws invades another Fo And half-devoured Bodies throws away And now the Ensigns all as if the Day Were lost Retreat Yet some that farthest fly By his contagious Breath infected dy But your great Father lab'ring to restrain The flying Troops thus calls them back again What to a Serpent basely turn your Backs Italian Youth and yield to Libyan Snakes Ausonia's Honour If his Breath subdue The Cowards or their Courage as they view Him gape be lost Alone I 'le undertake To fight the Monster And as this he spake From his strong Arm a winged Jav'lin flies The barbed Point whereof between his Eys Not lightly wounds his Front and Thrown with Strength Within the Head o' th' reeling Beast at length It sinks and Trembling stands Confused Cries And Shouts of Joy now strike the Marbled Skies Till then the Earth-born Monster ne're did feel Though he had liv'd so long the wounding Steel A Stranger to all Pain and scorning so To yield to any doth more Furious grow Nor had his Rage been vain which borrow'd Force From what he felt if skill'd to guide his Horse After the Wound your Father had not wav'd His fierce Assault and turning nimbly sav'd Himself while winding ev'ry way with Speed He furiously pursu'd the wheeling Steed But all this while your Marus did not stand As a Spectatour with an idle Hand The second Spear that wounded him I flung Just as the weary Steed his forked Tongue Lick'd on the Back with all my Strength I threw My Weapon and by that upon Me drew His Fury and the War till all the Bands By our Example led employ'd their Hands And storm'd him with their Darts that him engage Alternately to exercise his Rage Till from a Warlike Engine by a Stroke That would have batter'd down a Wall we broke His Strength and yet although he could no more His Back now broken raise as heretofore His Head unto the Clouds more furious on He strove to come till the Phalarick Stone Into his Belly sunk and then the Sight Of both his Eyes by winged Shafts was quite Extinguish'd by those many Wounds his Death Approach'd Then through his wider Jaws his Breath Infectious Poison his last Refuge cast Thus by our Darts and pond'rous Stones at last Stretch'd on the Ground he prostrate lay and yet His Jaws extended Wide appear'd to threat Till from an Engine shot a Beam that through The yeilding Air with a loud Fragour flew Struck off his Head which as he gasping lay A pale dark Cloud of Poison that the Day Infected where it went his Mouth exhal'd The mournfull River strait his Death bewail'd With hideous Groans and dolefull Murmurs move Upon the Waves the Den and Native Grove And Banks upon whose Sands he us'd to Roule With a loud Eccho Roar and sadly howl But oh how soon this dismal Fight we rue With how great Loss What Punishment we drew What Plagues upon our selves The Prophets strait Us of our Dangers but Alass too late Admonish that we had the Servant slain Of the blew Naiades that did remain In Bragada's warm Streams But then this Spear As Honour and Reward for what I there Had done your Father gave Me cause it stood First fix'd and drank the Sacred Serpent's Blood The Noble Youth who wept while he relates This Story interrupts him If the Fates Had suffer'd Him to live till now said He Trebia had ne're o'reflown with Blood nor we Had seen thy Billows Thrasimonus hide So many Noble Names Marus reply'd Yet he the Piacles of his sad Fate And cruel Torments did anticipate With Tyrian Blood For Africk wanting Men Her Wealth consum'd had begg'd our Mercy when Therapne mov'd by some malignant Star Sent forth (c) Xantippus born in Therapne a small Town of Laconia who
Paternal Ghost While all the Birds of Night and those of Prey Into the Deserts fly to give him way But a more Noble and Obsequious Train Their King attend and Aegypt wanting Rain Sees Father Nilus Flow without Excess Or'e all the Land and give a rich Encrease Without their Labour May You then repair The Ruins of Your Throne and sitting there Restore to Vs again an Age of Gold While Your Blest Father may from Heav'n behold Himself in You as Great as You are Good And all due Expiations for his Blood On Rebels made While all that now for Fear Or Interest with them Comply when there They You behold shall then repenting come And justly from Your Mouth attend their Doom When France shall tremble and the Swede shall run Fearing Your Arms yet further from the Sun And Victory attending on Your Hand Wheree're Your Ensigns flie shall take her Stand Resolv'd to fix with You and shall devest Her self of Wings to Plume Your radiant Crest And then those Wounds those Ills which We before So much lamented have We will Adore THE LIFE OF CAIUS SILIUS ITALICUS CAIUS SILIUS ITALICUS whether born in SPAIN but of ITALIAN Extraction or in ITALY but of SPANISH Predecessors I shall leave PETRUS CRINITUS GYRALDUS and others to dispute in his Youth applying himself to the Study of Rhetorick was a close Imitatour of CICERO as the most perfect Pattern of ROMANE Eloquence after whose Example he pleaded many Causes with such Success and Reputation that he was in a short time made a Judg among the CENTUM-VIRI nor was that Honour the sole Reward of his Virtues though he lived in the Reign of the worst of Emperours for he was thrice Consul and his first Consulship was signalized with that great felicity to the ROMANE Empire the Death of NERO. He was Pro-Consul of ASIA and returned to ROME from that Province with great advantage both of VVealth and Honour It is no mean Argument of his wisdom and Prudence that in the most troublesome Changes of the Empire he never fell under the displeasure of the prevailing Party For as he was the last Consul that NERO made so he dyed the last of all that had been Consuls under him Among the chief of the City neither covetous of Power nor Obnoxious to Envy he was reverenced and esteemed by all and of such Integrity in the Opinion of VITELLIUS that when he despaired of Force to resist the Power of VESPASIAN he selected him with CLUVIUS RUFUS and SABINUS to Treat his Conditions with the Conquerour Nor did his Friendship with VITELLIUS eclipse him with VESPASIAN having ever entertained it with Prudence and Moderation so that he survived that Noble Emperour and was Honoured with a third Consulship by his Son DOMITIAN Under whom finding the weight of Business too heavy for his declining years he retired into CAMPANIA and recreated himself with the MUSES and as his Veneration of CICERO had moved him to purchase a Lordship called by that Renowned ORATOUR His Academy in imitation of that of ATHENS where he composed his Books entituled his ACADEMIQUES So his high Esteem of VIRGIL caused him to buy a Farm once belonging to that Prince of Latine Poets to whose Tombe near NAPLES as to a Temple he frequently repaired and celebrated his Birth-Day more Religiously then his own Nor was he onely a Devote to his Memory but a Noble Emulatour of his Muse after whose Example he composed this Immortal Work supplying with his Care and Judgment the Defects of Nature He was Co-temporary with many other famous Wits as LUCAN STATIUS PERSIUS JUNIUS AQUINAS and MARTIAL who is frequent in his Praises and commits to his Censure his own VVorks in this Epigram among many other excellently Englished by my worthy Friend JO HEATH Esquire Martial ad Silium Lib. 4. Epigr. 14. SILI Castalidum Decus c. Silius who art the Muses Fame Who the fierce perjur'd Africk's Name And crafty Hannibal's Rome's Foes Mak'st yield to th' greater Scipio's With thy commanding pow'rful Stile Thy severe Looks lay'd by a while Whilst loose December now abounds With cogging Dice and Boxes sounds And wanton Lots fly round the Board Thou to my Lines some Time afford But pray thy smooth not knitted Brow To this my looser Mirth allow So soft Catullus Sparrow might Appear in our great Virgil's sight He was esteemed Happy by those of his Time through the whole course of his Life unless in the loss of the youngest of his Sons who dyed in his Youth the other he left flourishing in VVealth and Consular Dignity In this Tranquillity and Content he lived to the Age of seventy five years when surprized by an incurable Ulcer he Voluntary set a Period to his Life by Abstinence Hic Crine effuso atque Emieae Numina Divae Atque Acheronta vocat Stygia cuÌ„ Veste Sacerdos Haec patrio jussu ad Penetrasia fertur Vt fari primamque datum distinguere Lingua Hannibali vocem Solers Nutrire Furores Romanum sevit Puerisi pectore Bellum Augustiss mo ac Potentiss mo Principi Caroso Regi Fidei Defensor Domino suo Clementiss moâ— Ejus Auspâ—â—â—js Inchonto tandemquee Absoluto Secundo Magnae BritanÌ„iae Franciae et Hiber Tabulam Hanc vnà cum Silio suo Angli â—anâ— suâ— Humillimè Vovet Dicat Consecratque Thomas Rossâ—â—s SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The First Book THE ARGUMENT At nine Years Old Young Hannibal doth swear At th' Altar to maintain the Romane War His Father leading into farthest Spain The Libyan Armie is in Battel slain Him Hasdrubal in chief Command Succeeds Who Hate Contracting by his cruel Deeds By a poor Slave's revengefull Hand doth fall Then Hannibal elected General Breaks Faith with Rome and to Sagunthus brings His Arms whose famous Siege the Poet sings I Sing those Arms by which Rome's Glory swell'd To Heav'n and Haughty Carthage was compell'd To bear Oenotrian Laws My Muse relate Hesperia's Toils how many Men how Great Rome bred of Old for War When (a) Cadmus who was the Son of Agenor King of the Phoenicians from whom the Tyrians descended and from them Didâ— who built Carthage Cadmus Seed Perfidiously infring'd their Sacred Deed And strugling for Command did War imbrace While Fortune long was doubtfull where to place (b) Carthage her Power encreased by many Conquests in Libya and Spain and Rome no less Potent in Italy they both aspired to the Empire of the World The Empire of the World The Tyrian Lords Thrice with Successless (c) They had there sharp Wars in the first the Carthaginians were overthrown in a Sea-fight by Lutatius the Consul near Aegates an Island between Sicily and Africk in the second Hannibal was subdued by Scipio Africanus In the third Carthage was subverted by Scipio Aemilianus Arms and Impious Swords The Senate's Peace and League which they had sworn To Iove first broke And while with Fury born Each Nation mutual Ruin did contrive
the Obedience of the Carthaginians in which Art Hannibal no less excelled as appeared not onely at his first entrance on his â—ommand which gained him the ready Obedience of that vast Army led by him into Italy but among the Gauls and Italy it self And for this he himself commends Pyrrhuâ— at that Interview with Scipio at the Court of Antiochus as an eminent Virtue in him Vide Liv. lib. 35. Arts He makes his Party now with Arms subverts Decrees of Senate now with Bribes appears The first to walk on Foot the first that bears A part if haste require a Trench to make The first that all Attempts would undertake Remiss in nothing that to Honour tends Refuseth nature Rest and watchfull spends The night in Arms. Now by his Cassock known Mix'd with the Libyssaean Foot lies down On th' Earth contending with the Steel he wore In Hardness sometimes he 'd Advance before His num'rous Troops and with a valiant Hand Perform in Person what he did Command Sometimes on his bare Head he 'd entertain The Ruins of the Heav'ns their Storms and Rain The Tyrians saw th' Asturians did admire To see when Iove did dart his forked Fire When Thunder fell in Storms and every Blast Of Wind struck forth the Flames how bold he past Through all on 's snorting Steed nor would retire Though clog'd with Dust and scorch'd with Sirius fire And when the sultry Air did frie with Heat That parch'd the Earth they seem'd Effeminate Who sought a Shade while He to exercise His Thirst where er'e he sees a Fountain flies His sole Delight 's to dress a furious Horse For War and to be famous for the Force Of 's killing Arm to swim a Stream unknown Or'e Ecchoing Rocks t' assail the Foe upon The adverse Bank The first that would ascend To scale a Wall and when he did contend In open Fight where er'e his Sword did go It carried Death and Streams of Blood did flow Being therefore now resolv'd to violate The Sacred League he urgeth on his Fate And where he can on Rome's Allies doth fall And storms in farthest Lands the Capitol His waving Ensigns first displaiâ—d for love Of greater Wars against (m) Alteia Hermandica Arbacaia and some other Provinces of Spain had before felt the Fury of the Carthaginians but Sagunthus was the first Confederate City with the Romanes that was Attaqued by them It is now called Mor-viedro Scituate upon the River Iberus or Ebro about a mile from the Sea great onely in its Fame of this memorable Siege Sagunthus move The Walls first built by Hercules not far From Sea upon a rising Hill appear Whose noble Name Zacynthus there by Fate Entomb'd upon the Top did consecrate He among others of Alcides Train Return'd to Thebes the fam'd Gerion (n) Three Brothers that Reigned in Spain with such admirable Unanimity that all seemed to be Governed by one Mind which gave Birth to this Fable They were subdued by Hercules slain Three Souls that Monster did inform three pair Of Hands his Head a triple Neck did bear Earth ne'r beheld another could survive One Death to whom the Fates three Lives did give Yet here the Conqu'rour shew'd his Spoils and as In Heat of day the Captive Heards did pass Unto the Springs a Serpent kick'd by chance Big with enflaming Poison did advance His tumid Jaws and by a deadly Wound Lay'd the Inachian dead on Spanish Ground About that time an exil'd Colonie Born in an Island of the Grecian Sea Came from the South and by Zacynthus there To Ithaca's Dominions added were The Daunian Youth wanting a dwelling then Rich in their Numbers led by Valiant men Sent from a City which we Ardea term Arrivâ—d their weak Beginnings to confirm These by Agreement with the Romane State Having their Liberties inviolate And Honour of their Ancestours forsook What they had long endur'd the Tyrian Yoak Against these therefore his incensed Bands Breaking the League fierce Hannibal commands Disturbs their Peace with Arms. Shaking his Head Himself high-mounted on his panting Steed Surveys the Walls and when he had beheld The trembling Houses Summons them to yield Their Gates and Forts tells them That Italie Their Leagueâ— and hop'd-for Aids far distant be Nor should his Mercy meet them if subdu'de By Arms That all the Senate could conclude Their Laws and Statutes nay their Gods and Faith Were now within his Power And what he saith Confirms by 's Javelin thrown against the Walls Which on Caïcus vainly threat'ning falls And through his Arms his Body pierc'd He slain And tumbling from the Rampart brings again To the insulting Conquerour his Dart Reeking in Blood and trembling in his Heart The rest th' Example of the General With Shouts pursue and streight obscure the Wall With a dark Cloud of Darts Nor was their clear Valour in Number lost each man doth bear Himself against the foremost as if he Alone would undertake the Enemie Here one the Sling with frequent Jerks doth ply Which waved thrice about his Head le ts flie A Weapon with the Winds which in the Air Is lost to sight Huge Stones another there Flings from his sinewy Arm this doth advance And from the slippery nouse expells a Lance. But Hannibal before all other rich In 's Father's Arms now flings with flaming Pitch A smoaking Lamp then hurls his Javelin now With Stakes and Stones doth press upon the Foe Or poison'd Arrows sends and doth applaud Insulting as they flie his Quiver's fraud Such Shafts the Daci on the Getique Coast Steep'd in the Poison of their Countrie boast And by the Banks of two-nam'd (o) It being also called Danubius by the Scythians by reason of an unfortunate Expedition they once made over it Eustath in Dion Ister shoot But now it is decreed and they about The Hill their horned Bulwarks raise and round The City armed Towers do abound Oh Faith by antient Times ador'd which now On Earth we onely by thy Name do know The Valiant Youth resolved stand and see All hope of Flight cut off their Walls to be Begirt with Arms yet think a noble Death Most worthy Rome And that Sagunthus Faith By them preserv'd she might more Glorious fall Then stand they now more resolutely all Their Strength collect Then from contracted Strings Stones of vast Bulk the Phocaean (p) The Balista was a kinde of Sling invented saith Pliny lib. 7. cap. 36. by the Phoenicians wherewith they cast Stones Spears Darts c. and is here called Phocaean for that the Sagunthines were descended of the Thebans in whose Territory was Phoâ—â—s Engine slings Or changing weight whole Trees with Iron bound Ejects that breaking through the Ranks confound A Shout both Armies raise and furious come To Blows as if they had besieged Rome Among so many thousands that did stand Circled in Arms like Corn on fertile Land Bold Hannibal desirous to enspire Into his Armie's minds that furious Fire Was lodg'd in his own
thus Unfortunate In Forein Wars this Stranger met his Fate Teron who kept Alcides Temple and With Incense at his Altars us'd to Stand To new Designs the Army Stimulates And in a sudden Sally from the Gates Invades the Tyrian Camp He neither Spear In 's Hand nor Helmet on his Head did bear But trusting to his Strength of Youth his Broad And Lofty Shoulders like th' (*) Hercules Oetaean God With an Huge Club destroys the trembling Files Upon his Head a Lyon's threatning Spoils With Gaping Jaws he wore An hundred Snakes Carv'd on his Shield display'd their Marble Backs 'Mong which a Monstrous double Hydra spreads In several Serpents her divided Heads Thus Arm'd he Iuba and Micipsa Fam'd For Valiant Deeds and from his Grand-sire Nam'd With aged Tapsus and Saces and Moor Driv'n from the Walls and flying to the Shore Fiercely Pursues and by one Valiant Hand The Streams of Blood the Neighb'ring Ocean stain'd For Hot with Slaughter and not satisfy'd That Idus Rothus and Iugurtha Dy'd Or that Marmarick Cotho he had kill'd Hasbyte's Chariot and her Moon-like Shield Shining with Gold he covets and t' invade With all his Force and Rage the Warlike Maid Him with his Bloody Weapon when she spy'd Come rushing on she turns her Steeds aside And in fallacious Circles wheeling round The Champain Field divides the yielding Ground And as if wing'd with Speed she makes her way With her light Chariot through the winding Sea Thus while she flies his Sight swift as the Wind The Horses raise a Cloud of Dust behind And with the ratling Wheels in pieces tear An adverse Troop She to augment their Fear From her sure Hand did frequent Darts expell By which Boâ—d Thamyris and Lycus fell With Stout (f) Eurydamas the most importunate of all Penelope's Suitours who urging her to Marry him assured her her Husband Vlysses was drowned but he arriving at the same time slew him See Hom. Odyss Lib. 15. Eurydamas whose noble Name Derived was from him who known to Fame Fondly to high Embraces once aspir'd And mad with Love Penelope desir'd But by her Chaste and Modest Arts deceiv'd And the fallacious Web so oft unweav'd Gave out Vlysses in the Sea was drown'd But what he fain'd of him he after found Real in his own Fate and he expires By Ithacus dire Hand his Nuptial Fires Turn'd into Fun'ral Flames and here of all His Race the last Eurydamas doth fall Slain by a Libyan's Hand whose Chariot makes Her way and all his Bones in pieces breaks But now perceiving Teron after all His Labours hard beset to work his Fall Into the Fight again the Furious Maid Returns with Speed and as about t' invade Her Fo she waves her Ax before her Brows Herculean Spoils to thee Diana Vows But Teron no less big with hopes of Praise Himself against her bounding Steeds doth raise Casting before their Eyes the Lyon's Skin And threatning Jaws affrighted they begin To yield to Fear and turning swiftly round Cast with its Load the Chariot to the Ground Then on Hasbyte who endeavours now To quit the Fight he leaps and on her Brow Strikes his Herculean Club by which her Brains Dash'd through her broken Skul upon the Reins And fervent Wheels dispersed ly while He Hasting that such a Trophy all might see With her own Ax cuts off the Virgins Head Nor was his Anger there determined But fixed on a Spear he strait commands To bear 't in view of all the Punick Bands And drive the Chariot to the City-Gates These Slaughters Teron ignorant of Fates And that the Favour of the Gods declin'd Commits while his own Death 's not far behinde For now Fierce Hannibal whose Face the Throne Of Rage and Death appear'd came Furious on Incens'd and griev'd to see Hasbyte dead And the yet-bleeding Trophie of her Head In Triumph borne But when the Troops beheld The bright Reflections of his Brasen Shield And as he mov'd though distant far did hear The fatal clashing of his Arms with Fear Possess'd they trembling fled unto the Walls As when to their known Beds the Ev'ning calls The winged People from the search of Food Or when on the Cecropian Hills a Cloud The Hony-lab'ring Bees on tender Flowers Disperst affrighteth with approaching Showers Like one congested Heap unto their Hive And fragrant Cells they haste and Murm'ring strive One Climbing on anothers Back to gain Their Entrance at the Port and shun the Rain Thus Fear the Sagunthines precipitates While Few discern their way unto the Gates Oh flatt'ring Light of Heav'n is Death to be Shun'd with so great a Fear which none can flee Since joined to their Birth They cry for Aid Repenting that they had this Sally made From their safe Walls and Works while still in vain Teron their Flight endeavours to restrain Sometime Dire Menaces sometimes his Hand He does imploy and cries Why flee ye Stand He is my Enemy to me the Crown Of this great Fight belongs and from our Town And Walls the Tyrians by this Hand alone Will I Repell Stand therefore and look on Or if this Pannick Terrour drive you all To seek th' inglorious Shelter of a Wall A shame the greatest that the adverse Fates Can add against Me onely shut the Gates But Hannibal while yet a sad Despair Of Safety seis'd their Hearts and horrid Fear Did reign in ev'ry Breast a while suspends The Slaughter of his Enemies and bends His course unto the batter'd Walls which he Resolves with all his Force shall Stormed be Th' Herculean Priest perceiving his intent Labours with speed this Mischief to prevent At which Fierce Hannibal more furious grown Cries out Receive fond Porter of the Town That Punishment of Fate that shortly shall Sagunthus self involve and by thy Fall Open the Gates His Rage could not afford More Words but as he waves his fatal Sword The Daunian Youth flings his contorted Oak With all his Force against his Breast the Stroak Clashing against his Arms with horrour sounds And from the hollow Brass the Club rebounds Then having lost his Weapon and his Strength Employ'd in vain unto the Walls at length He turns and with the rest forsakes the Fight Th' insulting Conquerour upbraids his Flight And follows at his Back Then with sad Cries The weeping Matrons lifting to the Skies Their trembling Hands from the high Walls proclaim Their Griefs and Fears some calling him by Name Tell him They fain would send unto his Aid And let him in but that they are afraid With him they should receive the Conqu'ring Fo. But now alass He can no farther go For Hannibal oppress'd him with his Shield And as the City from the Walls beheld Cry's Go and let Hasbyte Comfort take In thy approaching Death And as he spake Into his panting Throat which now abhor'd A longer Life thrusts his revenging Sword Then from the very Walls in Triumph leads Through all the Camp his Spoils and captiv'd Steeds Which at the thronged
where blew Nereus in Caerulean Caves Turns from the Bottom the contorted Waves An Inundation breaks and by Release Of hidden Springs fierce Torrents do encrease Then as if Trident-struck with furious Throws Th' impetuous Billows labour to impose Upon the trembling Earth the swelling Main Then strait the falling Tide retires again And the forsaken Vessel leaves aground While looking for the Flood the Decks are crown'd With idle Seamen stooping from above In her bright Chariot the Moon doth move These restless Kingdoms of Cymotheae And the continual Labours of the Sea Bringing the Tide and bearing it away While still alternate Tetbys doth obey These view'd in Haste for weight of many Cares Lay on his Thoughts first to remove from Wars The Consort of (e) The Wife of Hannibal his Bed and Son as yet An Infant and depending on the Teat For they their Virgin Nuptial-Tapers joyn'd In Youth and still retain'd a loving Minde But at Sagunthus Siege begot the Childe Not yet the Age of twice six Moons fulfill'd And Hannibal resolving to remove Those dear and tender Pledges of his Love From Arms and future Danger to his Son Directs his Speech and smiling thus begun Oh! Thou great Hope of Carthage and no less A Terrour to the proud Aeneades May'st Thou exceed thy Father in thy Fame And by thy Actions build Thy self a Name May'st Thou a greater Warriour appear Then was thy Grand-sire and now sick with Fear May Rome teach Matrons to prepare their Tears When they disâ—ourse the number of thy Years If my divining Soul do not delude My Sense this very Boy we may conclude A mighty Labour to the Earth will be I know my Countenance in his I see Beneath his angry Brow his threatning Eye Observe the weighty Eccho of his Cry Those Elements of Anger that from me Derived are If any Deity By Chance so glorious Acts anticipate And break off their Beginnings by my Fate Dear Wife endeavour to preserve with Care This Pledg of War and when thou first shalt hear Him speak within my Cradle him convey And on Eliza's Altar let him lay His tender Hands and to my Ashes swear The Prosecution of the Romane War Then when more firm in Years his Cheeks shall wear The Flower of Youth let him in Arms appear And scorning Leagues a Conqu'rour at Rome Raise in the Capitol for me a Tomb. But Thou whom th' happy Honour of a Birth So High attends renown'd through all the Earth For Faith and Constancy remove O far Remove from Dangers of uncertain War And leave these harder Labours We must go Or'e Rocks and Hills that cover'd or'e with Snow Seem to prop up the Heav'ns We what may make Iuno her self admire must undertake Alcides Labours and the Alps that are A Toil more greivous then the sharpest War But if inconstant Fortune my Design Shall thwart and promis'd Favours shall decline May'st thou live long and hasty Fate extend Thy ev'ner Thread of Life beyond my End Thus He. Imilce of Cyrrbaean Race Whose Ancestour Renown'd Castalius was Apollo's Priest and Castulo in Spain So called from his Mother doth retain As yet the Name and from that sacred Line Deriv'd her Parents since the God of Wine Shaking high Calpe with his Thyrsus and Arm'd Menadeâ— subdu'd th' Iberian Land And Milicus who of a Satyre born And Nymph Myrîce on his Front the Horn Of his lascivious Father planted wore A Potent Scepter in that Country bore From him her Country did Imilce claim And fam'd Original from him her Name Corrupted by their barbarous Speech She than Tears flowing with sad Language thus began 〈◊〉 Forgetfull that My Safety doth depend On Thine dost thou refuse Me to attend On thy Designs Is thus thy Nuptial Vow And first-Fruits of my Bed neglected now Or shall I wanting be to climb with Thee The Frozen Hills believe and try in Me A Woman's Strength No Labour is too great For my Chast Love but if on me You set No other Rate but of my Sex alone And part for that I yield I look not on My Fate May Iove consent Go Happy Thou Go and propitious Gods our Pray'rs allow And when in Fight and Heat of Arms you are Think then on Me and this Your Son with Care For I nor Romanes nor their Darts nor Fire Do dread so much as Thee who dost desire To Run upon their Swords and dost present Thy Head to Danger Thee no good Event Of Valour satisfies Honour to Thee Alone seems vested with Infinity Souldiers to dye in Peace to Thee appears A Fate ignoble Oh! my many Fears Forgive Me for I tremble yet I none Do fear that shall encounter Thee alone But pity Us great Father Mars this Storm Avert nor may the Trojans do Him harm Now to the Shore they haste the Seamen climb And hanging on the Yards their Canvase trim And fit them for the gently-breathing Wind While to allay his Fears and ease his Minde Oppress'd with Cares Thus Hannibal Oh spare These Omens My most constant Wife Forbear Thy Tears In Peace or War We all must have A Period to Our Life Our first Day gave A Being to Our last Brave Thoughts do few Enflame by Noble Actions to pursue Eternal Fame such onely mighty Iove Hath destin'd to the bless'd Abodes above Shall I the Romane Yoak endure and see The Tow'rs of Carthage in Captivity Ghosts do by Night affright Me and the Shade Of My dead Father doth My Sloath upbraid The Altars and the horrid Sacrifice I once did offer stand before mine Eys Shortness of dubious Life forbids Delay Of Time Shall I sit still that Carthage may Alone acknowledge Me and speak My Fame And shall not all the World know what I am Shall I relinquish Honour through a Fear To Dy Alass How little Distant are Death and a Silent Life Yet think not I Do Praise affect with mad Temerity I have Esteem for Life for Glory wears Titles and is ador'd in length of Years Great Trophies of this War shall also Thee Attend if Heav'n and Gods propitious be All Tyber shall Thee serve th' Ilian Dames And the rich Romane with the Wealth he claims While thus they sadly talk and mutual Tears Express their present Grief and future Fears From the tall Ship the Master put to Sea Beckons to come aboard without Delay Then from Her Husband snatch'd with fixed Eys She views the Shore till the swift Vessel flies Through liquid Paths and takes Her Sight away While Sea from Land retires and Land from Sea But Hannibal resolving to remove With Cares of War His pensive Thoughts of Love Goes to the ruin'd Walls the which He views And often in His Wish their Fall renews Walking about the Ruins till at length His Labours overcame His stubborn Strength And Sleep insensibly with pleasing Charms Compos'd His Minde intent on War and Arms. Then Iove designing still to exercise The Trojan Race in Future Miseries Revive their antient Labours and by Wars
To raise their lasting Name unto the Stars His slothfull Rest and Resolution curbs And by infused Fears His Sleep disturbs And now Cyllenius through the humid Shade Of Night His Father 's high Commands convai'd And lighting on the Earth thus sharply He The sleeping Youth upbraids 'T is base to see A General in Sleep consume the Night They must be Vigilant would stand in Fight The Seas oppress'd with Navies Thou shalt see And the Ausonian Youth insulting flee O're all the Ocean while Thou dost stand At first Attempts in the Iberian Land Is it an Action of sufficient Fame Or Valour to commemorate Thy Name That with so great Attaques Sagunthus fell Awake if any Thing within Thee dwell Fit for brave Actions rise and go with Me And where I call Thee bear Me Company But I forbid Thee to look back for this By th' greater Thunderer commanded is And if Thou dost obey Thou shalt become A Conquerour before the Walls of Rome With that He seem'd to lead Him by the Hand With Speed and full of Joy to Saturn's Land When strait a Noise breaks forth with a loud Crack Like Thunder round about and at His Back The Hiss of direfull Tongues the waving Air Shakes and repells while He with sudden Fear Surpriz'd no more retaineth in His Minde The Precepts of the God but looks behinde When dragging Groves from hills with the Strokes Of His vast Bulk eradicating Oaks And bearing Rocks along through invious Waies A Serpent black as Night his Tongue displaies With dreadfull Hissing and to 's Eys appears As big as that which the unequal Bears In num'rous Foldings doth at once behold And both the Constellations unfold So large his Jaws immanely he distends And lifting up his Head in Height ascends Equal to Hills Heaven's Rage ingeminates The Noise and mix'd with Hail new Fear creates He with his Monster frighted for nor Sleep Nor Night did then their former Empire keep And with his Wand the God had put to Flight The Darkness and with Sleep had mingled Light What mighty Plague it was demands and where 'T would fall or whither that vast Body bear That then the Burthen of the Earth was made Or gaping what sad People 't would invade To whom Cyllenius answers Thou dost see The War so much desir'd and sought by Thee Thee greatest Wars attend the dreadfull Fall Of Woods and Forests with high Storms that all The Face of Heav'n disturb the Slaughter Thee And Death of Men the great Calamity Of the Idaean Race and saddest Fate Do follow and upon Thee daily wait As great and terrible as that dire Snake Which now the Mountains with his scaly Back Depopulates and drives the Forests through The Fields before him and doth Earth imbrue With frothy Poison Such thou having past And overcome the Alps with War shalt wast All Italy and with a Noise as great The Cities and their Walls shalt ruinate Thus wounded with these Stings the God and Sleep At once forsake him and cold Sweat doth creep O're all his Limbs while in a wofull Fright His Dreams revolving he retracts the Night And now with happy Omens to the King Of Gods and Mars they Holy Off'rings bring But first a Snow-white Bull devoutly they To Hermes on deserved Altars lay And all these Rites perform'd He strait commands His Ensigns to advance With that the Bands Whose Languages and Manners different were With Clamours shake the Camp and fill the Air. But now Calliope declare to Fame What and how many valiant Nations came Rais'd by his dire Attempts to Italy What Cities with untam'd Iberians He Did arm what Troops on th' Paretonian Shore Libya presum'd to muster and before Great Rome to challenge to her self the Reins Of Rule and on the Earth impose new Chains No Tempest raised by impetuous Storms Went on so furiously no dire Alarms Of War when twice five hundred (f) Xerxes his Navy consisting of a thousand Ships when he made that unhappy Expedition against Greece and boasted to make a Bridg over the Hellespont Ships o're-spread The Sea and fill'd the trembling World with Dread The Carthaginian Youth the Chief of all Their Ensigns spread of Body light not tall Of Stature but of that proud Grace depriv'd Apt for Deceit they readily contriv'd Their secret Frauds A Round unpolish'd Shield With a short Sword their Arms and in the Field They Bare-foot march'd ungirt with Garments reâ— They cunningly conceal'd the Blood was shed Captain to these in Purple splendid tall Above the rest Brother to Hannibal Mago in 's Chariot with the Noise alarms The Fo and 's Brother imitates in Arms. Next these divided in Sidonian Bands Built before Towr's of antient Byrsa stands Old Vtica Then Aspis which the Shore Encompass'd with Sycanian Walls whose Store Of crooked Turrets that a Warlike Shield Resembled all the Neighbr'ing Sea beheld But young Sychaeus drew the Eys of all Upon himself whom Son to Hasdrubal With a vain Pride his Mother's high Descent Had fill'd and 's Uncle Hannibal content With no less Pride still to repeat his Name Near these the Warlike Souldier that came From watry Berenicis and the Bands That with long (g) Dolon was a sort of Weapon not alwaies of one Fashion being a long Staff with an head of Iron sometimes a short Sword fastned to it sometimes a Dagger and sometimes a Whip Dolons arm'd among the Sands Of thirsty Barce dwell Then to the Fight Cyrene sprang from Pelops doth excite The false Battiades whom once extoll'd And by Amilcar fam'd Ilertes old In War but young in Counsel did command With Tabraca then Tyrian People and Sarranian Leptis Oea too combin'd Trinacrian Colonies with Africk joyn'd And Tingis sent from a Tempestuous Sea By Lixus Vaga and Hippo fam'd to be The Love of Kings and their Delight of old And Ruspina that doth from far behold Unequal Billows rising on the Main With (h) Zama a small City five days journey distant from Carthage made famous by the Overthrow given by Scipio to Hannibal Zama where the Libyan Troops were slain By valiant Scipio (i) See the Continuation of the second Book Thapsus too that stood Renown'd as oft imbru'd with Romane Blood These Nations both in Arms and Body great Whose Name and Deeds did still perpetuate Alcides Honour taller by the Head Then all his following Bands (k) Antaeus a Libyan King slain by Hercules Antaeus led Then came the Aethiopians not unknown To fruitfull Nile who that mysterious Stone Do cut that draws untouch'd the distant Steel With Mibians whose parched Bodies feel The Fury of the Sun not wont to wear Helmets or Coats of Mail or Bows to bear Accustom'd when in Fight they did contend With Flax their Heads and Bodies to defend And in some deadly Poison to imbrue Their Swords or to infect the Darts they threw Then first Cinyphian Macae did begin To learn Phoenician Warlike Discipline Their squallid Beards their Faces
Such Brothers future Times shall wish to see And your last valiant Acts your Memory Shall crown with Honour if our Verses live Or miserable Nephews that survive Shall read these Monuments your Virtues claim And great Apollo envy not Our Fame But now his Troops dispers'd through all the Plains The Consul with his Voice from Flight restrains While He could use His Voice Whither d' ye bear Those Ensigns How are you destroy'd by Fear If the first Place of Battel you affright Or you want Courage in the Front to fight Behinde Me stand but lay aside your Fear And see Me fight Their Fathers Captives were From whom you fly What Hopes can we pretend If once subdu'd Shall we the Alps ascend Oh! think you see Tower-bearing Rome whose Head Her Walls do crown submissively now spread Her Hands while her proud Foes her Sons enchain Daughters are ravish'd and their Parents slain And in their Blood me thinks I see the Fire Of holy Vesta now alass expire Oh! then prevent this Sin Thus having said His Jaws with Dust and Clamour weary made His Left Hand snatching up the Reins the Right His Sword his Breast to those that fled the Fight He doth oppose now threatens Them and then Himself to Kill unless they turn agen These Armies when from high Olympus Iove Beheld the noble Consul's Dangers move His Mind to Pitty Then he calls his Son The God of War and to Him thus begun My Son I fear that gallant Man 's not far From Ruin if thou tak'st not up the War Withdraw him full of Fury from the Fight Forgetfull of Himself through the Delight Of Slaughter Stop the Libyan General Who will more glory in the Consul's Fall Then all those Numbers that He doth destroy Thou seest besides how soon that (h) Young Scipâ—o Warlike Boy His tender Hands in Battel doth engage And strives by Action to transcend his Age Thinking it tedious to be young in War Thou guiding (i) Scipio Africanus who but fourteen years old in this Fight rescued his Father and at twenty five years undertook the War of Spain and never relinquished it till he had subdued Hannibal Him he shall hereafter dare T' attempt Great things and his first Trophie shall Be to prevent his Noble Father's Fall Thus Iove strait Mars from the Odrysian Field His Chariot summons and assumes his Shield Which like a gloomy Thunder-bolt its Beams Scatters abroad his Helmet too that seems To other Deities a Weight too great And 's Breast-Plate that with so much Toil and Sweat The lab'ring Cyclops form'd then shakes his Spear Stain'd with the Blood of Titans through the Air And with his Chariot fills the dusty Plain The dire Eumenides and dreadfull Train Of Furies him attend and ev'ry where Innumerable Forms of Death appear While fierce Bellona who doth guid the Reins Whips on his Steeds and all Delay disdains Then from the troubled Heav'n a Tempest forth Doth break and in dark Clouds involves the Earth His Entrance ev'n the Court of Iove doth shake And Rivers by his Chariots Noise forsake Their Banks and struck with Horrour backward fly To their first Springs and leave their Chanels dry The Garamantian Bands now ev'ry where Invest with Dars the Consul and prepare New Presents for the Tyrian Prince the Spoils Of his rich Arms his Head through many Toils Of that sad Day bedew'd with Sweat and Blood While He not to give way to Fortune stood Resolv'd and then more fierce with Slaughter grown Returns the num'rous Darts against him thrown Till over all his Limbs the Blood of Foes Mix'd with his own in Streams diffused flows And then his Crest declining in a Ring More closely girt the Garamantians fling Their steeled Shafts with nearer Aim and all Like Storms of Hail at once about him fall But when his Son perceiv'd a Dart to be Fix'd in his Father's Body as if He Had felt the deadly Wound his pious Tears Bedews his Cheeks and Paleness strait appears To run o're all his Body and with Groans That pierce the Skies his Danger he Bemoans Twice he Attempted to anticipate By piercing his own Breast his Father's Fate As oft the God of War converts his Rage Against the Fo with whom he doth engage And Fearless through the armed Squadrons flies And in his furious Speed doth equalize The Deity his Guid. The Troops that round His Father fight give Way and on the Ground A Tract of Blood appears Where er'e he goes Protected by the Heavenly Shield he mows Whole Squadrons down On heaps of Arms he Slew Such as oppos'd his Rage with him that Threw The Dart who dy'd before his Father's Eys With many more as pleasing Sacrifice Then snatching from the Bones the fixed Spear Upon his Neck from Danger he doth bear His fainting Sire The Troops at such a Sight Amazed stand the Libyans cease to fight Th Iberians all give way A Piety So great in tender Years turns ev'ry Eye Upon him to Admire what they beheld And strikes deep Silence through the dusty Field Then said the God of War Thou Dido's Towers Hereafter shalt destroy and Tyrian Powers Compell'd by Thee a League shall entertain Yet never shalt thou greater Honour gain Then this Go on brave Youth go on and prove Thy self to be indeed the Son of Iove Go on for greater Things reserved be Though better never can be giv'n to Thee This said the Sun now stooping to the Main The Deity returns to Heav'n again Involv'd in Clouds Darkness the Fight decides And in their Camps the weary Armies hides But when in her declining Wain the Night Phoebe withdrew and by her Brother's Light The rosie Flames from the Eöan Main Gilded the Margent of the Skies again The Consul fearing that the Plain might be A great Advantage to the Enemy To Trebia and the Mountains takes his Way And now the winged Hours advanc'd the Day When with much Toil the Bridg was broken down O're which the Romane Army pass'd and thrown Into the Flood when to the Rapid Stream Of swift Eridanus the Libyan came Seeking by marching round through various Waies The Fords and where its Course the River staies Trees from the Neighb'ring Groves at length he takes And to transport his Troops a Navy makes The valiant Consul from the antient Line (k) Sempronius Gracchus had then the Command of the Romane Navy to guard Sicily and the Coast of Italy from the Carthaginians whose Fleet he had dispersed and leaving Sicily under the Care of King Hiero on the Fame of Hannibal's entring Italy came with his Forces to Trebïa and joyned with Cornelius Scipio Of his Death see Book 12. O' th' Gracchi sprang whose Ancestours did shine In Monuments with noble Titles crown'd For Valour both in Peace and War Renown'd Thither from high Pelorus came by Sea Incamping near the Banks of Trebia The Carthaginians likewise in the Plain The River over-pass'd encamp'd remain Encourag'd by Success of their Affairs
mov'd upon him stood Till in so long a Fight their Weapons all Consum'd he fell Death hasting through his Fall But now although a Wound which by the way An Adverse Hand inflicted did delay His Speed a while implacable with Rage Within the River Scipio doth engage And with unnumbred Slaughters doth infest The Enemy while Trebia seems opprest With Targets Helmets and with Bodies slain And scarce doth any vacant Space remain To see the Water There Mazêus by His Lance there Gostar by his Sword doth dy Then against Telgon who from Pelops sprung And in Cyrene dwelt a Pile he flung Snatch'd from the stained Torrent and within His gaping Mouth fix'd the whole Steel His Chin Now falls against his Teeth the trembling Wood Rebounds with Noise and sudden Streams of Blood Together with his Life flow from the Wound Yet after Death no Rest his Body found For Trebia it t' Eridanus conveys Eridanus it tumbles to the Seas With him and others Lapsus likewise dy'd To whom the Fates a Sepulchre deny'd What then avail'd his rich Hesperides Or Groves by Nymphs frequented What his Trees That bearing Gold extend their shining Boughs But Trebia swelling from the Bottom throws His curling Waves unlocketh all his Springs And all his Forces with fresh Fury brings The Billows roar aloud and as they fly Still a new Torrent doth their Place supply The General perceiving this his Blood With greater Fury boils Perfidious Flood Said He severely shalt thou punish'd be For this thy Insolence I 'le scatter thee In lesser Streams through all the Gallick Coast Untill the Name of River thou hast lost I 'le choak thee in thy Birth nor shalt thou flow Through this thy Chanel to the Banks of Po. What sudden Rage is this doth thee invade And thee Sidonian of a Latine made Him boasting thus the Waters in a Heap Assail and on his lofty Shoulders leap Himself against their Rage He doth oppose And with His Shield sustains their furious Throws Behind the Storm-rais'd Surges thicker come And cover His Plum'd Helmet with their Foam That He should farther wade the God deny'd While from His Feet the slipp'ry Earth doth slide The angry Billows now begin a War Among themselves and striking Rocks afar Diffuse the Noise through all the Neighb'ring Coast And in the Fight his Banks the River lost Then lifting up his streaming Locks his Brow Impail'd with Bull-Rushes said He Dost Thou So proudly threaten Thy Revenge on Me And that the Name of Trebia shall be By Thee extinguish'd Oh Thou Enemy To this My Empire see what Bodies I Do bear that by thy fatal Hand were slain Such Heaps of Shields and Helmets here remain That they my Waters from my Chanel force And I 'me constrain'd to leave my former Course Thou see'st how deep with Slaughter they are stain'd And backward flie Restrain thy killing Hand And pitch Thy Camp within this Neighb'ring Field This Cytherea from an Hill beheld And near her Vulcan who themselves did shroud From Mortal Eyes within an airy Cloud But Scipio sighing lifteth to the Skies His Hands and saith Ye Gods whose Auspicies Have hitherto preserv'd Dardanian Rome Must I at length a Sacrifice become To such a Death preserv'd by You of late In so great Fights Is it above my Fate To fall by Fortune Oh deliver me Again my Son unto the Enemy That I may dy in Battel and My End Unto My Brothers and to Rome commend Griev'd with this Language Venus sigh'd and all Her Husband's Fury on the Flood le ts fall O're all the Banks the active Flames appear Dispersed and the Streams that many a Year Had there been Nourish'd by the aged Flood Most furiously devour The Neighb'ring Wood Doth likewise burn and through the highest Groves (n) This Fiction alludes to that of Homer Iliad XXI Where the violent Inundation of the River Scamander is restrained by Vulcan at the Prayer of Achilles Vulcan an uncontrouled Conqu'rour moves Now Fir-Trees lose their Arms the lofty Pines And Alders sink the Poplar too declines And from their standing Trunks those Branches fell Where Quires of Chanting Birds were wont to dwell Ev'n from the Bottom of the troubled Flood The Fire licks up the Waters dries the Blood Late shed upon the Banks The parched Earth As when rash Phaëton to prove his Birth Did Fire the World with Heat excessive cleaves And Heaps of Ashes on the Waters leaves Father Eridanus now thinks it strange That his Eternal Course so soon doth change The Nymphs their liquid Caves with mournfull Cries Now fill and as the Flood endeavour'd thrice To raise his scorched Head the God of Fire Throwing a Lamp constrain'd him to retire Beneath his smoaking Waves and thrice his Head Of Reeds deprives at length as Vanquished And Weak submitting to his Conqu'ring Fo 'T was granted in his former Banks to flow Scipio and Gracchus then from Trebia all Their Troops unto a fenced Hill recall But Hannibal the River doth adore And with much Honour sprinkles near the Shore His (o) Social Waters in token that He then received that Part of the Countrey into His Protection and Amity Social Waters on the Holy Grass Not knowing how much greater things alass The Gods would act What Woes for Italy Were Thrasimenus then prepar'd by Thee Not long before Flaminius did invade The Boii and an easie Conquest made Over that Nation Weak and void of all Deceit But to contend with Hannibal Requir'd more Toil more Vigilance and Skill Him fatal to his Countrey and with ill Presages born Saturnia prepares As General while Italie's Affairs Sadly declin'd A man most worthy all The Mischief that did on his Countrey fall For in the first Day that he took in Hand The Helm of State and th' Army did command As Mariners unskilfull to convey A beaten Ship through a tempestuous Sea Obey the Winds and leave to ev'ry Blast Or Wave the wandring Vessel which at last Is driven by the Pilot's art less Hands On Rocks or else is swallow'd up in Sands So with rash Arms Flaminius doth invade The Lydians and those Mansions Sacred made By antient (p) Corythus a Town in Tuscany built by King Corythus descended of Tyrrhenus the Son of Atys King of Maeonias and Father to Lydus from whom the Maeonians were called Lydians whose Colonies were planted in this part of Italy by Tyrrhenus Corythus Arrival there And the Maeonian Colonies that were Joyn'd to Italian by their Grand-fires Blood And in the Catalogue of Kindred stood Nor did the Gods neglect to advertise The Libyan Captain of an Enterprize That to his Name such Honour might produce For when that Sleep o're all the World his â—uice Of Poppy had diffus'd and with his Wings Had cover'd o're the Tedious Care of things Iuno the Figure of the Neighb'ring Flood Assumes and as he slept before him stood The dangling Tresses on her watry Brow Encompass'd with a wreathed Poplar-Bough With sudden Cares she dives
had not Anger lent Him Sâ—â—ength he could not lift now almost Spent At 's Fo stout Appius throws it 's weighty Fall Him backward fells and breaks his Bones withall When Mago saw him fall for near at hand He fought he wept beneath his Helmet and Groaning with Rage came on Th' Alliance late By them contracted and the Nephews that He thence expected fire his Thoughts the more But as with nearer View he doth explore Appius his Shield large Members and the Raies Of 's Helmet him a while that Sight delays As when a Lyoâ— from a shady Hill In haste descends his hungry Gorge to fill He stands and soon contracts his Speed if he Within the Plain a Bull approaching see Though with long Hunger press'd he views his high Thick risâ—ng Neck admires his threatning Eye Beneath a rugged Brow while he prepares For Fight and Earth to give the Signal tears First Appius spoke as he a Jav'lin threw If thou hast any Piety pursue Thy Contract and accompany thy Son In Death With that the flying Weapon run Quite through his brazen Arms untill it struck His Left Arm and in it deep wounding stuck The Libyan Return of Words forbore But with his Spear which Hannibal before Sagunthus Walls a Conquerour had ta'ne From Noble Durius there in Battel slain And to his Brother gave which with Delight He a brave Trophie bore in ev'ry Fight Charg'd him Grief lending Force the Weapoâ— through His Cask and Mouth inflicts a deadly Blow And as he strove to draw it from the Wound His Hands soon bloodless fell Upon the Ground Appius a Name through the Maâ—onian Sea Renown'd a great Part of Rome's Ruin lay And in his bloody Mouth expiring there Crush'd and with murm'ring bites the fatal Spear The Lake then trembled from his Body dead With Waves contracted Thrasimenus fled Next with no better Fates Mamercus dyes And wounded falls by all his Enemies For where the Lusitanian Cohorts fought Gain'd with much Blood and Valour as he brought A Standard whose stout Bearer he had slain And call'd his flying Countrey-men again His Foes inâ—ens'd at what they saw him do What ever in their Hands was Missile threw And likewise all that Earth then cover'd o're With Darts and Spears afforded like a Shour Of Hail upon him falls and greater Store Of Darts no single Romane felt before Thus stout Mamercus fell and at his Fall Vex'd at his Brother 's Hurt came Hannibal And raging ask'd when He the Wound espy'd Now him then his Companions If his Side The Spear had pierc'd or if within the Wound 'T were fix'd But when no fear of Death he foundâ— Nor Danger from the Field he strait was sent Cover'd with His own Coat into His Tent Within the Camp and free from Trouble there For Cure all Med'cinal Arts prepared were By Learned Synalus who did infuse Bathing the Wound throughout the healing Juice Of choicest Herbs and with a secret Charm The Weapon strait extracted from his Arm Him with a crooked Snake to Sleep compell'd All other Synalus in Skill excell'd And for it was through all the Neighb'ring Land And Cities fam'd o' th' (i) Paretonium a Town in Libya Marmarica lying upon a vast Tract of Sand abounding with Serpents Strab. lib. 17. Paretonian Sand. To Synalus his Grand-father of old Those Secrets Garamantick Hammon told And how the Bitings of wild Beasts to heal And deepest Wounds of Weapons did reveal He those Celestial Gifts while yet he liv'd Transmitted to his Son who them deriv'd To th' Honour of his Heir whom Synalus As great in Fame succeeds and Studious His Garamantick Secrets to improve As a Companion once to Horned Iove With many Images his Grand-sire's Line Deduc'd Now when he brought those Gifts Divine In Haste as Custom was his Garments round Tuck'd up with Water first he purg'd the Wound From Blood But Mago thinking on the Spoils And Death of his slain Fo his Brother's Toils And Cares with Words of Courage thus allaies And eas'd his own Mishaps with Thoughts of Praise Cease from Thy Fears dear Brother to my Wound No greater Remedy can now be found Great Appius by me compell'd is gone To th' Shades below and we enough have done Since He is dead I willingly can go To Hell it self after so brave a Fo. But when the Consul from an Hill beheld That this the Libyan Captain from the Field Had troubled turn'd that in their Trenches they As if the Clouds of War were vanish'd lay With sudden Fury for his Horse he calls And from the Hill descending fiercely falls Upon the trembling Files which now grown thin He routs and in the Valley doth begin The Fight again As when the Clouds above Surcharg'd with ratling Hail dissolve and Iove Mixing his Thunder with their Torrent shakes The Alps and high Ceraunian Rocks and makes The World thus mov'd the Earth the Sea the Air To tremble and ev'n Hell it self to fear So like a sudden Tempest from the Hill The Consul on the frighted Lybians fell The Sight of Him chill Horrour strikes into Their Bones while he through thickest Ranks doth go And with his Sword cuts out a spacious Way With that confused Cries to Heav'n convey The Fury of the Fight and strike the Stars As when the angry Seas against the Bars Of Hercules do beat and roaring Waves Throws into lofty Calpe's hollow Caves The Mountain groans and as with furious Shocks The foaming Billows break against the Rocks Tartessos though far distant thence by Land And Lixus that by no small Sea doth stand Divided thence at once the Eccho share By a swift Dart that Silent through the Air Had pass'd before the rest doth Bogus fall Bogus who at Ticinus first of all Against the Rutuli his Jav'lin flung And vainly thought that Clotho would prolong His Thread of Life and that a num'rous Line Of Nephews he should see by the false Sign Of flying Birds deceiv'd But none have power By Augury to remove the fatal Hour ' Mid'st Storms of Darts he falls and to the Skies Lifting in vain his dim and bleeding Eyes O' th' Gods misunderstood as he expires The Promises of longer Life requires Neither could Bagasus then boast in Fight That he unpunish'd in the Consul's Sight Had conquer'd Libo strip'd who vainly there The Lawrel of his Ancestours did wear But a Massilian Sword lops off his Head And on his Cheeks as Down began to spread The barb'rous Souldier by untimely Death Suppress'd his rising Years Yet his last Breath Did not in vain implore Flaminius Aid For strait by him his Fo was headless made As pleas'd that after his Example by The same sad Death the Conquerour should dy What God O Muses aptly can rehearse So many Funerals Or who in Verse Worthy such Noble Shades lament their Fall Or tell how there the Early Youth did all Contend in Death for Honour Or what then Ev'n in the Porch of Death more Aged men Perform'd What Courage
on You for Vengeance call With that a Showr of Darts that ev'ry where Fly like a Tempest through the darkned Air O'rewhelm and hide his Body so that none Could after boast that by his Hand alone Flaminius dy'd Thus with the General The Fight soon ended for the Chief of all The Youth as angry with themselves and Heaven That to their Arms so ill Success had given And choosing rather once to dy then see The Affrican enjoy the Victory With Hands all bloody in the fatal Fight Seise on their Gen'ral's Body in their Sight So lately slain with all his Weapons and United in a Ring about him stand Till all in one great Heap of Slaughter dy'd And falling like an Hill his Body (p) It appears by this that Flaminius had lai'd aside all Ornaments of Consul or General for that his Body could not be distinguished from any of those that fell about him hid Now having spread Destruction through the Wood And Lake and left the Valleys deep in Blood To th' Heap of Bodies Hannibal withdrew And with him Mago and as them they view What Wounds What Deaths are here said he behold How ev'ry Hand still grasps a Sword though cold In Death The armed Souldiers as they ly Seem to maintain the Fight How these did dy Now let our Troops observe the Threats appear Yet in their Foreheads and their Faces bear Their living Anger and I fear that Land Which fruitfull is in Men so valiant and Of so great Courage Fates to her decree The Empire of the World and She shall be Victorious in Distress This said He yields To Night and Darkness over all the Fields Diffus'd while Sol into the Sea descends Restrains their Fury and the Slaughter ends The End of the Fifth Book Sâ—rranus clarum Nomen Tua Regule Proles Limina pulsabat â—ari Vetus isse Parentis Vileâ— et haud Surda tractarat proelia â—ama Serpens centum porrectus in Vlnâ—s Extendit â—olem atque Assultans Sydera â—ambit Hoâ—oratiss o. Domino Dâ— Edoardo Baroni de Hyndon SumaÌ„ Totius Cancellario et ê Sanctioribê° Regis Comiti Clarendon Vicâ—â—om Cornbury Anglioe nec non Accademiae Oxon Consilijs Tabula SumÌ„a aâ— observantia D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Sixth Book THE ARGUMENT Brutius great Valour who before he dy'd His Eagle from his Foes i' th Earth doth hide Sorranus wounded to Perusa's Plains By Night retires him Marus entertains And having dress'd his Wounds to him declares Great Regulus his Father's Death and Wars His Noble Courage in his Punishment Fabius elected General his Descent The Romanes Sadness and the People's Cries Affrighted at the Libyans Victories The Conqu'rours to Linternum go and there The Monuments that did at large declare The Victories by Sea and Land which Rome From Carthage once had gain'd with Fire consume BUT when his Steeds in the Tartessiack Main Loos'd to give way to Night Sol joyn'd again On the Eoan Shores and Serians who The first of all the World his Beams review For silken Fleeces to their Groves repair The Place of sad Destruction ev'ry where Appears and Monuments of furious War Here Men and Arms and Horses mingled are There Hands lop'd off still to their Lances stick In Wounds of Bodies slain there Targets thick Trumpets and headless Trunks ly scatter'd round Through all the Plain with Swords that as they wounâ— 'Gainst Bones were broke Some with be-nighted Eys Half dead in vain there sought th' enlightned Skies The Lake all foams of Gore and on the Waves Float Bodies that for ever want their Graves Yet midst these Miseries and loss of Blood Firm as her Fate the Romane Valour stood Brutius whose many Wounds declar'd that He Against his Foes had fought unequally Scarce from the Heaps of th' miserable Dead 'Mong whom he lay had rais'd his wounded Head Striving with mangled Limbs to creep away His Nerves now shrinking when the fatal Day Was done Him Fortune had not plac'd among The Rich nor was he honour'd for his Tongue Or his Descent but Valiant with his Sword Nor did the Volscian Nation afford Any that had of Time recover'd more Nor sought he when but yet a Boy before The Down had cloath'd his Cheeks himself to hide For Safety in the Camp Flaminius try'd His Courage when in Fight he overthrew With better Gods the Celtick Arms hence grew His present Honour in all Wars that he The Keeper of the Sacred Bird should be Hence Glory made him to preserve with Care The Cause of 's Death For when he did dispair Of Life perceiving nothing could withstand (a) This Honour which Brutius enjoyed as the Reward of his Valour was alwaies conferred on the first Centurion of the Triarii who were the Reserve of the Army he was obliged to loose his Life with this Ensign of his Charge which was honour'd by the whole Army and therefore stiled Sacred by the Poet. The Romanes adoring their Eagles which were sometimes of Silver seldome of Wood but often woven or painted on the Banner as if they were Divine Herodian lib. 4. To keep his Eagle from the Libyans Hand Since Fate gave Way and that the Romane Side Was ruin'd in the Fight he sought to hide And bury't in the Earth but overthrown With sudden Darts again and falling down Extends himself upon it and beneath His Body hides it choosing such a Death But when from Stygian Night and Sleep the Light Return'd he from the Neighb'ring Heaps upright Arose upon his Spear and Strong alone In his Attempt the Earth now overflown With Blood and softned by the standing Gore With 's Sword he digs and as he doth adore Th' unhappy Eagle's Image with his Hand Now fainting smooths again th' unequal Sand Then into thinner Air his Breath doth go And his great Soul unto the Shades below Near him was to be seen the Sacred Rage Of Valour whose Deservings do engage Our Muse to sing its Fame Levinus born On high Privernum that rich Vines adorn Dead on dead Nasamonian Tyres lay And when unequal Fortune had that Day Depriv'd him of his Arms his Spear and Sword Then naked in the Fight his Griefs afford New Weapons With his bloody Mouth he flies Upon his Fo and with his Teeth supplies His want of other Arms and thus he tears His Nostrills off bites out his Eyes his Ears Pulls from his mangled Head his Forehead too Strangely disfigures while the Blood doth flow About his Jaws yet this not satisfies Till with his Mouth all full he feeding dyes While Valour sadly to the Victour's Eye These Wonders shews the wounded Troops that fly To various Chances are expos'd Some through By-wayes of desert Woods some wandring go By Night through unfrequented Fields and there Each little Noise or Motion of the Air Or flying Birds affright them and they finde No Sleep or quiet Thoughts but still inclin'd To fear beleeve that Mago with his Spear Or Hannibal pursues them in the Rear
was sent by the Lacedaemonians to be General for the Carthaginians in the first War against the Romanes who under the Conduct of Attilius Regulus very much prevailed in Africk This Character given him by the Poet agreeth with that of Polybius lib. 1. as of a Captain who so far exceeded all of his Time that by his sole Conduct the Forces of many that were thought Invincible were overthrown a Man to prosecute the War Of Stature he was low no comely Grace Of Meen or Signs of Honour in his Face But admirable Vigour in so small A Body Active one that could the Tall And Larger-Limb'd o'recome This Man design'd To manage now the War against us joyn'd To Arms strong Policy In Desarts he Could live and greatest Hardship easily Survive Not Hannibal who now so well For Libya guids the War doth him excell Oh would to Heaven Tayegeta most sad And fatal unto us by thee He had Upon Eurota's Banks ne're hardned been Then in victorious Flames I might have seen Phanissa's Walls to sink nor then the Fall Had I lamented of my General Nor should for Death nor Fire can ease my Wo My Griefs bear with me to the Shades below Both Armies take the Field and through the Plains The God of War grows hot and Fury Reigns In every Breast Here Regulus in great Attempts le ts loose his Sword and hast's to meet With Dangers in the mid'st of all his Foes And with his valiant Hand gives deadly Blows So when the South Wind on his Wings doth bear A pitchy Cloud that hanging in the Air Both to the Sea and Land a Tempest threats The Husbandman and Shepheard strait retreats For Shelter to the Woods and Fear prevails With the Stout Seaman to contract his Sails But the Laconian having lai'd his (d) The Romane Army marching towards Carthage after the Rendition of almost two hundred Cities in Africa to the Consul Regulus labouring not onely under Hunger Thirst and Diseases but with the Difficulties of the Places through which they past Xantippus drew his Forces out of the City and about Evening put them into Order for a March fell upon the weary Romanes in the Night destroyed their whole Army and among other Captives took Attilius Regulus the General See Appian de Libycis Snare Secur'd the hollow Rocks and leaving there His Men upon a Sudden from the Fight Wheeling he turns his Horse pretending Flight With fained Fear So Shepheards to secure Their Flocks within their Folds by Night allure Wolves into Pits the which they over-lay With Boughs and with a bleating Lamb betray Honour by which brave Minds inflamed are And a fallacious Confidence in War Invited and drew on your Noble Sire Who Spurring on as mad with a Desire To fight ne're looks if his Companions were Behind him or who follow'd in the Rear When all alone a thick and sudden Cloud Of fierce Laconians that themselves did shrow'd Among the hollow Rocks him round invest And the Force of his Ruin still encreas't Of fatal Day to Italy to be Mark'd in our Fast as the Infamy Of thee Oh Mars those Hands that to thy Rome And thee were born by a most fatal Doom Are now condemn'd to Chains My Greif will be Eternal a Sidonian Dungeon Thee Great Regulus beheld and by the odds Of such a Triumph Carthage to the Gods Seem'd equal But what Plagues sufficient are For the Laconians Guilt of such a War But now the Carthaginian Fathers all Consult to offer to our General New (e) The Carthaginians having before lost many considerable Men made Captive by the Romanes after this Victory believed they might procure a Peace on more easie Terms at least an exchange of Prisoners To this Purpose they sent Ambassadours to Rome and with them Regulus on Condition that if their Offer were not accepted he should return to Carthage But the Romanes having elsewhere obtained Advantages over them Regulus perswaded the Senate to prosecute the War and retain their Captives by which he frustrated the Embassie of the Carthaginians and returned with them to their City where his Fidelity to his Countrey was punished with a cruel Death Leagues and send him Home to mediate A Peace requiring that the Captivate In War might be return'd on either Side And now no more Delay the Ship doth ride At Anchor in the Road the Seamen are Employ'd their Oars and Benches to prepare Some fit the twisted Cables others haste To furle and trim the Sails upon the Mast Others the Anchors place upon the Prow But above all Cothon ordain'd to go Chief Pilot of the Ship in Sea-Affairs Renown'd for Skill the Helm and Poop prepares The triple-pointed Beak its shining Raies Most richly guilt o're all the Sea displaies Weapons and all things else that needfull were 'Gainst Dangers of the Sea with them they bear Amidst the Ship upon the Decks he stands That timeth with his Voice the Seamens Hands And bids them strike at once and as again They raise their Oars that eccho o're the Main Applauds them all Thus when they had perform'd The Seamens Work the Ship compleatly arm'd And th' Hour arriv'd to hoise up Sail and weigh Their Anchors and the Wind was fair for Sea A multitude of Women Children Men Together flock'd and envious Fortune then Dragg'd through the Throng our Noble General And shew'd him as a Spectacle to all He in their View as smootha Foâ—ehead bore As when he first on the Sidonian Shore Arrived with his Fleet. With his Consent In the same Ship I his Companion went Resolving his Adversity to share And thought it greater Fortitude to bear Their Nastiness ill Diet and their poor Obdurate Beds and to contend with more Important Miseries then to subdue A Fo. Nor is' t so honourable to Avoid Misfortunes by our Vigilance As to O'recome by Noble Sufferance Whatever Fate can do And yet though I Knew his severe and rigid Constancy I hop'd if Heav'n permitted us to come Within our Citie 's Walls and see our Home His Heart might then relent or by your Tears At least be mollifi'd Thus I my Fears Kept in my Breast and thought that he inclin'd To weep and had in Misery a Minde Like mine But when we came to Tybur I Observ'd his Face and most intentively Beheld his Looks which inward Sense betray But credit me brave Youth in what I say His Countenance amid'st a thousand Toils Abroad and when at Home enrich'd with Spoils And when to cruel Carthage he was sent And in the Instant of his Punishment Unalter'd I beheld and still the Same Then all Ausonia from her Cities came To meet the Captive all the Neighb'ring Hills The Plains already throng'd their Number fills And Tybur to his Banks the Noise imparts But the Sidonian Princes cruel Hearts Strive to reduce him to their Countrey 's Dress And so the Honour of the Gown suppress The Senate weeping stood the Matrons throng And Youth to shew their Greifs while He
prepar'd and to The Altars with all Diligence I drew The coal-black Lambs with mine own Hand for I The Night before was fill'd with Horrour by A Dream for thrice my Sister call'd on you With a loud Voice thrice on Sychaeus who Leaping for Joy with a most chearfull Face I thought appear'd But while I strove to chace These Fancies from my Mind and as the Day Began that what I saw might prosper pray The Gods She Frantick runs unto the Shore And on the silent Sands where you before Had stood her frequent Kisses fix'd and prest Your Foot-steps with a kind embracing Breast As Mothers late deprived of their Sons Their Ashes hugg From thence away she runs Like a rude Bacchinal her Hair displai'd To that high Pile which she before had made Of a vast Bulk from whence she might explore All Carthage-City with the Seas and Shore Then putting on the Phrygian Robe and Chain Enrich'd with Gems when she to Mind again Had call'd the Day wherein she first had seen These Presents and the Banquets that had been At your Arrival made and how the long Labours of Troy you told while on your Tongue With Pity her still-listning Ear depends Then to the Port her weeping Eys she bends And Off'ring to the Gods in Death her Hair Thus speaks Ye Gods of lasting Night who are By our approaching Death much Greater made Be Present I beseech you and my Shade O'recome with Love and weary now of Life Receive with kind Aspect Aeneas Wife And Venus Daughter who t' avenge the Guilt Of my Sychaeus Death these Tow'rs have built Of lofty Carthage now the Shade to you Of that great Body come My Husband who Was fam'd for his kind Love perhaps Me there Expects and would renew his former Care This said the Sword that fatal Sword which she Thought a sure Pledg of Dardane Love to be Into her Breast she thrusts her Servants who Beheld her with sad Cries and Shreeking through The Palace run The Noise unhappy I Receive and frighted to the Palace fly Like one distracted with my Hands my Face I tear and strive to climb up to the Place Thrice with that Sword I thought my self to kill As oft I sounding on my Sister fell But when the Rumour of her Fate was spread Through all the Neighb'ring Cities thence I fled To fam'd Cyrene and by Fate still cross'd From thence upon your Coast by Tempests toss'd I now am cast The Trojan Prince inclin'd To Tears at this resolv'd to be more kind To Her and now all Sadness Grief and Care Was lai'd aside and Anne no longer there A Stranger seem'd to be But when the Night All things by Sea and Land had cover'd quite Her Sister Dido seem'd with sad Aspect These Words to Her then sleeping to direct Can'st Thou Oh Sister can'st Thou long endure Within this Family Oh too secure T' indulge Thy self to Rest And dost not see What dangers Thee surround what Plots 'gainst Thee Are lai'd Or dost Thou not yet understand How fatal to Thy Kindred and Thy Land The Trojans are So long as Sphears above With Rapid Turning-round the Stars shall move And with her Brother's Light the Moon shall shine Upon the Earth between the Trojan Line And Tyrians there shall be no Peace Arise Be gone from hence * Lavinia was the Daughter of King Latinus whom Aeneas married Lavinia's Jealousies Now secret Plots contrive and in her Minde Something of Mischeif 'gainst Thee is design'd Beside nor think that this is but a Dream Hard by Numîcus with a gentle Stream From a small Fountain through a Valley flows Hast quickly thither and Thyself dispose To Safety there the Nymphs with Joy shall Thee Receive into the Flood and Thou shalt be In Italy Eternally Ador'd A Goddess And as Dido spake that Word She vanish'd into Air. Anne frighted by These Prodigies awakes and instantly Through Fear cold Sweat o're all her Limbs is spread Then clad with a thin Garment from her Bed She leaps and through a Window that was low Into the open Fields doth speedy go Untill Numîcus in his sandy Waves Receiv'd and hid her in his Chrystal Caves Now when through all the World its Beams the Day Had spread and in the Trojan Chambers they The Tyrian Lady miss'd with Cries through all The Latian Fields they run and Anna call At length Her Footsteps to th' Neighb'ring Flood They follow and as there they Wond'ring stood The River from his Chanel strait expell'd The Stream and in the Bottom they beheld 'Mong the Coerulean Sisters Anne who broke Silence and to the Trojans kindly spoke Since that when first the Year begins is She Divinely worshipp'd through all Italy When to this Fight that did so fatal prove To Italy the spightfull Wife of Iove Had Her instructed in her Chariot light Up to the Stars again she takes her Flight Hoping full Draughts of Trojan Blood she may At length receive The Lesser to obey The greater Goddess hasts and strait to all Besides unseen repairs to Hannibal Sequestred from all Company alone She finds Him sadly ruminating on The dubious Event of His Affairs And War with anxious Sighs to ease His Cares With this kind Language She salutes Him Why Most Mighty King of Cadmus Progeny Dost Thou persist to vex Thy self with Care Know that the angry Gods appeased are To Thee and now an Eye of Favour cast On th' Agenorides Away make haste Draw Thy Marmarick Forces out to fight The Fasces now are chang'd and Fabius quite By a Decree of Senate now hath lai'd The War and Arms aside it may be said With a Flaminius Thou hast now to do Me the great Wife of Iove nor doubt it True To Thee hath sent I in th' Oenotrian Land Religiously ador'd a Goddess stand Sprang from Your Belus Blood Then quickly go And all the Thunder of War's Fury throw Where high Garganus doth it self display Through Iâ—pygian Fields unto the Sea The Place is not far distant thither all Thy Ensigns bear that Rome at length may fall This Victory shall Libya suffice This said into the Clouds again She flies By these Assurances of promis'd Praise Doth Hannibal His Thoughts dejected raise Great Nymph said He the Glory of Our Line Then whom by Us no Goddess more Divine Is held most happy with such Tidings fraught Thee after I victoriously have fought At Carthage in a Marble Temple I Will place and in her Statue Dido nigh To Thee shall be ador'd This said He then Full of glad Thoughts thus animates his Men. Now all your tedious Cares your Sense of ill And slow-tormenting Pains of sitting-still My Souldiers lay aside We have appeas'd The Wrath of Heav'n the Gods with Us are pleas'd Hence is it that I Fabius can declare Discharg'd of his Command the Fasces are In other Hands Now let Me see those great And valiant Acts which oft with so much Heat You promis'd when excluded from the Fight Behold a Libyan
the Plains appear He should Advance and Fight Both Armies now Drew near and by the Running to and fro The confus'd Neighing of the fiery Steeds And clashing Arms a sudden Murmur spreads It self through all the troubled Troops as when Loud Conflicts 'twixt the Winds and Seas begin Their inward Rage and Storms that lave the Skies The Billows strait let loose and as they rise Their threatning Noise through all the trembling Rocks From their Foundations shaken by the Shocks Expire and Surges from the Bottom thrown With angry Foam the lab'ring Ocean Crown Nor was this cruel Storm of Fate alone The Labour of the Earth Dissension Crept into Heav'n and Gods to War incites Here Father Mars and here Apollo fights And Neptune there vext Cytherea here And Vesta and Alcides angry there For lost Sagunthus Old Cybele too And Gods of Mortals made Quirinus who First rais'd the Romane State with Faunus then Pollux that lately with his Brother-Twin Had shifted his Alternate Life but there ' Girt with a Sword Saturnia doth appear And Pallas 'mong the Libyan Waters born And Hammon too whose Temples with an Horn Are Circumflex'd and many lesser Gods Beside who coming from their bless'd Abodes To see this Fight with their Approaches shook The Earth and all their sev'ral Stations took Some on the Neighb'ring Hills while others shrow'd Themselves from Mortal Eys within a Cloud The Heav'ns were empty left while all to Wars Descend and strait to the forsaken Stars As great a Clamour rose as when within Phlegraean Plains the Giants did begin The Fight with Hercules or Iove for all His Thunder-bolts did on the Cyclops call When the bold Earth-born Army did invade His Throne and Mountains upon Mountains lai'd The Charge so fierce no Dart or Spear before The rest was thrown but an impetuous Showr Of Shafts together fell with equal Rage And as they thirsting after Blood engage The Storm a Multitude of both destroy'd But where the Sword more closely was imploy'd The greater Number dy'd on whom the rest Stood to maintain the Fight and as they prest To strike a Fo would spurn them as they groan The Sea as soon with raging Billows thrown 'Gainst Calpe might remove it from its Seat As all the Libyan Rage to a Retreat Could force the Romanes or the Romanes make The Libyan Bands their Station to forsake So close they fight no Space was left at all For Blows to miss or when they dy'd to fall Helmets 'gainst Helmets clash and ev'ry Stroke Excuss'd the hidden Flames Targets are broke 'Gainst Targets Swords by Swords are hack'd and Feet On Feet do tread so furiously they meet Breasts against Breasts are bruis'd and where they stood Earth could not be discern'd o'reflown with Blood And the thick Clouds of Arrows as they fly Take from their Eys the Day and hide the Sky Those of the second Rank as if they fought I' th' Front with their long Pikes and Lances sought To wound the Fo and those that farthest stood With missile Weapons labour'd to make good The Fight with those were foremost all the rest With Clamour their Desire to Fight exprest And with their horrid Shouts the Enemy Provoke And now all sorts of Weapons fly Some hard'ned Stakes Pines burning others fling And weighty Piles These Fatal Pellets sling Those Darts and which would shake the strongest Wall Huge Stones from the Phalarick Engines fall And through the Clouds the singing Arrows fly How can I hope ye Goddesses whom I Religiously adore this Day to show To future Times Can you such Pow'r allow Ye Learned Virgins to my Mortal Song And trust the Cannae to a single Tongue If you affect our Fame nor shall decline To give Assistance to our high Design Hither from your Parnassus hither all Your Sacred Lays and Father Phoebus call But maist thou Noble Romane still appear As Constant and thy future Triumphs bear With as great Courage as Adversity Thou then didst meet Such maist Thou ever be Nor tempt the Gods to try if those that are Deriv'd from Troy can bear so great a War And thou O Rome no more with Tears deplore Thy dubious Fate but rather now adore Those Wounds that shall Eternal Praise to Thee Produce for â—hou shalt never Greater be But sink in thy Success and by the Name Of former Miseries defend Thy Fame Now Fortune shifting Sides between them went Deluding with sad Doubts of the Event The Rage of Both and furious Mars so long As Hope between in equal Ballance hung Rag'd in their Arms alike So have I seen The standing Corn while yeâ— the Stems were green Mov'd by a gentle Wind wave to and fro The Weighty Ears which as they Nodding go To this Side then to that alternately The sev'ral Motions of the Wind obey At length Nealces with confused Shouts Brings on his Barb'rous Troops and Charging routs The adverse Wing the Ranks disorder'd through The Intervals the fierce victorious Fo Breaks on the trembling Files and strait a Flood That like a Torrent rush'd of reeking Blood Runs on the Plain None falling are by Spears Thrust on their Faces for the Romane fears (f) This hath been frequently observed of the Romanes when they have seen their Case desperate particularly in Cataline's Army where every man that dyed fell with his Face towards his Enemy See Salust Wounds on the Back and on his Breast receives His cruel Death and Life with Honour leavs Among the first affecting still to be I' th' hottest of the Fight and equally To meet all Dangers stood brave Scaevola Who scorning to survive so sad a Day Sought worthy his great Ancestour to fall And dy beneath that Name perceiving all Was lost Our Life how short soe're it be Now in despight of Fate let Us said he Extend For Valour is an empty Name Unless in Death's Approach a lasting Fame By suff'ring bravely or by Wounds we gain Surviving Honour Speaking thus amain Into the Midst where the fierce Libyan's Hand Cut out his Way through those that did withstand He like a Tempest falls and there he slew Tall Calathis and with his Sword quite through His Body pierc'd as boasting he put on The Arms of one there slain strait down upon The Ground he tumbles biting with his Teeth The Hostile Arms the Tortures of his Death By that suppressing as he groveling lay Neither could Gabar or stout Sicha stay With their joint Valour his Impetuous Rage For valiant Gabar as he did engage Lost his Right-Hand but Sicha mad with Grief And coming rashly on to his Relief Stumbling by Chance upon his Sword doth wound His Naked Foot by which upon the Ground He falls and by the Hand of 's dying Friend Lies prostrate This his Fury in the end Nealces fatal Rage upon him brought Who by so great a Name incited sought The Honour of his Fall and strait a Stone Torn from the Neighb'ring Rock and tumbled down By the swift Torrent from the Mountain
the Backs of them that fly Ev'n in their Gen'ral's View all Shafts provokes The Consul's Helmet by their furious Stroaks Bruis'd and his Arms all shatter'd Paulus throws Himself more fierce at this among his Foes But Varro having lost his Courage quite While Paulus to another Place the Fight Pursu'd strait wheels about and with his Hand Turning his Horse said Thou dost justly stand Corrected Rome that did'st to Varro give Command in War while Fabius is alive But now what civil Discord in my Minde What sad Dissension of my Fate I finde What secret Fraud of Destinies I all These Torments will determine in my Fall But Oh! some God my Sword withholds and Me Reserves Alass for greater Misery Shall I live then and to the Tribes agen The Fasces stain'd with Blood of Countrey-Men And broken thus return And as I go My Face to other angry Cities show Or then which Nought more Cruel could for Me By Hannibal be wish'd fly hence and Thee Oh Rome behold More his distracted Fear Had utter'd but the Enemy drew Near And Charging him more Close with Darts his Steed Snatch'd the loose Reins and fled the Field with Speed The End of the Ninth Book Hinc citus ad Tumulum donataâ—e Funera Paulo â—bat et Hostilis Lethi Iactabat Honorem Omnibus Exequijs Nudo jamque Annibal Unus Sat Decoris Laudator Erat. c Honoratiss o Domino Dn o. Iacobo Compton Baroni de Compton Comiti NorthamptoÌ„ Tabula sumÌ„a cum observantia D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Tenth Book THE ARGUMENT Paulus great Valour and what Slaughters he At Cannae made He is advis'd to flee But Thoughts of Flight rejects By Hannibal Christa with his six Sons together fall Servilius by Viriathus slain By Paulus Hand is soon reveng'd again And fighting ' midst his Foes at length he dies The Libyan Celebrates his Obsequies Commends his Valour and his Noble End Their Counsels who their Countrey did intend To quit by Scipio are suppress'd To Rome Without all Pomp doth Consul Varro come The Multitude incens'd against him are By Fabius appeas'd The Slaves for War Are Arm'd the Senate passeth a Decree That none that Captiv'd are shall ransom'd be WHEN Paulus saw the Adverse Fight encreas't As when with Spears encompass'd a wilde Beast Leaps on their Points and by his Wounds doth know Where to direct his Rage and choose a Fo Into the thickest of the Globes he goes And to all Dangers doth himself expose And seeks a Death from ev'ry valiant Hand Upbraiding thus his flying Men Oh! stand Stand stoutly to 't and in your Breasts receive The Sword nor wounded in your Backs thus leave The World there nothing now remains at all For Us but the sole Glory of our Fall Me to the Shades below you all shall finde Your Leader Then swift as the Northern Winde Or winged Shafts which in dissembled Flight The Parthian backward shoots into the Fight And where unmindfull of his tender Age Paetus like Mars in Courage did engage He rush'd into the mid'st of all his Foes And the Youth whom light Vascons did enclose And fierce Cantabrians did with Darts surround Freed from their cruel Arms while they gave Ground And Trembling fled As when a Goat in View Through a large Plain the Huntsmen close pursue And in the Chase the weary Beast so nigh Approach they think to catch't if suddenly Gnashing his Teeth a Lyon from his Den Before their Eys appears their Colour then And Blood flies from their Cheeks their Weapons all Inferiour to their Danger they let fall And flying think no more upon their Prey Now with his Sword on such as in his Way Oppose he press'd and such whom baser Fear Made fly with Darts he follows in the Rear Fury and Rage delight him and to Crown His Deeds with Honour by his Hand alone A multitude of Nameless People fall And if another Paulus there 'mong all The Dardan Troâ—pâ— had been Cannae its Name Had surely lost and Haâ—nibal his Fame At length his Wing declin'd and suddenly The Front gives Way and all together fly There Labiâ—nus fellâ— whom Cingulum Sent from her lofty Walls there Ocris whom With Opiter Vine-bearing Setia sent From fertile Hills Their Deaths were different Though the Sidonian join'd the Time for there Shot through the Hip fell Labienâ—â— here One through the Shoulder t' other through the Knee The Brothers wounded him accompany And there Macaenas who of antient Fame Through the Maeonian Land his Noble Name From Tyrrhen Kings deriv'd wounded quite through The Groin a Tyrian Jav'lin likewise Slew But through the thickest Paulus â—corning all Desires of Life and â—eeking Hannibal Charg'd furiously and thought his Destiny Could onely cruel be if he should dy And Hannibal survive Fearing this Rage For that if once in Fight they did engage So great a Storm and Tempest could not be Without great Mischief Iuno instantly (a) Vid. infra pag. 12. Frighted Metellus Shape assuming Why Consul said She sole Hope of Italy Dost thou Renew thy Rage in Vain while Fate Resists if Paulus live the Romane State May stand if otherwise thou draw'st with Thee All Italy Oh Paulus Can it be That thou wilt while the State thus totters go To hazard 'gainst so insolent a Fo Thy Sacred Head For now so flush'd in War Is Hannibal that with the Thunderer He dares contend and Varro I beheld When first He wheel'd about hath left the Field Himself reserving for a better Day Allow the Fates their Time and while you may From Death redeem your Soul that 's greater far Then Ours You soon may have another War To this with Sighs the General reply'd And is' t not Cause enough if Nought beside Did move Me that I now should wish to dy In Arms when to an Act so Monstrous I Metellus urging hear Thou Fool away Fly Oh! fly hence with Speed nor Heav'n I pray Thee in the Back may Hostile Weapons wound But with thy Varro mayst thou safe and sound Enter the Walls of Rome Dost Thou think Me Worthy so base a Life and not to be As worthy Coward of a Nobler End Because the Libyan who dares contend Forsooth with Iove permits it Oh thou base Degen'rate Issue of a Valiant Race When should I choose to fight With whom should I Desire to Cope but such an One that by My Hand subdu'd or I by his might give To Me a Name that after Death shall live Thus chiding 'mong his Foes himself he threw And as Acherras covertly withdrew From the throng'd Maniples and sought Retreat To the Main Body with more nimble Feet Him through the thickest Ranks with Targets fill'd And constipated Arms pursu'd and kill'd So Belgick Hounds an hidden Boar pursue And with Sagacious Noses drown'd in Dew Through devious Ways the doublings of the Beast Detect and all his Footsteps closely prest Through thickest Groves where Hunts-men cannot come To beat still follow nor desist
Swords But Valiant Galba whose still pious Love To Virtue no cross Fortune could remove Seeing an Ensign taken by the Fo Pursues with Speed and with a fatal Blow The Conqu'rour fells but striving to regain The Eagle which his dying Hands retain And would let go but slowly at the Last Pierc'd by Amorgus Sword who came in Haste To 's Friend's Relief he fell and in those great Attemps unhappy sadly met his Fate But now as if Enyo's Rage were still Unsatisfi'd Vulturnus in one Hill Of Dust rolls all the Field and the white Sand Throws up and such as Labour'd to withstand His Fury with strong Blasts that strangely Roar To th' farthest Part of all the Champagne bore And 'gainst the Hollow Banks their Bodies thrown And bruis'd within the swelling Flood did drown And here unhappy in his silent Fate The River Curio's Life doth terminate For while with inward Fury boiling He Labours to stop the Romane Troops that flee And in their Way himself opposing stood Driv'n Headlong by the Throng into the Flood I' th' troubled Waves he sunk and born away Dead in the Adrîack Sands Inglorious lay But the brave Consul whose unshaken Minde The worst of Ills could bear who ne're inclin'd To stoop to Fortune meets the Conqu'ring Fo With equal Fury and himself doth throw Amidst their thickest Arms encourag'd by A Martial Heat and Confidence to dy When Viriathus whom th' Iberian Land Obey'd pursuing with a Fatal Hand A Fo now tyr'd and weary'd in the Fight Near unto Raging Paulus and in 's Sight Cuts off Oh Grief Oh Tears (d) Servilius Galba had been Consul with Acilius and that day commanded the main Body of the Romanes where He dyed bravely fighting at the Head of his Men. Servilius there Next Paulus the best Part of all the War Fell by a barb'rous Hand and in his Fall Alone with Envy We may Cannae call Unfortunate The Consul his sad Ire No more endures and though the Winds conspire To rob him of his Arms and blind his Eys With Dust yet through a Cloud of Sand he flies And him then tuning as 't is us'd among Th' Iberi on his Shield a barb'rous Song Invades and through his left Pap driving past His Weapon to his Vitals this the last Of all his Slaughters was no more could He In Fight his Hand imploy nor Rome for Thee In future Wars must Noble Paulus stand For an huge Stone thrown from a private Hand Dash'd on his Head and deep into his Skull His batter'd Helmet beats and fills it full And all his Face with Blood retreating then Against the Neighb'ring Rock as he doth lean Now almost choak'd with Dust before his Face Besmear'd with Gore his Target he doth place Like a fierce Lyon lighter Shafts represt And scorn'd when piercing deep into his Breast At length he feels the Steel amidst the Field He trembling stands and patiently doth yield To ev'ry Weapon while about his Nose His Jaws and Main a bloody Riv'let flows And sometimes turning his weak Limbs about From his wide Mouth he foaming Goar doth spout But then fierce Hannibal spurs on his Steed Where e're the Storm or Conqu'ring Sword doth lead Where furious Troops and where those Monsters are That with their Iv'ry Teeth maintain the War Here overwhelm'd with Darts when Piso spy'd The Libyan Captain over Bodies ride Raising himself Upright upon his Spear Pierc'd through his Horse's Flank attempting there In Vain to leap upon him being down To whom the angry Libyan who soon Himself recover'd though his Plunging Steed Pitch'd him upon his Shoulder When they 're Dead Do thus the Romane Ghosts revive said He To fight In Death nor will they Quiet be This said into his Body as He strives To rise up to the Hilts his Sword he drives But his Foot wounded with a Cretan Shaft As Lentulus full Speed on Horse-back left The Field the Stones besmearing with his Blood And with a stern Aspect to th' Stygian Flood Sinking he Paulus spy'd at that sad Sight His Mind 's distracted He 's asham'd of Flight Then Rome appears to burn and Hannibal Ev'n at the Gates to stand then first of all The Field that Italy devour'd He saw What then remain'd but the next Day might draw The Tyrians to the Town At length he spake To Paulus thus Dost Thou the Helm forsake In such Distress The Gods my Witness are Unless thou guid us through this cruel War And live though 'gainst thy Will in such a Storm Paulus Grief made his Language sharp more Harm Then Varro Thou wilt do Then take I pray Of Rome's now sinking State Thou onely Stay This Horse upon my Shoulders I will take Thee up and set Thee safe upon his Back As this he spake the Consul spitting Blood From his torn Mouth replies Go on make good Thy Father's Virtues why should we despair So long as such brave Souls remaining are In Romulus his Empire Spur thy Steed Which Way thy Wounds permit thee Let with speed The City-Gates be shut for suddenly This sad Destruction to the Walls will fly And pray advise that Fabius may Command In Chief blind Rage my Counsel did withstand And what of my spent Life remaineth now But that to the rude Multitude I show That Paulus dares and knows well how to Dy For thus consum'd with Wounds to them shall I Be born What would the Libyan give that Me Turning my Back in Fight He once might see Paulus hath no such Thoughts nor will I go So poor a Soul unto the Shades below No I am one but why do I delay Thee thus with mild Complaints Haste thee away Hence quickly with thy Steed with Service spent With this grave Charge strait to the City went Sad Lentulus nor yet did Paulus dy Without Revenge but as when mortally Wounded a Tiger doth at length retreat And falls to struggle with approaching Fate He opens wide his weary Jaws to bite In vain and in Attempts beneath the Height Of his great Rage licks onely with his Tongue The Lances and the Darts against him flung And now Ilerthes who insulting near Approach'd and shook secure of Wounds his Spear He rising with his sudden Sword doth wound And then for the Sidonian Captain round About him looks desiring in his Hands To quit his strugling Soul but strait the Bands Of Nomades of Garamantians Moors With Celtians and Asturians thick Showr's Of Darts upon him powr'd on ev'ry Side Oppress the Man Thus Noble Paulus dy'd Thus that high valian◠Heart whom if the War He sole had rul'd perhaps we might compare With Fabius his brave Death a Grace became To Rome and plac'd among the (e) This is onely an Hyperbole expressing the great Merit of Paulus and the Fame of his Death for the Romanes Deified none before Iulius Caesar after that Imposture of Proculus perswading them first to make Romulus a God Stars his Name But when the Romanes Hopes were lost and all Their Courage ruin'd
My Bowels pierce My tardy Age Contemn not Thou My Body I 'le engage Against Thee and that Sword which cannot be Extorted now I by My Death from Thee Will force With that He wept and Hannibal By Heav'ns great Care reserved was to fall By Scipio's Arms. Nor then did Conscious Fate Allow a forein Hand should perpetrate An Act so Great But of what Praise was He Depriv'd whose Glorious Magnanimity Worthy to Act in Deeds most famous won So much Renown for what He would have done Then both together to the Feast they went Again and clear'd their Brows from Discontent Till Sleep dissolv'd their Banquet and their Mirth But as the next bright Morning to the Earth The fiery Steeds of Phaëthon did raise His Chariot on the Surface of the Seas Reflecting fam'd Amilcar's Active (*) Hannibal Son Already on His great Affairs begun To think Fierce Mago's Order'd to repair To Carthage to the Senate to Declare What Hannibal had done With Him the Prey And Captivated Men are sent away And Spoils that to the Gods Devoted are As Sacrifices of a prosp'rous War The next Part of His Care was to convey Brave Decius Alass to Libya Reserv'd at his Return a Sacrifice To his slow Rage had not the Deities Pittying his undeserved Punishment The Youth by Storms to (*) Cyrene Battus City sent Here (k) The Ship driven by Tempest into the Port of Cyrene then under Ptolomy King of Aegypt Decius fled to the King's Statue for Sanctuary which obliged his Keepers to carry him to Alexandria to Ptolomy who understanding the Injustice of his Captivity released him Liv. lib. 23. Ptolemy's Pelléan Pow'r the Man Rescu'd from their dire Menaces that than His Keepers were and freed his Neck from Chains But the same Land that sav'd his short Remains Of Life from Slavery soon after gave His Bones inviolate a quiet Grave In the mean Time the Paphian Goddess findes The wish'd-for Hour t' involve the Libyans Mindes In secret Ruin through Prosperity And their insulting Hearts by Luxury To tame and therefore She her Sons commands Enticing Darts to scatter from their Hands Abroad and silent Flames to send into Their Breasts Then smiling on the wanton Crew Now let proud Iuno Us despise said She And 't is no Wonder for now What are We Let Her go on driv'n with propitious Gales She with her Hands She with her Arms prevails We small Shafts onely from a Childish Bow Expell and from Our Wounds no Blood doth flow But now be doing now 's your Time take Aim My Sons and with your silent Darts enflame The Tyrian Youths that Army which nor Fire Nor Sword nor Mars with slackest Reins can tire With store of Wine Embraces and by Sleep Must be subdu'd Into His Bowels deep Let Hannibal imbibed Pleasures drink To ly on painted Beds let Him not think It Shame and with Assyrian Sweets his Hair Perfume let Him that in Hybernal Air Boasted to lengthen out His Sleeps delight In Houses rather to consume the Night And let Him Learn to give the Idle Day To Bacchus and when cloy'd with Feasts He may Be charm'd with Musick and Luxurious Nights Or sleeping spend or waking in Our Rites This Venus which the wanton Troops commend And strait from Heav'n with Snowy Wings descend The Libyan Youths soon feel their fiery Darts And the discharged Shafts inflame their Hearts Now Bacchus Gifts and Banquets they desire And warbling Songs to the Piërian Lyre Now through the Plains no sweating Courser flies No Lance thrown through the Air doth exercise Their naked Arms in gentle Baths to rest Their lazy Limbs they cherish and opprest With miserable Wealth rough Valour 's gone The General Himself but breath'd upon By flattering Desire begins to Feast Anew and oft invited 's made a Guest And by Degrees degenerate His Minde Corrupted by those secret Shafts declin'd His Countrie 's Arts. With equal Honour all Now Capua another Countrey call Another Carthage Their Affections free Before to greedy Vice through Victory Now yield Nor do the Capuans Measure keep In Luxury but drown'd in Riot heap Lust upon Lust and in their Feasts between Each Course add Sports and often change the Scene So 'bout the Lotos on Laegaean Banks The Phrygian Minstrels with lascivious Pranks Spartan Canopus fill And first their Ears With his sweet Eyrs while Hannibal appears Extremely pleas'd fam'd Teuthras for his Skill Most eminent Delights with Voice and Quill And when he saw the Libyan Prince admire The warbling Nerves then the Aönian Lyre With Praise he celebrates and as he sung His well-tun'd-Harp conspiring with his Tongue The Musick that of dying Swans exceeds And those sweet Lays 'mong many for the Deeds Of antient Heroes best the Ear affect Most pleasant for the Banquet doth select Once by the Argive People strange to tell A Lute was heard that did the Rocks compell To follow and the flying Stones to stand Fix'd into Walls Touch'd by Amphion's Hand This rais'd the Theban Walls while to the Skies Flints of themselves in Heaps congested rise T' enchanted Tow'rs Another by his Lays The Phocae tam'd becalm'd the raging Seas And Protheus drew through all his Shapes and bore Arion on a Dolphin's Back to Shore But that whose Sound in the Pelîack Cave A Bridle to the Minds of Heroes gave And great Achilles Thoughts the (l) The Centaure Chiron Tutour to Achilles Centaure lov'd And when upon the Strings his Finger mov'd Hell's or the Ocean's Fury 't would allay He Chaos and the World once wanting Day Or Light a starless Lump and then how God Diffus'd the Waters of the Deep abroad And bound the Globe of Earth amidst the Frame How high Olympus to the Gods became By his appointment a Secure Abode And chaster Age of Father Saturne shew'd But those sweet Nerves by Orpheus touch'd to whom The Gods and Shades below did listning come Their Quill emerited now shine among The brightest Stars His Mother his sweet Song Admir'd and her Aönian Sisters too His Musick the Pangaean Hills pursue Hemus and farthest Thrace Beasts with their Woods Him follow and the Mountains with their Floods Unmindefull of their Nests Flight lai'd aside Birds Captiv'd in th' unshaken Air abide And when the Pegasaean Ship before The Sons of Earth were skill'd beyond the Shore Refus'd the Sea to enter by His Song Entic'd up to the Poop the Waters throng He those pale Kingdoms whither Ghosts retire And Acheron that with Eternal Fire And Flames still Ecchoes by His Lays alone Subdu'd and fix'd the ever-rolling (m) The Stone which Sisyphus rolls in Hell Stone Thus Teuthras with His Thespian Lays their Hearts Hard'ned in War to softer Ease diverts But in the mean time with propitious Gales Mago unto the Coast of Libya sails And the desired Port with Lawrel bound The Vessel enters as in Triumph Crown'd With captive Arms the lofty Prow displaies A Lustre over all the Neighb'ring Seas The Seamen in
yield Thus Phoebus and through Oscus Temples thrill'd A swift Revenging Dart his sudden Fall Makes the whole Army face about and all The Troops affrighted through the Champagn fled The Father hearing that his Son was dead Groaning with Rage pierc'd his own panting Breast And to the Shades below his Foot-steps prest But Hannibal in Fight thus broken and Crush'd by Marcellus wasts the Neighb'ring Land And turns His unjust Arms upon the Poor Acerrae which to Fire and Sword giv'n o're With no less Rage He on (r) Acerrae and Nuceria were both destroyed by Hannibal The first the People stealing out by Night and flying into other Cities of Campania found empty was burnt by Him The later after an hard Siege yielded on Conditions That all the People might march away every Man with two Garments but no sooner came they out of the City but He forced them into Sulphurous Pits where they were choaked with Smoak and Vapours Liv. 23. Neuceria falls And levels with the Ground her stately Walls Next (s) Casilinum now Casteluccio held out a long Siege until they had eaten all things Edible even to their Bridles and all things covered with Leather but at length having some small Relief of Nuts which the Romanes put into Barrels and sent floating down the River Vulturnâ—s which ran through the Town Hannibal who before was deaf to all Conditions was induced to give them their Lives for Ransom and upon Payment gave them safe Conduct to Cumae Liv. 23. Casilinum's Gates that long had bin Stoutly defended by their Arms within By Fraud with much ado he gain'd and sold Unto the starv'd Besieg'd their Lives for Gold And then into the Daunian Fields He falls And to what Place soe're His Malice calls Or Plunder doth invite His Fury turns Then smoaking in Her Fall (t) The Petilians whose City was built by Philocteles to whom Hercules bequeathed his Quiver of all the Brutians onely kept their Faith to the Romanes Which caused Hannibal to use them with the greater Severity burning their City to the Ground and slaying most of the Citizens eight hundred of which escaping His Fury were after His Departure from Italy with great Care and Honour replanted by the Romanes in their Countrey Appian in Hannibal Petilia burns Unhappy in her Faith the next to sad Sagunthus Fate and Proud that once She had Alcides Quiver kept To th' Libyan Side Tarentum after this her self apply'd And gave them Entrance but a Latine Band Relying on the Place's Strength remain'd A strong Reserve within the Cittadel (u) The Cittadel of Tarentum placed within one of the Havens for there were two divided by an Isâ—hmus held out sometime after Cononeus had betraied the Town to Hannibal So that to hinder their Relief by Sea He made use of this Stratagem to convey Ships over the Isthmus and so streightning them on all Sides to Extremity at last received that likewise to His subjection Here he remov'd his Navy strange to tell That ready Rigg'd within the Harbour lay For at two narrow Mouths the crouded Sea Breaks out between two Rocks and with a Large Recess a secret Ocean doth discharge Into the Plains But He the Ships that there Block'd up by th' Arcenal Commanded were By Stratagem recover'd from the Sea's Embrace another Way by Land conveys First slipp'ry Planks on ev'ry Oaken Wain Were lai'd and Hides of Oxen newly slain The nimbly-turning Wheels through Meadows drew Their Load and then o're lofty Hills and through Thick Groves the Fleet arriv'd upon the Shore And swum brought to the Sea without the Oar. But Fame the Navy by no usual Way Transported Him that terrifi'd the Sea Now fills with frequent Cares while He pursu'd The War far off and hop'd to have subdu'd Th' (x) The Tarentines Oëbalian Race that Capua was then On ev'ry Side besieg'd the Bars agen O' th' Gates forc'd open and quite overthrown And the whole War upon that Wretched Town Was turn'd Enrag'd He quits that Enterprize And Shame and Anger Wings affording flies The next Way thither with prodigious Haste And Threatning to the Fight desired past So of her Young depriv'd a Tigress flies From Covert and with Rage-inflamed Eys Explores all Caucasus and in few Hours With the like Speed o're Ganges Borders scours Till in her Course their Tract She apprehend And on her Fo surpriz'd her Fury spend Him in his March Centenius rashly prone To all Attempts and Dangers falls upon With sudden scatter'd Troops but yet with small Honour to the Sidonian General For Rich in Latine Vines the Pesants He Had round about Him rais'd and suddenly An half-Arm'd Band oppos'd against the Fo. Twice sev'n were slain and still they forward go Then twice sev'n thousand Fulvius then He No more expert but of a Family Renown'd in Arms all well Appointed led But He still over Heaps of scatter'd Dead A Conquerour goes on and cuts his Way Through all nor in his March admits Delay But the Ambitious vain Desires to raise Unto Himself the empty Name and Praise Of a Brave Gen'rous Minde upon Him call To solemnize a joyfull Funeral For while a Parley (y) Flavius Lucanus wsio entertained Gracchus in his House pretending some of the chief Lucanians would come to a certain place to treat with him prevailed that He went out to meet them and was betrayed into the Hands of Hannibal who admiring his great Valour for that when he saw himself betrai'd he resolved not to be taken alive at his Death celebrated his Funerals with great Solemnity and sent his Bones to Rome Gracchus did demand And the perfidious Promise entertain'd Of the Lucanian People Sad to tell By His Host's Treachery surpriz'd He fell And Hannibal with Greediness assum'd The wish'd-for Praise to see His Corps entomb'd But soon as it was known that with such Haste To the Campanian Walls the Libyan past Affairs no where stand still Both Consuls take The Field with Speed Nola and Arpis make What Strength they can Young Fabius among The Rest His hasty Forces brings along There Nero here Syllanus Day and Night Their Cohorts speed to the desired Fight And from all Quarters come resolving all Their Gen'rals to oppose 'gainst Hannibal Alone While nearer to Tifata He Advances where the Hill's Vicinity Press'd on the Neighb'ring Walls and looking down From that near Height survays the lower Town But when such numbers of Allies He found Which with their Arms the Gates encompass'd round That Entrance was deny'd to Him alone And that they could not sally from the Town Doubtfull of the Event sometime He thought Through all that then oppos'd Him to have fought A Passage with His Sword and then declin'd Again whate're before He had design'd And seeks those Myriads by Policy To draw from the besieged Gates and free Th' inclosed Walls Thus therefore His resolves He with Himself debates and Cares revolves Oh! whither tend My troubled Thoughts Shall I In this unequal
gave But I am griev'd lest since We both are slain The Libyans should o'rerun oppressed Spain To which the Youth his Face with Tears o'respread Replies Ye Gods as She hath merited May Carthage all just Punishment endure For these foul Deeds But He who under your Command was try'd brave Martius hath restrain'd The fierce Pyrenean Troops and entertain'd Our weary Friends and with known Arms the War Maintains and it is fam'd the (d) Hasdrubal Conquerour In Battel lately was o'rethrown and all Due Piacles exacted for your Fall Much joy'd at this the Gen'rals went again To those sweet Places where the Bless'd remain The Youth adoring them with eager Eys Pursues them and now Paulus Ghost supplies Their Room scarce to be known as then he stood 'Mong many Ghosts But having drunk the Blood He thus began Thou Light of Italy Whose Martial Deeds then one Man's greater I Have seen Who now hath instigated Thee These Kingdoms where once All must dwell to see To whom again sad Scipio thus replies Great General how long with weeping Eys Did Rome thy Fate lament how near with Thee Falling to Stygian Darkness did we see Oenotrian Palaces The Tyrian Fo Did on Thee Dead a Sepulcher bestow And in thy Honour sought for Praise With Tears While Paulus thus his Hostile Burial hears Before their Eys Flaminius Gracchus and With a sad Countenance Servilius stand At Cannae slain A great Desire he had To speak to them and farther Language add But stronger Inclinations to know More antient Ghosts made him desist and now (e) Brutus the first Consul whose Sons conspiring with other yong Noble Men to restore the Tarquins were by him put to Death See Liv. lib. 2. Brutus that merited immortal Fame By 's cruel Ax Camillus then that came Near to the Gods in Praise and hating Gold (f) Marcus Curius refusing a great sum of money offered him by the Samnites in Pyrrhus his name replyed I had rather Command over the Wealthy then be Rich. He first Triumphed over the Samnites and forced Pyrrhus out of Italy Curius he sees their Names the Sibyl told And shew'd their Faces as they came That 's He That though of Sight depriv'd the Treacherie (g) Appius Claudius Coecus who would never hearken to any terms of Peace with Pyrrhus but still perswaded him not to rely upon his force and friends in Italy but to return home and then by Embassy treat of Peace with the Romans Of Peace and Pyrrhus from the Gates repell'd And that the Bridg behinde him broken held (h) Horatius Cocles who with two others defending the Gates at the Bridg over Tyber stopped Porsenna's men who then pursued the Romans till the Bridg behinde him was broken down so that the Enemy could pass no farther which done He leapt armed into the River and returned safe into the City His Station valiantly and did exclude Returning Scepters when the King pursu'd To Tyber's Banks If you desire to see The Man that in the former War said She The League with Libya made Lutatius there Behold with Naval Arms a Conquerer But if Amilcar's cruel Shade you 'd know See! That is it that stands far off his Brow Not smooth'd by Death as yet his rabid Ire Retains to talk with him if you desire Tasting the Blood with your permission He May speak which granted and when Greedily The thirsty Shade had drunk first Scipio thus With angry Looks upbraids him Such with Us Thou Sire of Fraud are then thy Leagues with Thee Captiv'd on the Sicanian Coast did We This Contract make Against all Leagues thy Son Ausonia with War doth over-run And comes upon Us breaking through the Bars O' th' Alpes All Italy with barb'rous Wars Is now inflam'd and back obstructed by Sad Slaughters to their Springs our Rivers fly To this the Shade reply'd So soon as He Was ten Years old the Latine War by Me Commanded He espous'd Nor must He now Deceive those Gods attested to the Vow Made to his Father But if now with Fire He Italy destroy and still aspire To overthrow that State deriv'd from Troy O Piety O holy Faith O Boy Indeed mine Own and would to Heav'n He might Repair that Honour We have lost in Fight Seeming to swell with Speed as this he said He vanish'd and retir'd a greater Shade Next these the Prophetess those Ghosts disclos'd That Arm'd to conquer'd Nations dispos'd Their Laws with those that first the Romanes taught (i) The Romans having changed the Government of Consuls to that of the Decemviri sent three Embassadours viz. Sp. Posthumius Sâ—r. Sulpitius and An. Manlius to Athens to take an Extract of their Laws Which they performed and those Laws digested with such of their own as the Romans esteemed wholsom into twelve Tables ten of Brass and two of Stone were ever after their Rules of Iustice. Those Sacred Laws from Pallas City brought Scipio well-pleas'd with an insatiate Ey Views all their Faces and would willingly Have talk'd with all had not the Prophetess Inform'd him that their Troops were numberless What Myriads in all the World dost Thou Believe descend to Hell since here you now All these behold A boundless Torrent there Of Shades continually run down and are In Charon's spatious Vessel wafted ore And that base Boat 's sufficient were they more Many past by the Virgin to his View Presents a Youth This is that (k) Alexander the Great Wand'rer who His Ensigns where He march'd did Conqu'ring bare By whom the Bactrii and the Dacae were Subdu'd who Ganges drunk on conquer'd Ground With a Pellaean Bridg Niphate bound Whose (l) Alexandria in Egypt Walls now stand where sacred Nile doth run To him Aenëades Thou certain Son Of Libya's horned Hammon Oh how far Doth thy indubitable Fame in War All Generals excel The like Desire Renowned Shade hath set my Brest on Fire To know which Way thou took'st thy self to raise To that proud Honour and great Height of Praise To whom the Ghost A dull Sedulity In War is base Thou by Activity And Daring may'st accomplish greatest Wars Slow Valour never yet unto the Stars Her self hath rais'd Do Thou precipitate The time of thy great Deeds Black Death doth wait Upon the Active Man Thus having said He vanish'd Strait succeeded Croesus Shade Rich when alive now levell'd with the Poor But when arising from th' Elysian Shore The Manes of a Beautious Youth he spy'd Whose Tresses with a Purple Fillet ty'd Flow'd on his radiant Neck Divinest Maid Tell me said He who is that glorious Shade Whose sacred Fore-head with a Light 's indu'd To him peculiar and a Multitude Of Souls admiring follow and about Him thronging seem to give a joyful Shout Oh what a Face did I not see him here I' th' Stygian Shade I easily should swear He were a God Nor art deceiv'd quoth She He hath deserv'd to seem a Deity Nor in so great a Breast was there a small
Divinity For He in Verses all The Seas and Earth with Heav'n and Hell compris'd And in his Song the Muses equaliz'd (m) The most eminent of all Poets who of very mean Birth was constrained to Shift for his Livelyhood by teaching a Schole till by a Disease in his Eys while yet a Yong-man he was made Blind wandring through several Cities of Graece He sometimes subsisted by repeating Verses casually composed to the People and at length entertained by several Persons that admired his Learning he compiled those Immortal Works of his Iliads and Odyssees He dyed in Ion in his Voyage to Athens where the Inhabitants built him a Tomb. Vide Heredo◠de Homero In Honour Phoebus when he could not see All this unto the World in order he Divulg'd and rais'd your Troy unto the Skies Scipio the sacred Shade with joyful Eys Beholding said Would but the Fates allow That through the Universe this Prophet now Might sing the Romane Deeds how much more great Would the same Things with his Certificate Pass to succeeding Times Thrice happy You (n) Achilles Aeācides to whom it happ'ned to The World by such a Tongue to be express'd For by his Versethy Valour still encreas'd But what 's that Troop that such Applauses give Seeking the Ghosts of Heroes and receive The Greater Shades With that Achilles He And mighty Hector is amaz'd to see And then the Valiant Ajax stately Pace Admires and Nestor's venerable Face But he was pleas'd when he beheld the Two Renown'd (o) Agamemnon and Menelaus Atrides and Vlysses who In Prudence equall'd great Achilles Deeds To these Ledaean Castor's Shade succeeds About to live for then Alternate Light Pollux in Heav'n maintain'd But to his Sight Presented strait Lavinia's Shade withdrew His Face for then the Maid advis'd him to Consider Womens Shades lest rising Day Should summon Her protracting Time away This Venus happy (p) Being Wife to Aeneas Son to Venus and Anchises Daughter is said She That Trojans long-deriv'd Posterity Joyn'd to the Latines Would you see the Bold Quirinus Bride Hersilia there behold Once by Her Sheepherd Husband ravish'd when (q) When Romulus had built his City and the Inhabitants so increased that it was now time to form a civil Society He sent Embassadours to his Neighbours to demand of them Women which they then wanted But his Embassy every where rejected He pretending the Celebration of Games to Neptune the Sabines coming with their Wives and Children invited as well by Curiosity to see the News as Devotion while they were intent on the Celebration of the Festival the Romans seising all the Virgins that came with them forced the rest out of the City The Sabines returning armed to revenge this Violence these Virgins now their Wives became Mediatours between their Husbands and Parents and made the Romans and Sabines one People Their Neighbours scorn'd such rough unpleasant Yet She well-pleas'd his homely Cottage saw Men And lay with him on Pallets made of Straw And angry Sires from ' vengeful Arms withdrew But now (r) Carmenta was a Prophetess in whose honour the Roman Matrons as to a Goddess celebrated an Annual Feast called Carmentalia Carmenta's Godlike Gesture view She was Evander's Mother and Divin'd Your present Labours If you have a minde To see the Face of (s) Tanaquil who animated her Husband Tarquinius Priscus a Stranger at Rome to repair thither to offer himself after the Death of Martius Ancus to be their King and as they came to the Gates sitting with his Wife in their Cart an Eagle gently took off his Cap and hovering awhile over his head put it on again by which Omen encouraged Tanaquil perswaded him to enter the City and not long after Ancus dying he was elected King Tanaquil that 's She Whose Chaster minde prevail'd in Augury And to her Husband did his Throne foreshew And in the Bird the Gods propitious knew There see of Romane Chastity the Grace Lucretia glorious in her Death her Face And Eys fix'd on the Ground still bears Thou Rome Must not alass nor doth it Thee become To wish the long Fruition of so great A Praise Near Her Virginia see who yet The Wound retaining in her bleeding Breast Sad Monument that Chastity exprest Defended by the Sword (t) Virginia the Daughter of Virginius who being vitiated by Appius Claudius her Father to provoke the people against him bringing her into a publick Assembly stab'd her and shewing the Knife all bloody to the people declared he rather chose that his Daughter should so dy then not be free from the violence of Appius See Liv. lib. 1. her Father's hand Applauds in that dire stroke Next her doth stand The famous Claelia who to fly thy Yoak Porsenna her Weak Sex contemn'd and broke The Lidyan War and Tyber such as She A Virgin Rome once Wish'd her Men to be This sudden Apparition much Dismai'd Yong Scipio who more enquiring said What may those guilty Manes be and why Are they Tormented She gave this reply That (u) Tullia the Wife of Tarquinius Superbus who drove her Chariot over the body of her Father Servius Tullius whom she had murthered to raise her Husband to his Throne Tullia who with her Chariot tore And broke her Father's Members and stood o're His trembling Face with her contracted Reins That She may ne'er be free from lasting Pains Swims in hot Phlegethon that rapid springs From smoaking Furnaces and upward flings Burn'd Rocks made harder by the River's Heat And still with Flaming Flints her Face doth beat But She whose Lungs a Bird's sharp Bill destroys Hark! with his beating Wings how great a Noise Returning to his Food the (*) An Eagle Bird of Iove Now makes Oh horrid Wickedness for Love Of Gold the Capitol that Treach'rous Maid (x) Tarpeia the Daughter of Tarpeius Keeper of the Capitol who contracted with the Sabines to betray to them the Capitol on Condition she might have all that they wore on their left Arms meaning their Bracelets the Sabines entring as she opened the Gates threw upon her so many Shields from their left Arms that she was prest to death with the weight of them Tarpeia to the Sabine Troops betrai'd Then dost not see for lighter Crimes our Laws Scarce touch dire Orcus still with hungry Jaws Doth bark Of old the monstrous Guardian He Of the Iberian (y) Gerion heard and eagerly Assaulteth with his Teeth and fiercely Trails The Entrails out with his polluted Nails Yet is the Punishment inferiour to The Sin that (z) Those Vestal Nuns were chosen into that Order at sixteen years of age and were to continue so thirty years after which they might marry though few did but if while Devotes any chanced to violate their Vow they were buryed alive Vestal voluntary threw Her Virgin Zone away and sacred Rites Of Vesta stain'd But now these sev'ral Sights Which you have seen sufficient are I strait
contending where The Images in Texture breath and there What Babylon could boast engrav'd or Tyre Proud in embroider'd Purple could admire What in Attalick Arras Needles wrought And varied with Art or could be bought From Pharian Looms with Silver Goblets rich With Gems and Images of Gods the which The Deity first giv'n by Art retain Beside the Spoils o' th' Erythraean Main Was made their Prey with Fleeces which from Trees The Serian Women card This Wealth and these Rich Houses when the Romane General Had taken standing High upon the Wall The City Trembling with their Shouts he views And when he found it left to his Refuse Whether the Fabricks there of Kings should be Left standing or the following Day should see No Walls at all he sadly Groans and then (t) Marcellus wept both in detestation of the Fury of the Souldiers and in Commiseration of the Death of Archimedes who notwithstanding the great Tumults at the Entrance of the Romanes into the City was so intent in drawing some Mathematical Lines on the Sands that not minding a Souldier who asked him Who he was for Marcellus commanded Archimedes should be saved he was slain by him Griev'd that so much was left to cruel Men He speedily recalls the Souldiers Ire Commanding that the Houses stand entire And that the Antient Gods their Temples there Inhabit still The Conquer'd thus to sparâ— Was better worth then Spoil and Vict'ry stood Content and clap'd her Wings unstain'd with Blood Tears for Thee likewise from the General Thou fam'd (u) Archimedes Defender of thy Country fall Whom drawing Lines and Figures in the Sand While in so great a Ruin thou dost stand Untouched and Idaeas dost pursue By Chance an Ign'rant Common Souldier slew But now again their minds the People give To Mirth in which the Conquer'd seem to strive Ev'n with the Conquerours (x) Marcellus He emulous O' th' nature of the Gods preserving thus The City built it which still stands to be A glorious Trophy to Posterity And shall continue that the Manners so Of antient Generals the World may know Happy the People if as Antiently In War our Towns could now preserved be From Spoils in Peace for if his Care by whom (y) The Poet here flatters Domitiaâ— We now enjoy our Peace had not o'recome That boundless Rage of Plundring all the Hand Of Rapine had quite bar'd both Sea and Land The End of the Fourteenth Book Cum Subito assistunt dextâ—i Laeuâq Hinc Virtus Illinc Virtuti Inimica Voluptasâ— Occupat inde prior Promissis Fisa Voluptas Tum Virtus quas nam Iuvenem Florentibus inquit Pellicis in Fraudes Annis Honoratissimo Viro Edoardo Nicholas Equiti Aurato Serenissimis Carolo j m â— 2. d â— Magnae Brittaniae c Regibus Secretario è Sanctioribus Cousilijs Tabula Summa cum Obseruantia D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Fifteenth Book THE ARGUMENT Scipio his Father and his Uncle slain Made Consul undertakes the War of Spain Though but (*) Twenty five years five Lustra old The vain Delights Of Youth to which fond Pleasure him invites He flyes and Virtue follows Then by Sea To Spain he hasts and in one happy Day An Omen to his future Conquests makes New Carthage which he sudden storms and takes His Chastity that to her Princely Spouse A Captiv'd Beauteous Maid untouch'd allows The Macedonian King incuâ—sions makes Upon the Graecian Coasts Old Fabius takes Tarentum The Numidian Tâ—oops surprize Marcellus by an Ambush where he dies His Obsequies by Hannibal perform'd The Libyan Camp in Spain by Scipio storm'd Young Hasdrubal over Pyrene flies Perswades the Gauls with him in Arms to rise And Italy invades where he again Is by the Romans overthrown and slain By Nero who his Head upon a Spear In Triumph to the Romane Camp doth bear BUT a new Care Rome's Senate now perplext The Nations trembling at their Loss who next Should Rule and undertake the War of Spain By a proud Fo both (a) After the two Scipioes were overthrown in Spain though Martius had recovered very much yet was the Terrour of the Libyan Arms joyned with the Infidelity of the Natives so great that all Men at Râ—â—â— waved the undertaking of that War Scipioes were slain Two Warlike Valiant Brothers hence a Fear Lest the Tartessiack People should adhere To Tyrian Laws and dread the War at Hand The State thus shaken sad the Senate stand Looking about for Remedies and pray Th' Immortal Gods to give them One that may With Courage in the shatter'd Camp succeed As General The Noble Youth indeed Eager his Father's and his Uncle's Shade To vindicate sad Troops of Friends disswade And adding by their Sorrows to their Fears Sadly recount the Number of his Years Should he into that Fatal Country go Amidst the Ashes of his Friends that Fo He there must Fight who had the Counsels foil'd And Arms of two great Generals and boil'd With Pride of his Success Nor was it for His tender Arms to Manage such a War Or that Command at such Unskilful Years To undertake The Youth these Cares and Fears Alone retiring to the farthest Part Of all his House revolved in his Heart Under a Laurel Shade When suddenly Here Virtue Pleasure there her Enemy Descending through the Air on either hand Exceeding Humane Stature by him stand The One breath'd Persian Odours from her Head Her Amber-Hair upon her Shoulders spread Shining with Yellow Gold a Tyrian Vest She wore the Beauty of her Front exprest The Bodkin's Art and from her Wanton Ey The frequent Flames with dubious Motion fly A diff'rent Habit did the Other wear Her Forehead rough and never chang'd by Hair Compos'd a steddy Look her Gesture nigh To Man's and such her Face with Modesty Chearful upon her lofty Shoulders shin'd A Snow-white Robe Then Pleasure first inclin'd To promise Much thus seizeth him What Rage What Fury's this brave Youth thy Flow'r of Age Thus to Consume in Fighting Art thou so Unmindful of dire Cannae and the Po Or Thrasimen then Styx more grievous far To what end do you Thus the Fates by War Provoke Th' Atlantick Kingdoms you prepare To try and Tyrian Houses But forbear Let me advise to strive with Dangers so Or thy Self rashly as before to throw Into those Storms of Arms unless you shun Those Rites sad Virtue here will bid you run Into the midst of Armies and through Fire 'T is She that Prodigal thy noble Sire Thy Uncle Paulus and the Decii down Into the Lakes of Erebus hath thrown While Titles to their Ashes She proclaims And gilds their Tombs with Memorable Names Yet are their Souls Insensible what She Performs But Youth if Thou wilt go with Me In a smooth Path thy Days allow'd by Fate Shall pass No Trumpet 's Sound shall violate Thy troubled Sleeps nor Northern Frosts nor Heat Of burning Cancer shalt thou Feel Nor eat On Tables oft compos'd
Fo from thence where they Abide expell Then may my Brother Mâ— For ever banish his Society In dark Avernus Speaking thus he ran With all the Weight of 's Shield upon the Man And where the Earth made slipp'ry with the Blood Of 's Brother fail'd him as he Fighting stood Fel'd and with 's Sword dispatch'd him on the Place While with extended Hands in his Embrace He prostrate Herius held and eas'd his weight Of Grief by sharing in his Brother's Fate The Libyan then a Body mix'd in Fight Invades and rushing on his Foes to Flight Turn'd a long way As when with Thunder hurl'd Th' Aetnéan Bolts of Iove affright the World And his high Palace shake a Pannick Fright Makes all Man-kinde to quake th' Obortive Light With Horrour shines and Iove seems ready by Each Man at him to let his Lightning fly But in another Quarter as if there Where Scipio fought the onely Danger were A bloody Fight new Forms of Death Creates In various Shapes A Sword this penetrates And down he falls That lamentably Groans A Stone in pieces crushing all his Bones Some basely flying on their Faces are Through Fear Precipitated 'Gainst the War Others with Valour arm'd their Breasts oppose While the Rheteian Gen'ral forward goes O're the dead Heaps As when the God of War With Slaughter pleas'd shakes his Bistonian Carr Near frozen Hebrus and the Getick Snow Melts with warm Blood and Ice by (t) The North-Winde Aquilo Augmented with his ratling Chariot's weight Asunder breaks Now with a dreadful Heat Looking about He ev'ry valiant Name With 's Sword asâ—ails There through the World for Fame Of Slaughters known among their Weapons falls On ev'ry Side the Youth that storm'd thy Walls Sagunthus and a War most Cruel in Thy miserable Ruins did begin There who the Sacred Thrasimen with Blood Had stained and the Phaëtontian Flood Polluted who the Boldness had to move Their Arms to sack the House and Throne of Iove In one vast Ruin fell There they were slain Who did the Secrets of the Gods prophane And first the Alps prohibited had press'd With mortal Steps The Army all possess'd With Fear in haste discouraged retire As through a Citie 's Houses when the Fire Diffused runs and ventilated by A rapid Winde the active Flames do fly Up to the Skies struck with a sudden Fear And Trembling as the City captive were The People run distracted ev'ry Way But Scipio now grown weary with Delay So to pursue those scatter'd Combats or To be detained in so light a War Resolv'd his Force upon the Cause of all Those Ills and War to turn For Hannibal Alone that Day surviving it would be No Benefit at all to Italy Should Carthage Walls be set on Fire and all Their Armies overthrown But should He fall Alone not all their Arms and Men would ought Avail the Libyans Him he therefore sought And search'd through all the Field with busy Eyes Then to the thickest of the Fight he hies Wishing that all Ausonia if He there Should him encounter the Spectatours were And bold with a fierce Voice his Fo doth cite Upbraiding him unto another Fight Which Language when affrighted Iuno hears Lest it should touch the Libyan Captain's Ears Sh' informs a Romane Shape which strait aâ—sumes Th' Italian Prince's shining Crest his Plumes And Shield and spreads his radiant Cassock's Grace Upon his Shoulders Then She adds his Pace And Habit such as him She did behold Provoking to the Fight and Motion bold Without a Body gives At length a Steed Like false and vain She forms that runs with Speed Through devious Ways and offers to the Sight The Image of a Warlike Shade in Fight Thus Scipio fain'd by Iuno proudly to The Fight advanc'd and brandish'd in the view Of Hannibal his Sword who pleas'd his Ey Beheld the Romane General so nigh And hoping mighty things were then at Hand Strait claps his Heels against his Courser and With sudden Force a Jav'lin at him throws The winged Shade turns back and flying goes Quite cross the Field beyond the Armies Then As if possess'd of 's Chief Desire agen With his steel'd Heel th' insulting Libyan makes His Horse to bleed and still pursuing shakes Th' enlarged Reins O! whither dost thou run Forgetful that 't is our Dominion Scipio where now thou Fly'st Libya â—o Thee Affords no skulking Hole Thus proudly he With his drawn Sword still follow'd as it Fled Until deluded by it he was led Into another Field far distant from The place of Battel where no sooner come But the Delusive Shade to Air resolves What God said angry Hannibal involves Himself in that dark Light to Me Or why Doth he conceal'd within that Monsterly Is then my Glory to the Gods become So opposite Yet never shalt thou from This Hand compel or force my Fo said He By all thy Arts whatever God thou be Who stand'st for Italy With that he wheel'd His nimble Steed about and to the Field Enrag'd returns When strait with secret Dread Of sudden Mischief shock'd upon his Head Down fell his Courser and by Iuno's care Breath'd from his panting Breast his Life to Air. But then Impatient This again said He This is your Plot ye Gods nor do you me Deceive I better by the Rocks had bin O'rewhelm'd I better had been drowned in The Waves and Seas Was I preserved then To this vile Death while those unhappy Men That have my Ensigns follow'd and from Me Alone receiv'd a Battel 's Augury Are slaughter'd and I absent understand Their Groans their Voice and Words as they demand Their Hannibal What Stygian Torrent is Sufficient to wash off my Sin As this He spake on 's Right-Hand with an earnest Ey He look'd enflam'd with a Desire to Dy. But Iuno pitying the Man assumes A Sheepherd's Face and on a sudden comes From the thick Woods and as he thought to Dy A Death Inglorious thus accosts Him Why So arm'd to these Our Woods do you repair Would you go to that cruel Battel where Great Hannibal in Arms the rest subdues Of the Ausonian Armies If you 'l choose The speedy and compendious Way to go Into the Thickest of them I will show The nearest Tract To this He strait agrees And onerates with ample Promises The Sheepherd's Breast and tells him that the State Of Carthage would his Pains remunerate With large Rewards and He would give as great Thus Eager hasting o're the next Retreat With largest Steps the Goddess him conveys Deceiv'd by Intricacy of the Ways In Circles and her self concealing still Gave him unwellcome Safety 'gainst his Will But the Cadméan Troops forsaken all And full of Fear seeing no Hannibal Nor the known Conflicts of their furious Chief Some think him slain others are of Belief That He concluding all was lost withdrew From the Sinister Gods And now in View The Romane Gen'ral like a Storm amain Came on and chas'd them thorough all the Plain Carthage her self then
Sepultos Atque Novis pandit Velox sua Carbasa Fatis Dignissimo Viro Gervasio Holles de Grimsby in Comitatu Lincoln Armig Flagrante Rebellione Regijs in Exercitibus fortiss mo Chiliarcho extincta tanaâ— Libellorum Supplicum Regis Magistro Tabula Observantiss D.D.D. A CONTINUATION OF SILIUS ITALICUS To the DEATH of HANNIBAL` The First Book THE ARGUMENT The Romane Piety and Zeal to pay At Scipio's Return the Vows which they In War had made King Syphax Captive dies By voluntary Famine The sad Cries Of Carthaginian Dames Their Citie 's quite Disarmd â—milce's parting Tears By Night Great Hannibal his Treach'rous Country flies Sails to Cercinna and in Sacrifice A Day consumes Fearing to be betray'd Those whom he dâ—ubts by Wine asleep are lay'd NOW had great Scipio brought his Trophies Home And with loud Triumphs fill'd the Streets of Rome The People to their num'rous Altars bring Their pleasing Off'rings and glad Paeans sing Such Store of Sweets in ev'ry Temple smoak As if not Libya onely felt the Yoak Of this great Conquest but Arabia there Her Tribute gave and the Sabaeans were Their Vassals Or as if to Prophesie That all the World in Time to come should be By them subdu'd and Rome Triumphant stand The wealthy Store-house of each conquer'd Land Bulls that with Snow for Whiteness might contend Wash'd in (a) Clitumnus a River in Tuscany in the Territories of the Falisci now called Civita Castellana where such Bulls as were designed for Sacrifice in Triumphs were washed and became White Plin. lib. 2. cap. 103. asserted by Virgil Georg. 2. Hinc Albi Clitumne greges c. But this Virtue vanishing they supplyed the want of White with Red Bulls White Heards and Victims of the best Esteem Bulls wash'd Clitumnus in thy Sacred Stream The Romane Triumphs to the Temples lead But this Virtue c. Clitumnus sacred Streams ascend The Capitol their curled Foreheads Crown'd With flowry Wreaths their Horns with Fillets bound These all in solemn Order round the Hill Thrice slowly lead the Joyfull People fill The trembling Air with Shouts then enter while The Gods seem pleas'd and in their Statues smile Pleas'd that Devotion with Success they see So duely mix'd and grateful Piety (b) It was a Laudable Custom among the Romanes after a Victory obtained to command a Festival of Nine Days wherein all the People abstained from Work and Sacrificed to the Gods for their Success Polyb. lib. Excerpt Legat. cap. 16. To pay those holy Vows which first arose From Fears of Ruin and insulting Foes First to the Queen of Gods a Purple Vest Whose rich Embroid'ry all the Art exprest Of the Sidonian Dames and then a Crown Of Gold which hapless Syphax overthrown His Sophonisba wore the Matrons bring And Off'ring at her Shrine thus Pious sing Sister and Wife of Iove Celestial Queen Whom we so long so full of Wrath have seen That Rome almost despairing of her Fate Saw these her Walls besieg'd let not thy Hate To Trojan Blood still prompt Thee to despise Our Piety but with serener Eyes Behold Us now and hear Us when We pray And our Oblations on thine Altars lay Why should thy Love to Libya still enflame Thy Rage 'gainst Us who from Aenêas came Let it suffice We to this very Time Have expiated with our Blood that Crime Of Paris Oh! believe him now to be In Us repenting his Disdain of Thee Be then appeas'd thy Mercy will no less Then doth thy Power thy Deity confess And if at length with other Gods and Fate Thou wilt comply to bless the Romane State As Thou on the Supreamest Throne above The Heav'ns art seated so here next to Iove Thou shalt be worshipp'd and the World shall come To bring their Off'rings unto Thee at Rome The Flamen while they thus invoke his Hands Display'd to Heav'n at Iove's high Altar stands And thus exhorts Oh! may We ever see Religion thus to Crown thy Victory Quirinus Progeny these Pious Charms Oh Rome will force the Gods to bless thine Arms. Then O then let thy Piety encrease As now when War is ended and thy Peace Confirm Impiety alone the Fates Provokes and flingeth open (c) The Temple of Ianus was alwaies open while the Romanes were in War and never shut but when in Peace with all the World it is observed not to have been shut above thrice First by Numa Secondly after the Second Punick War and Lastly by Augustus Caesar. Ianus Gates This said an hundred Bulls at once are slain Which with their Blood an hundred Altars stain Their Entrails all enquir'd for what 's to come Promise a lasting Happiness to Rome That She the Head of all the World should stand And next to Iove the Universe command (d) Though as Plutarch observes some other Triumphs had exceeded this of Scipio in their Pomp and Wealth yet none was entertained with so much Joy the Romanes being not onely absolved from the Despair of forcing Hannibal out of Italy but Carthage likewise wholy subdued The Gods thus serv'd they all begin to Feast And in their costly Banquets spend the rest O' th' Day The Senate seated are alone And to great Scipio's Honour one by one A stately Goblet quaff of Massick Wine His Cheeks mean while with modest Blushes shine As if they 'd Fire the Laurel on his Brow Unwilling those Just Praises to allow So in the Gyants War when Heav'n again Was free from Fear and mighty Typhon slain To Mirth themselves the Gods dispos'd and round The Tables Hebè with Nepenthè crown'd Their Cups while all Apollo's Skill proclaim Commend his Bow his Shafts and certain Aim By which the Gyants fell when they upon The Stars had seiz'd and Iove's Celestial Throne Almost possess'd But back again to Hell Struck with these Heav'nly Arms the Rebels fell The solemn Day thus spent the Night succeeds Inviting all to Rest. While Syphax bleeds Within the Trumpet which their Triumphs sounds Grates on his Ears strikes to his Heart and wounds His very Soul Sometimes He thinks upon His former (e) Syphax was the greatest of all the Kings of Libya having besides his own Inheritance of the Massili and Mauritania usurped part of Masanissa's Kingdom of Numidia which moved Masanissa to revolt to the Romanes State when sitting on a Throne Of Native Ivory He did command Those Nations which the Aethiopian Land And Nasamon confines with those that by The Carthaginian Bounds and Hammon ly With all that South-ward dwell near Nile and those Where the Herculean Sea 'gainst Calpè throws Its foaming Waves when he could summon to The War whole Myriads of Horsemen who On naked Steeds did ride and gave them Law And between Rome and Carthage when he saw The World disputed was that He had been The Umpire of their Quarrel and had seen Them both his Friendship seek until his Flame Of Love the Ruin of his Throne became Sad with these Thoughts that in his troubled Breast
all Those Dangers stand which can upon Me fall T' enjoy Thee here But this our Enemies Will not allow Domestick Treacheries Have now so far above the Arms of Rome Prevail'd that I a Captive shall at Home In Peace be made and hence in Chains be born Snatch'd from thy dear Embrace to be the Scorn (p) The Custom of leading Captives in Triumph was first introduced by the Romanes and among them onely in use the Principal Captives in Chains passing before the Chariot of the Triumpher and for the most part as he entered the Capitol they were led to Prison and on the same Day he layed down his Authority and they their Lives See Cicero In Verrem Of second Triumphs and when that is done A Pride peculiar unto Rome alone I shall not dy like Syphax from the View Of all the World but they will something New For Me invent Whatever was by Us Before Inflicted on their Regulus Will be esteem'd too Little I shall be In Parts divided through all Italy And feel in each a Death and yet not all Their Malice satiate when to Minde they call The Fun'rals of their Friends But that I may Their Plots avoid and keep a better Way Still open to my Fall I now must fly M'Ingrateful Country or resolve to dy This Day before thine Eyes for in this Hand Of Mine alone my Fate shall ever stand Nor shall the World believe the Life and Death Of Hannibal depends upon the Breath Of Rome As this He spake She stop'd the rest With Kisses and reclining on his Brest Her drooping Head whil'st Tears like April-rain Into his Bosom flow by Sighs again Dry'd up Since so it is said She no more Will I my Hannibal thy Stay implore Go and be Happy may those Gods who Thee With such Severity deny to Me Protect Thee when Alone go Happy may Thy wish'd Return be speedy But I Pray For what I cannot Hope those Gods who now Us separate alass will not allow That We should meet again As from her Tongue These last Words fell about his Neck She flung Her Arms and after many Kisses past While both contended who should give the Last With a long Silence for with Grief each Heart Too big for Language swell'd at length they part Now Night the middle of her Course had run Between the Rising and the Falling Sun When Libya's anxious Champion at the Fane All things prepar'd for Flight arrives again There findes the Priestess from her hoary Head Tresses like curling Serpents overspread Her wrinckled Neck a Mantle cross her Breast In which forsaken Dido's Death exprest By her fair Sister's Hand and there bequeath'd As Sacred with the Sword She Frantick sheath'd In her own Bosom fastn'd by a Charm On her left Shoulder and her other Arm Quite Naked waving round a Stygian Wand With which by adding Words She could command The Pow'rs of Hell She meets him at the Door And leads him in The Sacrifice before Prepar'd and She no Minutes now delay'd Invoking some Infernal Names to aid The Work strait horrid Voices rend the Air Some mornful Groans some Sighs of sad Despair Then as if Hell were near the Noise of Chains With doleful Cries which their inflicted Pains Extort For all the Ghosts of Cadmus Race Whom Guilt had stain'd frequenting still the Place To the un-kindled Altars brought Supplies Of Bloodlike Flames which of themselves to rise Appear and by their gloomy Light and Smell Of Sulphur shew that they were brought from Hell At length the Sacrifice was open lay'd Whose Entrails when the Priestess had survay'd She thus the Gods declar'd If Hannibal Be from his Country free He never shall Become a Slave to Rome His very Name Shall make the Syrian Armies own'd by Fame And Italy once more shall fear lest She By his Invasive Arms should ruin'd be Scipio shall not more Fortunate at Rome By th' World be held then Hannibal at Home One Year shall give a Period to their Breath And each finde Satisfaction in his Death In Latian Ground shall Scipio's Ashes ly On Libyssaean Hannibal shall dy With this ambiguous Oracle his Minde As Great and High as when he first design'd The War as if the Gods were still the Same Away he speeds Thoughts of his former Fame And Victories all present Fears allay And with reviving Hopes his Faith betray To a vain Confidence That He alone If arm'd could shake the World and Rome unthrone Ambition and Revenge think nought too great For their Attempt and whil'st he doth repeat The Actions which atchiev'd his former Fame He counts all Easy that 's within his Aim Nor weighs th' Incertainty of Fates to come Those civil Factions that before at Home Weak'ned his Arms now undistinguish'd groan Under that Yoke which Rome for Him alone So long prepar'd so that ev'n He might boast A Victory when Envious Carthage lost Her Liberty and Captiv'd Hanno found No other Hand could cure that Fatal Wound But Hannibal's alone who now got Free Would search the World to finde a Remedy Thus chearful with the Gods misunderstood As a fierce Tyger thirsting after Blood Far from his Covert rangeth seeking Prey O're the Vocanian Plains he took his Way And through the Thapsian Fields his Course pursu'd Where still the Gods resolving to delude His Thoughts with dubious things he Waking dreams Of future Fates and swiftly Posting seems This Language from the Genius of the Place To hear Fly hence fly Hannibal apace Let Asia no longer now attend Thine Arm the World 's great Quarrel to defend Delay the Mother is of Doubts and Fears And he that long the Yoke of Bondage bears Forgets that he was Free and entertains A Servile Love of Safety with his Chains Thy Presence shall encrease the Noble Fire In Syrian Breasts and they at length conspire 'Gainst Rome with Thee and Carthage entertain An Hope by Thee her Freedom to regain That War which Thou didst with so great Applause Wage as Thine Own is made the Common Cause Of the whole World and all Mankinde is now Provok'd to be Assertours of thy Vow Of Romanâ— Blood all Seas all Lands shall taste And (q) Where Scipio the â—last of the Pompeian Generals was overthrown by Caesar in which Battel ten thousand of the Pompeians were slain Thapsus 'mong the Chief in Fame be plac't No sooner did the Blushes of the Morn The Stars extinguish and the Day was born When they arriv'd near to that Fatal Shore Where trembling Seamen hear the Billows roar (r) These Syrtes are two whereof the less is not far distant from Carthage and against it is the Island Ceâ—cinna whither Hannibal fled Of its Dangers and Site see Strabo Geogr. lib. 17. Against those Syrts which moving to and fro Bring certain Ruin wheresoe're they go Charybdis nor dire Scylla's Rage so great A Danger to Sicilian Vessels threat Sometimes themselves above the Waves they heave And stand like Promontories to deceive Unskilful
Mariners strait falling back Choak up the Chanel and prepare a Wrack Under smooth Waters where with all their Pride Display'd tall Ships of late might safely ride But Hannibal less fears the Treach'rous Sand Or raging Seas then the more Treach'rous Land Which Confident of better Fate he quits And to a little Bark himself commits The Seas as Conscious that he was too Great To be their Sacrifice their Rage forget The Syrts retire and the Conspiring Gales Pursue the Bark and swell her pregnant Sails The careful Pilot for Cercîna steers Scarce knowing that the Fraight his Vessel bears Once balanc'd the whole World yet wonders Heav'n In that tempestuous Track a Course so ev'n Allow'd so much the flatt'ring Destinies With a smooth Vizor of Success disguise Intended Ruin that ev'n Hannibal Measures from hence what ever might befal Himself and while they yet the Africk Shore On which the Fates resolv'd henever more Should tread in View retain'd I now am Free Perfidious Country both from Rome and Thee My better Fortune now saith He doth stand Not in a Senate's Vote but in this Hand This Hand which maugre thy Ingratitude Shall Thee if Me the Gods do not delude Redeem and Thou at length confess that none Can breake thy Yoke but Hannibal alone Now from the flying Ship the Land withdrew The Libyan Shore descends no more in View Those Altars which Vlysses once did rear To rescue his forgetful Friends appear Unhappy Men who in those Dang'rous Fields Found out those strange Delights that (s) In these Syrtes inhabited Lotophagi among whom Vlysses his Companions bewitched with the Taste of the Lotus desired to dwell till Vlysses there raised Altars to Sacrifice for their Recovery the Ruins whereof were to be seen in the Time of Strabo lib. 17. and Homer Odyss lib. 9. Lotus yields Whose Taste all other Pleasures far exceeds Man nothing more to make him Happy needs In this all dear Delights at once they found And Memory of Friends and Country drown'd No sooner these were lost but to their Eyes Cercîna ' midst the Waves began to rise Approaching near the Port some Ships they found Whose Carthaginian Owners Homeward bound Soon as the Prince they spy'd upon the Shore Haste to salute Him and almost Adore The Memory of his high Deeds within Their Breasts still liv'd how great He once had been To Minde they call and pay unto his Name Those Honours which they know his Merits claim Though now his State be less for with a Cloud O'recast or else Eclips'd the Sun 's allow'd To be the same in Virtue as before When it shin'd Brightest nor was He the more To be neglected 'cause the borrow'd Rays Of Train at which the Common People gaze And great with Envy swell aside are lay'd He still is that fam'd Hannibal who made So many Barb'rous Nations to submit To his Commands and Native Rites forget While fierce Massylians with Iberians stood In Fight Revengers each of others Blood While rude Cantabrians with the Celtae came T' assert his Quarrel and beneath his Name United liv'd as if one Clime their Birth Had giv'n and nurtur'd them on Fertile Earth Here all are busy to express their Care To entertain Him and to such as were Inquisitive to know what did invite Him thither cunning He reply'd I might Indeed have gone to Tyre another Way But none so near I judg since I this Day Must speâ—d in Sacrifice to th' Pow'rs above That what I there must prosecute may prove Propitious to the State which thither Me Hath sent and since within this Island We Few Trees for Shelter finde let Me entreat Your Sails this Day to shroud Us from the Heat O'th'scorching Sun No sooner said but all Their Hands employ some from the Masts let fall The Sails some lift them with their Yards to Land On which extended streight for Tents they stand And now whatever Rare the Isle affords Makes up the Feast and round the hast'ned Boards Lyaeus flows and first To Liberty A Bowl is crown'd which all as greedily Quaff off as if in it they thought to finde Their Wish and Sense of Bondage from the Minde Expel And as the sparkling Liquour warms Their Blood each man as if he were in Arms Defies the Pow'r of Rome now scorns to bear That Yoak which in a Sober mind his Fear Would prompt him to imbrace and what before He durst not Think he now dares Act and more All former Fears are banish'd This exclaims 'Gainst Hanno's Pride and That his Countrey blames For want of Courage bids the Prince again Attempt to take away that Fatal Stain For which as in th' inflaming Juice he steeps His Brains he in a Drunken Pity weeps But Hannibal whose Thoughts were far from thence Remov'd and entertain'd a nobler Sense Of what they suffer'd then themselves mean while Looks on their Follies with a scornful Smile And with repeated Cups still feeds the Flame Untill as he design'd he overcame Their Strength and while their Hands as yet retain'd The Blushing Bowls Sleep all their Senses chain'd The End of the First Book of the Continuation Infaustis Masanissa rapit Connubia taedis Praecipitatque suae Sophonis bae Fata Veneno Hausta Romanos metuens Nova Sponsa Triumphos Servata infelix it Libertate sub Vmbras Dignissimo Viro Gulielmo Wiseman de Magna Canfeild in Comitatu Essex Baronetto Iabula observantiss D.D.D. A CONTINUATION OF SILIUS ITALICUS To the DEATH of HANNIBAL The Second Book THE ARGUMENT To Hannibal Isalces doth relate King Masanissa's Love and the sad Fate Of Sophonisba Rome dreads the Report Of a new War In the Ephesian Court Scipio and Hannibal are entertain'd And meet as Friends The City Temple and Its Wealth describ'd Great Alexander's Deeds Eumolpus sings Whence a Discourse proceeds Who the best Captains weâ—e Past Actions are Revolv'd The King resolves upon a War WHILE thus pretended Piety beguiles The Vulgar and the glad Deceiver smiles At the Success Secure that none could bear The Tidings of his Flight before the Fear Of being stop'd was past to Sea again He hastens hoises Sail while yet the Reign Of Night continu'd and the (a) Cynosura or Vrsa Minor which the Tyrians observed in Sailing as the Greeks did Helice or Vrsa Major according to that of Ovid lib. Trist. Two Bears there are of which the Tyrian seeks The Less the Greater guides the wandring Greeks Tyrian Star Lent faithful Beams to guide the Mariner And as well pleas'd with what had past his Friends Discours'd how much their Mirth had made Amends For all Delays his sure Numidian Guide Who once attended on great Syphax Bride Began But He inspir'd above the Rest To Me appear'd who did so much detest And scorn their Names who through a shameful Dread Of Dying had submitted to be led In Triumph and in Chains before they Dy'd Had tamely Sacrific'd unto the Pride Of Roman Conqu'rours How He did declame For this 'gainst
Syphax how adore the Name Of Noble Sophonisba who did bear A Face as Chearful as I carry here Said He and to avoid that Shame was seen To drink her Death and fall a Glorious Queen I well observ'd his Zeal and I confess Reply'd Great Hannibal could little less Then weep at Mention of so dear a Name But since we onely have by Common Fame Her Story heard and You a Witness wâ—re Of all that past to Us her Fate declare Then He. When Syphax was o'rethrown and all Numidia lost through his Unhappy Fall False Masanissa less ambitiously Aspir'd unto his Empire then to be Successour in his Bed and when h' had gain'd The Queen into his Pow'r the King enchain'd And kept a Trophy to Young Scipio's Pride Impatient till h' enjoy'd so fair a Bride His Minde he thus discovers If the Throne Of Syphax or Numidia's Wealth alone Had been the Object of mine Arms I now Whate're the Gods or Fortune could allow To my Desires possess'd but know my Aim Fair Queen is Higher and a Nobler Flame Reigns in my Breast the Romane General May this perchance an Happy Conquest call Because his Eagles now securely fly O're the Numidian Plains But nothing I Have gain'd though this late Victory restore Whatever Syphax did from Me before Usurp though Hammon and Tarpeian Iove Conspire to make Me great unless your Love This Happiness confirm For this did I From Libya's to the Romane Ensigns fly Knowing no other Means to win You from (b) Masanissa in his Youth Educated in Carthage and observed to be a Person of singular Accomplishments Hasdrubal the Son of Giscon betrothed to Him his Daughter Sophonisba as eminent for her Beauty as Birth and imediately procured Him the Command of an Army in Iberia But afterward finding Syphax a more powerful Prince inamoured of Her He bestowed Her on him which among other things incited Masanissa privately to make Peace with Scipio and turn his Arms against Carthage Appian Libyâ— My Rival's Arms and since He is by Rome Thrown from that glorious Height and can no more Be Worthy held of what He did before In You enjoy since none but He that wears A Crown and in his Hand a Scepter bears Can Merit such a Bliss that You may live A Queen and what lost Carthage cannot give Nor Sophonisba take but from my Hand Be still ador'd through the Numidian Land Accept my Love by which You can alone Shun Romane Chains and still possess a Throne To this the Queen though an extream Disdain Of what He offer'd in Her Soul did Reign Fearing to be a Spectacle at Rome More then to Dy replies 'T is to presume Too much upon your Victory if You Imagine it as Easy to Subdue This Heart as late our Arms and though by Force You have already made a sad Divorce Yet know the Memory of Syphax Name Will in this Breast admit no other Flame While He survives But rather then be led To Rome in Triumph I confess the Bed Of any born of Libyan Blood may be Prefer'd yet if the adverse Fates decree That to avoid that Shame I must the Crime Of hasty Nuptials add a little Time Me thinks you ought in Justice to allow To expiate with Tears my former Vow With this Reply which neither gave Assent To his Demand nor yet deny'd Her Tent He quits advising Her to shun Delays In her Resolve for that e're many Days Should pass the Captives must be sent to Rome And Her Consent would then too Tardy come At these last Words as when our Libyan Darts A Tygress strike at first amaz'd She starts And growling stands but when the wounding Steel Is deeply fix'd and She begins to feel The Anguish of a Wound She rends the Air With Cries and lab'ring with her Teeth to tare The Weapons forth augments her Pain then flies To some known Covert and there Raving dies Struck to the Heart as if She then had seen The Gorgon's Head or like Amphîon's Queen Congeal'd to Marble Statue-like She stands A while and Silent weeps At length her Hands Invade her Head from which She frantick tears The lovely Hair and furiously impairs The Beauty of that Face which by two Kings Had been ador'd At last Her self She flings Upon her Bed and with a mournful Cry On her dear Syphax calls Which hearing I Stept in and found her turning to and fro Her Eyes now dry and fir'd with Anger so When Pentheus scorn'd the Trieterick Feast Agave's Looks Her inward Rage exprest Amaz'd a while I Silent stood till She Sighs making Way for Words at length to Me Her Speech directs 'T is not because Uncrown'd Isalces that I grieve a deeper Wound My Soul afflicts and I am wrack'd between Two dire Extreams Oh! had I never seen Numidia's Court or had I ne're been led By Hymen's Tapers to my Syphax Bed The World perhaps had never heard that one Born of Great Hasdrubal was from a Throne To Rome a Captive led but I must now Oh cruel Fate renounce my Nuptial Vow To yield up what my Lord esteem'd above Numidia's Throne the Treasure of my Love To Masanissa and in his Embrace Those Sacred Ties dissolve or in the Face Of Rome the greatest Trophy of the War Exposed be and the Triumphal Car Of the proud Conquerour in Chains attend Ye Gods what greater Mischief can Ye send Upon this Head Your Thunder cannot give A Blow so Fatal if you let Me live To see that Day As thus She spake her Eyes With sudden Streams of Tears her Tongue surprize When I perceiv'd that Masanissa's Flame Though yet an Enemy was still the same He had before profess'd hoping the Charms Of such a Beauty might regain his Arms To Carthage as they Syphax had withdrawn From Romane Leagues after a Solemn Pawn Of Faith before the Gods I thus begun Had Heav'n left any other Means to shun The Pow'r of Rome and that prodigious Shame Which proudly they on all of Tyrian Name Inflict I should resolve whate're it be To share Your Fortune But since now You see The Conquerour your Captive is You may Redeem your Self and give a better Day To Your lost Country 'T was for this alone Hasdrubal plac'd you on Numidia's Throne The Cause is still the Same nor is' t a Crime Which Fate Necessitates and which in Time You may a Signal Piety avow To all the World Ev'n Syphax will allow It such and dy Content if You restore Entire to Libya what She lost before Perswaded thus as when a Sea-man findes Nothing but certain Ruin from the Windes Which on the Ocean storm resolv'd no more To trust their Fury for â—ome Neighb'ring Shore He steers and to secure Himself doth choose Upon a Sand the lab'ring Bark to loose So from Rome's Rage the Queen resolves to throw Her self for Safety on a gentler Fo Who now approach'd while She puts on a Face Might move his Pity and a God's Embrace So when her Memnon
dy'd Aurora threw Over her Rosy Cheeks a Veil of Dew Through which dissolving Chrystal from Her Eyes Day did more sadly yet more Fragrant rise Soon as He entred Prostrate at his Feet She falls and thus now sues his Love to meet If my distracted Piety did swell Too High if what I utter'd did not well Beseem a Captive mighty Prince I here Beseech You pardon Me not wont to bear So weighty Griefs and since th' Immortal Gods Above my Syphax Fate on You these Odds Due to your Valour and good Fortune have Bestow'd whatever be my Doom I crave It may proceed from You. And as you are A King and with my Lord did lately share In the Numidian Name let Me not be Expos'd to any Roman's proud Decree As I am onely Wife to Syphax I Would rather any Libyan's Mercy try Then trust a Stranger But withall you know What I a Carthaginian Daughter to Great Hasdrubal may from a Roman fear If then no other Remedy appear Within your Pow'r I here beseech you still By Death to free Me from the Romans Will. Scarce this with all Allurements that could move At once the Conqu'rour's Pity and his Love She had declar'd when He wipes off her Tears With fervent Kisses and her future Fears Allays with Promise to preserve her Free From Roman Hands But pleads Necessity To be Secure that Night to Consummate Their Nuptial Rites Unwillingly to Fate And his Desires She yields and at the Time Her doubtful Heart as Conscious of a Crime Calls back her Blood then sends it forth again Into her Cheeks so shines a Scarlet Stain On Ivory asham'd to have it said One Day a Captive her and Bride had made And now the Weary Horses of the Sun To the Tartessiack Shore their Course had run When Masanissa with all Sacred Rites The Presence of the Marriage God invites But no good Omen shew'd him to be there The Fire the Incense flies the Altars are Smooth'rd in Stygian Smoak a dreadful Sound Through all the Temple runs and shakes the Ground And as from thence into their Chamber they Retire the Holy Tapers all the Way With Sputt'ring Flames as if Alecto shed Sulphure upon them lead them to their Bed All this intent upon his Mistress Eyes He either did not see or did Despise Concluding what He should enjoy would all Those Miseries out-weigh that could befal Before this Fatal Night was spent The Fame Of Masanissa's hasty Nuptials came To Scipio's Ear He fearing to give Way To such a growing Mischief soon as Day Had chas'd away the Stars by Laelius sends A Summons and thus sharply reprehends His Levity 'T is my Belief said He That when We first contracted Amity In Spain and then in Africa when Thou Didst both thy Self and all those Hopes which now Thou callst thine Own to Me commit that then Something in Me thou did'st 'bove other Men Worthy that Trust conceive But I in none Of all these Virtues that did prompt Thee on To seek my Friendship more of Glory plac't Then in my Temperance That with a Chast And Sober Minde I could suppress the Flame Of hottest Lust and this I then did aim To other thy rare Virtues might be joyn'd For trust Me Noble Prince We cannot finde So much of Danger from our Armed Foes As from those stronger Pleasures that enclose Us round and whotsoer'e repells their dire Assaults and can by Temp'rance his Desire Within Himself Subdue a Victory Of greater Honour gains then that which We O're Syphax have obtain'd Those Noble Things Which Thou with Valour worthy greatest Kings Hast in my Absence done I did of late To all of Name in Arms commemorate With all due Praise and still shall keep in Minde But I had rather Thou on what 's behinde Would'st with thy Self reflect then Blush to hear Me give 't a Name It plainly doth appear To all the World that Syphax was or'ethrown And Captiv'd by the Auspicies alone O' th' Roman People Whatsoever He Possess'd his Kingdom Wife and People We May challenge as our Prize and none a Share Of Right can claim Though Sophonisba were No Carthaginian born or did not We Her Father Gen'ral of their Armies see Yet must She who a King that was our Friend An Enemy hath made and in the End Against Us drawn to Arms be sent to Rome And there the Senate's and the People's Doom Attend. Strive therefore to subdue thy Minde Shake this lewd Passion off so much inclin'd To draw Thee into Ruin nor the Grace Of all thy Virtues with one Vice Deface Nor by one Crime deprive thy Self of all Those Thanks at Rome for which thy Merits call Struck to the Heart as if some sudden Flame Were darted through his Blood the Fire of Shame Flies to his Face Yet nothing He replies But strait retires with Sighs and swelling Eyes And knowing that what Scipio had decreed Must stand Irrevocable sends with Speed For Me and with a Box into my Hand A fatal Poison puts with this Command Bear this to my Dear Sophonisba say That Masanissa was resolv'd to pay That Faith to Her which kindest Husbands ow To their Dear Wives But since the Fates have so Decreed that They now countermand his Will To whom it is subjected He is still Resolv'd his second Promise firm shall stand And that Alive into a Roman's Hand She may not fall advise that with her Drink She intermix this Poison Bid Her think Upon the General her Father and Her Country think how once She did command The Hearts of two great Kings to whom Sh' hath been In Marriage joyn'd and let Her Dy a Queen The baneful Drug to my Dear Mistress I With this harsh Message brought Prepar'd to Dy And with Undaunted Minde the Worst to bear That Fate could add She with Attentive Ear Listn'd to what I said and as She took In her fair Hand the Poison with a Look Moor Chearful then when She a Bride was made To Masanissa I accept She said His Nuptial Present nor is it to Me At all Unwelcome since my Husband He Can nothing Greater on his Wife bestow But yet withall I pri'thee let Him know That Sophonisba would more pleas'd have Dy'd If at her Death She had not been his Bride For then my Country might upon my Tomb Have writ that thus I Triumph'd over Rome No sooner spoke but to her Lips She joyn'd The deadly Cup and Greedy there to finde A speedy Death swallows it all and while We Trembling stand about Her with a Smile Which made her Lovely ev'n in Death her Heart Recalling now the Blood from ev'ry Part To its Relief She sinks and as She lies Upon her Couch gives one Great Sigh and dies As the Numidian this sad Story told The Day began to rise They now behold The Tyrian Coast by which they Steer unto That City whence the Carthaginians drew Their fam'd Original when Dido from Her Brother fled Receiv'd as if at Home With all
goes on Fearless as if his Valour could alone With all their Force contend When a Disdain To see him dare so much a Rage more vain Creates in a brave Rhodian who forsakes His Station and the Combate undertakes Both ply their Oars both seek to gain the Wind. While Fortune that in this alone inclin'd To favour Hannibal extends his Sails With following Gusts so that his speed prevails And bears his Gally on against his Fo With so great Violence the barbed Proe Strikes through his Side and with the furious Shock Shakes his whole Bulk as bruis'd against a Rock As from some Engine shot the Splinters fly Through all the Ship and One the Captain 's Eye So deeply wounds it sinks into his Brain And leaves upon the Deck his Body slain With him the Courage of the rest doth dy And a base Fear perswades them streight to fly While Hannibal pursues with Storms of Fire From Pitchy Lamps and Darts as they retire Black waves of Smoak the flying Vessel hide And her sad Fate invites from either side Fresh Squadrons to the Fight These to maintain Their Conquest those to take Revenge The Main Foams with their active Oars and the Sea-Gods Affrighted seek their most remote Abodes Fearing the future Horrour of the Day And bloody Seas their safety might betray Both Navies now are met Proes against Proes Sides against Sides they strike and grapling close So firmly that as Foot to Foot they stand And with their Swords deal Wounds as if on Land But where the swelling Surges interpose Or Winds so that the Gallies cannot close Darts Arrows Jav'lins flaming Lamps they throw And Death and Wounds in sev'ral Shapes bestow The Romanes now the Syrians now give Way Yet neither fly but equally the Day Are confident to gain and their Retreat Like Rams doth greater Force and Rage beget Till Scipio to whose Fortune Syria's Fate Must yield and thence her future Ruin date A Squadron of Italian Gallies brought 'Gainst Apollonius who too rashly sought So brave a Fo. Like Thunder tearing Clouds Their meeting Vessels crack th entangled Shrouds Some that would sink above the Waves retain While others to the Bottom of the Main Descend and in their Arms the Souldiers drown'd Finde a sad Fate without Revenge or Wound But some whose present Courage stood above Surprize of Danger 'gainst such Fortune strove To dy among their Foes and leaping on Their Decks there fighting fall Some backward thrown Are lost in the Assault others whose Skill In Swimming and their Rage kept floating still Attempt to Board again Eumenes late A Captain who his Tyrian Gallie's Fate A while surviv'd first seiz'd a Romane's Oar By which he nimbly climbing up before Perceiv'd the Deck had gain'd when strait one Hand Lop'd off the other still his Hold maintain'd Untill a second Wound took that away Yet this sad Loss could not his Minde betray To want of Courage but his Teeth supply'd Their Room until a Fauchion did divide His Body from his Head which still did keep Its Hold the Trunck fell back into the Deep Th' Example of his Death made some to burn With Rage some I hill with Fear their Proes to turn And fly While Hannibal their Flight in vain Upbraids and hales them to the Fight again But when they saw Pamphilius possest With so great Terrour that he first the rest Forsook no Sense of Honour could restrain Their Flight But scatter'd over all the Main The base Cilicians spread their Sails to Fear Scarce knowing to what Land or Coast they steer Hannibal's Valour But the brave Libyan who as much to fly Abhorr'd as those base Cowards fear'd to dy With three stout Tyrian Gallies makes through all The Latian Ships t'attaque their Admiral Thinking that Act alone would best become His Valour when he seem'd t' assault ev'n Rome Her Self and from his Conquest or his Fall The World might say 'T was done like Hannibal But Fortune the Success deny'd and brought A furious War upon him where he fought Where e're he turns their Numbers him surround So as besieg'd he stands No place is found Where a brave Deed a single Arm may boast All Valour in their Multitudes is lost This Face of Danger his last Fury wakes As when too close pursu'd a Tiger takes His Stand resolv'd to dy reveng'd he views His Foes all Wounds receives at length doth chose Against that Hand to spend his Stock of Rage That 'gainst his Life most forward doth engage Hannibal's Stratagem So a Pretorian Ship that 'bove the rest With Show'rs of Piles and Darts did him infest With a Prodigious Storm he laies aboard And all the Plagues that Libya could afford To which her thirsty Sands do give a Birth Upon it throws enclos'd in Pots of Earth From which when fall'n and broken on the Decks Myriads of Serpents rais'd their marble Necks The Souldiers in the Fight with Wonder are Surpriz'd as if Medusa made the War Their dreadful Hiss suppress'd all warlike Sounds And when their Stings or Teeth inflict their Wounds Strange kinds of sudden Death ensue while some Whose Nerves the deadly Poison doth benum Like Statues fixed stand Others beheld Their well-shap'd Limbs above Proportion swell'd Till their encreasing Bow'ls their Bellies burst Some seem t' have swallow'd Flames and a dire Thrist Firing their bloodless Entrails to allay Its Rage they headlong leap into the Sea This through one Wound sees all his blood to flow His Veins soon empty made That doth not know Hee 's hurt nor feels a Wound when Death strait creeps Into his Heart and he for ever sleeps But though each Serpent thus a sev'ral kinde Of Death inflicts yet to one Ship confin'd Free from their Venemous Assault the rest The Libyan with all sorts of Arms opprest Till Iuno strugling still with Fate resolv'd No Romane Hand should boast his Fall involv'd The Day in Horrour chas'd the Light away Before its Time and over all the Sea The Wings of Night extends the Pregnant Clouds Discharge their Cataracts and from the Shrouds The roaring Winds the swelling Canvase tare The Romane Ships as if in Civil War 'Gainst one another strike and now contend How from themselves they may themselves defend At length dispers'd o're all the Main they flee And by this Danger from a greater free Safe to the Lycian Shore the Libyan came Reserv'd by Fate to be Bithynia's Shame Antiochus overthrown at Land But Fortune had not thus her Aid deny'd By Sea alone unto the Syrian Side But where by Land the King his Armies led His Ensigns from the Romane Eagles fled His Thracian Kingdoms now no more his Law Obey'd but the Ausonian Fasces saw In Triumph through their Conquer'd Cities go And Him of late their Lord esteem'd their Fo. His Grecian Friends the Leagues that they had sworn Reject and now his weaker Friendship scorn Scarce would the Syrian Cities entertain Their flying King at his return So vain The